Mosaic City, located along China's coast, is quite large city sometimes called the Crossroads Between Nations due to its diverse population. While it was once a large tourist spot, the city was placed under a blockade as the military appeared claiming there was a radiation leak. The true hazard, however, is much more sinister.
A look seemed to cross Zhou's eyes that suggested he was deep in thought for a moment, looking down at his food before beaming his grin back up at the maiden he had reassured, before speaking to her. "M'lady, I have an idea, if you will accompany me." Standing up from the table before Isolde, he extended out his hand to her, for it seemed he was bound and determined to show her the depth of his gratitude. "Though I must part ways with you soon in order to avoid the wrath of my parents...I want to speak to you somewhere that was once quite precious to me." By the time on one of the nearby clocks, it seemed as if it was growing late, no doubt the night sky could greet them should they head outside.His voice, like his smile seemed so very gentle and warm, he wanted to accompany the fair lady on one last trip before the two would have to part ways, a true outing, wherein they could talk away from the ears of others.
Clasping her hand in his, Zhou began to lead her towards the exit of the shopping center proper, and into the cool night air. His journey with her did seem to go on for a while as they stepped along the sidewalks, with the young Chinese boy looking over to her on occasion...he of course would do anything to keep the princess safe, such was his duty, doubtlessly. The sky still retained the purple hue of the last faint beams of sunlight trying to hold their ground against the fast approaching onslaught of the moon and stars, and it was truly beautiful to gaze up at. Finally, they reached a small expanse of land in the district that laid alongside one of the various canals leading out to the ocean, and Zhou motioned for her to sit on the grass with him. Laying back with his messy hair touching the grass, he placed his hands behind his head whilst looking up at the night sky..."When I was but a boy, there was a certain happiness the sight of stars would give me...I would want to reach out into the darkness of the sky, and capture one in my hands. Like a firefly, I wanted to secret it away." Closing his eyes slowly, he bore a much softer smile than before, only opening his eyes once a breath of fresh night air hit his lungs. "M'lady...do you wish to be married, or is it another duty, another obligation of your noble birth?" The question seemed quite innocent, given the nature of their discussion before...this wasn't about personas, about the darkness that laid beyond the city walls that nobody seemed to want to pay mind to...no, he wanted to speak about her, as plain and simple, in false beauty of the setting sun. "I could regale you with tales of fighting shadows...with tales of heroics, but that would be a waste of breath...I wish to know you better, for you've simply walked into my life, and for the meager moments we've spent together, given it a new purpose, asked of me to take on a station far above my own...you place your trust so wholeheartedly in me...and yet we know so little of one another."
With his back to the grass, and his eyes searching the stars for the brightest speck of light to present itself, Zhou reached his hand out to gesture at grasping the north star itself. "I respect you for that, m'lady...I truly do." Closing his hand over the star in the sky in a symbolic gesture, he let out a slight giggle that was practically inaudible. Turning his head to look at her, "Your trust in me is most appreciated...and I return unto you mine." Breathing deep into the night air, he seemed to completely disregard the curfew put in place by his parents in favor of spending time with the princess...had they known of the situation and would've believed him, they most likely would've understood too. " Lady Imperatrice..." Zhou said quietly, turning his gaze over to her as the night encroached upon their peaceful evening. " If I am the sword at your side, then I will gladly face whatever foes are to come with you..." Raising himself up from the cool grass, he placed his hand atop her own with a warm smile, for the knight seemed to be utterly pleased by the outcome of the day. " Though the day grows short, I must say, not one iota of it felt wasted, so long as I was by your side. "
The very moment that the empress had mentioned that Zhou had blushed upon feeling her kiss his cheek within the floral shop, Zhou found himself scratching the back of his head and trying to turn his head away from her so that she couldn't see what would most likely be another bout of it incoming. "Umm...m-m'lady, that is as if you were asking the sun itself if it did shine...I did, Lady Imperatrice, very much so." Turning back to her with his eyes fully opened, whatever blushing had subsided, and he looked into her eyes, before speaking. "I cherish the moments we've been granted together, m'lady...Isolde." Gripping her hands in his, he interlaced his fingers with hers, whilst letting out one last giggle out of what seemed to be happiness at the thought of simply being there alongside a figure of royalty, discussing the future, and what interested them..."I know it's utterly out of line for me to call you as such, now that I am knight, but Isolde...over the brief period of time together that we've had, there is already so much talk of the future, of what is to come. With the rest of your loyal knights...with you. No matter what, I promise to you that we will make it out of this city, you and I...together."
