What The Fox? (Completely Free!)

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Julong was being fitted into his armor when I was introduced to him in his royal tent. The Sixth Prince was being laced into his mountain-scaled armor. The blue silken tassels were braided around his waist to hold the shoulder panels in place. I had never seen him in full imperial regalia, and it took my breath away.

Even under the heavy armor, his movements were light, and his smile melted my heart like snow freshly fallen on peach blossoms.

"They say the one who defeats the Alpha King in battle becomes the next Alpha," Julong bragged to his attendants. "If this old fool Zhang's dagger contains the legendary power of Kunwu, and the emperors of legend, I would not need a shaman to control these beasts. I would only need to slay their leader. Who is this Alpha Zurui? Is he as fierce as the stories say? They say the khan himself leaves these savage pack in peace rather than to tread in these forsaken lands."

As Julong spoke, his back was to us the entire time. I supposed that the attendant sent to fetch me was so low on the hierarchy around here that he dared not to interrupt the Prince with the news that the precious dagger had arrived.

"That is if the old fool has not drank himself into a stupor by now," General Teng said. I kept my head lowered in defense as the daughter of a lowly blacksmith would be to do among such dignified figures. Even so, I recognized him from his portraits in the Teng house and his resemblance to his useless sons, my pretend-brothers in a former life. It figures that he was here. He was the steward of the northern armies. Yet, at the same time, I couldn't believe that a pack of wolves warranted such a show of force.

Could the emperor be foolish enough to believe that the power of the Lycans contained the secret to conquering the world?

"Ah, he has returned," Teng noted as he noticed my escort bowing so lowly before the Prince that his forehead was touching the floor. "Will it be good news or your head?"

"Splendid news!" My escort exclaimed in a high-pitched yip.

"What is this?" The Sixth Prince demanded. I held up the dagger with both hands, praying that he would not be disappointed. Even so, it seemed unlikely that Blacksmith Zhang wasn't another drunken charlatan like the shaman they hired to fill the camp with the scent of burning herbs.

"Who are you?" My blood ran cold at the Prince's sudden change of tone.

"B-blacksmith Zhang's daughter."

"No, no, you can't be. You look just like her."

The Prince's gloved hand finds its way to my chin. He forced me to tilt my head up. I try to keep my eyes closed, as though that would help! He couldn't possibly recognize me. When he last saw me, I was a fox demon, and I always enchanted my physical features to be more attractive than I actually was.

I made my eyes brighter, my lips fuller, and my skin more smooth and flawless. Now, in my human state, I looked nothing like the girl he had met so many years ago. On top of that, I had aged. It had been half a decade since we last met.

"My apologies, young woman. You remind me of a girl I once knew. A girl who I know to be dead."

The Prince took me by the arm and guided me into a standing position. His eyes were exploring every inch of my dirty, soot-covered body. The dagger fell to the ground inside its decorated box. I couldn't believe that the man-who-was-formerly-known-as-Julong was so smitten with the sight of this filthy human girl that he forgot all about his enchanted weapon with the power of the emperors of legend.

"You are the spitting image of a girl I once knew, a girl I once loved."

Loved? My eyes widened in shock. For the first time, I met his sharp, inquisitive eyes.

Julong laughed at my surprise.

"You can't be her. She's long dead. The heavens must have sent you to me on the eve of our great victory. Come, speak up. What is your name? I have searched every mountain, every stream for my beloved Selene."

"A-Ru," I stuttered out, taking the name of my former handmaiden. I thought that was humble enough of a name so that he wouldn't suspect I was a fox demoness in my last life.

"A-Ru," Julong said and clasped my hands in his. "You will be my wife."