Chapter twenty six: Dangerous feelings

Back in the royal palace of Lianhua, Princess Yuyan had just returned from spending time with the Emperor and Empress. The evening had been warm and filled with laughter, but now that she was back in her chambers, she felt the weight of exhaustion settle over her.

"I'm so tired…" she murmured, slipping as Mei helped her get rid of her shoes.

"Let me help you relax, Your Highness," Mei said with a gentle smile.

Yuyan didn't resist. Mei prepared a warm, soothing bath, filling the air with a faint lavender scent. After the bath, Mei dried her off carefully and guided her to the bed, where she began massaging her back and neck with slow, practiced hands.

Yuyan sighed in relief. "You always know what to do," she said softly, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment.

Once she was dressed in fresh, comfortable robes, Yuyan sat quietly at the edge of her bed. She glanced around, unsure of what to do next.

Then her gaze landed on the storybook.

It was still resting on the side table, right where she had left it days ago.

A small smile curved her lips. "I've forgotten about you, haven't I?"

She reached out and picked it up, brushing her fingers across the worn cover. She then opened the book and leaned back against her pillows. And then, she resumed reading.

Prince Tian Yi had grown into a striking young man—tall, graceful, and hauntingly beautiful, with features that spoke of royalty. In the royal palace, the witches cherished him like one of their own, following the Queen's orders. But outside those sacred walls, it was a different story.

Over the years, his bond with Princess Mei Lian had deepened into something neither of them dared name. What started as innocent affection between two children had matured into a love too complicated to confess. They tried to bury it, to convince themselves it was sibling-like devotion. But each glance, each moment of silence between them, betrayed their hearts.

One sunlit afternoon, they decided to slip away from the palace and stroll through the town market. Tianyi knew he wasn't allowed to go out without the Queen's permission but he just wanted to be with Mei Lian. The streets buzzed with voices and trade, the smell of herbs and grilled meat filling the air. But it didn't take long for the mood to shift.

Tian Yi noticed it first. He noticed the way people began to whisper and look his way. It was subtle at first, then sharper, more direct.

"Blood-sucker," someone muttered.

"A pest in royal robes," hissed another.

And then louder—"He's a curse to us. Darkness."

Tian Yi slowed his steps. Though they were still a short distance from the crowd, his heightened hearing caught every cruel word. Mei Lian turned to look at him, eyes wide with worry, but he said nothing. He didn't blame them for hating him. How could he, when he too hated what he was? A vampire among witches.

A deep ache coiled inside his chest as he thought about it. He clenched his fists and his gaze darkened. In his mind, the image of Fang Leng—his monstrous uncle—surfaced like bile. One day, I'll make him pay, he thought bitterly. He turned the world against me.

Before he could even breathe, the first stone flew.

Then another.

Then a third.

The crowd descended into chaos. Rotten fruit and rocks pelted him from all sides. Someone spat at his feet and blood poured from a gash on his forehead, staining his robes.

Mei Lian screamed, trying to shield him. "Stop! He's done nothing to you! I order you to stop!"

Tian Yi stood still for a moment. He was stunned, bleeding, and broken—not from the injuries, but from the isolation and hatred. The reminder that he would never truly belong.

And then, in a blink, he vanished.

A swirl of wind and light, and he was gone—teleported deep into the heart of the forest, far from the market.

Just then, some guards came from the palace and saw Mei Lian in a state of rage. When they asked her what had happened, she only nodded angrily and ordered the guards to take the people to the palace.

---

Princess Mei Lian had been searching for Tian Yi for a while after he had vanished.

She had checked every place they used to visit — the quiet waterfall behind the jade cliffs, the garden where moon lilies bloomed, even the old shrine near the whispering trees. But he was nowhere to be found.

Each hour that passed only tightened the knot in her chest. At one point, she started sobbing.

"Tian Yi, please come out. Stop hiding from me. " She said as she sobbed.

Back at the palace, the Witch Queen was seething with fury.

Not because her son was wounded. But because her people, her very own subjects, had dared to turn on him like he was a cursed outsider.

"How dare they?" she had shouted, her voice shaking the court. "He is my son! A child of this kingdom!. Find him."

No one dared speak. Not even the high witch seer or her sister.

Mei Lian, on the other hand, didn't wait around for punishments to be handed out. She was a royal witch — born of moonlight and supremacy. And she was gifted with powers others could only dream of. If she had to turn the kingdom upside down to find Tian Yi, she would.

Meanwhile, deep in the heart of the forest, Tian Yi sat in silence.

The cut on his head was gone. His skin was flawless again, as if nothing had happened. But inside, he was bleeding.

He thought of the Queen — the only mother he had ever known. He thought of what the witches think of him. He then thought of Mei Lian… sweet and stubborn. She had always stood beside him. And he had always thought she was his amazing sister.

But she wasn't just his sister anymore. Not in his eyes. She was… something more. Something dangerous that he should feel with her if he truly cared for her.

"I really love you, Mei" he whispered bitterly, gripping his own arm. The words burned in his throat like poison.

He hated himself for feeling this way. He hated the blood in his veins and hated being different.

He had no idea the chaos his disappearance was causing. Or that the very people who once whispered behind his back now feared the wrath of the Queen.