It was something more of a reflex than a well-thought plan but realizing what it had done, the little bird didn’t let go and instead intensified the fire. It wasn’t all that big, rather small and formed a sort of wall between the dangerous weapon and the seated man on the bed. The flame had a red as glaring as that of the animal and its heat was increasing as time passed.

“What are you doing?” Seyran asked with no inflection in her voice and if she was surprised by the animal’s action, she didn’t let this transpired.

Elder Shen had stood up spontaneously when the sword appeared out of nowhere and the guards came rushing at the sight of fire. However, they could do nothing but just stand there a little surprised. In their minds, it was, after all, a quarrel between the crown princess and her own contracted beast. It wasn’t their place to act and furthermore, looking at that small animal, it should be a master-slave type of contract, nothing to fear concerning the princess’ safety. If worst came to worst, she would certainly kill it. Or so they thought anyway.

The little bird couldn’t be called angry, yet it wasn’t calm either. Flapping its wings and staring straight at Seyran, it was simply reluctant to go away or retract the safety wall. Huang had spent a little more than a month in this man's company. It heard his nagging and annoying voice almost every day and most of all, it heard the other talked non-stop about his mistress despite it pecking him to have him shut up. Now, seeing the same fool being killed by the person he admired the most, didn't seem right at all. The little bird was unwilling!

“…He is sick.” It reproached “Is the solution really to kill him? Just like that? Because in his sick moment he said he wanted to die?”

As it talked it thought its words right and the indignation on behalf of its comrade slowly turned to anger. Its feathers were slowly turning to an incandescent fire earning gaps from those in the room. The part of the sword in contact with the wall made of element started to melt slowly and as a drop was about to fall on the bed, a violent wind discarded it aside. Still, it touched the wooden floor and the room would slowly start to take fire itself if the guards weren’t reacting and dealing with each drop that the agitated animal kept flinging randomly, trying to retain it on their swords.

“After he died, then what? Why go through the trouble to save if only to kill him! ”

Seyran retracted the silvery weapon and with the same, even voice, talked to the bird that had yet to make that wall of fire in front of her disappear,

“Then I kill those who failed to cure him, those who brought him here and those who tortured him. Everyone who knew and assist in that matter. Thoroughly.”

That was her truthful intention, no matter the time it should take for her to accomplish. That servant was if only, someone she had accepted by her side herself. Far from calming it, Huang’s indignation rose actually.

“He can avenge himself, he is not dead yet!”

Elder Shen admired a little daze the lowered and damaged sword that was in the crown princess’s hand. Let alone that she had yet to understand how it came here, the more pressing matter wasn’t it why it so easily melted under this little fire? Every guard’s weapons had their qi’s infused in it to strengthen it, no matter the level of the guard the sword was taken from, at the very least, it should have held itself more than this when encountering fire for such a short while. Seeing the saber's thoroughly damaged state, matriarch Shen couldn't help but frown. Wasn't the handle now very hot as well? Of course, it was made of wood but there were some copper and iron too. The princess, was she really fine still holding it?

Seyran’s didn’t have the elder concerns, rather, she was willing to explain herself to the angered animal that she grew accustomed to.

“Look closer" she instructed to the ball of fire flying in front of her.

Huang took a time to take its gaze off of her, as though fearing she would launch an attack the very moment it would turn its head. Eventually, it listened. Yenaigai was still seating, his eyes still holding some kind of firm determination as he was still looking straight at Seyran. His hands, though, were now kept firmly closed one in the other by his thighs. If one looked more closely, he was shaking, actually.

"Isn't he resisting the urge to do the same thing as when he was unconscious? It seems to me that he is fighting against himself."

"..."

"And loosing. It certainly won't be long, before he tries to take his life by himself again. He isn't there yet, but it's just a matter of time."

