~~~二~~~

~~~因城堡里的莲花~~~

Xuělián was unprepared for the male's next action, just blinking as he lunged forward as wrapped his arms around her. He had grown significantly since they were children, almost engulfing her completely as she slowly brought her arms around his waist.

The ravenette could feel small drops land into her hair as she felt his grip tighten around her, but she couldn't blame him. At this point, she had tears freely streaming down her cheeks as she buried her face into his chest.

After about a minute, Dàoyì took a deep breath and pulled back to look down at the female. Her eyes were now red and her cheeks were wet but he still committed the sight to his memory, having finally found the one he spent almost ten years looking for.

Soon enough, they had both calmed down and wiped away their tears, but still stayed close enough to touch. Blue eyes scanned the smaller being before their owner asked, "What happened, Lián-mei?"

The woman cringed at the question she knew would come up sooner or later. She then lifted her hand up to take one of the male's before she said, "This is something we should discuss in private." A small smile found its way onto her face as she looked up at him. "Would you like to talk in my quarters?"

"That... would probably be for the best," he concluded, looking back and forth between the two doors to see that neither was completely closed. "I'll just put my things away later."

"Are you sure? I don't mind waiting a bit," the female insisted as she nodded towards his door. Her hands went back to their default resting position on her waist. "It would also be less work for you later."

"Alright," the older male sighed as he picked his bag up from off the floor. He gave a smile to the princess. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

She replied with a curt nod before he made his way into the shared apartment. To his left was a small common space that had a rectangular crystal plate that hung above a fireplace against the wall. The crystal plate was a magic tool that would display different visual and audio messages. There were two couches in front of it. One facing the plate and another that was perpendicular to it on the left side.

To the male's right was a small kitchen with cabinets and cupboards that were only filled with dishes and utensils. The new students would have to buy food later on, but they had some that they had brought for the trip to the coastal capital.

Straight in front of him were five different doors, four of them were single bedrooms while the fifth right in the center was the bathroom. The blue haired male just picked one of the two empty rooms and plopped his bag down by the desk that was right next to the bed and stuck the key in his pocket.

Once he made sure that he had everything, he walked back out and headed to the front door only to be stopped by a familiar voice asking, "Where are you headed, Dàoyì?" His eyes flicked over to the living area to see the youngest son of the Long family sticking his head over the edge of the couch. "Off to make the Seventh Princess swoon?"

The statement caused the older male to flinch, but before he could retort a black book was knocked into the side of the youngest's head. The owner was none other than Bó Shīmāo and he looked less than pleased at the vulgar implications.

Green eyes then narrowed down at the boy who rubbed his head before he said, "Grow up, Dàoyì is probably going to ask about his sworn sister." He then looked over to his senior. "Right?"

"That's right," he replied while shaking his head. He then aimed a frown at the young noble. "You need to stop thinking so inappropriately, Hǎiyáng. It could really get you into trouble one day."

The boy was once again given no time to respond as the male with no last name walked out of the door and closed the door behind him. He shook his head at his friend's antics before walking up to the ravenette who had been waiting patiently on the magic circle.

"Your classmates seem quite... quirky," she commented as he stepped forward to join her. Her mouth was hidden behind her sleeve again, but the smile was seen in her eyes. "The girl with the pink hair was glaring at me with and without my mask."

"Just ignore her," the male sighed as he reached out and took one of her hands. He didn't remember them feeling so small in his own, but he wouldn't complain. "Kāihuā is in her own world."

"Well, that's a bit worrying," Xuělián sighed as she bit her lip. Her eyes narrowed slightly before she shook her head. "The students of the Spirit House have a large variety of personalities, but if someone registers as a threat to one, then the others will not hesitate to attack."

The female's worry was soon quelled as a hand placed itself on her upper arm and she shook her head. She shot the male a smile and said, "Never mind, we have more important things to talk about right now. I can worry about that later." As soon as she finished speaking, the magic circle lit up once more and their surroundings changed to a luxurious flat.

