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00:00My sister Isolde and I both chose a shifter mate in our previous life.
00:04Last life, she chose the serpent prince Cassian.
00:07I was left with the wolf prince.
00:09Three years later, Isolde was dragged naked through the serpent palace.
00:13Cassian had failed his awakening.
00:15His power shattered.
00:17His brothers took everything he owned, including his wife.
00:21Meanwhile, the wolf prince as married survived the storm months ahead of schedule.
00:25He became the alpha king.
00:26The entire beast realm knelt before him, and I became the most powerful woman in his kingdom.
00:32People said he was obsessed with me.
00:33After all, he never stopped putting children in my belly.
00:37Then Isolde pushed me off a cliff.
00:40When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the mate selection ceremony.
00:45This time, I choose the wolf prince.
00:48Isolde's voice rang through the hall.
00:50She stepped forward before anyone else could move.
00:52I knew she came back from her memory too.
00:55How wonderful.
00:55I am Saren, princess of the spirit fox.
00:58After losing the war, my father offered his daughters to the beast realm in exchange for peace.
01:03Today was the day we chose our husbands, and this time my sister had just stolen the wrong one.
01:08Last life, Isolde chose the serpent prince.
01:11He failed the awakening, and she got passed around all princes like a toy.
01:16And my wolf prince became the alpha king.
01:19So this time, she chose the one she despised the most.
01:22Good girl.
01:23Saren, the serpent prince is yours now.
01:26Thank you, Isolde.
01:28Isolde passed me, lowered her voice.
01:30Dear sister, I heard that the serpents are very attentive to their women.
01:34You'll have plenty of pleasures waiting for you there.
01:37She stared at my stunned face, smiled, and walked away.
01:40She thought she had won.
01:41The serpent prince, last life.
01:43You died because Isolde refused to help you.
01:46But you have me now.
01:48Days later, Cassian and Fenris came for their brides.
01:52Neither of them had completed their awakening.
01:55They were now half human, half beast forms.
01:58Cassian was tall, unfairly handsome, his jaw carved from marble.
02:02Below his waist was a silver serpent tail, scales gleaming like wood moonlight.
02:06He gave me a nod.
02:07I tucked away my foxtails and walked to him.
02:10His hand glided over my fur.
02:12Feather light.
02:12A shiver ran through me.
02:14My eyes slit before I could think.
02:16Next to us, Fenris hoisted Isolde like a sack of grain, marched toward the carriage.
02:20Put me down!
02:22He ignored her completely.
02:23Last life, I was the one slung over his shoulder.
02:26I was terrified.
02:28But I knew when to talk, and somehow that pleased him.
02:31Isolde's face turned pale.
02:33She forced a stiff smile.
02:35What's so funny, little fox?
02:36You want a ride too?
02:38Before I knew what he meant, a flash of silver wrapped my waist and yanked.
02:42I was in his arms.
02:43He was cool against my skin.
02:45I could feel his steady heartbeat, and my face flushed red.
02:48Shy already?
02:49I'm not.
02:51I absolutely was.
02:52Unfortunately for my dignity, this man was exactly my type.
02:55The thought alone made my heart melt.
02:57That was how he carried me into the carriage.
03:00Once inside the carriage, Cassian coiled his tail and lay down.
03:03He was shaking.
03:05Are you cold?
03:06A little.
03:07I slowly shifted closer, wrapped my fluffy fur around him.
03:11Spirit foxes were born to heal.
03:13When we stayed near other shifters, their strength would recover.
03:16His entire body relaxed.
03:18He drifted off to sleep.
03:19We woke up entwined, way too intimate to explain.
03:22I looked up and met his eyes.
03:23He took a deep breath and moved aside.
03:25Little fox, you may want to stay from me.
03:28I don't want to touch you now.
03:29My face burned.
03:31I crawled to the other end and curled into a ball.
03:34Come back.
03:35I was trying to protect you.
03:36You're still too young, silly.
03:38I bit my lip and moved back.
03:40He let me lie across his lap, his hand gently running through my fur again and again.
03:44I closed my eyes with joy.
