Chapter 34: Always Be With You

"Little brother. Wake up." Jian Li opened his eyes, his blue eyes fluttered open as his eyes followed the voice that spoke to him.

The blue eyed boy sat up from the concrete, facing the back of a smaller boy who was sitting by the edge of the building, serenely staring on the horizon of the rising sun. "Who are you?" The curious Jian Li walked up to the back of the boy who wore white and golden bordered royalty clothes and a pointy crown that was a bit similar to his.

Coming to watch the sitting boy to the side, he heard him laugh, then Jian Li saw his face. "You guess." The boy leisurely said and smiled, a red ruby twinkled under his chin that shocked Jian Li himself. He reached for the royal treasure that was hugging his neck, and when he felt that it was still clamped around him, he sunk into a deeper confusion.. what's happening? Who is he? Only Crown Prince's are allowed to wear the ruby and he is not me- is he?— he gasps.

"Prince Mordecai?" Jian Li blurted, his brows glued together. "But you're dead?" The mystery grew in his head, watching a laughing boy wheeze his guts out.

He wipes his tears of joy. Mordecai looks up to him and explains. "You are in a dream. I am a ghost."

The answer left Jian Li speechless for a couple of seconds. "What?" His mouth naturally slips a reaction of being puzzled.

He looks around. 'Oh well, that explains why its so foggy. Like being in a daze.' he said plainly, trying to accept the first Prince's words by what he sees.

Speaking of Mordecai, to simply describe, he looked just like a dog. His hair was wavy and fluffy, leaning to his mother's hair. But his face was so close to the former King, Hongwu, who had strong facial features, he mostly owned the lips his father has. At one glance, Mordecai looked sharp, yet also jolly at the same time, it was such a sight Jian Li couldn't help believe since he only got to see Mordecai's face in the royal portraits.

Mordecai's face brightened even more, surpassing the escaping sunrays. 'My, he's so adorable.' he thought to himself as he shifted his eyes back to the sun.

"I've seen things. I've been observing so far." He said while his gaze was fixed on the horizon, Jian Li believed that they were on the roofs of the palace judging at how high they were to be able to see the Jian capital from there.

The boy tapped the space beside him, suggesting that the King takes the seat which he carefully did. "You really love our people don't you?" When Mordecai said 'our' Jian Li confirmed that he truly is a Crown Prince.

Suddenly, a painful look clouded his eyes. "How can you be so patriotic? Well haha, i expect nothing less from the water god." The mention of a higher being confused Jian Li.

"What?" He looked at his older brother.

The orange skies above them projected a certain scene where a commoner impaling the spikes of a thorned crown on his head and a huge group of commoners crying out their execution pleas. Jian Li only looked up to the sky in a daze, his heart felt ached. "After how quickly they abandoned you, how can you still love them?" Jian Li didn't answer to the little boy's questions.

After a while, Jian Li calmly proceeded to speak. "They are my people and i live for their sake. It is my fate as their King."

Mordecai mumbles. "You have the power, you know."

"Huh?" His mouth hangs open.

Mordecai shook his head and chuckled, his small hands travelling to touch Jian Li's chest, feeling a faint heartbeat. An echoes of his heart's beats lowly sounds around the dream.

The sky's clouds folded and drifted away, changing its hues to the soft colors of blue and warm blush of tangerines.

"Your heart and soul is warm. You naturally have genuine love for the people. Im glad you have pure and kind love, my little brother."

Jian Li doesn't know what to say after Mordecai's words. He only commented on his few last words. '"..aren't i adopted?"

The boy looked at him, when he released his hold to Jian Li's chest, the sky changed back to orange. "Why of course you are."

Then he added up. "But it seems like Deverus has twisted the story a little bit. Hahahaha"

The boy grunts, standing from his seat. "Come, I'll show you my memories."

Jian Li tagged along behind him, really looking around. 'Its really a dream. Everything is in a blur except His Highness.'

"I first had prophesied it from a dream." He snaps his fingers.

Jian Li's vision twisted, and the world rotated, the sun and moon ran at the sky in reverse until it stopped to a certain period of time. It is when the palace were decorated foreign in Jian Li's eyes, and different servants roamed the palace here and there. Jian Li also saw his father in the dream, but he was younger but wears a worn out face, his complexion was very pale too. Looking at the other person was a boy sitting at the King's side, invisibly wearing the ruby treasure and a nervous frown, although in exception, it wasn't Jian Li but the original first Prince, Mordecai.

