The Flower Of Eternity
Chapter 6: The Affair

Emperor's Palace, Jungdo, Orient

"So you said you were leaving?" Ask Yeon-Hwa. His voice was as soft as a silk cloth and as soft as a whisper of wind as his listeners were right in front of him, hugging his body which was covered in nothing but their blankets. His fingers played the man's blonde hair. Those ice blue eyes locked onto his gaze. Prevent him from turning to anything other than himself and their togetherness.

The guards did their duty, keeping watch outside the room, not allowing anyone to interrupt. The Empress ordered that no one should disturb her night, not even the Emperor. However the Emperor was indeed not in the Palace that night and had not been in the Palace for the previous few days, nor would he be around for several days afterwards due to his busyness.

All knew that the Empress would often bring a man into her room, but no one would dare to speak openly about it. The Palace Wall may hear, the windows of the Palace may see, but the Palace gate is like a mouth shut. The Emperor even let him go and pretended not to know even though he actually knew what his wife was doing.

"Oh, right..." Elias said as he stroked his beloved, enjoying their company on a warm night. "I can forget everything when I'm with you."

Yeon-Hwa kisses him briefly. Teasing her. "Don't go." Her request. More like an order.

Elias refrained from that temptation. Although it is very difficult for her because every single thing about Yeon-Hwa, her every action, every touch of hers, no matter how short, can put her out of control. "Just for a minute." Said. His voice was deep as if he was begging. "I just wanted to say goodbye to my parents and Elle. I have to ask for their blessing for the wedding. After that I'll come back to you."

"And we're getting married?"

"And we're getting married."

Yeon-Hwa smiles happily at the promise. Ever since becoming Empress and knowing that Elias is her soul mate, that they are meant to be together, even though she doesn't care about fate at first, Yeon-Hwa wants a marriage with her. I want real love. Unlike the political marriage with Haru, which he did for the sake of peace.

Yeon-Hwa understands why her mother was willing to leave her life as a Princess, why her mother prefers to keep pretending to forget her memories and live as a commoner in Westeria. Yeon-Hwa will also choose the same choice to live with Elias.

But the choice is more complicated. Because if she does not marry Haru and does not become Empress, then the peace that she and Elias seek may never happen.

In the end, Haru did indeed keep his promise. Haru gave him power as Empress. Make his voice heard by everyone. Making his words into an absolute order that prevailed in the empire. Put Orient on his palm. Haru also never touched her without permission despite sleeping in the same bed as her. Nor did he ask for loyalty. Haru frees her, but it's not enough.

His freedom is an illusion. He remains watched by the millions of pairs of eyes of his people who will accuse him of being an evil woman if he betrays Haru. The people thought of him as a dancer who seduced the Emperor, deceived everyone, and made the Emperor throw away his noble wife and marry himself who was just a commoner. People only know the story of a beautiful dancer from a brothel, a seductive girl who becomes the Empress. Haru doesn't tell everyone that Yeon-Hwa is a descendant of Emperor Lee, nor does he tell everyone the truth about Emperor Qin's rebellion. Because of this, Yeon-Hwa remains known as a lucky commoner girl, not the true heir to the throne. She can't show everyone who the man she really loves and wants to marry is. And it made her feel like she was living in a beautiful cage.

So whenever Haru is not in the Palace, he can feel a little freedom from the touch and kisses he enjoys with Elias, from the nights they spend together.

"Don't go..." Sigh Yeon-Hwa, in between their kisses when they find out Elias will let go and get away from her. "Don't go first. I still want you here."

Elias refused to leave her. Even if he had to, he couldn't. He wants Yeon-Hwa. "If you're like this, I can't go." the breath, on Yeon-Hwa's neck.

"Then don't go... Elias..."

Their breaths fused together, their heartbeats forming a beautiful symphonic harmony as their skin touched each other and their gazes met. And the night in the Orient is getting late to the end. But until the sun was about to rise, even though the reddish tinge of the dawn was about to appear in the Orient sky, neither of the two were willing to break away from the other.

"Allow me..." Elias begs. Not only to Yeon-Hwa, but also to herself who was reluctant to leave her lover. "I still have to ask for the blessing of my parents to marry you. That's the rule in the North."

"Rules?"

"really. The rules... Actually more like our belief in the north. This has something to do with Xav—I mean the story of the Great Fire Dragon who married the Great Queen of Zhera without asking for the blessing of the Goddess of Heaven. You also know how the story ends with both of them."

"That was a thousand years ago."

"And we still believe it to this day. I have to follow the rules."

"Rules..." Yeon-Hwa smiled withstanding laughter, "How many rules have you broken up to now, Lord Obedience of Rules?"

Elias counted in his mind and gave up shortly afterwards. "I think it's been too much" he laughed. "In Nordhalbinsel, men are prohibited from touching unmarried women, unless the woman is her fiance whom she is certain to marry. It is forbidden to flirt with married women. It is forbidden to enter the room of a woman who is not his family. Damnit. I've been a great sinner."

Yeon-Hwa laughed, "So I am your sin?"

"You are my favorite sin." Elias smiled mischievously. He then kisses Yeon-Hwa once again before actually preparing to leave. "And to remove the word 'sin' in my sentence, I must marry you immediately. And for that, I have to ask my parents' blessing first."

