"10th prince," a tired voice came from under him.

"Why? Are you tired already?" The 10th Prince replied indifferently, emotionless in his tone.

"Of course not, I wouldn't dare," but one could hear the strain in the turtle's voice.

The Prince stood up and walked off without turning back.

"Thank you, 10th prince." The turtle replied nonetheless even when the Prince had long disappeared from his sight. It turned back into his human form, stretching and knocking at his tired aching back.

The Prince was on the way to his room when the Queen materialized in his tracks, a misty and oceanic scent lingered in the air after her sudden appearance.

"Minghao," her voice was a sweet gentle motherly tone. She was also very dazzlingly beautiful and wrinkle-free despite her age.

Minghao lowered his head respectfully, he was greeting the Queen not a mother. Her heart ached at the sight of his soulless eyes. She reached out to her son's pale face but stopped. She closed her eyes briefly as if this small gesture pained her tremendously. And when those alluring eyes opened again they were replaced by a Queen's august.

"Minghao, my 10th Prince, I've brought you a task from the Celestial Sky Palace," even the tone in her voice had changed, but Minghao didn't budge at this surprise announcement, his head was still lowered. She wasn't sure if he was deliberately avoiding eye contact.

"Raise your head Minghao,"

And he did, however his gaze seemed so..distant.

"You will go to the Human Realm in search of your missing horn. You will not return unless it is found no matter the length of your stay. Accompanying you on this trip will be your 4th brother, Jun, who will guide you on your quest. And take this," the servant by her side extended a glass tray. The Queen took the pearl, the size of a regular marble and handed it to him. A blood-red mist-like substance was moving within it.

Minghao received it with both hands. The ice-cold surface of the pearl gave him an uncomfortable but familiar feeling instantly, but he did not flinch.

"It contained a droplet of your blood and a broken piece of a scale from your second horn. We harboured it right after your accident from your open wound," The Queen spoke calmly but she still shuddered ever slightly recalling the condition of her son that day. She raised her hand and with a single elegant wave, the pearl levitated from Minghao's palm to his eye level and it moved further upwards towards his forehead, where the scar was. With another movement of her fingers, the Pearl melted into the scar and a small streak of light sealed it, concealing the scar completely. 

What remained was a scale-like blue hue that would only be visible under direct sunlight.

"If your horn is near, this will let you know." The Dragon Queen lowered her hand looking at her emotionless son for an answer, a reply.

"Yes, mother," He replied plainly, "when should