Embers of Love

Chapter 40

    The skies were paler than usual that morning, Kuanglu noted. Even her robes were more vibrant than the dull blanket of blue overhead. The corners of her lips curved upwards. At least it appeared as though some of what she'd said had gotten through to the Light Immortal.

    "You were looking for me? What's the matter?" the Heavenly Emperor asked.

    "Your majesty! Take a seat," his servant beamed enthusiastically.

    The silver dragon didn't move from where he was standing. On the table before her was the Go set that Juying had gifted him, perfectly laid out. "Kuanglu... I have work to do. I don't have time to play Go with you," he responded tiredly.

    "Allow Kuanglu to be bold this once. Humor me," she smiled, setting a stone down onto the board. "You've been so stressed trying to deal with the wolves' affairs lately. Let help take your mind off things for a while. Besides, I am by no means an expert at Go. I presume that a single match should be concluded fairly quickly."

    Runyu sighed, debating on whether to accept her offer. There was a cool breeze blowing through the courtyard of Xuanji palace that day. It did beat returning to his stuffy office at Qizheng Hall. Perhaps he would stay, at least for a little while.

    Taking a seat opposite the fairy, the Heavenly Emperor set his first stone down. Normally, it would have only taken him a few moves to finish the game. However, he decided to oblige her that day, considering the pains she had taken to get his mind off his plentiful troubles.

    "Your majesty doesn't have to go easy on Kuanglu. We both know that you're only prolonging my inevitable loss," she smiled. "The Heavenly Emperor is tactical, patient and always has the overall situation in mind; a master at Go indeed! How I wish to have your level of expertise so that I may compete against you as a worthy opponent."

    He humbly waved off her praise, "Having the right skill means nothing without patience and attention to detail. I find playing Go and star arrangement to be very familiar. The board is like the sky while the stones are like stars. A tiny star can change the overall situation. How similar they are."

    "Kuanglu understands. I remember when you used to teach me star arrangement prior to your ascension to the throne. Seeing you work firsthand and getting to learn from you was the greatest privilege."

    The corner of his lips turned upwards in a rare display of emotion. "He's smiling," Kuanglu thought, feeling her heartbeat quicken at having elicited such a response from the usually cold and reserved emperor. She was overjoyed. That single moment would be cherished by her forever. "I made him smile!"

    With her hand hidden under the table, Kuanglu gave a discreet flick of her wrist. A gentle breeze swept through the glistening emerald leaves on the sturdy branches above their heads, sending a shower of white flower petals fluttering down all over them. Though a few landed in Kuanglu's hair, she paid them no mind. Rather, she continued watching the falling petals with a mixture of wonder and excitement.

    Glancing upwards, Runyu failed to register what was so special about the sight. The silver dragon remained unimpressed, and a little confused. He looked back down at the fairy, whose expression could have only been described as one of awe.

    Feeling his gaze on her, Kuanglu quickly rightened herself, brushing petals off her hair. "Forgive me for getting distracted, your majesty," she said sheepishly. When his stare only continued to remain trained on her, a warmth crept up her cheeks.

    There was a small petal stuck between the jewelled reeds of her tiara that she had failed to sweep away. The white stuck out like a sore thumb against her dark hair. A meticulous effort typically went into perfecting her prim and proper appearance. It was unusual to see even a strand of hair out of place on the fairy. For some reason, the sight irked him slightly.