Son Of The An

The silence was profound between the two men. In the distance, one could hear the sound of citizens cheering from the festival. An Sun only stared down at Elder An in silence. His eyes became colder and calmer.

"I think you've made a mistake." He said, his voice splintering the air. "Have you forgotten I have already betrayed the clan? Even now, I am battling against your army. You say you don't want foreigners to collide with the clan, yet asking me to be your leader…is that not the same? Need I remind you that I am no longer a son nor a brother. I do not bear the blood of the An."

Elder An shook his head exaggeratedly. "It does not matter what you have done in the past or present, nor of the blood you carry within your veins. You were raised as a son of the An! I absolutely will not allow someone like foreigners to destroy the centuries of protection our clan leaders built!"

An Sun's eyes narrowed. His hands were fisted at his sides; he hung on to his composure, barely. "What makes you think I will not kill you and deliver your head to An Ruo?" His voice was abnormally calm, yet it bore a sense of cold with them, piercing into his bones and making the old man shake.

Elder An's jaw was clamped down on itself, whether from fear or biting back a reply, An Sun could not tell. His eyes burned with bitterness.

"I expected you would say such a thing. And I have come fully prepared for death. But I know somewhere within you is the soul of a leader. Only you Master An…there is no one else." His old wrinkled hands tightened around An Sun's. "For the only man I see as our clan's leader, I am willing to die proudly from your hands."

Gritting his teeth, An Sun's neck muscles were twisting in anger. His fingers clenched, only inches from the elder's throat. He yanked himself from the old man's clinging fingers.

"I will tell you again, I am no longer a member of the An." His face was very still. The words were quiet but distinctly audible. "They may have raised me, but my blood is no different from those men you despise. Now go back."

He turned from Elder An's pain-twisted face and outstretched hands and fled from the area with quick steps.

…

Rin sat on the stone step, feeding Ju the bits of meat they bought earlier. A group of children rushed past her, giggling among themselves. She looked on calmly and continued to serve the falcon in her lap. When the sound of footsteps approached her from behind, she turned and smiled gently.

"Sun…" Just as she stood up, her body was suddenly encased in familiar warmth. Her eyes widened. "Wha...What are you doing?"

The man's arms tightened around her waist, catching her breath. Although she enjoyed the feeling of him being so close, Rin noticed the people around them staring, some whispering. To see a man suddenly embrace a young lady in public who was unwed was bound to catch their attention.

"Sun, let go." With flushed cheeks, she patted his back.

Rather than letting go, An Sun followed the curve of her shoulder, his hand tracing down her smooth skin until he found her warm, soft hand. He took her hand into his own and entwined their fingers. Only then did he slowly part from her. When Rin looked up, she was surprised to see a lantern in her face.

"A lantern for the lady." His voice was strangely calm and gentle.

Rin blinked and took the lantern in her hands. Just before she could ask him anything, he clasped her hand and dragged her near the dock—it was a secluded area near the edge. He squatted and began lighting his lantern. He turned to her and ushered her forward with a smile.

With pursed lips, Rin stared at his face, searching for something. Sighing, she squatted beside him, watching the lantern in her hands light up.

"Now you make a wish." An Sun said.

"A wish?" Rin's brows raised. "Do you believe in such things?"

An Sun shrugged and looked out at the lanterns in the sky. A cool wind moved through his long black hair. "I don't know. But it never hurts to try."

Seeing his words as reasonable, Rin stared at her lantern with unreadable eyes before she closed them. When she opened them again, her face softened, and she released her lantern into the water. Her eyes followed it as it lifted into the sky to join the other stars of light.

"What did you wish for?" An Sun's voice drew her back.

The corners of Rin's mouth lifted. Propping her chin, she looked into the sky with calm, starlit eyes. "I wished for everyone I love to live long and happy lives."

An Sun's eyes widened. He felt his heart violently beating, and the passion that went cold after meeting Elder An spurred back. He reached out to lift the veil from her face, showing her lovely face staring back at him with a gentle smile. He swallowed.

Slowly, he touched the nape of her neck lightly with both of his thick fingers. She was startled but didn't push him away. Rather, she laughed softly and lifted his hand to touch her cheek as she leaned in, eyes closing.

"Even if this is for a moment, I'm glad I was able to spend this time with you, Sun." Her voice was in a faint whisper, and her bright eyes opened.

An Sun stiffened up slightly. He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head gently, smoothed her hair, and stared deeply into her eyes.

"We should go back."

…

Lifted off the horse by An Sun, Rin landed gently on the ground, her skirt fluttering. When she looked up, her eyes studied the man with a deep gaze.

"Did something happen?" Her brows furrowed.

Ever since An Sun returned from buying the lanterns, his demeanor had changed. It was clear he was dwelling strongly on something.

Observing her concerned expression, An Sun sighed and kissed her lightly on the brow.

"Nothing happened." He reassured. Although she could tell he was lying.

She wasn't a fool, nor was she about to act like one. Just as Rin opened her mouth to say more, she noticed a pair of people coming toward them. With no choice, she had to pull down her veil.

