Xie Song-jun

2022 years after The Long Night

Hei’an Palace

“It makes perfect sense,” the Princess mumbled to herself. “They had better, more important things to do in those days than make records… The Long Night was a catastrophe that nearly ended all life! Who in their right minds could be bothered keeping track of anything?!”

Xie Song-jun sighed and slipped the book she’d been reading back on the shelf. She understood why no one kept records, but she still refused to accept it. How was she supposed to bring up her concerns without any proof that what was happening now was the same as back then?

Mulling over this as she paced back and forth, the young Princess realized too late that several hours had passed with her head in the clouds, and tonight was a very special occasion, one she didn’t want to miss!

I’m forgetting something. I’m forgetting- ah! The gift…

Xie Song-jun was in a bit of a rush, not able to take any time to change her clothes or brush her hair, only stopping by her room to grab the present for her father and then hurry down to the dining hall.

Of course, the whole family was already waiting. Wen Reian shot her a look briefly that said she should have been on time but the girl just stuck her tongue out at him.

“Darling, I didn’t mean to interrupt your studying-”

Song-jun smiled and went to give her father a quick kiss on the cheek. Jin Songcai immediately started offering her choice of whatever she wanted off the table, but the Princess shook her head and laughed, presenting the gift she’d wrapped in delicate silks…

From the other side of Songcai, Xie Yi-jun was saying something about how she should sit down but the Princess just wanted to see Songcai’s reaction to his birthday present. She held her hands behind her back as he gently unwrapped it.

“What is it?” Wen Reian asked, and Song-jun saw out of the corner of her eye as her uncle adjusted the necklaces hanging from Lan Kai-Le’s neck absentmindedly.

It was Reian’s habit. It was sweet. Song-jun had always had her suspicions about her uncle’s relationship with her fathers, but now there was no more need to worry if Wen Reian was lonely or not! He had found his fated person…

Gaze falling to where Jin Songcai carefully took out the item, Song-jun finally sat down in the seat beside him and placed her elbows on the table, not-so-patiently waiting and inquiring what her father thought of it.

“A’Jun…”

They all watched Songcai examine the container; as long as two fingers and about a quarter’s diameter. When her father opened it and saw what was inside, a soft smile formed on his lips, then he chuckled.

Song-jun grinned, “I know you have needles, but I remembered you saying how the ones you had in Wúmeng were your favorite.”

“So that’s what you were doing last month!” Reian huffed, “I thought you really just wanted to spend some time with your poor old uncle-”

The Princess took a sip of her tea and made a scowling face, as it was a bit too cold. Hmm, that’s what I get for being late.

“Of course I wanted to visit, Uncle Wen…” Song-jun smirked. “And as for whether or not you are old, I believe there is only one among us who has any right to speak about age!”

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Songcai laughed, shaking his head as he took out a few of the gold-plated needles and looked at them, almost reminiscing.

“Thank you, A’Jun. They’re very beautiful-”

This was when Xie Yi-jun piped up, of course, he couldn’t help but tease his daughter and husband at the same time…

“Ah, but what a waste. Jin-cai has no need for them, at least not tonight.” The King raised his glass to his lips and gave his husband a sly smirk, to which Songcai answered with a hum and the words;

“Perhaps, perhaps not… I don’t know, dear. About that backache you’ve been complaining about-”

The King sputtered, “I was not complaining!”

“Whining…” Songcai teased him.

“You-”

“Alright, settle down.” Wen Reian laughed, passing over a flask of wine.

Xie Yi-jun glared playfully at his husband as he took a drink, then offered it to Songcai who politely declined.

Of course, Song-jun didn’t want to be left out-

“Ooh, count me in!”

Songcai sighed loudly, but didn’t protest further as Yi-jun poured his daughter a glass. The evening continued to progress, eventually the sounds of laughter and shouting could be heard from within the dining hall as the Princess and King got tipsier. Eventually, Songcai had to step in.

“That’s preposterous!” Xie Yi-jun scoffed, “No one can reach the catacombs anymore-”

“Well, I did… I just never told you-”

Song-jun hiccuped as the King narrowed his eyes at her.

“Is this one of those true things? Or untrue things? If so, show me now! Let’s go now-”

The Princess was already standing up when she felt Songcai’s hand on her wrist.

“Aiya, sit down you two! Wen Reian, pass me the wine, would you? I’m growing weary of their bickering…”

Several minutes later, as soon as Jin Songcai began to blush and grow tired, the mood of the room shifted as well. Song-jun was leaning her chin on her fist, blinking a bit slowly as she watched the way Wen Reian was playing some sort of game with Lan Kai-Le with the silverware. After several moments passed in comfortable silence, the Princess suddenly remembered something. Something she’d noticed in the age-old book brought to her by Lan Kai-Le.

“Father?”

A soft, muffled “Hmm…?” Came from the other side of the table. Song-jun couldn’t help but smile at how Jin Songcai was resting his head on Xie Yi-jun’s shoulder, seeming on the verge of sleep. The way Yi-jun was looking at Songcai… when the Princess was little it made her so embarrassed, but now, she mostly just wondered if she’d ever have anybody look at her the same way. Hmm, probably not. Her fathers were legendary, and so was their love. Devotion like that probably only comes once in a thousand years…

“I read something in the library today,” Song-jun said. “About the island in the middle of Huiban Lake.”

Jin Songcai smiled, seeming to wake up a little at her voice.

“Ah… the little island? You know, for all the stories we were told of that place, not one of us ever set foot there. My people stopped visiting decades before I was even born.”

“Stories?” Song-jun sat a bit forward, “What kind of stories? Is it true that your ancestors believed all magic was founded there?”

Her father chuckled and nodded, shifting his head slightly and rubbing his cheek on Yi-jun’s shoulder.

“Not just all magic, but all life. Those of my people who frequented the little island passed down grandiose tales… of a tree that bore no fruit, but was the center of everything living or dead.”

Song-jun was more than a little intrigued. She was absolutely wide-eyed as she continued to pester her barely awake father-

“I read that the reason Wúmeng is so cold is because The Long Night originated there, perhaps from the island. What do you think? Could it be a curse?”

Songcai’s eyes flickered open and he seemed to frown.

“Perhaps… ice has indeed covered my homeland since before anyone can remember. When the thaw came, it hardly touched Wúmeng at all.”

“Fascinating, I-”

It was then that Xie Yi-jun caught her eye. The King made a little shushing motion and softly gestured at Songcai who had once again fallen asleep. The Princess swallowed her laughter and nodded, smiling as Yi-jun stood and caught Songcai in his arms. Before they left, her father came over to press a kiss to Song-jun’s head, just like he used to when he put her to bed. Song-jun missed those times…

“Good night, A’Jun. Get some sleep.”

She knew Yi-jun meant don’t go back to the library. And she wouldn’t. What the Princess needed wasn’t there. Now that all her questions had formed, she knew that the next step was to go search for their answers. There was only one place she could look.