FIRE

FIRE 15

The old woman couldn't believe what's happening. She thought Death had come for all of them. She truly believed the Great Emperor of Bakura, known to be cruel and unforgiving, would not spare them for her son's doing.

Son?

She winced. Yin, no, Crown Prince Jaejoong is not her son. She had loved him, cared for him like her own but she knew he had his past. A past that she now realized was taken away from him. His rightful right as a royalty.

She had saved him but he'd lost everything.

Not everything though, or so it seemed.

She had long heard of the rumors between the Princes relationship at the Academy. It was after all, one of the most widely used reason as to why Yani was spared from Bakura's conquest. But she had never known it to be this true.

They were, are, lovers...

And it was for his revenge, that the Great Emperor was there in Yani.

No wonder Yin, no not Yin anymore, Crown Prince Jaejoong, had so much faith that he can help stop Yani's downfall.

He was, is, the cause after all.

But she knew he doesn't really see it yet. She knew, despite his facade, how he cowered after the Great Emperor appeared. He's ashamed of himself and it was oh so obvious to her. The abandoned Crown Prince doesn't understand yet just how much he mattered to the Great Emperor even with his sufferings. Of course, who would've thought a man so broken can still be loved the same?

"Where are we headed?"

The Great Emperor smiled tightly. The sight, strange and somewhat out of place. Obviously, it had been too long since he last smiled. "To the palace, my Love."

The rightful Crown Prince blanched, ignoring the sweet name.  It will not last after all. The Great Emperor will surely realize his ugliness, his miseries, soon. Jaejoong couldn't let himself thought of otherwise. It will break him.

"I will protect you, Love. Do not worry."

The Crown Prince shook his head, his already strained voice shook with trepidation. "We will not be safe there." Sneaking in was fine for as long as he's not caught. But staying in there? With them?

"Oh my Jaejoong, with me you will. No one will know of your presence in the palace. Your mother and sister will be better protected, I promise you." The usually cold Emperor glanced at the frail woman cradling the sleeping child with something akin to fondness. "They had saved you. They cared for you and protected you when no one did, I am indebted to them. I will  protect them as I will you." Taking the calloused and scarred hand, he brought it to his lips for a kiss.

The Crown Prince shuddered at its chastity, looking away. Was the Bakuran not disgusted? Was he not ashamed?

His mother smiled at the conflicted emotion playing on the Crown Prince's face.

The Great Emperor hadn't release his hold on the Crown Prince since he threatened him to return with him or risk seeing his new family beheaded. Yin, no, Crown Prince Jaejoong, had agreed easily then, climbing up into the royal carriage with her and Mia.

Throughout the journey, the Great Emperor couldn't even mask the reverence in his eyes, staring so intently at the Crown Prince as if he's beauty itself despite the others' presence in his carriage. It's a humbling sight, especially if one was to realize the horrible scarring on the Crown Prince's face. But perhaps the Great Emperor really did see beauty past the ugly burns, having loved him so deeply.

She had never seen any man cried the way the Great Emperor did when he saw him before. It was as if life decided to fill him just then, blessing him with sudden human's emotion.

She had never seen such worship.

Heaven help those who wronged the Crown Prince for she feared his retribution now that he'd seen what they'd done. But, more than that, she prayed to Heaven her son, the betrayed Crown Prince, would soon realize his pitiful condition had changed nothing in the Great Emperor's eyes. There's simply nothing to regret.

He is still, without doubt, Heaven and Hell for that one man.