Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

The dark clouds gathered in the skies of Jing city, rumbled and pour down continuously. 

Inside the VIP room in the city hospital, Li Juan laid on the bed, surrounded by various monitoring equipment.

Lee Tae Yang who sat beside her, gazed at Li Juan's partially hidden face under the oxygen mask. 

Her once bright and beautiful countenance was now appeared pale like a ghost. 

A purplish palm mark remained like a huge eye sore on her cheek. 

Even on her slender wrists, the bruises left by thick ropes were present.

If there weren't any wounds or oxygen mask on Li Juan, one might have mistaken her as someone who is sleeping peacefully at home. 

She appeared so calm and quiet. 

Lee Tae Yang carefully reached out for her hand and gently touched her slender fingers. His touches were so tender and soft as if he is scared that he might hurt her. 

Even from a young age she lead life full of sufferings and sorrows. How can heavens torment her by taking their child? 

"Tae Yang," Feng Mian tried to call her nephew in a feeble voice as she enter the room.

It has been two days ever since, Li Juan got admitted to the hospital. Even though her vitals came back to normal, she remained unconscious. 

""You should get some rest, aunty will stay with her," Feng Mian moved closer to her nephew and gently caressed his unkempt hair. Even after Li Juan was out of danger, Lee Tae Yang refused to leave her side without any rest. 

"She will be alright," 

Lee Tae Yang tilted his head to took a look at the woman who stood beside him and slowly averted his gaze to Li Juan as if he is asking for permission to leave.

"Please don't blame yourself, it is not your fault that things have turned out like this," Feng Mian tried to console the man who appeared haggard.

When the last time she spoke to Lee Tae Yang, both of them were excited to meet Li Juan, but when she finally met the woman whom her nephew loved, it was nothing but a heart wrenching sight.

Lee Tae Yang blamed himself for the tragedy befell on Li Juan and their child. He broke down on the thought of his incompetency to protect his loved ones.

Born in a royal family, chivalry and tenacity was in Lee Tae Yang's blood, not to mention that loss of his parents has made him more considerate and solicitous.

How can a person like him could accept that he failed to save his own child?

"Get some rest, son," Feng Mian persuaded him once again.

Carefully pulling his hand from Li Juan, Lee Tae Yang stood up and raised his tired eyes at his aunt. He lost his mother at an early age, but he never lacked any motherly affection in his life. Whether it's his aunts or grandmothers, everyone loved him more than their own children. 

But what about Li Juan? Will they accept and love her the same?

Looking at his doubtful eyes, Feng Mian reassured Lee Tae Yang with a smile and allowed him to leave. 

However, before leaving the room, Lee Tae Yang glanced at the woman lying on the bed.

No matter what she was going through, Li Juan always put a strong and brave before everyone. Watching her weak and fragile form, he felt like someone had ruthlessly ripped his heart out.

"Whoever did this to you, I swore to give them a painful death," 

He muttered under his breath as he walked out of the private room in steady steps. 

"He is here," Zhang Zhi Jun who was waiting outside the room, informed his grandfather as soon as he saw Lee Tae Yang. 

Bai Qi and Bai Su Ya came to Jing city after hearing about Li Juan's accident. However, they have never expected to hear the loss of Li Juan's child. 

"I apologise for not taking good care of your granddaughter, elder Bai," Lee Tae Yang said in an apologetic voice and tried to kneel down. 

"Young master Guan, what are you doing? Please get up," Bai Qi retaliated in a flustered voice as he tried to stop the man from kneeling down. 

"We were planning to tell everyone once Xiao Li finishes her studies and get married. But before that...," Lee Tae Yang swallowed the rest of his words as he tried hard to not to break down. 

"Let's believe that it's the fate of the little one," Bai Qi replied in a trembling voice and patted Lee Tae Yang's shoulder.

"You should stay strong," He knew that words of condolences will only break everyone's heart, so he refrained himself to fewer words and persuaded Lee Tae Yang to take rest.

Lee Tae Yang bowed before walking away from them and decided to check upon the team members who got injured in the mission. 

"Boss," Chen Da Meng immediately rose from the bed as he saw Lee Tae Yang entering the room. 

