The Cruel Prince

THE MYSTERIOUS SHADOW

Prince Jian groaned as he tossed and turned restlessly in his sleep having a bad nightmare. It woke Ying  Yue up, but she didn't stir. She didn't want to wake him up from his nightmare, she wanted Jian to drown in his nightmare until he wakes up on his own, panting.

Mean!

Jian continued his restless groans and occasional growls, snarling from time to time - while Ying  Yue let all this happened, pulling the sheets back over her shoulder that kept falling off her. She went back to sleep.

Prince Jian bolted upright panting, his forehead coated with sweat as he jerked his eyes all over the place, focusing on the darkest shadow that seemed to hold a form of a man standing still, watching him as he dreamed.

He let out a deep guttural growl. "Get out of here."

For a moment the shadow appeared to be smiling, then it spoke in aching silence.

Cruel Prince,
Cruel Prince,
You're so cruel,
I'm taking what you love the most just like I promised.

Its eyes flickered over to Ying  Yue who's purring calmly in her sleep at the time.

Jian threw one arm protectively around her, without stirring her awake. "You're not taking her!" He growled.

The shadow snickered and purred, how romantic,  before shattering into wisps, breezing over their bed, hovering over Ying Yue.

Jian grabbed his wife and rolled her out of the bed. He backed all the way to the wall with his arms wrapped tightly around her ready to engage the dark intruder. "Get out of here, you're not welcome here!"

The sudden chaos woke her up, barely aware with what's happening when she felt her husband's arms locked around her chest, so tight, she could barely breathe. She winced.

"Let go of me!"

She noticed Jian had dragged her with him all the way to the wall. She knew he was having a nightmare, but never once it got bad enough where he snatched her the way he did.

She grasped Jian's arm. "It's alright, Jian. No one is here." Crooning to her husband, she has no idea his nightmares tormented him worse than it did before.

Jian's arms were like steel, he didn't move, keeping his tight grip on her like someone else is going to snatch her from him.

Ying  Yue tried to pry his arms again without luck.

She twisted and saw his wild eyes were bright, still frantically scanning the darkness, looking for someone else in the room.

"It's alright, there's no one else here. It's just the two of us." She cooed, reaching for his cheeks trying to calm him down.

Jian blinked, finally calming down.

"Ying Yue." He choked, brought down by her touch. He loosened his hold on her and just held her gently, letting his head fell on her shoulder, nearly sobbing. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know what else to do."

"Right now is not the time for that." Said Ying  Yue softly, her hands cupped his head and gave him a steadying look. "It was a bad nightmare, let's just go back to bed for now."

He gave her a soundless nod, even though he knew he would not fall asleep again that night.

The next morning, Jian chewed on his breakfast slowly, barely getting a wink of sleep. He watched his wife across already annoyed with him. Jian knew what she's about to say and he already knew the answer he's going to give her.

"Lose the servants and the guards, Jian!" She glared, tucking her arms in her armpits.

Jian kept his slow munching on the bread, his taste buds haven't awakened yet, making the bread taste like he's chewing paper instead. He met his wife's glare. "No."

"Lose them!" She scowled.

"No, I don't want you walking around the palace alone."

"What? Afraid I'm going to run away?"

"No, the palace is a dangerous place, Ying Yue. I don't want you walking around alone."

"I'm stronger than these guards you have trailing me. Nothing's going to happen!"

"No, something might, and if something happens, I want someone to be able to run back and report it to me."

"Listen here!" Ying Yue slammed her fists on the table, causing the plates and cups to rattle.

Jian simply sighed sleepily, chewing on his bread. He picked up his teacup and sipped on it. "The answer is no and throwing a fit is not going to change my mind."

Upset, Ying  Yue got up and sauntered over to the first guard who is clueless as he watched the wangfei approached him. Ying  Yue slammed his head to the wall knocking him out, she quickly made her way to the other guard who never had a chance to react when his head was slammed hard on the stone wall knocking him out just the same.

Jian's mouth fell. "Are you nuts? What if you killed them?" His glance drifted to the men on the ground.

"Guess what? I'll knock every single guard you assigned to me until you have no one left to send!"

Jian grimaced. "Is that so?"

"Try me!"

A delighted humor crept upon his face, Jian narrowed his eyes and smiled, he ordered his personal guard to... "Bring me Lord Chua."

Lord Chua Chanshin came soon as he was summoned.

"You summoned for me, Prince Jian?" His head lowered to the prince.

"Ah yes," Jian sipped on his cup of tea and leaned on the table watching his wife. His lips curling, sneering at her. "I believe I'm about to make your day Lord Chua, would you be so kind to watch my wife for me today?"

"As you wish my prince."

Jian turned to Ying Yue, leaning back on his chair eager to see what she'll do, and ever so softly. "Well, aren't you going to knock him out?"

Lord Chua picked up his head lost in the conversation. 'What?"

Ying  Yue only grinned at her husband. "I'll make an exception for Chanshin!"

"I thought so." Jian couldn't hide the disappointed twist on his mouth, he took one last sip of his tea that tasted too bitter all of a sudden. "Very well, try not to fall in love while I'm gone because that would be too damn tragic for all of us."

Jian rose, and stepped away, leaving Lord Chua and Ying  Yue in the breakfast table.