03:46Strange.
03:46He murmured.
03:47Every time I groom your fur, I feel stronger.
03:51Is that your fox clan's ability?
03:53I suppose so.
03:55You should do it more often.
03:57Benefit for both of us.
03:59Like I need your lesson.
04:01He countered with a low chuckle.
04:03Last light, Cassian didn't survive the storm because Isolde never helped him.
04:07The beast realm wanted spirit fox brides for one thing.
04:10Our blood.
04:11Our healing ability.
04:14Dinner was served.
04:16A roasted rabbit, heated and glossy.
04:18Cassian watched me pounce on the food, shook his head and smiled.
04:21He wiped my hands clean, even helped me put on gloves.
04:25Look at you.
04:25They don't feed you at home?
04:27No.
04:28My father wants us skinny.
04:30Just a few berries a day.
04:32Well, you're with me now.
04:33You'll never go hungry again.
04:35What about you?
04:36Not hungry?
04:38Not really.
04:39Just not feeling it.
04:40He was still shaking.
04:41I walked over and wrapped my fur completely around him again.
04:45What are you doing?
04:46You're my husband now.
04:47Let me heal you.
04:51He didn't speak, but his tense body began to relax.
04:54Just like that, I held him close.
04:56The two of us fell asleep together.
04:59We were still a ways from the beast realm.
05:01Our carriage rode next to Isolde's.
05:04Sounds kept coming from her side.
05:06I stole a glance at Cassian.
05:08He sat upright, eyes fixed ahead, but the tips of his ears were burning red.
05:13So?
05:14Don't talk.
05:15I just wanted to ask.
05:17Don't ask.
05:17Don't listen either.
05:19You're too young for that.
05:20I wasn't listening.
05:22Then why are you blushing?
05:23Aren't you blushing too?
05:25He turned away, but his face turned even redder.
05:28Moments later, Fenris hauled Isolde up.
05:31She looked embarrassed when she saw us.
05:33Then she smugged.
05:35You and the serpent prince look quite close, dear sister, she drawled.
05:40Though it seems you're still missing something.
05:44Unlike me and my wolf prince, she was showing off.
05:48She thought going to bed with Fenris would secure her victory.
05:51She had no idea what was waiting for her.
05:55Congratulations, Isolette.
05:56I hope you'll have a child soon.
05:57Oh, you.
05:58Still as naive as ever.
06:00Cassian gently ruffled my hair.
06:02I need to take care of something.
06:03I stood alone.
06:04The wind blew.
06:06The memories of my last life came flooding back.
06:09My mother was the lowliest of the maids.
06:11The fox king got drunk and slept with her one night.
06:14And my mother had me.
06:16The next morning he left.
06:18Never coming back.
06:19We lived in some broken shack at the edge of the palace.
06:22My mother fell ill giving birth to me.
06:24But she kept waiting, hoping my father'd come, until she crumbled.
06:30Do you think he'll come today?
06:33I don't know.
06:35At worst, we'd go two days without meat.
06:39I went to the kitchen to steal food.
06:41A guard caught me and beat me.
06:43Every printing princess in the palace bullied me.
06:47Isold was the cruelest of them all.
06:50Her mother came from the Whitefeather clan.
06:52One of the four great families.
06:54No one dared to cross her.
06:56When I was six, my mother had been dead for only three months.
07:00Isold sent for me.
07:01Your sister is waiting for you in the main hall.
07:04The hall was crowded.
07:05Isold stood in the center of the room, holding an old dress.
07:09This is my old dress, Saren.
07:11Consider it a gift.
07:13You should thank me.
07:15Thank you, Isolette.
07:18I was about to take it.
07:19She dropped it onto the floor.
07:23Pick it up.
07:24I bent down.
07:25She stomped her foot on it.
07:27With your mouth.
07:28I knelt, took the hem between my teeth.
07:31She crouched down and patted my head, just like patting a dog.
07:34Remember your place.
07:36Your mother was a maid.
07:38And your father doesn't even remember your face.
07:43You are nothing like me.
07:45You never will be.
07:46I didn't cry.
