Chapter 2
He pauses, stops reading the book, stands up and follows the servants; he knows something is off. For some reason, the servants had been looking at him with keen eyes; he had even heard whispers. He just couldn't decode, and now his father seeks his presence.
As he walks down the path leading to the king's quarters his mind runs with thoughts.
On reaching, his father was seated on the throne, with a worrying look on his face; the last time he wore this look was when the queen of his mother died.
Oh, no! Could someone be dying? Something seems off; could it be that the royal physician who came to check my health status has found something deadly? But I just felt a little feverish.
"Mighty ruler," says Wang bowing
The king rises from the throne and uses his hand to raise the young master's face, which now remains down, almost digging into the earth.
"My son" says the king, hugging him tightly
The young master takes one step backwards. He couldn't remember the last time he got a hug from his father.
Could I be dying? Oh no!
"Wang serves us tea, I want to have tea with the young master, " says the king, giving Wang two quick blinks.
"Yes, mighty ruler", Wang bows, straightens his head and walks away.
The king signals the young master to sit on a hair close to his throne.
The young master grudgely seats
Wang returns with two cups of tea, a tray and a tea server. He bends, drops all that he's holding on the table adjacent to the throne, and fills both cups to the brim.
"You may have your tea " the king says
They both raise the cups against their lips ,with one hand on the bottom of the cup, they both gently lay the tea cups on the tray , but for some reason, the cup of the king remains full to the brim as though he didn't just have a sip of it .
The king stands, moves closer to the young master and hugs him, patting his back with one hand ,and the other at his waist.
The king breaks the hug
"Come son, let's have a little chit-chat" he waves his hands in the air, signaling the servants to leave them alone.
His father holds his hand as they walk around the courtyard; the only audible sound is that of their feet stepping on dry leaves , peach blossom petals lingering in the air , some of it falling on their hair and robes.
The young master raises his hand to catch a petal of peach blossom. With a smile, the king turns seeing his father's gaze on his he quickly brushes off the petals on his palm. As he could remember being told to shun acting feminine, his father watches his actions with a smirk .
"You know… this was your mother's favorite thing. Standing under a peach blossom tree ,she just loved it , I still picture her smiling under a peach blossom tree " he say his face now pale .
" I know after her death you planted several peach blossom trees around the harem .
"Son, I'd like to ask you a question" says the king his widely open
"Yes father" he says, slowly robbing his neck with his right hand, his face and palm suddenly sweaty. He could feel a droplet of sweat slowly rolling down his face. He tries to swallow his saliva, but his throat feels empty.
"You no son , the job of the elderly is to look after the younger :an elder with no younger one to cater for loses a reason to live. I have to do this. You might consider it hatred for today, but hopefully some day, when I'm far gone , in a forever sleeping state when you have got the seven parks on your shoulder, maybe you will understand " he turns his back , and signals the servants to take the young master away .
The young master's eyes widen
"What is the meaning of this insolence? " he tries to break free from the grip of the servants, but fails miserablely.
He tries to unleash the claws of his inner wolf , but only gets weaker .
"My king, how have I wronged the moon to deserve grip from the palace servants?" he says with an unsteady headbow.
"Stop trying to unleash your inner wolf. The tea you drank contains the paralysis potion. You might end up causing more harm to yourself " says the king, with his back still against the young master.
"But father.." the young master says
"Hush at once before I became your father, I am a king , the central king of all parks combined" he says with both fists tightly fastened.
The young master's eyes turn red , his lips tightly close together, his dark hair dishevels , a bright aura sparks around him, causing the servants to lose their stamina, and fall they use their hands as shades to protect their faces from the sparkling aura. The peach blossom trees feel the heavy wave, causing them to shave off all their petals in the air. They lingered in the air as though winter has appeared unannounced. The peach blossom petals form a circle around him, covering his whole body for some minutes. Slowly the petals falls around the yard . He holds his head with both hands and screams , using his hands to pat his whole body scarily. He falls and loses his consciousness.
"Take him away " the king Says
Two servants walk towards him , slowly bending , pulling the young master's arms ,and spin slowly raising speck of dust,as his weak legs drag after them reluctantly making a rather noisy sound.
The young master opens his eyes to finds himself on a bed, everywhere was pitch black as he rises to a sitting position the bed stand makes a creaking sound , as he attempt to sit his body falls him , his legs and hand felt numb, as though his whole body has been tired with the invisibility rope , he moves his eyes in circles, staring blankly at nothing till his eyes close slowly.
The young master slowly opened his eyes groggily taking in his surroundings. He lay in a plush, velvet-draped bed, nestled within the confines of the inner chamber. Soft, golden light seeped through the delicate silk curtains, casting a warm glow across the room.
As he sat up, the soft rustle of silk sheets and the creak of the wooden bedframe filled the air. The young master rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his dark hair disheveled from a restless night's sleep.
The chamber looks identical to his own room. Intricately carved wooden panels adorned the walls, while a beautifully crafted wooden bookshelf adored with many books stands uprightly adjacent to the bed.
A gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of blooming flowers through the open window, mingling with the faint aroma of old books and parchment. The young master breathed deeply, feeling the tranquility of the chamber wash over him.
With a quiet sigh, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, his bare feet dangling in the air as he walks slowly, using his right hand to support his forehead, with his eyes half closed, and his face wearing a frown .
He pauses in front of the bookshelf, exploring the autonomy of the books .
As he turns around , he noticed an exit at the far end of the room. He walked towards it , but the moment his body touches the exit, he felt a thunderstrike. He had lost his wolf being , and didn't notice the magical barrier surrounding the exit. He makes another attempt after a few minutes, but the consequences bring intense pain He screams.
Using his last strength, he walks towards the bed and lay on it.
A few minutes later .
He hears familiar footsteps. He runs swiftly towards the barrier, but was careful enough not to make any physical contact with the barrier.
From a distance, he sees two shadows approaching. As they climb down the stairs, their plain, but tidy shoes and green robes reveal their identity. As servants, they both hold small trays covered with silk clothes. They both pause at the entrance, standing in a parallel line with a head bow.
Footsteps echo through the distance, a figure emerges into view. Wearing a bold, crimson-red robe that flows behind him like a river of fire. A gleaming gold belt cinched at his waist, adding a touch of luxury to their already-regal appearance.
The robe itself was a work of art, adorned with an intricate embroidery of the full moon on the chest. What caught the eye, though, was the subtle yet striking image of a werewolf positioned near the moon. Its eyes gleamed in the fading light, with its mouth half open, adding a hint of wildness to the overall design.
As the figure draws closer, his features become more defined. His face was a map of experience and wisdom, with lines etched into their skin like the gentle wear of time. His eyes sparkle with a deep, inner light , the hair is neatly combed
backwards, showing off a few strands of grey hair.