Crocodile Tears

The few stains of crimson blood stood out in grim contrast to the rest of the otherwise dull room. As a medic, against my better judgment, I rushed to him to examine his injuries. Without asking, I rolled up his sleeve, careful to not let the fabric brush against the fresh wound.

No, blood was not gushing out of the cut like a river bursting from a dam. Instead, the gash wasn't very deep nor wide, instead being a diagonal laceration across his forearm with sizeable beads of oozing blood. It was far less dramatic, but it certainly must have still hurt.

I tried grabbing for the nearest piece of bedding to tie a simple bandage for him, but he stopped me, flinching a bit as he moved his arm. Other than that, his face was emotionless, almost as if he had no feelings of pain nor actual human emotion.

"Remember, the blood was yours." With those words, he yanked a small strip from the innermost layer of his robes and handed it to me, nodding slowly. "Use this instead. Don't clean it. The maids will see that the bowl turned bloody, and it will arouse unnecessary suspicion."

It would have been best to clean the area first, but following his instructions, I watched as beads of blood spread and dyed the white fabric into vibrant hues. I've seen patients who cried over a cut and ones who screamed from injury. Yet never before have I ever seen someone be almost removed from his own suffering and acting as if his mind was detached from his body.

"Apply ointment as needed and wash as needed when bathing." I couldn't help but nag a bit, the years of practice coming through. "Be careful not to rub it against other s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e perfumes as it could run the risk of infection." I tried to explain as thoroughly as possible.

Instead, he turned to me and replied with, "You'll be there to treat it, wouldn't you?" From the way his tone sounded, it sounded more like a statement than a question. "Let's head out."

He reached for my hand, and I willingly gave it. With his injured left arm, he lifted the cover of the tent with a faint smile. The act thus began.

Not many words were needed, and from the start, it was clear what his intentions were. In the time we were at the capital and before we went to his assigned feudal lands, we must be the perfect couple in front of his parents. After all, who would possibly want more trouble and a ton of avoidable explanations? It was much easier to pretend to be a loving couple.

"Second Brother! New sister in law!" A'Wu was the first to greet us, dashing out and waving an enthusiastic hello as if we had parted for years.

Ying cordially waved with one hand, making sure that our linked ones were in no way separated.

"Now, now. A'Wu, they have to go greet Father Emperor and Mother Empress before it is too late." One of the boys from last night came over and exchanged a knowing look with Ying. If I recalled correctly, he was the one holding a bit back and staying behind the other two.

There wasn't much time to process the information, though, because we were soon on our ways again. After a long flight of stairs, before we knew it, we were at the doors of the Empress's bedchambers.

Bold words on the plaque marked a place of special heritage and austerity dating back to the Han dynasty. Standing here, even without a draft, a chill ran down my spine as the traditions of more than a millennium weighed upon my back.

"Announcing the Prince of Jin and the Princess Consort of Jin!" A eunuch called out, his crisp voice echoing in the seemingly endless hallway before us. Perhaps it was my imagination, but he squeezed my hand lightly as if to comfort me. Surely they couldn't see such a small action to make a difference. Was there a reason for our acts to become so refined? In all honesty, it seemed a bit like a waste of energy.

Though countless thoughts raced across my mind, the sincere and shy smile on my face never wavered. It was almost like I put on a new mask of permanent friendliness to match Ying's impeccable one.

"Take a deep breath, darling. They're sure to like you as much as I adore you." His voice was low but calculated so that it would carry through the hallway, and his words were a bit sappy but not overdone to the point of disbelief.

"A'Mo! A'Xiao! Come in!" Empress Dugu was obviously glad to hear those supposedly secret whispers as she beckoned us in. "It seems that you two are much more loving than I could have hoped for."

"Yes, we have really outdone it for A'Mo." The emperor chimed in. "Come and take a seat."

I kept my gaze low, remembering previous pieces of information and tips. Even when she told me to act just like family, I responded with a standard answer of how one must always respect familial elders as it forms the literal backbone of society.

For that response, I was awarded with a look of approval from the emperor.

Per tradition, I was to serve both elders tea. Ying subtly gave me hints, occasionally making it obvious and covering it up as if he was just lovestruck.

"As a child, I remember how Father Emperor complimented the green tea at Long Quan," he would then put on a meek grin, not stepping out of line but definitely making it apparent that he was pleased by his parents' choice for a wife. I suppose that this was why he never gave me instructions beforehand.

I carefully sifted the tea leaves and poured a crafted drink for both the Emperor and Empress. They each took a sip, and I awaited my judgment. I was rather confident in my skills, and surely it couldn't have been horrible.

"Hmmm…" With the emperor's prolonged pause, I froze.