The Princess And The Lord

Inside Yong Heng manor, Lory wrapped herself with fur shawl she brought the old mug she used to have at Lao manor, she filled the mug with honey and ginger tea, it been a while since she drinks this kind of tea, the smell of lemon tea brings back a lot of memory. Lory take a sit on the floor on her porch and she gaze to the night sky.

Ever since she came to this world her life is like a kite drifting aimlessly in the sky she had no course or purposed she doesn't know why she still alive, for what reason she survived, maybe is karma because she always wish for a peaceful life and she managed to have one, a normal girl without special background, without a powerful gift, without a mission…and yet she doesn't feel happy but instead, she feel lost drowning in her guilt and loneliness until…he met Zhao Li Xin.

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Zhao Li Xin always feel grateful and fortunate to be saved by her, but the truth it was Zhao Li Xin who save her, when she sacrificed her well being to save him she remember who she was before she becomes a lowly maid, it was that day she felt like herself again, she felt like Lorient again. A princess who put other people well being above herself just like her father thought her to be.

"You should not sit on the floor"

Smiles bloom on her face when she hears the familiar voice, she raised her face while Zhao Li Xin walk towards her, Lory stare at him without blinking as she was afraid he would disappear when she blink her eyes, his expression becomes soft when he looking at her face, finally, he stop right in front of her than he crouch and there faces in the same level.

"When I first show you I thought you are the most beautiful man I saw in this world and my world too" she suddenly confessed to him.

"When I forst saw you I thought you are weird" Zhao Li Xin also confesed to her.

Lory pursed her lips "Is it because you caught me talking to a bird?"

He chuckles lightly "No…" he sighs than he stare at her beautiful eyes "Because you doesn't look belong in this world, something about you….different, I don't know how to explain it, is like you have different vibes…the air around you is different" he caress her cheeks gently "Sometime I'm scared one day you would disappeared without a trace"

"I won't do that to you" Lory took his hand from her cheeks and she kissed his hand softly, this is not the first time he tells her about this, she wants to comfort him but she not dare to reassure him, not when the cursed still bind her.

"Here take a sit with me" he pulls Zhao Li Xin to sit next to her.

He take sit but than he pull lory to sit on his laps "The floor is too cold" he clarify himself.

She doesn't mind to sit on his laps, actually, she already used to it, Lory leans her back to his chest while Zhao Li Xin wrapped his hand on her chest to make her twice warmer.

"I heard about Yuan Shao reject the engagement, what would happen to him?" she knew about it because Ming Yue Yin was with her when she received the news from Su Feng.

"He would be in trouble for sure" he answer calmly.

"Will you help him?" Lory asked.

"He doesn't need my help" he rests his chin on the top of Lory's head "He has not become the youngest general in the Kingdom for nothing, despite the emperor feeling about him, he still able to achieved a lot of things so the emperor has no choice but to make him as A General, it shows how cunning and resilient Yuan Shao is, someone like him will always have a plan"

"You Think so?" Lory still not assured maybe because Ming Yue Yin used to called Yuan Shao 'stupid general'.

"The only thing that burden him is his sister, Yuan Xue An is his weakness, I don't think he will make this decision if Yuan Xue an stil living inside the Yuan Manor but the situation is changed nothing can't hold him down now"

"What do you think the Emperor would do?"

Zhao Li Xin laughs lightly "I must admit Yuan Shao is quite sly, he has spread the rumor about what happened with his parents, the emperor and Qian Qin Wei, how the emperor forced Yuan Fei with the decree to married Qian Qin Wei when The emperor used the same decree to force a marriage between Qian Mu Ting and Yuan Shao what do you think people would say"

"Will people believe the rumor?" Lory feel slightly doubtful.

"That's a good thing about a rumor, no one really care if it's true or not what matters is it gain people attention if the Emperor beheaded him because he refused to marry Qian Mu Ting, it would confirm the rumor and it would harm not only Qian Mu Ting reputation but also the Emperor and for royalty, reputation is everything" Zhao Li Xin tighten his embrace.

"But still, Yuan Shao will not leave unscathed in this situation…" her worry only increased after she heard Zhao Li Xin's explanation.

"No he's not and I believe he expected this, so you don't have to worry about him, that man has paved his way out since a long time ago," said Zhao Li Xin.

Zhao Li Xin knew she cares about Yuan Shao because Yuan Xue An and Ming Yue Yin, she also already considered him as a friend o he should know Lory would be sad if something bad happened to Yuan Shao. Zhao Li Xin will never treat Yuan Shao safety lightly or Lory would mad at him.

Lory let out heavy heaved but than suddenly she remembers something else "What about Qian Mu Ting?"

"That girl?" Zhao Li Xin frown as he tries to remember the woman's vague face "It's wouldn't be good for her…." he answered indifferently. Qian Mu Ting reputation is not good, there's a lot of rumor about her because what the Empress did their's also rumor about her one side love to Zhao Li Xin, and know she also turn down by the famous General Yuan, people would start wonder what exactly happened with Qian Mu Ting why every good man rejected her.

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On The Next Morning inside the second princess courtyard Qian Mu Ting face turn from red to white, she just got the news from her maids who bribe the eunuch entourage to know what had happened, she never thought in million years yuan Shao dare to decline the emperor decree, she was dumbfounded and shocked her legs become numbs she can't stand and she plops on her chair with a defeated expression.

She doesn't love Yuan Shao. That's no doubt about it but she doesn't want to be openly rejected like this either. Her reputation that she carefully preserved was gone down the drain, no one would want to marry her right now, her mother wouldn't able to find a good match to be her husband, she would become a useless pawn, she had no use anymore….what would her parents do to her?

Sweat cover her forhead with thin layer, her hand squeeze the handkerchief tightly.

Her maid become worry about her Princess but most of all they worry about their owned future, a maid can only thrives under a powerful master but in Qian Mu Ting situation she would drag everyone down with her.

"You're highness do you want to meet General yuan, perhaps he misunderstood something?" the maid timidly said with a low voice.

Qian Mu Ting balled her fist "Yes, make arrangement, I want to meet with General Yuan know!" she said with determined eyes.

"Yes, you're highness!" the maids bend her waist and bow courteously before she left the room in a hurry.

She doesn't want to marry Yuan Shao either but after she thinks it through she realizes she has no option better than this, her mother is right, Yuan Shao is a famous General, respect by other General and adored by the citizen of her kingdom there is no better candidate than him, she already accepts her future with Yuan Shao, but than this is happening.

If she can't marry with Yuan Shao than who she should marry than, is their any good man better then Yuan Shao? No, she have to make Yuan Shao marry her, their is no other way other then this!