I woke up to the chirping of the birds and rays of sunlight streaming through the curtains of an unfamiliar window. Birds never chirp close to my windows because there were no trees around my house. I sat up and looked at the window,the curtains were of heavy golden embroidery,the walls were white and the bed I was sitting in was wider and bouncier than mine,the covers were embroidered with Ancient Chinese images and writings. It hit me immediately that this wasn't my room but all I could remember was falling asleep last night in my own bed. but how did I end up in this majestic and heavenly looking room. But if I was kidnapped, they would have left me in a room without lights nor comforts,I tried to get out of bed, that's when I noticed the muscularly slender pale arm around my waist holding me down. I turned to look beside me and there was a beautiful heavenly like face sleeping beside me. he looked so peaceful and handsome in his sleep,his long white hair was spread out on the pillows under his head, his lashes were long and his thin red lips looked so inviting, his milky bare upper body was just too smooth and beautiful, he was definition of heavenly made. He had a slender waist and long legs.
where was I?, how did I end up in bed with such a handsome no beautiful man? were the questions running through my mind.
I remember going to bed with the thoughts of going to the bank for a loan then heading to the hospital to pay my father's medical bills. The doctors had told me that a sum of 80,000 dollars was need before they could start treatment on my dying Father. He needed a fast surgery for the tumor growing in his brain.
I held on tightly to the bed covers and brought it up to my face, they smelled like white orchard flowers that blossomed in spring. I noticed I was in a long white night dress that was almost transparent. I heard footsteps and my heart beat increased. right now I was more afraid for my life than I was of my surroundings. The door opened and few people dressed in Ancient traditional Chinese clothes walked in, their clothes were red and white in color. I sat there waiting for them to speak as they bowed and greeted.
"Goodmorning Emperor" they greeted and my eyes widen In suprise. The arm around my waist tightened its hold as the man beside me stirred in his sleep. I turned to look at him and our eyes met. He had the most captivating eyes I had ever seen. His eyes were slender and Misty, the color of his pupils were emerald green like a Jade tiger's. He smiled as he looked up at me and placed his palm on my cheek. my eyes widened in suprise and I unconsciously moved away but his arm around my waist drew me back and I fell into his chest and he wrapped his arms around me in a warm protective embrace.
"You shouldn't be shy like this around me." He said in a voice that was as calm as the still spring waters.
"prepare a bath for us" he said looking down at my face.
The servants consisting of three females and three males who had entered the room earlier all bowed and walked out.
"Did you sleep well?" he turned to me and asked blinking his eyes slowly in an elegant manner. this man was too beautiful and his looks were almost feminine. he had a calm aura around him and even in the way he spoke. He spoke slowly and dignified like he had all the time in the world.
"Wh-o are yo-u?" I asked in a stutter.
"I am your husband" he answered calmly and patiently like the question didn't seem to upset him.
"hus-band?" my eyes widened and I wiggled in his embrace and he calmly let me go.
"no no no no no.. this is my dream right? it must be a dream.. you're not my husband.. i-i what? where's this place?" I jumped out of bed and backed away but he sat in the same spot not moving or seeming offended by my actions or words.
"Heaven's gate Eastern China" He answered calmly and I wondered why he was so calm and collected while I was freaking out.
"How did I get here? how am I your wife?" I asked backing up against the wall as he calmly got out of the huge bed and walked towards me.
"you don't remember? the Earth goddess Yang choose you she and the cultivators spirits brought you here" he frowned a little like he was suddenly upset that I was asking all that.
"I-I don't understand.."I shook my head as my thoughts became more and more confused.
"The cultivator spirits took you from your room last night. you had been chosen a few months ago and last night was the night the Earth goddess chose for you to be brought here so we could consummate out marriage tonight after getting her blessings." He said as he grabbed me tenderly by the waist and Drew me to his chest.
"I'll help you remember" he lifted my chin to look at his face as he slowly lowered his face towards mine clashing his lips on mine. As he shoved his tongue into my mouth and slightly bit my tongue, I felt my legs go weak and I unconsciously wrapped my arms around his waist. he sucked on my tongue and lower lips as Drew me into his chest tightening his arms around my waist. He was 190cm in height and I was a 155cm. I tried to refrain myself from whimpering but he bit my lower lips and a whimper escaped my mouth. He broke the kiss and looked at me tenderly, I could feel my face hot and flushed though I was a brown skinned. He was a good kisser and even though it was my first kiss, I felt a sense of familiarity with his lips on mine. The way his kiss made me go weak wanted to make me cry. Here I was kissing my supposed husband I didn't know anything about ,who was a Chinese emperor and I was his chosen bride. The contrasting colors of our skins just made everything more messier and out of place.
"I can't be here please" I placed my palms against his bare chest as tears welled up in my eyes.
"why? you're my wife. The Earth goddess chose you" he bit my lower lip again.
"my father, his-his at the hospital back in my world." I said as the tears streamed down my face.
He sighed and his expression turned solemn.
"i- your father passed away last night" He said and my chest tightened as my legs grew weaker and I felt myself slipping to the floor.
"No-No no..it can't, his all I have, I have no one else" I sobbed. He didnt seem like he was lying even when I kept trying to convince myself it was a lie.
