Xie Jianyu was feeling gloomy these days.
He never thought of himself as a "sword freak" before, but recently he wondered if he truly was one.
Confined to his bed, the Crown Prince found himself lost in a sea of memories, his mind drifting back to a time when his body was his own, when he could move with the agility of a panther and strike with the precision of an eagle.
Winter Frost, once a ferocious blade that formed an extension of his will, was now lying next to him on a silken bedsheet, appearing as tame as an Emperor's gem-studded scepter.
"Little Yu, put Winter Frost away," Xie Jianshen said with a frown when he entered the room with another bowl of medicine. Xie Jianyu was cuddling his sword like he would a kitten.
"No," Xie Jianyu said defiantly. "I am not doing anything dangerous. I just want to hold it for a while."
Xie Jianshen reached out with his hand and patted his foolish younger brother's head affectionately.
