Chapter 2: A MEMORY

POINT YOUR SWORD TO ME CHAPTER 2: A MEMORY

Seeing that she was closing her eyes and was ready, he remembered something, which made him stop from kissing her. 

It was one month ago. He met the one he truly loved in the mountain where they scheduled to meet each other whenever they felt lonely and alone. 

En, the woman he loved was there. He felt that she also loved him. He knew a long time ago that he would have to take a wife someday. Like his parents who got married out of love, he also wanted to feel what it feels like to love. 

When he met En, he knew that she was the one he had been searching for. But at first, he thought that she was an enemy and sparred with her the moment they sensed each other’s presence under the bright moonlight. 

The moonlight was unusually radiant that time, as if they were fated to see each other through a fantasy-like encounter. 

After sharing a spar with her, he had the urge to know more about her. He wanted to know more about her, even if he wasn’t sure whether he felt that time was genuine. 

He was captivated the moment he saw her wearing that white mask on her face. Despite not seeing her face even though they have known each other for a year, his heart told him that he found someone for him. 

One month ago, he asked for her presence and was going to surprise her. 

They have known each other for a long time and it resulted in him having feelings for her. He thought it was impossible for him to fall in love, and it felt like a dream. 

When he saw her figure, walking to him, his heart was thumping real hard and he felt overwhelmed. 

This day, he promised to himself that he’d make En as his. 

He desires no one but her. She was the one who made his heart incomplete whenever her presence wasn’t there. She was the reason why his heart kept beating fast when she’s right in front of him, talking, or laughing with him. 

“En, you’re here.” 

He reached out his hand to help her walk to the roof, but she easily floated up to the roof and ignored his hand. Chasing her, he chuckled. 

"Why do you have to be so mean to me?” 

They sat shoulder in shoulder together under the moonlight, just like the moonlight when they saw each other and fought with each other. 

She breathed and looked up. 

“Why did you call me here?” 

He felt challenged and excited, but at the same time very nervous. 

"I miss you, can’t I?” 

She turned her head to him and he smiled underneath his mask. No one among them has seen each other’s faces. 

She breathed and put her sword right beside her leg. 

“You’ve been strange nowadays. Do you have something you want to tell me?” 

It was then he felt like rain was engulfing him, his breathing was unstable and he could feel that his heart was about to jump off from his chest. 

“I have an important thing to tell you.” 

She looked away and seemed interested about his question. 

“What is it?”

He first clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. 

“I like you.”

He needs a lot of courage to say that. She was surprised and looked at him, standing in disbelief.

“H-Hux, what are you…”

She stepped back and he knew that time that he needed to say something for her to believe him. 

“It might really sound unreal and insincere, but I like you. I’ve fallen for you. It took me a lot of time and preparation to be able to say this to you. I know it sounded really shocking, but it’s true.”

En couldn’t say anything to him and gulped her saliva.

“Wh-why? Why did you like me?” 

She again stepped back, and he was worried that she might fall down, thus he hurriedly grabbed her wrist and pulled her near him. 

“Am I not allowed to like you?” 

She blinked her eyes, dumbfounded and speechless. 

“H-Hux, let go of my wrist.” 

He then realized what she said and let go of her hand gently. 

“Why, why do you have to like me? There are many women out there? You could have liked somebody else, not me.” 

She then dejectedly lowered her head and sighed heavily. 

He got flustered and felt that his heart was starting to break apart.

“E-En, please believe me. Ho-how can I lie to you?” 

She waved her hands, as if disagreeing with what he said. 

“No, Hux. Stop lying.”

“En, I am not. It took me a lot of time to say this to you. How can I lie?”

He sounded really sincere and she was a bit swayed, however, they couldn’t be together. 

“We can’t be, Hux.”

She shook her head, walking away from him. 

“No, En. Just please answer my question. Please, answer me. Do you also like me? If so, let’s be together, let’s not hide each other's faces anymore. Let’s be open to each other. Oh?”

She shook her head firmly. 

“Hux, we can’t be together.”

“Why?” 

“Because we can’t just be!” 

She shouted in despair. 

“En… what do you mean?”

“I don’t know. I-it’s just that, we can’t be. I’m sorry, Hux. Farewell.”

She then quickly vanished and he was left alone. 

Thinking of how his heart was broken in many pieces, he gently pushed Lixien away and uttered. 

“I can’t. Let’s not do this.”  

