"How could you cut a baby out–" Aoko clutched at her chest. A bright red line dripped from her nose. Upon seeing the crimson stain on her sleeve, she flung away the gifted pillow in horror. "What have you done?"

Lìyè stood, appearing taller than before. Six tawny, bushy tails fanned out behind her. "You talk about the laws of nature so flippantly. So arrogant, so condescending. What do you celestial beings know of the rules of the forest?"

Grimacing, Aoko raised a hand towards Lìyè with lightning forming at her fingertips. The air crackled.

Fear flashed Liye's amber eyes. "Stop! Or you won't get the antidote. This poison goes straight to the placenta. You wouldn't want it to reach your precious baby, would you?"

The lightning ball in Aoko's palm fizzled out. "What have you done to me? Speak, or–" She doubled over with a moan of pain.

"Or what? What were you about to threaten?" Lìyè burst into a fit of giggles and picked up the fox-shaped pillow by the tail. "You want to know what I've done? I've made a blend of all the most poisonous plants in the world, which you inhaled from that pillow. Oleander acts on the heart; beggar's herb causes respiratory paralysis. For you, I included an abortifacient plant. The pain you're experiencing now is from your body rejecting your pregnancy. And of course, there are toxins that cause convulsions, paralysis in your limbs–"

"How could you? I loved you like a sister," Aoko said, her voice raw with anguish.

The sneer waned from Lìyè's lips. "Can't you see? You made me do this! You make yourself out as the savior of the Earth and go around saving other creatures, but where were you when we cried for help? When we were being hunted and skinned alive, it was entertainment for you, wasn't it? Hypocrite! You turned a blind eye, you're a traitor to your own kind!"

Aoko tried to stand, but her legs gave way and she tumbled to the floor.

"And then when I want to exact revenge, you come here on the pretext of protecting me. You told me that we only had each other, that you would take care of me. You said that you loved me. Lies, all lies." Lìyè's shadow fell over Aoko's crouching form.

"Sister–" Aoko bit back another cry of pain as she clutched her belly.

"Instead, you went and fell in love with a human – whose love for me is so pure," Lìyè said in a mocking tone. "Listening to you makes me sick. How shameless can you get? Don't delude yourself! You're just one of many whores in his harem!"

"Zhao Zhao. . . Help. . . Help me. . ." Aoko dragged herself towards the bedchamber. The dog struggled to unfreeze itself but to no avail. Beside Snow, Chow Chow's breathing quickened.

"Look at that useless cur of yours. Not so ferocious, are you now? And look at you, the most powerful celestial fox, groveling at my feet."

"Please, Sister. . .the antidote."

"How forgetful of me." Lìyè reached into her sleeve and then showed Aoko her empty palm. "Oh, there's none." She screeched with manic laughter. "You should see the look on your face, Aoko, it's hilarious!"

"How could you be so cruel– Ah!"

"You said it yourself that there will never be an end to suffering! How does it feel now? You've never tasted anything like this before. I want to see you in so much pain that you'd wish you were dead!"

"Have mercy. . .Please."

Snow's heart shattered at the sight of her mother writhing in agony with her forehead against the carpet, her immaculate hair in disarray.

"I'm not like you, Aoko. No one had ever shown me mercy. You want to know the true laws of nature? Let me tell you the first rule: kill or be killed. Strike first, or be eaten alive." Lìyè grinned a mouth full of sharp teeth. "You didn't have the heart to kill me; you didn't have what it takes to be a killer. But I do."

She twirled a claw-like dagger that appeared in her hand. "Under different circumstances, I'd slice you open and rip your baby from your womb. But why cut short your misery? Though, considering our previously amicable relationship, I'll tell you a way out. You want to know what it is? Look at me. Look at me!"

Aoko lifted her head to gaze up at Lìyè, whose eyes gleamed with perverse delight. "Send all the poison to your baby. Your body will expel the stillborn, and then–"

"No! Never!"

"As I expected." Lìyè paused with her head cocked to one side. "The servants are awake. When they come in, they'll think you've gone into labor prematurely. You won't be able to tell them the truth because soon the poison will paralyze your voice box. You can try to prevent the toxins from reaching your baby until birth, but I doubt she'd live for long thereafter."

"Please, Sister. Spare my child. She is innocent," Aoko sobbed.

Shrugging her shoulders, Lìyè turned away. "If she survives the winter, I'll let her be. Then she'll know what it's like to grow up without a mother, like how I did."

The sides of her mouth twisted downwards when she glanced back. "I meant it when I said you've always been kind to me. You've treated me like a sister. But my real sisters died a long time ago. Goodbye, Aoko. Send my regards to the King of Hell." Lìyè's tails disappeared, and she melted into the shadows whence she came.

Mother! Despite knowing that she was witnessing a past event, Snow wanted to cross into Chow Chow's memory and rescue her. She was about to rush forward when a crash came from the bedchamber.

A black-clad Chow Chow burst through the doors with the ferocity of a maelstrom. Heaven's Wrath shone bright in his outstretched hand as he struck the point where Lìyè's heart had been.

"That damned witch!" With fury in his onyx eyes, he pulled his flaming sword from the wall, before turning to Snow's mother. "Aoko," he said in a strangled voice.

He knelt to cradle her in his arms. Tears and blood streaked her beautiful face and her lips had gone white. Shuddering violently, she screamed into the front of his robes. "Please! Take this pain away!"

