Discarded by Heaven's Prince, Courted by the Demon Emperor novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: The Red Cord

The blood had dried brown on the paper.

Qinghe read it standing, in Jinye's red chamber, with the dawn coming through the window.

There were only three lines.

"I do not know what I am missing. I only know it is you. Please come and speak to me once."

She folded the paper in half.

"Burn it," she said, and handed it to Chi Wen.

He burned it in the lamp.

"Tell the Prince the Lady Su will see him at the Court feast tonight, with the rest of Heaven," she said. "Not alone. Not once."

That evening the Jade Pool shone.

Ten thousand lanterns hung in the peach trees around it.

The immortals sat at long tables with gold cups and silver plates.

Qinghe sat at the head of the left-hand table in white and silver, with Jinye at her right.

Nobody had arranged it.

The ushers had simply looked at the Demon Emperor's face, and found a place.

Across the water sat the Prince, pale and straight-backed, not touching his food.

Yuruo sat beside him in rose silk with new combs in her hair.

She was watching Qinghe.

Halfway through the second course, Yuruo rose.

"Lords and ladies," she said, and the music faded. "I regret to trouble the feast. But I have found something."

She held up a small yellow paper charm, folded in a triangle.

"This was under the Prince's pillow this morning. It is a cursing charm. The Prince has not slept in three nights."

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