He noticed that the surroundings were gloomy and busy, it was almost gray.

A woman who wore a violet dress knocked on the door and paced inside the room in a rush, sweat gushing on both her temples, she carries scrolls and wore a terrible pair of worn out eyes. "Your Majesty, I am terribly sorry for interrupting, but the council would like to discuss with you the matters about the digging of wells, the rivers by the east has been contaminated and-" her report sounded mostly like a babble, Hongwu sighed and gestured her out.

Saying, "Please, Jasmine, leave us. Pass the matters to Deverus first. I have to talk with my son."

It left the servant with no choice, she bowed and immediately left in a flash. "Y-yes Your Majesty.."

The present King looked outside the window of the room him and Mordecai had transferred into. It was clearly Jian Li's room, but also not.

"The room you're staying at the present was originally my room. Cool right?" The Mordecai by his side smiled, putting both of his hands behind his back and watched his past self and his father. The blue eyed boy roamed his eyes around, the bed he uses was the same size, although, it was placed on the opposite side on where Jian Li has his bed installed.

Jian Li shook his head and went near the two royalties, guessing from his father's face and the words of the servant, he thinks that this period of time was at the peak of the endemic that happened nineteen years ago, where everything has gone to chaos and the kingdom was almost destroyed.

"There is no use for the wells father. You must listen to me!" Mordecai calmly told his enraged father.

"Are you saying that i should kill you, son?!" He yelled in a quiet voice, trying to not let his voice out of the room. The risk of the guards hearing what conversation they were holding are very dangerous.

The boy wore determined eyes. "It is for them! For my people! It is the only way! The vision showed me that you must make the child King, and I am in the way because i am first in line for the throne!"

The King's head was nearing its end. "I can just change the system cant I?!"

Mordecai leaned to his fathers face, making sure he'd hear what he'll say: "Do you know how many conflicts it would cause the future royal families on picking their rightful King? you can end the problems through ending me!"

Hongwu scoffed, completely going insane, his thoughts in a rush. "What if that vision was wrong? I cannot gamble-"

"You have to do it father, in order for the child to be King, in order to save the common people." The boy bickered to his father.

"I cant! You're my son!" The King strongly rejects the young Mordecai's idea.

Mordecai held Hongwu's hand and looked him with shiny eyes. "For the people. Save our people." It was almost funny to the King that his son wants and is eager for his own death.

"Aren't you scared?! Are you aware of what you're suggesting Mordecai?!" When the King shouted his name out loud, the boy was silenced.

His eyes went darker, pulling a jade dagger from his boots and raising it to the air. "I should've done it myself. Having it done myself would be far easier—"

Hongwu's eyes widened in shock, "Hey- Hey!!!"

"Father, do not stop me." Mordecai looks at his father's eyes. "It's the only way to bring the Kingdom back." He looks down, speaking in a low tone.

Then he bravely connects his gaze to his father. "I consent you to take my life."

"No.."

Jian Li shifted his focus down to Mordecai's ghost. "What happened here?... You sacrificed your life for me? ...What?" He was just confused, way too confused.

The boy beside him nodded. "It has to be done, look at how prosperous the country has become because of you."

"But why?! I dont get it!" He almost yelled.

"I saw in my dreams that you will come by the river, and you were crowned as King. By then, the country loved and adored you, you saved the country by your very existence." Mordecai simplifies the vision.

"Why can't you just stay alive then? Let father break the tradition!" Jian Li suggested too.

The boy around Jian Li's waist sighed. "Its not as easy as that, you know. What, assigning an adoptee to be King all of a sudden? Do you think people would come to accept that? They would run their own candidates as King, and the royals wouldn't matter anymore." The boy mumbles.

Then the little voice calmed in a serious manner. "I did not see my face in the portraits. It only meant one thing. My death."

Jian Li kept on shaking his head, thinking of other ways to solve the problem right. "How- why-"

"As i said, it has to be done. You are a miracle shown by the heavens. You are it, yourself."

