Chapter 23

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"Congratulations Your Highness, for the birth of a prince and princess." a noble lady congratulated the Crown Princess Ju Ning.

Ju Ning smiled as she held her son, Prince Wen Shan.

"Thank you," she said to the woman as she then bowed and left along her way.

"Are you alright?" Crown Prince Wen Ling asked her.

The Crown Princess gave an assuring look, "I'm alright, so don't worry about me."

Wen Ling simply nodded as he then tried to rock his daughter, Wen Zhilan to sleep despite the noise.

Even after everything, the king decided it'd be best to throw a celebration of the newborn royals. Although the children were brought into the world early, their conditions were in no danger as they were only days away from natural birth. All that was needed was for their mother to care for them.

Ju Ning with her grave injuries was told she'd be alright. She had slowly been recovering, telling the royal physician she would heal in time.

"Where is Wen Yue?" Ju Ning asked her husband.

The woman has been concerned about her. Ever since that day, she's been distant, unwilling to be seen in the public's eye or anyone.

She and Fei Yang haven't talked either.

The Crown Prince sighed, "She didn't want to come. I believe she still wants to be alone." he understood why she acting this way.

The woman's expression seemed to dim, "It must've been so hard to take in all at once." she felt sorry.

With so many people here that held smiles and laughs, one wouldn't think that such a thing happened at all. It were as though they put it behind them in order to forget the tragedies.

"How about His Highness, Fei Yang? Shouldn't he also be here? We must thank him for what he's done." Ju Ning mentioned his honorary acts.

"He doesn't want anyone to know what he did. Quite a strange individual." speaking of how he didn't want it all but just quietness.

"His Highness is a very humble person." she seemed to correct.

"Indeed he is," as his eyes looked over amongst the many people present for this celebration.

Doing so, he was able to see the person he had just been talking about. "Ju Ning, can you hold her? I need to talk to someone." he asked.

She happily nodded and took her daughter into her arms to be with her brother.

Quickly, Wen Ling rushed to Fei Yang's location. Of course, the Jin prince didn't bother to look extravagant but instead blend in with the crowd of nobles.

"Your Highness!" the Crown Prince called.

Fei Yang, having heard him turned his head and stood waiting for him. Once the man reached him, he bowed in respect.

"What brings you to me, Your Highness?"

Wen Ling frowned, "Can we talk somewhere private?"

The foreign prince raised a brow, "Of course."

The two were now just at the side of the building where the event was taking place. It wasn't far but at least it was quiet with no one around.

"What is it that you need to talk about, Your Highness?" Fei Yang questioned.

Without saying anything, the Crown Prince immediately came to his knees and bowed. It was sincere with great respect.

The Jin prince quickly urged him to stand, not wanting any act of honoring him to be displayed. It wasn't something he wanted nor tried to achieve.

"Please stand, Your Highness," Fei Yang spoke.

"I, Crown Prince Wen Ling, will always be grateful for what you've done to restore my kingdom. No matter what it is in the future you need, I will without a doubt help you with all I have."

Fei Yang became at loss for words. Whenever he helped others, he always told them to never give any sort of gratitude and they'd just give thanks, but to actually hear one such as this was warming to his heart.

"Your Highness, please stand." he said one last time.

Wen Ling didn't want to but eventually, he did and came to his feet. Standing, he gave another bow, a short one. "Thank you." he expressed once more.

The foreign prince simply also returned a bow, "There is no need for such words."

The Crown Prince smiled with raised lips.

Suddenly, something came to mind for the Jin prince. It made him troubled, filled with remorse.

Taking notice, Wen Ling asked. "Is there something wrong, Your Highness?" he was concerned.

Fei Yang's brows scrunched, "I'm just quite conflicted right now."

"Why is that?"

"Well......His Highness, Wen Xin." he mentioned the deceased prince.

Hearing that name, made Wen Ling's skin crawl. "What about him?"

"I feel sorry for him." his voice filled with pity.

Wen Ling raised a brow at that sentence. This urged Fei Yang to explain.

"Of anyone that I've ever put down, most never had good intentions, at least I like to say. They never exactly had a motive for what they were doing. Wen Xin however, had many......" his words trailed.

This made the Crown Prince curious, "What were they?"

"I don't know every one of them but his last words were filled with such grief." he knew it all too well.

Wen Ling listened closely.

"He said he was alone." that seemed to drop a bomb.

"He told me before that everyone tied to his mother, was killed by the king on his orders. I believe that he said he was alone because he truly had no one. He didn't have a mother like his siblings since his was killed when he was just an infant, and his relatives no longer walked the earth...... He had no one to stand by him when he needed them most."

This made Wen Ling look away and to the side. It pained his heart to know so late about his brother's suffering. All these years ever since he was just an infant, he had no one, not even his own father.

He was alone, with no one to love him.

The Crown Prince's eyes watered as he wiped them, "I really should've been a better brother." he believed that if only he paid attention sooner, none of this would've happened.

Everyone would still be alive.

In their shared chambers, Ju Ning was getting ready for bed. It was now after the celebration leaving the rest to come. She already put her children to sleep and now it was just her.

As she finished slipping on her night gown, the Crown Princess left to bed.

However, before she got there, her head began to feel faint and pain erupted at her lower abdomen. Slowly, her hand came over her belly and clenching it.

It hurt beyond one's imagination.

Groaning, she fell to the ground as she then formed tears in her eyes. She felt as though her insides were being torn apart.

Then, she screamed dreadfully unable to even make out a word but cry.
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