Liên bit her lip sharply as she sat on the red-curtained canopy bed, completely alone in the large, spacious room. Stained lanterns lit the room nicely, casting coloured shadows of blues and reds onto the walls. 

"Tuyến," The snowy-white haired girl called from inside. "Aren't you getting cold? It seems to be rather windy and rainy outside. You may as well come in before you catch a cold." 

Her long-time maid who was standing outside the door, waiting patiently rubbed her arms for warmth but shook her head. "Please don't worry over me, Prin--Empress. It wouldn't be befitting should the Emperor come soon."

Liên smiled wryly. "One can only hope otherwise, Tuyến." 

"I'm sure he's simply being pressured by the Second Prince to drink. We both know how his younger brother is...haha..." Tuyến seemed to be having an awkward time thinking of something consoling to say.

Blue eyes looked both exhausted and pained and she pulled her lips into a laugh. "I shall have to give thanks to Prince Yun Lóng, then."

━━━━

The heavy sound of rain made a drumming sound against the garden pavilion's roofing as a scream was heard in the cold, dark night followed by a deafening silence only to be broken by the sound of a sword sliding out of the body and letting it thump onto the wet ground.

"Try not to wake my bride with your pathetic, insipid whimpering." Golden eyes glowed in the dark of the grey, rainy night as the figure took out a cloth and wiped the blood off his hands emotionlessly.

"Haha~ I did expect more myself from someone sent by the Kirin Island." A more youthful voice laughed in agreement, a single glowing eye showing and a grinning face freckled with blood.

"Although it was funny at first, the joke is just getting tiring and repetitive. Can't we just quieten them now, Elder Brother?" The boy asked.

The older figure didn't respond immediately but when he did his voice was in a terrifyingly cold and low tone. "It's troubling that our own talons knew so little of this last attempt..." He swished his blade into the air, the still wet blood partially coming off.

"Yun Lóng."

"Yes, Elder brother?" Was the cheerful reply.

"Find him."

━━━━

Soft breathing came from the red wood latticework canopy bed, a female figure sleeping soundly with her long, snow-white hair fanned underneath her head as she turned her head to the side and shifted more comfortably. The Empress had, not given up hope, but had enough hope to simply fall asleep and forgo waiting. 

No other sound was present in the room aside from the gentle breathing as a pair of silently glowing golden eyes, seemingly otherwise faceless in the pitch black darkness of the night sat on the edge of the bed watching her with a calmed aura around him. 

He took a strand of her pure, untainted white hair and twirled it around his finger, pressing it against his mouth. It admittedly surprised him often how delicate and easily breakable she was. A gentle smile crossed his lips without his noticing, making him slightly surprised when he realised.

━━━━

【 The Note of Author's】

Sorry I haven't been writing as of recent. m(_ _;m) A lot has been going on in my end and it appears this story may or may not be put on hiatus. We'll have to see though. As an apology, I'll end this short chapter with an upcoming promo. 

━━━━

【Coming Up on Blue Gold:】

❛You are of celestial dragon's blood. Act like it.❜

❛Liên'er, you know I'd never let anything bad happen to you," Lóng Qi sighed. "But you don't get to get in my way. Do you understand?❜

❛I expected to see some things out of the ordinary. However, I do not think that anybody could be prepared for you, Miss Liên.❜

❛Open your eyes." He dragged Liên over to the window, with a vice-like grip on their arm. "Open them. Let me show you how purely beautiful the world looks burning.❜