一 [Video]

[forhisempress]

[The camera switches on and the first thing whomever is paying attention will see is a foot, bare and covered with fresh mud. There's a voice, speaking in a language some may recognize as some dialect of Chinese. Mind your sensitive ears, however, because some of those words are swears. ♥]

General Hong?

[With no response from the general in

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voice

[empressina]

[...Xia recognizes those swears. She recognizes that language, the names, those muddy boots and that face.

The face is what she knows the best. It's a struggle to answer this call, only because it's difficult to maintain her composure.]

...Jian.

voice

[forhisempress]

[Oh snap. He's snatching that comm up so fast.]

Empress?! Where are you?

[Oh wait, Protocol. He calms his voice.]

I've been searching for you. Where are you?

voice

[empressina]

[Xia is almost to the point of hanging protocol by the neck. Going these past few weeks without anyone to converse properly with has been a nightmare.

Being without her warlock has been worse.]

I have currently been residing on the twelfth deck of this boat, room one two two six.

[It's cruel irony, with the oriental theme.]

voice

[forhisempress]

Will you stay where you are? I will find you.

[Cause fffffff. He's throwing his door open and hey she's just a few doors down from him. Deck 12, right? A knock on the door. It's urgent. Please don't be a joke. Please.]

voice

[empressina]

I will stay.

[She doesn't dare move. This feels like it really should be some sort of dream. When the communication feed cuts, she sets the device down, feeling fairly unsettled. Was this reality?

The knock indicates it is. She opens the door, and makes every attempt to keep her cool demeanor, the one he's used to, and knows.]

So you are real.

[forhisempress]

[He's holding his breath when the door opens. He blinks, eyes traveling over the curves of Xia's face and neck. Everything was in place. She was real. She was really real and she was here in front of him and he's missed her so much. He resists the urge to hug her. Instead he drops to his knees in front of her.]

I've been searching everywhere for you, Empress.

[empressina]

And here I am.

[Yes, here she was, standing over him as he drops to his knees, resisting everything inside of her that is screaming to hold him and never let go.

...That would be terribly improper.]

Rise, please.

[forhisempress]

[He gets to his feet as soon as he's ordered to. God he wants to hug her just to make sure this isn't some kind of cruel trick. So he reaches a hand, hovering just over her bicep.]

May I?

[empressina]

You may.

[Xia is in fairly decent condition considering she doesn't have all of her servants to help her with her elaborate clothing and hair. She's currently in a deep blue silk robe adorned with glittering gold dragons, her long hair pulled into a tight braid down her back.]

[forhisempress]

[His fingers are slow to curl around her arm. The silk pressing into his fingers. Everything seems in place. His hand travels up her arm and stops at her neck, where he brushes his thumb across her cheek.]

You are unharmed?

[empressina]

I am, yes.

[She unconsciously leans into the touch.]

And you? [She gives him a once over, brow raised.]

Why are you so muddy?

[forhisempress]

We were traveling through a forest, crossing a river to continue our search for you.

[He looks down at the mud smears on his clothes and his muddy feet. He'll need to bathe.]

Is there a way to contact home? I must tell them I've found you.

[empressina]

I see. I believe you are in need of a bath. [She sounds mildly amused, and she reaches to trail her fingers through his hair. However, the amusement falls quickly as she realizes what he's said. Looking for her, they had been searching for her, resources and valuable time had been wasted on the search for her and she had been unable to return or contact them.

Speaking of which.]

No. If there were, you most certainly would have heard from me before now.

[forhisempress]

[A light chuckle.]

So it seems. May I use your quarters? I've only just found you and I do not like the thought of leaving you alone in this place.

[Jian frowns at her next sentence, though. This isn't good. Xia just vanished without a trace one day and now he's here, assuming his disappearance was just as mysterious as hers had been. This isn't good at all.]

Highness, we must return home.

[empressina]

[Xia will let her hand run from his shoulder to his arm, and gently pull him inside of her room so that she can close the door. She doesn't trust anyone here.]

You may. [She gestures. It had...taken her longer than she cared to admit to figure out the shower. She'd stuck to baths from there.]

I know. I have been able to glean very little useful information from the other passengers on board this ship. [So, she's taken to stalking the devices.]

[forhisempress]

[They're alone, finally. And Jian has to fight the urge to kiss her. He's muddy and gross. He can wait just a little while longer until he's clean to kiss her lips chapped.]

You have my gratitude.

[Still he doesn't budge.]

Do you know why we were brought here?