Destinies : Connected by Fate✔️

Chapter 29

*GuHai*

YiYang goes quiet all of a sudden. The many questions- technical and otherwise- that he wanted to ask the human, he shoves them at the back of his mind and asks his brother, "What is he to you? Why is father suddenly so interested in knowing what you are up to?" His brows knit. He grabs hold of the younger prince's shoulders, "Ah-Huang, this is you but not you."

"Your highness," Zhang calls, stepping closer, "Are you insinuating that I have performed some sort of witchcraft on him, addled his mind somehow!?" The hurt in his words bleeds through, prompting YiHuang to shift closer to the human and lace their fingers together.

YiYang doesn't notice the unconscious gesture, at least not initially; he scoffs, "Don't be ridiculous! There is no such thing as witchcraft. But yes, that is what I am hinting at. You have said or done something to affect his thinking. And I think you might have gotten him into trouble with father."

"Brother, you are misunderstanding us." YiHuang pleads, but the crown prince is in no mood to listen. YiHuang falls to his knees. He bows; with his forehead kissing the floor, the second prince speaks in a carefully measured tone, "Brother, I sorry for having kept things from you. It was my decision not to include you...I fear, the more you know, the more danger you will be in."

"Danger!? Ha! Do you not know who I am? I am the crown prince. Father won't lay a finger on me."

YiHuang sighs. He glances at Zhang with uncertain eyes. Zhang nods, gesturing  YiHuang to speak, "You are right, father won't lay a finger on you, but right now, he is obsessed with the words of the first. He has not interpreted them correctly. It has consumed him. Right now, he won't blink an eye before hurting you...or mother."

*****

*TengFei: Imperial Garden*

The Emperor sits facing the cascading waters of Mount Du; he turns to his Empress, whose eyes are looking past the falls. Sad smile tugs at the corners of her lips, "I had the same nightmare again. I saw the life on TengFei turn to dust. I saw all living things perish." She turns to her husband, "Ah-Lei, you have been telling me for the past two decades that these nightmares are a figment of my imagination, but today as I was strolling through the inner yard, I saw the leaves of the evergreen Gua Tree, the one planted by the first, turn yellow. It didn't even blossom this year. I know you have things on your mind, but the Gua Tree is the symbol of life for our race. I am afraid that my nightmare is manifesting."

"My Empress, do you trust me?" YiLei asks, taking the woman's hand in his. Her hazel almond eyes meet his inky doe-shaped ones. She nods, but the way she looks away indicates that her worries have not left her.

"Ah-Rou, your concerns are valid. Our sanctuary is dying. The life force that makes us who we are is diminishing. I know you are aware of the children in TengHo who were born without force. They were the first sign that our time here was nearing its end. But there is no need to worry. I have everything under control. As my wife, I will look to you to give our people hope and stand next to me."

The lady smiles. But the sadness in her eyes remains. She pats her husband's hand, "You and my sons are my whole world. I will always stand by your side."

"YiHuang too?" The Emperor asks, his eyes searching his wife's.

Once again, the empress nods, "Children are never at fault. YiHuang is not mine, and just because of that, I couldn't be the mother he deserved; nonetheless, he has never once disrespected me. He dots on me more than Ah-Yang does." She laughs softly, "I was foolish in my youth. I am glad that at least Ah-Yang stayed by his side every though they are nothing alike." Her eyes linger on her husband's face for a moment; she opens her mouth but closes them shut almost instantly. Then standing up, she inquiries, referring to her sons, "I heard you have sent for them. When you are done, please ask them to come to see me." Then with one last longing look at Mount Du, she leaves.