Jian Li can't understand his words. "But i-"

Mordecai raises his hand and swipes it on the air. The scene fast-forwarded and changed to the open grounds. The trees were in sight, and the skies were gloomy. That afternoon was terrible. Jian Li and the ghost of Mordecai followed the main scene. Three people were at the scene, Hongwu, Mordecai, and the hiding Deverus.

But this time, unlike how Deverus told Morfran the story that his father forcefully dragged his older brother inside the forest, it was actually Mordecai who was dragging his father. Hongwu's tears dropped as they ran, it confused Deverus even more he had never seen the strong King cry before, in exceptions of Mordecai's birth.

The Mordecai beside Jian Li spoke. "For the child- i mean, for you to show up by the river, i had to die first." He explained calmly with a calming smile, Jian Li doesn't know what to do.

The boy laid straight on the boulder, unmoving and ready with the panicking King at the side pacing around the big rock the boy was lying on.

"We dont have to do this, son, please reconsider options. There must be another way-" With no other allied Kingdoms willing to lend them aid, and their own citizens and soldiers getting being driven by their cowardice to catch the disease, no one dares to help the stuck commoners anymore.

The lying Mordecai said slowly: "We are desperate. I dont see anymore paths father. People are dying, the time is ticking."

"Right here," Mordecai touched his right chest and pulled something out of his boots: his own beautiful jade dagger that his Hongwu gifted him himself. "One hit. Please, take it." He offered the sharp weapon to his trembling father.

"I refuse!" Hongwu threw away the dagger.

"Be a King!" Mordecai yells, preventing his tears and his little shakes of fright to be shown.

Deverus got even more confused of the situation, he was hiding behind a tree trunk, watching the events by the river side. He raised his eyebrows as he sees a helpless prey hand a weapon to the King who was crying to take it. He was baffled on what they were doing and so he kept watch. Just until the next movements shocked his core;

Hongwu had struck the dagger deep inside his son's chest with a loud cry. The blade he was holding had been buried deep inside his ribs that only the handle showed, the blood slightly escaped around the wound and the King cried even louder. He stabbed his son.

Jian Li was thunderstruck. He looked at the Mordecai by his side but he was just peacefully looking at himself be killed. The Mordecai coughing huge amounts of blood smiled dearly at his father in his last moments, his warm blood stained his pure smile to look just horrendous sight for his father.

With his remaining strength and pitiful coughs that cuts his words, he manages to make out the words: "Treat Jian Li with utmost care until he reach the throne." This wish of him was probably the reason why the King focused more on Jian Li's growth rather than his own son, Morfran. Mordecai still hasn't stopped caring for the people, even beyond death, the young boy wanted the best for his people. Hongwu regrets pushing this fate to a loving boy. He couldn't contain himself and cried even louder.

'Mordecai brother named me?' Jian Li was dumbstruck in his place, unable to move just yet.

Mordecai who felt his heart beat slower and slower who in his best efforts, held his father's cold hands that was gripping the dagger's handle. "I love you... both you and Mother." Then when he finally finished to bid his final goodbyes, he thrusted the dagger deeper inside his chest and twisted it to fully end his life. His ribs cracked and his flesh squelched, the blood oozed buckets of blood out of his chest and pooled on the boulder, but still, the boy wore his sweetest smile.

The King uncontrollably sobbed and hugged his proud son's cold body. As Jian Li was easily sympathetic, his hand grasped his mouth in shock and shed tears for Mordecai and for his Father's sacrifice. Loud wails of an infant sounded by the riverside. The little Jian Li has arrived.

The life on Hongwu's eyes had completely faded, he kept forcing himself to smile for Mordecai, mumbling: "It has to be done. It has to be done." As he picked up the baby from the woven basket just beside the boulder and lifted it to his grasp with his bloody hands, smiling to the blue eyed infant.

The scenery has changed again, it was inside the King's room.

Hongwu couldn't lie to his wife. He could never. For their relationship to stay sturdy, he must be honest and tell the truth.

