The coldness turned into warmth. It's warm, I'm surrounded by warmth. It's comfortable as I stared into Julong dying eyes.
"J-julong," I whispered softly, weakly, and exhausted.
Julong stared back at me with his weak pupils and labored breathing. He had Hoon still cradled to his chest. Not once he let go of his son, he protected him through the end.
"Forgive me, Jasmine." He murmured as he used every inch of his energy to let me hold Hoon. I looked at my son seeing him for the first time. I was right to know he looked just like his father. Hoon smiled unaware of his dying parents holding him. His fat cheeks, his tiny legs, and arms covered with blood of his father.
"Why do you ask for forgiveness, my love." I asked, tears streamed from my eyes falling on his cheeks.
"I tried to get to you sooner, but I just couldn't make it happen. I wished that I risked my life sooner for you Jasmine. I wished that I could had seen you and been with you sooner."
"No, you came and that's all that mattered."
My trembling hand stroked his cheek gently, Julong was losing his heat and his color as the blood continued to drain out of his wounds profusely. I kissed his purple lips.
"Don't leave me."
I cough feeling the pain of the single arrow that stuck my chest. I bled, losing my blood as fast as Julong is losing his.
My smile found him.
Julong tucked away his sadness but failed at it. He couldn't hide it. "Jasmine..." He whispered my name tenderly despite the unsteady tremble of his lips.
I smiled again, hoping my smile would ease his suffering. "Julong."
"I promised to love you forever, and I had made good with that promise."
"I know you did." I stroked his face gently fighting to keep myself steady. "And I had done the same thing."
He looked up at the clear sky, the stars blanketed the sky like a perfect romantic evening.
"Do you think our stars are out there? A pair of twin flame dancing an eternal dance, drawn to each other without ever given a chance to be together?" He said.
I pressed my lips on his forehead inhaling his scent, he pointed his long slender finger on a pair of dancing stars. "If we would have met in a different time, and given another chance, how great would that be? I could love you with all my heart and no one will get in the way.
I don't have to be a prince, and you don't have to be a farmer's daughter. We could be regular people falling in love with each other without the drama of the imperial palace."
"If we were to meet in another world and given another chance, I think I would fall in love with you at first sight. In that world and another world, life after lifetime." I returned.
"Jasmine..." His voice shook and cracked trying to hold himself together.
"J-ju..."
"Follow me, so we may meet again in another lifetime and have another chance."
My eyes lifted to the same pair of dancing stars.
I held Julong closer and tighter while he fought the natural lure of falling asleep. It was warm, Julong is warm, I felt comfortable holding him with Hoon by our side. Tonight we are a family, and we are together just how we would've wanted it.
I felt the same tiredness coaxed me, I wanted to rest, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier along with Julong each second.
I shifted more into his mold, happiness coaxed me. I'm happy because in the end, I got what I wanted. I wanted to stay here with him and Hoon until we both fell asleep. I wanted to hold him and never let go and tell him how much I loved him.
"I love you, Julong. I loved you the moment I first saw you at the garden."
"I love you, Jasmine. I loved you since that day we met in the garden. I loved you, even when you belonged to Hoon and even when Yuan took you away."
"I'm sleepy, Julong."
"Let's fall asleep together."
Julong took his final dying breath while I placed my hand over his lifeless eyes and closed his eyelids forever.
I might've heard more screaming, Yuan had been screaming at his guardsmen to stop and fetch for emergent care while he rushed to his brother's side frantically trying to beat on his dead brother's chest, attempting to reignite Julong back to life.
I've never seen him so helpless, so distraught, Yuan looked immaculately pitiful tonight. If he would had been a different man, a better man, if he hadn't let his power consumed him, maybe all this would had turned out to be different. He loved his brother, and he was afraid of losing him, but it was already too late as I stared at him with my tired emotionless eyes.
Yuan looked at me, "Jasmine..." But his voice no longer registered. I was tired, I wanted to follow Julong in another life.
I forgave Yuan despite his cruelness, despite what he did to me and Julong. Yuan loved my child as if he was his own and that was enough to trust him with the life of Hoon.
"Take care of Hoon." I whispered as more tears fell on my cheeks. I was too exhausted, too drawn to the call of eternal sleep unable to evade it any longer. Death calls me, Julong calls my name and I can't help but answer. My eyes closed, joining the love of my life and resting with him forever.
*****The End*****