07:47Crying would only make me want me to beg more.
07:50Once, she locked me in a woodshed for two days.
07:53No water, no food.
07:55Another time, she sheared off half my fur and made me walk around the palace all day.
08:00Everyone saw me half ball.
08:02I went to father, told him everything.
08:04He glanced at me, said nothing, and went to see Isoldi instead.
08:08I played dumb to survive.
08:10So dumb that even bullying me seemed less interesting.
08:15The night my mother died, she held my hand tight.
08:18You must live, Saren.
08:21Promise me.
08:23I promise.
08:24Her hand fell limp.
08:26From that moment on, I had nothing.
08:28And I felt nothing for that royal family, too.
08:31This arranged marriage was my final farewell.
08:34When Cassian returned, he took a look at me and paused.
08:38What's wrong?
08:40Nothing.
08:40Just thinking of my last life.
08:43And what was that?
08:45It doesn't matter anymore.
08:47I've already left all of those behind.
08:49He didn't push.
08:50He just put his hand on my head and stroked.
08:53Soft, seven days later, we reached the Beast Realm.
08:56The Beast Realm was an alliance of many races.
08:59Every four years, they chose the ruler through combat.
09:04The current ruler was the Serpent King.
09:07Cassian's father, the carriage barely stopped when the welcome crew showed up.
09:12Awakened Serpent Clan members lined up in two rows.
09:15A golden carriage gated behind.
09:18You like it?
09:19My eyes lit up.
09:20Cassian smiled.
09:22He coiled his tail around me and carried me to the carriage.
09:25Fenris!
09:26Isold cried.
09:27Where are your people?
09:28Why is Saren getting a grand welcome and I get nothing?
09:31Shut your damn mouth!
09:32I am your man.
09:34You take what I give you.
09:35Try one more word.
09:38How dare you speak to me like that?
09:41Why?
09:41Because I own you.
09:43Now get your feet moving.
09:44Don't make a fool of yourself.
09:46Last life, it was me getting yelled at.
09:49Isold had been worshipped for her whole life.
09:51There was no way she could take it.
09:53And this was only the beginning, dear sister.
09:56What are you thinking about?
09:57I answered honestly.
09:58My sister.
09:59Her days ahead won't be easy.
10:01You feel sorry for her?
10:02No.
10:04Don't be afraid when you meet my father.
10:06He looks harsh, but just stay close to me.
10:08I nodded.
10:10The royal palace of the Serpent King loomed above us.
10:13Inside, the Serpent King sat on his throne.
10:16He bore seven parts resemblance to Cassian, but his presence was colder, theavier.
10:21Like pressure pressing down on the air itself, his gaze landed on me, unimpressed.
10:26So this is the spirit fox princess.
10:29Too small.
10:30Cassian's hand pressed lightly against my back.
10:32She is the one I chose.
10:34Very well.
10:36No more questions.
10:37When we stepped out of the hall, my legs still felt unsteady.
10:41You're scared?
10:43Just a little.
10:45He's like that with everyone.
10:47Even with me.
10:48As for Isold, she wasn't even allowed to enter the main hall, just like I hadn't been in my
10:53previous life.
10:54From a distance, she saw Cassian beside me.
10:56And for the first time, something shifted in her expression.
11:00Fusion.
11:01The Cassian she remembered was distant, cold, untouchable.
11:04But now, he was standing close to me, protecting me, watching over me.
11:09Fenris grabbed her wrist without ceremony.
11:12Let's go.
11:13Stop dragging your feet.
11:15Isold turned her head one last time.
11:17Her gaze locked onto mine.
11:19There was something there I had never seen in her before.
11:22Fear.
11:25The serpent territory lay in the Emerald Ridge, hundreds of miles from the royal capital.
11:31Cassian brought me to his residence.
11:33Does it smell good here?
11:35Too good.
11:36The spirit fox territory is dry and cold.
11:39It never smells like this.
11:40He let out a faint laugh and placed his hand on the top of my head.
11:44Slowly, he stroked down.
11:46From my head to the base of my tail, something inside me shifted.
11:50Warmth.