When the baby arrived, the Queen accepted Jian Li and didn't put the blame on him. She was thankful that the Kingdom has been saved, she was more than proud of her son's sacrifice. Jian Li saw with his own eyes how the Queen, Dana, lovingly held the baby with teary eyes. Though Dana, as a mother still felt heartbroken. She loved her son, Mordecai so much. He was her only son and she mourned for his death continuously for months, as a mother, she was both kind and warm hearted, she was beautiful and intelligent, the only thing that broke her spirit was her son's death. Yet still, she was so proud of her son's love to his country. Even though he was not even king yet, both parents treated his life as one. Mordecai proved himself a true royal blood, who is noble, passionate and patriotic, willing to sacrifice his own life for his kingdom.

Both the King and Queen kept his death confidential, saying that the Prince himself had caught the disease and died. The only thing they were not aware of was that Deverus had witnessed the whole story, in exceptions that he doesn't know what and why it has to be done. To someone's eyes, to see a King and Queen keep silent of their son's murder was definitely suspicious. But knowing that there is a vision, and a sacrifice, plus the Kingdom was back to normal, there is definitely something going on with that mysterious baby.

Mordecai's body was secretly buried on the royal garden, as no one shall know that his cause of death was that he was stabbed. And so, two coffins were buried. One at the garden with the real body, and one at the royal cemetery where an empty coffin was buried. Everyday, the Queen would visit the garden and shed a tear, she made sure that the flowers must always be in full bloom, beautiful and in peace, just like their son, Mordecai.

Hongwu, even after a year couldn't help but remember Mordecai's smile at the times where he laid on the boulder. He was angry at himself that he couldn't save his son. His smile haunted him and his guilt overflowed everytime. Hongwu and Dana tried their best to be strong together, filling the emptiness of their hearts together, they decided to be strong for their kingdom.

"But then, just as things were getting better for the family and Morfran was born, Deverus personally assassinated my mother. As he always does things his way, he poisoned my mother's tea. It is why she was found inside her room, lifeless. It looked to father that she died because of heartbreak from her son's death and committed suicide secretly. He started feeling guilty again. But he didn't knew that it was Deverus who killed mother. My father is a very kind man, he could never point his finger or suspect his best friend, although almost foolish, you could not blame him either for trusting his lifetime friend so much. Deverus planned to assassinate the Queen for a long time, and realizing that he had developed feelings for the beautiful lady, he was enraged when he learned of the news that she was pregnant for the King's second son, Morfran. Something changed in his eyes, even i, myself do not know why he suddenly thought of killing the person he loves. Maybe out of jealousy?.. After she gave birth to Morfran and when the matters regarding to Mordecai's death has quietened between the King and Queen, when they finally decided to start anew after a year of mourning, Deverus poisoned the Queen just a week after she gave birth to Morfran, thinking that he could also pin my death and the mother's to our father. Carefully revealing everything in your coronation."

"Jian Li, everything is going as he planned nineteen years ago. Deverus is evil."

Jian Li took a step back, taking moments for the information to sink in. So unreal, what was Mordecai telling him? Was it real? Can he trust him? Its the first Prince of course, then, is this deception? Something of that kind? Or is this really the truth?

Mordecai noticed him go quiet. He understood that it might be hard for him to take in everything in one sitting. He changed the scene back to where they first are, at the roof. Mordecai thought that this dawning scene might be more helpful for him instead of that suffocating ambience where the face of the dead Queen was right in front of their faces.

Mordecai watched the sun rise up in between of the mountains, feeling a cold wind graze his skin.

"Just like this life," he begins to sing.

"Is over when the sun rises," when he continued, Jian Li's focus went to him, jolting at the melody he was very familiar with.

"Up till now,"

"Your everything,"

"Is surely to be met again,"

"In the night place."

"Now you'll remember the voices,"

"In your heart,"

"No one will hurt,"

"From sadness, nothing."

"Now your everything,"

"Will be saved by miracles,"

"Surely, you'll remember,"

"The nostalgic place. "

'This song.. its that song..' When the small Mordecai finished his song, Jian Li stood there, dumbfounded.

"You know, i can hear your thoughts." He laughed at Jian Li.

He blinked several times. "What?" Mordecai meant that sharing inside a dream would mean sharing the same mind. As Mordecai can touch Jian Li's magnificent soul, he could also know his thoughts, or even the things that he treasures deep inside his heart. Mordecai would never make contact to Jian Li if ever he was a bad person.

"I made the song. The people liked it and they sung it. Im so proud hahaha!" Mordecai and his father used to hum rhythms when studying so they could get familiar with difficult terms from the books. He missed it, it was fun.

