When the room was quiet again, Liwei remained standing a few steps behind Iwa. He didn't want to follow Chonglin and check if she's alright but he was also unable to take a step forward towards his Queen. He was in a stalemate with his feelings at the moment.
But the look on Queen Iwa's face made his heart feel stuffy. She had a look of pure sadness and loneliness and he could see her tears threatening to fall, but then she took a deep breath and managed to hold her tears back as she try to hide the emotions she felt inside. Which Liwei still managed to see beforehand.
Now, Iwa had on the look and demeanor of a true Queen.
"Leave us." Liwei ordered the servants and the guards present in the room.
Once they were alone, Liwei still didn't know what to say to Iwa. He was torn between what to do first.
-'Should he apologize to her or comfort her before apologizing to her? But what should he say first?? Maybe he should thank her first, for being Lenient towards Chonglin?'-
Speaking of, Chonglin's act of attacking the Queen was already a death sentence itself . But once again, his Queen was considerate enough to give him face by calmly and covertly handling the whole situation.
Now, back to his present dilemma, Liwei truly didn't know what to say to her.
"Iwa---" Liwei softly began to speak but was cut-off by her.
"King husband, this Queen understands that Concubine Chonglin is someone your Highness holds dear in your heart, and this Queen also knows that you have grown up together with her therefore there are things and experiences only the both of you know about. With that said, this Queen has considered all of this and has accepted it's fate. This Queen accepts Concubine Chonglin's place beside King Husband." Quirra paused for a more solemn effect on her side, and she made a show of 'discreetly' wiping a tear while still remaining regal like a Queen.
"And so this Queen would like King Husband to know that, this Queen has worked hard to help King Husband by the way of paying more attention to the Concubines in the back palace and taking care of them in behalf of King Husband, therefore King Husband has no need to worry about the back palace." she ended with a 'sad' smile towards Liwei.
"I know." Seeing her sad smile, Liwei informally replied to her while speaking softly. Looking at this woman whom he started to care deeply for, obviously trying to hide the sadness that she felt, was heartbreaking for him. He could only say two words as he was rendered speechless with the foreign emotion he is currently feeling.
Seeing how Liwei went silent after his soft reply, Quirra decided to use this opportunity to tell him about her bottom line towards Chonglin, and any other woman for that matter.
"However, this Queen will no tolerate the disrespect that Concubine Chonglin shows towards this Queen. If she keeps on doing this, it will give others a reason to act the same way. And if that happens, disorder within the back palace will ensue. This Queen is only trying to make this work for all us women of the King."
"Yes, I know...." he replied as Liwei took a step towards her. Wanting to comfort her, and at the same time apologize to her and thank her. As he neared her, he reached out his hand to touch her face, "Iwa---"
But he was cut off as Iwa turned her face away from his reach. "You should go check on Concubine Chonglin. Talk to her. Let her know you still love her and care for her. Let her know that learning manners and the palace laws are for her own good. Make her understand. "
"Ame---"
"Go. We all know who you love, who you care about and who you cherish, without the woman herself constantly reminding us. The rest of us women in the back palace had acknowledged the fact that we do not hold a candle against her. Concubine Chonglin is your childhood sweetheart, your first love. She is someone you can never forget. That is why my King, you should go talk to her and comfort her so she will understand and that what you both have will still remain."
"Ame....."
Quirra stood up from her seat and took a few steps away from Liwei before stopping, with her back now facing Liwei, as she spoke softly; "Just go. I want to be alone."
Liwei stood standing behind Iwa for a few minutes as he clenched and unclenched his hands. After a short while he closed both of hands into a tight grip and walked away from her.
The words that he wanted so badly to say to her, words like "I'm sorry", "Thank you", "I care for you" and "I like you" could not come out of his mouth no matter how much he wanted it to. It was like the words were stuck inside his heart and mind, unwilling to come out of his mouth and be heard.
With each step he took away from Iwa, he could feel their distance widen. Literally and figuratively.
The further he went, the heavier his steps felt. He walked with his head down, feeling remorse and guilty for not having to say what he truly felt earlier towards Iwa.
It was not until Liwei looked up and saw the two hills in the back garden, where they had their first spontaneous outdoor activity in which all he could remember, was the smile she had on her face and the warmth in her eyes after they've finished their outdoor pleasuring --did he turn around and ran back to his Queen wife.
He didn't even minded how his running towards the Queen's courtyard would ruin his reputation and image as King. All he cared about was that he could not leave his Queen wife like this.
As Liwei ran, his thoughts wandered about the time he spent together with Iwa. How everything they made together like understanding each other, listening to one another and becoming one with each other -- everything they shared together would become meaningless if he did not fix this before the end of the day.
When Liwei reached the receiving room, he burst open the door but it was already empty. Iwa was no longer in sight.
There was no one inside. All of her servants was nowhere to be found.