Nanking Palace, Xi'an
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"Your Majesty" greeted Chen, à young water demon and best friend to the crown prince


"Well you seem excited" Ling observed with a smile. Chen always had been the antithesis to him, so cheery and upbeat. He was always the first one to crack a joke, and always an off colored one at that.

"Well either the graveyard flooded or there's a bag of bones at the City gates from the land of the damned."


"You shouldn't speak so ill of the dead Chen" Ling scolded, looking much more relaxed and comfortable.


"I'll have the guards bring him here." Chen said, already knowing what the crown prince would want. In many ways he was incredibly lucky to have Ling as a friend; if nothing else because he was never one for formalities and Ling made sure he was never punished for it.

Their close friendship had actually been feeding rumors of marriage since they were four, though neither had actually expressed interest out loud.
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City Walls, Nanking

"The Crown Prince has granted you an audience" announced a shaken sounding guard, as he prepared to lead the unholy beast to the palace.