Yibo's pov~

Adrian went on with investigating all the people who knew Azarael, while I read all the letters. There were at least fifty of them and each one of them was filled with words expressing profound love for each other.

Each word seemed to come straight out of the heart, each letter was filled with so much emotion. Slowly I finished all the letters before I got up. My heart felt heavy.

Soon Adrian came in, "Commander, so far we have found nothing, most of the people are not in contact with Azarael and Azarael's family no longer lives in the capital so we haven't reached them yet."

"No need for that anymore, let everyone else go. I know where they might be."

According to the letters, Hazel and Azarael had a secret meeting spot, a hidden place in the forest behind the temple.

Hazel would make an excuse to visit the temple and meet Azarael instead.

"Adrian, gather a small group of our people and let's go to the forest behind the temple."

"Yes, sir." Adrian said.

I gathered my weapons and walked out of the room with a heavy heart.

~~

"Sir, we should have taken more men, what if we encounter other rebels." Adrian said as he and my men walked through the forest towards the secret waterfall where Azarael and his lover might be.

"No, we won't." I spoke, "Hazel and Azarael's love affair is their personal matter, Azarael cannot sabotage his comrades for his personal gain, this is his personal matter and he will not let it come between his duty.

Besides, we are not going to war, and I don't want a lot of bloodshed."

We walked deeper and deeper into the forest, before I suddenly stopped. I heard the faint sound of a waterfall. Adrian also stopped beside me and once I took out my weapon, my men followed.

We walked ahead slowly, spotting the waterfall. I looked back and signaled my men to split. I walked ahead but soon I heard a commotion and looked around to see my men lying on the ground with arrows piercing their necks.

Adrian said, "Careful, there are traps on the ground!" I looked down and walked ahead carefully.

I underestimated Azarael.

"Azarael, come out right now. I do not want to fight you and I don't want bloodshed. Come out." I warned him.

I spoke again, "Azarael, come out, you cannot escape." I slowly walked towards the waterfall.

But then suddenly I heard screams of my men and turned to see two more of my men falling to the ground.

And Azarael attacking Adrian.

Adrian dodged the attack but his arm was injured.

Suddenly I heard footsteps and saw a figure running away from the scene.

Hazel.

Before I could go after her, Azarael was right in front of me and we engaged in a battle.

He looked mad with rage, "You bastard," he spoke, "dog of the crown, you are here to bring her back!"

He attacked me again and again.

"It is the emperor's order, Azarael. She is to be wed with Nathan Aberdeen."

"SHE DOES NOT WANT TO MARRY HIM! SHE WOULD RATHER KILL HERSELF THAN DO THAT!

What about her choice? Why don't you ask her what she wants! And you want her to marry that human trafficker! You are just like the emperor, a bastard, you are as bad as them! You support evil. You all should die, all of you!"

He swung his sword at me with so much force that I stumbled back a little.

"It is the crown's order!"

"What if the crown is wrong!" Azarael screamed at my face.

"I am no one to question the crown." I spoke—but this time I wasn't so sure.

I did not want to kill Azarael and separate him from his lover. If what Azarael and Mr. Hargreve said was true, then Hazel's life would be destroyed if she married Nathan.

And above all—what matters is Hazel's consent. What does she want? If she does not want to marry Nathan then that should be the end of it.

"You have never loved anyone so you would never know! You would never know how it feels!"

That was wrong.

I had loved.

I do love someone.

My Zhan.

If I were in Azarael's situation... what would I have done?

Maybe the same thing.

I couldn't bear to see Zhan with someone else—especially someone who would hurt him. I would burn down the whole world for him.

But I am not in Azarael's place.

I have a duty.

I have orders.

I serve the crown.

I cannot let my own judgment and feelings interfere. My emotions do not matter in front of the crown.

I have to follow the orders.

Bring Azarael's head.

So I pushed forward and attacked Azarael with all my might. I repeatedly swung my sword at him and kicked him in the stomach, making him stumble back. Before he could regain his balance, I ran towards him and kicked him again, sending him to the ground.

