He had not seen Hüi Wei nor had any message from him since their first and only night together, when Hüi had taken his flower. This night no torch had been borne into the harem square and no lantern had been lit. He sighed with disappointment mixed with a tiny bit of relief. At least he would not have to watch Hüi Wei enter the house of another wife and torture himself with thoughts of Hüi making love to anyone but him. He wondered if, after all, Hüi had found him revolting and resolved never to return to him. Perhaps death would be preferable to rejection. To have known physical love for the first time, to have felt that powerful body against his, taking him… he shivered as a thrill went through him. Their one night together had been heaven. If that night were all he would ever have to remember, it would have to do. It was more than he had ever hoped for in his life, even if he was destined to spend the remainder of it sequestered behind these prison walls, alone, but somehow the memory didn’t seem very comforting in the face of his yearning.
