The City of Hǎilán (海蓝) - The State of Lán (嵐) - The Manor of His Excellency, Liángwáng (良王)
The sun shone on the small pond in the courtyard. The air was cool and smelled of damp stone and cherry blossoms. The fallen petals had gathered on the surface of the water.
Hàn Yuè (汉月) was sitting on a stone bench in the shade. She had drawn her feet up to her chest, resting them on the cold stone; she sat like a child, not at all like the dignified daughter of a Governor. She held a flower branch in her hand, plucking the petals one by one and throwing them into the water.
Her eyes were on the small ripples in the pond, but her mind was somewhere else—far beyond the high walls of Hǎilán and this boring manor.
In that moment, the soft patter of footsteps approached from behind. Before Hàn Yuè could react, her handmaid skipped forward, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"My Lady, whatever are you brooding upon so deeply?"
Hàn Yuè started, her hand instinctively flying to her chest.
"Nothing! It is nothing... I am merely bored."
The handmaid let out a soft giggle, standing by the bench with eyes full of jest.
"My Lady... it has been months since you last stole out of the manor in secret!"
She punctuated her words with a knowing wink.
The colour drained from Hàn Yuè's face. She lunged forward in a fluster, pressing a finger to her lips.
"Hush! Do not speak so loudly. Do you wish for my head? If anyone should overhear..."
The handmaid lowered her voice, though her tone grew more intimate.
"Don't worry, My Lady. I've been with you for a long time and I know exactly how you feel."
She paused, her smile hovering between a tease and a comfort.
"You miss him, don't you?"
Hàn Yuè averted her gaze, looking back toward the pond and the blossoms trembling together upon the water. She let out a faint sigh.
"It has been so long since I last saw him..."
Her voice was so low it seemed she was whispering only to the water.
"Is he truly so preoccupied?"
The handmaid arched a brow, her voice taking on a theatrical flair.
"Well... handsome noblemen always have many devoted admirers. Perhaps he has found another companion and …!"
Before the sentence was finished, Hàn Yuè spun round and gave her arm a sharp thump with a clenched fist.
"Hmph! Since when did you get so cheeky with me?!"
She knitted her brows in a feigned scowl to hide the tremor in her voice. Retreating with a laugh, the handmaid added,
"I was only joking, my Lady. Forgive my impudence."
But Hàn Yuè did not return the smile. Her gaze was fixed on the horizon, where the manor's towering walls met the sky. With an odd, firm certainty, she murmured,
"He would never trade me for another."
A brief silence fell between them. The handmaid, knowing that tone of resolve all too well, said no more, watching her mistress in the quiet.
In that moment, the heavy, rhythmic thud of boots suddenly echoed across the courtyard flagstones. Liángwáng appeared, his stature imposing and his black robes billowing in the gentle breeze. A retinue of attendants followed in his wake.
Hàn Yuè rose hastily from the bench. She and her handmaid performed a simultaneous bow of respect. Attempting to reclaim her scattered poise, Hàn Yuè asked softly :
"Father, are you departing for somewhere?"
Liángwáng stopped. His sharp eyes looked at his daughter for a moment, but his cold face showed no feeling. He spoke in a low, steady voice.
"I am going to see Lady Shīyí (诗仪). She has finally regained consciousness."
Hàn Yuè's eyes flashed with a spark of concern.
"I shall accompany you." She said.
Without turning his gaze, Liángwáng spoke with a finality that brooked no dissent.
"No. The presence of anyone else will not be necessary."
Hàn Yuè felt frozen in time. She had not expected such blunt coldness. Bowing once more, she murmured :
"As you wish..., father."
Liángwáng entered the bedchamber. It smelled of sharp medicine and sandalwood. Lady Shīyí was lying on the large wooden bed. Her grey hair was spread across the white sheets. Her face had no colour at all, and her lips were dry from exhaustion.
She leveraged the nurse's aid to pull her frail body upright, leaning against the headboard.
Liángwáng approached, inquiring after her health with a tone that bore the scent of formal respect. Shīyí replied in a raspy, weakened voice,
"I am... better, and I thank you, Your Excellency, for saving my life."
For several seconds, a heavy silence filled the room. The cold, analytical eyes of Liángwáng locked with the trembling yet perceptive gaze of the Seer. With a sharp gesture, Liángwáng dismissed the attendants. When the last soul had departed, he took a seat upon a wooden stool beside the bed.
Shīyí spoke with a shuddering breath.
"Two years ago, when you sheltered me in this manor, you asked of my prophecy. I revealed to you then what destiny had ordained."
Liángwáng nodded in grim affirmation.
"And do you still stand by your word?"
Shīyí paused. A tremor ran through her voice—born of terror, not weakness.
"Now, I can say it with even greater certainty."
She offered a faint, ghostly smile.
"Your Excellency... you possess a great and salvific soul and it is truly a mark of your most auspicious fortune."
Then, the smile vanished, and she stared into the distant void, as if still witnessing visions beyond the grasp of ordinary eyes.
"I saw him. Stronger than before. He has returned for the Stone… to guard it."
She turned her gaze toward Liángwáng with mounting dread.
"Your Excellency, You must take your destined path seriously!"
With a shrewd look that seemed to peer into the distant reaches of history, Liángwáng replied,
"The fate you speak of would see my nation destroyed. With the knowledge of what lies ahead, I shall make a choice that is both wiser and more calculated."
Shīyí closed her eyes. A bead of sweat glistened upon her brow, and she shook her head in sorrow.
"You are merely fleeing from the confrontation with your destiny."
A deep furrow etched itself into Liángwáng's forehead. He rose abruptly, clasping his hands behind his back.
"Call it whatever you want," he said coldly. "Whether it's fear or just fate."
He turned his back to her and strode toward the exit.
"Your Excellency!" Shīyí's voice halted him at the threshold. Liángwáng remained still, his back toward her. With every shred of strength left in her throat, she said :
"The safest path is not always the right one! I implore you to consider that the lives of millions are bound to the decision you make today!"
He remained still, his back toward her. For a fleeting heartbeat, his broad shoulders tensed, and the iron grip he held on his own hands behind his back loosened. A shadow of a doubt flickered in his eyes. The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.
But then, his jaw tightened. In a hollow, soulless voice, he said,
"I wish you a swift recovery."
With heavy footsteps, he departed, leaving the room submerged in the darkness of unspoken words.