At the same time, Xu Fu and the other two returned from their tasks and met up with An Hei in the teahouse. Looking outside, they realized that they wouldn’t be able to stay there for much longer.
Putting down the cup of tea, An Hei got up. "Let’s go and find some lodgings for tonight. Tomorrow, we should look for something we can use for longer though. Most likely, preparing for the wedding will take time. It won’t do not to have a place to return to where we don’t need to worry about humans overhearing us."
His three subjects nodded. Yuan Hao went to settle the bill while Nong Bai went ahead to look for a place to stay. Xu Fu accompanied An Hei outside and quietly started to tell him about what she had found out about the human’s customs regarding weddings.
An Hei and Yuan Hao who had returned early on listened quietly. He really didn’t know that much about the humans but, thankfully, many of their customs had been passed down by the gods so they were similar to the ones the demons followed. Realizing this, An Hei heaved a sigh of relief. "It seems that I was worrying too much. This shouldn’t pose a problem."
Xu Fu nodded. "There are only some details that might be problematic like deciding on the right amount for the betrothal gift. But those things can probably be discussed with the matchmaker. Just saying that you are from further away and not quite sure what would be deemed acceptable might suffice as an explanation."
An Hei nodded. "Yes. That part can be solved easily. What is a little more worrisome is the fact that there is no estate. On the wedding day, if she is supposed to be brought to my house’s doorstep, I can’t have them carry her to our territory, can I?"
Xu Fu inclined her head. "I am afraid you are right with that, Your Majesty. But since you wanted to look for a place to stay for a longer time, there shouldn’t be a problem. If you want me to, I could go out again tomorrow and try to look if there are estates available in this city. We can just buy one and explain to your fiancee’s family."
An Hei nodded, feeling that this was a good idea. That way, not only would they have a place to stay but he could also make sure that his bride would not be slighted on her wedding day. "I will tell them tomorrow then. Also, find a few servants for that estate. Just having the four of you around wouldn’t do."
Xu Fu nodded but slightly raised her brows at the same time. "Your Majesty intends to stay for a longer time?" Buying an estate was something she figured could be taken for granted. In any case, it was not like they lacked the money to do so. But getting servants for that estate indicated more than just a preparation for the wedding day.
An Hei stopped in his steps and looked up at the sky. "The time here flows differently from how it does at home. So even if we stay for a few years, it will hardly make a difference at home. On the other hand, Ling Ling is close to her mother and sister. While I don’t doubt that she wants to marry me, she will also be sad to part from them. Especially at the beginning of a marriage, there will be many things to take note of and many a problem may arise. At that time, I want her to have somebody to turn to. By the time I can be sure that we will get along well, I can still take her to our territory. Furthermore …" He fell quiet for a moment and his brows furrowed slightly. "Ling Ling is human as is her family. One day, they will die. If I took her with me, then in just a few weeks, she would lose her last family. How could I do that to my wife?"
Xu Fu nodded slowly. "If you put it like that, I have nothing to say. Very well, I will make sure that everything is prepared. I will try to look for something that is closer to the estate of her family as well. That way, she will have an easier time going there to visit."
An Hei gave a hum, satisfied with how things were turning out. Soon enough, everything should be organized.
Just then, Nong Bai also returned, nodding at the three of them. "Everything is settled. I only paid for one night so far but told the owner we would be staying longer if the need arose."
At An Hei’s nod, the four people of the snake tribe went to the guesthouse that Nong Bai had chosen and settled down for the night. When he lay down to sleep, An Hei couldn’t help but look at the ceiling though, deep in thought. His wedding … it was something he hadn’t thought about much before. Now, it was suddenly imminent. Imagining that scene where he would take her as his wife and then take her home, he wasn’t quite sure what he felt. To be honest, there was a hint of worry in his heart. They did not know each other well. After all, while they had met ten years ago, Ling Ling had still been a child back then and they had maybe spent an hour together. Then, he had only seen her again yesterday. She was a grown woman now and one that was easy to look at. He also liked the way she thought but that couldn’t change that they were still quite unfamiliar with each other. The fact that she was human and he was a demon complicated matters even more. He truly couldn’t claim to know her. And he knew that he wouldn’t be able to change that fact before the wedding. No, that would have to wait until they were married.