He turned his back to her and he felt dejected and down. 

Lixien was then puzzled. How did he manage to say no when she was willing and even with the help of the Aphrodisiac? Was it not enough? 

Putting her robe back, he didn’t even kiss her. 

Thus, she concluded, he hated her. 

Yes, that must be it. He hated her because of her father. She knew it, how dare she imagine that he would kiss him notwithstanding the fact that her father revolted against the kingdom three years ago? 

She knitted her brow and carefully laid on the other side of the bed, looking at his back, which was facing her. 

She was expecting too much. How dare she? 

With this, she closed her eyes tightly and forced herself to sleep.

Vai, who was contemplating on what he remembered, felt like he was a bunch of crap. 

How did it come to this? He knew that En was the only one. 

Was it only one-sided? Did she not like him? 

After a few minutes, he got up and turned his head to Lixien who was already sleeping and stood up. 

He felt frustrated. 

He opened the door and left their bedroom. 

After he was gone, she opened her eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. 

“Maybe this is for the best for us.” 

She finally curved up her lips and continued her words.

“Not consummating our first night was better. At least, I have nothing to lose.”

She turned her body around and felt the bed was soft. 

She then smiled and drifted to sleep.

When he left the bedroom, Shourin Dreyt, his right handed man and his butler, widened his eyes and turned to his and Lixien’s bedroom. 

“Your Majesty?! Wh-why are you outside?!” 

Rin was very shocked to see him. 

“I can’t be?” 

Shourin, aka Rin, waved his hands and scratched his cheeks. 

“Y-Your majesty, how about the Empress?” 

Rin pointed to the bedroom. 

Vailan, aka, Vai, looked at him. 

“She’s still alive.” 

He answered sarcastically. Rin looked back and followed him, who was walking away. 

“But, Your Majesty, this is your first night. Is it alright for you not to consummate it?” 

Vai glared at him. Rin then gulped his saliva and smiled. 

“I don’t want to.”

“But Your Majesty, how about the Empress? She must be really feeling sad right now.” 

Vai slightly nodded his head. “I guess.” He didn’t care for Lixien’s feelings.

Rin felt frustrated. “Your Majesty, do you know how it’s very meaningful for women on their first night with their husbands?” 

Rin started to lecture him. 

“If it’s meaningful for women, the same goes for me.”

“Pardon, Your Majesty?” 

Vai lifted his hand and told him. 

“Let’s spar.” 

Rin looked around. 

“Your Majesty, it’s the middle of the night! I want to sleep too.”  

He then tiredly yawned. 

Vai looked at him. 

“Spar. With. Me.” 

Rin drooped his shoulder and nodded defenselessly. 

Rin felt that Vai had been sparring with him ever since the choosing of Empress opened up. Did he not like Lixien? 

“Your Majesty, do you not like your Empress?” 

“Yes.”

“...!! Your majesty, how can you say that? What if someone heard you?!” 

Rin was really surprised to hear him answered so boldly.

“Then do you want me to lie instead? You won’t believe me that way.” 

Vai crossed his arms. Rin frowned and once again looked back for the last time where Vai went out. 

“Even so, Your Majesty. You married her, even if you don’t like her, you could have at least made love with her.” 

“Made love when I don’t love her, are you serious?”  

“I-I mean, it’s not about that, but the duty you must fulfill for the first night you share with your wife. If you continue this, rumors will circulate in the Palace.” 

Rin let out a heavy sigh. He could zip his mouth, as if he never saw anything, however the eyes of others couldn’t be controlled and their mouths are also blabbering exaggerated stories. Rin was concerned that it would destroy the Emperor’s image. 

“Let it be.”

“Then why did you insist on marrying her, Your Majesty? Your vassals knew that you were firm on marrying her, and if they were informed that you didn’t consummate your first night with the Empress, what would they say to you?” 

“I married her because she has all the standards.” 

“But she was the daughter who revolted, Your Majesty.”

Rin disagreed.

“Rin, know your position. You know more than anyone else how it is important to have a wide range and strong back up. Out of all the candidates, she has it all.” 

Vai reminded him to still respect Lixien as the Empress. Rin wanted to say more, but he then only shut his mouth and said nothing.

“It must have been hard for the Empress.” 

Rin after a few seconds mumbled upon his breath. 

“Get the swords and let’s start sparring.”

Rin was shocked. He actually forgot about the match. He’s dead.