A Tear Frozen in Time

The End of an Era

Letting it go, he quickly dragged it to the side, gesturing for her to follow him though seeing as he was leading her back to his own Palace, she took hold of his sleeve to stop him.

"Why don't we just take a walk." she suggested instead seeing as his Palace was the last place she wanted to see again.

Understanding, Ye Hua turned her instead towards his Grandfathers private gardens, being a place he liked to lose himself in only to suddenly turn off the corridors when she began to lead him towards the Lotus Pond.  Not sure why she would want to go there when he knew she had only pretended to like the place just to memorize the way to Zhutian Terrace, Ye Hua began to feel very nervous.

"Qian Qian, must you do this?" he asked as sudden understanding came to him.  She wanted to go back to the place where their child had lost his life and the saddness and apprehension rose for what she might be planning.  After all, she had just arrived out of the blue, with no warning at all, and having heard every manner of story regarding this Ice Queen, Ye Hua began to wonder if should send a guard to fetch Mo Yuan, because she looked far too calm.

Catching the concern in his eyes, she smiled softly at him.  "It's alright Ye Hua, I'm not planning on doing anything stupid, I only wanted to talk to you." she said as she once again took his hand and led him to a bench seat in the first podium.

"Qian Qian, I'm so sorry.  Everything was my fault, I only wanted to save your life, I did what I did, because I loved you, I didn't want to lose you." he whispered as the first of his tears began to give way while also terrified that she still hated him, only the soft smile remained.  In fact it looked warmer.

"Ye Hua, that is not what I wanted to talk to you about.  What happened was a trial and I no longer hold no grudges against you for what happened.  I even have my eyes back so there is no need to hold onto the agony of that moment, let it go." she replied softly while continuing to smile at him.

His hand was shaking in her own and the tears were raining down his face, because he honestly didn't think he deserved her forgiveness, but the way she was looking at him with so much kindness, Ye Hua soon began to wonder why she had come at all.  If she had forgiven him and was preparing to marry his brother, then was she there to tell him she no longer loved him?  If so, wasn't that just as cruel as leading him to Zhutian Terrace where he thought she was heading? he thought to himself.

Reading his confusion and thoughts correctly, Bai Qian turned slightly so that her body was almost facing him, then taking his other hand, she held onto them tightly.

"Ye Hua, there is a favour I am here to ask you for." she began and confusing him even more.

"A favour?" 

Nodding, she took a deep breath, then began to speak of something she knew she should have dealt with all those years ago.

"Back then, the day I returned from my trial, I learned from Zhe Yan that I had been pregnant and the baby had died in my womb." she began as her voice quivered slightly.   Had I known I was pregnant, I would never have ended my life so quickly, I would have allowed him a chance at life.  Only the moment I learned of his existence and death, I swore on his soul that I would take revenge on you, your family, the Celestials."

"And so began a plan to bring about your downfall, and for a very very long time, I lived with bitterness and hatred in my heart with only your destruction in mind." she said softly while his eyes lowered sadly seeing as this was the kind of talk he had assumed she'd come to have with him.

"Only after a long talk with Zhe Yan, I learned the truth, and though I was still angry, I found myself no longer wanting to carry out a plan I thought I would see until the bitter end.  It was why I had gone to Guotin in order to grow my armies, only my anger had ended up seeing him and Mo Yuan battling and myself sacrificing once again in order to bring it all to an end.  Only there is one thing left for us to do which I want your help with." she said, then leaning rising slowly to her feet, she dragged him up with her.