They returned to their opulent suite at the House of Whispering Silks in a cloud of triumphant, mischievous energy from Xue Lian and a thunderous, pouting silence from Lan Yue. A short while later, their "acquisitions" were delivered, not by rough auction hands, but by Madam Zhelan's own discreet and efficient staff.
Three figures now stood in the center of their grand living chamber, the energy suppressing shackles on their wrists and ankles a jarring violation in the luxurious room. There was a young girl with fiery, defiant eyes; a slightly older girl with the deep, sad gaze of the ocean; and a woman of ethereal, regal beauty with sapphire blue hair, who met Xue Lian's gaze not with fear, but with a proud, silent appraisal.
The air was thick with an awkward, tense silence. Lan Yue, her cat ears still stubbornly flattened against her head, stood by the balcony doors, pointedly refusing to look at the beautiful Qilin.
Xue Lian, ever the Empress, took command. "Those shackles are distasteful," she said, her voice a calm, clear command to her own commanders, Jax and Ren. "Remove them."
Jax moved forward with a set of specialized tools and, with a series of sharp clicks, the magical restraints fell away from the captives' limbs. They rubbed their wrists, their expressions a mixture of surprise and deep suspicion.
"I am Xue Lian," she introduced herself, forgoing any title. "And this," she gestured to the pouting figure by the balcony, "is Lan Yue. We have purchased your contracts. You now belong to us. But," she added, her eyes sharp and assessing, "we are not interested in slaves. We are interested in assets. Your future station will be determined by your loyalty and your usefulness. First, your names."
The fiery haired girl, the Fenghuang, lifted her chin defiantly. "I have no name for a slave master."
The mermaid girl simply shrank in on herself, too terrified to speak.
It was the Qilin who finally answered, her voice a low, melodic contralto that was as proud as her bearing. "I am called Gan Yu."
"A beautiful name," Xue Lian said with a nod of approval. She looked at the other two. "Very well. Until you decide to share your own names, you," she pointed to the defiant Fenghuang, "shall be Chang Li. And you," she said to the trembling mermaid, her voice softening slightly, "shall be Hysilens."
She then outlined their new reality. "Chang Li, Hysilens. You are both young. Your power is immense, but uncontrolled. You will be taken to my home, where you will serve as companions and playmates for my daughter, the princess. You will be educated, trained, and treated with the respect due to members of the royal household."
She then turned her full attention to the Qilin. "Gan Yu. You are a being of immense, ancient power. You will serve as my personal guard for the duration of our stay in this city."
The assignment hung in the air, and a fresh wave of cold, possessive jealousy radiated from Lan Yue through their Soul Bond, so potent it was almost a physical force.
After dispatching her commanders to show the three stunned mythical beings to their own comfortable, adjoining rooms, Xue Lian finally turned to face her lover.
"Is there a problem, my dear Saint?" she asked, a wicked, teasing glint in her eyes. "You have been radiating enough cold energy to give a Northern Ice Dragon a chill. One might think you were… displeased."
Lan Yue turned from the balcony, her arms crossed, her cat ears still stubbornly flattened. "That Qilin. Gan Yu," she said, the name a sour taste in her mouth. "You spent a fortune on her. More than the other two combined. And now she is to be your 'personal guard.'"
"She is a powerful, legendary creature whose very presence denotes purity and strength," Xue Lian countered, enjoying this far too much. "Her presence is a deterrent to our enemies. It was a sound strategic investment."
*She is also very beautiful,* Lan Yue's thought shot through the bond, raw and unfiltered.
Xue Lian finally broke, a genuine, delighted laugh bubbling up. "Oh, my love. Are you truly jealous?" She closed the distance between them, pulling the stiff, pouting Saint into her arms. "After a decade apart, after everything we have endured, are you honestly threatened by a woman with lovely blue hair and a fine set of horns?"
The sincere amusement in Xue Lian's voice was infuriatingly disarming. Lan Yue's rigid posture softened slightly. "It was… an illogical, emotional response," she mumbled into Xue Lian's shoulder.
"I know," Xue Lian whispered, her voice becoming tender. "And I love you for it." She held her tighter. "There is no one else in this world, or any other, who holds my heart. You know this. Gan Yu is an asset. A powerful chess piece. You," she tilted Lan Yue's chin up, forcing her to meet her gaze, and then kissed her softly, "are the queen."
Lan Yue's jealousy finally receded, replaced by a familiar embarrassment, and then, a deeper thought. "It wasn't just that," she admitted, her voice low. "Seeing them… chained. Paraded on a stage and sold like objects. Beings of such pride and power… it reminded me…"
"…of how you felt," Xue Lian finished for her, her expression full of a deep, sorrowful understanding. "A prize. A tool. A celestial asset to be acquired." She rested her forehead against Lan Yue's. "I know. And I am so sorry for my part in ever making you feel that way. But I swear to you, that is over. For you, and for them. In my dynasty, power is respected, not shackled. They are not my slaves, Yue. They are survivors. And I have just offered them a new home."
The profound sincerity in her words was a final, healing balm. The last of Lan Yue's jealous irritation vanished, replaced by the familiar, overwhelming adoration for the brilliant, cunning, and unexpectedly compassionate Empress she loved.
"Then," Lan Yue said, a small, true smile returning to her face as she pulled back, "we had best introduce our daughter to her new… playmates. I have a feeling our lives in the Silent Palace are about to become significantly more chaotic."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Xue Lian replied, her own smile matching hers.