The Dragon Prince's Warrior

Disastrous news

The royal meeting chamber fell into an awkward silence after both princes heard the news from their father. Seeing that his sons didn't comment, Heng decided to continue.

"Why so silent, sons?" he cleared his throat. "Of course, the commitment can't be with any eligible maiden; it must be with ladies of class and power, belonging to other neighboring cities, because it's clear that after this war, we must have alliances more than ever. So, that's another matter I leave in your hands, sons."

Yun's ears still echoed the last thing his father had said a few seconds ago. He said it so confidently and casually, as if counting money or giving a simple order like "take a seat". His mind was spinning, but he tried to keep his composure after widening his eyes in surprise.

His brother Jin wasn't still either. He, more than Yun, maintained his surprised expression since he heard their father's order. Neither of the two could believe it.

Heng settled in his seat, hands resting on the table, and continued with his string of commands, which Yun didn't want to hear anymore.

"This must be a damn nightmare," he thought to himself, wishing he could shout it out loud.

"Well... With that settled," Heng continued, "We'll soon arrange everything to contact the heads of each city, to schedule meetings and...

"Father, hold on..." Jin interjected. "This has left us very confused. What do you mean by arranging a marriage? We always thought that only applied to the crown prince, not to us. Could you explain why you're changing the rules just like that?"

"I'm with Jin, that was the idea you always told us since we were very young. I find it in very bad taste that you're telling us this way," added Yun, frowning.

Heng chuckled ironically and sighed.

"Sons, I am the Emperor and I have total freedom of judgment to make the changes that I deem convenient for the Palace and for all of the Forbidden City," he responded firmly.

"But... father," Jin began, unable to efficiently argue against Heng's mandate.

"Well... If there are no further doubts, I need you to leave me alone for a moment to prepare everything for my speech today. Then I wish to meet with just you, Yun. I'll call you as soon as I'm free so you and I can talk man to man," said Heng as he stood up from the table without looking at either of the princes.

Without another word, Heng left the room, leaving his two sons with words caught in their throats. Jin began to tap his fingers on the long table with anxiety, while Yun crossed his arms and furrowed his brow.

"What do you make of this, Yun? Now we have to deal with marital situations as an Emperor," Jin shook his head, his breathing picking up pace. Not getting a response from his brother, he looked directly at him. "Earth calling Yun! Hey... Are you there, brother?"

Jin knocked on Yun's head with his knuckles, eliciting a frustrated grunt as Yun pulled his brother's hand away.

"Yes, yes, I heard you, damn it!" Yun glared at his brother, his eyes once again turning that crimson color that characterized his recent anger.

"But don't take it out on me, huh?" Jin crossed his arms. "Right now, we need to be more united than ever. We must persuade father to abandon his crazy ideas," he sighed as he got up and walked to the window. "My father is going mad, and it's all because of this unnamed catastrophe."

"You're right, Jin. We can't even call it a war because... we don't have a confrontation with other cities or countries. The first thing should be to investigate who the real enemy is. Searching for a wife can wait," he pondered, stroking his chin. "Although... Maybe there is some conflict, and we haven't even noticed. You, who have reviewed royal documents, have you seen anything shady that father might be hiding?"

Jin glanced up at the ceiling, trying to recall if he saw anything. He made a puzzled expression and shook his head.

"No, brother... Nothing illegal or shady, at least from what I could see," Jin shrugged.

"By the way, Jin... Did you find something in the library?" he inquired while tapping his foot to calm his emotions.

"I found something that might sound like a legend, but even though it sounds fantastical, it could give us the answer we seek," the middle prince replied.

"I see... I need to see it with my own eyes too. Now, I feel like I can believe anything. Because it's clear that all these wounds we have are not an illusion caused by these monsters. Maybe we've been worshipping the dragon and it's actually our enemy, or I don't know..."

Yun scratched his head in frustration, then stood up to join his brother's side and surveyed the Forbidden City.

"What I'm sure of is that I never want to marry out of obligation, never," the younger prince declared, sighing.

Suddenly, as Yun lowered his gaze, Siu's silhouette appeared before him, seemingly lost in thought as she walked through the palace gardens again, apparently not heeding his request to wait for him in the sickroom, and something else...

Instead of the usual white robe, she wore a simple black qipao, accentuating her feminine curves. Her hair was tied up in a high bun that framed her graceful features. It was evident that her face was rosier due to her recovery. From what he could tell, she seemed to be searching for something, as her gaze wandered around the vast area.

The moment he caught sight of the girl, his pupils dilated involuntarily, and his heart raced beyond his control. Feeling his cheeks burning, he averted his gaze elsewhere and cleared his throat softly, pretending to continue surveying the panorama of the Forbidden City.

When he looked back at Jin, he was already watching him. Yun shifted his gaze back and forth, noticing the odd look his brother was giving him.

"Jin, do I have something on my face or what?" Yun asked in a low voice, furrowing his brow to harden his expression.

"Nothing..." his brother murmured, biting his lips mischievously, restraining his urge to smile and tease him, as he too had seen the girl when he went to the garden and noticed Yun's change in attitude upon seeing her. "Come on... Do you like the girl?"

"What?! I don't know who you're talking about, Jin. Stop babbling and let's get out of here, now," Yun quickly jolted Jin's arm, prompting them both to leave the royal chamber. "We need to find out everything about the dragons."

The chamber was left empty, and a black shadow, resembling a kind of smoke, manifested and spread throughout the room, only to vanish instantly.