Kai looked up at Li Jie, as he scowled down at him. Fear, shock, terror, all the emotions of a person who knows that they are in deep trouble, were present on his face.
Kai knew this was the end for, and even if he tried to reason with Li Jie, it would be just a waste of time. The way Li Jie is looking at him, made him feel small and inferior. Which he is, without a doubt.
"What have you done to Li Jen?" Li Jie asks through grit teeth.
Kai swallows nervously, hanging his head low. Not wanting to have a staring contest with the angry Dragon prince.
"Answer me!" He yelled, when Kai kept his mouth shut.
Tears started to brim Kai's eyes, and his heart felt like it was about to explode. His fingers and toes are becoming numb, and there is a huge lump in his throat.
"I-i h-ha….I would-"
"You traitorous nuisance, you convincing loser! Warmed your way into my sister's heart, only for you to betray her! Was this your plan the whole time? Why won't you answer me!" Li Jie continued to yell, and by this time, a still gathering crowd had formed. Everyone is curious about what is going on. And they finally pushed to the front, or were notified of what was happening. Their whispers and snide comments and mummers could be heard.
Kai is so embarrassed, and secretly wishes that the earth could just open up beneath him, and swallow him to escape the humiliation. Tears flowed rapidly down his red cheeks, and the lump that was stuck in his throat got loose, and his sobs could be heard throughout the hush gossiping of the onlookers.
"Li J-Jie, I-i d-didnt h-h-hurt Li Jen. Kai cried. He wanted to look Li Jie in the eyes to show him that he is not lying, but he was too ashamed, afraid and terrified to do it. So he just sat on the ground, in the same position Li Jie had pushed him. In Li Jen's light pink and red Sheni, his own black hair with specks of silver and gold, hangs loosely around his shoulders and down his back. "S-she- '' but he didn't get a chance to say what he wanted, because at that very moment Li Jie called for the guards.
"No! Please!" Kai cried when he heard the heavy footsteps of the guards coming in their direction.
"Now you want to talk, ha. Tough luck for you Wang Kai, my sister is missing. And you are the one prancing around in her clothing, so you are going to take responsibility for the matter." Li Jie scoffed at Kai, as the guards grabbed his arms and started to drag him away.
He started to struggle a bit, but the guards were too stronger than him.
'This is just like what happened in my dream. Maybe this was what it was telling me.' Kai thought, the sight of him trying to struggle out of the roots grip, flashing through his mind.
"Kai!" A familiar voice shouted. It sounded so broken, that it made Kai cry even more. He looked up, and saw his mother standing a few feet away from the crowd. Her clothes and apron dust with flour, and her hands shook as they clutched her chest. But what broke Kai the most, was the sorrow and fear in her tear filled eyes.
"Mother, I am sorry!" He cried out. His feet gave out underneath him, causing him to fall. But the guards didn't care, as they kept on dragging him by his arms.
Sue-May cried as she watched her son being manhandled by the guards. He is so young, and kind hearted. But so naive and innocent. He didn't do anything wrong, but has to take the blame for someone else's tretrury.
"Oh Kai, my dear boy." She cried. Even though Kai wasn't her biological son, the underneath of her stomach still burned for him.
"Did you know about this?" A gruff angry voice asks from behind her. Her hands grip her clothing tightly, as the sound of Li Jie's suddenly made her angry.
And so what if she knew? Kai didn't do anything wrong, he was only helping out someone who he thought was his friend. But she guesses in this world, if you are from different status. Only acquaint yourself with someone who has the same status as you. "Don't you hear me talking to you?" Li Jie grabbed her shoulder harshly, and spun her around to face his direction.
Sue-May gazed up at him with red puffy teary eyes, so much hatred for the young prince. There is so much that she wanted to unleash on him, but being a mother comes first. And so, she couldn't go around making it even more worse for Kai. Who would stand by him if she got thrown in a jail cell also. For what it's worth even, she kind of get way Li Jie is acting this way. His sister has gone missing, and all this time he thought that she was with them safe and sound. But only to find out that it was all an illusion, someone else had transformed themselves into her and now, he doesn't know where to look. But as she said before, her being a mother come first. And so, she has to protect her son at all cost.
"No, I did not know." Sue-May muttered, not once breaking eye contact with Li Jie.
"But you told me that he was sick, and then he recovered." Li Jie grinds his teeth in frustration.
Sue-May tsk at him in her mind, but making sure her facial expression remind sad and worry. "He was sick, and then he recovered.
Li Face became sad, and tears brimmed around his eyes. Sue-May even started to feel sorry for him, but quickly changed her mind when he gripped her arm tightly. "You said that he quit his job at the stables, and how could you not have known that he was not at your house?!" Li Jie was extremely angry now, and Sue-May started to lose feelings in her arm.
"Please drogan prince, you are hurting me." Sue-May tried to get her arm free, but failed.
"Tell me the truth, and I will let go." Li Jie said through grit teeth, squeezing down tightly. Making Sue-May wince in pain.
"Young master please." A young female Mage came to Sue-May's rescue. She forced Li Jie's hand from off Sue-May's arm, and held her against her own chest. "You shouldn't be handling her like a sack of rice, think about your own mother."
Li Jie's teeth clenched in anger, and he glared at the young female with a malicious look in his eyes. "That is what I am thinking about right now. How my mother is going to have a heart attack when she finds out that her daughter's best friend was impersonating her the whole time. And how his schemer of a mother helped him to cover it up!" He yelled the last part.
He looked at Sue-May with hatred in his eyes, but along with that hatred was devastation and hurt. It was a look of a brother worried about his sister, and right now, Sue-May felt guilty. Guilty for knowing what Li Jen had done, but never informed the head of the royal court. But she had to protect Kai at all cost, so she didn't have a choice. But she has to do everything in her powers to save him now.
"Please, please. I beg of you, you know my son and the kind heart he has. Just let him explain, and don't hurt him." This time, it is Sue-May grabbing a hold of Li Jie's hand, but in a more gentle manner. She looked up at him, her teary eyes reflecting in his own teary eyes. "He is just a boy, and probably- no, I know he is scared and feels alone right now. So please young master, please, let him go."
Li Jie stood there for a couple minutes not saying anything. He is just gazing at nothing in particular, his dark brown hair flowing across his back, and some came in contact with his face as the gentle wind blew.
He looked down at Sue-May's hand that is still holding on to his, then at her face and back down on her hand. Before flinging Sue-May's hand off of his own hand and walking away.
Sue-May sob loudly and the young Mage holds onto her tightly, trying to give her a little comfort.
'Oh Kai, I should have let your father come here for you and drag you back home. How is he going to react, when I tell him that you have been arrested. I had lied to him so many times, but I Kai, I did it for you. And I will forever protect you my dear boy, I only hope that you can survive the wrath of both the Dragon's council and your father.'