Then Mordecai hits a certain memory of him. "You heard it right? With the thief?"

Jian Li recalls that time in the carriage again where they thief and him hid as they sneaked in the Jian capital to their little adventure. Then he snaps his head to Mordecai, his eyes flashing. "How did you??—"

"Aren't you listening? Im always watching!" The kid laughed at him loudly.

Then the boy points at the horizon. "Look, the dawn is here."

"Beautiful kingdom, isn't it?" They both proudly stared at the roofs of the Jian residents being lightened up by the rays of the sun, the peaceful morning has come and two Crown Princes stood at the roof, wearing their ruby jewelries that twinkles from the sunlight. The meeting of the two was incredible. Although it was rough at first, it was enjoyable to interact with someone Jian Li didn't see on his everyday life. Meeting Mordecai was short, but joyous.

"Oops. My time has ran out. Wake up now." Mordecai's words quickened, he snapped his fingers and a smoke covered his whole body.

"What?-" Jian Li blinked rapidly, seeing the kid in front of him turn into an adult man. The dog looked like a lion now.

"Take care of our people on my behalf, wont you?" The lower voice of the grown up Mordecai told him, his sincere smile causes an overlapping memory of Hongwu that seemed to be one with Mordecai's face. Their faces looked way too similar. It was like it was Hongwu that was talking to him, the son and father's inheritance was crazily amazing indeed.

"Be strong." From Mordecai's large hand tapping his shoulder, he felt his soul drop.

Jian Li opened his eyes. Only this time, he wakes up in reality.

One cries to the sky. "Your heavenly god of the water! Please punish this sinner!" From that loud shout, his state of feeling came back. His legs was numb from standing and his neck and wrists was still stuck on the pillory, his limbs felt extremely sore by it. Not to mention, he couldn't see well because of the dried blood that trickled down to his forehead and eyes, the blood coming from the wounds on his scalp the thorns made when it pierced his head.

It was still in the dawn of the morning when the people decided to punish Jian Li themselves. Crowds gathered on the main street and started picking up objects, collecting handful of rocks to throw to him.

Jian Li's eyes was quickly filled with terror, "What- ah!" his body caught several strikes of such hard and sharp edged stones, his face was also hit by eggs or tomatoes from the stalls, but mostly, they casted threatening shoots of dangerous rocks at his body and face.

The people wore such faces that Jian Li couldn't even recognized belonging to a person, it was filled with loathing and rightfulness.. pride, and somewhat enjoyment to make fun of a royal. "What- stop- please!" He begs, trying to wriggle out of the pillory that was binding him from not moving, but in any way that he tries to escape or beg for the people to stop throwing rocks, they just wont listen to their King.

Jian Li cannot dodge and so he looked at the soldiers that was guarding him all night. "Guards! Stop them!" He commands but they only sweats at the order given to them by Jian Li, they did not try to move a muscle and stayed breathing on their spot, watching the people throw objects to their king. Jian Li felt an extreme frustration, he felt so rejected and small. No one was listening to him anymore.

"Die!!" A child shouted to him while the people cheered for her, Jian Li could not believe when he saw the the little girl pick up a rock and throw it harshly to him. It successfully landed and made a scratch on his forehead, having another outbreak of blood down his cheeks.

Right now, his state couldn't be recognized as a royal being. He was just the same as other thieves or prisoner being punished. The people showed no mercy to him, no gratefulness or feelings whatsoever. All they see right now is a boy who sinned, who killed their King and disobeyed the law, unknowingly realizing that it was because of Jian Li that they were able to stand on top of all other kingdoms, and to live in a comfortable and so prosperous life up till now.

Suddenly, the cheers and any of the noise stopped. Footsteps and clanks of metal now started to resound. Jian Li tried his best to bent his neck and look up, opening his cut and bruised eyes that was slightly filled with his own blood. In difficulty to see with bloody-red vision, he watches a group of people walking towards him, but the one he first recognized was the white clothed man dragged by two to three guards just behind Deverus.

Deverus clasped his palms, saying: "Well, let's start this interrogation now, shall we?" With a dark smile, Deverus proudly showed a beaten up, bloody-limping Aren to Jian Li.