Hisame conjured snow in Angelina’s palms, and Ryuho poured a generous amount of syrup on top of it. After Rachiel placed a flower atop the shaved ice, Angelina circled around to the Golden Dragon’s snout, holding it out to him with both hands. “Here you go!”
The dragon licked the shaved ice with his long tongue while regarding Angelina fondly. “Yes, quite delicious indeed,” he said with a satisfied laugh.
“You have some, too, Mister Rachiel!” Angelina exclaimed, holding her cupped palms out to him.
Rachiel scooped up a mouthful, stuffed his cheeks, and smiled, satisfied. Without saying anything, he patted Angelina’s head and ruffled Hisame’s hair.
“Your shaved ice is so good, Hisame!” Ryuho shouted, his tail bouncing up and down. “It’s cool and relaxing!”
Angelina took a bite of the shaved ice as well. It immediately melted like an illusion, as it was so soft and fine. Just as Ryuho had said, it provided her with a sense of tranquility and refreshment.
“Yeah, it’s really tasty!” Angelina agreed. “And I’m bursting with energy!”
Smiling bashfully, Hisame took his first bite without saying anything. Light pink butterflies danced in the spring wind underneath the blue sky. The snapdragon flowers appeared to be floating on water as they swayed back and forth. All the while, Rachiel’s golden hair fluttered in the breeze, the gemstones on his forehead gleaming.
“Feilong should arrive soon,” the Golden Dragon said, letting forth a heavy yawn as he stretched. “That annoying whelp.”
“Will Kyril be with him?” Rachiel asked, looking towards the North Star Sanctuary expectantly. “Feilong might be awful, but Kyril is too adorable.”
Father makes nothing but enemies, Angelina thought with a giggle. But what else is new?
A chill drifted towards them from the distance, signaling the arrival of the cold-blooded emperor. As Ryuho wrapped Angelina in a soft embrace, his expression looked like a soldier spoiling for a fight.
Angelina stiffened in surprise, a blush creeping up her cheeks. “Ryuho?”
Hisame let out a sigh of exhaustion.
“Let go of her, Ryuho!” Feilong roared, looking like a fierce deity as he zoomed towards them.
Meanwhile, Kyril smiled stiffly at his father’s behavior.
“Not gonna happen!” Ryuho shouted back, rubbing his cheek against Angelina’s to provoke Feilong. “I love Lina!”
“Shut your trap,” Feilong growled, pulling Angelina away from Ryuho and picking her up. “I love her with all my heart!”
Kyril and Rachiel sighed in exasperation as they watched the emperor quarrel with a child.
The Golden Dragon chuckled. “No wonder the Bai Ze didn’t recognize Feilong as a statesman.”
“How old do you think I am, Father?” Angelina asked with an awkward smile.
Feilong looked down at his daughter with a none-too-confident expression. “Not too old to be held by me, right…?”
The sunlight had warmed his smooth, silver hair. Likewise, his sweat-dappled neck proved how fast he’d raced over here.
Emotion swelled within Angelina’s chest. “You can hold me for a little while longer,” she said while hugging her father, who needed reassurance.
She recalled all the days of her life up until now. In her first life, she’d died without knowing love. In her second life, she’d fled the Big Dipper Garden and learned of love. In her third life, she’d fallen in love with a man, but her feelings had been unrequited. In her fourth and current life, abundant love had enveloped her. Though she’d once given up on familial love, she now knew its joy.
I was able to break the cycle of sadness and hatred because I wasn’t alone, she realized. Because I received the power of love from Ryuho, Kyril, Marfa, and many others. That’s why I was able to forgive my past and Father.
The protective seal on Angelina’s palm began to glow, soothing the scars on Feilong’s ear. The wounds he’d inflicted on himself would never disappear completely. Even so, Angelina hoped they would fade, if only a little.
“That’s enough!” Ryuho shouted at Feilong’s feet. “Put her down!”
Feilong snorted. “That’s not for you to decide.”
“It’s my turn next, right?” Kyril asked, spreading out his arms in Angelina’s direction.
Nodding emphatically, Angelina reached out to him. “Gimme a hug, Big Brother!”
Feilong handed her over reluctantly. When Rachiel saw the two Yulan siblings together, the tianshi hugged Kyril from behind.
“Lord Rachiel?!” Kyril cried out, whipping around.
However, Rachiel beat his wings and fled into the sky. He began to sing. The Yulan lullaby spread across the Big Dipper Garden, accompanied by the sound of wind.
My children are more precious to me than any gemstone, be it silver, gold, or pearls.
Feilong looked up at the sky wistfully, reminiscing about Phaenna. He followed the trajectory of a single white feather as it floated down towards him. The gentle and elegant way it danced in the air reminded him of Phaenna’s life. People and circumstances had always buffeted her about like a feather flapping in the wind.
After jumping up and catching the feather, Ryuho held it out to Feilong. “Here ya go.”
Feilong stared at the young boy, taken aback.
Ryuho cocked his head. “You wanted this, right?”
“Was I giving that impression?” Feilong asked, furrowing his brow.
Ryuho pursed his lips. “Then I’ll take it if you don’t need it!”
“No, I want it,” Feilong answered, holding out his hand to the boy.
Grinning, Ryuho slapped Feilong’s palm. Thus, the white feather rested upon his reddened skin.
“Then you should’ve said so from the start,” Ryuho complained.
Angelina couldn’t help but laugh at his peevish tone. “What are you supposed to say, Father?”
“…Thank you,” Feilong replied against his will.
Ryuho laughed, rubbing his pointer finger under his nose. “You’re oh-so-very welcome, Emperor Feilong.”
The emperor felt as though the feather was tickling his heart as well as his palm.
“All right, Kyril, your turn’s up now too!” Ryuho shouted, pestering him to put Angelina down.
Kyril let go of his little sister reluctantly. Afterward, Ryuho took her hand, and the two dashed off together.
“Lina!”
“Lina!”
“Angelina!”
As multiple voices called her name, she turned around and hopped into the air, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m so glad I’m Angelina!”
No one called her That anymore, for her name was Angelina Xin Lei. Her first name meant tianshi, and she’d been given the surname of the Jinlongian royal family.
Who would believe I was once called the nameless princess?
As that thought crossed her mind, a light pink butterfly alighted on her floral wreath.
“Whoa, cute!” Ryuho exclaimed with a laugh. “There’s a butterfly on your crown!”
That drew a laugh from Angelina. The drifting clouds heralded summer’s arrival. Angelina lifted her hand and looked up at the sky. As sunlight filtered through the protective seal on her palm, the blood pumping through her veins was the same crimson as Ryuho’s eyes.
Thank you, Mother, Angelina thought, squeezing her hand into a fist. Thank you for giving birth to me and naming me Angelina. I’m so glad to have met everyone. I no longer wish I were never born.
The light pink butterfly flew away from Angelina’s wreath, alighting on the tattered cloth fastened to Feilong’s sword. Then, it fluttered into the sky as if dancing with joy. Surely, it was delivering Angelina’s unspoken words to Heaven.