Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own and I doubt that will change during the progressing story.

What the hell does the adviser of Emperor Yao in his private rooms?

Lan Fan walked towards the door which separated Ling's private rooms from the rest of the palace and glared at the guard who was standing beside the door – and who was day-dreaming.

"I hope that you aren't that sleepy when someone comes to kill the emperor!" she scolded and frowned at him. "And now it would be great if you would let me in because the Highness wanted to see me as soon as possible. And my sense of duty doesn't allow me to stand around while I should be with him."

The door was opened from the inside and Ling stepped out. "Can't mistake that voice," he said amused and grabbed Lan Fan's hand. "Are you scolding my poor guards again? It's not your duty, Miss Adviser."

"I am sorry, Your Highness," she sighed. "Well, you wanted to see me, Master?"

"Yes," he said and dragged her into his private rooms, in his bedroom to be more exact. As soon as they were alone, they always dropped their act. Lan Fan relaxed and she started to smile lovingly at her boyfriend. Ling became a little bit more serious and he acted more like the adult he was supposed to be.

"I missed you," Lan Fan whispered.

Ling sighed. "I missed you too, Imperial Adviser," he said.

"You didn't nominate me!" she said.

"I did," he said. "You saw the darker side of our country … and I will need this point of view."

"Of course … but … an imperial adviser … this honour…"

"From now on you shall be known as Lady Lan Fan."

"You can't make me a lady that easily!"

"No one dared to oppose me." He pulled her down to kiss her. "You are nobility now, Lan-Lan."

"Try to tell that the council," she muttered.

"Did they really dare to question your loyalty?" Ling's eye narrowed in anger.

"Yes."

"They are fools."

"Doesn't change the fact that I could get in trouble; it will make it even more likely." She kissed his nose. "And if I should be seen here, my reputation will be stained forever."

"We would be caught in a heated battle of mouths," Ling grinned, "but really – who should come in? I told them that we don't want to be disturbed."

"Oh?"

"Yes…" he leaned in to kiss her. She responded and their kisses became hungrier. Ling unbuttoned her dress and threw it away. It hit a vase which fell down and shattered. She glared at him for destroying her best dress, the sole silken one – and he apologised with another kiss. His lips travelled down until they reached the hemline of her top and he buried his head between her breasts. She pushed him gently away and got rid of his shirt and her own hair band. Black hair flooded over her pale shoulders and he sat up to kiss her steel shoulder. They were about lying down again as they heard footsteps coming closer. Lan Fan cursed colourfully and jumped out the bed to get dressed again while Ling looked confused.

"I thought I told them that I wanted to be left alone," he muttered while she threw his shirt back at him. He got up and gave her one of his shirts since her dress was damaged. She closed the buttons and brushed her hair before she sat down on a chair while her heart beat much faster than usually.

Ling redressed in a flash and spilled some wine over Lan Fan's destroyed dress before he rushed towards the door and stood right in front of it as someone opened it from the outside. It was his former adviser and any doubts Ling had had about degrading the man to a simple member of the council vanished this very second.

"Your Highness, someone told me that you nominated this girl as your new adviser. She is hardly qualified enough for such an honour," the old man said and coughed.

Ling frowned at him. "She is very loyal," he replied, "and she knows me far better than you or anyone else. I refuse to disrespect her and her sacrifice and to insult her by agreeing with you on the statement that she wouldn't be qualified enough! I am well aware of her skills, thank you very much!"

Lan Fan got up and lifted her automail arm before she glared at the old man who knew nothing about them. Ling knew that she was angry without even looking at her and just grabbed the steel-arm. "Can you see this arm?" he hissed. "Can you see it? She cut off her own arm to safe me. She risked her life nearly every day when I was still a prince. And she always believed in me. She brought me to the throne – not you!" He let his words sink in before he continued. "And you are simply not as cute as Lan-Lan," he grinned. "Face the truth."

Lan Fan just stared at him.

"Your highness, it is not proper to talk about a lowborn woman that way," the ex-adviser scolded.

"Shut up!" Ling ordered. "And leave us alone. We were really busy before you dared to interrupt us."

"Busy with…?"

"…discussing the new structure of our beautiful country," Lan Fan lied.

"Exactly," Ling nodded. "Would you please leave now? I would like to finish our conversation."

The old man sighed and looked back at Lan Fan. "She wears one of your shirts."

"I stained her dress with wine." The young emperor picked it up and gave it the man. "Could you please take care of it? It has to be cleaned and repaired. Thank you!"

Lan Fan couldn't help but chuckle as the man left.

Ling grinned as he looked at her. "Well … where were we, Lan-Lan?"

"We were undressing and making-out," she said.

"Thanks for reminding me."

"Shall we go on?"

"If you don't object…"

"Why should I?" she whispered as her fingers got a grip on his collar and she pulled him down. Another heated battle of tongues ensued as they fell down on his bed. Ling was remarkable taller and also a little bit stronger than Lan Fan and he pressed her down on the bed while his hands roamed over her fragile body to caress every scar she had. He kissed her nose. "Love you, Lan-Lan," he groaned.

Some people complained about the low update-speed and the shortness of the last chapter. People, there is a really easy way to motivate a writer. For those who don't know it: REVIEWS!