Wang Li Xun, the Crown Prince, goes out hunting for the Celestial Flower to save his mother from a terminal illness. When he nearly dies from the attack of a mythical beast, he is saved by a mysterious boy who lives in the mountains.
To repay his ki...
Long'Er kept her eyes on the ground, her hands folded on her navel and head dropped in a deep bow. Right now, she was currently facing the two most important people in this nation – the Emperor and Empress.
In spite of her nervousness, she couldn't stop glancing at their appearances out of sheer curiosity. They were polar opposites of each other. The Emperor wore a stern-looking expression while on the other hand, the Empress was smiling. Despite her age, the beauty she exuded was simply captivating and without a doubt, this would explain where Li Xun had inherited his charms from.
The Emperor observed her for a long time, before addressing her. His voice echoed across the hall.
"Rise."
Long'Er stood up slowly, allowing her eyes to meet his glacial orbs as calmly as she could. Her voice rang out loud and clear. "I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to meet you in person, Your Majesties. It is truly a great honour."
"My son has told me a lot about you," he said. "I have always looked forward to meeting you after hearing that you saved our son from a pack of wild wolves during his quest of obtaining the Celestial Flower."
She glanced up with a confused frown, looking towards Li Xun who was nodding his head almost too eagerly. Realisation eventually dawned on her as she understood the silent message that he was trying to convey to her with his eyes.
Of course, he wouldn't have told his parents about his encounter with a mythical beast who tried to kill him — an undead conjured by a witch.
Who would believe such a story?
She lowered her head slightly. "It was no great feat," she answered in all honesty. "I did what anyone would have done."
The Empress spoke this time, smiling at her with a pair of twinkling eyes. "Child, you didn't save just his life – you saved mine too. I'm in your debt."
Long'Er blinked once, realising that this woman was the reason behind Li Xun's desperation to obtain the Celestial Flower.
"You are a very brave young man," the Empress continued. "How's your sister faring? According to my son, I hear that you happened to be at the Great Heavenly Lake simply because you were trying to obtain the Celestial Flower for your gravely ill sister too."
"I–"
Long'Er snuck a peek in Li Xun's direction, noticing that he was suddenly looking flustered and silently mouthing at her to play along with his mother's story. Without a doubt, he was trying to keep the creature and her home a secret, even though she never told him the real details about her reason for staying there.
Why was he willing to go so far to help her?
Long'Er pulled an answer together quickly. "She's doing well. Better than ever."
Just then, a voice interrupted them. "Boy," the Emperor's powerful voice gripped her attention. "You will be rewarded gold for your outstanding performance."
"Y–your Majesty," she stuttered, flustered. "I would like to decline. I do not seek reward for helping someone in need–"
However, the imposing man refused to hear her, cutting her sentence short. He fixed his frosty eyes on her and enunciated every word slowly and carefully.
"I do not take 'no' for an answer."
Long'Er stilled. For the first time in her life, she had never seen someone emanate such an intimidating aura. The Emperor had a certain air around him – a strong impression of command and authority – that no one could seem to go up against.
With a nervous gulp, she eventually agreed.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Empress sitting beside him placed her hand above his. "My lord, stop scaring the poor boy," she berated her husband, before turning back to Long'Er with a radiant smile. "Please accept our gratitude for helping our son. I hope you'll stay by his side and serve him well. He still behaves like a child at times and is pretty reckless."
"Mother," Li Xun complained. A faint trace of redness crept up his neck. "I do not behave like a child!"
The Empress simply lifted a brow. "If that's the case, why haven't I gotten a daughter-in-law yet?!"
Her words threw him off guard. "That's–" Li Xun spluttered nervously, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'll think about it, I promise."
"You better be, son," the Emperor added. "It will soon be time for me to step down from this throne."
"I know, Father."
As the royal family discussed Li Xun's affairs, Long'Er chose to remain silent throughout the entire time. A look of thoughtfulness and intrigue crossed her face. She felt a little spark of envy, and yet at the same time, a pang of sadness hit her deep down in her heart.
Was this how a completed family would look like?
If she had grown up like a normal child with her biological parents, would her life turn out in the same way too?
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