The Voyage In The Blizzard - Chapter 67
If you go back several centuries, during a time when the world was not divided and when the sky was famous for its pure blue, then the first thing that can be seen or imagined will be the highest mountains, the height of which almost touched the stars themselves. And then, the main beauty of natural gifts is the waterfalls.
The purest waters full of irresistible colors that shimmered in the sun’s rays, smoothly descending down to the stone rocks, composed their own melody with a light noise. Along with hovering butterflies and small birds, the whole world under the bright sun rays was immersed in natural sounds that called the hearts of dreamers to fall in love with every corner of the universe.
Running across the thick grass, horses with majestic manes drove winds and clouds. Meeting only infinity ahead of them, their grace merging with the beauties of the world, became an irreplaceable part of everything that was in the world.
With outstretched wings flying over the dark green roofs of houses, the eagles, whose gaze saw the most distant rivers, bending around the sun’s rays reminded everyone of freedom. Against the background of the blue sky, and until it adorns itself with evening tones, the eagles, drawing patterns hiding behind rainbows, descended and found their dreams among the mountain ranges.
The sun, shining high in the sky, at times hiding behind the clouds, thus giving the way for the raindrops to fall down.
And when the time came, the night painting everything with gentle red shades of the evening, slowly released the moon..
Small houses, a number that stretched straight to the endless steppes, high ancient buildings and temples that stretched straight to the mountains, plunging into the night, were filled with the light of fire and lanterns.
This was the Kingdom of Waterfalls. The most beautiful and peaceful place on Earth.
And as expected, the queen of this kingdom was a woman named Li Hua.
If you go back several centuries, straight to the Kingdom of Waterfalls, then the next thing you can see with the naked eye is a long train of bright dark green dress that fluttered gently in the wind, attracting butterflies.
Dressed in a green dress with golden patterns of sea waves and stardust, Li Hua, a woman whose beauty could match the beauty of nature, carefully holding a baby deer in her arms, slowly walked towards her palace.
Her hair was pinned into a golden hairpin in the shape of an eagle’s wings, long chestnut colored strands hardly fell on her graceful and thin arms. Covered with a light bolero, fragile shoulders still showed the power of which was enough to bear the whole fate of the kingdom. A thin swan neck, adorned in an almost invisible necklace, from time to time turning towards the garden gave to her appearance an impossibly fabulous look. And finally, eyes of bright brown color that resembled gold, kept the wisdom of many years in themselves. Eyes, in whose gaze one could read a sharp mind and a kind heart. And like an invisible veil, long eyelashes soaring like butterfly wings gave Li Hua’s appearance eternal youth. And the thin eyebrows in which all emotions were hoisted were always calmly lowered, which showed the character of this owner.
Passing into a spacious hall surrounded by columns that held a marble ceiling, Li Hua released the deer to the floor, stroked his head and caught the gaze of a tall warrior in golden armor.
Taking her time to sit on the throne, Li Hua slipped soundlessly across the floor to the column and inhaled the fresh evening air. Directing her gaze to the pond with white lotuses, she slightly smiled.
“Your majesty. I did as you ordered. I and my troops went after that rebel, but when we found him, he was already dead.” said the warrior in golden armor.
Bowing her head down, Li Hua replied with a melodious voice, “I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for? He was no use. He always caused a lot of problems. And besides, he wanted to kill you.” retorted the warrior.
“But that doesn’t mean I should be happy.” said Li Hua.
“Your majesty, if he was alive, what would you do?”
Turning to him, Li Hua looked down with sadness in her eyes and then at the warrior. Without hurrying with answers, she, as if choosing the right words to express her thoughts, fell silent and only then answered the question, “I would have let him go.”
Surprised by such a simple answer, the warrior exclaimed, “Your majesty!” Sharply approaching her, he looked around and after making sure that no one was there, suddenly forgetting about his position, pulled her to himself and said, “You are too kind. And it is killing me.”
Pushing him away, Li Hua hiding an obvious smile said, “Today you saw a dead person, and how dare you behave that way.”
“I am a warrior, your majesty. I have seen many deaths. And the death of one of the rebels will not frighten me, much less make me grieve.”
Without saying anything, Li Hua, as she is often called the “Queen of Silence”, descended the stairs that led to a small garden with apple trees, slightly turning her head towards the warrior, lowered her long eyelashes down.
Following her, the warrior whose eyes saw only Li Hua and nothing else, as if spellbound, did not feel tired after a long journey.
Bending down and imperceptibly touching the train of her dress, a warrior whose heart found joy in such simple little things like a slight touch to soft fabric, felt like his heart was stopped in an awe.
Quickly pulling back his hand, the warrior bowed his head and blushed from the intense gaze of Li Hua.
“You can go.” she said.
“Your Majesty, you know that I won’t just leave.” the warrior raised his head.
“Aren’t you afraid of being heard? The way you talk to me can turn badly for you.”
“Are you threatening me, your majesty?” Approaching closer, the warrior, quickly grabbing her hand, brought it to his lips. “Li Hua, when will we be together? When will the day come when I won’t have to hide?”
Giving him a smile, Li Hua touched a strand of his hair and replied, “You need to leave.”
