Auntie Chen was there to greet us when we arrived back at the White Lotus palace. It was clear from her restless expression that Auntie had been very worried and anxiously awaiting our return.
“Crown prince and Lady White Lotus, I am so happy that you are back…” Auntie said as relief flooded her voice and facial features. I wondered for a moment if she had seriously considered that I could have been executed and then decided not to think about that gruesome scenario any further.
“Please leave us,” Ren said as he lifted a hand to signal to all that they should leave.
Auntie and the maid bowed simultaneously before quickly taking their leave. Soon it was just Ren and I in the large hall of the palace and the silence crept up on us. Ren had not said anything to me on our ride back to the palace and I could sense that he was waiting for us to return to the palace before we would have our real talk.
