a/n: I'm sorry for 2 weeks and a day late! I was hectic these 2 weeks. It is Yifan's point of view. Enjoy!

On this day, I see clearly; everything has come to life.

Bitter place and the broken dreams, and we leave it all behind.

On this day, it's so real to me; everything has come to life.

Another chance to chase a dream; another chance to feel alive.

(Alter Bridge - Metalingus)

Yifan stands before The Hall of Supreme Harmony. This building is used for enthronement and royal wedding ceremonies. He heard that a few days ago Zitao held a wedding ceremony here. Indeed, for a royal family member, Zitao is considered a bit late to marry. But after all, he has got married. He wonders if he had been there all along, maybe he would have held wedding ceremony at the building as well. It would have been a merry one, he guesses.

He remembers the day when Lu Han was appointed as the crown prince. Honestly speaking, his heart broke down to the sight of the crown was put on Lu Han's head. He would be lying if he said he didn't mind it at all. As a prince, it is normal to desire for the throne. Moreover, at that time, his mother was the empress. The chance to get the title of crown prince was high, but he was born later. He admits he wanted the throne, but he also admits that what his mother did was wrong and intolerable. His heart was already broken, then it ruined into ashes. He was torn between standing up for his mother or brother. Had he chosen his mother, then it means that he declared war to the Royal Family members and the Lu clan. Not to mention the parliament. But had he chose his brother, it means that he declared war to his own clan. Even if he had chose Lu Han, Yixing and Zitao had already lost their on Yifan. No, wait, maybe only Zitao. Yixing was still there for him until the day of his departure from the Forbidden City. He believes that Yixing had to break some rules to just send him off. Yixing is just that kind of guy. He treats everyone kindly, as long as the other party doesn't mess with him. And Zitao is... Zitao. Yifan thinks that he changed a lot from before. The Zitao he knew from before was cute, always clingy towards his brothers, and couldn't stand by himself without the support of them. But now, he has appointed as the commander of the army. He stands by himself now, without Lu Han or Yixing supporting him.

Lu Han... is somewhat insecure. Again, Yifan could not blame him for being so. He has every right to be insecure around Yifan. Although he showed some friendly manner earlier, Yifan knows that deep down inside, Lu Han still thinks of Yifan as a dangerous threat. How many years do you think Yifan had been brothers with Lu Han? Eleven years of separation is nothing compared to the fifteen years of brotherhood. That's why, he knows.

So, does Yifan still want to succeed the throne? Of course he does, and why would he not? With the emperor calling him back here, it means that the chance to fight for the throne is open again. The exact question is, does Yifan still have the good heart? Even Yifan doubts about it. Eleven years of being alone without any blood related family (but he gained a new family in the end), without any moral support from his clan, and even though the Emperor sent him some allowance every month, it wasn't enough to feed his wife and daughter. So, he decided to work. He did any works, from morning to evening, until the men under the command of the emperor and crown prince came and told him that his father wanted him back.

The title of prince is regained. This is even more than Yifan could ask for. There is just one problem: since he thought that he wouldn't be able to come back to the Forbidden City, he married a foreigner. He thought he would live his life as a commoner, without any ideas of snatching the first place in queue of the throne successor. But now that he regains his title of prince, it is getting more difficult to entitle his wife as a princess. You see, Royal Family has some rules regarding this matter: 1) The prince who marries a foreigner cannot take a place in queue for the throne unless the said foreigner is entitled as the low-rank concubine, and 2) The princess who marries a foreigner has to leave the Forbidden City permanently and is not allowed to come back unless the reigning emperor calls her back. Regarding the children that are born to them, there are also a few rules: 1) The son from the marriage cannot take place in queue for the throne at all cost, and 2) The daughter from the marriage has to leave the Forbidden City permanently on her 18th birthday unless the reigning emperor calls her, and cannot hold wedding ceremony inside the Forbidden City. If they were some mere commoners, the rules wouldn't apply. It is exclusively only for the Royal Family members.

