While Princess Mei Lian and Prince Tian Yu shared their passionate moment deep within the forest, neither of them knew that how worst chaos had erupted back in the palace. Queen Xi Wang had mobilized nearly every witch in the palace to search for her son. Those who had gone returned one after another—empty-handed and exhausted. The queen's usual calm and composed aura was on the verge of taking drastic action when the circle of witches surrounding her suddenly gasped in unison.
"Your Highness! They're back!"
Relief flooded the courtyard like a wave, and Mei Lian, seeing her mother from afar, ran straight into her arms. The queen hugged her tightly, sensing the tension that had burdened them all during Tian Yu's disappearance. But when her eyes met the prince's, something shifted.
Tian Yu stood at a distance, avoiding her gaze. His expression was solemn and guilty. He bowed his head slightly, unsure of how to face her.
Queen Xi Wang smiled gently, keeping up appearances before the others. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him drawing him into a warm and motherly hug.
"You've returned. That is all that matters," she whispered softly. "Go and refresh yourself."
The prince obeyed quietly and left for his chambers.
As soon as he was out of sight, the queen dismissed the witches with a graceful wave of her hand. Her expression, though still composed, had grown unreadable. She turned to Mei Lian.
"Come, walk with me."
The breeze was cool as they strolled side by side beneath the moonlight. Mei Lian said nothing. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her fingers were fiddling nervously with the edge of her sleeve.
Suddenly, the queen stopped. Her hand shot out, firmly clasping her daughter's wrist.
"Mei Lian," she said, her voice low but sharp. "I know what you did."
The princess froze and her eyes widened.
"The smell of vampire is all over you, but it takes a good witch to perceive," the queen continued, her eyes narrowing. "And you not only smell his presence. You've become part of his essence. You've been… marked."
"Marked?" Mei Lian echoed, confused.
"Yes," her mother said with a heavy voice. "This is more than just desire or foolish passion. This is a soul-bond. You and Prince Tian Yu are now one. Bound by blood, heart, and spirit."
"I don't understand…"
"You've done what cannot be undone," the queen said bitterly. "You've betrayed our ancestors, Mai. Do you even realize what you've become? Neither witch… nor vampire. You are something else entirely."
Pain flickered in the queen's eyes, but she swallowed it quickly. She stepped closer, lifting her daughter's chin gently and studying her with solemn, knowing eyes. Then, without another word, she turned and walked away.
"But I love him..."
The words slipped from Mei Lian's lips in a whisper after her mother disappeared. She stood there alone, trembling, as the weight of the queen's judgment sank into her chest like stone.
---
Meanwhile, in Tian Yu's chamber, He had finished his cold bath, but his heart still burned with regret.
He paced restlessly across the room. His bare feet were silent against the floor, and his hands kept raking through his damp hair. His reflection in the mirror stared back at him—haunted and ashamed.
"How could I do this to her? To them?" he muttered to himself, his voice breaking.
Just then, the door creaked open.
Queen Xi Wang stood in the doorway. Her presence was regal, yet her expression betrayed the storm inside her. Tian Yu froze.
"How can a son hurt his mother so much, Tian?" she asked, her voice heavy with pain. "How could you do something so unforgivable… to your own sister?"
He opened his mouth, but no words came. Shame gripped his throat.
The queen stepped inside, the door shutting behind her with a quiet thud. She looked at him. Not as a queen, but as a mother whose heart had been shattered.
"Tell me something, Tian Yu… Is it that you don't see me as your mother.....Have you ever seen me as your real mother?" Her voice cracked. "Did you ever see Mei Lian as your true sister? Or has it always been a lie?"
Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over before she could stop them. "I raised you and loved you like my own. I fought for you when the council questioned your place here. I gave you everything. And now… this."
Tian Yu stepped forward, his eyes filled with guilt and sorrow.
"I'm sorry…" he whispered. "I never wanted to hurt you, and I never meant for this to happen. But I love her and I can't help it. I love her more than I can even explain."
The queen shook her head slowly with tears streaming freely down her face. "Love doesn't always make things right."
He nodded, tears forming in his own eyes. "I know but it's real. And I would rather be cursed forever than pretend I don't feel it."
Silence filled the room for a moment before the queen stepped closer. She didn't slap him nor did she scold him further. She simply reached out and embraced him.
Tian Yu collapsed into her arms like a broken child.
And together, they stood in the quiet of the prince's chamber silently crying into each other's shoulders.
Princess Yuyan couldn't take it anymore.
The moment she read the part where Queen Xi Wang embraced Prince Tian Yu in tears, something broke inside her. The ache in the prince's voice and the sorrow in the queen's heart pierced her deeply. As if their pain was her own and their sorrow had happened to her.
She dropped the book onto her bed and buried her face in her hands. Hot tears poured down her cheeks, unstoppable. She didn't even know why she was crying so hard. But she wept, silently at first, then in soft sobs that echoed through the quiet room. It felt like a malaise of grief and love.
For thirty long minutes, she sat curled up on her bed, clutching her knees as her heart tried to understand what her mind could not explain.
"Why does this story hurt so much…?" she whispered to herself. "Who are you, Tian Yu…? Why do I feel like I've known you forever…? This story feels too real"
But even through the tears, the pull of the book was too strong.
Almost as if bewitched, Yuyan wiped her eyes, picked it up again, and opened it to continue.
---
Back in the world of the tale…
The throne room of the Crimson Palace was cloaked in shadows. At its center sat the Vampire King, Fang Leng. His dark cloak pooled like liquid night around his throne. He sat unmoving with his crimson eyes fixed on the great doors ahead, waiting.
His patience was wearing thin.
He had sent his elite vampire guards to eliminate the boy—his nephew. And yet, not a single report had returned.
The heavy doors finally burst open with a thunderous clang. A lone vampire soldier staggered in, covered in blood. His armor was shattered and his face was pale with terror.
Fang Leng narrowed his eyes.
"What happened?" he demanded, his voice as cold as ice.
The soldier dropped to one knee, shaking. "Forgive me, Your Highness… it was more than what we expected. He wasn't just a vampire, he was a beast. A force of death."
The king's eyes gleamed.
The soldier continued nearly breathless. "He tore through us like snow under fire. Heads rolled and bodies fell with a single sweep of his hand. I—I barely made it out. His powers are rare, like he consumes human blood"
"You dare return without his head?" the king thundered, rising from his throne like a shadow stretching across the room. "Useless!"
The soldier bowed lower. "I beg—"
But he never finished his sentence. In one swift movement, the Vampire King closed the distance between them. His clawed hand gripped the soldier's throat and, with effortless strength, tore off his head. Blood sprayed across the floor as the corpse fell limp.
Silence followed.
Then, a dark chuckle echoed through the throne room.
"My little nephew..." Fang Leng whispered, licking the blood from his fingers with slow delight. "It seems I have underestimated you."
His laugh deepened. It was twisted, amused, and he sounded bloodthirsty. The sound chilled the bones of every guard and maid in the room.
He turned toward his personal guard and commanded. "Send for the Night Blades. We'll see how long his fire burns."