Snow bit down onto her knuckle to stifle the sobs racking through her. How she wished her mother had chosen to live instead, that she had never been born. Now she understood what Chow Chow meant when he said the Empress deserved the end she received. In the dwarves' cottage, the Empress had howled with glee recounting this exact moment:

"Your mother had so many wonderful aspirations for you, you know? She had wanted a baby for so long, 'to love and to hold'. Oh, she did get to hold you. After days of unimaginable pain, she held you for a minute... and then the poor thing died!"

With great effort, Chow Chow carried Aoko into the bedchamber and laid her on the bed. "You're going to be alright," he repeated as he stroked her hair. Despite his soothing words, he looked utterly at a loss. He pulled the blanket over her and tried to make her comfortable, but in the end, he sat back and stared at the ceiling, as if pleading for an answer. The front of his pristine, elite guard uniform was stained with her blood. "Why is there no help forthcoming?" he said aloud.

She moaned again, and he slammed his fist into her bed frame. "I'll kill her!"

"No!" Aoko rasped, gripping his sleeve. "The Heavens will never forgive you if you reveal yourself! You've not recovered. . . she's too strong for you. . ." Wheezing for breath, she placed his hand on her belly. Her sapphire eyes, once serene, were full of sorrow. "Protect my princess. You promised."

Chow Chow bowed his head, his dark shoulders shaking with grief.

The scene before Snow receded as she floated away. From above, she saw the servants announcing their arrival, and entering to find Consort Aoko in throes of pain, with a white dog yapping frantically beside her.

Snow ran towards her mother.

"Princess!"

Whatever happened after that went by in a blur. All she remembered was the sensation of falling into an endless void, followed by the clanging of swords and the roar of tempestuous waters. Was this what he meant when he said not to stray? She was being swept through his memories, turning and twisting like a kite lost in a storm, until a pale figure appeared. Chow Chow's arms wrapped around her and she awoke in her bed with dampened cheeks, feeling like her whole body had been battered. Curling inwards, she bit down on her blanket and allowed herself to sob.

Princess. A flash of light illuminated the wall she was facing. "I'm sorry, I could not save your mother," he said softly behind her.

That only made her sob even harder. It was all your fault! an accusatory voice said in her head. No, it was not, it was the Empress's doing, another said. Why did he show you this traumatic memory? Even if you insisted, he shouldn't have, said a third voice. What could be worse than witnessing your own mother dying before your eyes?

"Leave me alone," Snow finally croaked. Nothing you say now can ease the heartache I'm feeling.

All went quiet – presumably he had left her yurt – and she continued crying until she didn't have the energy to cry any longer. Mother! she wanted to shout, over and over again. Why did you have to die so that I could live? You should have taken me with you.

After what seemed like hours, she fell into a state between dreamless sleep and exhausted wakefulness. Strangely enough, when she floated back to consciousness, she could smell the pleasant aroma of baking pastries. I'm hallucinating. She was roused momentarily by a metallic clang – like a pot knocking against her stove – but the familiar sounds of a crackling flame and bubbling water sent her back to deep slumber. It was only when she heard her door closing shut that she snapped awake.

Bleary-eyed and parched, she slowly sat up. She was alone in her yurt; Chow Chow had already left for his early morning duties.

With her blanket wrapped around her, Snow made her way to her kitchen. Someone had been working at the stove, she could tell. Peering into the small sacks and packages arranged neatly in a row on her cupboard, she spied flour, winter melon paste, sesame seeds and red bean paste – rare ingredients out here on the steppes. She wondered where they came from, and was reminded of the child she had seen in Chow Chow's memories. They had been rolling balls of dough, presumably to make biscuits or pastries.

Grief threatened to engulf her once more, and she turned to sit at her dining table, unable to bring herself to put a pot of water to boil. To her surprise, a bowl of milk tea had already been prepared for her. Steam curled from its creamy surface.

She took a sip – it was exactly the way she liked it, with more yak's milk than tea. Not bad. No one has made me tea like this before.

Her pot cover laid on the table, and she lifted it, curious to see what was underneath. A plate filled with plump, red bean buns; perfectly round, fried dough balls coated in white sesame seeds; and golden sweetheart cakes greeted her. Where did he get– Did he bake all this? Staring agog at all the treats she used to love in the Palace, Snow recognized the sweetheart cakes as the same kind that he had gifted to her in the cave. Somehow, she had thought he conjured up those with magic, but now she realized that he made them himself.

She bit into a sweetheart cake, savoring its flaky crust and soft, winter melon filling. Despite her sorrow, which she thought would be impossible to overcome, the comforting, familiar taste of the cake brought a smile to her face.

Author's note: This chapter was a difficult one to write! I guess it just gets more and more difficult, doesn't it? 

Do you think the Empress was more evil here or in the first book? Do you empathize with her?  This chapter is dedicated to TeodoratheScholar for being the Empress's diehard fan 😂 Thank you for all your comments and suggestions! I hope you'll like this chapter.

How did you all feel reading this sad scene with Aoko and Chow Chow? Come on, talk to me. 

Yes! Chow Chow can cook and bake! But only for people he likes 🤭 Did you like his sweet gesture?

After all that we've gone through, I wanted to end on a hopeful note. Sometimes I feel it was odd to do so, but at other times I thought it felt right. What do you think?