He was, indeed, shaking more and more yet at the same time still stubbornly fixing her. The kind of expression he had wasn't one of unwillingness or restlessness though. His eyes, for she saw that expression many times previously, were assuring her that he had chosen his way of dying. In wasn't in the pleasure of fighting against her like some had, but rather just plainly dying by her hands. And that itself was itching her... angering her. Let alone that they weren't on a battlefield or that he wasn't her enemy, but he just had to wish to die his own way, so intensely.

"... He wants his life to be taken by his mistress it seems to me, if the choice was left to him. Wouldn't it be crueler to deny this?" she continued, rather coldly.

She saw nothing wrong with that logic. Still, the little bird was far from sharing that kind of points of view! The wall of fire disappeared in front of Seyran and Huang’s entire body, now turned to complete fire, burned with new intensity in the air.

“That’s not the way!” The birdie's voice in her head sounded almost broken.

How couldn't it, Huang's heart was frenzied, unconsciously scared to be unable to stop the woman for good. This fellow, always saying 'mistress this', 'mistress that', would he go just like this? Until the end, did he really had no brain at all?! Dying his way? That was still dying! There was a monstrous fright in Huang, and its jumping heart kept shouting to it 'not again', 'you can’t lose another one so easily', 'never again!'.

“You’re his mistress, honor that position and take responsibility! What allowing to die? He gave up, so you just kill him?! This great bird is not allowing anyone's death today!”

Seyran's mouth twitched. Wasn't she being kind at this very moment? Nonetheless, quite calmy, she reminded the agitated little bird.

“If you keep this up, you’re going to burn this whole place down and kill him yourself!”

That was when Huang realized that the room was on fire actually. Try as they might the guards still couldn't prevent the burning iron drops to inflame the wood; added to that the fact that for a time now, there was a whirling wind accompanied by a fire that was moving and randomly burning things. Quite a commotion had risen in the big room around the intact bed as the bird lost its temper. Now, shouldn't it be happy to have cultivated the whole night? Where else would it have that energy left to cause such a scene? Not that there would be much left of that if it kept going on for more minutes.

The animal was very much distressed, having obviously formed a connection with Yenaigai that it was disinclined to part with. She had maybe made a hasty decision that had perhaps been guided by a tad little anger. Things like repression of emotions or their ultimate control were after all those that she wanted to discard this time around; and if she had to be honest with herself, the amount of anger for it to have leaked so easily maybe wasn't that little.

"Cease your anger." She said, letting go of the sword that fell almost silently between all the noises that were now in the room. Running her right hand in her long ink-colored hair, she let out a light sigh as her now clear blue eyes looked at the shaking man on the bed that was still staring at her, waiting for something from her. "I heard you." And looking at Huang, she confirmed, "No death today."

"..." It very much kept its stance, so she used its own words,

"I will take responsibility."

It was, it seemed, a satisfying sentence. Huffing, puffing and quite tired now, the bird slowly returned to normal, its heart full of curses with no one being a particular target or maybe should it be said with everyone being the target. The one it just helped remaining the principal receptor by the end. Nonetheless, it flew and landed itself on the same man's head.

'You better be grateful in the future! Stupid human' it thought, still not released from the overemotional phase it had just been. 'And You better get well soon!'

Though now much calmer and apparently back to normal, Huang still kept looking at Seyran. Warily. Very Warily.

"Why look at me like this, didn't I say it was alright already,... come I'm proposing a truce." As she talked she had extended her right hand to it, releasing some mana on her palm. She herself had yet to eat something and was quite low in mana now so there weren't that much.

Huang stared at her without moving for a really long time. The reckless fire that it had started in the room was almost completely extinguished when it finally flew to the still extended hand. In the end, it still shouldn't deny free energy when it was proposed in the most delicious form, was what it conceded with. However, the bird went completely still in its delectation phase as the woman suddenly stroke its head, not sure what reaction to give. She wasn't looking at it though, but at the seated man as she voiced,

"You, keep him alive then. And I shall take care of the rest."