The magic circle was in the middle of the floor, right behind a set of three couches that were organized in front of a fireplace and crystal plate. In the center of the couches was a small coffee table with a glass terrarium that had some moss and mushrooms. Next to the living space, was a corner of shelves full of books that was under a set of stairs and the open loft. A wooden desk was set up in the small library space with a succulent growing in a glass bowl set up in the corner of it. Up on the loft, was a king-sized bed with a nightstand and a vanity next to it. To the right of the vanity was a dresser with a large, planted fish tank placed on top of it. Behind the circle was a decently sized kitchen and dining area with some more plants placed in the center of the dining table. Leading out from the kitchen were two glass doors that led out onto a balcony looking over the academy grounds.

The ravenette told her guest to have a seat over at one of the couches while she took the opportunity to make some tea. While in the kitchen, she took immediate notice to a stack of envelopes that were stacked up on her counter. Upon reading who each one was from, she let out a huff and walked back across the flat to toss them into the lit fire.

"What were those?" Dàoyì questioned as his eyes followed the female's form. Her arms were crossed as she made her way back to the kitchen, and she looked quite annoyed by the letters.

"Marriage proposals from various nobles," she replied. This caused the male to tense, but she didn't notice as she had gone to work to prepare the tea. "I've been getting a lot of them over the past few years, but I turn them all down."

The woman was quick and precise as she moved through her kitchen, grabbing all of the dried herbs she needed for the tea she had in mind. She had just put the kettle on the stove when she continued, "It's honestly just getting annoying." She placed her tea mix into a filter over a pot. "I'm thinking of just making a public announcement saying that I won't even consider proposals from a man who can't beat me in a duel."

"I like that idea," the male answered almost immediately as he remembered what level her spiritual power was at. His face was dead serious as he looked over to the female who had just stopped to look at him with a raised brow.

"Dào-gē!" she laughed when she let his reaction sink in. This was met with a questioning look from her guests but she just shook her head and went back to making the tea.

When everything was prepared, she took a tray with the teapot and two cups over to the living space and placed it down onto the coffee table. It was silent as she sat across from him, gracefully pouring as serving the tea as she had gone so many times before.

The silence felt tense for the princess, but she didn't dare let it show in her actions. Her face remained calm and her hands didn't shake as she took slow, even breaths.

The male took the cup that was in front of him, but just as the woman was about to raise her own to her lips he asked, "What happened all those years ago, Lián-mei?" Her expression immediately fell at his directness, but she knew that he deserved to know.

"Well, where should I even start?" the ravenette chuckled as she set her cup back down on the table. She kept a small smile on her face, but she didn't dare meet the gaze of the male. She couldn't. "I believe I told you through my letters that I was excelling in my training, right?"

"I remember you saying something like that. Yes," he replied while looking down into his cup. It was as if his reflection in the rich amber liquid morphed into his eleven-year-old face for a moment. "You also said that you could beat many of the guild members in a fight."

The female gave a confirming hum before she said, "That's right. I actually breezed through my training in five months instead of six, so I was allowed to come back early." She then flicked her eyes over at the male for a moment. "That's actually why I stopped writing. I wanted my coming home to be a surprise."

"Unfortunately, the day I was supposed to leave, a rebel general from Yín decided to attack without permission from the emperor," she continued. Her fingers instinctively dug into the fabric in her lap as a frown took over her face. "I honestly don't remember much other than the fire, the screams of my friends... and the blood... all the fucking blood."

The older male frowned when he saw the way her face twisted upon recalling the details of what became known as a slaughter in the Jin Empire. That very event was one of the main reasons the two had been warring over the years, only stopped by the treaty that allowed him to meet his friend again. He was horrified when he received the news as a child, but he couldn't imagine going through it and surviving.

The ravenette was brought out of her loop of flashbacks by a pair of hands gently taking her own. She followed up the limbs to see that the blue haired man had moved to kneel in front of her as she felt his thumbs rubbing small circles into the back of her hands. He looked up at her with eyes full of warmth as he said, "You don't have to continue if you don't want to."

"No, I'm fine. Plus, I'm sure you want to know how I ended up as a princess of the Yín Empire when my parents both came from the Jin Empire, right?" the female retorted as she squeezed his hand. She waited in silence for a few moments as the young man searched her features.

