The Emperor and The Dragon

The Bond

Long ago, The Emperor befriended his Royal Musician.

There no longer was a bamboo screen to keep them apart.

As he works on his duties, Laan-Mei would sit on a cushion and play a soft tune.

After every song has been finished, the Emperor would praise his Musician and for an hour, they would talk about the differences of their lives.

While the Emperor shared stories about living in the Imperial Palace, Laan-Mei would listen with great interest, as the Emperor would tell her about the noble warriors that fought for the independence of Ka'ng Ruan. Laan-Mei would admit to herself, that ever since they had began to form a bond, she began to learn and see the Emperor's likes and dislikes. His habits and hobbies.

How his thumb would rub against his index finger, whenever he was at loss for words. How his eyes would dart away whenever he was thinking about something very hardly.
And how he would braid a strand of his hair out of boredom.
Every single thing about the Emperor made the Dragoness even more in love with the mortal monarch.

While the Emperor shared about life and stories concerning the people of Ka'ng Ruan and the Imperial Palace, Laan-Mei would tell the Emperor about the ancients beasts that dwelled in the forest.

The hard-working Workers, who tell the most funniest of jokes no other beings could think of.

The cool and cleansing waters that flow through the Waterfalls of the Tricksters.

The moody Magicians that live in trees, that always has the right medicine to cure all kinds of illnesses.

The enchanting beauty supply the Water Maidens possess, and would only share if they favour you.

The most surprising information that the Emperor has ever head of was that Dragons can sing and play beautiful music.

The Emperor one day joked about how Laan-Mei might secretly be a dragon.
Laan-Mei giggled nervously and a distant look in her eyes appeared.

If only he knew.

As weeks had gone by, the Emperor began to feel strange.
It was whenever he and his new friend conversed.

Nei-Yon would always catch himself staring at her for too long, or yearning for her and her music whenever he was alone.
He would tell himself that this was only because he had never had a friend for so long, but even his conciousness laughed at this lame excuse he was telling himself.
His face would always be in a bashful blush as he catches himself staring for too long at his Musician.

As Laan-Mei plucked the strings, Nei-Yon wished he could have her closer to him. To hear her calming melody when he sleeps.

Laan-Mei, as much as she can, hid away her strong emotions for the Emperor, making it seem like she was only interested in becoming his friend.

As the leaves of the trees that stood all around Ka'ng Ruan and the Mountain started turning pink and a soft orange, it only counted the days of the Ruan Blossom Festival that was inching closer.

The Emperor worked harder than ever for the upcoming traditional Festival that was to come the next night.

Laan-Mei had been hard work too. Creating new songs non-stop, making her nimble fingers numb, and the strings of her Kou-Toh loose.
Laan-Mei visited a Weaver of the Mist after noticing the loose strings of her instrument.

The Weaver was a gigantic Spider with bamboo for legs, and a head of a woman. As the Dragon requested for new strings, the Weaver agreed in return for both the Dragon and the Weaver to play one song.

As Laan-Mei took possession of the new strings, she and the Weaver began to play a melody throughout the entire night.

Though tired and sleepy, Laan-Mei would use the same melody to play to the Emperor the next day.

The strings, having been very new, were as sharp as a newly sharpened knife.

Laan-Mei would endlessly play, and her fluorescent blood would drip from the strings, cutting her soft, human fingers.
The Dragoness would immediately hide her hands away in the long sleeves of her robes, often forgetting that human skin takes a while to heal when cut.

Laan-Mei would play the Kou-Toh, with open wounds she had not tended to, making the wounds tear up even more.

Dou-Fai and Nang-Soh would always scold the Dragon as they bandage her fingers, scolding her on how careless she was being to her human body.
The Dragon would whimper, as the Elf and Fox bicker and pinch her long, feathery ears for her careless and stupid mistakes.

As Laan-Mei played with bandaged fingers, the Emperor tapped his pen against the desk.

"Laan-Mei." He calls out.

"Yes, Your Grace?" Laan-Mei says, as she continues plucking the strings. A happy, yet calming melody playing.

"None of that." The Emperor fans his hand, silently telling the woman to not call him by his title, but by his name. "Will you join me in the Ruan Blossom Festival to-night?"

Laan-Mei's fingers paused on top of the strings for a moment, before continuing the melody.
"But your identity. Surely the people would be rather suprised if they see their Honorable Emperor with a woman that they are not informed of, is the Royal Musician." Laan-Mei reasons. Though her heart jumped and ran in circles at the thought of being so close to the man she loves, she had to think of his status, his title, and his dignity.
"Why not accompany one of your concubines?" Her own suggestion made her heart ache.

The Emperor grinned a grin that stole Laan-Mei's heart all over again.
"I meant sneaking out, Laan-Mei. No one will suspect it." The Emperor relays his mischievous plan to his Musician.

"Sneaking out?!"

"Sh! Not so loud!"

Laan-Mei lowered her voice, as she made her playing struck louder, for if anyone was to overhear, they wouldn't hear anything but the music.
"Is this even safe?" She asks.

"No commoner has seen my face ever before, and the possibility of seeing a person from the Imperial Palace in Ka'ng Ruan is very low." The Emperor stated.

"Are you sure that this would never jeopardize your status as Emperor?" Laan-Mei questions worriedly.

Nei-Yon could feel his heart race, as he heard it from her own lips that she was nothing but concerned for him.
"Yes. I am sure." He says confidently.

Laan-Mei closed her eyes, erasing the doubt and uncertainty in her heart, before looking back at the Emperor straight in the eyes.
"To-night then."