Solstices

Chapter t.i.tle: An Adorable Child

Chapter no. 9

Author: Ahce Darato Torres (@BunnyDeanAhce)

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(Yao Xue Rong"s POV)

I reached for Zetian"s forehead, she"s burning. When did this happen? Wasn"t she doing well before we left the palace? I woke her up for lunch.

"You"re having a mild fever, eat lunch first and drink this medicine before you go back to sleep."

"Thank you jiejie" Zetian said

She started to eat as Fu Wen served us.

"Xiemen are you eating well?"

"Yes jiejie, the food is so delicious. I never had something like these before. If not for jiejie bringing me along father"s wives might have already killed me." The little boy said, but his innocence were gone and his eyes turned cold as if he remembers how my brother"s concubines schemed against him.

*Cough* *cough* "wter please" *cough* Zetian choked as she heard the little boy"s confession

I patted his head.

"Do not worry, this big sister will take care of you. Sooner or later they will no longer be able to hurt you. You will live with me and I"ll tell your father about that, okay?"

"Jiejie is so kind, thank you. This prince will be sure to pledge his loyalty to you and serve you well." He stood and put a hand on his chest which made me laugh

"You are very adorable!" Then I pinched his cheeks

"Jiejie, can I hold him?" Zetian asked

"Xiemen, you go to big sister Zetian, she wants to make friends with you!"

The little boy easily agreed. And when Zetian held him she physically froze. Even I am dumbfounded, what"s wrong with her reaction? Such strong emotion surfaced from her face as she check the birthmark of my nephew.

"Did you know something about the birthmark?" I asked

"I-- jiejie I-- I think I recognize the same birthmark" she said as she trembled

Then I found the resemblance in their faces which creeped me out. Her eyes matches his perfectly. Could it be that they have a connection? But she"s rather too young to say that she had gotten pregnant by my brother, besides my brother didn"t recognize her when they met and there"s nothing unusual with him.

"Zetian, tell me about your mother, where is she?"

Her hands were clenched as her head bowed down. Her tears fell like waterfall. Then her body shook in anxiety once more.

"My-- my mother ran away when I was five, every time I ask my father about her whereabouts he always say she"s busy. When I grew up my father cleared things for me, telling me that she abandoned me and when I searched for the truth, the answer was that she died. But I saw no proof of it, when-- when I saw his birthmark, I remembered the birthmark that"s always pa.s.sed unto us. My mother have it and so do I. Very identical to his highness."

"Take some rest Zetian, thank you for having the courage to open up. Do you want me to find your mother?"

But she shook her head.

"Xiemen come here sit with jiejie" I patted the seat beside mine

Could they be from the same family?

When she said her mother disappeared and died unknowingly, so was the same story for Xiemen"s mother. If that"s the case, she mustn"t be the general"s daughter but someone from the west kingdom. If I have time, I will find the opportunity to go to the west and find some answers. And I could even bring Xiemen to visit his relatives there.

"Jiejie where are we going?" The child asked

"We are going to mount Cuixia where our ancestors live." I answered with a smile, it has been so long since I last visited that place

"Can jiejie tell me about that place?" He isn"t like any other kids, he is born eloquent and smart.

"When I was young I always visit the mountains and play with grandmother and grandfather. It was a beautiful sight to behold, where it houses thousands of animal species. That mountain is also the home of our tribe, the Yao Clan. We have kids your age that train in martial arts and you can be one of them too!"

"Really?" He smiled for the first time

"Yes, you can join" I patted his head and the journey to the mountains went ahead.

I keep thinking about Zetian and Xiemen"s ancestry. If they really are related then it must be from Xie clan. But what are the mysteries behind it?

Zetian is the rightful heiress of Feng clan, while Xiemen is my brother"s son.

Is that the reality behind their coincidences?

Could they come from one mother?

Or could her mother have a younger sister who got into a relationship with my brother?

I"m itching to find out!

I need answers.

I need a concrete evidence of them being related.

What is the back story for both sides?

Is Zetian really a part of Feng Clan?

Or is Xiemen a true son of my brother?

And what are the odds of them being related?

I must travel to the west and find out.

I was just wondering how the real general Feng died and how my brother met the mother of Xiemen.

What if Zetian"s mother ran away after the real general Feng died or what if general Feng was my brother"s best friend, and before he died he left his son to my brother?

I suddenly feel like an investigator who wants to solve a case that happened years ago!

Then I saw the boy sleeping silently beside me as his hands were wrapped around my waist. In the war for the throne people never took pity for young children. Men are greedy and they will grab every opportunity that they have to kill their enemies or anyone that stands on their way. I hope I could keep this child safe from the clutches of evil.

He is just a child after all.

A child who seeks parental love like me.

The difference is that I was born with a duty to be the next heiress and my stake was already solidified even before I sat as the head of Himura clan. But he was born with uncertainty, the blood of royalty runs in his veins but his future is still unknown. Whether he lives or dies is not within his hands to decide.