"If your parents don't approve how?" Yeon-Hwa asks when Elias has started wearing his clothes back. He put a blanket on his body as somehow the air around him became colder. "Does that mean we can't get married?"

"They must have blessed us." Elias kisses Yeon-Hwa on the forehead. Both of his hands touched Yeon-Hwa's face gently. His ice-coloured eyes stared at him warmly. "Because you're my soul mate. You mine. And I'm yours."

"All right..." Said Yeon-Hwa who finally, though with a very heavy heart, let go.

...****************...

The next day, Yeon-Hwa awakens when the sun is already shining very brightly. His eyes opened slowly to adjust to the bright light from the window of his room. Even though his eyes had not been fully opened, he knew that there was someone in the room sitting not far from his bed reading something.

Yeon-Hwa finds out that that person is Haru. He came home earlier than planned. Haru did not even say anything and just focused himself on the letter in his hand. He looks very serious.

"What's wrong? What's the letter?" Ask Yeon-Hwa directly.

"This is from Commander Xing." He replied, without glancing at Yeon-Hwa. "You're not dressed." Added.

Yeon-Hwa puts her blanket together to cover her entire body. "Yin Zhao? What's it say?"

"It's about the news of King Xavier's death." Haru replied, still unwilling to look towards Yeon-Hwa.

"No way!"

"Why?"

"He's a Great Fire Dragon. You know that too."

Haru laughed cynically. "You think the Great Fire Dragon can't die?" He accidentally glances at Yeon-Hwa, and instantly takes his eyes back. Her ears are red.

"Wouldn't he be able to heal himself like Shuu? And isn't he long-lived? Isn't he an immortal?"

"He used to be so. But did you know? He gave up his long life and eternal life to be exchanged for the life of his Queen. Let the Queen come back to life. So now he's the same as a normal human being and he can die like a normal human being." Haru. Then upon seeing the questionable expression on Yeon-Hwa, he added, "Kaze once told me about the story."

Yeon-Hwa was speechless hearing that explanation. The news of death still felt untrue to him. But there was one urgent thing he wanted to ask once Haru came back. He thought he had to hold the question for a long time. He had no idea that Haru had changed his plan to go for a month to the Sun Palace and return quickly. His suspicion increased because of this.

"So did you drop bombs on Schere and Montreux?" Ask Yeon-Hwa directly. "Don't you agree we're going to sign a peace treaty with them?"

"Bombs?" Haru looks surprised, and Yeon-Hwa knows it's not a mere pretense. Haru obviously doesn't know anything about it.

"You don't know? The delegates didn't tell you?" Yeon-Hwa asks making sure, looking around for the telltale sign of the unageing face of Haru. People might think they are the same age

"They told you?" Haru asked back.

Yeon-Hwa. The Delegates never gave him any news. They only report everything to Haru, although in the end Haru will also tell him. "No." Answer Yeon-Hwa. "I know it from Elias."

Haru smiled cynically, "Oh, that mistress of yours?"

"Don't call him that!"

"Then what should I call it, Yeon-Hwa?" Haru held back his frustration. Knowing the woman he married, whom he gave absolute power to rule his empire, sleeping with others, does not mean not hurting him. Even if it was a marriage without love. Haru sighed when she saw Yeon-Hwa's face blushing either out of anger, embarrassment or both. He continued, "I'm not forbidding you. Just don't let anyone know about your relationship. You think I don't know? You guys make love in our room as long as I'm not in the palace. I'm not asking you to be loyal, I'm not asking for your love or your attention, I'm just asking you to take care of your own honor and the good name of the imperial family. They'll talk about you, Yeon-Hwa. Remember your position. You Maharani. Everything you do will be known to millions of souls in this empire."

"Maybe you should stop putting spies everywhere to watch over me all the time. This is not what we agreed on!"

"We never agreed on anything about your relationship with that man!" Haru Assert. From her expression, Yeon-Hwa knows Haru is holding back anger. But then his tone softened. Maybe because Haru saw Princess Seo-Hwa's face while looking at Yeon-Hwa. "I'm just worried about you. You shouldn't trust a Wolf who even leaves his King and his Kingdom."

"He did it for me." Yeon-hwa.

"Then what makes you so sure she won't leave you one day?"

Yeon-Hwa is silent, unable to answer the question. He himself was not sure about it. Elias whom he knew before actually knowing him, was a son of the Grand Duke who had one lover in each city. A General who has loyalty only to his King, not to his lover. But that's not what he's afraid of. There are many reasons for Elias to leave Yeon-Hwa. Yeon-Hwa was a Empress, meaning she could not openly make Elias her husband. Elias came from a family that would first unsheathe their swords to kill the imperial family in case of war. Elias is free to leave the Orient, while Yeon-Hwa is bound in the Palace by an invisible rope called marriage.

"He loves me." Yeon-Hwa said at last. His voice was slow and fragile, as if he himself did not know whether it was true or not. So she added, "And I love her."

"Don't believe too much in love, Yeon-Hwa." Haru said. Vibrant smile. He was about to turn around and leave the room, but broke his intention and went back to face Yeon-Hwa. "Love is not suitable for you who regard our marriage as a mere means to your ends, only as a guarantee for peace between nations." Haru paused for a moment, regulating his emotions, "Dress. I'm gonna go find out about the bomb you mean. I will keep my promise to sign the peace treaty even if the news of King Xavier's death is true."

...****************...