Chapter 2

The moon shined brightly on the emperor’s face as he looked up, he began returning to his senses on his way home and looked back at what happened.

    “Huang Zitao, what an interesting name for a girl.” He mused to himself. “I do hope we meet again.”

    "Emperor! Emperor!” A female voice called out from behind him.

    The emperor turned around to face the caller and was surprised when he saw Minseok, he didn’t know that one of his childhood friends would be around this late at night.

    “Emperor? What are you doing here at this hour? Everybody must be worrying about you at the palace. Come, I will lead you there.” She started heading towards the palace grounds.

    “Wait! Minseok!” She turned around.

     With hesitation he said, “I do not wish to go back.”

    Minseok sighed, no matter how much had changed throughout the years, the Emperor still didn’t like the palace, always finding ways to escape.

    “Very well, you may stay the night with my husband and me.”

    The emperor smiled and Minseok was shocked again because she rarely ever saw him smile anymore, he was always cold and moody. She wondered what was different tonight. On their way back to Minseok’s house, the Emperor made sure to keep his distance from her, it wouldn’t be good for either of them, but she was the Emperor’s childhood friends and one of the only people he was comfortable around, so he found himself walking faster and faster as he matched his pace with Minseok’s. She was surprised, it wasn’t every day that the Emperor would seek company by himself first.

    “Are you sure everything is well, Your Majesty?” Minseok asked.

    “No, Xiumin, everything is not well.” And there was no further talking.

    Xiumin, it’s been a long time since he called me by that nickname.

    Very soon they arrived at Minseok’s house and she went in search of her husband after welcoming the Emperor in. Sitting alone, he realized just how little he left the palace and visited his friends’ house, he couldn’t even remember the last time he had been here.

    “Well, well, look who’s here, the palace is going crazy looking for you, Your Majesty.” Jongdae said.

    His arrival broke the Emperor’s train of thought, but he was glad to see another old friend.  “I take it you are doing well then?” He asked.

    “Why, of course! I just say you three days ago in the court session.”

    “Chen, you know that’s different.”

    For a second, Jongdae was rendered speechless, it had been a long time since his childhood nickname the Emperor gave him was used. He glanced over to his wife, Minseok, and she shook her head, it seemed that she didn’t know either. What made the Emperor so happy that he called Jongdae with a name that was so long forgotten?

    “Yifan-ge, what made you so happy today?” Jongdae asked.

    It was a risky move, it was law that you had to call the Emperor by his proper title and even uttering his name could send someone to a lifetime in prison. Minseok gave Jongdae a panicked look, their Emperor was not a forgiving person, even if they were friends for most of their lives, but, it seemed the Emperor didn’t care.

    “There was a girl, with a sword.” The Emperor said with a smile.

    The couple didn’t dare say a word, it was illegal for a girl to be seen with a sword and the fact that the Emperor overlooked that was something very serious indeed.

    “She had really fierce eyes, they stood out from the rest of her, but they were just so determined and strong, she must be a very beautiful girl, Huang Zitao.”

    Standing up Yifan looked at his awaiting friends, “I think it’s becoming late, if you would please just show me to a room, I would be very grateful.”  

    “Yes, please follow me Your Majesty.” Jongdae said.

    “Your Majesty? I thought you were going to call me Yifan from now on?”

    “Oh, of course Your…. Yifan-ge.”

    Yifan then tur