The room had now a burned, slightly disagreeable odor mixed with light smoke. The damages done weren't that serious. Some floor tiles, chairs, and curtains that needed to be changed or repaired. The immense table too, needed reparations. The scene ended as strangely as it had started, both parties intact and even with one stroking the other. Elder Shen could only interpret this as them making up. From start to finish, there wasn't any place for anyone to meddle. The person the princess had seemed dissatisfied with was her consort, the one who interfered was her contracted beast and the one who in the end forgave them all was still the very same princess. There was really nothing to add.

However, she had been this dexterous and prompt when it came to taking her own consort's life, what was she going to be with them? Those were the thoughts of the chiefs who were by the entrance. They had been called for when their patient woke up moments ago and thought their mission completed, and coming here had been with a light heart and an ease sense, trusting the man to be well from now on. Who would have thought that they would actually come to witness chaos and... had it been a death sentence attempt by the crown princess? Thinking back now and considering what one guard briefly explained, some department chiefs felt that it made more sense to see the princess order them to treat this man, so it was her consort. She wanted him to be cured but... was his madness really curable?

Once done, Huang quickly flew away from her, perching itself on Yenaigai's head again, feeling better already.

The physicians were announced by one guard and Seyran let them in. Since the crown princess herself was still standing, elder Shen kept on standing too, their chairs had long been displaced at another corner of the room in the previous commotion anyway.

"You failed" judged the crown princess after their greetings, there was no more neutrality but plain coldness in that voice as her gaze seemed to pierce through their heart.

The choice of words was something that chief elder Yahui didn't appreciate. A failure wasn't something that was affiliated with her. She may have not taken the case from all its angles or with the seriousness she should have, but still, to call this a failure left an annoying itch in her heart. She didn’t even glance towards elder Shen after having lightly greeted the other previously and rather respectfully bowed and somewhat politely talked,

"That may not necessarily be the case, your majesty. May we inspect him first?”

Huang glared daggers at her. The man wasn’t suicidal before alright?! Not that anyone other than Seyran could understand its angry chirps anyway and the latter was completely ignoring it.

“Do so then”

The departments’ chiefs behind Yahui bowed and went to check on their patient while chief elder Yahui remained standing still. If one asked Huang’s opinion, it would absolutely not let these people touch the human again but no one asked its opinion and it could only refuse to go away, still perched where it was; and because of it, there was an extra cautiousness in the chiefs’ parts in regard to not angered the bird, not sure if when it came to punishing, the crown princess wouldn’t side with her beast.

The man was externally fine, his wounds were healing quite fast and cleanly actually considering the short amount of time, the damages of his core didn’t worsen and its state was stable and could be considered fine in the circumstances. Bandages were changed, comments were made. He was quite responsive to their checking and didn’t seem plagued by illusions anymore. The red ants’ poison was effectively healed. The man as they saw it was now alright. And that was what they reported, sharing all the same point of view.

“Your majesty, he isn’t plagued by any illness anymore; however he may still be overwhelmed with nightmares resulting from the poison, a little rest will do him good.”, added Yahui when the princess didn’t reply.

“A needle,” she asked for confirmation to one of the chiefs and taking it, she placed it in Yenaigai’s hand. As soon as the long and thin metal touched his hand, the calm man immediately clenched it and with killing intent ruthlessly aimed for his throat. Seyran who was waiting for such a reaction had been quick to react and the needle was inserted into her palm instead. Huang flapped its wings chirping things.

“Stop fussing, as long as you keep him from dangerous things he should be fine, for now.

Dissatisfied, Huang thought, ‘He should stay clear of you!’

The needle blocked in her hand, she shifted her attention to the paled chiefs who instantly knelt and apologized. “Cured you said.”

Unwilling, but still respectful, the chief elder knelt and explained,

“He is physically cured, his head however-”

“No death today was what I was asked for,” her voice coldly interrupted making the chiefs shivered a little and Huang thought ‘I wasn’t talking about them!’, “rather impolitely, but if you can’t even recognize when you are wrong what’s the point in you being here?”

