Surprised and not sure how she would break the news to him, she replied, "Hmm... a little. I've not been well."
As soon as she finished the sentence, he stood up still carrying her in his arms and walked towards the bed. He gently laid her on the bed, covered her up and told her to rest. He did not even give her a chance to talk before walking out of the room to take care of something.
Mua Kong went outside to find Yee Len and told Yee Len to summon the palace physician to check on Hli Ja. After Yee Len left, he ordered Chue Yi to have the cook make clear broth soups and brew some herbal medicines. Those were to be brought into the bedroom.
The palace physician arrived with Yee Len after a while. The physician greeted Mua Kong and was led to the bedroom where Hli Ja was. She had fallen asleep as she had been low on energy lately and it did not take much for her to fall asleep.
They all entered the room, and the commotion woke Hli Ja up. Feeling a little fuzzy, she tried to push herself up from the bed, confused. "What is going on?"
"I have the palace physician here to check up on you," Mua Kong replied.
Surprised, she opened her mouth about to intervene, but Mua Kong told her to be stilled. She knew why she was ill and did not get the chance to tell him. All she could do was comply quietly. She lowered her head down and did not say anything and allowed the doctor to check on her.
Shortly after examining Hli Ja, the doctor put everything away and looked up to Mua Kong with a big smile. "Congratulations, My Lord, her highness is pregnant. She just needs plenty of rest, nutritious food and after some time, her symptoms will subside."
A wave of excitement penetrated through Mua Kong's heart. He nodded to the physician and signaled everyone to go out. After the door was shut, he slowly walked up to Hli Ja and gave her a warm hug. He was relieved that she did not have a serious illness and felt excited that she was bearing his child.
Still being embraced, she whispered to her man, "Sorry, I knew about it. I just didn't have the chance to tell you earlier."
"Hmm... it's ok, Hli Ja," Mua Kong murmured.
"Hmm…" She murmured back.
After a moment, he pulled away from her only to ask, "Do you regret being with me?"
She was taken aback by hearing him. "Such things have never crossed my mind. Why would you feel that?"
"Because sometimes… I do. Every time when I leave, I feel you deserve so much more than a husband who is rarely ever home. You've never complained and always stood by me silently. If you are unhappy, promise me, you will tell me," Mua Kong explained while holding her closer and tighter.
Those words touched Hli Ja deeply. She chuckled and reassured. "Since you entered my life, there has not been a day when I was not happy. I will stand next to you for as long as you allow me to."
Hli Ja's words sent warmth to Mua Kong's heart. "Thank you for being so wonderful to me," he softly said. She had been so kind, patient, and silently just believed and followed him.
Hli Ja got out of Mua Kong's embrace and gazed at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned up closer, pecked his cheek, and teased, "Hmm... shouldn't that be my line?"
Mua Kong arched his brows. He smiled and sent a warning look at her. "Don't tempt me. You are not feeling good at this moment."
Hli Ja laughed and let go of her arms around her man's neck.
Two months went by.
The night before Mua Kong had to leave again and the couple in love stayed up all night embracing each other. In a spacious room with a fire pit burning and illuminating the room, Mua Kong was sitting on a chair parallel to the fireplace while Hli Ja was sitting on his lap facing the fireplace. It was the winter season and the nights can get chilly. The fireplace was on to keep the room warm.
In the middle of the night, everyone had already gone to bed. Some people were already in dreamland while the couples were still up. Mua Kong gently placed his hands on Hli Ja's stomach showing a conflicted bittersweet expression.
Unspoken silence filled the air until Hli Ja broke it. "How long will you be gone for this time?"
*
In the VIP room on the second floor, Hue Chi's heart shook. He went numb momentarily when the scene in the play almost mirrored the dream he recently had. The glass cup that was in his hand slipped out as he tried to set the cup down on the table and it fell down, causing the noise that caught everyone's attention.
Hue Chi cleared his throat. "Sorry, my hand slipped a little." He tried to act calm, but his heart was racing faster by the minute. He observed the play intently as he predicted in his mind what was coming next.
On the stage, Mua Kong pulled Hli Ja closer to him, kissed her head, and whispered softly, "I'm not sure. A big war has broken out in the south. I'm providing reinforcement troops. Hopefully, it is not for too long."
With each action and every dialogue in the play, the temperature of Prince Hue Chi's body raised. He was nervous and anxious of the story's outcome. Hue Chi reached for a glass of cold water that was kept on his table and took a drink, hoping the ice cold water would cool down his body temperature.
Back on the stage, Hli Ja had already repositioned herself to face Mua Kong. With her arms wrapped around his neck, her eyes filled with love, she whispered, "Why do I love you so much?"