"I knew about your relation with the Crown Prince. You dared to assassinate my fourth son and now, you are targeting the First Prince?" The Emperor bore a sharp gaze at Anchhi.
"As a father, I appreciate your concern for your sons but is this an appropriate time to bring it up? Being the Supreme Emperor of this empire, your responsibility as a ruler comes first than your kinship. I think we should focus on the current affair." Anchhi suggested, as nonchalantly as she could.
A minute has passed. Or two. It was becoming difficult to bear with the silence. Anchhi cleared her throat, but he initiated his move, first.
"You are no longer in a position to tell me on what I should do or shouldn't do."
She had anticipated that the Emperor would snap back at her, for her mockery with a remark of his own. But, the scenario was opposite of what she had thought.
An awkward silence would have ensued, if not for the Emperor who rose from his seat, making his way to his resting hall.
On the other hand, Anchhi had held her breath, as she expected a torrent of inquires from him.
Everything was slowly making sense to Anchhi. The purpose of the interrogation she underwent was to satisfy the Emperor's personal interest and concern, rather than to establish her guilt.
"The Emperor is aware that I am not the criminal yet despite this knowledge, he is trying to use this fact to get rid of me from his sons. And even without sufficient evidences, he will hold me liable and perhaps, hang me to death."
*****
The prison cell in which Anchhi was confined, was a hollow concrete cube with windows constructed of narrow barred openings with heavy metal bars.
The walls were built with sturdy, grey stone and cross-hatched metal rods.
The whole detention house was either oppressively quiet or piercing screams of tortured prisoners filled it.
Anchhi was curled up in one of the corners of the prison cell. Huddling her knees close to her chest and leaning her back against the chilly, foreboding walls, she was drowning in a sea of thoughts.
"How things took this turn? All I wanted was to return, but my avarice almost resulted in my death. Everything is in chaos right now." She paused, before adding, "My way of returning which was somehow conceivable then, seems to be impossible now."
Anchhi let out a brief sigh and her gaze peered across the room which was no brighter inside than the encroaching dusk. She was wary, even when her breathing returned to normal and the trembling in her knees subsided.
But, her pondering mind was distracted with a mere call from her father, Fei Zhirong.
"Jia'er!"
Anchhi looked at her left and tilted her head up only to be welcomed by his warm gazes.
He had clearly been impacted by the ravages of time; the gray in his hair had lightened a bit, and the creases on his wrinkly face had been carved just a little bit deeper. Before cracking into a smile, he briefly looked at her with those serious eyes.
"How are you doing, my daughter?" He outstretched his wrinkly, lined hand.
Anchhi faced him as she slowly rose to her feet. Her eyes couldn't escape from the tiny pearls that streamed down her cheeks to speckle her father's hand.
"F-Father!" Anchhi grabbed her father's hand as he stroked Anchhi's soft cheeks.
"Your injuries? Have they healed?" He looked at Anchhi eagerly, eyes reflecting grave concern for her.
"Why do I feel as though I have never been hurt, Father?" Anchhi answered after a brief pause. "Wounds recovered as though my blood were a liquid form of magic." The words left her lips before she realized.
Then, with his voice muffled, Anchhi overheard him chuckle softly in front of her.
"Every night I used to check on you whether you were asleep or not. And I am here, for the same reason." A faint smile gradually crept across his lips despite the poignant ambience.
There was a strange, protracted stillness that followed.
The statement swelled in the absence of her response. Anchhi felt the need to say something. Anything.
"At this moment, I am realizing what mother meant to say when she wrote, the most trustworthy person will end up stabbing on the back. She referred it to Shoumen." Her endless fingers clutched around the metal rods, while she lowered her dejected gaze.
Fei Zhirong gave a faint nod.
"You know Jia'er, losing your mother wasn't easy for me."
Anchhi was unsure of how to respond to this, so she patiently waited for him to elaborate, which he did.
"She passed away when you had disappeared. She couldn't be there after you were found. As your father, I couldn't properly take care of you." Fei Zhirong expressed it in the most matter-of-fact manner he could, without showing any emotion or tears. The closest thing to an apology she could receive from him, was this.
Anchhi flinched her brows. Something was different about him.
"How's Fourth Brother doing?" She asked as solicitously as she could.
"His health is deteriorating day by day." After pausing, Fei Zhirong continued, "We worry that he may die soon."
Numbness succumbed her. She was thrusted into the pit of abyss.
"All we can do is pray for his speedy recovery." He exhaled a deep groan.
But, it was soon replaced by a laughter apparent on his eyes. "Have faith in your father, he will soon free you from this cell." Anchhi nodded her head in agreement. Then, she watched him walk towards the front door, his back facing her.
As he was getting distant from her eyes, Anchhi felt a sort of tightness on her chest. She felt air like a razor blades moving through her.
"My heart! Why is it aching suddenly?" Her brows flinched in horror as she held her chest.