"I do," he sighed while nodding his head. The fire crackled lightly from behind them as the afternoon sun greeted them from the large glass windows. "But I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Xuělián only shook her head with a light chuckle before she continued, "The Second Princess' troops eventually came in some time after the initial slaughter to subdue and execute the rebels, but while looking for casualties she found me bleeding out in the rubble that used to be the guildhall." She then cracked her neck. "She took pity on me because I was a child and made the decision to take me back to the capital to be treated. When I was fully recovered, the emperor liked my magical talent and adopted me into the Yín's imperial family."

It was silent for a few moments, allowing Dàoyì to digest what was just explained to him. For the past nine years, his closest friend had survived a slaughter and taken to a foreign land, far from anything she knew before. She was probably judged and ostracized by everyone but was eventually adopted into the royal family by the emperor himself. He didn't know much about how the Yín Empire's family acted, but if it was anything like the Jin Imperial Family, then she had to have had a hard time.

"Dào-gē, I know what you're thinking, but it honestly hasn't been that bad for me here," the woman called while placing a hand on his shoulder. She wore a soft smile as she addressed him and her eyes were genuine. "It has been a struggle with the empress and the concubines since they see me as a threat, but the emperor and the royal siblings treat me well."

"A lot of people here dislike me, but I'm quite protected with my status as both a princess and Soul Maiden," she continued with a confident smile. "No one would dare touch me anymore. Especially when they know that my spiritual energy is so refined."

The next few hours were spent catching up with each other. The ravenette would share stories of her adventures, transitioning into the life of a princess. The male would narrate how Long Xièhú took him from the orphanage and how he trained up his magic to find her. They both suffered a great deal over the years but were overjoyed at their reunion.

Once the sky started to turn various shades of pink and orange, the female stood up and began putting the empty teacups back onto the tray. She then stood up and said, "It's getting late. You should head back unless you want to be continuously pestered by your peers." Purple eyes flicked back to their guest. "Plus, you'll be having lunch with the royal family's tomorrow, you better rest up and prepare."

"You've already felt the wrath of the eldest two princesses but the Crown Prince, emperor, empress, and all the rest will be there as well," she warned as the male followed her into the kitchen. A stern expression was on her face as she turned back to face him and hold his hands. "I will try to defend all of you if any of them start targeting, but that setting is a place where even I have to watch my words and worry about my safety."

"Lián-mei, all of us are aware of how careful we need to be, so don't worry about us, alright?" he replied with a smile. "None of us will create a situation where you'd have to stick your neck out for us."

The ravenette gave an approving chuckle, but before she could open her mouth to respond she was interrupted by a loud hiss. A blur of black then darted out of the male's sleeve and up her form before a weight was placed on her shoulders.

"Nana!" she called as the python-sized beast nuzzled her face against her cheek. The woman brought her hands up to run against the being's keeled scales as her guest just watched with a smile.

"Nana, has been looking for you all this time as well, you know?" he said while reaching out to scratch under the snake's head. This earned a happy hiss as the smile on the woman's face widened. "Has been ever since you left for training."

"Awe, is that right? I'm sorry, Nana!" she cooed while pressing her nose to the reptile's snout. It looked like how one would greet a puppy or kitten which was noted by her human friend.

"I think it would be right for her to stay with you from now on," he said, causing the ravenette to perk up. Before she could try to argue he continued, "I'm a student here, I can't be with you all the time so she can protect you for me."

'Fucking shit, chivalry isn't dead,' the woman thought as she nodded along. She then brought her sleeves up to hide her smile. 'You're just reminding me of why I simp for you and I really hope you don't have a significant other at this point!'

After a brief farewell, she watched the male take the elevator back down to his floor before letting out a small sigh. The female then made her way around to take care of her various plants before heading up to her loft to get changed into her nightwear.

The windows were made of one-way glass so she didn't have to worry about being seen by anyone outside of her flat. It was clear from her side and from the outside, appearing like regular brick. This was the same for all windows in all of the towers in the academy. No one could see in unless the windows were opened.

In the late morning of the next day, the foreign guests were gathered in front of the main building of the school. Standing before them were the First and Seventh Princesses of the Yín Empire as they all waited to travel to the pier for lunch with the rest of their family.

