Yīng Kingdom

Sī sat beside Mîn Jíng at a dressing table and watched her in concern for what she was about to do.

“Your Highness, I don’t think this is safe,” she remarked.

“You worry too much, Sī,” she huffed.

“Someone has to,” Sī quietly mumbled.

Mîn Jíng looked at her friend and maidservant and deeply sighed.

“I know you worry about me and care about my pain,” she acknowledged. “I need this, Sī. Please, understand. It helps me sleep. Don’t you want me to sleep?”

Sī looked down at the white powder her mistress had been mixing in a bowl. She shook her head as she thought of the questionable solution for insomnia.

“I know you are well-versed in medicine,” Sī replied. “You were the best of Daoshi Wèi Wén’s students. You were the best student in everything. She would tell you the same, Your Highness. This is dangerous. Yes, I’m happy that you’re finally sleeping. Forcing yourself to stay awake to prevent the nightmares was bad, too, but there must be another way, Princess Mîn.”

“It isn’t only to sleep for sleeping’s sake,” Mîn Jíng explained. “I dream of him now.” Her voice lowered so no one outside of her chambers could hear. “Ever since I fainted from exhaustion, I’ve been dreaming of him. The longer I sleep, the more of him I see. I don’t even have nightmares when I dream of him.”

Sī watched Mîn Jíng mix the powder with water and drink it all down. After another cup of water, she stood and lifted a small white rabbit from the floor.

“Please trust me, Sī,” she begged. ”I know what I’m doing. No one knows better than me what I need.

Father believed confining me to my manor for risking my life would calm my anxiety. It only leaves me alone to dwell on my sadness.

Féng Wěi and Uncle Jiāng suggested I get another horse like General Mò. I am still pained by that horse’s death.

Yong Wěi brought me Xiù Xiù,” she said with a small kiss to the rabbit’s nose. “Although I love her very much, how is a rabbit going to take away my bad dreams and bring me my Black Butterfly?”

She set the rabbit onto the bed and climbed beneath the covers with a yawn.

“Please, Sī. As my only friend, keep this secret and let me sleep. Let me dream of my love rather than a field of bodies and blood. If anyone asks about me, simply tell them it’s my womanly time and I’m sleeping.”

Sī pulled the blankets up around Mîn Jíng’s shoulders and sat beside her as she slept. She pet the rabbit that had hopped onto her lap and prayed she wasn’t helping her friend harm herself more than the damage that had already been done to her mind.

As Mîn Jíng smiled in her sleep, Sī breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t another scream. At least the powder was good for that, so for the time being, she would keep the secret and hope she wouldn’t come to regret it.