Her Last Words[Completed]

Chapter 8: Her death

Cases in my country have reached 104. Keeping that mask on, and avoiding crowds! Only going out if necessary, apart from work.

Today's song is -

Deep Love, Misty Rain,
The world is within your sight,
Haven't met for long, why hurry,
Mountains and waters are millions heavy,
A good song caused a thousand stream of tears,
Love within great passion,

Deep Love, Misty Rain,
Heavens without limits, Earth without poverty,
Buildings will eventually fall, Love has it's own ending,
Long to make it past spring, summer, and autumn, winter,
Hoping and Hoping without limit,
Where on the earth is the resting place.

- extract from Qing Shen Shen Yu Meng Meng (English translation: Deep Love, Misty Rain), Romance in the Rain OST.

Qinghua had left for some time, as Aranya sat in her cell, pondering over the words Qinghua had said about Chen Ye. 

"He had made you believe that he had truly loved you. He was merely playing with your feelings. Like your father, you lost to the word 'love'. And that had been his demise."

As it had been hers. She had lost to him, Archmage Chen Ye.

Aranya coughed a mouthful of blood on the parchment paper that she was practicing her calligraphy on. She was tired. Why had the two people most important in her life, her mother, who she had tried all her life to gain her love, and the man she loved, doing things to hurt her? Was she so unworthy of love?

In the darkness, two figures in black hurried towards Qinan Palace, taking care to evade being seen by Qinghua's spies. A dart carrying a letter was then thrown into Qinan Palace, where it found  its way into the hands of the former archmage Xize.

Aranya continued with her calligraphy, ignoring the vial of poison, which her mother had left in the corner of her cell as a "choice" for her, going on without a care for what was going to happen. Her execution was in three days. On the second night of her imprisonment, a masked figure had put to sleep with enchantment magic, all the guards who were watching her cell, and broken her out of prison.

As soon as they had reached a safe distance, the figure had revealed himself to be no other than Xize. Xize then told her about the letter he had received, which he suspected to have been written by either Chen Ye or Aranya's half-brother Xiangli He, Lord Xiangli's successor. However, he noted that the handwriting on the letter did not seem to be that of Chen Ye. And so they assumed it was Xiangli He.

Aranya was worried for her half-brother after her conversation with her mother and then seeing the unsigned letter. Her mother hadn't meant to keep anyone on the throne except Junuo. According to Xize, Changdi herself had been driven to insanity by her father's death. She had a hunch that her half-brother would be next, as any of Lord Xiangli's living children would be blocking Junuo's path to becoming queen of the Biyiniao clan. And Xiangli He and her were left.

Her half-brother, whom was borne from one of Lord Xiangli's mistresses, had been kind to her. As he was born out of a mistress of low station, despite being a prince, he had never been favoured by his father. Only the fact that he was the eldest living child of Lord Xiangli (he was older than Junuo as well) had made him the successor of Lord Xiangli. Surely Qinghua would have a way to get him out of the way of Junuo's path in ascending the throne.

A few days later, the war between the Biyiniao and the Owl Clan started. As Aranya had expected, Xiangli He went to war, commanding troops to defend his lands. She knew it was a death match, and that Xiangli He would not survive the fight.

Chen Ye prayed the letter he had sent would reach Xize. He had disguised his handwriting in the hope that Xize's henchmen, people who knew him, would not recognise his handwriting and pass the letter on to Xize.

His impending "marriage" to Wen Tian was but a sham, being no more than a lie to Qinghua and an act. Qinghua had gone back on her promise. He had told her that he just wanted Aranya when she had come to see him that day at Mengchun Manor. She had promised to give him Aranya. And she had lied to him, saying that she would rather put Aranya to death than let him torture her. She clearly knew that he loved Aranya.

Knowing that Wen Tian was a straightforward person and not of an elite background, he had enlisted her help. Qinghua had thought Wen Tian to be an easy target, and had wanted to use her to spy on Chen Ye. And they just needed to lay low for awhile for Qinghua not to suspect anything.

Three days. And she would then be gone from him. Though he had never told her how he felt, he had yearned for her. He had been so good at hiding his feelings for her over the years. Xize had laughed at him, saying that his good looks had been wasted on the cold, serious look pasted on his face. He was running out of time.

And for the first time, Chen Ye's heart ached. He had her all the time, taking her presence for granted, yet he had been unwilling to admit his feelings for her. He had chosen to hide from his feelings and pretend that he did not love her; he had chosen to think the worst of her, that she was mocking him, that she wanted to get back at him. And she had said "what if I don't hate you, and I like you". He had chosen to keep his love a secret. And finally, it was starting to hurt.

He recalled her first five years, from the first time he had seen her as a baby until she was five. He recalled how he had traced the name he had given her on her palm with his fingers and used magic to etch her name on her wrist. How pure and innocent they had been then. And now, they seemed to be strangers, or maybe even enemies. He wasn't sure of how Aranya thought of him. But she had been there for him. They had spent two years together.

"I have to do this," Aranya said to Xize. Xize clearly understood his wife in name: when she had her mind set on doing something, there was no turning back. Moreover, it was her half-brother whom she wanted to rescue. As a friend, he would support her in her choice.

"I've just rescued you, and now you are seeking your own death?" Xize said nonchalantly.

Aranya replied, "He is my brother, the only one in that place I could call my family. The only one who cared for me."

Xize nodded. "I know there is no stopping you in this. When do you plan to head out to Xiangli He's camp?"

"First, let me steal half a day of bliss," Aranya said coolly.

And the rest was history. In short, Aranya had snuck into He's camp with the help of Xize, Xize had knocked him unconscious, carried him away and hidden him. Then Aranya had donned He's armor and marched into battle, commanding He's troops, and used the semi-circular formation to defend against the enemy. But the enemy had much more troops, and despite losing a lot of troops to Aranya, they still had way more people than Aranya. As she was seeking death, Aranya decided to sacrifice herself for her clansmen. She used the Soul Evocation formation, a very powerful spell which consumed her soul.

Just before she died, a white flower bud, similar to those Chen Ye loved to pin behind her left ear, seemed to fall on the sky, landing on her hair. Aranya smiled and whispered a few words just before she fell. And that had been her last words.

With Xize's advice and guidance, Chen Ye was going to bring her back.