The atmosphere was silent for a moment, neither of us spoke.
Memories of being with him, memories only I knew, suddenly surfaced. I let myself sink into the turbulent currents of memory.
"You… you haven't forgotten we still have a deal. Tell me, what do you need me to do for you?"
Xià Xiāoēn broke the silence. I finally came back to my senses, looking at his lively expression, realizing I had fallen into a misconception.
He, now, was real.
He was within my reach.
That was enough.
"Is that so? Since Your Highness says so, then I must think carefully."
I curved my lips, stealing a glance at his reddened ear tips.
"Xiāoēn, do you know about the World Tree?"
He frowned slightly, then nodded after careful thought.
"Although humans do not possess extraordinary abilities like other races, the crowns of successive emperors have a gemstone, said to know all the secrets of the world."
"The World Tree has been gone for a long time. Although there are many rumors, they all require verification."
Xià Xiāoēn's voice was like dancing notes, entering my ears.
"Knock knock."
There was a hasty knock on the door. The person outside seemed very urgent, not even minding the etiquette.
Xià Xiāoēn's brow furrowed slightly, but he maintained his composure: "What is it?"
"Your Highness, the First Prince has led a large group of guards and surrounded the entire Imperial Palace! It looks like…"
He didn't finish, but Xià Xiāoēn and I exchanged a glance, both understanding his unspoken meaning.
"Hmph, so impatient? He causes such a commotion after being obstructed only a few times."
Although he said this, a wild smile spread across Xià Xiāoēn's lips, and he didn't seem to take the other party seriously.
He turned to look at me, his steady voice carrying a charge: "You stay here first. I'll come find you after I've dealt with this."
This was not the time to distract him. I nodded obediently.
Watching his receding back, my heart ached, and I could no longer suppress my desire to help him.
Even if he had everything under control, I wanted to stand by his side, not as someone being protected, but as his equal.
"Elf, sing."
That ancient voice seemed to pierce through time and space, reaching me again.
The familiar melody also surfaced in my mind.
I recalled the person who fell asleep under this melody back then, and decided to give it a try.
I reverted to my elven form and flew out through the half-open window.
The clang of swords echoed throughout the Imperial Palace. With every place I passed, my heart grew heavier.
"Dong dong."
The ancient bell tower also sang a sorrowful tune, its distant and lingering chime echoing across the land.
I looked in the direction of the bell sound, where its voice could cover the entire Imperial Palace.
Without hesitation, I flew towards the bell tower.
At this moment, the setting sun was like blood, casting a tragic hue over the bell tower. I heard it emit a wailing sound.
"Drip, drip, tears moisten the roots of the World Tree. Elf, please drink this bitter spring water and sing again."
"Forget sorrow and pain, wander in freedom, and return to the embrace of the World Tree."
The gentle Elvish language gradually replaced the clash of weapons. Embraced by the sunset, the world seemed to fall into tranquility, with only the gentle breeze from afar softly brushing across people's sleeping faces.
I found Xià Xiāoēn in the courtyard. He was sitting peacefully by the fountain. If not for his closed eyes, I wouldn't have realized he was asleep.
The evening breeze stirred his silvery-white hair, revealing his gentle face. This favorite of God had finally had a good night's sleep.
Transforming back into human form, I used my enhanced physique to carry him back to his room, then returned to the courtyard.
I supposed the person lying on the ground, fast asleep, was the First Prince they spoke of?
He truly disgraced the royal family's dignity.
I used a rope to tie him up securely, preparing to let Xià Xiāoēn decide his fate when he woke up.
The Elf elder had told me that the longer one slept, the greater their inner desires.
To think he would do something like auctioning off elves. It seemed this First Prince would sleep for a very long time.
This was the quietest night I had spent since arriving here. Instead of bright lights, it was cloaked in charming nightfall.
I went to Xià Xiāoēn's bedside and tucked him in.
In my eyes, he was always invincible. It was rare to see him sleeping so peacefully.
As if by some unseen force, I leaned closer to him and gently kissed his cheek.
Goodnight, Xiāoēn. I hope you have sweet dreams.
I lay beside him and, before I knew it, fell asleep too.
The chirping of birds in the morning woke me. The moment I opened my eyes, I was met with a devastatingly beautiful sight.
That face, more elven than an elf, was staring directly at me. His smoky purple eyes curved gently, shimmering with a tender hue.
How should I explain this situation?
Seeing my flustered state, Xià Xiāoēn chuckled softly and reached out to stroke my hair.
His voice was very, very soft, as if telling a bedtime story: "This is the best outcome. No excessive casualties, and we all had a good sleep."
"You helped me again."
I smiled. He truly disliked endless conflict, just as I thought.
The sounds from the courtyard gradually grew noisy. It seemed most of the soldiers had also woken up.
From their confused voices, many didn't understand why they had suddenly fallen asleep.
Only Xià Xiāoēn and I exchanged a glance, savoring the secret known only to us.
The battle for the human throne ended, and Xià Xiāoēn ascended the throne with overwhelming strength.
To this day, I finally asked Xià Xiāoēn this question, as his Empress.
"Xiāoēn, why weren't you even a little surprised that I could transform into a human?"
Xià Xiāoēn, wearing the crown symbolizing the emperor, tilted his head slightly, looking a bit shy: "The day you arrived, I watched you for a while."
"You mean you were at that tavern from the beginning?"
Xià Xiāoēn was momentarily speechless, and hastily explained: "I just suddenly remembered the wine there, not that…"
He suddenly fell silent and no longer replied no matter how I asked.
I remembered what he had said about the gemstone and asked: "Xiāoēn, can I borrow that gemstone to take a look?"
It was a smoky purple gemstone, the same color as his eyes.
Xià Xiāoēn readily took it off and handed it to me. The moment I held it, fragments rushed into my mind.
It began with a seed planted in the soil, then after tens of thousands of years of growth, it finally became a towering tree.
Innumerable races gathered around the tree – humans, vampires, werewolves… They gave a portion of their power to the World Tree.
Next, a blaze of fire swept in. I seemed to feel the scorching heat, and the memory abruptly ended.
I tightly gripped the gemstone and silently repeated my question in my mind: "How can I revive the World Tree?"
Images flashed quickly in my mind: a dark ancient castle, a nest piled with countless jewels, and a tower that pierced the clouds.
I told Xià Xiāoēn the content of the images. He pondered for a moment and shared his guesses with me.
"As far as I know, dark ancient castles are mostly vampire habitats; their taste has always been like that. Nests with so many jewels should be dragon territory; they love to hoard jewels everywhere. As for that tower…"
Xià Xiāoēn's expression turned serious as he looked at me: "That must be a Wizard's Tower. A group of people who completely ignore others live there."
I struggled to suppress my laughter. Xià Xiāoēn's descriptions were too amusing, but thanks to him, I had acquired a lot of useful information.
Just as I was about to return the gemstone, he seemed to have no intention of taking it back.
"Keep it. You can return it to me when you come back."
His expression was incredibly serious. I hadn't told him about my mission, yet he acted as if he already knew.
"Xiāoēn, I have to leave. This is beyond my control. But I promise you, I will come back to find you."
"So, I hope you will wait for me."
I hugged him, not letting him see my reddened eyes.
Xià Xiāoēn's scent enveloped me. His deep voice echoed in my ear, word by word: "You are the only one who can be my Empress. You must come back."
In the empty grand hall, only the figures of us embracing occupied the space. The fading sunset cast our shadows infinitely long. In that moment, I felt as if I could smell the scent of time.