For the longest time he drifted. After he pushed her away, he felt himself sink deeper and deeper. Coldness surrounded him, icy fingers wrapping around his body until he grew numb. The pain was gone and all that was remained was emptiness.

He knew his situation was hopeless. But he didn't want to let go, he wanted to live, to hold on. He wanted to be with Xing'er. Even now, shrouded in darkness, he wished he had more time. Who would have thought, that someone as stoic and calculating as him would end up here...He knew that he lived a dangerous life in an even more dangerous time. Once, he had accepted that this was his fate. Now... now he had so much to live for. He had a strong-headed, fierce warrior to look over, to protect, to love... he had so much more to do.

But he could only fight the darkness for so long. He closed his eyes. He lived a good life, he was fortunate. He just wished he could see her once more, hold her in his arms, kiss her soft lips one last time. He wanted more...

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't fight on. I'm sorry you have to continue your path alone now. Be strong, live on, don't give up... thank you, thank you Xing'er...

Xiao Ce didn't know what was more surprising: that his sister reached out to him or her revelation of the dire situation Yuwen Yue had fallen into.

He knew the moment he saw Yuwen Yue appear in his courtyard demanding to see QiaoQiao, merely an hour after his message was sent, that this man would go to the world's end to protect her. It was tragic, and he tried to intervene gently to pull QiaoQiao away, telling Yuwen Yue that she was gone. They were opposite poles of a magnet, but nothing could stop their pull towards one another. And as he stood there and watched Yuwen Yue embrace QiaoQiao with so much worry, emotion, and relief, he felt like an intruder, gazing in on something so innocent and intimate. The two of them might not realize it, but Xiao Ce knew that they were tied together. But their fate would be tragic. His worst fears were confirmed when the Liang agent delivered the message.

"The female general was dragged from the icy lake against her will. She suffered from extreme frostbite, but fought with much resilience and spite. She tried to jump back into the frozen lake until YanXun had to restrain her.

Yuwen Yue has fallen into the lake with grievous injuries. We are in the process of retrieving him now. There is a high chance he has succumbed to the cold and his injuries."

The message ended there. Xiao Ce wasn't certain what his sister intended for as she sent this message. One thing was certain, he knew he could do something.

Cold... it was so cold... It was dark.

These were sensations. In his slow, muddled mind, he registered that these were thoughts. He felt cold. But he was alive...?

He tried to open his eyes, but everything was lethargic and heavy. He couldn't move... the darkness pulled him under again.

Cold.

This time he woke with a violent tremor. His body was shaking but he could also feel a feverish sweat cover his skin.

Slowly, he forced his heavy eyelids open. His vision was unclear at first, but he then recognized that he was lying in a bed. Swathed in heavy blankets he still couldn't stop the violent tremors that ran through his body.

He turned his head and saw several servants hustling to keep a fire going.
This was Xiao Ce's palace. He recognized the bed he laid in was the one that Xing'er once recovered in as well.

Xing'er... he suddenly felt a desperate force pull at him.

He lurched up violently to use his forearm to steady his upper body, but a piercing white pain spread through his chest and before he realized what was happening, his arm folded and he collapsed back onto the bed. He felt his chest constrict as all he registered was a blinding pain.

"Yuwen Yue, please. I never pegged you as the reckless type."

Yuwen Yue couldn't care to respond to the speaker. All he could focus on was gasping for air as he tried his best to breathe through the pain.

The person waited patiently and said nothing while Yuwen Yue clenched his eyes and waited for the rolling pains to lessen. Slowly, he could breathe steadily once again and the pain became a bearable sensation. He felt exhausted but could also feel the expectant gaze focused on him. Tiredly, he opened his eyes and stared into the dark gaze of the Liang prince.

"Please don't do that again, it took a lot to bring you back."

"You..." his voice was hoarse and he didn't have the strength to string together a sentence.

Xiao Ce's eyes glinted in amusement and the corner of his mouth tilted up. "Yes, I, the prince of Liang state, a sworn enemy of the Wei state has saved you. You must have plenty of questions, but I'm sure you will realize my intentions once you are recovered."

Yuwen Yue wanted to ask him more, but he could feel the darkness return and knew he was soon to be pulled under. With the last of his consciousness, he stared at Xiao Ce, "Xing'er... she..?"

