The Last Dahlia

025

"Where is he now then?"

Yuehwa shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Who knows? Somewhere out there. Could be anywhere in the five kingdoms."

"Naying is almost fully recovered now. As long as she continues looking after herself well then there shouldn't be any side effects we need to worry about," Yuehwa added, tossing another stone across the water surface.

"Are you going to leave again after that?" Baixun asked.

Out of the corners of her eyes, Yuehwa could see him watching her expectantly, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what he hoped her answer would be.

"You know that I don't belong here. It's like living in a cage. Naying is used to it because she has lived her entire life like this and this is what the world is to her, but not for me. I need my freedom."

"Perhaps one day you would willingly stay put because of someone, even if that place were a cage. Yuehwa, my offer still stands. If you ever get tired of roaming, there will always be a place for you here. I will only ever have one queen, and that's you."

Yuehwa sighed. "In that case your kingdom will never have a queen, and you and I both know that cannot be." No kingdom could go without a queen for long, because the queen's position was irrevocably tied with that of the crown prince, who in turn represented the future of the kingdom. Without a queen, there would be endless fighting over which prince should be the heir to the throne and the legitimacy of the chosen heir would constantly come into question. "You already have a crown princess, and you are her entire world. I won't ever forgive you if you hurt her," she said, wagging a warning finger in front of his face.

"When Naying married me, she knew what she was getting herself into. It was a political marriage right from the beginning. I will treat her well, that I can promise you, but don't ask any more of me," he looked at her sadly. "I can't control who you choose to place in your heart, but likewise, you can't control who I choose to keep in mine."

It was a fair statement, one that Yuehwa couldn't argue against. There was no point arguing anyway, not when both of them were being equally stubborn. Instead, she chose to change the topic of conversation. "So what is your next step, now that you've taken Jin?" she asked.

"Wait."

"Wait?"

Baixun nodded his head. "Someone gave me a legitimate reason to attack Jin, which was why none of the other kingdoms stepped in to intervene and no one has disputed our claim over the land. However, if I make a move on any of the other kingdoms now, then I would be seen as the aggressor. Even if I win the battle, there will be unrest and instability. Conquering kingdoms is easy, keeping them is less so."

"You could be waiting for a very long time if no one makes a move," Yuehwa pointed out.

"I'm not in a hurry. Although I can't say the same about others," Baixun replied with a knowing smile. "I believe Feng will be looking to form an alliance with Hwa in order to guard its own sovereignty, although they will need to drive a hard bargain. The king of Hwa has little reason to agree to an alliance in which he has nothing to benefit from. With its military, Hwa can hold its own against the combined armies of all the other kingdoms."

"If that is so, then even if Feng falls, you may not be able to secure a victory against Hwa. Hwa has always been peaceful, but if you insist on agitating it, you may awaken a sleeping giant." She knew that Baixun already had it all planned out, but she was curious about what exactly he had up his sleeve. Even as he spoke of Hwa and its superior military prowess, the confidence in his eyes never faltered in the slightest.