"You have me. I promise to love you wholeheartedly and treat you right till the end of days" He pulled me up into his arms as he carried me up into his embrace and walked out of the room into an inner chamber. He placed me in a wooden bathtub that was filled with warm steamy water as he got in behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
As I lay in the huge bed reminiscing the memories of my dad and thinking about him passing away without me by his side, my chest tightened and my heart hurt, I could feel the corner of my eyes burning knowing fully well I couldn't go back in time to hold his hand as he breathed his last.
I felt a hand against my cheek wiping away the tears that had flown down my cheeks.
"Come, eat something" He said as he picked me up and carried me carefully and majestically to the dinning hall. As i sat beside him in the dinning hall, my mind wandered to my childhood and I looked up at his face, the feeling of familiarity washed over me, it wouldn't go away and I felt like I had know him for years, probably since I first opened my eyes to the world.
He brought a piece of richly sauced meat to my lips with a chopped stick and tenderly watched me open my mouth to eat while he put a strand of hair behind my ear.
The hall was filled with servants, men dressed in Golden armor,men dressed in silver and golden embroidered Duoyin traditional attire. I dared not look up glistening curious, suspicious and cautious eyes of everyone in the hall.
"Our men at sichang border were attacked last night my Lord" one of the young lords in the room said as The emperor continued to feed me gracefully.
"What are the causalities?"The emperor asked
" Five dead and a few others injured." The young lord answered with a respectful bow.
"Lord Xiang please do see to it that the wounded are treated with the best medicine and the dead are given an honourable and a deserving burial and their families are also compensated." The emperor said as he put down the chopsticks and used a neat napkin to wipe my mouth and resumed to feeding me. I wondered if compensating the families of the dead soldiers would be enough to heal their broken hearts and fill the voids their deceased loved ones left.
"yes my Lord" another Lord who was obviously Lord Xiang bowed in response to the emperor.
I noticed that all the while he feed me, every other person in the hall apart from servants ate but he didn't. so I picked up two chopsticks laying in front of me and picked a pieced of spicy sauced meat from him to eat. As I brought it to his lips, he looked at me then the piece of meat I had placed close to his lips then back at me again. The hall went quiet as everyone else paused in their eating and watched us. I turned to look at everyone else and embarrassed, I began to lowered the chopsticks but he gently held my wrist and stopped me as he guided the piece into his mouth. He chewed elegantly and slowly like he was savoring the taste and then smiled at me. A few people gasped.
"but your highness..Aren't you allergic to spicy steamed duck?" one of the young lords asked in surprise and I turned to look at the emperor with eyes widened in suprise. he was still chewing and I could notice his nose,cheeks and the tip of his ears growing red. Alarmed I held his jaw and asked him to spit it out.
"please, spit it out now" I pleaded but he just smiled. I felt guilty and I could feel tears clouding my eyes. I wouldn't cry in situations like this but the news of my father's death still had me and I was overly emotional and scared that a spicy steamed piece of duck meat could kill the man in front of me too and I was also scared that the entire Eastern China would have my head for it. He finally parted his lips and spit out the meat into a small bowl and a servant rushed to take it away.
"I'm sorry... I didn't know"I said guiltily lowering my head trying not to let my tears fall.
"Are you always sorry for every act of love?" he smiled and lifted my chin up to look at his glistening Jade coloured eyes.
He stood up and also picked me up,I wondered if he wasn't feeling the weight of carrying me around.
"please carry on" he said to everyone else as he walked out of the hall carrying me back into the room from earlier.
As we lay in bed, I nervously swallowed. I hadn't been this close to any man in my entire life. He was laying on his back with his eyes closed,his breathing calm and even tho I knew he wasn't asleep and he was cradling me by his side, his hand resting on the small of my back. I was uncomfortably nervous.
"Don't you have somewhere to be? uhm matters to attend to?" I asked hoping that would send him out.
"I do" He answered
"uhm.. then you should attend to it" I tried to wiggle out of his hold.
"Are you chasing me away?" He turned to lay on his side facing me.
"No... I don't want to be a distraction" I looked down at his exposed smooth milky chest trying to avoid his gaze.
"I'm Celia." I moved out of his hold.
"I won't call you that" He chuckled.
"Why? That's my name" I looked at him in confusion.
"It's a strange name" He smiled twirling my curls.
"Your hair,it's well taken care of" He added
"I try.."i shrugged.
"I'll call you Qiang Ài" He drew me to him by my waist. I was starting to get used to him touching me and i realized He was the touchy type that couldn't keep their hands off someone they liked.
"What does it mean?" I looked up at his face.
"Qiang means "strong" Ài means "love". " He kissed the tip of my nose.
"sorry about earlier i didn't know you had an allergy for duck meat." I apologized, my mind wandering to my father.
"EMPEROR!!" one of his Soldiers barged in.
"Do you not respect your emperor's privacy anymore?" He thundered and i jumped away from him in fear and susprise. I could feel the anger evident in his voice, his pupils dilated.
With one swift move, he floated into the air and there was a heavy gust of wind in the room. He looked magnificent but also scary. With a wave of his hand, the soldier was lifted into the air struggling for his life.