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“…” Yahui clenched her teeth not trusting her mouth to speak. She had a big ego and now that she was accused of being wrong if she really did open her mouth, her own angry words won’t do her any good. She could only hold on her temper when being silent. The other chiefs weren’t even thinking about responding. What would they say, they too were sure that he was alright now. They could only think was the man as being insane, having long gone crazy but obviously, the crown princess wouldn’t like that.

“Are you too old of age and need a break?”

For those people whose entire life was revolving around this honor, how could they be willing?

“Have mercy, give us a last chance, your majesty.” Asked one chief, echoed by the others.

Yahui reigned in her anger and talked too,

“Requesting more time to satisfy your majesty.”

“That person’s life is no one’s toy” she intoned darkly.

Elder Shen who was long silent thought that maybe the crown princess would end up punishing those people harshly. She had no personal opinion regarding these imperial physicians but they were still those who taught the younger generation and their knowledge was still greatly needed.

"Asking the crown princess to not be hasty in taking a decision. Errors are so easy to make.”

“…” Seyran looked at her and recalled the elder’s previous words. “Three days' time, was it?” the other silently acknowledged it. Seyran took out the needle in her hand without so much as frowning and threw the blooding thing to the kneeling people. It wasn’t like she was really going to kill them or torture them, she still needed them to reexamine the servant after all. “Errors are indeed so easy to make.” She conceded.

That they couldn’t cure him didn’t mean they were incompetent. To be in their position there must be something that they knew how to do. But if they kept on failing, how couldn’t they become a stain in her eyes?

“Then three days are hat you’ll be given too.”

Such a short amount, however, they didn’t object and thanked instead.

Elder Shen thought of something but in the end, decided against it and recommend a change of room that she saw through to before taking her leave. This person was, she thought, worth betting on.

***

The morning was still early and the court wouldn’t start before two hours, or a little less than that, so the royal advisor was still in her yards and something of a rare occurrence, she was breakfasting with consort Ling; although she didn’t seem to be in the best mood. Her contracted beast, the anaconda Li was nowhere in sight, already its arranged room certainly. Li liked hot and humid places, although it had long habituated to this country’s climate and didn’t suffer, it still prefer staying out of sight when it was snowing.

The twins who came early for the greeting were invited to join them. Servants had been asked out and now, Jun Lin was personally serving tea to refill his mother’s cup by his own initiative, being the closest to her. Shanlin nodded at her son. The chopsticks’ sound andthe hot liquid’s one being poured aside, the whole table was quite silent. Etiquettes asked for it. And Xue Zhi respected it to boot, starting to eat after her mother and eyeing the moment the other would lowered her chopsticks so that she could lower hers too.

Let aside that she didn’t feel like eating here, Xue Zhi had no appetite and despite her bowl being the less filled one, she was eating the slowest of them all. The variety of things on the table were quite wasted on her. Consort Ling, being quite the busy person he was, had to pick things and put in her plate. Repeatedly. The third princess looked at her now full bowl expressionlessly and gave a small ‘thank you’ when the other talked about her needing the energy. Neither Shanlin nor Jun Lin minded them and kept on eating. Satisfied, Ling returned to his own bowl.

Who was her father, Xue Zhi could careless. Some said it was consort Ling. Others, consort Han. Either way, she personally had no opinion on the affair. She treated all six of them the same with respect. Their mother though, was the ever partial person and favored who she was pleased with. Shanlin really didn’t like those without core, hating the idea of transmitting such a stained blood to her children; so, those that her sister the queen had once ‘forced’ on her conveniently died of sickness. Consort Liu, her sister’s, could be considered the only one whose presence she tolerated. However, Xue Zhi herself had, she supposed though, a little bias concerning those who played with her the most when she was a child, so she had a soft spot for consort Ling, contrary to her twin who seemed to have an even relationship with them all.

