It did not take long for his wives to dress him, a nobles robe and a combed head of hair he hardly looked the fellow that had just rolled out of bed. Flanked by Alustriea and Little MingMing they walked through the twists and turns of the manor. Alustriea was frowning at him while MingMing was giggling as they past the same bust of buddha for the third time. "Husband, I know you loathe holding court but we can't really delay like this, your troops need reviewing and the emissary from the Glacial Tide sect has been waiting for the last three days. She is getting most impatient."
Xing Lei frowned, in truth he recognized none of the manors corridors, each door and hall looked the same and if there was an exit he was rather at a loss of finding it. Finally sighing he smiled, "Alright my wife I shall follow you to the court, no more leading in circles to put it off that way alright?"
Alustriea frowned and swept past him, lifting a slender hand to stroke his cheek, "If you were lost you only need say so my heart, we all know how directionally challenged you are. Come this way, the carriage awaits."
Xing Lei furrowed his brow, "A carriage? Why would we need such a thing?"
Alustriea sighed, "Are you still asleep my heart? How else can we get to the court hall? It simply won't be acceptable if we walked like common ministers..."
Xing Lei tilted his head, "What of our flying swords? Much faster and more civilized than a carriage and smelly beasts."
Alustriea turned looking at him curiously, "Flying swords? What are those my heart?"
Xing Lei frowned reaching for his ring but noting his spatial ring was not on his finger. "Oh my spatial ring is missing, can't leave that behind..."
Little MingMing took a turn at looking befuddled, "Spatial ring, dear love of my life whatever is a spatial ring?"
Little MingMings eyes brightened, "Ahhh you mean our pouches of holding, just inside your robe lover, they're sewn into the interior by the chest so they are not lost or stolen."
Xing Lei frowned, pouches of holding were that strange storage item from his dream, since when did a cultivator need such a bulky and limited item? Frowning his brain ached, a migraine flashing through his thoughts as he reached up and wiped some red blood that leaked from his nose. Wait... a nosebleed? How long had it been since he bled spontaneously like this? His body tempering when he was a teen had corrected such foolishness...
"Papa, papa!"
A cry from behind along with a small stampede of feet saw him turn, a trio of miniature himself looked up at him. Each bore his powerful physique yet their hair was wheat shades with emerald eyes save the youngest who had dark hair like his mother's and also like MingMing he had rich green eyes that sometimes turned yellow.
The three kids surrounded their parents begging for attention. "Well now, here's my strapping young boys! Is your training complete?"
The bigger of the three bowed to his father, "Yes Father, we have finished our studies in etiquette and math, may we accompany father to his work?"
Xing Lei felt the pain return as Alustriea moved around and shooed the boys away, "Your father is busy preparing to lead the city, run along little Kah, he will entertain you later."
Little Kah cupped his fists and bowed, "Oh apologies Emporer-Father, forgive us our rudeness. Come brothers we should see if Lady Dancer will play with us..."
Watching the trio run off an ache erupted in his heart, since when did he focus on restricting his children like this? He had always let his sons live freely, to pursue their own goals be it school or training. His oldest loved dealing with monstrous beasts, he had a great affinity for taming and breeding, since when did he study etiquette and math, that was the line his older brother followed, to become a scholar while he himself chased the dream of cultivation...
Pulling at his sleeves, his wives lead the distracted Xing Lei outside and into a lavish carriage. Blinds covered the windows obscuring himself and his wives, as it rolled along the pair spoke on and on about his duties, yet he found himself distracted, so much he could remember yet so much felt fundamentally wrong. Ascension? He felt no spiritual energy in his body, was he becoming an immortal or was this ascension related to his Emporer status? In his memories he could never recall when he had guided a country, sure he married a princess or such over the long years but sitting on a throne and guiding people had never been his goal.
Looking out the blinds to the surrounding structures, it all looked so familiar yet the contents of what he was seeing was jumbled, like his life was a jigsaw puzzle where a child had forced pieces together with no concern for how the full picture should look. Key elements were missing, or in the wrong place yet everytime he tried to sort things out in his head he got a migraine and a nosebleed.
Arriving at the court the trio disembarked and entered the lavish building. Servants bowed in their passing as they neared a shielded throne. A slender woman with skin like leather smiled at the trio, her yellow eyes focused on him. "Husband, glad you could join us. Sisters, the Glacial Tide emissary is losing all patience."
Alustriea nodded softly, "Thank you Sister Osilliaice, our lord Husband will be ready to see her promptly."
Bowing low Osilliaice's long green hair fell forward across her face, "We shall excuse ourselves then. Sisters, Husband." Walking past them gracefully the reptilian like woman gave Xing Lei a sad forlorn look before she walked away.
Alustriea sneered in contempt, "Damn Snakana, you had to accept her foul hand for the alliance with her people yet she still thinks she and her kind are considered people in the Empire? Filthy bitch."
