32 Swordmaster And I (2/2)
”What a vixen,” he teased her over how she was using his soft spots to get him to speak up.
”I will tell you mine if you tell me yours,” she swore by drawing a cross across her chest by her fingertips.
”Lu… Luo Meng.”
”Luo Meng?” She tried the name. ”Meng because you are a fierce fighter on the battlefield?”
He laughed at the cute idea that she had of him. When he laughed it was refreshing like a newly sprung leak; low at first, then louder as he stopped and started. She could tell he was not done yet by the way he bit his lips.
She wished she could see all his features clearly, if not for her poor eyesight. Curses to Mistress Kei.
”Maybe,” he grinned. ”And what about you Lavender? What is your name?”
”What do you think?” she challenged. ”Guess.”
”Lotus flower?”
”Of course not,” she shrugged.
”Big eyes?”
”Do you wish such an ugly name for me?” she pounced herself on him, which he enjoyed by gladly receiving her small body. ”I told you I do not like that nickname.”
”Your eyes are... beguiling.” He looked down at her intensely as she rested on his chest. It was looking into his eyes that she loved the most for there, their connection lay. The eyes are windows to the soul, don't they say?
Her breathing became softer, her scowl melting away into a smile that was like the morning light.
”Elora.” she finally told him, lost in the moment.
”Elora is the name for a queen, my queen.” He pulled the strand of hair she had earlier pushed away and played with it. ”More reason why I think you are from Furia, their queen is Queen Elora.”
She rolled her eyes to this and slid herself up so she could seat in front of him. His huge hand tried to pull her back into his arms but she stubbornly jostled him off. Being next to him made it difficult for her to think straight for his presence was domineering.
He unhappily let her seat opposite him. ”I'm glad that you are not from Huticah.”
She sharply glowered at him. ”Why is that?”
”Zhen does not like Huticah much―”
”Zhen?”
”I mean…”
She was getting irritated with his sincere aspirations to be someone like the emperor. Why did he hold such respect for the emperor? She would not survive to marry a man who had deep desires to be like the man she so despised the most.
”You can't force me to be who I am not Elora.”
”But you are not the emperor.” She found herself snapping. Did he suffer from any mental problems?
”How so?”
”Because the emperor does not possess a heart.” She felt his silent heartbeat when nursing him. ”Do you want to be the emperor and be that way too?”
”That is exclusive information,” he was surprised by her words, it seemed. ”How do you know this?”
She froze like one caught with her hand in the jar, stealing. This was information any normalperson would not know. How could she get away from that without telling him about her status and mission?
”Who does not know that the lineage of the royal family has always held tradition of ripping their Dragons' hearts?”
The heart would then be stored in a chest to be submerged in blood so as to have the emperor live longer. Nevorians were oppressors; they fed their greed and lived longer through the Furian noblemen's blood.
And there Le-anne realized that from the beginning her and her beloved were much divided by descent, lies, secrets and anonymity. It was never going to work.
Because there she was, standing on an empty bridge.
Alone.
She looked up at the sky, and her heart sank. It was now the hour of the tiger.[2]
But again, what was she thinking? Did she think he would pitch up and maybe she could experience what her heart had longed for once? She looked down at the box she held so dearly. She would give it to Mistress Han so it could be disposed.
Surprisingly, the pain she felt was not as much as she expected she would feel. She had been disappointed by people for so many times that now it was bound to not be so painful. He was not the first one to reject her, leave her abandoned or desert her either.
”I don't care either,” she screamed to the darkness of the night and hoped that the river would take her agony along with it.
”You can all leave me and I will still be fine alone!” she shouted bitterly, stirring Ai awake, who had dozed off to sleep crouched up into a ball while resting upon the bridge rails.
Le-anne screamed even louder, punched the rails and threw the box onto the floor.
”Stupid box.” She started stomping on it then angrily kicked it into the air.
***
From a small distance, the old woman she had earlier blessed with a pouch of money shook her head in pity and stuffed the fresh crust of bread―she had bought for herself earlier―into her mouth.
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TRANSLATIONS
[1]Sen-shang- teacher or one who comes before the other.
[2]Hour of the Tiger- Between 3.00am to 5.00am
S.V