A sense of pride seemed to wash over Zhou, perhaps at the kind words the empress had uttered unto him, or at the promise of there being a brighter future. Whatever the feeling truly was, he still kept hold of the hands of Lady Imperatrice. As the night did approach, and the skies became ever more dark, he spoke unto her with a calm, gentle tone to his voice. "And however long the path to victory may be, it will be in your name, Lady Imperatrice, that, I swear unto you." It seemed as if he longed to spend the night with her under the stars, for his grasp nor his voice suggested in the slightest that he wanted to take his leave of his empress, nor depart from her side. "Through your training and tutelage, I will serve as your right hand, the sword within your sheath to strike down the enemies to the royal line..." Though hesitant, he released his fingertips from her grasp, and hugged her to himself, his head over her shoulder, and her's over his as he spoke softly into her ear. "And yes...I did enjoy your company, and...well, the peck upon my cheek is most definitely going to be in my memory for quite some time. You brightened up my day considerably the moment I heard your voice." Releasing her from his embrace, he looked into her eyes, looking away once more with a smile, rather than a look of embarrassment.
The warmth of his smile began to slowly fade as he stepped up off of the ground, extending his hand out for hers...it was obvious that time was running short, and both would soon have to retire to bed, lest they risk the wrath of their caregivers. Every time it seemed to be like this, with the two being forced apart from one another at a moment wherein they could truly learn more about each other. In the cold night air, he awaited her hand with a slight look of sadness on his face, letting out a sigh as he spoke to her. "We both know that we are delaying the inevitable, Isolde...it's time for us to part ways again, lest I be outright forbidden from venturing out. Helping her off of the ground, he looked at her for but a moment, and his smile was restored. When next they met, he would undergo training to become stronger, in the name of whatever cause the group would take on. For a moment, he stood there merely holding the hand of the empress, before looking to the ground, scratching his head with his now free right hand. "M'lady...there's something I must ask of you...it...well, it's simple, really. I'm a commoner...you're...no, that's not it." Stopping himself for a moment, he looked up at her, speaking gently to her, "Before we have to leave...I must know you will be safe...and I want to know what you think of me from what time we've spent together. I mean...what you really think."
Never before had young Zhou exhibited such a great degree of shock around another human being, as his eyes widened, and suddenly...he let go of the dainty hand of his empress. Standing completely still in his tracks, it seemed as if he was processing the information, trying to find out which emotion was best suited to it, but his mind drew a blank. Putting one of his hands up to his chest, he began to smile warmly, his cheeks grew red, and he moved closer to the empress, looking down into her eyes. Nary a word left his lips, his eyes did not drift away from her's, as he embraced her to himself once more. In their brief time together, perhaps it was infatuation, not love, a fleeting moment that had possessed the empress...perhaps it was something platonic, a manner of courtship he did not understand. Whatever was the case, Zhou looked down into the eyes of the maiden fair, and without a word, pressed his lips to her's, placing his arms around her waist so that the two could share in the moment before they had to depart from one another. Passionately did he hold her dear, and the kiss did not break for some time. Upon pulling his head back from the kiss, he spoke unto her, "No matter as to whether or not that goes against the code of chivalry...I think I answered your next question, m'lady."
"Neither have I, Isolde..." Zhou responded with a smile, keeping her held close to him still...he was quiet, maybe just enjoying the moment that was passing between the two of them. Having kissed her, it was evident that there was no turning back now...whatever affections the couple were believed to share were out there. "Think of the scandal, m'lady...a princess with a commoner." Beneath the stars, and next to the banks of the canals, a strange sort of love did seem to blossom from apparent nothingness. Though it was sudden, one could only have hope for the two...it was exactly like a fairy tale, as Zhou had put it many a time. "M'lady...it wouldn't be prudent of us to stay out this late, someone would eventually see, or harm could come to us...I wish not to depart without you, but I know that we must. Especially after...well, what just happened." A slight blush remained...he was embarrassed, apparently by just harkening back to it, though it was but mere seconds ago.
