Prince Julong started to reach for my hand when we were interrupted. The eunuch wedged himself in between us and inclined into a deep bow, greeting the second most powerful man in the palace upon his arrival.

"Greetings, your highness. Your brother, the emperor, waits for you in the throne room."

I seized the opportunity for my exit while the eunuch got him distracted, and by the time prince Julong turned back around, I already retreated away from his reach. Although, he would not let me escape as I felt his shadow followed ignoring the eunuch altogether. Prince Julong decided on pursuing me instead.

I willed myself not to look, but I found it hard when I'm being chased by him. I snuck a look over my shoulder and saw prince Julong strutting closely behind with his long and strong strides easily catching up. My footsteps quickened but that only invited him to chase me further, harder, and faster.

We played the game of chase until I turned to another hall. A quieter hall away from the bustling servants and scholars. His hand grasped the soft curve of my waist and whisked me away to a storage. A small narrow storage that I never knew even existed here before.

The door slammed close separating us away from the world. Hidden in the darkness. In the security of the closet with nothing but the heat of our bodies spilling on each other.

"You have to let me out, what if someone found us?" I clawed for the door panicked.

Julong grabbed my hand, his fingers hot and gentle on top of mine. "No one is going to find us here, Jasmine. We need a safe place to speak."

I schooled myself to calm down. Julong was right, we needed to speak we needed to iron out all this unspoken turmoil between us. I took this opportunity as I bravely spoke first.

"I know why you are here. You're here for the ceremonial bedding."

A long silence fell as it took the moment hostage. So intense that I thought I heard the hard pound of his heart on his chest. Julong swallowed.

"Does it hurt you?" He asked slowly.

I was thankful prince Julong couldn't see my face inside this unlit storage because I'm certain every knot and wrinkle on face betrayed me right now. Although my lingered response would tell him as much anyway.

"No." I lied.

Prince Julong picked up my lie just as easily as Hoon would. Julong had an impeccable ability to know when I'm lying to him.

"Why do you always lie, Jasmine? I hate it when you lie." His voice was so angelically soft, so tame, and so low that I melted at the sound of it.

"I'm not lying," I whispered.

Julong shifted, half mass of his body leaned on me, letting the swarm of his heat devoured me. He pushed me further into the wall. "You know I would rather plant my seeds in you more than her. You know I would pick you over her any chance I get. You know there's nothing more I want than to make you the mother of my children."

My heart shattered. "Julong,.."

A perfect sliver of sunlight struck prince Julong in the face as he shifted. Half his face illuminated, and the other half left in the darkness. I breathe, forgetting how to breathe for a time being. I died at his confession.

His soft lips bristled on my forehead.

A fevered heat rushed to my cheeks and neck as he wound his arms around my torso and pulled me into his chest.

"Run away with me, Jasmine." He breathes into my neck. "I found a way to make us happen. I can rule the southern region and create an empire of my own, you could be my empress and we could be happy together."

It sounded daring and it sounded brave. It sounded like what prince Julong would say and do. He had always been so bold and so daring that I had missed that so much about him. The last couple years felt like we drifted apart from each other, but no matter how much we get pulled away, there's that quiet understanding between us.

"It's too risky, Julong. The south is where all the fighting is happening. What if Yuan finds us, and what if he sends one of his elite assassins to kill us?"

The thought of his mountainous guardsman alone sent ripples of shiver down my spine. I knew that man could snap my neck with a single flick of his thumb.

"You are in more danger here in the palace than anywhere. You're not safe without Hoon, or without me protecting you. No one else can protect you from eldest brother but me."

"Did you know about your brother? Did you know how dangerous he is? Why did you left me alone with him?!" I tried not to sound sentimental without bringing out the past but part of me felt abandoned.

Julong shook his head softly and eased away giving me some space, he felt the change in my mood. What was so intimate and affectionate was suddenly replaced by a feeling of rejection.

He let go completely. "You know what a throne can do to people once they sat on it. Eldest brother wasn't raised to be ruthless, something about him changed. Ever since he became an emperor, he sent my army working overtime to conquer lands that are not part of our kingdom."

"Stop." I pressed my hand over his lips, that was all I needed to hear, that was all I wanted to hear. "I don't want to hear any more."

He clutched my wrist in his hand and moved it away from his lips. I told myself not to stare, not to look at his deep almond eyes but everything inside me betrayed what I fought to keep together. "Run away with me, Jasmine." He said again. "Just like I asked you years ago."

Julong made the same promise as he did years ago. He said he would never break my heart and he would love me forever.

I believed him because I knew he would never lie to me. Julong loved me and he never once stopped loving me even when I was married to Hoon all those years.

I closed my eyes, and everything intensified, I allowed the moment to whisk me away with it.