LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

"What is this place?", Xinxin asked and held Xing"s hands tighter seeing the guards around them wearing different kind of uniform than what he is used to. The past few days a lot of unfathomable things happened, starting with the travel and he was scared.

His parents said that he is going to be sent back to his father. But why? He IS with his father and family! Where did this other father come from?

"I"ve told you about my friend, right? Yukiko... ", Xing paused and turned to look at the little boy who was her shoulders tall. He was tall for his age and so was all her children.

"The one who has a lot of love in her heart.?", he asked with his eyes s.h.i.+ning. He sure has Yukiko"s eyes. Just green, like a l.u.s.trous forest or a pool of emerald. Deep and filled with love, just like his mother.

"Yes, she had", Xing petted his hair. He always loved it and his face beamed by her touch.

Xing walked Xinxin to a small pavilion with a single bench and sat there. Judging by the way it was maintained, it seemed like the Water Emperor spent a lot of his time here.

"She was filled with love and made every decision using her heart, filled with love", Xing"s voice shook as she remembered Yukiko.

" So... She"s my mother?"

Little Xinxin could connect the dots by the way his mother brought her up.

"Yes, and she was the Empress of the Water Kingdom. But then, this place was filled with snakes and to protect you, she left you with me.... "

Xing explained everything to Xinxin. She had to hold back her anger towards the Water Emperor and his negligence towards his wife that had lead to this situation.

She went so close to reveal it to little Xinxin, make him hate his father for ignoring his mother and bring him back home with her. But she knew it was wrong. It is so wrong and heartless to separate a father who had repented for his sins and has tried hard for years to atone for it and made this place entirely safe for his son.

Little Xinxin does not need to know.

"This place is not like our home, Xinxin. But you don"t have to fret. You should be really careful here and listen to your Imperial father.. You remember everything mother has taught you, right? Mother knows my son will be fine wherever he is. My son is very smart and talented", Xing kissed his forehead and he let her.

Ever since Xinxin turned eight, he"d act like a man and wouldn"t let his mother kiss him. But now, he knew this might be the last kiss his mother would give and so he let him and that thought made him cry.

" Mother... Please... Don"t leave me here... I"ll go with you... Is it because I picked a fight with the Crown Prince during the tournament? Mother, I"ll behave from now on. I don"t want to be crown Prince. Please... I don"t like this place... It"s cold here. Don"t leave me alone here, please..."

Xinxin wrapped his arms around Xing"s arms and started to cry. Xing took a deep breath, controlling her tears.

" Look here, son! ", she made him look at her. Seeing his eyes red and puffed, her heart broke but she controlled herself.

Promises made should be kept! No matter what!

That"s the one thing good about her and she would never betray herself.

"You had an argument with Ah Xuan about the policies to be followed to govern the nation, right? I never blamed you for that. No one did, not even the Emperor. Both of you are unique with your own views. And you know what mother felt when you stood with your back straight in front of Ah Xuan older than you and challenged his position..? I was proud of you. Your father too. I always knew you"d be a good leader. A good Emperor to lead his people in the future. I know because I taught you everything I know and I raised you from the day you were born. Me and your father took care of you with the same love your mother had for you and we know who you are meant to be "

Seeing Xinxin starting to understand, Xing rubbed his back gently and holding him close, she continued,

" Mother and father are not going to just drop you and leave. We will stay here for sometime and help you adjust here... Remember, no matter what, you"ll always be our son too. So stop crying and wipe your face", Xing kissed his cheek and he sat straight rubbing his cheek out of habit.

"Really? You won"t leave today?", Xinxin asked wiping his tears and smiled seeing his mother nod.

Both then went inside the tomb to pay respect for Yukiko. The tomb was structured like a small home and was filled with expensive jewellery and furnis.h.i.+ngs. In the mode was the coffin and Xing"s heart clenched seeing the unsealed coffin. It always gave her the creeps as it reminded that there is someone who can"t wait to be buried along. And she realised why her mother wanted to bury her in the ground and erect a simple headstone. She didn"t want her father to follow her soon to join her.

