Chapter 2

Day and Night

(TP) The next time Lanfan woke up, it was still dark. Frowning, she sat up.

... Or well, tried to. She had only just moved when pain raced up her back and she was forced to lay back down. When her blankets let out a gentle snore, she realised where she was at. Her eyes closed in embarassment, Oh, god. Please no!

"ZZZZZZ-*snort*- L-Lanfan? Lanfan!" As her 'blanket' moved, her body moved, causing her to moan in pain. "Oh, god! Lanfan, I'm sooooo sorry! Are you alright?!" Her 'blanket' was actualy Ling Yao, the Emperor of Xing and her master.

"I-I am alright, My Lord," she whispered, "But why am I in your chambers? Shouldn't I be in my own or the infermery?"

Ling chuckled, "Well, after the, um, incodent, yesterday, Mei thought it would be best if you had a constant eye on you. So, naturaly, I volulenteered."

"My lord," she said hastily, "I am eternaly gratefull for your generousity, but I should be in my own chambers."

As she tried once again to get up, Ling made her lay down. "Ah-ah-ah-ah! You need your sleep! You've been through a lot and you need to get your strengh back up!" When she tried to protest, he added, "Don't make me order you! So sleep!"

"B-but my lord! What if-" She cut off when Ling placed a finger on her lips.

"Go to sleep, Lan, you need it," he ordered. Finaly, she stopped strugling and closed her eyes. Soon, sleep folded her in its arms.

As Lanfan's breathing evened out, Ling looked at her fondly. He decided not to tell her why Mei had him keep eyes on her. She would only get mad and yell at him.

For no reason, the Xingese Emperor sighed. Stupid counsle, he thought, Ruins everything for me. "That's not how an Emperor should eat," he mocked quietly, "Emperor's rise early! You need to produce an heir! Stupid fucking counsle, all they do is fucking nagg me like my mother..."

Sighing, he climbed into his bed again and wrapped his arms around Lanfan's sleeping form. Ling felt nothing but content as he burried his head into her soft black hair. Soon falling asleep to the smell of lavender.

(Time Passes) Ling woke suddenly, just as the sun was rising. He was confused why until he realised that Lanfan was moving in her sleep from a nightmare. Lanfan's face was beaded in sweat and her hair clung in lumps to her face. She kept mumbling something that he could not make out as she tossed and turned. "Lanfan," he said gently trying to wake her up. When it didn't work, he raised his voice slightly, "Lanfan. Lanfan!"

The last time he said her name, her eyes snapped open and she shot up. Before she got far, pain raced up her back. Letting out a cry of pain, she fell back onto the bed. "Lanfan," Ling said worringly, "Are you alright?"

Making it look painful, she nodded. "You where dreaming," he said softly. "It sounded like it was a nightmare, too." Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her. "You had me worried, Lan."

Lanfan blushed sightly, saying, "M-my lord..?"

"I-I thought I could deal with the posibilty of you dying, b-but not anymore! When I saw you on the ground, bleeding out, I-I couldn't... I haven't thought sraight for days, Lan. Days! I realised something during that time. Lanfan, I can't live without you. I-"

"Wait," she said realizing something of her own, "Days?! How long have I been out?"

"Lanfan," he said seriously, "Let me finish. What I realised is that I lo- no, I'm in love with you."

Lanfan's blush was now a deep scarlet red and she looked away. "My lord, I do not deserve your-"

"Yes, Lan, you and you alone deserve it," he said, "You, who has saved me time and time again. You, who has insited on following me everywhere, even tagging along with me on my parnks. You, who I have known since I was a child. You, Lanfan, the woman I love and will allways love." He looked down at her blushing face. She still didn't look at him.

Ling frowned and asked gently, "Don't you love me Lanfan?"

She was silent for a while, then whispered, "Just because nothing is shown, doesn't mean there is nothing there." Her eyes widened and she slapped her hand across her big mouth, her blush becoming even more red.

He smiled, "So you Do love me!" As her hand slipped from her mouth, Ling leaned down and kissed her.

Lanfan found her-self at a loss for words- literaly- as Ling continued to kiss her. He snacked one arm around her waist and the other around her neck, pulling her closer. Despite thinking how scandles this was, she returned them with equal force.

... Until her back started to spasm. Ling gasped as she started to move uncontrole abely. "Lanfan!" He held her limbs down so she didn't hurt her-self. Her eyes had rolled back into her head and all he could see was the whites. After a full minute (of which, he was treriffied to his wits) she finaly stopped.

Her hair had come out its bun and hung in clumps around her pale face. Ling pressed a finger to her neck, checking for a pulse. About a second, he found one. It felt weak, but it still was there. He released his breath in relief and got out of the bed. When he reached the hallway, he called for Mei.