"Azarios"

"Tulip"

"Am I doing good?"

"No, you are doing terrible....sweet tulip are you trying to catch the fish or scare them away?"

"How can the lord say that, this one is trying my best." The exquisite female holding a small fishing rod tried to reason with Azarios yet the man could only turn his head away to hide his laughter.

A wooden bowl partially filled with fresh water from lagoon was placed in between the General and the General lady, the woman failed to catch a single fish despite being seated in the arena filled with the huge koi fishes which had golden tangerine fins accompanied by Pink Perch and a variety of other edible ones.

Azarios and Lilith were fishing in the pond built in the General's area of the manor, every single member of a family had their own palace inside the giant Lotus Mansion. Despite being divided into twelve different parts only eight of them were truly used including the servant's arena.

This place was one of those four courtyards that were only used for festive purposes yet today the General had only made Lilith come out for playing. An entire inner garden filled with juicy peach were currently in full bloom with peach blossoms covering the entire field in pinkish-orange petals as if a blanket of flower petals was trying to hide the lush greenery of the black bamboo forest.

The maids had prepared dishes belonging to the imperial cuisine as instructed by the general and the only thing that he had prohibited to be added in the basket of food was fish meat since he would be catching many of them to roast on coal and serve them later. By now the closest servants already had an idea that the Mistress's taste was not something that can be sated by ordinary food.

Lilith looked at the wooden bowl with three orange creatures in distaste. She had lost her honor as the empress, how can she not even catch a fish even though this place was filled with so many of them.

Her wooden rod that had been laying as dormant for sometime now for a moment started signifying that indeed something has been caught. Azarios who took a dead fish out to roast on fire raised a brow at Lilith who took out a small glimmering green one from the water and his interest piqued.

"This one is called '' and they are not for eating, these are the ones that shine at night and make the lagoon glow like lightning in water yet this one never had it being raised here. What my wife is holding might be the baby of the gigantic fish...since you have caught this one then I shall give it to you as a gift.

If your servant tries to sell it, in exchange you might acquire an invaluable item since these species are extremely rare so dear beloved do as you wish."

In the morning itself several merchants from the auction houses came to deliver various precious dresses and jewelry accompanied by the news that her original residence was completely destroyed in the mansion and all her belongings were to be shifted in the General's chamber and his area of living.

Even though Lilith could not understand the reason of such sudden change she did not complained and simply complied to it without knowing that the place which was infiltered by assassins would not be left by Azarios. She instead enjoyed the entire day drinking tea and discussing military topics with the man, her husband who also read her a book of poem while she laid her head in his lap.

Thus her reason of being in a different carefree mood today.

Lilith pouted, not liking the fact that the only one prey she managed to catch turned out to be non edible. What was with the money, wasn't he the one who was hell bent on spoiling her.

It was in a way a very unique birth anniversary of her, she just turned nineteen and at the same time had experience variety of emotions on a single day, as compared to living in palace and drowning in boredom and work, living with Azarios seemed to be better.

A silk sheet was unflurried on the flower petal carpet as the general collected the cooked fishes on a huge dark green leaf before settling down. The basket containing a cold soup jar followed by sweets, meat and fruits that were laid out to be enjoyed by the couple.

"Husband lord, do you perhaps have an ambition?.....This one....This one will help you in fulfilling all of them."

"Have you fallen for this general tulip?" Azarios smirked, filling her plate with a meatball dipped in curry. That was what it followed, Lilith ate and Azarios placed food in her plate. Foe all the things he had done for her, it was impossible not to feel touched and not to develop feelings.

"Mylord what will you do if this one replies in affirmation?"

"So you love me....." Azarios whispered, the mischievous smile being completely wiped off from his face replaced by a never seen seriousness.

"You spoil me too much, care for me...this one feels blessed thus this one is asking, do you have any ambitions? This empress shall assist you in the ways you need."

"Although this one does have thousands of them yet the only thing that I would like to hear from you and seek your help in for now is your past. This one wishes to know what happened then?

Wasn't your father banished? Then why were you called to the imperial palace of Gaerin again?"