He coughed blood and tried to get up but I kicked his sword out of his hands.

I walked towards him and raised my sword.

Azarael looked at me with a smile, his exposed teeth stained with blood.

"You serve a monster. You are no better than them. The crown will fall and with it will fall the Wang family.

You dogs! You all are rapists, tyrants, cruel abusers—your whole soul is corrupted!"

I swung my sword, about to cut off his head—

But before I could—

Another sword clashed against mine.

I looked up.

Zhan.

He stood before Azarael and looked at me.

"What are you doing, Zhan?" I asked, "He is a rebel and the emperor has demanded his head. Move." I said as I stepped forward.

But Zhan did not move.

Suddenly, men surrounded me.

Rebel soldiers.

My heart dropped.

I looked around, my mind racing. I had to protect Zhan—

The soldiers ran towards me and I was ready to fight—

"STOP!"

Zhan's voice cut through everything.

And they all stopped.

And so did my heart.

It felt like thunder struck me.

Why were they listening to Zhan?

One of them said, "Sir! We have to kill him, he is the commander of the royal knights, if we kill him then we can weaken the royal family."

"Yes, if we kill the Wang family then it would be easier to attack the crown."

"He tried to kill Azarael, he supports that Nathan Aberdeen who sells people into slavery, this evil man should die."

"Enough!" Zhan yelled.

He helped Azarael get up.

Azarael looked at Zhan and said, "Why don't you prove your loyalty by killing this mutt! He is our enemy. His family has been hunting us for a long time and now he is at our mercy."

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't think.

I couldn't move.

My body froze. My mind went blank.

"Everyone back off. Take Azarael and leave us alone!"

"But General—"

"LEAVE!" Zhan yelled.

And they all obeyed.

Soon, only we were left.

Silence.

Only the sound of the waterfall echoing around us.

"Yibo..." Zhan said as he stepped towards me.

I stepped back.

I looked at him. And my heart shattered. The man I loved was a rebel.  The man I loved had joined hands with the enemy.

He was the enemy now.

A traitor.

A deserter.

"Why?" was all I could say.

"Yibo..."

"WHY, ZHAN!" I screamed.

Zhan closed his eyes, his face twisted in pain.

"Yibo... I had to."

"You had to? Why? What happened that you had to join hands with rebels? That you had to betray me? That you had to lie to me? WHY!"

Tears slipped down my eyes.

"Because you are standing with the wrong people, Yibo! The current emperor is evil and I don't know why you can't see that!

There is not enough employment for people but there are heavy taxes on them.

Farmers are losing their lands. Our daughters, mothers and sisters are being sold, raped, treated like property.

Men are being abused and tortured for entertainment.

Corruption is everywhere. The system is hollow.

The army is underfunded. Soldiers and their families are suffering.

Loyal people are being killed and humiliated.

We are weak. If we are attacked tomorrow, we won't even be able to defend ourselves!"

I closed my eyes as tears fell freely.

My whole body trembled.

"Join me, Yibo... please. Come to my side. Open your eyes and see the truth.

Yibo... please... darling..."

Zhan dropped his sword.

He knelt before me.

Begging.

"Yibo, my love... I don't want to fight you. I didn't want to betray you... please join me.

Help me overthrow the king. Please... just look around you... see the suffering. Yibo... please..."

Betray the king.

Join Zhan.

Stay by his side.

Fight with him... not against him.

Crown... or Zhan...

I love Zhan...

More than anything...

More than the crown...

Zhan... I want to... I want to be with him...

I took a step towards him—

And suddenly—

A sharp pain shot through my chest.

So intense that I screamed.

Blood spilled from my mouth as I collapsed to the ground.

"YIBO!"

I screamed, clutching my chest.

Zhan held me, trying to feed me something—

But it made it worse.

My whole body burned.

The pain was unbearable.

I screamed, cried, vomited blood—my throat burned, my body shook violently.

"Yibo... Yibo, what's wrong?! Say something! Please!"

I couldn't speak.

I couldn't move.

And in the end I lost consciousness.