A Phoenix With No Wings

1k votes bonus: Crown Prince of Lian

⚠️ Spoiler alert⚠️ here's a little background story about the crown prince.. some scene here haven't been told in the storyline. It is a preview, and of course it is not all.. so enjoy Lian Tian's POV

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Lian Tian is the only prince of Lian Kingdom. It may be weird because Lian Kingdom has 23 princesses. As the only possible heir, he gets everything that he wants, food, silk, herb and power. But he does have a great responsibility as well. Since he was little, he was poisoned numerous of time. Luckily the queen, Lian Tian's mother, is an intelligent. She see though all of the evil villains.

"Mother, Lian Tian will practice very hard so I can protect mother when I grow up!" The young boy said.

"No my son, you need to protect yourself, to protect this kingdom." The mother patted his head.

"But I want to protect mother too."

"Silly Lian Tian, your mother is the queen. Ai Jia* can protect herself, understand?" *I, used by queen

"Yes, mother.."

-

Lian Tian trained with the best masters, day and night, whether it is politics or martial arts. Sleepless nights and sweat and blood is his small body routine. He only has one goal, to protect his mother

The harem is cruel and Lian Tian knows it. Because he saw her mother crying alone every now and then. Is the king's affection really mean that much?

Until one day, his mother is framed into an inhuman crime. The queen is executed for rebellion, something that Lian Tian knows she would not do. All of her life, her dedication and her sacrifices, they forget everything. This is their queen who marry the king at the age 13, uses her brain and body to serve the nation, yet this is what she gets.

He cried and cried begging his imperial father to let his mother go. But the king won't help her. Lian Tian even kneeled for three days in front of the dragon chamber. It was pouring rain that time, very cold, all of his body was sore yet he refused to get up. His small body was so weak, that he fainted in the third day. But at the end, He saw his mother beheaded before himself.

Lian Tian still remember every single pain. His mother tears, her wet clothes and.. her blood. After that her body falls soullessly. And her last words "Lian Tian, protect yourself, protect your kingdom, a-and protect the o-ne that you love the m-ost."

That's why he doesn't believe in love. That time he realised, the king's affection is only a tool for power. They don't actually love the king, they only use it for their own gain.

-

"I will marry someone that I really love, don't worry mother." He said when his mother try to get him marry a future empress. I don't want anyone to suffer as much as you did

"What do you know about love?"

"Huh?"

"My little Lian Tian, she doesn't need to be the top beauty, she doesn't need to come from a mighty family, also doesn't need to be a scholar; but when you see her, you can feel it here." The queen pointed at his heart. "She will give you warmth. You will want to protect her, and live your whole life with her. No one can escape love." The queen explained. "That's why a king is better when he never finds his lover. Because she will be his weakness."

"What do you mean mother?"

The queen only smiled. "Lian Tian, you are a good person. You will find her in the future. Just don't forget to tell your mother.." she patted his back and went inside her chamber.

But even after his mother death, he has not yet married to anyone. He doesn't have a dream, maybe he will die as a hero in the battlefield, or live long enough to rule the kingdom. Whatever it is, his whole life will be a pure dedication to Lian Kingdom.

Until he met his new dream.

She played the zither very well. He was drown into it. He couldn't stop himself from starring at her, she is so interesting. The melodies she played reminds him of his old peaceful life, reminds him of his mother. Suddenly his heart stopped beating. That second he knew, he has fallen for her.

This lady, he can't afford to see her down. And this time, he will not fail to protect her.

-

"Mother, I have met her. Her name is Huang Li Niao. But unlike what you said, she is a real beauty, very smart, and even a great swordsman. Mother, I know you are watching from up there, what do you think of her?" He smiles. "I will make that oriole bird became a Phoenix."

Lian Tian sits with his troops next to the river. Praying to his mother. He brings about 50.000 soldiers to attack the Great Zhang kingdom. He knows that most of Zhang soldiers are not here, they have missions outside the kingdom. The court is also very much chaotic because the fallen princess. That's why he thinks this is the best time to declare a war.

-

"I like you.. that's why." He finally says it.

"This is very inappropriate, crown prince. Please leave!" Niao Niao demands.

"G-give me a chance, I can make you happy.."

"I'm married! Your behaviour is very unreasonable." Niao Niao prepares to leave.

"Wait!" Lian Tian holds her hand, preventing her from leaving. "You are right, my harem house is boring. In fact no one is there. But you can be the first and the last woman in my harem, I want you to be my queen. If that's so, it will be the best place in the whole universe. Having you alone is better than having 1000 concubines at the same time."

Niao Niao couldn't believe what he says, she pulls her hand away from him. She.. she..

-

A letter is placed neatly on the table, next to the zither.

To: Huang Li Niao

It was nice to meet you. I have to say that I felt for you right here, when you play the harp. You were so delicate and elegant, your music reminds me of my mother. ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~~~~~~
Niao Niao, do you know that you are the first person who beat me in chess game? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It really hurts me when you apologised, so please don't be sorry. Because it is myself who fall for you. Never did I regret loving you, and never will I . In fact, for me, it is better to get hurt trying than to not feel anything at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~. You are so good a everything, politics, strategies, music. like a real perfection made by God himself. I was a fool to not realise it any sooner. Maybe we could meet in a better condition in our next life.

Please don't forget me, Her Majesty..

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