The thing is, Yifan truly loves his wife. He is happy with her as his only partner in life. She gave him a cute daughter already, so why would Yifan ask for more? He's not that selfish when it comes to wife thing. But he really wants to get in the queue again, so he has no other option but to marry a Chinese girl. Also, he has been called by the Empress Dowager to discuss about this matter. Her Highness even invited his wife. He couldn't answer truthfully to her; he's afraid to hurt her. He is not Lu Han who could marry two women. Seriously, if he became the emperor, he would have changed the rules.

He is now standing in front of the Palace of Gathering Excellence. He sighs. He is not sure if he could accept everything the Empress Dowager would say. Or maybe just bear with it. After all, he knows very well that Empress Dowager has been loathing his mother for everything that happened eleven years ago. His brain is regulating only the negative thoughts now. What if Her Highness tries to eliminate him from the position of the prince? Or that Her Highness wants him to file a divorce so that he could marry a Chinese? Anything might happen, you see.

"Notice Her Highness that I've come as I've been told," Yifan says to Empress Dowager's maid. The maid bows, immediately announces Yifan's arrival to the Empress Dowager. After Her Highness allows him to come in, Yifan does as told. He walks towards the door that is opened by the maids only to let him see the mighty Empress Dowager. After Yifan bowed to her, Her Highness allows him to sit on the chair right across her.

"So," the Empress Dowager starts, "I assume that you might have understood why I told you to come here."

Yifan is not sure what to say. He has many assumptions, he's just uncertain about which is the right one. That's why he only says, "I am sorry, Your Highness, but I am still quite..." before the Empress Dowager cuts his sentence with a soft laughter. Yifan feels more awkward.

"It is the talk about your future empress, Prince Yifan," she says. "If you are still interested in being an emperor, then you must take another wife to be the princess consort. And, whatever you want to say, 'no' is not a wise answer. Are we clear?"

If the emperor is the law, you can say that the empress dowager is the law above the law. Even an emperor can be controlled by the empress dowager, so when Her Highness says something, what else can a mere prince do but to obey? He has no right to be an impudent kid and refuse her saying. Now, he has to take another wife. What is he going to tell his wife about it? And his daughter? He is obviously torn between the throne and his happy family. But, he understands that a foreigner is not allowed to rule the household.

It is just how he negotiate with Her Highness.

"May I ask for something, Your Highness?" he asks.

"Ask for something? As long as it is within my ability, Prince Yifan," the Empress Dowager says.

"I agree that I will take another wife, but as crucial as it sounds, I want to take my time to..." Yifan loses words, "maybe, find the true one?"

"That is unnecessary, Prince Yifan. I have already got the right girl for you," says the Empress Dowager with smile.

Yifan should have expected this. "Well that's... a honor," he agrees. "But I want to find the true one by myself. I know it is selfish on my part, but I promise you, Your Highness, I won't be reckless."

The Empress Dowager bites her own lower lip, her fingers are tapping her armrest rhythmically. She is unpleasant about Yifan's request. Yifan can't help but think that maybe, the chosen girl is the daughter of an exceptionally important person in China. Also, maybe the Empress Dowager had made some pact with the chosen girl's family. If so, then the pact must be so beneficial for the Royal Family, Forbidden City, or even the entire China.

"That, I agree, is indeed such a selfish request," Empress Dowager says with a sigh. "Having you here again after years is great, you know. But, as happy as I am with your arrival, I can't let you do as you wish. You said it yourself that it sounds crucial; indeed it is crucial. I still want you to marry the girl I have chosen for you, but well, I might consider your request. Now, I want you to make some agreement with me."

Yifan is up for everything that makes things easier for him.

"I will give you a week. If you cannot find your true one within a week, you must marry the girl I have chosen. Are we clear?"

A week. It's too fast for him who isn't willing to marry for the second time. But the empress dowager doesn't fancy waiting. Moreover, again, how does he tell his wife and daughter about this? A week, I repeat. This is not an easy task, but it is unavoidable.

"Alright, that is fine with me, Your Highness," Yifan says. "Thank you for your consideration."

