Chapter 9 — The Crown Prince's Xa Te

I fell down, as if my bones had been drained. Cold despair rose from all directions, engulfing me completely. Done. The little golden dragon has been taken away. Where is the dragon prince? Why didn't he come? Why does the Dragon King want to take away the little golden dragon? Is it because of me? Because the little golden dragon adopted a snake as its mother, tainting the dragon clan's bloodline? Do they want to correct this mistake? How will they treat the little golden dragon? Erase memories? Or…? I don't dare think anymore. Huge fear and helplessness almost crushed me. Time passes slowly. Every second feels like a century. Don't know how long I waited. Maybe a long time, maybe not long. The electric door opened again. I raised my head in surprise, my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest. He is the crown prince of the dragon clan. He has returned. Just alone. His face was terribly pale, his steps were unsteady, his silver hair was messy, and his gorgeous clothes were wrinkled. Those golden eyes, originally cold and noble, were now bloodshot red, filled with pain, anger and deep fatigue. He looked... like he had just gone through a fierce battle. Or perhaps, a harsh trial. “Your Highness!” I rushed forward, my voice hoarse, "Where is the little golden dragon? They took it away! It was crying... it was so scared..." He stopped walking and lowered his head to look at me. His eyes were extremely complicated. There is pain, there is guilt, there is also a repression that is almost collapsing. He did not answer the question about the little golden dragon. But slowly, extremely slowly, kneel before me. He reached out, his fingertips cold, gently touching my scales, which were trembling with fear and crying. "A Vien..." he opened his mouth, his voice extremely hoarse, "they already know." My blood froze. They… know? Know what? You know that little golden dragon accepts me as a mother? Knowing this nonsense? “Your Majesty the Dragon King… is very angry.” He continued, each word seemed to be forced out from between his teeth, extremely heavy, "the elders... cannot accept it either." I held my breath, my heart almost stopped beating. "They asked..." He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if to suppress the enormous pain, "... execute you." My world collapsed. Execution. Indeed. This is our outcome. Erase mistakes, wash away impurities. That's what the dragon clan will do. I slumped down, even the strength to tremble was gone. Waiting for the final verdict. But his cold hand tightened around my scales, as if wanting to draw strength from it. "I objected." He opened his eyes, a madness and fierceness that was almost perverted in his golden eyes, "I take my position as crown prince, swear by my blood, to protect you." I looked at him in shock and disbelief. He... protected me? Because of me, you go against the Dragon King and the elders? Why? "Why..." I mumbled, my voice as small as a mosquito. He looked at me, the bottom of his eyes stirring, his suppressed emotions almost exploding. "Because..." his voice was hoarse, carrying crazy recklessness, "I can't lose you." He bent down, his forehead almost touching my cold scales. Hot breath. "A Vien, it's not just because he needs you." "It's because I need you." "I need you to stay by my side." His words, like thunder, exploded in my barren soul. It's not that Tieu Long needs me. But he needs me. Crown prince of the dragon clan. Do you need a lowly fat snake like me? It's so ridiculous. It's too unbelievable. I cannot understand it. But in his eyes, the hot fire and pain almost wanted to burn himself, absolutely not like pretending. "So... what about Little Golden Dragon?" I tremblingly asked the question I was most concerned about, "They took it away... how is it?" His eyes suddenly darkened, a flash of deep pain. "It was temporarily kept with the father," his voice was low, "this is one of the compromise conditions." "They promised... not to harm it. Just need to... 'rectify' a few things." Rectify? How to regulate? Erase memories of me? Heart

I once again tightened my grip. “So… what about other conditions?” I asked in a hoarse voice, vaguely guessing that the price to keep me would definitely not be small. He was silent for a moment, his deep golden eyes staring at me, containing complex emotions that were difficult to articulate. There is heaviness, there is determination, and there is also a little bit of... liberation? He slowly opened his mouth. “The other condition is…”