The first thing that occurs to me (when I dashingly charge at the soldiers) is that I needed to give a lot more credit to men for the way they handle things down below.

It must be a constant hindrance to walk, run or pretty much do anything that involves the use of legs, with 'the thing' coming in the way (no pun intended) all the time!

Even before I swing the sword, one of the soldiers stops me, "We have no beef with you, lad. Just move out of the way."

I smirk. I am sure I look hot, "First of all, I am not a lad. I am a handsome man, not a peasant boy that you can just casually ask to move aside."

Yes, I am aware that I sound like a jerk right now. In my defense, however, I am trying to pick a fight with the soldiers.

The soldier sighs, "Young man, I am sure you are a very handsome man underneath the mask. Now, would you please step aside?"

'Mask!?' I touch my face, and indeed, there is a mask covering more than half of my face. 'It must be Weredra. Maybe it's related to the hidden identity part of the wish as well.'

On another note, these men are polite. I should probably learn a thing or two from them. If only we had met under better circumstances...

I had planned on egging them on and fighting them off to keep them away from my man... I mean, the man. Obviously, the unconscious man wasn't mine, at least not yet.

I cross my hands over my chest and try to look cool. "Ok, I will, but only if you tell me who you are looking for."

The better-looking soldier dismounts and walks over to me, "Young man, we are searching for a man about this tall" He shows the man's approximate height, "He is good looking and is wearing palace servants official uniform. Have you seen such a man around?"

Maybe now is not the time to showcase my fighting skills. 'Prince charming can't see me show off my skills anyway.'

I decide that lying is the best way to distract them. I point to a spot much farther away than where I had found and rescued my man, "I think I saw a body float downstream about fifteen minutes ago."

Everyone gasps.

Without a single word, the man mounts the horse. He gestures his subordinates to follow, and together they all ride towards the area I had just pointed at.

"Ha! You lied. I love it." I hear Weredra's voice.

I am getting used to it now. I calmly turn towards Weredra with a fake smile plastered on my face, "I am glad that I am entertaining you well, my lady." I give her a short bow.

"I have decided that I like you and thus shall be accompanying you from this point on." Weredra, who has once again taken the form of a child, says, leaving no space for any argument.

I do not want that. Things were already awkward as hell even without Weredra in the picture."Madam, why do you want to accompany me on this highly perilous and undoubtedly uncomfortable journey instead of staying in your beautiful cave comfortably?"

"I am lonely." She says in a small voice.

Why the fuck did she have to take this cute form and say the words that I felt when I was this age!

My heart almost goes out to her. But before we can share a warm and fuzzy moment, she smirks and pulls out the document I had signed. She points at the fine print that reads, 'Weredragel can do whatever the fuck she wants to do once the agreement is signed. If the other party refuses, there will be consequences.'

Now I am pissed off! I run to my bag with my copy of the agreement and thrust it at her.

"There is no such thing mentioned here, Weredra!"

The girl sits on the patch of grass and pats the spot next to her.

I sit down, and she takes out a pair of glasses and hands it to me, "It's all here, lad, in the fine print." She says, pointing at a section that I had missed entirely. In my defense, anyone would, for the print was minuscule.

Weredra reads it out to me, "Weredragel can do whatever the fuck she wants to do once the agreement is signed. If the other party refuses, there will be consequences."

Well Fuck!

I put my head between my hands and sigh. I hear some movement behind the tree. I think my man, my apologies, the man must be coming around.

Weredra disappears once again, but I can't help the feeling that I am being watched. Which I probably am, by her... That damn creature!

I crouch down next to him and snake my arm over his shoulder, helping him sit up better. *What do you mean he probably didn't need my help!*

He removes my arm from around his shoulder and looks at me with kind eyes.

I want to drown in those beautiful pools.

He smiles, and my heart threatens to leap out of my chest.

"Did you pull me out of the water?" He asks gently in the most enticing voice I have ever heard.

I nod.

"Thank you, Sir."

He tries to smile once more. I can clearly see that something is bothering him. He looks around and hesitates before dropping a cannonball on me, "Who am I?"

Certain things make themselves very clear at this very moment. One, the man in front of me was not ordinary as his clothes had lead me to believe. Second, he was more gorgeous awake than when he was unconscious.

Thirdly, he had done something that had made him flee from the castle, so he was a fugitive, just like me.

Last but not least, I am most definitely in love with him.

Don't look at me like that! Haven't you heard of love at first sight!?

I have an intense need to make him smile again, "I don't know who you are, but I think some palace guards were looking for you." I shrug casually, "Does that help?"

He shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders as well.

"That's ok. I am sure that you had your reasons for trying to get away from them. I am doing..." I trail off. I don't think it's a good idea to explain my situation at the moment.

He looks at me expectantly.

I shake my head, "Never mind that. Are you hurt anywhere?"

He shakes his head, "I am ok, at least physically."

Oh, you are more than ok; you are fine as hell.

"Sir, may I know your name?" he asks all of a sudden.

"YiJuan." I blurt out.

"Mn?"

'Damn it, that's a woman's name.' I smile awkwardly. My unimaginative mind comes up with a totally unimaginative name, "I am YiJun."

"Which family do you belong to?" He asks. I probably look like I belong to an affluent family.

"Lan is my family name," I say, looking at the Orchid design engraved on his robe.

"Lan YiJun." The man whispers to himself as if trying to familiarize himself with my name.

"It's beautiful." He says once again, smiling like the sun.

If electricity were invented at the time, I would have described it as a thousand-watt smile.

My heart starts thumping in my chest. I look away and gulp.

"What should I call you?" I ask belatedly, realizing that my words will probably make his precious smile disappear.

As expected, his face falls. I feel like kicking myself in the head.

But before I can reprimand myself anymore, he smiles again.

"Lan YiJun, give me a name. I am sure whatever you give me, I will love it." He says, taking my hand in his for a second before letting it go and wiping his hand on the front of his robes.

Of course, he had just asked me to give him a name, but I realized that I wanted to give him so much more.

'His voice is beautiful and melodious. It reminds me of my father when he used to play Sheng for me.' I rack my brain again, 'The man I was going to marry was called Zhan.' I think to myself. "How would you like to be called Sheng Zhan?"

"Sheng Zhan... " He murmurs.

He nods and smiles like the sun, "Thank you, YiJun, I love it. And sorry that I troubled you like this." He adds, biting his lower lip and looking at the ground.

I move away immediately, putting reasonable space between us. It's that thing again that is causing trouble. The thing I am not used to having down there. And I really have no clue how to deal with it.

'Damn the fine print!'

Note
Sheng : traditional Chinese mouth-blown free reed instrument also known as Chinese mouth organ.

{Word count: 1511}