Of Forgotten Dreams (Book 1) [NANOWRIMO 2022]

Chapter 39

"I hope he wouldn't do that when I die." Ying smiled sadly. "But then again, I don't think he will do that. I don't think I'm that important to him."

Yun sighed and walked over to her. Her hands hesitantly placed themselves on Ying's shoulders and squeezed them in what she hoped to be in a comforting manner.

"I'm sure you hold a certain place in his heart." Yun whispered to her.

She heard footsteps all of a sudden, but when she turned to look over her shoulder, there was no one there.

She turned back, focusing her gaze on the sunset in front of her.

Yufan, I hope you won't find out that I've actually died once, in the hands of your engaged half. 

You'd get into so much trouble. 

═════════════════

That same night, Yun had to spend the entire morning getting ready while shaking. And by daybreak, Yun lifted her dress robes as she stepped out the back entrance of the Palace of Excellence. The red ruby earrings dangled from her ears, standing out against the simple pink and yellow flower patterned dress robes she wore. Her dagger was tucked in its sheath in between the fold of the robes, along with the jade and a bottle of tonic she'd asked from the apothecary.

She rounded the corner, and as Xiao promised, there was a carriage right at the corner. The drapings were black with red embroidery, the colours that he would normally wore. Stepping closer to it, she paused when the curtain pulled back.

Xiao was inside, and he held a hand out for her to help her into the carriage.

"I'm not extending this offer twice." He drawled as he looked away from Yun. And after a moment's hesitation, she took her hand, and he pulled her up and into the carriage easily.

"You did not tell anybody?" He sounded rather surprised, although his tone was still flat, and Yun nodded.

"Wise choice."

The horses started trotting along the way, and she held onto the seat to steady herself.

"I've given you one side of the coin." Xiao voice's startled her, and she was close to pulling the dagger on him. "It's only fair that I show you another."

"What do you mean?"

"I could show you what you could become if you join us."

"You think that we want to destroy your kind; the repulsion in your blood makes you think so. But we demons actually know how to use your sunburst powers."

"You look so disbelieving." He grinned sideways at her, the first she'd ever seen an expression from him that did not intimidate her. "Give me your hand."

"And why should I?"

She jumped slightly as something hot seared her hand. She lifted it reflexively, the pain registering in her mind. Almost instantly, the light flowed to her wrist, trying to heal the red burn mark.

Xiao's hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist, pulling it to him. His grip tightened as her jerk of surprise. Another ball of dragon fire was in his left palm. With swift movements, he overturned the palm of his left hand and held it over her healing wound.

She watched with awe and shock as the power she'd normally had to try so hard to pull out from herself came out easily under the coaxing movements of his fingers. The pure light coalesced into a ball, and it reminded her of a miniature sun.

He closed his palm around it, the blue flames flaring out from his grip. He let go of Yun and pulled out a clay bottle from his robes. Opening it, he opened his other palm as well above of the clay bottle.

A light-yellow, almost translucent liquid flowed from his palm into the bottle, and she watched as he stoppered it and slid the bottle back into the folds.

"That, was sunburst philtre. It's a diluted version of your powers, and can be drank by mortals in event of any life-threatening wounds." He said without Yun asking as he set an observative gaze on her. "In order to make it however, you will need a Celestial to help you to absorb your powers first. It will in return, make them stronger slightly, while they serve to help you purify and dilute the sunburst to a point where mere mortals can use."

"However, the both of us cannot use this. Because we were the ones that made it."

Yun leaned back in her seat, her mind racing. If what he is saying is true, I could be able to learn more by joining them than being with Lord Xu.

"How do you have more knowledge of my powers than the Immortals do?" She asked with a flat voice, refusing to look at him.

"We have our secrets." He drawled again. "But I'm hoping that midnight would be enough time to make up your mind about this."

The carriage slowed down slightly, and Yun could hear other horses neighing.

"We get down here." Xiao said, moving towards the entrance. "Let me help you down."

═════════════════

Yun soaked in the sun shining overhead as they stood at either side of the stone path that lead up to the main building of the Pavilion of Butterflies. Her surroundings were bright and cheery, decorated with red. Red cloths were hung around the corridors, and red lanterns at the entranceway.

Most of the other guests wore bright clothing as well, and Xiao was the same, wearing a sky-blue silk robe after he'd changed from the red and black robes somehow. His hair was wound up with a silver ribbon, and the sword at his side was gone.

However, the other royals and nobles as well as court official that came kept a distance from them, with a few even throwing them wary glances.

A trumpet blared in the distance, the sound immediately alerting all of the guests there. Then Yun's ears caught the sound of a group of people walking. Yun kept her eyes through the open entrance and saw as the red coloured carriage stopped, and was set down onto the ground by the men carrying it.

An old woman whom served as the matchmaker walked up and instructed for the curtains to be lifted up.

The firecrackers were lit up just then, and their vision was obscured by the dust and the red flecks of paper flying in the air.

Qi Die walked in after. Yun saw that she was wearing the wedding dress they'd both picked out. A red cloth was on her head, covering her face as she stepped on the stone path. It took a while before she finally walked up to the steps of the building.

In the few minutes that she was distracted by Qi Die, there was already someone standing at the altar at the entrance. Yun had never seen him before, but he was wearing all red as well, the robes more decorated than Qi Die's however, with dragons running down the front.

"Don't stare too much at the Emperor." Xiao reminded her in a low voice, and Yun quickly lowered her head again.

"First bow to the Heavens and Earth."

A gong sounded.

And Yun lifted up to see the couple already standing together, and bowed down low to the skies ahead of them.

"Second bow to the elders." The old woman called out again as she fanned herself.

Qi Die and the Emperor turned around, and bowed towards the hall.

"Third bow to each other, as husband and wife."

They turned again, and this time, they bowed towards each other, Qi Die's bow lower than the Emperor.

More firecrackers exploded outside the entrance again, adding merriment to the atmosphere.