The full moon in the sky was about to set, drawing curtain over the memorable night, 

"Yue," Huo Jin called the girl who is sleeping peacefully beside him,

"Honey," He brushed away the hair strands from her face and whispered in her ears,

"wake up,"

When his hot breath tickled her ears, Bai Yu Yue let out a low moan and slowly opened her eyes. 

Huo Jin lowered his head to place a quick peck on her lips, 

She glanced at the devilishly handsome man sitting next her,

His eyes gleaming in delight, "It's time to wake up,"

She smiled and stretched her arm towards him intending to wrap him in an embrace,

With a doting smile, he lowered his body, so that Bai Yu Yue could hug him.

Huo Jin supported her delicate frame and raised her from the ground.

However even after sitting up Bai Yu Yue refused to take off her arms and adamantly clung to his neck. 

"You are leaving?" she asked in a faint voice,

He was dressed up in his clothes and was planning to leave before the sunrise. He wished to return to Guan kingdom as soon as possible and send the royal entourage of Dragon emperor to Yu kingdom with an official proposal.

He doesn't want to waste a single moment. 

"Hmm," he hummed while stroking her hair, "I will come back soon,"

She remained silent and hugged him tighter, 

"I did mention about you to my father, so it won't take any longer," He assured the woman who is glued to his body, "Yue, say something?"

"Where did you leave your horse?"

"Huh?"

"I will you walk you there," She suggested and tore apart from him, 

"Yue, it is going to be sunrise now," 

He doesn't want anyone in the Yu kingdom to know that someone trespassed their boundaries and slept with the princess.

"Here, day won't start until the sunrise up above the sky," Bai Yu Yue told him and tried to raise from the ground. 

"Are you alright?" Looking at her enthusiasm, Huo Jin doubted his performance earlier in this night. They were engrossed in passionate lovemaking sessions for countless times and how is she still have the energy accompany him to descend the mountain? 

Did his performance was not effective?

"My whole body hurts,"

A shy voice broke his train of thoughts,

"Huh," 

"I've never felt so drained. I know that you feel the same. So let me accompany you,"

"But honey," Huo Jin tried to stop her. 

She looked at him with pleading eyes,

Looking at her moist eyes, he felt tug at his heart,

"Okay," He cupped Bai Yu Yue's reddened cheeks,

"How can I say no to my wife?"

Her lips bloomed into a smile. "Which way did you came?" 

"Southwest," 

"You must have entered through the hidden forests of Mu sect?" She asked him. "Then it won't take much time,"

He smiled and helped her to stand up. 

"Let's go," Bai Yu Yue held his arm and tangled his fingers with hers. Huo Jin smiled and tightened his grip on her palm. 

"He will never let go this hand,"

He raised his arm to broke a small twig from the plum tree and looked at Bai Yu Yue's thick black hair fluttering around her,

"I should have brought a golden pin," He grabbed her silky hair and tied into a low bun. "Wait for me,'

Huo Jin placed the plum twig on Bai Yu Yue's hair and pressed his lips on the crown of her head.

"It may be a plum twig now, but wait for a while, until I adorn your head with the "Pheonix crown, the symbol of the Empress,"

"The Empress of the mighty Guan kingdom."

_________________

In the morning Meng Jia came running to Bai Yu Yue's chambers.

"How can I oversleep? Princess is going to kill me." She panted while running. She stood in front of the door and steadied her breath.

"Good Lord, save me," Meng Jia quietly opened the door.

"Princess," Meng Jia called out for Bai Yu Yue.

The room was deadly silent. 

She saw Bai Yu Yue still sleeping on the bed. She took a deep breath and woke her up.

"Good Morning, Princess Yue." Meng Jia greeted and covered her face in horror. The princess looked like she had gotten into a cat-fight.

"What happened to you?"

Bai Yu Yue looked at her with a faint smile and stretched her hands. 

"Good morning, goddess Meng Jia," She teasingly said and slid down from the bed. 

"Ahhhhhhh" The moment her feet touched the ground Bai Yu Yue cried in pain.

"Princess," Meng Jia supported and helped her to stand straight.

"What happened to you? Did you go to training grounds yesterday?" Meng Jia inquired again,

"It's nothing. Can you fill some hot water in the tub?"

"Yes, princess." Meng Jia replied quickly and went to the bathhouse.

 Bai Yu Yue dragged her weary body and stood in front of the mirror to examine her face. 

No wonder Meng Jia yelped in horror,

She looked devastated.

Her whole body ached, especially the lower part.

When she recalled the last night's events Bai Yu Yue's cheeks burned and turned red. 

That vampire, he ate her inside out with a charming face and sweet words,

He sucked out the soul from her, replaced with his.

Meng Jia came back after arranging the bathtub only to find her princess looking dazed in front of the mirror.

Did she saw a glimpse of a shy smile in her stone-cold princess?

There is something wrong, Meng Jia said in her mind and informed Bai Yu Yue,

"Princess, your bath is ready."

Bai Yu Yue turned towards her with a smile and walked towards the bathroom, humming a tune.

"Oh my heavens, Princess is singing." Meng Jia was left dumbfounded. Their previous queen, Bai Yu Yue's mother was a great singer and both of her daughters inherited her singing talents and melodious voice. But once she got introduced to the martial arts- nobody has ever heard Bai Yu Yue humming a song.

What miracle has happened yesterday? Meng Jia followed Bai Yu Yue to the bathhouse. However when she was about to enter the bathhouse, Bai Yu Yue stopped her,

"Meng Jia, you can go now. I will take the bath myself."

