A Phoenix With No Wings

32- Final Decission

Hello all, I know it's not the time to post yet but I'm afraid that I can't post on Sunday.. so here we go! I still haven't got my data and WiFi is very hard here. I hope next week I can post right on time. See you next week!

The scene is so romantic, but the actors don't realise it. They keep talking formally giving some space between them.

"It is very funny.." the Crown Prince comments.

The empress looks at him because she doesn't understand.

"Don't her majesty think so?"

She frowns as she couldn't figure what is his point. "About what, Crown Prince?"

"Her majesty, do you enjoy watching the stars?" He looks up, followed by the empress.

"Hmm..?" Why can't he be more specific? How is she supposed to answer?

"I didn't like it, I think it's just wasting time."

".." then what is the point of talking about stars if he doesn't like it? The empress wants to disagree, because she has thousands of reason why watching the night sky is exiting, yet she stays calm and wait for the Crown Prince to continues.

"I met a girl who loves to watch the stars, but she never realised that the whole universe is inside her eyes." He smiles looking straight to her eyes. "After that, I started to watch it every night. Trying to understand her feeling, and why she likes it."

"I-is that so.." something is tingling inside her, she feels weird.

"So I grow to like it.." he still look deep into her eyes, trying to get his point across.

"Like w-what?" Is the Crown Prince confessing? She held her breath, worried.

"Watching stars at night.."

the empress feels relieved, she exhale her breath when he says that. She opened her mouth to say something but he cuts her off.

"And the girl, who has the whole universe inside her eyes.."

Now the empress couldn't lift her head. Seeing him doesn't feel right.

"I.."

"Do you like it her majesty?" He looks up. "Watching the stars?"

"I.. don't know.." she's too flustered to answer.

"Want to know why she likes it?" He asks

The empress doesn't recall telling the crown prince why she likes watching the stars. In fact, she never tells him that she likes it in the first place. However she does feel curious about what he will says. So she nods.

"Because she feels suffocated. Because she wants to know the other path out there, other destiny.. Because she wants to dream, but never be able to. In her gold-plated life, she still wonders why does she feel empty."

"...." The empress is stunned by how accurate his words is. Even she herself couldn't say it in such explicit and clear way. How come the crown prince know her so well, even better than..herself?

"Funny?" He asks, more in a sarcastic way. It is obviously not funny.

The empress is in lost of words so she doesn't answer.

"She's a concubine." He says, "a Zhang's concubine."

Now she could not breath, like something is choking her. And she feels like crying, she is so sorry. What is she supposed to do?

"I-is there a chance for me, to get her?" In all seriousness he asks. The all mighty crown prince of Lian just ask her whether he could marry a concubine or not. a USED woman, a Zhang's CONCUBINE.

Anyone could see that he is nervous, he's a little stuttered,  something that's so rare to witness. His heart is beating rapidly, waiting for an answer.

"I-it's against t-the law." That is the only thing she could say.

"I don't care." He becomes so stern. "If I get her consent, I don't care about breaking any law."

"Crown Prince.. I don't think it's possible. I'm sorry, I can't let her go with you."

That's it. The rejection.

The empress closes her eyes, trying to calm herself. She tries to convince herself, this is the right thing to do and she won't regret it afterwards.

The crown prince look at her again, this time more composed than before. They stare at each other for a few moments. And their surroundings seems to disappear, in this time there's only the both of them.

The crown prince clears his throat, talking in a deeper voice, that somehow sounds so sad.
"I can see myself inside her eyes right now," he tilts his head, " But I'm wondering why can't she sees me?"

The empress steps back, he knows. The crown prince knows that it was her. And he smiles at her. His words is beautifully arranged, it seems so innocent yet holds a very deep meaning.

"C-crown Prince, I " she frowns as she thinks on what to say.

"Then I shall stop shouldn't I?" He asks, to make sure. He wants to hear it out of her mouth.

Now everything is on the palm of her hand, she just needs to say it. This is her decision, the final decision.

"Y-yes." She hesitates before she can finally answer.

"Here, help me give it back to her.." he took off his hairpin, which is originally empress's and put it on her hair. "Please take care of her, and make sure she only walks on flower path from now on."

The empress gulps.

"But tell her to not be worried, because if she changes her mind I will still be here, waiting for her." He wipes  a light tear on the empress's cheek.

"5 years, 10 years of even 20 years, I will wait patiently. Her majesty, this girl, I can't let her down, and I will not fail to protect her."

"...don't-don't wait.." she looks at his eyes, talking seriously. The empress rests her head at the palm of his hand, she's so tired and sad.

"I can't." He stares back at her and smiles. The crown prince wipes off the tear on her cheek.

"What are the both of you doing?"

The both of them turn around to the origin of the voice. And the crown prince quickly take away his hand from the empress's face.

How long has he been there?

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