GorgeousWreck

{Two millennia later} "Zhi, Zhi, Zhi!" At first, I thought the voice was from my dream, that finally, I might see what happened after hearing his name. But the nudge on my shoulder told me it wasn’t in my dream. Someone called my name. When they yelled I almost fell out of the tree. Opening my eyes, I looked around; my eyes took a moment for them to adjust. From down below, Master Yang glared at me from the mirror pond. Around the edge, the other nymphs gave me looks that told me they were annoyed. Scoffing, I swung my legs over the edge looking down at him, letting my gaze settle in what felt like an eye roll. Once again, Master Yang addressed me, with an annoying voice, "How do you suppose you pass this section if you don't listen to anything I'm saying?"     Taking a deep breath and letting out a heavy sigh, I gave him a forced smile that made my cheeks hurt, "Sorry, Mr. Yang, I didn't sleep very well last night." My voice spilled the lie as easy as cutting butter with a knife as I watched his eyes soften. Like most others, he was aware of my dreams, mistaking them for nightmares that disturbed my sleep. "I'm paying attention. Please continue."     Half nodding, Master Yang turned back to the nymphs in front of him and dramatically lowered his voice. "King Yan often disguises himself as a ferryman on the NaiHe River, tricking the damned souls out of the boat that feeds the restless souls making up the river." The nymphs gasped and leaned forward with wide eyes. He liked to try to make his lessons more interesting. "There is a bridge called the NaiHe Bridge and it goes over the river. When you walk through the bridge, there’s an old lady who gives soup to everyone passing by. Drink that soup and you forget everything that’s ever happened and everyone you’ve ever known preparing you for reincarnation."     Tuning his voice out, I had heard the story at least half a dozen times by now and could tell the story myself if I wanted to. But I was never one for stories. I much preferred daydreaming about visiting these places, learning the history of the realms, and seeing the world for myself. Dropping out of the tree, I saw two figures leaning against a tree at the top of the hill and recognized them. Mo and Feng watched from a distance, waiting for when I could join them. Glancing up at the flowers in the trees, I knew it wouldn’t be long before Master Yang would finish, freeing me for the day. Feng stuck his tongue out at me and laughed before getting scolded by Mo. I could only imagine what she would say to him, telling him to stop distracting me from my studies, causing more problems than necessary.     Master Yang cleared his throat again to draw my attention back to him. "Maybe you'd prefer to do this lesson after class instead of getting the chance to play with your friends, Miss Zhi?" he said in a snarky voice while pulling  himself out of the water to stand on his human legs. After a shaky moment of getting used to standing on his legs, he stood tall and glared at me. "Considering you would much rather daze off and act like you're better than everyone else I think we'll do that instead."     Watching him walk for a moment I felt my temper start to rise, my skin warming up, and the embarrassment of annoying giggles echoed in my ears. Standing tall in front of him and squaring my shoulders like I readied to fight, I bit my tongue to keep my attitude in check. "What you are teaching is the same thing you taught three hundred years ago. I have learned everything. The only reason I still take these lessons over and over again is that you keep failing me on your stupid tests." I tried to take a deep breath and calm my voice, to not get too heated and let my temper run wild. Bad things happened when my temper got out of control. "You waste these lessons on me. No matter how hard you try to get my attention to demonstrate magic, I'm not going to. They don't apply to me and I'm done trying to learn magic that doesn’t work for me." Without waiting for his response, I quickly turned away and walked up the hill away from the group. My breath came in shakes as my nerves started settling down and the cool breeze chilled the warmth. My feet walked me up the rest of the hill and over, avoiding the tree that my friends stood around. The cleansing pond came into view as I got to the top, its waters glistening off the sun's rays. In the fairy realm everywhere you looked was mostly flowers and blossoms, little rabbits and bees. There weren't a lot of bodies of water within the realm. Slipping off my sandals and putting my feet in the cool water, I could feel the weight on my chest ease up. Glancing over, Mo and Feng watched closely as light footsteps came up from behind me. The lady-in-waiting Tang Wei walked over and sat next to me, her face looking like a sad melody. For a long moment, she didn't say anything. She just tilted her head back and let her long brown hair flow down her back. "Zhi, I know you aren't happy with the way things are right now and I'm sorry." She said under her breath, keeping her eyes closed as the sun hit her face. "Master Yang said you were being really rude and disruptive during his lesson again. Look, I know you're frustrated, really I do! You might not understand these lessons right now but in the future, you will.”     “What is the point of me taking lessons that don't apply to me and won't help me get anywhere in life?” My voice sounded funny to me and I swallowed hard, hearing my rude tone. Sighing, I dipped my hands into the water and splashed some on my face, pink strands of hair falling beside my face. Madam Tang was nice and she ruled the realm with a firm hand, but everyone knew she wasn't the queen. The last queen died before having any child to take the throne and she was just the person the queen put in place until a royal bloodline could resume it. Glancing over at her, there was a look of frustration on her brow. “I’ve been here with the nymphs for two thousand years, going between the fairy and water realm. I’m nowhere close to figuring out who I am and magic just isn't coming to me very easily. In another thousand years, I'll be able to leave and when I do, I'm going to find out who I am.”     Madam Tang didn’t say anything for several minutes and I pushed myself off from the edge, dropping into the water and submerging my full body. Coming up for air, I looked back at her and gently trod water, keeping my head above the little ripples. My clothes flowed around my legs like waves and I could feel the tickling tails of fish. “Zhi, your mother left you in the care of the nymphs for a reason, and while I wish I knew why. She was very secretive with her personal life.” She said in a low voice as if she was afraid to speak. My eyes widened and for a second I felt my blood freeze. That was the first time I had ever heard her talk about my mother and suddenly questions moved to the tip of my tongue. As if she could hear my thoughts, she held up her hand and stopped me before I could say anything. “I’m sorry that I can’t tell you anything about her. She didn't tell me much either. You just have to trust me. I'm sure she had her reasons and one day I'm sure you'll find out those reasons. In the meantime, because of your hair color, you are kept within the protective circle of the fairies and the nymphs.”     I swam away from her to the other edge of the pool and rested my arms on the edge, my head spinning. I didn't want to face her, didn't want to talk to her anymore, but something in my gut told me she was lying. Slowly turning around to face her I shook my head. “You’ve been making up different excuses for the last three hundred years. Often using my hair as a reason for me being different.” My voice sounded bitter and the anger seeped out into my words. Pulling myself out of the water and sitting on the wall, I looked over at her. Her brows furrowed and there was an unreadable look in her eyes as if she was upset that I questioned her. With my wet dress clinging to my legs it made it hard to stand up but I managed. “With all due respect, Madam Tang, I’m not a child anymore, and sooner or later I'll find out exactly who I am and who my mother is.”     With an angry sigh, Madam Tang stood up, glared at me like she was disappointed, and walked away without another word. I got a satisfying feeling in my stomach, almost a bubbly sensation, and I silently cheered for standing up to her. I had won for now, but I knew later she would punish me. I moved to sit back down in the grass, my back against the cliff wall, and the warm sun rays started to dry my clothes. Lingering questions weighed heavily on my shoulders as I knew that Madam Tang hid something. As the decades went by, she would tell me small things about my mother, that my mother was someone extraordinary and possibly of noble birth. But I learned more from eavesdropping on her various conversations with the maidens.     "Hey, you alright?" Mo asked, her colorful purple hair falling over her shoulder into my face. She was leaning over with a concerned look in her eyes, the purple deepening around her pupils, and Feng stood slightly behind her. “We heard a little of what you said to Madam Tang and we wanted to make sure you’re okay.”     Feng moved to sit down next to me and wrapped an arm over my shoulder. Resting his long bluehead on my shoulder he looked up at me with those cute puppy dog eyes. “Yeah, I wanted to make sure my girl was okay.” He said and wrapped his other arm across the front of my shoulders, hugging me. Mo sat on the other side of me and giggled at us. She always found it funny when Feng did his best to make me smile. “Do you want me to do that favorite dance of yours? It’ll make you smile.”     Before I could say anything Feng was up and dancing to the music inside his head. He was rocking his legs to the side, swinging his arms in front and behind his legs in an alternating pattern. I couldn't help but giggle at him and Mo gently nudged my shoulder in comfort. "So what happened?"     Feng plopped down next to me and laid against my arm, waiting for my response. In a low voice, I thought back to the conversation with Madam Tang and sighed, feeling a little guilty. "I told her that sooner or later I would find out who my mother was and who I am. Regardless of her hiding the truth from me." The words seemed to echo through my head giving me a new sense of burning determination. "Eventually it's going to be time for me to leave the fairy realm and when I do, there won't be any coming back."     