Prince Liang Chen gasped, his body trembled, but then, just before he gave up, a hand reached out, pulling him out of the depths of the lake. His eyes yanked open. He blinked a few times, coping with the light. His breathing gradually slowed, and his face turned; by his side was Ji Mingyuan. His head rested on his palm and his eyes were closed. He appeared stressed, with veins on his forehead and his lips dry, as if he hadn't drunk anything in days.
Liang Chen attempted to say something, but his throat was too dry, and only a weak whimper managed to escape. Ji Mingyuan's eyes snapped open. He reached forward without uttering a word, his hands softly touching the latter's forehead, then moving to his hands and his feet. Assured he was out of danger, he stood up and walked out.
Liang Chen blinked a couple of times, unable to make sense of what had just happened. He managed to sit up, and soon another figure entered with a glass of water.
"My prince," he chimed and helped Liang Chen lean forward.
Liang Chen stared at the servant, who appeared in better clothes than the others. He had not seen him around, not that he had noticed anyone at all or could recall their faces.
"I am Shuming, your assigned handmaid," the young man, who looked barely nineteen, with deep dimples and round black eyes like those of a cute kitten, whispered.
"Who sent you?" Liang Chen demanded fiercely.
"I… I was appointed by the prince," the young man replied shyly. He looked too young, naïve, and maybe cute.
"I will prepare your bath and pick out an attire, for we depart for Yelan in an hour."
Liang Chen nodded, his eyes focused on the entrance as if expecting someone.
"Emotional connection at 5%," the words hovered over him.
Liang Chen sighed and leaned back on the wall, his thoughts wandering back to what may have been a dream or Ji Mingyuan's past. Two lives of knowing him, but never did he appear vulnerable. He had always been above the game, cold, calculating, and mysterious. Watching him break and sob so hard imprinted something within him.
Shuming soon returned with a white robe with black stripes and a beautiful white veil that rested just above the bridge of his nostrils.
Liang Chen quickly freshened up, and the dress hugged his slender frame firmly. The bottom flowed over his beaded sandals, and his nude-painted nails shone with class. A black beaded belt hung around his waist, giving the dress more volume at the bottom.
Liang Chen stepped out of the tent with the help of Shuming, as his body was still weak. The carriages were ready, and so was everyone else. Prince Ji Mingyuan wore a black robe, with his usual aura, and his eyes stared everywhere else except at the man before him. Shuming helped Liang Chen mount the carriage.
"Join him," Ji Mingyuan ordered, and mounted the horse, leading the way.
Everyone was surprised. Liang Chen wore the veil as they rode away, but his eyes never left the back of the man on the horse. Ji Mingyuan could feel the piercing gaze digging into his back, but he dared not turn, not when uncertainty burned within his bones.
The ride wasn't as tedious as the previous day. Liang Chen found himself admiring the beauty of freedom and the outlands, but soon they marched into Yelan, and like a spike, his blood ran cold. His body shifted uncomfortably, and his eyes stayed glued to his feet. Every reaction was noticed by Shuming.
"My prince," Shuming called softly, but Liang Chen did not reply. His body was so tense, he had begun sweating. He wanted to summon Xiayue, but not when Shuming had his eyes on him; for all he knew, he could be Ji Mingyuan's eyes and ears.
The cheers and congratulatory echoes of the people only made him more tense on the horse. Ji Mingyuan glanced through the veil, and he could see him visibly shaking. He had expected such a reaction. The closer they drew to the palace, the more tense and unfocused Liang Chen became. How could his mind be at rest when he was fast losing his cool?
The carriage soon stopped. The servants stepped down, and Prince Ji Mingyuan dismounted the horse. His family and appointed nobles stood at the entrance of the palace, ready to welcome him back. His eyes glanced around at his mother's forced smile, his elder brother's choked grin, and his betrothed's red face and swollen eyes.
"Mother," Ji Mingyuan bowed.
Empress Zhou Wangqing nodded. "Welcome home," she stated, her voice cold and her eyes fixed on the carriage.
"My prince," Yue Fei stepped forward, her breathing heavy, her smile unrestrained. But for some reason, Ji Mingyuan stepped back.
A loud gasp rippled through the crowd. Mouths fell open, breaths caught, and tension intensified; no one dared blink, it was a clear rejection with no words attached.
Prince Ji Mingyuan turned, and the curtain lifted. His eyes met with Liang Chen's. He extended a hand, and gracefully, his consort took it, holding it firmly as he leaned his trembling body on that of his groom.
Ji Mingyuan's breath hitched, and he held him even tighter. He could feel his inner turmoil, his unsteady steps as he tried his best not to collapse under the pressuring gazes and disdainful looks.
Liang chen was not one to show his vulnerability, but him trusting Ji Mingyuan in such times gladdened the green-eyed demon.
As they stepped closer, the Empress's face darkened.
"Mother, this is Prince Liang Chen of Yunzhou, my consort," Ji Mingyuan announced.
"Greetings, Empress." Liang Chen bowed gracefully.
Empress Zhou Wangqing's adrenaline ran wild, her hands trembled, and her gaze darkened.
"Over my dead body," she hissed, her breathing escalating.
"My prince… what about Yue Fei? Yue Fei loves you," Yun Fei whispered, tears spilling from her sparkling soft eyes.
Ji Mingyuan turned to the man by his side. By hook or by crook, he was ready to make him his, and without a second thought, he challenged the laws:
"By laws of the land, a man abides to the one he consummates…"
Liang Chen widened his eyes, turning to the man before him. "What is he thinking?" he roared from within, but Prince Ji Mingyuan appeared cold and composed. He stepped closer, taking Liang Chen's hand.
"I've known carnal knowledge and broken his purity. How can I abandon him now?"
The Empress's lips quiver; she carries herself forward, her dress trailing behind her like a crown.
"You will marry Yue Fei in two days, and that thing you call a consort better be gone by then," she hissed and turned to leave.
"And what if I refuse?"
A loud gasp echoed. Objects shattered on the floor alongside everyone's hearts, including Liang Chen's, as he tugged on Ji Mingyuan's arm, urging him to give it up.
Never has he disobeyed his mother. Her word was his bond and duty, but today was different and public.
"What did you say?" The Empress turned, her face red with rage. "You will defy my orders for that thing?" she roared, her body trembling.
By the side, Prince Ji Fengye smirked, enjoying the showdown a little too much.
"Come on, brother, he can be your bedchamber maid," he added, and Ji Mingyuan shot him a nasty sneer.
"I forcibly married him, consummated the marriage, and now I pronounce him my consort." His eyes met that of Liang Chen. "If I should marry Yue Fei, she shall be a concubine."
Ji Mingyuan stepped closer towards his mother.
"It's an order," he added, and with that, he scooped his bride into his arms and marched into the castle like a storm.