"Good. It looks like you know how to dress appropriately," Hikari commented as her eyes scanned over the foreign guests. They were cold and calculating, but no one dared speak up.

The guests themselves were no longer wearing the uniforms they donned the day before. Instead, they were all wearing some kind of formal wear with the girls wearing the best dresses or robes they owned while the males all wore suits.

"Jiějiě, you can at least try and act like you like them," Xuělián commented with her lips turned downwards in a frown. Her hands and posture were set properly as she let out a huff. "They are our guests and students. Please treat them as such."

"Qī-mei, you have a kind heart which is very admirable," the older female replied with a soft smile. She then reached out to her adopted sibling and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "But it also worries me at times."

Before the younger of the two royals could respond, the blonde stepped past her and said, “If everyone is here, then we’ll start heading out now.” She began walking ahead with her set of armored guards “It would be rude to keep the Holy Father and Holy Mother waiting.”

The ravenette let out a huff in response to her sibling’s actions but turned to follow with her own set of guards alongside the foreign guests. She was walking right next to her childhood friend when she remembered something. Her stealthy hands tugged gently at his sleeve as she whispered, “Dào-gē, when we’re in front of any of the officials or royal family you have to address me by my title; otherwise, we’d both get into trouble.”

“Don’t worry, I knew this already,” he replied quietly, making sure that the First Princess and not any of the guards were watching them. His hand discreetly intertwined with her own and he gave her a gentle squeeze. “I’ll make sure not to make any mistakes.”

“I trust you,” the female whispered, turning up to him with a smile before she was called up by her sister. She gave him one last smile before taking larger strides to catch up, her hair drifting lightly in the breeze behind her.

A soft smile was plastered onto the male’s face as he watched the young woman. ‘She grew up well,’ he thought with glittering blue irises locked onto every move she made. They were all so fluid and just added onto the elegant air she seemed to carry. She was always graceful as a child, but it just seemed to become more refined as she grew up.

From what they had talked about the previous day, the ravenette had gone through many trials and tribulations. It was hard to believe that she had barely seemed to change after all of it, but he was grateful for that. She still had her kindness, subtle confidence, and her strange sense of justice remained intact as well. The only parts of her that seemed to change were that her features became slightly sharper and her actions became more deliberate.

“Dàoyì-gēgē!” called a higher-pitched voice accompanied by a sudden weight around his right arm. The combination effectively bringing him back to reality as the pier where they would be eating came into view.

He looked down to see his pink-haired classmate gazing up at him with her round eyes. She pointed out the view of the ocean and asked, “Isn’t this place beautiful?” Her smile grew even bigger. “It would be a perfect place to walk around with a loved one, right?”

His expression became strained as he slowly turned away from the younger student, but he still had to agree. The pier and boardwalk were a spectacular sight with no sign of imperfection in view and he could only imagine how nice it would be in the evening with the moonlight bouncing off the waves.

When everyone arrived at the pier they were immediately greeted by the sight of multiple people in luxurious clothing sitting at tables that were arranged to leave an open space. They ranged in age from what looked to be children up to the age of adults, but the two that immediately drew their attention were those sitting at the head positions.

Sitting at the largest table, was a couple wearing matching red clothing embroidered with real silver threads. The male wore a calm smile on his mature face as his scarlet eyes radiated warmth. The silver crown held atop the bun made of his jet black hair glittered into the midday sun. In contrast, the woman next to him looked absolutely uninterested. Her eyes were cold, blue irises looking straight down at her perfectly manicured nails. Her platinum blonde hair was done up elaborately with various pins to go with her crown. It wasn’t hard to tell that these were the Emperor and Empress of the Yín Empire.

Soon enough everyone was silenced as one of the servants announced the arrival of the two princesses and the foreign guests. The royals paid their respects first before being led to their seats and then it was the guests’ turn.

All the students and their chaperone saluted with a bow at the same time while formally greeting the emperor and empress before the ruler prompted them to rise. He then greeted them kindly and asked them to introduce themselves which they did one by one before being dismissed to their seats.

Most of the event passed by quite pleasantly with conversation floating between the royal family and the exchange students. In particular, Dàoyì and Xuělián kept steady conversation, careful not to address each other so casually before their attention was drawn to the empress.