“I won’t leave until you answer my question.”
“I’m listening to you.”
“Do you love me?”
Being a queen whose heart could not flutter as much with love as all girls, she, whose heart was more dominated by her mind, still answered, “I love you.”
“I do not believe.” the warrior said playfully, pulling her towards him. “I do not believe in this.” Touching her soft skin, the warrior bending down to her lips whispered, “Just one kiss and I will believe that you love me.”
“Lan Jun.” Li Hua pronounced his name as if she herself could not believe in this love between them.
Spending most of her time in the palace, Li Hua still felt like a bird in a golden cage. And the reason for that was constant worries for the world around her and for the safety of every inhabitant. Without leaving her castle, she nevertheless arranged it so that around, she was surrounded by lush flowers and trees.
Wandering between the trees on the branches of which the birds were sitting, she was humming songs known only to her. And so, spending days alone, she loved silence and being alone.
For the residents, Li Hua was a real mystery. Unsociable person who is always in the company of animals and birds, created her image as icy and arrogant, but in fact, her mind always hovered somewhere with eagles, and her heart dreamed of only one thing.
Keeping notes about every day, she was a historian who loved to capture everything on the pages of her diary. And on the days when she called a meeting in the common hall, she read everything that happened, and, drawing conclusions, discussed how to improve the life of everyone in the Kingdom of Waterfalls.
“A few days ago, a man named Wei gave this to you. These are the books you asked about.”
“Okay. What about those destroyed houses? Have you started rebuilding them?” Li Hua asked while sitting on the throne in front of all twenty people in white robes.
A young man with expressive eyes answered the question, “Not yet. But we will do everything to restore them.”
“What about the residents? Did you pay them compensation?”
“Your majesty, is it not too …”
“Have you paid compensation?”
“No, your majesty.”
“What have you been doing all this time?”
Looking down silently, the entire royal council awaited punishment, but Li Hua only opened another page and continued, “Also, by the end of this week, solve the problem of the flood on White Eagles Street.”
“Yes, your majesty.”
“And yet, be sure to pay compensation to the affected people.” she repeated, and hearing the clatter of the horse’s hooves approaching her castle, she slightly turned away and began stroking the snow-white cat.
“Your majesty, you are generous and kind as always. Isn’t that too cruel to people?” Lan Jun’s insolent question was heard.
Not daring to turn towards him, Li Hua asked, “Is it cruel? Do you think that kindness is cruel?”
Jumping off a tall white horse, Lan Jun went up to a long table and replied, “Sometimes people cannot bear such great goodness as yours. That is why you have so many enemies. Sometimes good is the same as evil for people.”
Silently watching as a tall and muscular figure in armor slowly approached the throne, everyone thought of him as the most arrogant impudent person in the Kingdom of Waterfalls.
“Am I right, your majesty?”
Seeing Li Hua deliberately not paying attention to him, he smiled, coughed and bending down, whispered right in her ear, “I’ll steal you now.” Having said this, he sharply lifted her and before Li Hua could stop him, she was already sitting on the horse.
“Sorry, but I need to tell the queen something personally.” waving his hand he said and taking the queen by the hand whispered, “Hold on.”
Faster than the wind, the horse, leaving behind the castle and the whole kingdom, headed towards the green hills on which billions of yellow flowers grew.
Stopping the horse, Lan Jun turned to Li Hua and finally kissed her. “I promised to show you my favorite place in this world. So I kept my promise.”
Despite her long dress, Li Hua jumped off the horse and ran forward.
“Where are you running, your majesty?!”
Catching her, Lan Jun fell down together on the soft grass, hugging her, he continued to say, “I really want to see you every second. I’m so tired of seeing you just a few times a week. Li Hua, it seems I can’t live without you.”
To which Li Hua replied with a slight smile, “To say that you cannot live without someone is the same as saying that you cannot live in a world full of possibilities.”
“And what does it mean?”
“It means that this is just a fiction. No one can die for the sake of another. Even if he is in love. Everyone is too in love with his life.” Li Hua replied, gliding smoothly over the leaves of flowers.
Laughing, Lan Jun, embracing her even tighter, fixing his gaze at the evening sky, said, “How can such an icy heart lurk in such a beautiful creature. Why don’t you believe in miracles and in love?”
“Why do you believe in them?”
“Because I see you. When you are not around, the whole world is like one big problem where there are continuous threats on every corner, but when I am with you, and I look into your eyes, I believe in miracles. And in love.”
Standing up, Li Hua smiled, but nevertheless looked at the warrior lying on the grass with a serious look and said, “I want to believe in miracles. But all I feel is anxiety.”
“My kind, wise, great queen, how I wish that your soul at least sometimes could let go of your heavy thoughts and let you go into my arms.”
Folding her arms across her chest, as if wanting to feel her heartbeat during the words she was about to utter, Li Hua waited until the sun went down and quietly said, “I love you.”
Hearing the confession for the first time from her lips, Lan Jun got down on his knees with his head bowed and froze in that position. “I am very grateful to you, your majesty.”
Laughing quietly, Li Hua finally letting go of her thoughts touched his head and the stars lit up in a solemn glow.