Tale of the Lotus Heart
Chapter 35

The next morning, I went straight to the twins' room. Ixia was sitting in a rocking chair dozing off when I entered. I giggled before taking the twins out, one at a time, to feed them. By the time I finished feeding them, Ixia had woken up to help me burp them.

"Goddess Princess, the children's spiritual centers have awakened already. It happened late last night," Ixia informed me. I searched them both before coming to the same conclusion.

"It's pretty powerful to start with," I muttered to myself before passing some of my own spiritual energy to both of them. I smiled at them before looking back to Ixia.

"With their spirits awakened, they probably don't need the milk from me anymore. Let's switch them to honey mixtures, lotus soup, and spiritual energy. Either myself or Yong will take care of that last one," I instructed. Ixia nodded before going back to tending to the twins. I made my way to Yong's study where he had been even before I woke up this morning. Going over to him, I wrapped my arms around him from behind with a light smile.

"Have you even eaten yet?" I asked in worry. Yong set his brush down before holding my hand in his gently.

"I haven't, but I will soon. I promise," he replied. I sighed before walking around to sit on the edge of his desk.

"Tyrian and Amethyst have their spiritual cores awakened. They don't need my body to feed them anymore, which gives me more time to work on other things. I instructed Ixia to feed them honeys and lotus soup. We'll have to pass on our spiritual energy to them ourselves while also making sure the petals are sealed," I explained.

"Are you planning to go into the Royal Heavenly Palace today?" He asked. I nodded.

"The Emperor set up a meeting with the Love Immortal to prepare planning for our wedding. I have a feeling I won't contribute much, but I can't turn down the Emperor's kindness. That would be rude," I responded. Yong grabbed my hips before placing me in his lap. He held his empty hand out before his hairpin charm flew into it. He made me stay still as he placed it between the braids of my bun.

"You're going into the palace along today. I don't have the privilege of going with you, or I would, but I still have too much paperwork. I know you don't like when I use this on you. But seeing as I can't be there, I would appreciate it if you just left this in your hair. If nothing else, it makes me feel better," he begged. I hesitated before finally agreeing. It's not like I would have to use it anyway. I would just think of it as another accessory.

"If it's that big of a deal to you, I'll agree. But I'm going inside the inner palace, what dangers could be lurking there? Plus, my skills are far more superior. If it makes you happy, I'll wear it though. You're lucky it matches my outfit," I teased him. He kissed me gently before hugging me.

"I just want you safe," he said sincerely. I knew that was his intention, that's why I allowed it.

After freshening up my makeup, I made my way to the Royal Heavenly Palace. I was a bit nervous to be meeting the Love Immortal for the first time to start planning my wedding to Yong. I had no idea how traditional weddings were held here, however, I felt like I could finally exhale and relax. My secret relationship with Yong was finally exposed with not much conflict, and my life here was finally settling down. I went to the tea room and sat as I waited. The Love Immortal wasn't there yet. I made myself some tea and even prepared an extra cup for the Immortal. When the doors finally opened, I was shocked to see the Empress enter. Her stoic face was hard to read. I stood and curtsied to her anyway.

"Heavenly Empress," I greeted her.

"I won't lie and say I didn't like you at first, but now you're marrying my son. It wouldn't be right if I didn't plan his wedding due to personal grudges. You have a lot of time ahead to curry my favor and attempt to show me why my son loves you so much, but for now, we should talk wedding details. Come take a walk with me," she said. I was confused by the Empress's sudden change of mood, but it seemed like she was attempting to get along with me for Yong's sake. I agreed before following the Empress out to a garden made of clouds and ice.

"The wedding will have to be grand, of course. It's the Crown Prince's wedding. The legal wife should have to go through the standard rites and ceremonies. Also, the position of Crown Princess isn't just handed out. Proper etiquette of an Empress will also be taught," the Empress began explaining. I listened intently while following her along the path. Finally we stopped at an end where the walkway abruptly ended in a drop off. The darkness in the drop swirled angrily as thinder clouds clapped loudly over the abyss.

"Finally, you need to know what this is," the Empress said, motioning to the abyss.

"What is this, Heavenly Empress?" I asked curiously.

"The Abyss of Lost Souls. If you look closer you'll see some spirits floating around. It's similar to the River of Forgetfulness in that it'll suck in your soul and never let you go," the Empress explained. I stepped forward to take a closer look to try and spot the souls.

"It also has another name... your fate," the Empress said with hostility before I felt myself being shoved into the abyss. I tried to fly out but the suction force of the hole was too strong. I was sucked into the darkness. I could feel Yong's charm trying to help, but even it was powerless to the gravitational force inside. It felt like my body was being ripped open, and I couldn't even scream because I was dragged inside some type of liquid that was suffocating me. I fought and fought but it was no use. All I could think about was the fact that I would be disappearing without an explanation. Yong would be worried and heartbroken. Tyrian and Amethyst would never know who I am. Tase and Zinnia would be sad. Peony would be disappointed. My life literally replayed quickly through my head before I felt the energy draining from me. The last thing I saw was a flash of pink light before everything went dark.