“Ōritsu, it has been quite some time since we’ve had the whole family together like this,” she spoke with a soft smile as she turned to one of the royals who sat to her right. “I wonder if you’d be willing to play something on the guqin for us.”

The male she was addressing had sharp features to accompany his rather pale complexion. He had slanted blue eyes that flicked up immediately upon hearing his mother. As he stood up, the two strands of his hair that were left out of his high ponytail fell over his shoulders to frame his face. At the same time, he had to flick back the sleeves of the robes that he wore under his armor to make sure they didn’t fall into his food. This was the Third Prince Yín Ōritsu, also known as the Crown Prince of the Yín Empire.

“I would be delighted to, Mother,” came the reply in a deep, smooth tone as he leaned forward to bow respectfully towards his parents. This earned an approving nod from the female and her husband.

Before his son could come forward he turned to the empress and said, “That’s a wonderful idea!” He then turned back to where the rest of his children were sitting. “Hikari, Xuělián, why don’t you join your brother with your pipa and flute?”

“Yes, Father,” both females answered at the same time before rising from their seats and giving their respective bows. As they began making their way to the center of the floor, all of the other siblings immediately began chatting in excitement about what was about to happen.

The elder two siblings summoned their instruments forth using magic while the youngest opened the basket on her left hip to pull out a flute made of bone. Out of all thirteen princes and princesses, these three were the best at playing music on their respective instruments, but they were also the busiest. Since the other siblings only got to hear them play together once every blue moon, they were rightfully excited.

After a few moments of discussing what they would play, the three got set up with the older two sitting down in order to properly play. Hikari sat in between the two, setting her pipa in her lap as a table was placed in front of Ōritsu to place his guqin. Xuělián stood to the right of her sister, simply blowing warm air through her instrument to warm it up.

When they were all set up, they took one last look at one another before beginning to play. The melody was soft and mainly carried by the flute and pipa while the guqin played supporting chords. After a few bars, the First Princess took a deep breath and began singing while playing.

With all elements combined, the three told the story of a man who fell in love with a crimson lotus on his property. Listening to their wishes, a god came down and gave the lotus the form of a human girl to follow her master. Sadly, good things were never meant to last. The summer faded into fall and fall into winter, leaving the lotus lifeless and without a soul.

The entire time, the female in purple remained unaware of the icy pair that remained locked onto her form, but her childhood companion sure did. Dàoyì enjoyed seeing and hearing the female play again after being separated for so long, but his keen eyes did not miss the way that the Crown Prince’s gaze remained locked in her figure as well. There was a certain spark that he recognized as the same one his pink haired classmate would give in.

‘Does His Highness?’ he thought, narrowing his eyes slightly, but he was given no chance to finish as the song came to an end. He quickly shook his head and joined in on the applause that erupted from around him.

The three were about to head back to their seats when a young boy and young girl jumped up from their seats and ran up to the ravenette. The boy had salmon colored hair with streaks of black, half of it tied up into a bun to support his child-sized crown. His deep crimson eyes were bright and round as they gazed up at his elder sister. The girl had pure pink hair that was tied up in two pigtails held in place with silver hairpins. Her blue eyes sparkled like gems in the sun as she too looked up at her sister.

“Qī-jiě, you should sing for us!” chirped the boy as he wound his arms around the elder female’s waist from her right side. Excitement practically dropped from his form as she brought her hand down to pat his head.

“And what song would my two sparrows like me to sing?” she chuckled in return, turning to the girl to pat her head as well. She wore a bright smile as she looked down at the two youngest of the royal family.

“We want you to sing that song with a fun dance!” the younger princess exclaimed, causing the elder to choke on her breath. “It’s been so long since you’ve sung it for us!”

‘Nope, I’m sorry children but I can’t do that!’ the nineteen-year-old thought as she continued to stroke the back of their heads. Her expression dropped for a moment as she internally screamed. ‘That song is in French and I’m pretty sure the empress will whoop my ass if I sing that!’

The ravenette crouched down to be eye level with them and lightly shook her head before saying, “I’m sorry, but that dance is inappropriate for this occasion.” She could feel her heart shatter as the children’s smiles faded. “I promise to sing it for you the next time I come to the palace, okay?”

