Water Mirrored Moon - 水鏡月

Part III - Beloved of the Seventh Prince: 58. Western Twilight

The festivities were to last for ten days with the main banquet set to be held on the last day. While the older men gathered to socialize and do business during the day, Erhan met with the younger men who had travelled to the camp to make offers on his daughter's hand. On the fifth morning, gritting his teeth, Luo Yi Tian obediently went to Erhan's tent to make his marriage offer, and came out with mixed feelings.

When he returned to their tent, Luo Yi Tian found that his father had already left to seek out some of the more influential guests, becoming obsequious in his efforts to curry favour and build connections. Grateful that he did not have to face his father after the embarrassment of being grilled by Erhan, Yi Tian left to wander about the camp on his own, consumed by his own thoughts.

Although he'd initially been disgusted by the dirt and the dust that constantly entered the tent where they slept, and by the musty smell of the animals that had been brought in to be slaughtered for their evening meals, he had to grudgingly admit that the vivid colours, the liveliness of the people, their easy manners and casual way of calling to each other fascinated him.

He had also seen the Crown Prince Ashina Atil quite often since arriving, noticing him lounging with other guests in front of their tents, sharing their fire, and sharing their food. It was clear that the prince was well-liked and respected, and yet Luo Yi Tian felt the unspoken divide that set Ashina Atil apart from other men. Still his alluring presence attracted followers, gathering men and women alike, but Luo Yi Tian could not shake the feeling that there was something unsettling about the prince, something uncivilized that rippled just under the skin. Even without the scars on his arms and chest, the sinewy muscled lines of his body indicated that Ashina Atil was not only a pretty face, but a capable fighter. Years later, Luo Yi Tian would regret that he did not listen to his instincts.

Blissfully unaware of danger, he only burned to see one person.

Is the princess still ill? Luo Yi Tian wondered, unconsciously circling the same route a second time with his brow slightly creased.

He had not seen the princess since her arrival in the camp when Ashina Atil had carried her away in his arms like she weighed nothing at all...and yet that fragility had been so forcefully belied by that daring, wild leap over the barrier. He could not get it out of his mind...the sight of her fierce determination as she charged over with such a lack of regard for her own safety.

Startled out of his last thought, Luo Yi Tian stuttered to a halt in the shadow of a tent and then slowly backed up until he was just out of sight. A few feet in front of him, Crown Prince Ashina Atil was standing with his head intimately bent towards a young and richly dressed girl. There were not many females of that age in the camp except for Erhan's women, but Luo Yi Tian could not see the girl's face as she was veiled and had her back to him. Apprehension ticked up Yi Tian's spine, as he noted the way their bodies mirrored each other giving the appearance of intimacy.

Ah...Luo Yi Tian blushed in embarrassment. But who...?

Trying not to panic, Luo Yi Tian held his breath, and covered his mouth. He watched as they spoke in whispers, noticing when Ashina Atil reached out to tuck a strand of stray hair away from the girl's face. There was a faint laugh, and the girl looked like she was poised to leave, but at the last moment the Prince pushed something into her hands, folding her fingers over the object and clasping his hands tightly over the girl's. The look in his eyes was smoky and full of promise, like the mesmerizing gaze of a tiger.