54 I Don't Care

What is this? Prince Qui asked himself. He was not even sleepy. Maybe it really wasn't the princess' presence that made him fall asleep when they were in the shack. It was probably the fresh air. Or maybe it was the hard bed that somehow resembled the sleeping bags he had been using for the past few years of his life.

He sighed. He could not help but feel disappointed with the turnout of events. He thought he finally found the cure for his insomnia. He turned to look at the sleeping princess. Turned out there was nothing that could really help him.

He spent the rest of his night reading on his Linker, catching up with all the news that he had missed for the whole year that he was gone. The state was doing better than he thought. There was much about his older brother, The Crown Prince. His father must be thinking about retiring soon since he was building up his successor's image.

Before he knew it, the sun was at the point of rising and he knew that he had to leave already. He clasped the Linker on his wrist, the unfamiliar weight of it bothering him a little.

The princess was still sound asleep.

"Huh," he said. At least one of them was sleeping nicely.

He crossed the room and knocked on the door. "Open up," he said in his normal voice. "It's morning."

Less than a second later, he heard the lock clicking. He rolled his eyes. Why did his father have to lock him inside? This was just stupid. He could very much just kick the door open even with the lock. But that would involve his wife waking up and he didn't want to deal with her yet.

This was why he was escaping.

The doors opened and he was welcomed by the cold morning breeze. It was almost as cool as the air in the room. He nodded to both guards and both saluted to him.

He walked down the long hallway, watching as the palace started to wake up. There were already maids milling around, looking for things to do. If he were being critical, they had too many servants inside.

He made his way towards the closest exit and walked to his mother's little house. He was sure that she was still sleeping at this hour, all the more reason that he wanted to bother her.

The guards and the handmaids bowed down when they passed him, and then he was inside his mother's house. It was quiet—not that it was strange. There were women asleep on the floor, make-ups smudged, and some looking indecent. He quickly scanned their faces.

Not a sign of his mother. Good to know that she found her bed tonight.

There was another pair of soldiers standing by the side of the doors. They immediately opened them. It didn't escape his eyes that one of those men's hand shook.

Prince Qui stopped walking and turned to the man on the left. "What are you nervous about?" he asked. Then he realized, it was a new face.

"N-nothing, General."

"Shake out that nervousness or I'll have you fired. It's my mother you're protecting."

"O-of course."

Prince Qui shook his head and stepped inside. The doors closed behind him. His mother looked peaceful on her bed. Too peaceful even. Like she was dead. When he was younger, it scared him how still she could be. It was like she was just waiting for someone to paint her—or maybe she really was.

"Mother," he said when he was beside her bed.

"Hm?" she answered, her forehead crinkling.

"It's time for breakfast."

His mother slightly opened her eyes and looked at her closed window. "It's still dark outside. Why don't you sleep?"

"It's morning already."

"Ahhhh," his mother groaned. "What do you want?"

"I want food. I got married yesterday. You should be throwing a party."

His mother opened her eyes with a bitter look on her face. "Didn't your other mother already do that? And didn't invite me?"

"I know, that's why we're celebrating. You're going to cook me something."

Finally his mother got up from the bed. "You should kill that attitude before your wife gets pissed at you." She stood up offering him a smile. "Now, where's your lovely bride?"

"Sleeping."

His mother glared. "You woke me up and you didn't bring her along?!?!"

He shrugged a shoulder. "We're getting divorced anyway. You don't have to meet her."

His mother gave him a disapproving look and pointed at his face. "I'm not done with you. I'll meet you in the kitchen."

Prince Qui waited for his mother. It took her about ten minutes before she got herself presentable. During that time, Prince Qui already scored a cup of coffee from one of the servants.

His mother shooed everyone out and pulled a frying pan from one of the cabinets. "What's this divorce you're talking about?"

"She wants to get back to her prince. Her prince is not me," he answered simply. "I'm just giving her what she wants."

"What about what you want? Do you want to divorce her?"

"I don't have any opinions about it." He took another sip of his black coffee. He didn't like the taste but he got used to it. In the field, they didn't have the luxury to carry sugar and cream with them. Or even milk. "I don't care, in short."

His mother's hand posed on her hip. "And why do you not care?"

"I'll be away most of the time. It'd be as if I don't have a wife at all. So why not make her not have a husband? Just so it'd be fair."

"Ah," his mother said amusedly. "That's your reason."

"What else is there?"

"Your father. The emperor. Do you think he's going to let you divorce his most valuable asset?"

"Of course," Prince Qui said. "He'd grant that. I'm his best general. It'd be a shame if I stop working for him."

His mother let out a laugh without humor in it. "If I were you, I'd be careful, son. You might be your father's favorite, but if you think you're getting in his head, it might be yours on top of Heping's walls tomorrow."

Prince Qui only gave a blank expression to his mother. They both know that before someone would kill him it would take about a hundred men. That would be a hundred more heads on top of Heping's wall at the end of the day.

"Anyway," his mother said, turning the stove on. "What present are you going to give your wife?"

"Nothing," he said. "As I've said—"

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE A GIFT FOR HER?!"

"Mother, we got married in the middle of the woods."

"Not even a damn flower?"

He shook his head.

"Shame," her mother said and poked his head with a spatula. "I didn't think I raised you that way. After breakfast, we are going to the market. You are going to give a present to your wife."