"Captain Sun, what are you doing here so late at night?" Yin Changpu along with Jin Yue approached them. They both looked sweaty, bodies oozing with harsh training.

"I should be asking you two that question." An Sun's brows raised. Seemingly surprised to see the two together.

Yin Changpu's cheeks flushed under the moonlight. He cleared his throat.

"Jin Yue was just helping me train."

The tall woman nodded her head with a placid expression causing a bead of sweat to drip down her chin and collarbone. She wiped it away. Yin Changpu stared at Jin Yue dazedly for a moment before looking back to An Sun. It was only upon a closer look that he noticed the girl beside his captain. His brows raised in surprise. Yin Changpu glanced between the two, then gave an understanding look.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. We were only walking by. We will leave."

Jin Yue also caught sight of Rin and bowed her head toward the girl. Rin responded politely back, well aware that the woman recognized her. As for Yin Changpu…he could only give An Sun a thumbs up and wink.

"Nice seeing you Captain Sun!"

Watching the two walk away, the corners of An Sun's lips twitched. Beside him, Rin chuckled.

"They sure have grown closer."

An Sun nodded. He let out a breath of cold air and turned back to her.

"You should head inside. It's not safe to wander around dressed like that for long."

Behind her veil, Rin's eyes narrowed, but in the end, she said nothing. Just as she turned to leave, she paused. Her lips pursed in thought. She suddenly looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then in a few steps, she rushed in front of An Sun and lifted her veil, pushing up to stand on her tippy-toes and kissed him on the lips. The warmth on An Sun's lips had lasted only a second before it disappeared.

Rin had already pulled down her veil and said while smiling, "One day, you can see me dressed like this again."

He stared at her stunned. Without giving him a chance to speak, she walked away, disappearing into the shadows. Her scent and lingering warmth left An Sun's heart beating rapidly. He touched his lips silently, then clenched his hand.

"Damnit."

…

Manchu resided in his room quietly that night. He lay in bed, reading a tethered book propped against his thigh with his hand scrounging for what was left of the green grapes in his bowl. He popped one into his mouth, eyes distilled to the page.

The green flesh, perfectly ripe, burst in his mouth. Satisfied with the taste, he popped another in his mouth. At the same time, his door swung open without notice.

Startled, Manchu choked and instinctively brought a hand to his throat. When he reached for a cup of water and cleared his throat, his watery blue eyes looked to see An Sun standing at the entrance. The slightest crease appeared between his eyes.

"Jeez...Mind knocking first?"

Closing the door, An Sun met his gaze. His face was serious, the gray of his eyes steady as he regarded him. "We need to talk."

Manchu's eyebrows lifted. He set aside his book and bowl of grapes. "What is it?"

Rather than answering, An Sun pursed his lips and groaned, running a hand through his long hair. Manchu sat still on his bed while An Sun's feet scuffed across the wood floors, pacing back and forth across the room. Manchu could only presume the matter was serious based on his behavior.

The next moment, An Sun said, "I met Elder An in the capital. He wants me to return to the clan and be their leader."

Manchu's head jerked up. "What? Why would he…"

"It seems An Ruo is joining forces with foreign countries." An Sun's voice was cool, but Manchu could see his jaw tighten, just a little.

Manchu stood, his hands balled. A look of concern crossed his face. "You're not thinking of accepting, are you?"

An Sun did not answer. Manchu could see the struggle on his face. His mouth was twisted, ugly, and tight as he had ever seen it. This reaction was beyond Manchu's expectation.

"Sun?"

"This war was caused by An Ruo. Our men, his men, everyone will continue to die for the sake of his own greed and satisfaction." The words were expressionless; they carried no hint of anything Manchu could read. "Even if he does lose, he will never give up. More people are going to suffer under his power."

Manchu seized his arm. "Do you not remember everything they've done? Everything we've gone through to escape them? An Hongyu was one thing, but An Ruo is another. Wars have been won through battles for years now. There's no need to change that by giving yourself up to them!"

An Sun stared back. Manchu could not follow the flicker of emotion in his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he released his arm and stepped back.

At last, Manchu said, "I promised her I wouldn't say anything to you. But if you're considering this, I can't keep it any longer."

An Sun's gaze, which had been staring at the floor, flickered to Manchu.

"What are you talking about?"

"There was a letter sent to Rin from An Ruo. I don't know how it got to her but the letter…"

An Sun stepped closer. His tone sharpened. "What about the letter?"

Manchu's lips pursed. "It was coated in poisonous powder. Whoever inhaled the powder would die within a few hours. And at the time, the one who opened the letter…was Fan Mingli."

There was a long moment of silence between the two. Manchu raised his gaze hesitantly and froze. An Sun's entire face was still. His eyes looked strange, the pupils huge and dark, swallowing his face. He didn't say anything and instead turned around, opening the door.

"Sun," Manchu followed behind him, holding the swinging door. "Sun!"

He watched him walk in long strides down the hall, his face never turning back.