Kingdom de Fleuve — Yulan

Kingdom de Fleuve.

The kingdom of water, an element bestowed by the deities. A sign of purity and rebirth.

“Mother, have you heard of a dance from the land of waters?” Linhua chirped. We were in the middle of a dance lesson, which Fengxin refused to take. She preferred swordsmanship and was sparring with the servants, wielding a wooden sword.

“A dance from Kingdom de Fleuve?” I asked curiously, “No, I have not.”

“People there are said to possess unusual powers related to water. There’s a rumour going around that they can even dance on the surface of water!” Like me, Linhua had a fiery passion for dances. It was the only thing that could get the usually composed child so hyped up.

“That sounds like a beautiful sight indeed.”

“Yes, mother, and…” Linhua hesitated, and I gave an encouraging nod to say: Go on, tell me. “If we ever have a chance to go further than the borders of Tian Cheng, promise me you’ll take me to witness the dance.”

My lips parted in silent surprise. Most women are never allowed out of the city walls, let alone outside of Tian Cheng. We’d have a better chance if the Fleuve people came to Tian Cheng to perform. But not wanting to dampen my daughter’s spirits, I answered, “Of course.”

I’m travelling to the place my daughter had wanted to go to so badly. To see the dance. Even though it might just be a rumour, I can’t deny the excitement I felt, pumping in my veins. I patted the empty seat next to me.

When I finally got to see the dance…

She isn’t here.

And now it means nothing. Not the dream of my child, but just another folk dance.

I looked at the “children” on the boat. Meilin had drifted off, lying on a flustered Jianyun’s shoulder, while Himari glowered at the two of them. I can’t help but pity Himari. As much as she loved Meilin, I had a feeling Meilin’s feelings remained firmly at Jianyun’s side.

Meilin was shivering occasionally, and Himari reacted reflexively, draping her own coat around Meilin. With a cold glare and a “Hmf!” at Jianyun, she let Meilin rest on her lap. Jianyun wasn’t that childish as to fight with a young lady, but he himself looked annoyed at her interruption.

But Meilin wasn’t cold.

Her breathing was laboured.

She was having a vision.

Haruki seemed to have the same thought, he nodded at me, then mewed, “Himari, if you don’t mind, please let Ms Yulan handle Meilin, nya.”

I carefully sat Meilin on her back and caressed her back gently—the poor child. The orb will try many times to wear her down. To force her to succumb. Extinguish her fire. It’ll weaken her spirit until she can no longer fight back against corruption.

I wish I could protect her. But there are things even the sharpest blade cannot conquer. This is a battle within the heart—a battle she has to win on her own.

I combed through Meilin’s silky soft hair, and her breathing soothed. I hummed a melody, just loud enough for Meilin to hear.

“Mom…” The girl sniffled, and a single tear trickled down her face. I furrowed my brows. I had almost forgotten that Meilin came from a distant planet.

How worried must her mother be to have her daughter teleported into a different world?

At that moment, I was almost certain of Meilin’s wish.

And I knew that it was not one Jianyun, Himari, or Haruki would like.

“But at least Meilin can be with her mother again,” I murmured, and a smile dawned on Meilin’s face.

After a few weeks at sea, we arrived at Kingdom de Fleuve.

Sure enough, the kingdom of water on an island, surrounded by endless rivers.

There was a large gate with guards patrolling and managing the newcomers. We waited in line, but as soon as the guards spotted us, they greeted us as if we were royalty.

“Lady Meilin, Miss Himari, Mister Jianyun, Mister Haruki and Ms Yulan, we have been expecting you.” One of the guards addressed us politely and ushered us into the city.

The insides of the city were impeccable; every architecture was meticulously designed, and not a speck of uncleanliness could be spotted. Water was everywhere—fountains, water passages, even water—but frozen—sculptures.

The locals of Kingdom de Fleuve stared at us as we walked. But those weren’t gazes of revulsion nor interest. Those were looks of admiration.

Many people cheered as we strolled by, shouting things like, “The hero party is here!” “The hero party with a witch as their leader?” “It’s the honored heroes!” I frowned. Something felt off.

I assumed we became “heroes” after saving Eikasia in a way. News spread really fast. The citizens were soon launching themselves on a similarly enthusiastic Himari, asking loads of questions. Young men swooned over Meilin, only to be blocked by an protective Jianyun. Haruki was buried by tons of children wanting to pet his fur. That leaves me with a few old men sneaking peeks. I shot them a glare and—poof! They’re gone.

Turns out it’s not just my menacing glare. A grey hawk perched on my shoulder, it had a noticeable scar on its right eye, and immediately I recognised who it was. “Falke?” A letter was attached to Falke’s claw, and as soon as I took it, he squawked and flew off.

“Who is that?” Meilin peeked at my letter curiously. I assumed she was referring to the sender of the letter, so I flipped it over to find the name written in big, squiggly letters. “It’s from Foster.”

“I meant the bird.”

“Oh, that’s Falke. He's a pet of the forest rangers. They found him when he was just a baby chick.”

Meilin made a sound of contentment and trotted off. I unrolled the letter:

Hey Yulan!

How are you?

You must be far away from Becher right now, so I sent our most capable bird to send this to you! Hopefully it reaches you! Let me fill you in on what's been happening these months you were away.

First of all, I’m doing very well, and I hope the same goes for you. Being on a journey must be tiring, and so is being a forest ranger! I’ve recently gotten my own apprentice; his name is Kizer. I think you’d love him, he’s a really nice guy. I got a raise because of him, and don’t worry, in terms of money, I’m doing just fine. I’ve also gotten myself a girlfriend. Remember the girl who works in the bakery I had a crush on? She said yes! Her name is Fryda, and she currently lives in the house with me. She takes really good care of the flowers you’ve planted. I’m sure you’ll love her. After your journey ends, perhaps you could return to Becher, and I can introduce Fryda to you! She says she’d love to meet you!

Looking forward to your reply.

Cheers,

Foster

I smiled and folded the letter. A girlfriend, huh? He’s doing better than I expected. Guess I don’t need to worry after all.

A flurry of events unfolded, and suddenly we were being escorted to the royal castle in a carriage.

“Queen Josephine had requested to meet you.” That was the only explanation the guard accompanying us provided.

The castle was even more stunning than the city streets. It was completely different from the Imperial Palace, with tall towers and thick stone walls. Fengxin would’ve loved this, so would her father. I chuckled at the thought of Yongxin, the father of my daughters, being pumped up over a castle.

Soon we were led into a hall. The rooms were separated not by walls, but by artificial waterfalls. A lady with an enormous crown sat on the throne. She had soft, curly, ombre hair, going from pearl white to sapphire blue. She was the Queen of Fleuve. Many guards were stationed next to her, giving me shivers down my spine.

“Ah, esteemed travellers from afar. We had been waiting for your arrival.”

I bowed down, then urged the others to do the same, “Your majesty, may I be bold as to inquire of you as to the reason for requiring our audience?” Haruki said loudly and clearly, and not a “nya” was heard, showing how serious he was being.

“Heh.” The Queen chortled. Her physique was quite petite and delicate, but her face was that of a mature, experienced woman of ruling. “O, such brave heroes, such noble faces! You truly must be blessed by fate itself. And yet…fate demands tribute, does it not?”

She looked us dead in the eye.

“One little orb, for safe passage out of my halls.”

I froze.

Is this why the citizens acted so friendly?

So this was all a facade to lure us in.