Flattery would get the young empress anywhere, so it would seem, as Zhou gripped her tighter to himself upon feeling her lips upon her cheek. It seemed as if now he would have even greater difficulty in letting go of the maiden fair, of Isolde..."And now you have made letting you go out into the night without my company twenty times more difficult to bear, m'lady..." Perhaps he was just joking however, as it seemed as if they both had places to go, yet the night had been incredibly entertaining to say the least, for few could say that they actually had a day with a princess, nor could many say that they had heard a confession of love from someone of noble birth. However, the line about him being her knight in shining armor did manage to make him chuckle a bit...the oldest compliment a woman could ever give a man, coming from a princess. "Whether my armor shines or not, I am yours, Isolde. Truly and utterly." He smiled with his eyes shut, before looking down at her once he had opened them, his hazel eyes locked with hers for what seemed like an eternity...if neither of them made a move soon to leave, it appeared as if it'd be impossible to split them apart. Faking an embarrassed face, he looked off to the side whilst speaking in a somewhat mock tone of his behavior previously. "I'm not embarrassed, Isolde! Nope, not me." A light laugh escaped his lips while he looked back at her..."But...on matters more serious...with you as my tutor, the foundation upon which I will rely...I fear nothing."
"And I am forever yours, my love." she responded with a warm smile. It was already late, but she wanted to spend more time with him so badly. It was like his cute charm was pulling her in, never letting her go for even a second. She also found his playful behavior a part of his charm as well. From now on, she didn't have to hide her affectionate display anymore. She was glad that he returned her feelings and he seemed to love her in return. She also seemed to have forgotten that she had promised to teach him to fence. It seemed that she was so consumed by love, but she'll never completely forget that promise. She responded, "And I would be most honored to teach you the ways of swordsmanship soon, my dear knight. If the imperial court disapproves of our love, let them. I rather spend time with the one I love, then gain infamy throughout the royal family."
Upon hearing that she would rather face disgrace rather than part with him, Zhou released one of his hands from the side of the princess, instead opting to lift it up and run it through her red locks whilst speaking to her. His gaze never seemed to falter, as he whispered to her in a calm but bubbly voice. "If you keep speaking like that, Isolde, I don't think I'll be able to let you go." What he said seemed to be the absolute truth, for they had stood there beneath the night sky for far longer than both had ever intended, for a simple meeting had apparently blossomed into love beneath the shining lights of the stars. Holding her close to him with one arm, he leaned in close, and once more pressed his lips to her own, perhaps as a way of simply telling her that he would make up for their time being cut short as soon as he was physically able. Holding it as he had before, this time his embrace was tighter, there was passion in how he held her to himself. Releasing the kiss allowed the cool night air to replace the warmth they had both felt, as he let go of her waist entirely, his smile seeming to waver as he whispered to her again. "No matter what, m'lady...I will be your constant companion when you have need of me...the approval of my parents be damned...but...I must depart, lest I lose myself in your beautiful embrace." The smile faintly returned, as he had essentially told her that they both must leave, unless things grow more serious for them upon their return to their caretakers...for a moment, it appeared as if Zhou had indeed lost himself, but in contemplation.
She willingly accepted his kiss as mental fireworks seemed to display in her head. But, they must truly depart as their caregivers will wonder where they have gone. At least, his kiss promised her that they will meet again. It was strange, really. A normal meeting with two friends turned into love, something that Zhou hadn't really expected. She was sad to see him go, but she knew that he had to leave. Who knows? Maybe they'll meet again somewhere. She would keep her promise to him the next time they meet. She replied, "All right, then. Good night, my love. I will see you again soon." She kissed him again on the cheek in return for his affection towards her, possibly for the last time.
There was but a moment wherein Zhou's cheeks still turned bright red upon feeling Isolde's lips upon them...well, now came the hard part for most people. "Goodnight, m'lady...I await our next meeting with bated breath." Even then, the knight seemed to have quite a bit of difficulty when it came to actually turning away from her, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to ensure that she was still there. Maybe he thought it was all part of dream, because the subject matter certainly was composed of the same material as one. With a deep breath, he grinned part way down the road. There was a certain sense of satisfaction one would have after a day like today, and for Zhou, there was definitely some sort of satisfaction. When next they met, the princess would aid him, train him, and make him a better knight.