The empress dowager seems happy with the agreement. Yifan doesn't argue, that's why.

The next four days, he feels like going to the library to find some fresh 'air' for his brain. He has been thinking hard about the second marriage stuff without being able to tell his family. He knows he has to do tell them, but he doesn't know how. So, rather than letting his brain become useless, reading some books might help. But, he stops his pace when he heard two familiar voices.

"How come?" a voice he recognises as Yixing's sounds a bit mad. "Your second wife is experiencing a miscarriage right now! The wife you married to out of love, as you told me! Now you're going to that event? Is it that important?"

"Yixing, listen," the voice Yifan recognises as Lu Han's sounds tired. "I know, it is hard for me too. But you know, right, father is sick and I am the one who must replace him to come to the event? And it is the event the prime minister, my father-in-law organises! Do you think I would go to that extent, to leave the event and break the relationship between the Royal Family and the family of the prime minister?"

"And you dare leave your wife who loses your baby?" Yixing yells. "You're unbelievable, Han. She is in some mental breakdown now. She needs you, her husband, the father of the poor baby!"

"You don't know anything unless you become the crown prince, Yixing!"

Yixing is shocked; even Yifan frowns at those words. Yifan is certain that Yixing might get exasperated.

"This is nothing to do with being a crown prince, Han. This is about your responsibility as the head of your family. If you cannot handle this situation, then why did you marry her in the first place?"

Lu Han is exasperated as well. "Then what do I tell my father-in-law? 'I am sorry that I cannot attend the event, my second wife is having miscarriage now, yes the one I married when I already had your daughter as my wife!' like that? Huh? You know that he is never pleased with my second marriage!"

"That's why I said, why did you marry her if when you cannot take some responsibility? You obviously know that marrying her would lead you to this kind of situation. You just were being selfish. Now that you are her husband, go to her. Let the Crown Princess come to the event with someone else."

Yifan doesn't hear anything for a few seconds. Lu Han is thinking hard, the indecisive part of him takes control. Yifan agrees that Lu Han was being selfish for marrying a woman he loves when he already had a wife, the one who would succeed the throne together with him. It would only lead her to the sorrow. The emperor and his wives are the proofs of it.

"I am sorry, I still can't do it," Lu Han ends his train of thoughts. "Yixing, I will leave her in your care. Please brew some medicine for her."

Yixing doesn't have time to argue because Lu Han is already gone. If Yifan were Yixing, he would have acted the same. He may be overreacting, but who the hell would leave their wife at a such situation. He agrees with Yixing; that Lu Han was selfish indeed. He hurt his first wife by marrying the second wife, while he hurt his now-having-miscarriage second wife by leaving for an event with the first wife. Why did he marry the second wife anyway? Yifan doesn't know why but he is curious about the fact that his brother could marry two women.

He also doesn't know why he's walking towards the chamber of Lu Han's second wife. Involuntarily. But a part of him feels sorry for her loss. When he arrives, he finds Yixing and his wife who are visiting the crown prince's second wife. This is not surprising though, because he's heard before that the women in the room are best friends.

"Prince Yifan?" Yixing approaches him. "The princess is feeling unwell now. She is having--"

"Miscarriage, I know," Yifan completes the sentence. "That's why I came here. How's she?"

Yixing frowns. "The people here haven't even announced about this thing. How did you know?"

"I heard you talking with Crown Prince.  I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just happened to pass by. It was awkward for me as well, you know, I wasn't sure if I should interfere your conversation," Yifan tells the truth.

Yixing flashes his smile. "He's such a bastard, isn't he?" he asks Yifan with sad tone.

Yifan chuckles softly. "He is, indeed," he says softly. "How's she? Is it that bad?"

The third prince shrugs. "The doctor said that the miscarriage happened due to stress. We still don't know what kind of stress it is because she still doesn't want to talk to anyone. Even my wife can't make her talk. Well, it is understandable though. I'm not blaming her."