A little afterwhile, came Bai Ming, and Su Qiun followed not too long after. The latter looked, Xue Zhi noted, quite tired. Shanlin still didn’t finish eating so Xue Zhi rest seated and returned her sisters’ greeting. Bowls were added for the newcomers who sat and joined them and Xue Zhi kept on thinking ‘is it that you didn’t eat for a whole week, otherwise, how can you still be eating?’. Yet the royal advisor was still eating, seemingly burying her anger in food. Jun Lin was still eating certainly genuinely hungry and Xue Zhi was slowly chewing thinking ‘how long to go?’ while letting her mind roamed elsewhere.

As she saw the busybody put more food on Bai Ming’s plate too, without the other saying anything, Xue Zhi remembered that Bai Ming had yet to have a consort. Not a subject for breakfast though. She briefly glanced at their eldest. The other had yet to smile. Her mood certainly wasn’t any greater than their mother’s. Su Qiun, how many consorts had she again, was it just one? Xue Zhi frowned, suddenly feeling disgusted with her food but her mind still kept going, thinking about the person who was certainly responsible for these two foul moods. How many were the crown princess’s consorts again? Was it three?

Usually at the age of sixteen, after the academics, the nobles had their first marriage. Things that could be taught by books had been taught thoroughly and what should be learned in another way must also be learned. It wasn’t a rule, just something that many did and in the royal family, it was somewhat expected. Early births were after all encouraged. Shanlin herself had her first child in her sixteen to seventeen years. Nonetheless, Xue Zhi personally didn’t want any of these, what ‘making ways of leaving descents?’ other things were preoccupying her at the time so she had been unwilling and these days her mother was dissatisfied enough with her to deem her unworthy of it anyway. So, her side courtyards were still soulless. However, the crown princess had three consorts in her side courtyards. If she wasn’t in company now, Xue Zhi would really smile and mock. These people’s fate now, how gloomy was it?

Things were still calm on the surface though.

Xue Zhi would have thought that her cousin would have taken immediate actions by now but even the shadow of the person couldn’t be seen. Where was this ardor with which she came the night of Bai Ming’s return’s ceremony? She frowned at her last thought, what was she eager about? That was certainly the polluted blood of Jun Lin that got transmitted to her in their mother's womb that was talking!

Shanlin’s hands finally put down the chopsticks and she rinsed her mouth. Xue Zhi followed after, her bowl almost full. Jun Lin had long finished and Ling also put down his bowl making no comment seeing that of the third princess. She touched nothing of what he put inside. Su Qiun and Bai Ming were still eating though.

Talking to Xue Zhi, Shanlin asked of one of the books in the imperial library to be brought to her and it wasn’t like Xue Zhi herself fancied staying here. The atmosphere wasn't right. She glanced at Jun Lin, he seemed to have no intention to get up while she was being politely chased away. Who asked him to be the one always annoyed her?

“This daughter obey. However, this book has many volumes, is mother requesting them all?”

“All of them.”

“Asking brother to accompany then.”

Shanlin didn’t have the time for them, “Jun, go help her”.

After all, the records of contracted beasts weren’t something that any servant was easily allowed to touch. Though, if she really planned on discovering the race of this little bird by that princess’s side in one of this book was something to see.

Jun Lin had a soft smile on his face as his twin’s gaze was clearly telling him, ‘you didn't let me have my peace, no way will you have yours!’.

“En"

The twins excused themselves then, to go out. As they walked in silence, they rejoined Xue Zhi’s two servants who were in front of the courtyard’s entrance, where one of them put a thick cloak on her while the other held a long bamboo umbrella over both of the masters’ head. Bai Ming’s four bodyguards were there too, and bowed their head as they passed, standing still as the little snow slowly covering their hair.

“You do realize that she didn’t mean she wants it now right?” Jun Lin opened.

Even if they brought it, by the time they came back, she would already had left for the court.

“Why, you need to be somewhere else?”

“Is that concern I hear?”