Xiao Ce stood up and patted his floral robes before turning to leave, "She is with Yan Xun." He paused as if contemplating whether or not he should continue, "She fought for you, they had to physically restrain her to pull her away from the lake. I... the spies tell me she's recovering in Yan Bei but is not responsive."

Yuwen Yue wanted to say more but the darkness weighed down on him.

"Rest, Yuwen Yue. You will be safe here."

The days and nights passed slowly in the Liang complex. Yuwen Yue would drift in and out of consciousness for the first few days. By the midweek, he was awake long enough to take in substance and by the end of the week, he could sit up in bed and support himself.

Nonetheless, his recovery was still a slow one due to the gravity of his injuries. The doctor informed him it was a miracle he survived and only due to his inner power. A serious cut in his left abdomen, lacerations across his arms, an arrow wound through his chest that just slightly missed any vital organs, and the puncture wound in his left shoulder he had received during the ambush with Yue Qi.

A deep sorrow weighed down on him. His entire team and his most loyal second were all slaughtered. These were his men, people he had trained and spent countless hours together with. Men that he trusted his life with, could always count on and overtime, developed a companionship with. He would miss Yue Qi's steadfast resilience, his unwavering support and his ability to connect with him without saying words. He had never been so defeated.

It was his fault. He knew the risk attached to his decision to pursue the flimsy statement that Yanbei soldier shared. However, he still walked into the trap and risked his own life and those of his men.

His fingers dug into his palm. He risked everything and now he was here, powerless to help Xing'er in what must be a equally as helpless situation. He couldn't imagine what she was feeling now.

Was she fully healed?

Was she held as captive by Yan Xun?

The mark on her shoulder... did she release her powers?

As all these questions tumbled through his mind, he recognized the direness of Xing'er's situation. Even if she realized her activated powers, she wouldn't be able to control them. Moreover, spies around Yanbei would quickly notify those with cynical intentions and attack Xing'er while she was weak.

Blood was drawn from his palm as his fingers dug in. He needed to heal, to regain his strength and leave this place. While he recognized his good fortune to still be alive, he knew why Xiao Ce wanted him here and he did not like his intentions. His own priorities were clear; heal, depart and find Xing'er.

With that in mind, he gripped the edge of the bed and gently swung his legs over until his feet touched the floor. Taking a deep breath, he slowly pushed himself up to stand on his own two feet.

Immediately, his knees felt like buckling but Yuwen Yue gritted his teeth and took a step forward to reach for the support of the wall. Placing his palm flat against the wall, he steadied himself while he caught his breath. The short stint already caused a light sheen of sweat to coat his forehead. The pain was bearable and even though it could cripple lesser men, Yuwen Yue was persistent.

Looking up, he saw his sword at the other side of the room. Eyes hardening in determination, he began the gruelling process of retrieving it. The sword wound on his torso throbbed with each step, but it was the arrow wound that bothered him the most. Narrowly missing his heart, the through and through arrow wound caused him to grip his other hand over it in an attempt to stifle the pain.

He was moving slower than it took water to freeze, but eventually he could grip the hilt of his sword. He closed his eyes in rest, feeling the familiar hilt under his palm. As he regained his breath, he took his sword and began to walk towards the door. He needed fresh air, to see the sun again.

Pushing the door none to gracefully, he noticed the wary glances of all the servants and guards. He wasn't a threat... yet. They knew it, he knew it. But that didn't stop everyone from acting precariously. In this moment however, all he wanted to do was sit outside and rest his aching body. His strength was waning quickly but his determination was fierce.

Eventually, he reached the trunk of a large oak tree and rested his palm against it. He could feel the life thrumming under his hand and felt rejuvenated from the energy. Slowly, he leant his back against the tree and lowered himself to the ground. With one leg outstretched and the other bent, he tipped his head back against the large tree and felt weariness wash all over him.

There was too little time. He needed to do so much. But at this rate, in this moment, all he could do was close his eyes and succumb to the dull throbbing.

Author's comments:

My imagination wouldn't stop running until I wrote this down. This story is a continuation of the frozen lake scene following the end of Princess Agents. The story is not related to the novel but strictly based upon my own jumbled thoughts. Nonetheless, enjoy and feedback is always welcome!