Little Xinxin knelt in front of the coffin and he was thankful for the sacrifice his birth mother did that enabled his survival. This woman was the one who brought him to this world even losing herself in the journey and he would love her with his life. But his mother will be the one who is now in tears placing her hand on the coffin. He will remember forever, the good parents who raised him.

"Till the end you loved your husband but I"m the one you treated with utmost cruelty, Yukiko. You made me raise and lose a son. F*ck you! ", Xing mumered as tears streamed down her face.

Yeah, she cussed the dead... She never was someone known for being respectful, anyway.

As they returned, they met with Chenglei and her other two sons and Chenglei hugged Xing and Xinxin closely for them to compose themselves.

" We are asked for a banquet tonight, by the Water Emperor ", Chenglei told Xing and she nodded in approval.

"Bring the kids back. I"ll be take a walk", Xing said with a smile and Chenglei looked deeply at her realising that she is NOT going for a walk.

Snakes should not be left alive... Especially one that got hit in the tail. You should crush its skull so it won"t bother you again.

"Careful, then", Chenglei kissed Xing"s forehead and led his sons back to their guest courtyard.

Xing who is challenged directionally, was intentionally soon lost by the guards following her and she, the lucky person she was, ended up where she wanted to be... The cold palace.

"What an ugly old hag!", she pulled up a broken chair left in that damp, rotten place that housed the once majestic Dowager of the Water Kingdom who now looked haggard.

"Not a suitable place to live, is it?", Xing smirked as the dowager looked at her confused. With her unkempt grey hair and wrinkled face, she looked more like a witch. But her eyes... It was still s.h.i.+ning. s.h.i.+ning with hatred and rage of revenge.

Even though she looked aged, her twisted brain worked properly and for Xing, that is not acceptable. She might have her wings cut with all her powers removed but she still is walking and breathing. And she is a threat to her son.

The first thing the dowager noticed was the tiger pendant by Xing"s hips and the tiger ring she wore. The amber eyes focusing in her were filled with ridicule and extreme danger.

The holder of the Tiger token of the three kingdoms....

The one who ruined her daughter"s legs...

The one who rendered her nephew to a vegetative state where he can"t even blink for himself or swallow his own saliva...

Her enemy!

"You....", the dowager with her long, unclipped nails, black with dirt, rushed towards Xing.

"Sit", Xing kicked a short table by her side towards the dowager and it ended up hitting the old woman by her knees and she fell on the floor, breaking the fall with her hands and ended up fracturing her bones and cried pitifully.

"Oh, come on! You are an old woman and you wanted to play tag like a child... See, now you"ve broken your bones. And.... You are screaming", Xing looked around and there was no one around. Even she felt it odd.

"Come on now,... Stop screaming! I"m here to talk... Listen...", Xing sat crossing her legs and rested her chin on her elbows over her knees and looked at the dowager like she was a dirty rat.

With disgust and ridicule.

"Did you hear the news? The recent trending news?", Xing raised her eyebrows.

"B*tch, ****, ****,....", the dowager cussed all profanities and Xing just rolled her eyes.

Guess she doesn"t know!

" Do you know why I"m here?", Xing scoffed and rubbed her ears, "Stop screaming. I can"t shout over you!", she shouted as the dowager was still cussing.

"The Emperor"s eight year old son is back", she smirked seeing the dowager going silent like a dead rat.

"The Crown Prince of this Wind Kingdom... The heir to the throne.... HER blood!"

Xing expected a reaction but there was none. There was a dead silence as the dowager faced the floor.

Xing could feel someone entering the room and saw the Water Emperor looking at her with a frown. She could understand why he is keeping her inside the cold palace in such a wretched condition alive.

She"d do that too! She did it with Lord Chu.

But what did it brought her? More trouble. She will be gracious and not take a life of the other person might come for her, but she will never be merciful towards someone who might endanger her children.

The dowager didn"t seem to notice the Water Emperor and kept on kneeling.

"You lost, hag! ", Xing scoffed, her eyes were cold and dark, "I saved the last part of the woman you hated. You killed her every child, but I saved one and raised him well"

Xing could sense the dowager"s heart beating erratically.

"Your daughter is still married to my brother even though she tried to kill my father. You know that, right?", Xing stood up and walked towards the dowager and stood tall in front of her. The once arrogant and majestic woman was now trembling in pain in front of her but she was holding back from screaming pretty well now.