11:51Life.
11:52The weight in my body seemed to dissolve.
11:54I leaned into his chest, my small paws clutching at him.
11:58You're getting clingy again.
12:00Do you not like it?
12:01I didn't say that.
12:02In the wolf pack, warmth like this didn't exist.
12:05The wolves worshipped violence and hierarchy.
12:08Every alpha king is forged through bloodshed.
12:10Only the strongest survived.
12:12In my previous life...
12:14Can you stop making your people kill each other?
12:16I had once tried to speak to the alpha king.
12:19He had looked at me like I was irrelevant.
12:21Your job is to bear my children.
12:23Don't concern yourself with anything else.
12:26Eight children.
12:27One after another.
12:28With each birth, my body broke a little more.
12:31He didn't keep me because he loved me.
12:33He kept me because my body generated life force that strengthened his own.
12:37I wasn't a wife.
12:38I was a tool.
12:40Isolde thought she had stolen my good life.
12:42She had no idea.
12:43What she had taken was a prison.
12:45That night, I lay beside Cassian.
12:48His tail had already found its habitual place around my waist,
12:51loosely coiling as if it belonged there.
12:55Cassian.
12:56Hmm?
12:59For what?
13:01For making me feel like a person.
13:03Not an object.
13:04He pulled me a little closer.
13:06His voice dropped.
13:07You were never an object.
13:08A pause.
13:09You're my little fox.
13:11I buried my face into his chest.
13:12My tail betrayed me, swaying on its own.
13:15Cassian was often busy.
13:16But every day at noon, he would set aside an hour just for me.
13:20He would take me into the forest and find a flat stone warmed by the sun.
13:24I would lie there, soaking in the heat, while he slowly combed through my fur, strand by strand, patiently smoothing
13:31it out.
13:31You're going slower today.
13:33Why rush?
13:34You're not going anywhere.
13:36I'm not rushing.
13:38I just want you to keep going.
13:40A low laugh escaped him, but his hands never stopped.
13:44A year passed like that.
13:46Cassian grew stronger by the day, while I was carefully, almost excessively, kept by him, yet he never crossed a
13:53certain line.
13:54Your body isn't ready.
13:55You can't handle it yet.
13:57He would always say.
13:58Then when will you?
13:59His tail tightened slightly around my waist.
14:02Wait until you grow up.
14:04I had become more and more clingy with him lately, waking up every morning and refusing to get off him
14:10for a while.
14:11Such a clingy little fox.
14:12That morning, an urgent message arrived from the capital.
14:16Cassian read it, and his face went pale.
14:20What happened?
14:22My father.
14:23He's been poisoned.
14:25He's going to die.
14:26The letter said he had to complete his awakening within one month.
14:30Otherwise, once the Serpent King died, any heir who had not awakened would lose the right to compete for the
14:36throne, and the Serpent Clan would be pushed into decline.
14:40But if he succeeded, he would inherit the throne.
14:44Do you have enough strength to do that?
14:46No.
14:47His voice tightened.
14:49But I don't have a choice.
14:50If I force it, I might die.
14:52Just like in his previous life.
14:54I stepped closer.
14:55I stepped closer.
14:57Cassian.
14:58We can undergo the awakening storm together.
15:01I can share the impact with you.
15:03Then you won't be alone in it.
15:04No.
15:05His answer came immediately.
15:06You're too small.
15:07If you force an awakening like that, you might not grow into the form you want.
15:11So what if I turn out ugly?
15:13You won't dislike me, right?
15:16What nonsense.
15:17When have I ever disliked you?
15:19Besides, you're not exactly pretty now, either.
15:21What?
15:23I was joking.
15:24Cassian!
15:25Hmph!
15:26He quickly tried to soothe me, but I could see it.
15:29Beneath the calm, he was close to breaking, so I made a scene.
15:33And slowly, his shaken resolve steadied again.
15:36Finally, he exhaled.
15:40All right.
15:41He looked at me.
15:42We'll do it together.
15:44We began preparing for the awakening ritual.
15:47We chose the peak in Emerald Ridge where natural energy was strongest.