"Please lie down," Lee Tae Yang suggested as he took a look at casts on his assistant's limbs. Chen Da Meng wasn't part of the wolf team who worked under the Lee corporation. He willingly joined the rescue team out of the loyalty and gratitude towards his lady boss.

"How are you now?"

"I am alright, boss. How's young miss? Is she alright?" Chen Da Meng was the one of the team members who directly got affected by the explosion which helped Ning Jing to escape.

"Ah Hyung, with the help of alpha team, we were able to track down Ning Jing's escape route," All of sudden, Lee Tae Min changed the topic as he saw the darkened face of his brother.

"As we expected, Ning Jing escaped with the help of Tang Corporation," He reported in a breath.

"But young master, it was a man...he alone took that woman," Chen Da Meng tried to remember memory of the night when he saw death face to face. 

"It was Ahn Lu Shan, personal secretary of Chairman of Tang Corporation," Lee Tae Min's forehead creased in anger and contempt. He clearly remembered the man who came to meet Li Juan while they were sponsored by Tang Corporation. It was also the day when Li Juan's health condition started to decline.

"We will do whatever you suggests,"

"Leave Ning family for Bai corporation and take down the rest," Lee Tae Yang's icy voice resonated in the room.

"Take down the rest?" Chen Da Meng exchanged glances with Lee Tae Min as if he was unable to understand the meaning. 

"What about Noona? Didn't she refused to-" 

"Go ahead with the plan, before she wakes up," Lee Tae Yang ordered and left the room in steady steps. 

"Young master, what does boss meant by taking down the rest? That too before young miss wakes up. What is it? Chen Da Meng bombarded Lee Tae Min with his queries. 

"Downfall of Tang Corporation," He replied menacingly and took out his mobile to give orders. 

---------------------------------

While everyone worried about Li Juan, her conscious mind was drifting between reality and dreams. 

In one of her dreams, Li Juan stood alone in a valley, in the middle of snow capped mountains. Surrounded by the refreshing scent of freshly bloomed plum flowers, she found herself familiar with the place which had a lone plum tree in blossom.

"We meet again," A familiar female voice heard from behind. 

Li Juan's eyes lit like fireworks as her eyes met with the person.

"Majesty!!!" 

In front of her, Bai Yu Yue, the 99th Queen of Yu Kingdom, stood with a warm smile.

"You came," 

"You called me, so I had to come," Bai Yu Yue casually said and moved closer to the woman who appeared like a mirror image of herself,

"It's shame that we can only meet when your life is in danger," 

"I'm in danger?" Li Juan was caught in surprise when she heard Bai Yu Yue's words.  "Did you save me.... again?"

"No. It wasn't me. This time, some one else saved you," Bai Yu Yue refuted and looked past of Li Juan with a doting eyes.

Feeling someone's eyes on her, Li Juan turned back with a hint of bewilderment.

Not so far away from her, a little girl who is adorned in a white dress stood with a soft smile and gleaming obsidian eyes.

"Who is she?" Li Juan was completely taken back with presence of another human being in the valley.

"Someone who wanted to meet you," Bai Yu Yue waited for a moment and opened her mouth to toss a question towards Li Juan.

"Lili, have you ever thought about the reason why you are able to see me, a woman who lived thousands years ago?" 

Without even breaking the eye contact with girl, Li Juan replied.

"Isn't it because of our bloodline? I'm the only girl child born after you,? 

"Yes, that's also a reason. But there is one more thing which connects me to you," Li Juan quickly shifted her gaze to the woman who stood before her.

"Both of us are Mavericks," Bai Yu Yue's thin lips curled into an ironic smile and sat under the plum tree,

"We defied the rules and natural order as well as the purpose of our lives to save others," 

"I...I don't understand," Li Juan snapped back with a puzzled face as she sat beside her without any hesitations.

"We are the descendants of the lunar maiden who came to mortal realm in search of the better half- the wolf," Bai Yu Yue furrowed her eyebrows and paused a second before she said slowly,

"The Lunar maiden belongs to the wolf," 

Li Juan quietly listened to Bai Yu Yue and a faint ominous feeling rose up in her heart. She was aware of the story of the forgotten moon Goddess who fell in love with the Wolf God who protected the mortal realm. The moon Goddess created Lunar maiden and sent her to the earth in search of the man she loved. Later on, the descendants of Lunar maiden became the Bai tribe of Yu clan and protected the moon stone which is meant for the great wolf.

"Both, you and me- we defied the natural order and defied the purpose of our lives by refusing the wolf," 

"But Yu clan allows the maiden to choose the suitor," Li Juan shook her head in denial. 

"Only in the absence of the wolf," Bai Yu Yue explained with an indifferent face, "The bloodline of Lunar maiden including you and me, existed only for him as the fateful mate," 

"Are you saying that I made a mistake?" Li Juan dropped her head in self-accusation.

"I said maverick, not a mistake, She corrected Li Juan and went on, "You did what you thought was right," 

"Just like you?" 

"I believed what I did was right, but if I look back now, I could have taken a better decision which might have helped to settle everything without a bloodbath," Bai Yu Yue let out a long sigh, "It is in the past now. There is nothing we can change now," 

Li Juan fidgeted with her fingers as she listened quietly. There weren't a moment in her life, she wished to accept the wolf who only cared to hurt her.

"The wolf, don't hate him," Bai Yu Yue said as she observed Li Juan's confused demeanor.

"Getting rejected by his only mate- the person who is meant to bring him redemption. It is natural for him to act reckless,"

"I love someone and it is impossible for me to accept anyone other than him," 

"Do you think I am not aware of it?" Bai Yu Yue smirked and got up from the floor, "We had so many things in common, rewriting our fates is one among them," 

"Are you leaving?" Li Juan jolted up as she saw Bai Yu Yue was intending to leave.

"Hmm. It's time to leave," 

"Majesty, when will we meet again?" 

"This will be our last meeting," Bai Yu Yue touched Li Juan's shoulder and continued,

"Life wasn't easy for you, but I'm sure that it won't be the same in the future. What ever fate has taken from you, I hope it will return in double,"

"So this is it? This is your farewell?" Li Juan's big eyes welled up with tears as she held onto Bai Yu Yue's hands. 

"Lili, I will be always grateful for what you have done for me. But dear, you have a life and there is no need for you to atone for anyone," Bai Yu Yue touched Li Juan's cheeks and she turned towards the girl who was stood there silently.

"Ah I forgot. She is the one who saved you and was waiting to have a word before leaving," She gestured the girl to come closer.

As the girl walked towards the plum tree, Li Juan could see her clearly.

The little girl looked like a miniature version of her, but with some subtle changes.

She had big ink black eyes and rich honey colored skin, even the air around had trace of coldness.

However, as she moved closer to Li Juan, an adorable smile bloomed on her face, revealing cute dimples on her cheeks.

Looking at her, Li Juan's eyes beamed like a sunny morning. That smile, she was familiar with it. The warm smile reminded her of the man she loved the most.

"I am happy that I can finally meet you," The girl said in a mellow voice. Though she looked like five year old, for some reasons her words appeared mature.

Li Juan stares at the little figure in white who stood before holding a plum blossom twig.

Why did she feels closer to this girl as if they have known for long time?

Li Juan felt a tug at her heart as if someone was pulling it heavily. Though she parted her lips to speak, but no sound came out as if she is mute.

Unable to say anything, tears welled up in Li Juan's eyes and rolled down her cheeks as she fell on her knees.

The little girl extended her hand and wiped the tears from Li Juan's cheeks. 

"Don't cry...I was happy with you. So please don't be sad,"

She leaned towards Li Juan and placed a kiss on the cheeks.

Li Juan touched the little hand and pulled the girl into her arms.

As an uncontrollable agony filled in her heart, Li Juan closed her eyes and wrapped her hands tightly over the girl, 

"Can you tell him that I am not mad at him?" The girl whispered in Li Juan's ears and released herself from the embrace.

Li Juan gazed at the little face which could melt anyone with cuteness with teary eyes.

"Can you tell him that I love him? The girl extended the plum twig and asked,

Li Juan nodded in agreement as she accepted the flowers.

"Let's meet again,"  Taking a step away from Li Juan, the girl walked towards Bai Yu Yue who was standing there without looking back,

"No!!!!!" Li Juan tried to stop them from leaving, however an invisible barrier separated her from them.

Watching the figures getting farther from her, Li Juan felt the world around her getting revolve around her and engulfing her into darkness.

"Xiao Li,"

A familiar voice enters her ears as Li Juan wakes up from her deep sleep.