Separate Lives (V)

It was just a dream?

On the rim?

Or was it not?

This is driving me nuts.

***

THE YEAR 1904, a century away from the present time.

He suddenly felt a relief through his heart as he approached the destined Queen on her bed. Lei Jie stopped at the side and Ying Yue was breathing slower than usual. Lei Jie tilted up the corners of his mouth after a while and sat down on the stool that was underneath the bed. The gold curtains were still tied on either sides of the bed as the air was filled with silence once again.

She is so beautiful...

He swallowed constantly as Lei Jie's face softened up a bit seeing that pale and flawless skin of her face, her lids were closed, and her soft lips were shut tight. Lei Jie sighed as he looked at the curtains, and he saw that it was tied up in a notch. His mind was driving him crazy once again as he stood up from his seat and sprinted up the door, locked it, and turned his heel around.

He untied the ribbon from the pillars that served as the leg of the bed and the curtains had been laid down. He adjusted it as soon as he was inside, concealing everything from the outside, including Ying Yue. He walked on the other side, with his longing rising in his veins, his fingers were trembling as he removed the knot, and covered the entire area of the bed with that gold curtains.

Ying Yue was still asleep, but she could hear the brush of the feet on either sides of her ears.

Althea was waking the body up, her soul was once again attached to the body that she had known, only to find out that she was lying on a bed. She felt that someone sat down on the side of the bed as Althea swallowed.

She moved her fingers from her abdomen as she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing that she had seen was the unique design of the ceiling, with the flowers carved through the surroundings of the light, with the rods of the curtain evident on her periphery vision. She was still recalling what happened to her as Lei Jie was astonished by what he saw.

Lei Jie swallowed as he turned his head away and Althea regained the previous memories back. Lei Jie froze at his place as Althea took that time to sat upright from her bed. She suddenly felt her head heavy and painful. She held onto the side of her head with her right hand as she sighed and opened her eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at the other side and cried out a little when she saw a man.

Althea held onto the blanket, covered her upper body as much as possible, while Lei Jie moved to the edge and fell down on the floor. He stumbled on the floor, the curtains flowed with how Lei Jie slammed, and Althea crawled on the side, asking, "Are you okay?"

Lei Jie held onto his back as he closed his eyes in pain. He was surprised with her voice and all of the crazy things that was going on in his mind vanished into thin air as soon as it came.

"I'm sorry," Althea apologized as she removed the thick blanket from her lower body, only to find out that she was wearing another set of satin robes, but this time, it looked so extravagant. Althea widened her eyes as she looked around and saw that she was being surrounded by golden curtains, maybe the court ladies had left it down, since, she was in need of privacy while resting.

"But why were you here?" Althea suddenly burst out that question without even notice and Lei Jie stood up from the side of the bed with parted lips. Althea looked at him with confusion and tilted her head to one side. She never wanted to be with the so-called Crown Prince, so that's why she was angry with Wang Qing Long for not saying anything. Althea needed to drag this along if she would plan to get out of the palace tomorrow.

Lei Jie put his right hand on the base of his skull while muttering, "I am supposed to be your guard for tonight. You passed out earlier, so I thought I would be the one who could be by your side when you wake up."

Althea was not taken aback by that as she knew that Fang Ying Yue really loved the Crown Prince. She swallowed as she felt the pain dispersed right away. She sighed as she felt that Lei Jie sat down on the side, close to her, with their thighs touching each other.

Althea widened her eyes as she felt it and hastily moved an inch away from the prince. Althea planned to move out of the bed because she thought that something disgusting might happened once again but Lei Jie grabbed her wrist.

Althea turned to him in an astonished way and parted her lips slightly. She tried to wriggle out her wrist but Lei Jie smiled a little, with the weal on his cheek evident, and mumbled, "You are suddenly okay when I'm close to you?"

Althea tried to waggle out of his grip but she suddenly felt Lei Jie's left hand through her waist, pulling her closer. Althea didn't have time to think and argued, "I am not in the mood to play with you, Lei Jie."

Althea wanted to kick him but Lei Jie just chuckled and said, "I am not in the mood to pretend with you, my Queen, I want to own you right here and then. Remember, you promised me something the time before you leave."

Althea tilted her head to one side as she narrowed her lids. She could not even know it, and it was not Ying Yue's soul who was there. But suddenly, Lei Jie inched his face closer to her which made her eyes bulge out from her sockets.