Tears started to well up in their eyes and even from where he sat, the Soul Maiden’s blue haired companion could see her start to panic a little. She had just reached out to wipe their tears away when the twelfth princess said, “But- but, Qī-Jiě is rarely home now!” The boy nodded before adding, “The last time you came back to the palace was three months ago!”

Xuělián took a deep breath through her teeth before sticking her flute back into her basket. ‘Screw it, empress be damned,’ she thought while wrapping her arms around the smaller individuals. ‘I refuse to allow these two sugar cubes to be sad anymore!’

With a snap of her fingers, one of the maids that would serve the princess whenever she went back to the palace brought forward an empty wooden box. The adopted royal then pulled back and said, “Enough of that, Qī-jiě is going to dance for you now, so no more crying.” As soon as the words had left her mouth, both siblings immediately perked up and cheered before running back to their seats.

The Seventh Princess only shook her head before walking over to the Fifth Princess and asked, “Wǔ-jiě, may I borrow your violin?” This earned a chuckle from the fellow ravenette before she summoned forth the instrument with magic.

The young woman gave a thankful nod before a tap on her shoulder earned her attention. Standing next to her was the Crown Prince with his hand held out as he said, “I’ll take your basket and shoes.” He had seen the song and dance his two siblings were talking about and knew that these items would only hinder the female. She gave them up without a complaint before making her way back to the wooden box while letting her magic flow through her body.

‘Drawing from the element of Spirit: Soul Splitter!’

Splitting off from the purple-eyed woman were two exact copies of herself, one on either side of her. The one to the left sat on top of the wooden box with her legs on either side of it to leave one side of it free. The one to the right took the violin and stood beside the wooden box. The original stood in the center of the floor and got into a starting pose with a large smile on her face.

As this was happening, many of the exchange students let out gasps at what she just did. Next to them, the nobleman with blue hair merely shrugged and muttered, “Why are you all so surprised?” He drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “We’ve fought opponents who could clone themselves before.”

“Idiot,” Xièhú hissed, clenching her hands into fists beneath the table. Her eyes were narrowed as she resisted the urge to smack her younger brother. “Those aren’t clones. They’re solid soul divisions.”

“Solid soul divisions?” he echoed as one of them began drumming a simple beat on the wooden box. His eyes widened just as the violin joined in. “You mean those copies are capable of using magic individually?!”

Ignoring the male’s sudden exclamation, Xuělián continued her performance with her two other pieces. She let the lyrics of a foreign tongue flow smoothly from her lips as her body moved smoothly to the upbeat rhythm.

This song was definitely meant for dancing both in tempo and feel as the ravenette bounced and twirled around her open space. The one who danced was singing the main melody while the other two provided the harmony lines when needed.

As she continued to dance and sing, Dàoyì could definitely see why the two children enjoyed it so much. The female made everything look so smooth and easy as her voice remained unaffected by all of her movement.

Much to the disappointment of many, the song finally came to an end with the female on one knee as she faced the two children who requested the song. She didn’t dare stand up until the two of them burst into cheers along with the rest of her audience.

As her other two forms merged back into her body, the princess placed a hand over her chest and began taking deep breaths to help slow her heart back down. She had not had to put so much effort into a performance before then, but she thought it went well. Usually, this song would just be sung with children so the female didn’t have to worry about it being perfect but this time had been in front of the emperor, empress, and her sworn brother. It had to be flawless or else she would not be able to live it down.

“Good job, Qī-mei,” Ōritsu commented, handing the ravenette a cup of water when she came over to collect her basket and shoes. He placed a hand on her upper arm as she took long sips in between breaths. “It was beautiful as always.”

“Thank you, San-gē,” she chuckled in return, placing the cup down once it was empty. She then slipped her shoes on, holding onto the taller male’s arm to keep her balance.

As they continued talking, the blue haired male’s grip on his cup tightening before the corners of his lips twitched downwards. He then shook his head before the female took his seat across from him once more.

Unbeknownst to all of them, there was a flash in the shadows of the building right next to the pier where the whole performance could be seen and heard.

~~~Fin. Chapter 2~~~