The Princess And The Lord

Lory told Zhao Li Xin about her old world and how different it was from this world. How she came to his world without having any clue as to why and who sent her. Lory described the skyscrapers, cars, and aircraft of her world. She talked about her Kingdom's beauty and how good and kind her people were. She basically told him the story of her world before it was plagued by war.

They both lay on the couch as they talked. Zhao Li Xin propped his head with his right fist while his other hand played with her hair as Lory faced the ceiling. Zhao Li Xin was elated when she decided to tell him about her past. He wanted to understand her pain and loss and he could only do that if he knew her past.

"About your father…? Is he a King?" Zhao Li Xin asked carefully.

"He was…" She answered calmly with her eyes glued to the ceiling.

"So, you are really a Princess?" He wanted confirmation.

"I am…" She replied casually.

"And your mother?" He probed farther.

"She passed away when I was six years old."

"That…must have been hard for you," He never knew motherly love but he understood filial piety.

Lory shifted her gaze and faced him, "I was fine. I still had my father, Lucas, and the others. I never felt lonely."

"The others?"

Lory giggled when she remembered her friends. "People like Mong Ki and Mong Yi. They were my subordinates but actually, they were more than that. I grew up with them. They were my teachers, friends, guardians…and most of all…they were my family."

"I don't think I have any close relationships like you did with them."

"You might not realize it..." Lory chuckled. She thought of Mong Ki and Mong Yi who followed Zhao Li Xin since he was a child but she chose not to mention it since she realized Zhao Li Xin was denser than she initially thought.

"And about your twin brother… What's his name again?"

"Lucas…is it hard to spell? How would you spell my name then?" Lory looked dejected.

"Your name is not Lory?" Zhao Li Xin was confused.

"It's a short form of my real name… Oh well, it would be a long time before you can spell my full name," Lory sighed. Her name was quite long and had an accent too. It was not her fault she was a descendant of a long archaic family.

"Oh yes, you asked about Lucas," Lory remembered. "Well, what do you want to know?"

"Does he look like you?" Zhao Li Xin smiled when he imagined a male version of her.

Lory knew what he was thinking and she couldn't help but chuckle. "Lucas and I are more than simple twins. We are mirror twins."

"Mirror twins?"

Lory took his hand and placed it on the right side of her chest, "His heart is on the left while mine is on the right. I'm right-handed but my brother is left-handed. Everything we do is similar but we do it on the opposite side of each other's bodies."

When Lory pressed his hand on her chest, Zhao Li Xin would have been as excited as any man would, but her sad eyes and bittersweet expression made him ache for her. He was also slightly jealous of her twin brother as he had even shared a womb.

"Are you very close to him?"

"It's inevitable since we are twins. My mother said twins are supposed to be one soul but god split them into two different people instead. It is the reason twins can never feel complete without each other and they would always look for each other."

"Are you saying that to irritate me?" Zhao Li Xin's mood became foul.

Lory laughed when she saw him sulking. A grin touched her face, "What's wrong? Don't tell me you're jealous?"

Zhao Li Xin ignored her teasing. He was annoyed someone else had half of her heart. It didn't matter that the person was her own brother. He knew he was being petty but he couldn't help himself.

Lory was amused by Zhao Li Xin as it was her first time to see him sulk. She turned her body to face him and played with his long silky hair as she pacified him "He has half of my heart and I have given you my other half. Why are you are still sulking?"

"Can't I have it all?" He pleaded earnestly.

"You are both important to me. So…you must learn to share…" Lory patted his chest.

"Hump!" He didn't want to but he could not refute her words. Half was better than nothing.

"And after all…I already lost half of my heart… I won't survive if I lost the remaining half too. So keep it safe…don't break my heart," She smiles lovingly with a hint of sadness and hope in her beautiful clear eyes.

"Rest be assured. I'll keep your heart safe and sound. I give you my word," He pulled her chin closer and kissed her gently. It was as if she would break if he pushed her too much. Her heart fluttered and her face became hot. She loved the way his soft lips touched hers. She pulled his collar closer until there was no space between them as they shared a long, gentle but fiery kiss. However, Zhao Li Xin suddenly stopped and looked behind Lory with an upset expression.

She unconsciously followed his gaze and saw someone staring at them with an astonished expression. The person seemed like they could get a heart attack. The strange man was two meters tall with broad shoulders and a muscular body. Lory could see his muscles bulging from his robes. The man seemed to be in his twenties. He had a square jawline with a stubble beard covering his face. The man looked rough and manly like a soldier.

Lory wanted to turn around to see the man clearly but Zhao Li Xin didn't let her. He instead covered her body with his long wide sleeve.

Bei Li Yan appeared in his red fiery robes and hit the muscular man at the back of his head. The man almost fell on his knees while Bei Li Yan smiled awkwardly and bowed quickly at them with an anxious expression. He then pulled the big man's collar and quickly dragged him away.

All this happened in less than five seconds. Lory felt embarrassed as it's clear Bei Li Yan knew what they were doing but Zhao Li Xin looked more upset.

"I think you have a job to do," Lory sat up and was surprised how loose her dress, including her dudou, had become. She was almost exposed yet they were only kissing. She wanted to say something to Zhao Li Xin but she soon realized his collar didn't look better either. His bare chest was peeking through his robes. Lory was flustered as she didn't know when her hands had done that. She chose to not say anything since they were both in the same boat.

Zhao Li Xin helped her fix her dress. He tightened her loose belt and said, "Let me introduce you to my subordinate."

"Maybe later…" Lory fixed her messy hair.

"Why not now?" Zhao Li Xin was confused.

Lory bit her lower lip with a perplexed expression. Her hair was a mess, her dress was wrinkled and half her rouge was on Zhao Li Xin's lips. She looked like a girl who was making out. There's no way she would show herself the way she was to others, especially since Bei Li Yan and the other man caught them in the act. Lory was not a shy girl but she was still embarrassed to be caught in such a situation.

"Just call me later… You have a lot of things to discuss for tomorrow," Lory wiped the red rouge on his lips. Her touch only ignited the fire inside him. He pressed her hand on his lips to calm the burning fire within but sadly it didn't help much. Her flustered face and beautiful doe-like eyes only incited him more.

One could not remain calm when the man you loved looked at you with a passionate gaze. However, it was not the right time or place. There was much they both needed to do. Lory hardened herself to repel his seductive eyes.

"Go! They are waiting for you!" She retracted her hand from him.

"Ugh, I don't want to…" He grumbled. He now understood why the Emperor chose to stay in his harem rather than look at his subordinates' unappetizing faces. Lory chuckled at his reluctance but she chose to help fix his collar and his hair before shoving him lightly.

"Go! We must avoid public place next time," She murmured the last sentence to herself but Zhao Li Xin heard her clearly.

He smiled devilishly, "Next time?"

"Shut up!" A flustered Lory blurted out and glared at him but she appeared adorable in his eyes.

Zhao Li Xin rose from the couch and kissed her forehead before he left with a bright smile on his face. Lory watched his figure disappear behind the moon gate and took a long deep breath to calm her racing heart. She glanced at the couch and felt smoke above her head. She knew they wouldn't have stopped at kissing if they were not in the pavilion. Their relationship had progressed at a speed of turtle but she was not sure anymore if it would remain the same, especially after what happened.