Three Kings and a Princess

Frankincense to Offer Have I: Part IV

#FanFiction #TheApothecaryDiaries #TearmoonEmpire
#wss366 #MastoPrompt

[Continued from “Frankincense to Offer Have I: Part III”]

“I should slap you,” Pairin scowled. “Look at that dress! The cat #shed, and you slept in it. Even you should have more sense!”

Mao remained silent and let Pairin scold her. Pairin didn't often slap Mao, but there had been times when she'd deserved it as a child. This was like one of those times. It wasn't like Mao to potentially spoil a valuable item that she could trade for rare medicinal herbs. No matter how tired or sick she was.

Pairin fell silent soon and touched Mao’s face. “I’ll help you get ready, child.”

When Pairin finished straightening the dress, she began on Mao’s makeup, carefully hiding the dark circles under her eyes. Then finally, she moved on to styling Mao’s hair.

All the while, #distant sounds echoed from outside the room. Several times, Mao thought she heard someone calling out things like: “Baneberries—they’re poisonous; don’t eat them,” “These will have the most wonderful flavor of mild lemon or vanilla,” and other nonsense. She even imagined replying: “If you must destroy yourself, continue consuming wind-heads” and “When they reduce your brain to congee,” along with other caustic comments. The words were familiar, but from where?

Her brain refused to settle on a rational answer; instead, it buzzed with energy. It ran in circuits through her body, rising from her toes and blooming in her head like a lotus. She wanted to dash out of the building and escape to anywhere: away from the voices, the suitors, and the illness that threatened to overwhelm her.

Periodically, Pairin scolded her, saying, “Don’t twitch,” “Calm yourself,” or “Stop muttering nonsense.”

Each time, Mao took slow, deep breaths and reminded herself: “I'm ready for this,” “It won’t be so bad being his concubine,” and “He’ll give me lots of ingredients.”

This last thought reminded her of something important, and she asked, “Besides the crown, did he give me anything else?”

“I think he wanted to surprise you with two handfuls of frankincense.”

The thought of two handfuls of the rare resin sent her pulse racing—no, being the prince’s concubine wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe she could even make him rest when he was ill if she had that position.

[Continued tomorrow in “Frankincense to Offer Have I: Part V”]

#MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMFic #ApothecaryDiaries