Sportive Battles
Wild cheers rose from the courtyard. It was a cold afternoon, and Ying Kong Shi watched Yan Da fight with Delung Rong, the new leader of the Bear Clan. He inhaled deeply, and blinked into the sun. He still couldn't believe Xian Xue's revelation. To Ying Kong Shi, it felt like only months had passed since he last saw Ka Suo on earth. But with the revelation that his ancestor had spent sixty years in the energy stream, not only had he learned how hard it had really been for Yan Da to recover. He had also realized that Ka Suo had probably already lived most of his mortal life. Ka Suo might even be dead by now, with eighty-eight years. The thought made his heart heavy.
Xian Xue had insisted on speaking to the others as soon as possible. They had spent the night and most of the following day talking their next steps through. To Ying Kong Shi, it was an interesting experience. The whole meeting seemed so experienced. He understood that they had done so for sixty years, discussing and judging and analyzing back and forth every step and every plan in the future. He couldn't help but to feel a deep admiration for Xian Xue, Piang Feng, Xing Gui, Yue Shen and Huang Tuo. And even for Yan Da, who was treated as a natural part of that long-existing team, even though it was not truly her who had been part of it.
As they still weren't sure about the plans of the assassin, they had together decided to keep Yan Da in the Ice Palace. Here, the Fire Queen could prepare for the aptitude test under Ying Kong Shi's protection. As most Clan Leaders were present, she could also take the opportunity to discuss with them their experiences in ruling. Even the Predor Mermaid had consented to her staying in the Ice Palace, when they had informed her in the morning about the new attack of the assassin.
Shortly afterwards, Xian Xue had decided to go into meditation. He wanted to be ready in case the assassin tried to torture Yan Da's soul again. He would definitely protect her, and planned to use their connection to find out where Yan Da's soul was imprisoned.
Ying Kong Shi's Yan Da, however, had decided to take matters in her hand. She had started to practise her combat skills. Delung Rong had soon offered to be her sparring partner. Ying Kong Shi wasn't fond of the idea at all, but he kept his feelings for himself, as Yan Da could need any political or friendly support in this time, and it also helped reduce her stress levels. In the afternoon, Yan Da spent hours in the library of the Ice Palace, studying and talking to Xing Gui, who turned out to be a very good teacher when it came to philosophical questions about the qualities of a ruler. When the Fire Queen came back in the evenings, Ying Kong Shi distracted her as best as he could. They went for walks and visited their cherry blossom tree, played with the Ice Clan's kids, and he taught her ice skating under a lot of laughter. But most of all, he looked forward to their nights, when he lay down next to her and held her tight.
Yan Da never seemed too tired to reach out to him. The more she wanted to unite with him, the more sensual he became towards her. Ying Kong Shi learned to read her body language, all her little moans, the moves of a hand, the shift of her hips when she wanted to be touched, her hands on his body to help him find a rhythm to their passion. They both rejoiced in exchanging pleasures, and it became as natural to them as breathing. The Ice Prince knew their future was still uncertain, but they already felt like a true couple, refusing to let their worries get the better of them. And after what he had learned from Xian Xue, Ying Kong Shi was more than ready to be gentle and caring towards Yan Da, and bring her happiness both day and night. Should a maddened soul of the older Yan Da ever invade his lover, the Yan Da who had died for him should see and feel all of this. He wouldn't allow her to doubt his love for her. Never again.
Delung Rong cried out when Yan Da kicked him to the ground. Ying Kong Shi smiled. She had improved a lot since the day in the past, when she had fought for her freedom from a forced marriage with the fake leader of the Bear Tribe. What she lacked in strength, she had learned to compensate with her celerity and her accurate reflexes. Now Yan Da laughed happily, and held her hand out to Delung, who took the offered help with a broad grin on his face. Ying Kong Shi loved watching her fight, as there was something erotic about her body control, and he realized he wasn't her only admirer. With every new day there were more men of the Ice Tribe among the audience. It pleased him in an almost childish way that all of them were only left with dreams. Only he, Ying Kong Shi, knew what beauty was hidden under her armor.
