Chapter 13

Bai Shen Hong
Emperor Huizhong
The Blacksword Manor

He doubted she would choose him if worse came to worst. Before him, she would say it was him while behind the scenes she would wield a plan to rescue his nemesis. So in the end, was it really him she chose?

Sadly, although knowing this, he took her back. Being a hopeless lover, hoping that down the line it was him who would be the winner.

Competition couldn't scare him because in the end who was like him? Who was willing to go through the emotional storms and hurricanes that came with pursuing a woman like her? Their love was one that was painful, although he aimed to change that.

Li Lian panicked once she hit the waters. She had swam from him because as he looked for her, she was nowhere to be found. Reaching the top, she was not there. Going down, he could not locate her.

Of course, he was starting to panic. He had recently experienced the cold world without her and neither was he ready to go through that again.

"Li Lian!" he screamed against the raging waters that crushed down the waterfall into the abyss of the dark waters―in the absence of the sun.

"Li Lian!" His heart drummed anxiously as he dove deep down and searched for her, even though he barely could make out anything. The waters swirling did not make it any easier to trace what was the movement of life.

However, that was when he felt small fingers clung onto his hand to stop him.

Turning around, he realized it was her, to his amazement and utter relief. He watched her with water painfully irritating his eyes as she waved her hand, signaling him to follow her to the top.

This woman. She had scared the living breath out of him. Why did she like playing games?

"Yoh! Your Majesty, you were drowning? You had me scared for a moment, " she derided him when they reached the surface.

"What do you mean―"

"I have always looked forward to the day I would rescue my "damsel in distress," you seemed so afraid down there before I came to your rescue," she laughed.

"No, I was searching for you. Not drowning."

She was silly and he wanted to kiss the stressful search out of his system.

But Lance.

"Don't worry," she entwined all of her onto him. "I will always be here to catch you when no one is there."

That hope he had earlier grew all the more. He was in love with this woman.

"I am feeling cold, hold me." She rubbed her naked body against him.

He chuckled. "This is what I looked forward to the most."

"I knew it. You always have ulterior motives in everything you do. Don't you?"

"Me? No!" his response was exaggerated.

"You do!" she giggled.

"Never, Empress."

Lance had kissed her, and to what extent? Another man had owned what was his and it excruciatingly hurt, while also leaving a trace of rage.

"Stop calling me that." She lightly dug her nails into his biceps, reprimanding him, but also did a double-take when she noticed his fallen face. "What is bothering you?"

Pride wouldn't let him admit it.

"I was scared I lost you. Again."

She blushed and tenderly ran her soft hand on his back. "I'm here to die after you."

"A man is made by his word." He lightly pinched her buttock and she laughed. Which had him grin back. She was beautiful. Everything about her was. "I am serious, however."

"About?"

"Empress."

"Stop it," her softness immediately evaporated. "Let bygones be bygones."

"I want it, still," his hand pushed her wet hair from falling onto her face, "become my empress."

He held her cold stare, her intense amber eyes unrelenting to his commanding one. That's why she was his match. The perfect empress.

"I have always wanted you as my empress from the beginning. You know―"

"I do not want to talk about it."

"Li Lian, it has always been you."

"Then you should have chosen me."

"I wanted a balance in politics first."

"If so, that is what you should have told me when I kept asking you, than saying I was immature and young and unfit. You degraded me!"

"What we had then, is different from what we have now. Didn't you say let bygones be bygones?" She tried to untangle herself from him but he held her tighter. "You always made it seem like you had untrustworthy motives. I couldn't trust you with all of myself."

"Yuwen Hong, if you want me to come with you tomorrow, this spoken topic will end now."

"But you have always wanted to be my empress."

"I do not want to be an empress!" she shouted so loud that her voice echoed. "I just want to be a woman!"

Her beautiful voice danced pleasantly into the folds of the running water, tugging on his heart and displaying her plea to just be listened to. They had been together for so long, but when she asked him for anything, was he ever willing to listen and hear her?

He told her all the time that whatever she wanted, he was open to give it to her, yet when she asked, he always held her at suspicion. She did not have a voice to speak about the deep things within her, the pains, and the suffering to him. Because he had been selfish.

"I want to live! I just want to like! I just want to love!"

He felt sore to look at such a strong woman with wings, but not given the place to fly. In her was capability, and no one would ever know that because from the beginning all he had desired to do was break her. To train her not to have a voice and a mind of her own, but to be submissive.

However, was that ever beneficial? An empress with intelligence, wits, and strength would change the nation, it would be an aid to him as an emperor. It would question his faults and have him strive to be better. It was in the discomfort of things being challenged that flaws were erased and quality produced.

With that, he hugged her tight. "I am sorry, Li Lian." He breathed deeply and sighed, feeling bad for all she had gone through because of him. "I have treated you unjustly, forgive this imperfect person."

From henceforth, he would be a better man, respect her, hear her and allow her to speak. This was their turning page, change and growth.

Walking back, there was so much mud they encountered going up the waterfall that they were awfully dirty when they reached the place they left their clothes on.

"Did you like it?"

"It was the best thing ever," she grinned and softly perked him on his lips.

Lance.

"I have never felt so happy," she continued.

Her being happy. What more could he ask for? This was the most fulfilling thing for him. Making Li Lian smile and getting as many laughs from her as possible.

She put on her underwear that covered her private parts and had her sheer under-robe hanging loosely around and not wrapped closed. Her body was a work of art, displaying a silhouette of enticing curves.

He had reached this point and they still hadn't consummated. How come?

"Come back with me to my chambers," he still eyed her through the opening of her robe as they arrived before the crosspath that led to either of their chambers. She was underdressed to be seen by anyone and still he would not hand over the rest of her garments back.

"You are fully dressed and I am not, give me back my clothing."

"There's no need for it when you are coming with me," he looped her hand with his and softly held her against the nearby large tree. "Come and let us bathe together and then... rest."

She chuckled. "We both know that is a lie."

"Hmm. Rest can be done in many different ways." He moved his hand to rest on the trunk, so he would not crush her with his weight as his body covered hers, his pelvis hinting an erection against her stomach.

He could tell their feelings were mutual when her breath became rushed and she circled her hands around his neck, pulling him to her, although they were already stuck to the other in the uttermost possible way.

"Kiss me," she demanded.

He did not need to be told twice. Yu'er tilted his head and she responded by craning her neck and opening her mouth, letting their tongues glide over each other, although not having mouth to mouth contact. It was a fascinating play between them, erotic, and teasing to their arousal that his mind forgot all about the bastard that kissed her.

He wanted to taste and devour every delicious inch of her, running his palms past her robe, the cloth wrapping her, and rounding up her nipples with his fingers. She squealed into his mouth as he nudged his leg between her legs and kissed her.

This. Was. Everything.

Him and Li Lian. No one else. Only him and Li Lian. That was all he wanted and enjoyed.

"Ahem. I think someone is forgetting the rules," came a voice behind him that set off Li Lian screaming.

S.V