Frozen Fire

Chapter 17

Penance

The emperor was smiling softly as his fingers kept caressing his consort's long and shiny black hair. His arm sneaked around the beautiful male's shoulders, locked him in place so he was safe from the shaking carriage as they made their way in the scraggly surface of the streets.

The consort was sleeping, comfortably laid his head on the emperor's shoulder. His body fully leaned to the taller man. A fluffy blanket was wrapped around him, a shelter from the surrounding cold air. Once in a while he would squirmed a little for a better position, then unconsciously he hummed in bliss with the fingers that kept caressing his hair. He looked so peaceful and serene.

It was truly a bliss as well for the emperor. It wasn't everyday he could have his beloved consort sleeping peacefully in his arms like this. Maybe taking Dayu to this trip wasn't totally bad decision after all. Sure this trip was very long and dangerous, but he was here to protect him and he would never let any harm happened to his consort.

"Hmmm... brother," The emperor could see Dayu was squirming again in his sleep. This time he was also mumbling lowly. The emperor almost missed what Dayu said if only he didn't pay attention enough to the sleeping beauty.

'Brother?' The emperor asked curiously in his mind.

"N-no... Feng Yu Tian! Let me sleep some more. I'm still sleepy." Dayu did it again. This time with his eyes still shutting tightly, his hand unconsciously reached for Qing's robe and clenched on it as if he wouldn't let go. He leaned his body closer as if he really didn't want to be away from the emperor.

Feng Yu Tian.

The emperor frowned as he thought about the name. Sure the emperor never heard that name before. Dayu didn't usually talk in his sleep like this, so his consort accidentally slipped out the name in his sleep never happened before.  He knew Dayu never sleep for long time enough and he would always woke up earlier than the emperor, but he wasn't someone who used to talk in sleep.

The emperor was feeling disturbed. However it wasn't because he felt jealous his consort called for another man's name in his sleep. Somehow he had this kind of feeling that a man Dayu called as Feng Yu Tian was suppose to be his consort's brother. He thought there was no need for him to feel jealous. However, the thing that disturb his mind the most was how clueless he was about his consort. He didn't even know that his beloved consort has a brother. And unfortunately the peole he sent to find out about Dayu's identity also hadn't comeback and now he already had to go for the journey. The emperor just wished his people would be arrived and ready to report everything to him by the time they comeback from this journey.

Too engrossed in his own thought, the emperor didn't realize that his consort stirred and slowly woke up from his slumber. The consort was a little shocked to find himself slept on the emperor's shoulder. Earlier, it was only Ming Lei and Xiao Li who accompanied him inside the carriage. The emperor completely against the idea of him riding a horse along with the emperor. The consort had been strictly warned by the ruler that he must be stay on the carriage or the emperor wouldn't let Dayu to go for the journey at all. As much as the consort defied the emperor's way treated him like a damsel in distress, but Dayu didn't have any other choice.

However, spending most of the trip inside the closed carriage without chance to fully enjoy the view outside made Dayu felt drowsy and getting sleepier minute by minute. He didn't know when exactly when he started to fall asleep. He must be sleeping so tightly until he didn't realize when the girls were getting out from the carriage and switched by the emperor.