A huge, pale, hand with clawed nails opened the door. The sword lowered in the figure's hand. His build was broad and tall. He was no demon but a creature with horns. An ogre maybe or some kind of monster, he had the head of a boar. But another figure was behind him. A smaller and slimmer figure. A woman by her shape and outline in the darkness. Jinghua drew his sword. "Who are you!?" he yelled.
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" The figure yelled as he barged into the shelter. Chisheng Wei lit her sword up to light up the room. Once the figure saw the robes and faces of Bingwen, Chisheng Wei, and Jinghua, he calmed down. The shorter figure, a woman creature just like him, came up from behind him. "You shouldn't yell at them! They're royalty!" The woman in shaggy and torn robes bowed to the three. But she then gasped and looked around the room. "It's-it's all new..and clean. But..how? Who did it?"
"I did, ma'am." Bingwen stepped up and bowed back.
"It's..it's amazing! Thank you!" the woman then turned to who seemed to be her husband. "We can let them stay. If they want to stay we could return the kindness."
Chisheng Wei felt slightly guilty for not knowing that the shelter belonged to the couple. The woman bowed, "My name is Dai Fang and this is my husband, Chen Hai." Jinghua stepped up as the couple shut the door and set their things down. "I am Ning Cheng of the northern Ning clan and that is Yusheng Jin of the eastern Yusheng clan and you probably know young lady Chisheng. We are traveling and need a place to stay for the next two years." Dai Fang smiled and signaled the three to take a seat. Chisheng Wei opened the basket of dumplings. Chen Hai still didn't seem too happy about the whole thing. He left to step outside of the shelter.
"There isn't much space but I'm sure we can find some for the three of you. You do seem very kind." said Dai Fang. Chisheng Wei passed around the basket to the three of them, taking a dumpling for herself as well.
"I don't understand." Bingwen said, "You let us stay even though we don't belong here. You don't know us." Dai Fang smiled at him.
"It shouldn't matter what you are. I don't care at all. But you did a favor that I never asked. You fixed my home, therefore I should return the favor. You all are royalty anyway. This city is in the worst condition and has been for a long time. No one is as kind. You all seemed pure hearted and it gave me the sense that you cared and that you had good intentions." She paused to take a bite of the dumpling. "My husband might not agree completely but he'll warm up to the decision eventually. In the meantime, I need someone to help me finish cleaning." She turned to Jinghua. "Why don't you go help my husband. He's outside chopping wood." And Jinghua did as he was told. Bingwen was still confused about her decision to let them stay. But he soon accepted it. And he and Jinghua and Chisheng Wei grew close with the couple. And grew close together. As if they were family. And Bingwen began to notice that it almost seemed like everything was perfect. Almost too perfect but it was fine. There were no obstacles, no one was trying to kill him and he didn't have to run away from anyone. For the first time it had been perfect.
And by the time he knew it, the year ended and another one started. One year left before the three would return to their clans. A year left before Bingwen would get to see his family and his sisters. He missed his youngest. Lanying was older now. And Jinghua would go back to his father. He had a plan to kill his father. To end the madness. And Chisheng Wei would have to go back to her family. To watch her older sister get married and someday become a clan empress. It only seemed that time went by fast. Too fast.
Bingwen would have so many new memories. He remembered Jinghua outside of the shelter helping Chen Hai. Chisheng Wei was in the kitchen with Dai Fang. Bingwen stood in the doorway, watching Jinghua. It seemed. To Bingwen at least, Jinghua had finally found zen. He had come to his senses.
The two exchanged a quick glance. Bingwen smiled at Jinghua before he went back to work with Chen Hai. and it seemed the world had stopped, only for them to enjoy life.