Glancing between them their eyes became serious and brows turned down. "We'll follow you when you do. You're not leaving this realm without us." Feng said and Mo nodded her head in agreement. I knew Mo didn't exactly agree with me wanting to leave, to explore the wonders, but Mo knew how much it meant to me to get away from this place I called a cage. "The only reason why I'm still here in this awful floral realm is because of you, Zhi. When we first met, I promised you that I'd follow you anywhere for all eternity and I intend on keeping that promise."     Mo hadn't said anything and there was a small look of uncertainty in her hands. She took a deep breath and turned to me, her eyes reflecting the first sign of the moon. "Zhi, you know I argued against you leaving the fairy realm for the last couple hundred years but not anymore." Nimble fingers reached out and slipped my hand into hers, absent-mindedly stroking my knuckles. "Originally I thought it would be safer for you here, that maybe eventually you'll be happy, and find someone you want to marry. Now I see how important it is for you to leave and settle somewhere else. You're not happy and that isn't what I want for you. If you want to leave in the next thousand years, I'm with you."     As the sun fell and the moon rose higher in the sky, the stress Madam Tang caused began fading and the comfort of my guardians moved in. Mo and Feng kicked their legs out, getting comfortable against me. Around us, the roses closed their petals and the pale blossoms welcomed the starlight, revealing the colors of their soul. The night was always my favorite time when I most felt alive and could reach the stars. I could almost touch them as I stretched my hand toward the heavens. Feng chuckled in my ears. Yawning, I leaned back against the wall smiling at the stars, wishing I could actually touch them. Crickets sang and the fireflies lit up the grass. My eyes started drooping as the gentle breeze lured me to sleep. In the darkness, the dream started with a familiar face smiling at me.     He had a stranger's face, one I had never dreamt of before, but something about him made me relax. The man looks young, about my age, and yet felt like an old soul about him. He dressed in royal blue robes, his black hair laying over one shoulder. Near the top of his head, he knots his hair knotted with a gold hair ornament holding it in place. A familiar water fazan went through his hair, hand-carved to look like a merman, an arm reaching out and its long tail curving up in a slight posture. I couldn’t place where I saw it before, but I knew I had seen it. Laugh lines ran alongside his bright blue eyes. He walked with great grace. Sitting on a throne, the man looks around and his eyes stop when they see me.     “Yu, it’s been a while since you came to visit.” He says, smiling at me. From behind, I feel someone move and a young woman walks out from my shadow, standing before the golden throne he sat upon. Her long black hair braided over her shoulder, her flowery yellow gown emphasizing how small she was. She bows low before him glancing over her shoulder, a worried look in her eyes. “Don’t worry, I sent my guards away for a little bit.”     The man stands up from the throne and walks down to stand in front of her, taking her hands in his. “Renjun, we can’t keep meeting like this,” Yu says in a low whisper. I move to stand next to her, watching the exchange. His arm wraps around her and his chin rests gently on her head. “My lord, you are engaged to be married to the princess of the air clan, and the wedding is set. This can’t go on anymore.”     He sighs and pulls her into a hug, wrapping his arms around the middle of her back. “I know I should let you go and keep my promise to marry Chai, but that arrangement was made because we're trying to bring peace to our clans." Renjun turns away and stops to stand in front of a copper statue of two mermaids. A sad silence between the two of them and tears ran down Yu's cheek. "I can't go through with it though, not when I know you love me. Let me cancel the engagement, tell them I love you, and then we marry."     A look of shock showed in her eyes as she looks down at her hands, wringing them around the sleeves of her dress. Renjun walks over to her, stands in front of her, anxiously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Do you think we can convince your father to let us marry instead of your arranged marriage?" She asks with a little excitement on the tip of her tongue with a hopeful look in her eyes. "What about Chai? She's already grown so fond of you over these last couple of decades."     With a wave of his hand, Renjun dismisses her fears and reached out to stroke her cheek. "I know my father and I am almost certain that he'd allow us to. Not only are you from a royal bloodline, but our union could also bring the water and fairy realms together." There was a sense of urgency in his voice as if he was trying to convince both her and himself. Leaning forward the water lord kissed her and pulled her close, grabbing her hips. Turning away from the passionate couple, I tried to distract myself and looked around. The throne room was simple and elegant with lush shades of gold and blue, merfolk decorated on the walls. From behind me, Renjun gasped and pulled away, breathless. "Come with me."     Yu chuckled at him and started to shake her head but Renjun stopped her, pressing another kiss on her lips. "My lord, we can't. We're not married and it is highly frowned upon to be intimate with someone while unmarried." She said and a giggle escaped when he nuzzled into her neck. I could hear him whispering sweet words to her and a blush of red moved into her face. "Lord Renjun, you ought to watch your tongue. What if someone sees or hears us?"     Without answering her, he grabbed her hand and ran to the far wall behind me. Opening a door to a small side room, Yu and Renjun turned out the world in a moment of pure happiness and hope for the future. With the sound of a gasp, I heard the soft footsteps of a spectator and spun around to see someone hiding in the shadows. The face was hidden but I could see the piercing green eyes and on his robe was a strange red sigil that didn't seem like anything a water member would wear. As I tried to get closer the room started to sway and fade becoming dark.     I felt cold water splash on my face and snapped my eyes open, startled. My heart pounding in my chest, adrenaline rushing through my blood. Looking around, the sun was up high and Feng swims in circles in the water, around the lily pads that fell from the tree above. Mo sat next to me reading a book and gave me a small smile when she saw me awake. She glared at Feng and shook her head. “Zhi, I'm sorry about the rude awakening. Some of us don't understand the concept of respect. Feng! You owe Zhi an apology.” She yelled at him and gave me a sheepish grin. That was the first time I'd ever had a dream like that, with such detail that it could have been real. This left me with more questions than answers. “Feng, go apologize to Zhi while I get breakfast.”     With another splash, Feng stopped swimming in circles and swam over to the edge, pulling himself out. "Sorry, Zhi didn't mean to wake you up,, dear." Feng grinned at me as I brushed my sleeve over my face, wiping droplets of water off my cheek. He shook his head, droplets of water flying in every direction, and chuckled. Mo sighed and moved away from my side, disappearing down the side of the hill. "You must not have slept very well last night. Earlier this morning you kept muttering in your sleep, something about it just being a dream and not real. We were concerned about you."     Muttering in my sleep? I didn't think I was the type to talk but, after that dream, I wasn't surprised. Returning Mo handed me a small bowl of fruits, giving me a knowing look. My face lit up with smiles and quiet giggles. She knew how much I loved fruits and I could hear them giggling as I ate a melon slice. "I know this isn't what you want to hear the first thing when you wake up, but Madam Tang wants to see you." She hung her head and tried to avoid eye contact with me, a guilty look in her eyes. "She didn't tell me why though I should have asked but I couldn't and I'm sorry."     Mo kept her head down as I pushed myself up and reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "It's fine, Mo, you didn't do anything wrong. I'll go talk to her and figure out what punishment she has for me this time." Looking down to the village where Madam Tang was I dreaded the trip and wished something stupid would happen so the confrontation could be avoided. As my feet carried me down the hill my stomach knotted up and turned over in somersaults. "Relax, she's just going to make you sit in silent vigil or ground you for a week."     The fairy village was quite large with colorful little buildings made from tiger kale trees and lined with white moss. Every house had an entrance balcony with colorful flowers growing along the paths. The streets and walkways were paved with river stones, carefully picked out by the water nymphs. Walking along the path I could see open windows with several fairies outside tending to the village gardens. Eyes turned towards me as I passed by, then the House of Royal came into view; the only house that had three floors sitting snugly around the oldest tree in the fairy realm. Flower veins covered the roof with pink blossoms hanging over the windows. The pink was my favorite thing about the house. Glancing over my shoulder, I could see the small house I lived in whenever the wood nymphs settled in the fairy realm, the pink blossoms covering the front walls.     Walking up the steps felt like walking to my doom, my feet heavy with mud and shoulders weighed down with bricks. As I approached I could hear Madam Tang; her raised voice told me she was in a bad mood. At the landing, I could see the trunk that went through the middle of the house, some of its branches extending up and out the windows with Madam Tang sitting in front, a man was respectfully standing a safe distance from her, head bowed. I kept my head down standing by the railing waiting for permission to enter. Curious about the unfamiliar man, I glanced up, surprised to see the same man from my dream wearing the same style and color garments, the same facial features, and when he turned his head I could see the same fazan in his hair.     "Lord Renjun, this is the second time you asked about a daughter we have no idea about. We do not know about any child Yuchen had or where said child would be now if she even had one." She said with a little snap of her tongue glaring at the water immortal in front of her. Renjun sighed angrily and started pacing. "The late queen didn't mention you to us and she kept her business to herself. Fairies tend to be rather secretive and we do not busy our minds with the affairs of other realms."     He abruptly stopped in his tracks and glanced at me, a strange look crossing his eyes. Bright blue eyes widened in surprise and the color drained from his cheeks. Was there something wrong with me that made him react in such a way? Putting a finger to my lips I motioned for him to dismiss my presence and pointed back at Madam Tang, slipping behind the wall out of her sight. Listening I could hear his robe moving and the gentle tapping of fingers on wood.     "Madam Tang, surely you must be aware that if Yuchen had a daughter she'd be the next queen of the fairy realm." Lord Renjun’s voice was rough and strained compared to the soft and affectionate voice I'd heard in my head. After many years time must have affected him. "Remember, should you hide such a child would be considered treason to the water realm, with extreme punishment."     Sliding further away from the edge the water immortal stopped at the top step and turned to look over at me, four guards trailing behind him. They half circled him, their hands resting on swords from their belts. Whispering to one of them, they quickly jotted down a message and gave it to him. Holding up the piece of paper for me to see, the lord knelt and tucked it under a vine. Respectfully bowing my head to him, I watched as he gracefully walked down the steps. With Madam Tang distracted from his presence, I walked over to pick up the paper. Tucking it into my belt, I was about to leave but Madam Tang’s cough stopped me.     "Zhi, come in." She said and reluctantly my feet dragged my body in. Around the room were a handful of fairy soldiers armored up in metal plating with swords around their hips. There was a heaviness in the air and everyone seemed to be on edge. "I spoke with Master Yang this morning and we both agreed that maybe it's best if you stay in the fairy realm for a while longer. Now would be a good time for you to settle down in one realm and dive into a more narrow, stricter learning schedule than in the past."     Irritation crossed through my chest and I felt my hands ball up, nails digging into the soft flesh of my palms. Harsh words started forming and I had to bite my tongue to hold them back. With a quick but respectful bow, I turned away, not waiting for her dismissal. A couple of guards tried to stop me but with a wave of her hand, they let me through. I rushed down the steps back through the streets. My feet carried me through and with the wind in my hair, I felt the tears brim over my eyes. Getting closer to the outer edge of the village I could see Mo and Feng still talking by the water.     "Hey, how did it go?" Feng called out and waved at me with a big smile on his face. Shaking my head and walking past them, I moved to stand at the top of the cliff, overlooking the other fairy villages; it was a breathtaking view. I would normally feel free and one with the wind while looking over the realm, but too much weighed heavily on my mind. Slipping the piece of paper from my belt I felt the hesitation and worry furrowed my brow. Why did I dream about him and what does he want with me now? Feng slowly walked up from behind me and gently put his arm on mine. "Zhi, what happened?"     "I'm grounded to the fairy realm and can't leave. Madam Tang is taking full responsibility for me by not letting me go to the water realm anymore." With shaking hands, I opened the piece of paper and tried to read the delicate writing: "‘The next time you are in the water realm, find a water strider. Give him a small insect. He will find me. We need to talk."     "I need to make one last trip to the water realm."

Prologue In the days of the blooming Nightingale, existed a period of peace and serenity. The people coexisted and worked with one another, shared burdens so not one person was weighed down heavily. The emperor had ended the war and made a treaty. The kings from the demon realm retreated to the shadows, sealed themselves away from the other realms, and refused to interact with any outsiders. The fairies were overjoyed and held a grand feast for everyone to attend. On the day of the feast, there was another celebration, the birth of the first child in over two thousand years. The Fairy Queen, Yuchen Du, laid in a darkroom with three of her maidens as they comforted her and helped with the painful birth. With a sweaty brow and ragged breath, she gave a final push and was overwhelmed with relief. She laid back against the pillow, weak and her energy spent. "It's a girl, my lady!" One of the maidens exclaimed and wrapped a blanket around the crying baby before handing the new mother her child. "She's beautiful, just like her mama." Yuchen looked down at her baby and felt the love fill her heart, but pain and sadness too soon took their place. The poison in her blood started to circulate through the rest of her body. With a small gasp and a shiver of pain, Yuchen contorted her face and thought of a name. "Zhi. Her name shall be Zhi." She said and gently touched the baby's forehead. Her once bright red hair was starting to fade, framing her delicate face. With tears in her eyes, the life slipping away from the beautiful green color, Yuchen indicated to her maidens to take the baby, "Do you remember the instructions I gave you?" An eerie silence fell over the room until someone entered and stepped forward. She wore the queen's signature emblem on a hairpin, nestled on top of her golden blonde head. The queen's lady-in-waiting with a hardness reflecting in her posture swung her arms out and bowed low before the queen she served for so long, "Forgive me, my lady, for my tardiness; I have completed your final request." Her voice held no emotion and as she righted up, the rigidness of her shoulders gave her a strange sense of strength. "As for your question, my lady, we are well versed in your instructions and will do our utmost best to uphold them." The maidens all looked at each other anxiously and watched as their queen transferred her powers to her child, a faint blue stream of magic going from her hand to the baby's forehead. Quickly, the first maiden stepped up and bowed her eyes to the ground, a surge of urgency in her voice. "My lady, the baby is born. We can now save you. You need not die. We can cure you and then you can-" She was cut off when Yuchen raised her hand, indicating that she had heard enough. Without another word, the maiden slipped back into line and held her eyes to the ground. As the magic stream stopped Yuchen slumped back in exhaustion, her arm losing all strength, and the wrapped bundle started to slip from her loving arms. Catching the baby, the maidens exclaimed in concern as their queen's complexion drastically changed for the worst. "There is no more time and my decision is made," Yuchen whispered and coughed, the convulsions expelled blood that covered her lips with the color fading from her cheeks. The maidens rushed forward and took their positions around her, their eyes wide with innumerable emotions. "My time is up. It's now her turn and she'll live much longer than me. She must be protected and when the time is right, she'll know everything. Let her grow up, be a child before the responsibilities take hold of her. Be there for her and tell her about me. Tell her I loved her from the moment she was conceived and I'm sorry to not be able to be with her. I'm sure one day she'll understand." Yuchen sighed and closed her eyes, the movement of her chest lessening until it stopped. Her fight was over and the aching of hearts started. There was no joy, no smiles, only tears that ran down cheeks. Even Zhi seemed to know something was wrong because she did not cry. The lady-in-waiting slowly reached over, gently pulled the sheet over Yuchen’s face and they all bowed their heads for a silent moment of respect. Time stood still as a blanket of loneliness enveloped their tears. Without further words, they turned away and strode out of the darkroom, their eyes adjusting to the sudden bright light outside. They were greeted by a different atmosphere; tables and chairs were neatly set out, diverted with brightly colored cloths. Flowers bloomed in the trees and each table was lined with lilies, Yuchen's favorite. Their many guests from all the realms took all in at once and laughed with one another like there was no death in the air. It was easy to discern the various realms apart, based on the way they dressed and grouped. Oblivious to the event that took place in the dark room just minutes before the maidens walked out. With heavy heads, the maidens tried to slip through the crowd without anyone seeing or hearing Zhi, but just like her mother, she had a mind of her own. As they approached the royal family from the sky realm, Zhi began crying, her voice cutting through the noise like a knife through soft butter. Voices faded and eyes turned to her, the look of surprise filling their eyes. The oldest son of Emperor Chang, the night deity, stood up. His ears turned to the sound of Zhi’s crying. Startled when he saw the tiny face and reached out to gently stroke her cheek. With his soothing touch, Zhi settled down watching him with curious eyes, reaching out with her little hand for his fingers. She wrapped her hands around one finger and held it close, a faint red line appearing around their wrists as if someone wrapped a piece of thread around them. Looking at the maiden holding Zhi, the night deity asked, "Whose child is this?" As everyone held their breath and waited, none of the maidens knew what to say. They looked at the lady-in-waiting, expecting her to answer, but she held her tongue. Her identity was to remain a secret but being the first child born in such a long time that would be quite hard to keep. As if sensing their hesitation the night deity chuckled and waved his hand. Zhi giggled at him and put his finger in her mouth, a sudden zap of magic shocking him. "What was that?" Startled, the maiden gently moved the bundle away and bowed her head. The lady-in-waiting stepped forward and bowed respectfully before him and glanced at the maiden. "Forgive us, young prince, she's just a newborn faery with untapped magic. Nothing harmful to you, I promise." Discreetly she took a couple of steps around him, trying to slip away, and waved for the other maidens to follow. "We'll take our leave now. Please enjoy the feast." He stepped back in front of her and reached back out to hold Zhi’s hand, the faint red line slowly starting to fade from their skin. "What is her name?" He asked in an authoritative tone. The lady-in-waiting sighed heavily, unable to refuse to answer. Bending down next to her face, he smiled at her and gently touched her nose. "I'm sure I'll see you again in a couple of millennia, Zhi Duzi, and if I do I hope you remember my name. I'm Runyu."