The Tale of the Lotus Heart

Chapter 22

I went straight to my tent after training ended. I was thoroughly surprised to see Ixia waiting for me with the bath ready. She curtsied.

"Princess," she smiled.

"Ixia, what are you doing here?" I asked as she came to help undress me. She hung my clothes up on the partition.

"Crown Prince came by Eternity Palace and asked me to continue serving you here. I saw you on the training field when I arrived so I asked to wait here for you," she explained. I stepped into the bath before Ixia started up doing my hair. After it was out of the high bun I had it in, Ixia combed my curtain of hair as I relaxed in the warm water.

"Crown Prince is worried about you. He says it's hard for a woman to adjust being with a bunch of soldiers all day," Ixia added. I knew he was worried, but there was nothing he could do. I was determined to put my own merits under my belt.

After my bath, Ixia placed a silky robe over my shoulders and set my hair on top of the fabric. I sighed as I tied the ends together to close it. I felt a familiar presence hiding in the room as I finish.

"You can leave now," I said to Ixia. She curtsied before leaving my tent. Shortly after, Yong's slightly intimidating figure dressed in black robes emerged. I knew it was him. I smiled slightly at the sight of him before remembering where I was.

"Are you trying to make it obvious that we're eloping?" I asked sarcastically. He only smiled as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Don't worry. I snuck in; no one saw me," he said cheekily before he moved a strand of my damp hair away from my face and kissed my head. I wrapped my arms around him hesitantly before resting my head against his chest with a sigh.

"Have you ever thought about what would happen if your plan didn't work?" I asked before lifting my head. He gave a puzzled look before I let go of him.

"What if I'm still punished even if you manage to get me pregnant? You are aware that the Empress doesn't like me. She doesn't like anything that has to do with your Second Brother. She has her own plan for you and won't let anything get in her way so easily," I explained as I walked away from him. He wrapped his arms around me from behind in a back hug.

"Between my Royal Father and me, what can my Royal Mother say?" He asked rhetorically. He slid the silk robe off of my shoulder before placing a kiss on my neck.

"You're a little too carefree for the Crown Prince of Heaven," I said in passing. His arm tightened around my waist as he sighed near my ear.

"I promised you I would do whatever it takes to protect you. Even without your own efforts, I will shield you by my side. I didn't come up with this plan without contingencies," he said before his hands rested on my shoulders. He started slipping my robe off further but I stopped him.

"First in broad daylight, now in the Imperial Army camp? It's like you want everyone to know of our consummation," I questioned him. He moved his arms to wrap around my waist again. Only this time, his hands rested on my stomach.

"We must always be diligent. Plus, I get filled with excitement at the thought of a future with your belly protruding with our child," he admitted honestly. My hands rested over his as I relaxed against him.

"A child won't solve everything," I reminded him.

"But it does make me happy," he said anyway. I chuckled slightly before turning in his arms. I moved his hands away from my waist before going to stand in front of my bed. I untied my robe and slid it all the way off.

"I did promise that we would try both of our plans simultaneously," I gave in. Yong wrapped his arms around me as he brought his lips to mine. He laid me down before disrobing himself. He was gentle and careful as to allow us to be quieter. After we both reached our Nirvana, Yong wanted to stay, but staying would put us at a greater chance of getting caught. I eventually convinced him not to push our luck.

The next day, I hosted training like everything was normal. In fact, we continued this routine for months. It was a wonder we hadn't been caught yet.

"Princess," Heavenly General greeted me during practice.

"Any news?" I asked as I called my sword back.

"Yes, Princess. The Heavenly Emperor called the elites from Imperial Army to join the battle in the north under First Prince Atlas. You qualify as an elite," Heavenly General explained. I took a deep breath before nodding.

"When do we set off?" I asked.

"Tonight. The First Prince already took the first wave of soldiers with him," he explained. I went back to my tent to pack. Ixia watched me in confusion.

"Princess, are you going somewhere?" She asked.

"We set off to the north tonight... to help First Prince battle the demons. I know Yong will come looking for me tonight. Do me a favor: don't tell him where I am. If he knows, he'll try to come rescue me, and that's the last thing we need in front of the First Prince. If he asks, just tell him I went to explore the Mortal Realm on orders," I said quickly after packing a few clothes.

"Princess, I don't think it's appropriate," Ixia said hesitantly.

"Trust me. Yong showing up will only bring trouble," I assured her.

"If Godfather Tase asks, you are to tell him where I'm really going, then exactly what you tell the Crown Prince," I added. I knew that if Yong knew the truth, he would anxiously come to find me. For now, it was best to fly under the radar when it came to my relationship with Yong. We couldn't start his plan if I wasn't pregnant yet.