15:51The serpent elders reinforced it with the highest level protective barrier they could construct.
15:57Cassian grew quieter than before.
15:59Sometimes, I would wake in the middle of the night and find him sitting alone, staring at the moon.
16:04Can't sleep?
16:05Hmm.
16:08What are you thinking about?
16:10He didn't answer immediately, then, very quietly.
16:13I'm thinking.
16:15What you'll do if I die.
16:16I crawled over to him and wrapped my fur around his shoulders, as if I could physically hold him
16:21together.
16:22You won't die, not while I'm here.
16:24I said firmly.
16:25He didn't respond, but his hand tightened slightly on my back.
16:29The night before the awakening, I curled up against him, idly playing with the strands of hair near
16:35his ear, tomorrow would decide everything life or death.
16:38A dull ache settled in my chest.
16:40After my mother died, I had nothing left to hold on to.
16:43And yet, this year in the serpent territory had been the happiest time of my life.
16:48I gathered my courage and leaned closer, brushing against his face.
16:51Cassian startled awake, his ears turning red almost instantly.
16:55What are you doing?
16:57Cassius, we've been together this long, but we've never reallyā¦
17:02I'm scared something might happen tomorrow and I won't get another chance to be close
17:06to you like this.
17:09Cassius, I hesitated, then I looked at him.
17:12I want to be with you.
17:14Is that okay?
17:15For a moment, I thought he would refuse.
17:18Instead, his tail suddenly coiled around me and lifted me off the ground.
17:21Without another word, he carried me toward the bedroom.
17:24After a year of restraint, of shared warmth, and sleepless nights, something finally broke.
17:30And that night, he stopped holding back.
17:32The next morning, I woke up to an empty space beside me.
17:37Cassian was outside in the courtyard, already in his morning training.
17:41When I opened the door, I saw him bathed in sunlight.
17:43His lower body had shifted into a crystalline, pale white serpent form, scales shimmering
17:48like frozen light.
17:49A faint glow surrounded him, almost like a halo.
17:52Little fox, he said without turning.
17:54You're beautiful today.
17:56Your furs turned pink.
17:57I glanced down and let out a small delighted sound, a tail wagging involuntary.
18:02Ready?
18:03He asked, finally looking back at me.
18:05My beautiful princess.
18:08I'm ready.
18:09Cassian led me into the barrier.
18:11He coiled his body at the center of the formation while I sat facing him, both hands tightly
18:16clasped in his.
18:17No matter what happens, don't let go.
18:19I won't.
18:20We sank into meditation.
18:21Energy currents began to circulate through my body, warm and overwhelming.
18:26My senses sharpened until even the air felt like it was vibrating.
18:30In the distance, the sky began to rumble, the awakening storm.
18:34Cassian's grip tightened around my hand.
18:36Cassian, I whispered.
18:37We'll make it.
18:38Don't give up.
18:39At that moment, a force crashed down from the sky.
18:42My body locked in place, and the storm exploded directly above us.
18:46The senses were all gone.
18:47My consciousness blurred, dissolving into fragments.
18:50But one thought remained brutally clear.
18:53Don't let go of his hand.
18:54Cassian's grip was crushing.
18:55He had his eyes shut tight, sweat dripping down his forehead in heavy drops.
19:00Flashes began to surface in my mind.
19:02My mother on her deathbed, clutching my hand.
19:05Saren, miss me.
19:07Live.
19:08My father's silent indifference whenever he looked at me.
19:11I sold crouched in front of me, smiling coldly.
19:14Use your mouth.
19:16Your job is to bear my children.
19:19Pain split through my skull.
19:20My body felt like it was burning from the inside out, a violent force tearing through
19:25every nerve.
19:26Little fox!
19:28Stay steady!
19:29Don't get pulled into the visions!
19:31If we make it through this, we win!
19:34Something snapped into clarity.
19:35I forced myself back.
19:37I resisted.
19:38The storm surged again, heavier, sharper, merciless.
19:41My body felt like it was breaking apart.
19:43And then, something erupted from within me.
19:46A second current of energy.
19:48Different from the storm, rose up and spread through every inch of my body.
19:52Absorbing the destruction instead of resisting it, the pain stopped.
19:56I opened my eyes.
19:57Round us.
19:58The shattered forest was already regenerating at visible speed.
20:01Cassian stood opposite me.
20:03He had fully awakened.
20:04The serpent form was gone.
20:06In its place, he wore a long silver white robe.
20:08His entire presence transformed.
20:11He rushed forward and pulled me into his arms.
20:13We did it.
20:14We really did it.
20:15Little fox.
20:17I was so afraid I'd never see you again.
20:19I want to see myself.
20:21I ran to the river.
20:22The water reflected a girl in a soft pink dress.
20:25Do I look good?
20:27You do.
20:28What about you?
20:29He looked at me for a long moment without answering.
20:32Then, slowly, his ears turned red.
20:34Happiness never lasted long.
20:36The serpent king was dying.
20:37Cassian and I rushed back to the capital.
20:40Inside the dim royal chamber, Cassian knelt by the bed.
20:43Father, I've returned.
20:46I've completed my awakening.
20:47Good.
20:49So you succeeded.
20:51Was it her who helped you?
20:53Yes.
20:54Then, treat her well.
20:57Don't become like me.
20:59Cassian's hand tightened.
21:01For the first time, I saw tears fall from him.
21:03The serpent king closed his eyes.
21:05The news of the Beast Realm's ruler's death spread across all clans within hours.
21:10Three days later, he was buried.
21:11And Cassian was crowned as the new sovereign of the Beast Realm.
21:15On the day of the coronation, he stood at the highest platform.
21:18I stood beside him.
21:20His hand never left mine.
21:21Are you afraid?
21:23No, I shook my head.
21:25Not with you here.
21:29As for Isol to everything to lapse, in this life, Fenris never awakened early, and Isol never
21:35succeeded in securing what she believed was her victory.
21:38After becoming pregnant, she became convinced the child was cursed and secretly took medicine
21:43to end it.
21:44You killed my child?
21:46How many lives do you think you have to waste?
21:48After that, he never touched her again.
21:51Trapped in the brutal hierarchy of the wolf pack, script of favor and protection, Isol began
21:56to unravel.
21:57In desperation, she turned to a guard.
21:59Fenris found out and discarded her completely.
22:02She went on to bear several children after that.
22:04But the third pregnancy took her life and childbirth.
22:07Those were all things from much later.
22:10By then, I already had my own children, and a quiet life.
22:14Cassian and I raised six children together, five sons and one little daughter.
22:18One afternoon, he held our daughter in his arms as she danced beneath the trees.
22:23You used to be just like this.
22:25Exactly the same.
22:27Just as adorable.
22:29Did you take your medicine today?
22:32Yes.
22:33Really?
22:35Yes.
22:37Open your mouth.
22:40Cassian, you're so annoying.
22:42Open?
22:43I sighed and opened my mouth.
22:44He examined me with full seriousness.
22:47Then finally, nodded in satisfaction.
22:49After all our sons had grown and started families of their own, I began to forget things.
22:54Small things at first, then larger ones.
22:56Cassian noticed immediately.
22:57He brought in a renowned healing physician to examine me.
23:02The queen's consciousness was damaged during the awakening storm that year.
23:07She will age faster than normal.
23:09Cassian's eyes turned red instantly.
23:11He held my hand so tightly it almost hurt.
23:14What are you crying for?
23:16You're getting more emotional as you get older.
23:18I'm not crying.
23:19Spirit foxes have nine lives.
23:22Even if you lose one, you still have eight.
23:24What are you so afraid of?
23:26He looked at me but didn't answer.
23:28And then, I remembered something.
23:29Something I had always known, but spent my whole life pretending to forget.
23:34Spirit fox women lose their nine lives after bearing children.
23:37Each life is divided and given to their offspring.
23:40I had given birth six times, six lives, already gone.
23:44Cassian broke down in my arms like a child.
23:46His shoulders trembled as his tears soaked through my clothes.
23:49I held him quietly over and over, stroking his hair.
23:53No words came out.
23:54Because the healer had already told us the truth.
23:56I only had one year left to live.
23:58That night, neither of us slept.
24:00He held me against his chest, his whole body wound tight.
24:03I felt every breath he took.
24:04Small, heavy.
24:05You can't sleep.
24:06I said.
24:09Me neither.
24:10He didn't answer.
24:11His arm only pulled me closer.
24:13Your tail was silver.
24:15After your awakening, it still seems unreal to me.
24:19You seemed to like it.
24:20I did like it.
24:23You're good looking.
24:24He went quiet again.
24:26If it's really only one year, I said, we should do something with it.
24:31His body locked.
24:32Don't say that.
24:33Why not?
24:34The healer already told us.
24:36We have to face it sometime.
24:38He turned over.
24:39Put his back to me.
24:41I wrap myself around him from behind and drape my tail over him.
24:44We've been doing this for many years.
24:46My body heat calms him down.
24:48Cassian.
24:49I'm not as sad as you think.
24:52He didn't move.
24:53Last life, I didn't live like a person.
24:56This life, I married you.
24:57I became queen.
24:58I had our children.
25:00I was happy every single day.
25:02I stole a whole lifetime.
25:03It wasn't stolen.
25:05His voice came out muffled.
25:07It was always yours to keep.
25:08I smiled.
25:09Was it?
25:11Maybe.
25:12But this many years is already enough for me.
25:15It's not enough for me.
25:17He finally turned back.
25:18One year isn't enough.
25:20Ten.
25:21A hundred.
25:22A thousand.
25:23None of it is enough.
25:24Something in my chest pulled tight.
25:26Why are you crying?
25:28I asked.
25:29I'm not.
25:32You are.
25:33I reached up and touched his face.
25:35My hand came away wet.
25:36You cry more the older you get.
25:38Saren.
25:39He caught my hand and held it hard.
25:40I am not going to let you die.
25:43By morning, the whole palace had changed.
25:45Cassian emptied every archive in the Beast Realm.
25:48Ancient scrolls, stacked with dust, hauled in from every clan.
25:52He shut himself in his study and read through the days and the nights.
25:56Our sons came home.
25:58All grown now, with lands of their own and families of their own.
26:02Aaron the eldest, took after Cassian most.
26:05Steady.
26:05Quiet.
26:06He stood at the study door and watched his father not sleep.
26:10His brow tight.
26:12Mother.
26:13Father is.
26:15Let him be.
26:17He needs something to do.
26:18I went in.
26:19Cassian sat in the middle of a mountain of scrolls.
26:22The shadows under his eyes were dark.
26:24When he saw me, a little life came back into his face.
26:27Why are you here?
26:29Bringing you food.
26:30You haven't eaten in two days.
26:31He glanced at the fruit.
26:33Shook his head.
26:34No appetite.
26:37Open your mouth.
26:38He paused.
26:39Open your mouth.
26:41I said again.
26:42He opened it without thinking.
26:43I speared a piece of melon and put it in.
26:45He chewed, slow.
26:47His eyes already back on the book.
26:49The page was covered in marks I couldn't read.
26:52Found anything?
26:53Nothing useful.
26:55Herbs to stretch a life.
26:56Wards to anchor it.
26:58None of it works for you.
26:59His voice was rough.
27:02The damage runs too deep.
27:05Your life force is bleeding out and nothing here can stop it.
27:09I sat down against him and picked up a sheet of old hide.
27:12It told the legend of the spirit fox.
27:14Nine lives.
27:15One life to a cycle.
27:17But a life spent to bear a child returns to the child.
27:21It cannot be undone.
27:22Cassian snatched it out of my hands and threw it aside.
27:25I don't believe in cannot be undone.
27:27He picked up the next one.
27:29I watched him.
27:30He used to stand above everyone.
27:31The cool, easy serpent prince.
27:34Now he was just a man who couldn't find the way out.
27:37I hurt for him.
27:38Three more days passed.
27:39That night I was deep asleep when a noise woke me.
27:42Cassian wasn't in bed.