Little MingMings face was similarly dark staring in the wake of the second wife, "No good will come of continuing to associate with beast people Lord Husband, when the war with Kathasians is over we should purge those snakes and reptiles next. It is after all, in the best interest of humanity that all beast races, canine, feline or serpent should all fall before us."
Xing Lei frowned, new information clouding his mind as he watched the familiar yet strange second wife leave the trio alone. He felt his heart itch a bit, like something about this truly upset him. Had he not just recently killed someone for slandering his mate and loved one? Yet now his wives bad mouthed another? Alustriea frowned at the confused look on her husband's face lifting the sleeve of her robe to wipe the blood threatening to spill over his upper lip, "Nevermind that Husband, the Glacial Tide emissary awaits. Please become comfortable and we shall guide her to your audience."
Settling on the cushioned throne he dropped the concealing screen over his alcove and waited in silence. His brain buzzed as he was putting information together. A finger traced the arm rest of his throne, the slender pink digit tracing the black draconic visage, the menacing look upon its face yet a familiarity in it that tugged at his memories. As if on cue his head snapped up to watch his wives leading a woman into the audience room, Alustriea and MingMing parted framing his alcove as he looked over the snow white woman. Dressed in a deep purple robe her ivory skin was topped by icy black-white hair. Her face was pretty but her eyes were milky white lacking both iris and pupil.
"Holy Maiden Quintella of the Glacial Tide sect greets the esteemed future Emporer of all the lands."
Watching he stayed silent as Alustriea spoke in his stead, "What brings our beloved ally of the cultivator world to us?"
Quintella looked to Alustriea, "When we joined forces years ago his lordship the Emporer promised our sect a tome of knowledge. My sect begs the emporers indulgence on bestowing us the [Crimson Mountain Body Tempering] technique, we face a dire foe and hope the great one will repay kindness with kindness and grant us this technique."
Alustriea fell silent glancing to Xing Lei, leaning over slightly she whispered, "The Glacial Tide sect has been our stalwart ally all these years Lord Husband, perhaps you can bestow her with this technique?"
Little MingMing also whispered, "They have been most generous to us Lord Husband, perhaps granting them the boon of the [Shadowstalker Nine Paths] on top of it would show immense boon for their years of fealty..."
Lifting a hand Xing Lei silenced the pair, pain wracked his mind as he heard the two techniques mentioned. Something about both struck him as wrong, like trying to remember their details would be dangerous. "We apologize emissary, we are unwell at this time. Give us a few days, when we are feeling proper we shall grant you the reward you ask. My wives, please." Shuttering the veil he slumped back breathing hard, blood trickled freely from both nostrils and from the corner of his lips, the taste of copper so metallic on his tongue made him fall back as darkness claimed his thoughts.
When next Xing Lei awoke he was back in his bed, only rather than MingMing or Alustriea a sad looking Osilliaice was giving him a lap pillow and stroking his dark hair. "You awaken my husband? How do you feel?"
Xing Lei sighed leaning his head back against her thighs closing his eyes, "Better actually, what happened?"
Osilliaice smiled, her dark green lips grazed his forehead, "You collapsed and fainted. Sisters Alustriea and MingMing brought you back and went to console the emissary as well as all our children so order would be maintained. I snuck in to make sure you were fine."
Xing Lei frowned lifting a hand to stroke her cheek, his fingers lightly stroking the roughness along the side of her face, "Why did you have to sneak in, are you not one of my wives?"
Osilliaice nodded sadly, "I am your second wife, but this you should know husband..."
Xing Lei reached up rubbing his forehead, "Along with my ailment, memories are like twisted straw, theres familiarity all around me but at the same time so much does not make sense. Please Osilliaice just answer my questions and try not to question how absurd they sound alright?"
Osilliaice smiled and nodded, "Very well husband."
Sighing softly he closed his eyes, "First off, who are the Kathasians we are at war with?"
"Beast men, particularly those that bear resemblance to panthers. They occupy a distant jungle realm to the south east. After securing the help of my people by marrying me you gained a more direct route to invade them, the war is mostly over with a good sixty to seventy percent of their population dominating the current slave caste."
Xing Lei frowned, "Were the panther folk ever of the plains?"
Osilliaice shook her head, "Not that I recall, the jungle is their native land Husband."
Xing Lei bit his lip feeling twisted puzzle peices slowly relocating, "Why does the Glacial Tide sect need techniques, they are a sect, they should have their own."
His wife shrugged helplessly, "I do not know the answer to that, from what I know only you possess techniques never sharing them until recently."
Xing Lei relaxed, cupping her cheek and drawing her down, "Enough questions for now my wife, attend your husband."
Blushing the robe slipped from her shoulders as Xing Lei guided her down onto the bed with him, feeling renewed vigor as he claimed his second wife. Her cries becoming louder and louder as another puzzle piece reoriented itself inside his mind. Smiling down as he kissed his mate, Xing Lei slowly reclaimed his well being in the arms of the woman beneath him.