Ignoring him, she asked, genuinely curious, “Just what are you doing really?” This brother wasn't one to stay still and most of the time was the catalyst in those things he wanted to see. However, how far was he intending to take that vice of his?

His smile grew bigger as he replied. “Isn’t it almost the new year, I’m just looking for presents of course, do you have other thoughts?”

Since for once he didn’t feel like talking, she didn’t feel like prying, “then I’m going to see Aunt, after that I will do my part. Whatever you see left, is whatever you shall carry yourself!” That she was going to felt him the bigger load wasn’t subtly voice at all!

They separated there and then and the servant carrying the umbrella left with her mistress. The second prince who didn’t like being waited upon and had bring no umbrella was left to his own device. He only smiled at his twin departing figure and as she disappeared in a turn, his smile faded.

***

In Shanlin’s place, consort Ling had left too and only the three women remained in the room.

“What’s with that Lian family person?” asked Shanlin. She still had yet to let go of her fury from the night before.

Bai Ming smiled, “calm your anger mother, a soon to die person shouldn’t be the cause of your restlessness.”

Su Qiun slammed her bowl on the table.

“What nonsense are you saying again?” she asked darkly, “didn’t I ask you to leave that man alone!”

Jolted a little by the sudden action, Bai Ming frowned. How come her calm sister became so short tempered these days? She smiled though, not wanting to pick a fight.

“And I shall do nothing, elder sister. The poison is already in his blood and he is already in that woman’s hands. The substance is undetectable and reliable. The creator aside, no one can cure it. Since it is so where would she find the evidence to point at me? He had being found in the capital and I just came back, even if accused, wouldn’t everyone take my side?”

Su Qiun massaged her pulsating temple; eyes closed, “Why are you so-”,

“Eldest sister really has nothing to worry about, it was made by physician Hiu of the alliance academy” she urged to explain.

Its presence really wasn’t something that ordinary physicians could detect, had assured mistress Hiu and the effects, for she witnessed them herself were good. The person would move normally, do things normally, it was just that he would die seeking his own death in a way that others wouldn’t know of it. During the alliance academy’s contest, the person she had poisoned had seemingly accidentally misused her weapon and died killed by one beast. It had been judged to be due to the person’s incompetence and no one could be accused.

All that was, of course, because the dose she had given at the time was normal. However, she had poured in Yenaigai’s mouth the whole content of her bottle. There wasn’t anything accidental in the ways he was trying to take his life, but that she still had to know.

Su Qiun hadn’t any patience left, she got up and said

“You shan’t do anything from now on” turning to her mother, she added, “hope that mother can help restraining fourth! This daughter takes her leave”

Her civility exhausted, she turned and left. Shanlin who in the end hadn’t being able to bring out what was on her mind didn’t feel like talking anymore,

“You shall take your leave too,” she said, getting up to prepare for court.

Teeth clenched, Bai Ming did so. How long exactly, she thought, were they going to take her for a child!

***

The days followed like these. Su Quin tried her worst but still couldn't extract any information from elder Zhang. At one point, she contemplated asking her mother’s help about this, thinking that with Li’s mind’s control abilities she could get somewhere but then she decided against it. Shanlin, it seemed, had reserved when it came to certain things. Opening Ashtar’s map, she wondered if worst came to worst, should she ally herself with these people earlier than she had thought? …Not yet, the other had yet to take action, she should first just see.

Bai Ming, meanwhile, had her courtyard redecorated and a big room adjusted for her lion.

***

Seyran for her part, was still waiting, following that elder’s request to wait for three days before going out. They did change place and take another room of the imperial health center. A normal bedroom this time around, which meant no big table and a reduced size. The results of these supposed great physicians had yet to appear though. Huang was quite the guardian, perching itself on the man’s body, not parting. It was still the first to scold the person when he made a reckless move while the real ones who stopped him were the crown princess’s guards. Yue Meili felt that it suddenly became their new occupation.

