Frozen Fire

Chapter 10 (Edited)

Gentle Touch, Tender Words

Dayu lazily watched almost a dozen servants rushingly coming in and out from the Hong Palace. They were all busy bringing in the necessities in the household of the Hong Palace, under the emperor's order as they said. Dayu could see it himself that they brought a huge amount of food supplies and the finest clothes and furniture to the point the consort wondered if the emperor wanted to move the main palace to the Hong Palace.

The consort sighed. He put his book on the wooden table in front of him. Lately, caged in this luxurious palace made boredom easily consummate him from the inside. Usually, the only thing he could do to spend the time was sitting leisurely in the garden and read anything that could catch his interest. He was about to pour more tea into his cup when Ming Lei beat him into it.

"Your Highness... let me..." Ming Lei stated in panic. She immediately reached for the ceramic teapot and pour the fluid into the consort's cup. "Pardon for my negligence, Your Highness. I didn't realize that Your Highness wished for more tea." Her head was hanging low.

Dayu shook his head absent-mindedly. He didn't say anything but he immediately threw his glance somewhere else, now he completely lost his appetite for the tea. Was it how everything will be from now on? Everyone treated him as if he was no less superior than the emperor himself. They acted like they were walking on an eggshell around him; a little crack would bring total damage. They were so careful and gentle.

Another obvious thing was they added the number of guards all around the palace. It was now turning into one of the most guarded places in the forbidden city. And now, Dayu even had three more maid-servants trailed behind his every step to his annoyance.

Seeing the displeasure on the consort's face, Ming Lei soon kneeled down, "Sire, forgive me... Forgive me... I deserve to die."

The consort gave his head servant a side glance. Ming Lei was a sweet girl actually and Dayu wouldn't mind being a friend with her in this lonely place if only the girl wasn't too docile like a well-trained dog. He was sure, Ming Lei even didn't know what she was sorry for. All she could think of she must say sorry whenever Dayu didn't look pleased.

"It's okay. Up." Dayu ordered shortly.

As Ming Lei stood up, she carefully asked, "Your Highness, the clothes sent by the emperor already arrived in the room, does Your Highness wish to try them on now?" The truth was Ming Lei said that to cheer up the consort's dark mood. After all, worked around the concubine's quarters for years, the maid-servant knew one thing; all those concubines always delighted whenever they received a gift from the emperor. Not to mention if it was the finest clothes made up of high quality of silk. It always successes to lighten their mood no matter how upset they were earlier.

However, Ming Lei missed one of the most important points. Dayu wasn't an ordinary concubine, and another thing was... he wasn't a woman.

"He doesn't expect the clothes, no matter how expensive they are, will change my feeling for him, does he?" Dayu snorted. He grabbed his book again and ignored Ming Lei completely leaving the girl sealed her lips tightly, wasn't dare anymore to open her mouth.

-

"Have all the stuff I ordered arrived in the Hong Palace?"

Gui Zi glanced up. After stayed in silence as he accompanied the emperor check on the country's reports, the old eunuch a little startled by the sudden question. However, he immediately composed himself and cleared his throat, "Yes, Sire... It has arrived this afternoon."

"Does the physician give any report about my consort's health?" The emperor still didn't lift up his eyes from the table.

"Yes, Sire. All the wounds on His Highness Consort Yu's body were fully treated and now it's healing completely. He begins to regain his energy. He doesn't eat much, but his maid-servant find out that he is very fond of meat and few kinds of vegetables, so the kitchen staffs do their best to serve anything that can make the consort will eat a little more."

The emperor nodded with the answer.

If it was another person, to their eyes the emperor would look completely uninterested. But Xiao Gui Zi knew the emperor the most. The small smile on the emperor's lips wasn't missed from the eunuch's observation.

It's always that way ever since the emperor brought the man who he claimed as his new consort to the forbidden city. The slightest things that related to the consort always brought up big reactions from the emperor. It was always either a good reaction or bad reaction. It was an obligation for them to report every small detail about his precious consort.

Suddenly Xiao Gui Zi wondered if he had given a wrong answer when the emperor asked him about the hunter and the lion. It seemed the hunter was still too far away from getting the lion tamed if it's not the other way around. The hunter looked like he was now put himself completely under the lion's mercy. And Xiao Gui Zi knew it wasn't a good thing.

"Gui Zi," The emperor called. "Prepare a palanquin. We will be heading to Hong Palace. It's time for another surprise for my beloved consort."

-

"The emperor has arrived." The guard announced loudly. His voice penetrated the space in the Hong Palace until it reached Dayu's ear. Dayu along with all the servants immediately stood up to kneel down in front of the emperor.

"Up." The emperor said shortly. His steps were steady as he approached his consort. He paid the guards and the servants no mind and sneaked his arm around Dayu's waist. He lifted Dayu's chin with his other hand and he leaned down to give his consort a deep and long kiss.

As soon as the kiss ended, Dayu immediately leaned back to create a space between him and the emperor. He despises this emperor so much. How could he forget that Dayu was a man and he didn't desire any kind of intimate's action with another man, moreover when there were a lot of audiences.

Dayu looked at the emperor with so much fire in his eyes. But it seemed the emperor didn't realize Dayu's heated gaze or he was simply pretending to not realize, his soft gaze toward his consort didn't change at all. In fact, the emperor once again tried his luck and stepped closer to Dayu.

Dayu frowned. He remembered the possibility of his softness and leniency as the emperor's weakness. He needed to act all inferior and weak in front of the emperor to make this enemy of his crumbling down on his knees in front of him. However, he needed the time to adjust. The image of how the emperor touched every part of his body still disgust him so greatly.

As the new consort lost in deep thought, he didn't realize that his small and pliant lips turned into something that closes to a pout.

The emperor watched his consort amusingly. He couldn't understand yet why this man's happiness was so important to him but it was a final that he would give everything in his power to make this consort of his happy.

Seeing Dayu not too on guard, the emperor stepped forward. His palm was lifted and he put it on the consort's cheek. The caresses from the emperor's fingers were so gentle and heavenly that made Dayu felt the rush of warm feeling inside his chest. The emperor looked down and smiling tenderly, "There is nothing I won't give or do just to make you happy, my sweetheart."

Dayu still couldn't find a way to respond to the emperor's gentle words when his sight landed on the dumbfounded girl behind the emperor's shoulder. It's been a while since the last time Dayu met with Xiao Li and he just realized that he missed the innocent girl more than he expected.

"Xiao Li!" Dayu cried out as he jumped to hug the unmoved girl. It seemed the displays of affection between the emperor and Dayu was enough to make her temporary lost half of her soul.

Truth to be told, the emperor hated it so much seeing his consort hugged another girl. But seeing how Dayu cried in happiness made the emperor was willing to compromise for once. Because this was the first time he could see Dayu was genuinely happy in his presence and he looked even more radiance when he was happy.

Yes, there nothing he wouldn't do for his beloved's happiness.

.