When he turned around, he was facing Huang Tuo. The healer looked as fresh and friendly as always. "Your Majesty. You called for me?" Ying Kong Shi studied the face of the man he had long considered his friend. "Huang Tuo, I want to have a private conversation with you." The healer nodded and together they walked towards the outer balustrade. "I want you to examine Yan Da without her noticing. I want to know what condition she is in. If I can do something to improve her health and powers after all the experiences of the past few weeks, then I would like to know. There are only three days left until the Mermaid Clan's test." Huang Tuo looked confused, but nodded. "Your Majesty, may I ask if anything has happened that could affect Yan Da's health?" Ying Kong stared at the healer, then looked away with blinking eyelids. "Ying Kong Shi?" Huang Tuo could be very persistent when it came to health issues, as the Ice Prince now noticed. "We… not that it's your business ... well ... we've started sharing the bed."
Now it was Huang Tuo who blinked his eyes in disbelief, and then, to Ying Kong Shi's surprise, suddenly smiled. "So Yue Shen was right. She had already suspected something had changed between the two of you." Ying Kong Shi now looked visibly embarrassed. "How did your fiancée get to such thoughts?" "Ying Kong Shi, you may not know it, but Yue Shen, Xing Gui and Yan Da became very close friends over the years in the energy stream. Even if your Yan Da has not yet connected to her other self, she is still the same person, and she and Yue Shen have often talked about the future. Yan Da grew up in a terrible family, which is why she secretly wished to have an own family one day, with children that she could love freely and without the suppressing rules of the Fire Tribe.
We didn't know if you would ever develop the desire to have your own offsprings with her. But Li Luo told us that she once saw you in Snow Fog Forrest, playing happily with the small children of the Ice Clan. And Xian Xue confessed that he always had a wish to build his own nest one day, even though he lost Yan Zhu before he was grown up enough to understand his feelings for her. It was Yan Da who finally made the decision to trust us in that matter." A smile played on Huang Tuo's lips, and there was that stab in Ying Kong Shi's heart again. They all had contributed to this fresh start. Yan Da had trusted each of them more than him. Bitterness rose in him, but so did shame. He inhaled deeply. "If you know so much about the other Yan Da, tell me honestly, will she ever be able to forgive me?"
Huang Tuo looked into the distance and smiled gently. "From my point of view, she already has forgiven you long ago. But it takes courage to love. Just as you two had the courage to give yourselves to one another. Don't worry so much, Ying Kong Shi. Oh, and to answer your real question, she's not pregnant. Yan Da knows her lunar rhythm well. She told me about it herself in the energy stream. Her fertile phase begins at the full moon and lasts for five days. At least that was the case in her old body. If you hold back during this time, with an extra day of abstinence before and after that period, nothing should happen." Ying Kong Shi struggled with his composure. Huang Tuo had just proven that he could see through his intentions with ease. But the healer had not turned his ability against him, but rather dispelled his worries as an honest friend. The Ice Prince pulled himself together and looked in Huang Tuo's face.
"It's been a long time since anyone spoke to me so openly. Huang Tuo. Thank you, for your… explanations. I was actually worried that our… intercourse could have affected her. Nevertheless, I want you to keep an eye on her. She's exhausting herself every day. She said that she would make every second count. To be honest, I think it is not only the test that is distressing her, but also the constant feeling that the assassin could mess around with her soul." Huang Tuo nodded understandingly. "Your Majesty, I will do my best. However, I can only encourage you to help her sleep well and eat enough. Maybe I can provide you with a medicine for that. I'll take my leave now to check on the queen right away. And don't worry. I will keep it a secret, even from Yue Shen." He bowed and left.
Ying Kong Shi watched him go. A feeling rose in him that he had seldom met before. This man was loyal to him. You must have always felt this way, Ka Suo. Surrounded by such friends, you just had to feel like you could achieve anything. It is no wonder that you even gained the Hidden Lotus with their help. Brother, I wish I could tell you about all of this new fresh start. But sixty years have passed since I left. You are eighty-eight now, and you might even have died. What did you experience? Did I become an uncle? And did you have a good life? I wish I could see you just one more time.