Meng Jia's eyes widened in a shock,

"Princess, you look sick and how can I leave alone?"

Bai Yu Yue who appeared in a good mood suddenly narrowed her eyes and looked at Meng Jia,

Looking at the frown in the princess's face, Meng Jia immediately understood the seriousness of the situation

"Ahhh, I will go and clean the room then, Princess," Meng Jia turned to leave,

"Okay." Bai Yu Yue agreed. she didn't want to Meng Jian to see her worn-out body. Suddenly she remembered something and yelled for Meng Jia.

"Meng Jia, don't change the bedsheets, leave it there."

Meng Jia who was about to change the bedsheets stood there frozen,

"What is this? Princess doesn't want to change the bedsheets?" She stood next to the bed and examined it.

The bedsheets and blankets were crumbled and dishevelled. Since Bai Yu Yue was into martial arts, she followed the discipline and order even in her bedroom. Everything in her chamber is perfectly organised and tidy. She even kept her calm and steady demeanour while sleeping. There won't be a single crease in her bedsheets or her clothes.

But what is this mess?

"How did it happen? Did she got hurt while sparring?

Was she in pain that she rolled all over the bed? Meng Jia's mind got filled with numerous doubts.

She took the blanket and tidied it. Suddenly few plum petals fell from it. 

"Plum petals, how did it end up in this room?"

Meng Jia picked the flower petals and folded the bedsheets.

There was a new fragrance arising from the bedsheets.

She was familiar with Bai Yu Yue's scent, but it was something different.

Does it because of the plum flowers? This scent was new and refreshing to her senses. 

When Bai Yu Yue came back after the shower, the first thing she did was to dive into her bed. 

Meng Jia was left speechless.

Bai Yu Yue was still in her bathrobes and her hair was wet, but she jumped right into her bed and curled herself under the blanket.

"Princess, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Meng Jia was about to cry, there is something wrong with her princess.

"Heh, nothing," She replied while humming a tune. "Can you bring me, my clothes?"

Meng Jia went to take a fresh pair of clothes and even she came back.

Bai Yu Yue was still in her bed, humming and smiling.

"Princess,"

"Na, na, na goddess Meng, thank you" Bai Yu Yue winked at Meng Jia and took her clothes."You can leave now, I will dress,"

What? Bai Yu Yue, who cannot tell apart the names of her royal robe- is actually suggesting to dress- without any one's help? Impossible,

"Princess, how can you-" Meng Jia's eyes got stuck on the reddened marks in Bai Yu Yue's neck.

"Princess, what is this? When did you hurt yourself?" She moved closer to check the marks, 

"This, ahh something bit me," Bai Yu Yue casually said, "don't ask me who is that something."she continued on her thoughts. 

Ehh?

"It's nothing. You go and arrange my breakfast... I am really hungry." Bai Yu Yue playfully pushed Meng Jia out of her chambers.

"Okay, Princess," Meng Jia walked away from the chamber however instead of going to the kitchen, she directly went to meet Queen Bai Ling Yue. 

"Good morning my Queen," 

Bai Yu Ling Yue was eating breakfast when Meng Jia entered into her chamber. 

"Good morning."

"My queen, you should talk to young miss." Meng Jia requested in a breath.

"Hmm, what happened to her?"

""Young miss again went out in the night for training and got hurt. And she refuses to get treated."

"You clearly know that she likes to fight. I cannot stop her from what she likes to do."

"I am aware of that majesty, but young miss acting weird from the very first day she returned to the palace." Meng Jia pointed out one by one. 

"But today she has crossed the limits. She refused me from treating her wound, she is not allowing me to help her bath or dress her. She is not even allowing us to change the blankets.

"What's weirder is that, young miss sings and giggles alone." 

"She sang?" Bai Ling Yue was astonished by Meng Jia's claims.

" Yes. You should talk to her; I am scared that something is wrong with her." Meng Jia was on the verge of tears.

"Okay. I will talk to her." Bai Ling Yue assured her. Once she was done eating the breakfast. She went to meet her father. 

"Baba," She called Bai Li who was busy rampaging over his personal collection of books.

"Ling Yue, why did you come here, I would've come and visit you in your chambers." 

"Baba, I am not that weak," She said with a smile. Once Bai Ling Yue found that she was going to be a mother, everyone started to pamper her like a child. 

"How do you feel now? Is my grandchild giving you any trouble?

"No, Baba. Actually I came here to discuss about Yue." She looked at her father who appeared dejected. " Is there any reply from the Wei Kingdom? It has been already two months." Bai Ling Yue's face filled with concern.

"Not yet,"

"To be honest, I am having a bad feeling about it. Yue, we shouldn't have pulled her into this,"

" Do you think it was easy for me to agree to that proposal?" Bai Li asked, "We were forced to gamble with her life,"

"Yue is not like me or any other women in Yu clan. She is not born to become a concubine.". She declared.

"What are suggesting?" 

"We should look for her suitors, Baba it is better to start it earlier."

"Hmm let's wait for the minister Fu message and decide it." Bai Li said with an anticipated face.

The entire kingdom was eagerly waiting for Fu Jian's message from Wei empire. 

But none of them remembered that,

A dead man never send messages.

Exactly a fort night ago, Fu Jian, the minister of foreign relations of Yu kingdom and three soldiers who went with him, were brutally murdered within the Wei palace.

The one soldier who barely managed to escape the death was hunted all over the mainland by the blood thirsty Wei army and finally has reached the Tu mountains with the news of an impending horror.