Dejected! Pathetic!

No!

She is acting well!

"What should I do?", the dowager knew Xing was threatening her daughter"s life and asked.

Xing didn"t say anything and placed a small vial in the table that hit her.

"It would be painless"
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That was the best poison Xing could find from the Heavenly realm especially for her.

"Hmpf", the dowager snorted and as she looked up, she noticed the Water Emperor.

"Son... Son....", she crawled pitifully towards the Water Emperor and held his knees while the water emperor stood still with his hands held being his back. He had no reaction.

"Let me see my grandson once. I"m a terrible woman. But you will forgive me, right? Let me see my grandson once. Then I"ll die happily, Like this one says... Please.... Let me see my Grandson and let me kneel in front of him and apologise for taking his mother away from him... "

The dowager cried pitifully and Xing noticed the Water Emperor still had an expressionless face but Xing could sense his heartbeat quickening. This is the woman he called "Mother" for long after all.

"I know a medicine for your nephew. He"ll be fine as he was before", Xing interrupted the pitiful acting of the woman who has no intention of changing her heart.

All she wants now is to kill little Xinxin, Xing knew.

Xing saw the dowager"s eyes flickered to relief once before reverting to her apologetic act.

"I know you keep your promises", the dowager said and Xing just looked at her without an expression in her face.

"Son, will you be pleased by this?", the dowager said pitifully and Xing saw the Emperor"s hands fisting.

Seeing the Emperor unmoving, the dowager took a deep breath, opened the vial and swallowed the colourless liquid inside and it went down burning her throat.

"If I didn"t kill that little b.a.s.t.a.r.d, my nephew will kill him after he gets better", the dowager smirked.

Xing sensed the Emperor gritting his teeth and she smirked as she saw the dowager writhing in pain as she held her stomach.

"You said it won"t be painful, b*tch! Liar!", she screamed and Xing smiled.

A peaceful and pleased, pleasant smile.

She did choose the best poison herself!

"And there is no medicine for your nephew. I made sure of that!", she added and the dowager screamed.

I got played! I lost! Till the end, I lost!

The Water Emperor could not bear to see the woman he called mother, in pain. She might have not loved him truly but he did and he was someone who was raised with love and he is not heard hearted like that woman. Clenching his Jaws, he turned to leave and Xing followed.

"The poison will slowly chew up her internal organs and finally reach her heart. She will only die in the morning. Till then she"d be in pain and this pain will only increase",Xing said and he stopped and turned to look at Xing.

His mouth opened but he didn"t say anything and Xing"s lips curved up slightly.

"The banquet tonight is to introduce HiroYuki to my officials. I"ll send the proper attire for him", the Water Emperor said and Xing nodded.

Blinking his eyes a couple of times, it looked like he wanted to tell Xing something, but he turned to leave.

"The antidote", Xing pa.s.sed another vial to the Water Emperor and waved her hand as she left.

The Water Emperor held the vial in his hand and took a deep breath. The screams of the old woman reached his ears and shook his heart.

He turned and got inside the room. He had kept her inside in darkness as a means of revenge.

"She gave me the antidote, mother", he said as he bent and squatted beside the old woman.

She couldn"t speak because of the pain and she opened her mouth and panted as if she was asking to pout it inside her mouth.

"He called me "Mother". As usual he is a fool for relations".

Seeing the old woman"s face brightening up, the Emperor smiled and placed his hand gently on the back of her hair.

"Here mother, drink up", he placed the opened vial in front of her and she nodded pitifully and with tears in her face and got close.

But just as the vial touched her lips, the Water Emperor, banged her head on the floor, stood up and threw the liquid inside the vial out on the soil and snorted.

"Suffer at least part of what my Yukiko suffered", he said and left without turning back.

True he was shaken by the writhing woman in front of him but that only reminded him of Yukiko during her last days. He couldn"t bear the pain in her stomach as her health deteriorated and he had to feed her poison by his own hands to let her rest peacefully.

"That divine ruler... ", he thought, "She was testing me but she gave the perfect retribution for my Yukiko! I"m indebted to her till my last breath!"