The young man sometimes entertained normal conversations, but then he would brusquely do dangerous things as trying to swallow the bird. Huang was quite horrified and had cursed so loud and lengthy that its throat had been sore that whole day. After, it made sure to stay clear, actually after that, everything that could come close to the man’s hands had been displaced. Birdie as exasperated as it was though, carried on the anti-suicidal mission, giving counsels and flaring curses as though heard by everyone.

"Did you actually really hit your head when you were a child?" came most of the time and the other times it leashed at the incompetent physicians! “Even my farts are more effective!”

Somehow, after three days and three nights, the bird was completely worn out.

Seyran just let things run. The man’s life wasn’t directly in danger so long as others were keeping careful watch. Thinking of her resources, she had yet to see that big wolf. Was it that when she wasn’t bloodthirsty she wasn’t a pleasant companion? For it, certainly.

Since she had already decided, she was going to take things slowly but seriously. She abided by her own words, they went through the trouble of bringing her here, and she would do them the honor to stay. Was it that they wanted this country? Let them never have it. They wanted a smooth sailing life, let her burn their float to ashes. But all things should be done in its time and she had to firstly know everyone of them. For starters, she asked captain Shen information about every member of the royal family and should they have, information about their contracted beasts. For now, no one was excluded. The captain was quite cooperative and even gave details.

She seemingly passed her days idly, eating thrice times a day -while the servant was fed since he would sometimes suddenly try to swallow the chopsticks-, she listened to the captain report of her family and read things in regards to this world, Ashtar, and the country she lived in, Yande.

The night of the third day, Yenaigai who had been quite full of suicidal tendencies the whole morning and had been put to sleep by sedatives, was now silently crying on his bed. Seyran had been made aware of that by the bird’s chirps. She closed the book she was reading and stared a little at him.

"Tell me about the Lian family.”

Captain Shen and her subordinates were still here thought the shifting time for guards couldn’t be far away. She had honestly, failed to recognize the man as the youngest master of the Lian family, not that it could be blamed on her, they never encountered each other.

Mistress Lian had once been the left general of the country and she had four children. Three daughters and one son. All remarkable. However, one daughter had been charged for treason and put to death. The general rebelled and their house ended in fire. The whole Lian residence had been sentenced to death. The queen, in her magnanimity and considering her daughter’s feelings had spared the youngest child and authorized his stay as future consort. That was what everyone officially knew of the story.

Seyran’s lips curved a little.

“How interesting.” She got up, “lead the way, I’m going to see what remains of that residence.”

Huang debated with itself and in the end chose to stay near the sleeping man, Yue Meili and Zhang Bei by his sides, while Tian Gu was guarding the door.

***

The horses were whipped and they were soon where they wanted to be. Despite the thick cloak, the cold bite at her and steam was exhaled as she breathed through her mouth, her nose being a little painful. However, in front of her, the former Lian residence was no more. It had long burned to ashes and at its place, a health center and an orphanage were built... Wasn’t the queen too generous?

What a foolish family. What a foolish way to die. And their youngest was going to follow, just like this, should she teach him the art of paying back with interest?

***

At one side of the palace, the residence reserved for the crown princess, in the yard for the consorts, three figures were seated, dining around a table.

“There are still no news,” complained Li. “Did the crown princess really changed?”

He blabbered for a long time while the other two ate silently.

“You!” he cried revolted. “Aren’t you anxious? What will become of us? Long Feng! Wu!”

Called, Long Feng looked on coldly, then proceeded to refill his bowl and continue to eat, not caring.

“Either we die or live, is there anything in the middle?” nonchalantly said Wu.

“You, you…” repeated Li for a long time.

Satiate and his plate thoroughly clean, Long Feng posed his chopsticks, “Yes” he announced even more casually, “ there is still a life worse than death.”

And as though this sentence had nothing to do with him, he got up and left.

“Don’t jinx people’s fate with that ill mouth of yours” shouted Li after him, “Ominous bird!”