That day, we were both awoken by a thunderous collision.

I started in my bed, and when I turned around, Lord Hebo was already dressing himself for business.

‘Just stay here, my Moon-Maiden’, he turned around to caress my cheeks. ‘And don’t you worry a thing.’

Then he left for the main hall.

He had told me not to be worried, and I should have had faith in him, but there was an ominous feeling rising within myself that day that just refused to be settled. So I rose and quickly dressed myself as well.

The merfolk in the palace were all in a state of alarm, and before I could ask any of them what had happened, I overheard one of their conversations beside the hallway windows.

‘Look at that!’ one of them said as they pointed to one of the central roofs of the palace. I looked along and saw a small, thin rod sticking out of the coral stone. There was a merman coming up to retrieve it.

‘Do you think someone is going to war with us?!’ said another mermaid with trepidation.

‘Who would go to war against the River Palace!’ exclaimed one of them.

‘But how else do you even explain a message delivered in that fashion’—

Before they all realized my presence, and bowed to greet me, I had already dashed toward the main hall where my Lord Hebo would be.

When I pushed past the guards and into the hall, Lord Hebo was seated upon his throne. Before him were two mermen I knew to be his most trusted advisors.

One of them wore beautiful ornate armor, and was holding up the black wooden stick that had been lodged within the roof of the palace.

The other looked older and wore flowing robes, with a rounded back that seemed exaggerated and malformed, and he read aloud from a piece of paper that seemed to have been folded many times:

‘ “I urgently request an immediate conference with the Lord of the Rivers, to discuss matters of divine business that have been too long postponed.” ’

The merman in the armor raised his hand with a confused expression. ‘So no one is waging war with us?’

The older merman seemed to glance through the entire length of the paper. ‘No, the letter is written in a very civil tone, without any sign of aggression, if I may say so myself.’

‘Then what emergency is there that he had to send it straight through our roofs!’

The robed merman knit his brows together. ‘It could very well be the urgency of these postponed businesses he talks of.’

‘Enough to puncture the great stones of the River Palace!?’ the armored one shouted.

‘Be quiet!’ Lord Hebo’s powerful voice rang through the hall, interrupting the both of them. ‘...You’re giving me a headache.’

The armored merman bowed, and the robed merman nodded, clearing his voice carefully.

‘...There is one other thing that could be the cause of this urgency. It is mentioned in the latter portion of this letter. If I may continue, Milord?’

Lord Hebo silently nodded, his face set in deep annoyance.

‘ “I also pass along a message from the Lunar Realm, to all of the gods of the Earthly Realm, to please cooperate in the search for the Jewel Rabbit, who has recently gone missing. Please report to us anything you know that could be related to the matter. The Lunar Palace expresses its thanks to all of the gods lending their time and effort to support us.” ‘

As the letter was being read, Lord Hebo’s face lit up in surprise, and he invested much greater attention to the contents of the message.

But then his expression darkened in confusion.

‘...The letter is simply signed “Houyi”, Milord.’

Lord Hebo noticed my presence in the hall, and he rose from his throne, and slowly came before me.

‘Do you know of this affair of the Lunar Palace, Xuanzan?’

I didn’t know what expression I was wearing at that moment, but it must have been very suspicious, because I knew that my heart was beating so violently I feared that it would fall to pieces inside of me.

I tried to breathe, but no breath would come out.

‘...Xuanzan?’

Lord Hebo took my hands, and his beautiful eyes looked into mine.

‘...I’m here for you.’

I… didn’t want to lie to him.

‘...It is me’, I forced myself to say with much difficulty. ‘I am… the cause… of all this… I am... The missing Jewel Rabbit… And I-I—I ran away... from the Lunar Palace…’

Fear choked every single sound I uttered, as I believed that all my happiness would slip away from my fingers again, and the hung silence that followed convinced me that all that I have been able to find for myself would soon sink back into the muddy pits from which I had come.

But what Lord Hebo did then surprised me.

He embraced me, suddenly and warmly. Tightly.

‘So that is what it was!’ Lord Hebo said loudly. ‘I have misjudged Lady Heng’e!—to not care about the safety of her own sister who has run away—and inquire about her missing rabbit instead! All because you were somehow at fault for making the thing go away! What shallow sorority!—I have misjudged the moon goddess!—but no matter, for now I have a moon goddess of my own!’

I was… shocked. I had prepared myself for all the worst of eventualities as a consequence of my admitting to the truth, but never in my dreams did I consider that my lies would perpetuate themselves, and Lord Hebo would misunderstand.

That he did misunderstand, and show me how he still loved me, however, filled me with new hope that my happiness could be long lasting.

‘Let me go up there and give them a piece of my mind in your place!’ Lord Hebo said as he let go of me.

But I held on to his golden sleeves.

‘No please!’ I cried. ‘I beg you, do not tell them that I am here! Please!’

Lord Hebo was deeply confused. ‘But why…’—

‘Please, promise me if you love me!—Never to let them know that I am here!’

I was desperate, and could even hear the shrillness in my own voice.

Lord Hebo looked at me in shock, and I was afraid my agitation had destroyed his image of me.

But he took my hand.

‘I promise, Xuanzan.’

And in that moment of relief I felt, I almost found it hard to stand. Lord Hebo caught me as I collapsed, and handed me into the care of the servants.

‘Put out an order to all merfolk—not to let a peep out about my mistress from the moon! Or there will be consequences!’

Everybody bowed with a resounding ‘Yes, Milord!’ and the River God turned over to his two aides.

‘I suppose my brother is still up there?’

‘Yes!’ The armored aide replied. ‘It’s confirmed that he is currently meditating under the base of a riverside tree!’

Lord Hebo sighed. ‘I guess I’ll have to meet up with him eventually. It’s rather convenient he’s come all the way over to me, actually.’

With a final glance at my being led away by the maidservants, he exited into the nearest hall window, and rose out of sight into the invisible dome holding up the yellow waters.

Lord Hebo had granted me my wishes, and yet I still felt too uncertain to be laid to rest. So I ordered the servants to take me to a place where I would be able to follow the meeting that would be taking place on the surface.

With some hesitation, they finally decided that I was their new Lady, and took me to a guard, who then led us to a room with several large mirrors. The two aides were there as well.

They bowed in acknowledgment of my presence, but then we all had our attentions captured by the central mirror lighting up.

In it, I could see Lord Hebo rising out of the waters in his regal golden robes. I could even hear his charismatic voice in jest.

‘Whatever appears to be the matter, o God of Arts and Humanities?’

And opposite him, I could see a man in flowing robes, with long, wide sleeves. He had been seated at the base of a tree in meditation, and only opened his eyes once Lord Hebo had spoken.

It was Lord Houyi.