It might seem strange that he wanted to marry her nonetheless, but An Hei deemed it normal despite his worry. How many women in the empire of Kishin or the realm of the demons had to marry men they never saw before or only one time at the matchmaker’s house? Ling Ling was lucky enough to be able to marry a man for whom she had waited ten years. This was what she had desired and she would have the rest of her life to get to know him. As long as he treated her well, he believed that they could make this work. It likely wouldn’t be easy but he was sure that as long as they wanted to, it would be possible. The fact that she was happy to marry him would likely help quite a bit.
To be honest, besides the worry, the thought of getting married also made him feel some excitement. To start a new life with another person, to finally present a queen to the snake tribe after there had only been him around for so many years, it was something to look forward to.
Lying awake for a while, An Hei finally sighed and got up again. It seemed he wouldn’t get any sleep tonight. Well, maybe this wasn’t too strange. The situation was new and there were still so many things to take note of. In regard to the actual wedding, he wouldn’t need to care about too many things and could just rely on Xu Fu and the other two for the most part. But there were also matters that were completely reliant on him.
An Hei walked over to the window and looked up to the night sky where the stars were glittering faintly. The world of the mortals and the demons … it didn’t look too different. There was the same sky above their heads, the same ground beneath their feet, and as he had seen today, even their customs did not differ too much. But that couldn’t change the fact that the humans still regarded the demons with fear.
If he was to tell Ling Ling about who he truly was … would she be able to accept it? He’d like to think that that was the case but he also knew that it wasn’t as likely as he hoped. The problem was that he would have to tell her sooner or later. Not only because he intended to take her to the snake tribe’s territory in a few years but also because it would be much too obvious that he wasn’t human after a while.
It couldn’t be helped. Despite being the same outwardly, there were still too many differences as well. The most obvious was that he wouldn’t age in the same way humans did. For a snake demon, it took a long time before age showed even the faintest of hints. Even now, despite having lived for a long time already, he didn’t look older than a man in maybe his late twenties.
A human would soon show more signs of their age and for some time, he might be able to pretend but this kind of disguise would be seen through sooner or later. Maybe not by people outside but for sure by his wife. Thus, there was no way not to tell her. He had to confess. It was just … the timing to choose was important here.
This was something that An Hei was painfully aware of even though he hadn’t thought about it much before and was only considering this matter now that he had met Ling Ling again. He could tell her now, before the wedding. It would give her the option to choose whether she was willing to spend her life with a demon or not. If she refused, it wouldn’t count as breaking his promise. He could even help her family out as a sign of his gratitude for saving him back then and help her to find a good marriage to a human man.
This thought wasn’t something he liked to consider. From the moment he had decided to marry Ling Ling, he had considered her his. To now think of her with another man was truly not what he desired. Deep down, there was some anger when even thinking of that option. But he knew that he should keep this in mind. Since she had saved him, he should think for her benefit. And clearly, being with a demon would come with some downsides that a human husband would not have. So he should give her the opportunity to decide.
In any case, maybe she wouldn’t mind at all. Maybe after waiting a full ten years for him, Ling Ling’s feelings were strong enough to suffer this kind of shock and come out even stronger. It was possible. Not likely, but possible. He had to believe in that.
An Hei clenched his hand and took a deep breath. Yes, he had to believe that Ling Ling would not be so fickle. Although he couldn’t be angry at her if she refused him. It was her prerogative. An Hei shook his head at his own tumultuous heart and opened the window, hoping that the cold night breeze would help him clear his head. Unfortunately, he had no such luck. This sudden uncertainty regarding his future with her made him feel ill at ease. He wanted to know for sure. In that case, it would probably be best to bring it up early. If he mentioned it to her tomorrow …
An Hei closed his eyes and shook his head at himself. How could he just casually bring it up? This was something that also needed to be prepared. He needed to find the right words to tell her, the right moment, the right place. It couldn’t simply be done just like that. Otherwise, wouldn’t it turn into a disaster?
He knew he only had one chance. If he said the wrong thing, then his chances of keeping her would be even smaller. That wasn’t something he wanted to risk. So, no, he could not go in without preparation. He had to think about everything carefully. Surely, there was a way to tell her that would not compromise their future together.
This was what An Hei decided. To make sure that he could marry the woman he had unwittingly come to love, he was not going to let chance get in the way. Thus, the remainder of the night was spent pondering this issue, and slowly, a plan emerged in his mind that might allow him to gently make the truth known to her without scaring her. When the sun went up and the streets of Sandin became bustling once more, there was already a smile on his lips again and there was hope in his heart for the future they would likely have together.
