My Liege And I

Winter

"Definitely."

He did.

"So, does that mean we are all right now?" Her leg drew on the ground haphazard patterns.

"Depends on you," he shrugged. "Hasn't that been the case since the first day? You seem to decide the pace, the limits and the bottom line."

She took his eyes and smiled apologetically, taking his hand and joining it with hers. "I want to come with you, I want to work on our relationship, and change my way of doing things."

"Come where?"

"To the palace. Where else, Your Majesty?"

"Well then. Finally," he patted her head like she was an adorable puppy. "You are becoming the best woman ever, right now."

Li Lian giggled.

"And I feel like jumping off into that waterfall with you," he continued.

She erupted, feigning shock. "You would not dare!"

"Have you done it before?"

"I wouldn't dare, it's too deep and I heard it's cold in there. And above all that, it's winter."

"Perfect timing." He seized her hand and pulled her towards the cliff-point leading into the waterfall.

Yuwen Hong was insane. Did he want to kill them both?

She contended against him by pushing into the opposite direction. However, it was obvious who was the strongest between the two of them.

She understood it, although she didn't want to. That they had gone through so much and what they needed right now was to hit a high. The thrill that would hit them hard to forget their past animosity.

"No! Yuwen Hong, no!" she squealed.

"Don't be a baby. You will not drown."

"I'm afraid of heights. I'm afraid of water. I can't swim!"

"That's why I'm here, Baby Lian."

"No," she pulled back.

"It will be exciting, come along," he dragged her hard.

"I can't, I can't, I can't."

"Hmm. How about we undress and jump in? It will be more exhilarating."
She screamed over his words. "I can't hear you. I can't hear you."

"Very childish," he laughed.

She shook her head vigorously. "No."

"I will do anything you want."

"No."

"Anything, Li Lian."

"No."

"Do you want to miss this opportunity?"

"I am really scared of heights. What if I die?"

"You won't. Zhen is here."

"So what if the emperor is here?"

"You can only die if I'm dead."

"So what if you want to die? I don't want to die along with you."

"Will you come?" He let her go and started undressing.

"Stop it." Her cheeks flushed. "Someone may see us."

He dropped his outer robes and started on his undergarments. "About that pendant, Li Lian."

"What about it?" she dared him.

"Nothing. Just wondering where it is." He gave her the knowing look.

"I want it back, Yu'er."

"Do you?" he smirked as he pulled down his last piece of clothing, his trousers.

"Today."

"Your word is gold and I will honor it, now let us undress you." He approached her as he reached for her sash.

"No, no. I will do it myself."

"I can help." He bit his lips.

She started hurriedly stripping. "See!" The sexual tension threatening to seethe between them wasn't far away. She would be dumb not to notice it. "See? I am already almost done."

He wasn't listening. He was checking out all of her, up and down and vice versa. "I'm already, already almost done by you... too."

"Yuwen Hong!" she chastised.

"What?" he kept staring.

"Let's go," she pushed.

"I'm just looking at something precious and beautiful."

She laughed, teasingly smacking his shoulder.

"You know, Empress, we could come back later for this jumping in and first take care of jumping into more urgent business?"

"Yuwen Hong!" She was trying to be serious and use a stern voice, but the rosiness on her cheeks was unmistakable. "I'm freezing cold, let us go already."

"Well then. I'm quite the opposite, hot all over by just staring at you."

"Tease," she automatically snuggled her naked self by wrapping around his hard body. She had helped with his bathing sessions many times and he too had seen her naked before. They were past the awkwardness in such a state.

"How do we do this?" Chills creeped on her body when they were finally at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the swirling waters. Even thinking about it got her shaking.

"We hold hands and jump at the count of three. We don't want you not jumping, do we?"

"Very clever, Your Majesty," her tone was drenched in sarcasm.

"One."

"Wait."

"Two," he took her hand.

"Wait, wait!"

"Three."

"I said wait!"

However, she was jumping anyway.
And that was their love. There was no waiting, there was always defiance, and no fear could exist in it.

One moment, it felt as if her insides would rip out of her as she defied gravity, yet in the next second she was being slapped hard by water; it felt like the ending of her life.

She started to panic as the piercing cold water clung to her skin, waves pushing her beneath. She couldn't swim forever, fight forever, or be here in the underwater world forever.

She was in need of the air, the non-existent warmth of sunlight, the peace of being secure, but she was being tossed back and forth.

And so, she swam while she still could, contending while still strong, and letting up for rest when she could, although not having a sense of direction.

She could swim after all. Mistress Ki taught her before.

There are times she wanted to be saved, to give up and await for his strong arms to pull her from the struggle and help her reach the top for air, but then she remembered who she was, thus kept going. She was her rescuer, the striver for freedom and peace.

S.V