Yifan nods. He walks closer to the bed, followed by Yixing, only to find the soulless woman lying on it. She only stares outside the window with no emotion. Her cheeks have some trace of tears, and her eyes are swollen due to long hours of crying. Even for an outsider like Yifan, the view is heartbreaking. She's just lost her baby; the one that binds her to Lu Han, the proof of their love. Yifan would never be able to bear it if it happened to his wife. He thanks God for letting him meet his own daughter.

Then, she moves a bit. She looks at Yixing, Yixing's wife, and Yifan respectively. She lets out a long sigh. "He's not coming, is he," she murmurs, and Yixing's wife feels relieved because it is the first time that Lu Han's second wife says something after the miscarriage. Although it wasn't what they wanted, but at least she's said something.

"He will rush here to see you right after the event ends," Yixing's wife reassures her.

Lu Han's second wife snorts. "His father-in-law likes to hold him there, together with the Crown Princess, so that he would have less time with me. Moreover..." she pauses, "they're having a baby."

Yixing's wife looks at her husband, her eyes showing some concern and worry. Yixing places a hand on her shoulder without looking away from his sister-in-law. "I'm sorry for your loss, Princess. But please, please do not give up."

She doesn't answer. Yixing sighs, and decides that it is about the time he should drag his wife out of there, to take some meal. Yixing isn't hungry, but the baby inside his wife's stomach won't wait any longer. So, they leave the sister-in-law in Yifan's care. In an instant, he feels awkward. He should have come along with his wife, really.

"I am sorry, Prince Yifan, for letting you see me in my worst condition," Lu Han's wife mumbles, still staring outside the window.

"Please rest assured, I do not mind at all," Yifan convinces.

She smiles weakly, and in a few seconds her smile disappears. She sighs again, that Yifan already loses count. She really sighs a lot today. Maybe, just maybe she is tired of crying and her tears are already dried out. Yifan knows very well that she is waiting for Lu Han, but it's not like he could call him back to the Forbidden City in less than a half an hour.

"You know," she starts, "Lu Han married me out of love. As long as I am by his side, I am happy. He is busy as a crown prince, but he's always been there for me. But after that night... he spends the time with me less than before."

"That night?" Yifan probes.

She is hesitant to explain. "That night when they became one."

She just refuses to use the word "", whether it's because she's uncomfortable with the vulgar word or she doesn't want to admit that his husband has another wife aside from her. Both might be right.

"I can see it, you know?" she murmurs again. "Lu Han loves her dearly. His eyes always spark whenever he sees her. The same look he used to give me when we first got married."

Yifan can't laugh at her statement though she herself chuckles sadly.

"Why did he marry me? If he tried hard to love her before, he would have done just fine, you know?" her tear rolls down her cheek. "If only he wasn't a crown prince..."

Yifan doesn't say anything.

"And if only you were my husband, Prince Yifan. I wouldn't have to be this miserable at a hard time like this. You're here, listening to my rants; I couldn't ask for more."

"Why are you telling me those, anyway?" Yifan asks.

She just smiles. "I may be rude, but to me, you're still stranger. I don't need to be frightened by the fact that some day one of us will leave."

The second prince feels a slight pang in his heart. Being a stranger, being ignored, are the worst things in any kind of relationship. Yifan understands that he hasn't spent some time to get to know the newer members of the Royal Family, but it just hurts a little. Even after he left the chamber, the thought of him being a stranger in her eyes disturbs his mind. Does Yixing's wife think of him the same?

And there he is, sitting right across the Empress Dowager, right after his visit to the chamber of Lu Han's second wife. Her Highness looks at Yifan in doubt, refusing to believe her own ears. Yifan has just said something unexpected and unpredictable.

"I beg your pardon, Prince Yifan?" she asks. "Can you repeat what you just said?"

Yifan takes a deep breath.

"I want to marry the second wife of the Crown Prince."

a/n: hello, how are you? Wie gehst du? I am fine. Ich bin fein. hehehe I am learning Deutsch now. Anybody from German? ^^ anyway, I am sorry for the super late update.  Thank you foor the 7 persons who subscribe, one person who upvotes, and you who come here to read. hope to see you soon.

talk to me >> ask.fm/chenpai