A Trial by Halves

100 Ways - Part 2

"It cannot be recognized as legitamate Ye Hua.  You must marry in the Nine Heavens if you are to take on the role of Skylord which you are destined to do." his Grandfather stated firmy as Lady Le Xu quietly moved to stand beside her son.

"He is right Ye Hua.  I know you love her but you have suffered far too much for her already.  It is time...."

"No mother.   All trials that I have faced were brought about by my own actions willingly and without reservation.  If anything, I would not be standing here before you had she not worked tirelessly to bring me back.  It is this family that caused my suffering and this family that saw me flee in the first place." he said softly enough, but the whiplash was felt by all of them.

Looking down at her son in horror, Lady Le Xu realized that Ye Hua had changed.  He was no longer willing to bow just to please those around him, and nor would he take any guidance from her regardless of the heartbreak that she too had faced at losing him.  In fact, unknown to him or anyone else, she had begged on her knees for days to Heaven itself to give him back to her, even going so far as to hunger strike.  It was only when she was close to unconsiousness that her husband put an end to it and forced her into the infirmary.  But she never gave up hope that the Heavens would listen and give her this one wish despite the stubbornness on his face now and all for that woman who she still believed was the sole reason for his death.

"Ye Hua.  There will be no Coronation unless you marry officially, otherwise Bai Qian will have be be relegated to a mere side consort." she tried to reason with him only to jump back when he rose to his feet to tower over her.

"You would dare to suggest that the Queen of Qing Qiu and the only High Goddess this world possesses should be relegated to a mere side consort?" he asked incredulously.

"Then what do you suggest Ye Hua?  Because as far as I can determine, there is no other way around it." his Grandfather intervened and beginning to lose his patience.

"There is a way.  It will still be considered legal, however you may not like it." he stated flatly at his mother in particular while his Grandfather rose to his feet to make his way down towards him.

And though he listened to what Ye Hua had to say, and could see sense in it, even going so far as to agreeing, his mother did not, and it was then that Ye Hua realized if there was to be any true healing for all concerned, then his wife and his mother were going to have to talk it through between themselves.

But with at least one major issue dealt with, he was finally free to seek her out and hopefully gain that compromise he knew would settle the issue once and for all, only the moment he entered his Palace, he not only realized she was not there, but nor was Er Li.

"Where is Er Li?" he asked.  He had not seen him since that morning when he arrived to change his clothing.

"He is in the kitchens assisting with dinner." the maid replied before smacking her head against the floor so hard, having thought she was in trouble for not keeping him with her, that Ye Hua was on the ground dragging her back up to check her head.

"It is fine if he wants to play in the kitchen.  It is good that he has an interest is it not?" he chided her softly before suddenly remembering another little maid he had all but deserted when he threw himself into Zhutian Terrace.

"Nai Nai used to be his maid.  Where is she?" he asked.

"She was returned to Deity Mountain." the little maid replied before immediately lowering herself once again to smack her head against the ground, and this time because she had not known of the other maid which she should have.

Leaving her bowing behind him seeing as nothing he said would stop any of the maids from hurting themselves, he then left for deity mountain to collect Nai Nai and by the time he returned, dinner was already ready for him.  And seeing as Er Li had all but tired himself out having also worn out the kitchen staff, Ye Hua put him to bed early before going in search of his mother having finally realized that she may have actually gotten herself lost in the halls of Xiwu Palace.