Lucy was endlessly curious about the Imperial Family, her family. However, as the numbness spread, she closed her eyes, began guarding her critical points, not daring to slack, in case the poison reached her heart or brain.

By the time, Father carried her back to the carriage, Lucy's head was full of sweat. Burning, burning up. So hot! It hurts, Lucy whimpers, trying not to struggle in Father's arms.

Watching the poison spread, Lucy began to get angry. It was targeting her inner sky, and meridians. They really wanted to ruin her! ?If the poison was allowed to burn her meridians than it would be impossible to cycle pure energy throughout her body. The time passed was like tree sap, rolling down. Slow, and sticky. Finally, Lucy frowns, the black poison was hovering away from her essence points, not approaching, as if it was waiting for something.

Cautiously, Lucy expands a strand of pure energy. The poison recoils from the thin strand. Lucy tries again. Sending a strand to cut through the poison. It split into two, ?the pure energy causing the poison to retreat.

In that case, Lucy opens her inner sky, flooding every inch of her body with pure energy. The poison flashes, the burning intensified. Every inch of her body burned and boiled. ?Shaking, Lucy kept her eyes closed, as her muscles, and blood burned. Hot, so hot. It hurts. It hurts, clenching her teeth, Lucy pours more pure energy into herself. I don't want to die. I want to see the sunset and rise. I want to paint again. If I die, will I remember myself again? No, I can't die. I want to live. Lucy's eyes open, sparks of light, yellow, and black dancing in her eyes. What do I want to do? This hurts. I should just let go. Lucy shakes head fiercely.

Why am I fighting? I should just die. For a second, Lucy grip loosened, but the eyes of her Mom flashed in mind view, and the thoughts she had been hiding in her heart came to her mouth. "No. I wanted to paint my children's faces. I wanted to paint every day. I wanted to marry and live relaxedly. Lesuirely. I want to dance again. I want to play games, without sorrow weighing on me. I want to see what this world is like! I want to be free!"

Power blazed, as Lucy completely poured her power onto her body, her skin glowing gently, a faint shimmer. No one in the room noticed, too busy they were brewing fever medicine.

I won't be like my past life. I won't just float, along with my art allowing others to tell me it's worthless. I won't listen when I'm told to set aside my dreams. I won't go to school when I want to dance in the rain. I won't work myself to the bone, just to die without spending any of it. I will sleep, and lay around. I won't be ashamed of me.

-

Miss Selena wipes the blood from the young miss's nose, and sighs. The young miss's body was lobster red, except for her stark white lips. Blood kept sliding from her nose, and ears. Selena feared that this young miss won't last long. How long until I will find my lady? I just want my own master. Selena fretted. This was the seventh young miss, who she'd been assigned, and her last chance. If this babe died then Fei would take over the next pregnancy, and wait for a young miss.

Why was her luck so bad? The ladies who served Young Miss Lena, and Young Miss Rosemary only had one, or two babes die on them, before one survived, allowing them to swear an oath to their masters. Again, Selena cursed inwardly about Prince Benin's bad blood. All the children he sired were so weak. Keeping them alive required mountains of precious herbs and healers who acted as nursemaids. Still, they dropped like flies. Selena sighs again,

"Eh!" Selena froze, starting at the lack gunk coming from young miss's skin. "Heat some water" Selena snaps at a maid, hurriedly wiping at the black gunk. It was sticky, ?clumping together on her skin. Soon the rag was covered in filth, just spreading about. Discarding the rag, Miss Selena dumped Lucy into a hot tub of water, scrubbing away. For the next twelve hours, they kept changing tubs. Hot water, cold water. Hot water. Cold water. Until the fever broke, and the black scum stopped coming.

Staring down at the peacefully sleeping child, Miss Selena mutters. "What the f*ck?"