Three Kings and a Princess

•─☾#2 Gold I Bring to Crown You Anew – Part I☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #TheApothecaryDiaries #TearmoonEmpire
#wss366

“Wake up, lazybones.”

Mao opened her eyes. She felt sick, and the sight of the madam’s face didn’t help. The room spun as she sat up. She kept the thought “Grams leave me alone” to herself. Pleading with the old madam, Yarite Babaa, was worse than wasted breath.

“Hurry, there is someone to see you.” The madam jabbed Maomao.

“Jinshi?” Mao asked and nearly vomited. “I’m too sick for this,” she wailed silently.

Her stomach settled a bit, and her thoughts cleared slightly. “No, it wouldn’t be Jinshi,” she thought. “Maybe one of his messengers. What if he’d relapsed and died? That would mean an excruciatingly slow execution. Better poison, where did I put the Lemony Deathcaps.” Her thoughts whirled. If so, she shouldn’t expect any help from Grams.

“The Moon Prince?” The madam’s sneer was almost a relief after Mao’s thoughts. “You had your chance, girl, and wasted it. No, you’ll have to take what comes to you like the rest.”

It took a full three seconds for Mao to understand what the madam meant. Once she understood, her thoughts raced. “Haven’t I brought you enough wealthy clients?” If the sly old madam was killing the golden goose, someone must have offered a huge fee.

“Pairin, come help the princess get ready.” With those words, the madam left, replaced by the Pairin.

The first princess of Verdigris House looked at Mao with almond eyes, clouded with concern. Her long purple hair was disheveled, as if she too had been aroused from her sleep.

“You look sick, little one. I brought you some herbs. You left them with me when I was ill,” Pairin said, offering an earthen mug.

Mao gratefully drank what she was given. The warmth of ginger tea soothed her throat, and the slightly bitter tang of tangerine peel cut through the soapy taste of zǐsū.

“A good mixture,” she thought, as the urge to vomit ebbed, replaced by a gentle warmth spreading through her #chest.

She put down the mug and nodded thanks to Pairin.

“I don’t want to do this.” The grumble escaped her. She knew it was pointless, but she couldn’t help it, and Pairin wouldn’t hold it against her.

“Cheer up, little one,” Pairin said. “It’s not so bad. Besides paying Madam, your guest brought you expensive gifts: A #chest with as much gold as I receive for three nights.”

Maomao went still. Pairin did not exaggerate about such things. What good was gold if she were robbed of her freedom? If all she wanted was wealth, then she could have had Jinshi long ago.

[Continued in Gold I Bring to Crown You Anew – Part II]

#MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMFic #ApothecaryDiaries