The Dragon Prince's Warrior

Garden of Feelings

There, in front of them and amidst the entire team of healers, stood Siu, with a mischievous smile. Yun opened his eyes, feeling that his heart would burst with happiness at seeing her there, alive and quite recovered. He couldn't help but look directly at her with his eyes widened by the emotions he was feeling at that moment.

"Your Highnesses, we need to talk to you," said Mrs. Ling, with a gesture that the two princes couldn't decipher.

"Of course," Jin responded, then turned to the young woman and analyzed her from head to toe. She still looked quite weak, but he couldn't ignore that her beauty surpassed that of many noble ladies he might have met.

"Good morning," Siu murmured as she bowed.

"Very good morning," an enthusiastic Yun responded, followed by his brother's silent bow.

Yun couldn't help but impulsively approach her to brush away the strands of her hair that were blocking her face.

Jin and the others watched in consternation as this scene unfolded. This wasn't typical behavior for Prince Yun. In fact, the Yun they all knew was usually quite distant, as he disliked being forced to approach ladies at his father's behest.

"How are you feeling?" he asked with concern. When he realized his hands were about to touch her face and saw everyone's eyes on him, he quickly withdrew and returned to where his brother stood.

Jin pressed his lips together, trying not to make any gestures that would reveal how surprised he was by Yun's closeness to the young woman. His intuition wasn't entirely off; he would have to question him at the first opportunity.

"Well, Your Highnesses," the head physician continued, "Miss Wu is completely recovered from all the wounds she had a week ago. We can't explain the reasons or how it happened, but she is in perfect health."

Jin and Yun were left dumbfounded by this news.

"It's unusual, but I'm really glad she had such a recovery," Yun commented, suppressing a genuine smile.

"Very true. We recommend a few more days of rest and good nutrition for her, just like for you, Your Highness. Well, our work here is done. We just needed to make you aware of this extraordinary and surprising event. We plan to open an investigation into this. And... we're going to continue caring for Prince Shun," Mrs. Ling added.

The entire team of doctors and nurses bowed and made their exit, leaving Siu in front of the two princes.

"Brother... Why are you staying silent? Don't you plan to introduce us properly?"

Yun snapped out of his thoughts and brought a hand to his forehead.

"Oh, right, I'm sorry. Wu Siu, my brother, Prince Qing Jin," he said seriously, pointing to Jin. "Jin, I introduce you to Wu Siu."

Jin rolled his eyes and pretended to yawn.

"Yun, you're so boring," he said. Then Jin turned to Siu. "Nice to meet you, Miss Wu. I'm Qing Jin, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Your Majesty," Siu bowed with a subtle smile. "It's an honor to meet you in person. In my village, there's much talk about the royal family."

"I hope it's good things," Jin winked. "Well... I think you two need a reunion after a week of intensive care." He shifted his gaze to Yun. "Brother, I'll meet you in the library, don't be late, I have a tight schedule."

Jin placed his hands behind his back and began to stride away, whistling to hide his mischievous smile, and soon disappeared.

"My brother doesn't like formality or protocols, you'll get to know him better, I think you'll even get along," Yun commented with a smile.

"I think so too. I never thought someone from the royal family would be like that. You always hear that they're unapproachable and even reclusive. I'm sorry, but there are many criticisms about rulers of that kind."

"Don't worry, I think they're right. Look at me; I had never left these walls until that day we had to help our mother," Yun said, then cleared his throat and began to walk slowly towards the garden area, followed by Siu. "But I'll stop talking about myself. How are you, Wu?"

"You're still so formal," Siu commented with a smile, "but that's how I appreciate you."

Yun's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help glancing at her with a subtle smile. "I... I'm very different from my brothers."

Siu was about to enjoy the serenity; she couldn't explain how calm and at peace she felt in this place. She would swear that she had seen it in her dreams, and she couldn't explain if it was true. Usually, she quickly forgot most of the details of her dreams.

Siu was about to lose herself in this calm and serene moment when the touch of warm fingers sent a tingling sensation through the back of her hand. She didn't dare look at Yun, but she couldn't stop the lump in her throat. Yun's hand gently turned hers and placed something in it, then closed her hand softly.

She looked up at Yun, who was much taller than her. He looked particularly imposing at that moment, and nervousness surged from her belly to her chest. Since descending with the medical team to meet the princes, she had avoided eye contact, fearing what she knew was inevitable. Their eyes met once again, and Yun's eyes seemed to beckon her closer, not to mention his lips. The touch of his hand was not helping at all.

The prince withdrew his hand from hers, and his voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"Open your hand," he said with a slightly mischievous smile that made her heart race.

Siu allowed herself to be guided. Her hand trembled slightly, an action Yun couldn't ignore, and it heightened his own nervousness. As she opened her hand, she gasped and brought her hand to her mouth.

"My pendant... But how?" she asked, moved.

"It was right next to you when I carried you to escape from Yumai Mountain. I couldn't give it to you before, so I'm doing it now because it's the right moment," the prince said, melting with the expressions of happiness she involuntarily displayed.

Siu's lips parted with joy, but she didn't get to say a word because a shadow made them both turn. It was the Emperor himself, whom she had heard so much about but only seen in portraits.

The young woman with chestnut hair fell to her knees in a bow, and Yun also bowed to his father. However, when Yun saw the Emperor's expression, it wasn't one of happiness; it was quite the opposite. It was something he couldn't fully decipher, and it sent an uncomfortable chill down his spine.