27:43I pulled on a robe and followed the sound to the study.
27:46The door was open.
27:47He stood at the window with a letter in his hands.
27:50Shaking head to foot.
27:51Not from cold.
27:52From something else.
27:53What is it?
27:54He spun around and crushed me into his arms.
27:57Hard enough to hurt.
27:58I found it.
27:59Saren.
28:00I found it.
28:01He showed me the letter.
28:03The paper was old.
28:04It came from an elder of the tortoise clan, hidden away from the world for years.
28:09The oldest living thing in the beast realm.
28:12They said he'd watched three beast kings rise and fall.
28:15The letter said the spirit fox's lost lives were not entirely beyond reach.
28:20In the fox homeland.
28:22The place I'd left decades ago.
28:24There was a legend.
28:25They called it the ancestor's heart.
28:30When the first nine-tailed fox left this world, she sealed a piece of her essence deep
28:36in the fox homeland.
28:37They said it held power to remake a life from nothing.
28:41We're going back.
28:42We go to your homeland.
28:44We take the ancestor's heart.
28:46I looked at him.
28:48Too many things moved through me at once.
28:50Back?
28:51Back to the palace built out of cruelty and cold?
28:53Back to the man I was supposed to call father?
28:56I'd told myself I would never set foot there again.
29:00What's wrong?
29:00He felt me go still.
29:01You don't want to?
29:05No.
29:05I shook my head and put it against his chest.
29:07As long as I'm with you, anywhere is fine.
29:10He let out a breath and held me tighter.
29:12Good.
29:12He murmured.
29:13This time no one takes you from-
29:15I closed my eyes.
29:17Fine.
29:17We'd go back.
29:18This time I wasn't the little fox everyone stepped on.
29:21I was the queen of the beast realm.
29:23Let's see the looks on their faces.
29:25We went back to the fox nation in force.
29:28Cassian brought half the serpent royal guard.
29:31A convoy that ran for miles every escort and awakened serpent elite.
29:36At the front rode our sons, all grown now, each one able to hold a realm of his own.
29:41I sat in the carriage, Cassian beside me.
29:44The tip of his tail brushed my calf over and over without his noticing.
29:48He was nervous.
29:49You don't have to do all this.
29:51I said.
29:54Yes, I do.
29:55Stubborn.
29:56I want every one of them to know whose wife you are now.
30:00I didn't say anything else.
30:02I knew what he was doing.
30:03He was standing up for me.
30:04For the girl they'd all once ground under their heels.
30:08The closer we came to the fox capital, the calmer I got.
30:11The nightmares that used to keep me awake felt very far away now.
30:15The carriage stopped at the palace gate.
30:18The cold gates I remembered swung open.
30:20The fox king's court lined the entrance guards, nobles, advisors.
30:25All bent so low not one of them dared lift their head.
30:28At the front stood the man who was my father in name.
30:31The fox king decades since I'd seen him.
30:34He'd aged badly, hair gone mostly white, but the rich robes were the same.
30:39He looked at our convoy with a smile pasted across his face.
30:44Welcome your majesty.
30:46Welcome my queen.
30:47He didn't dare look at Cassian.
30:49His eyes only came to me, full of flattery and something else.
30:53Fear.
30:54Cassian helped me down.
30:56I'm sorry.
30:58Father, I said, flat nothing under it.
31:01He flinched and the smile stretched wider.
31:04Yes.
31:05Good, good that you're back.
31:07Saren, have you been well all these years?
31:12I looked at him.
31:13It was almost funny.
31:15Been well.
31:16Did he actually care?
31:18Well enough, I said.
31:20Good.
31:21That's good.
31:22He rubbed his hands together.
31:24His eyes slid over our sons behind us, and the envy he couldn't hide was plain.
31:29No, it was jealousy.
31:31And these would be my grandsons?
31:33Fine-looking boys.
31:34Just like their father.
31:36Aaron and the others stood there, faces cold.
31:38Not one of them called him grandfather.
31:41The silence got awkward.
31:42Cassian spoke.
31:43There was no warmth in it at all.
31:47We came to enter your sanctuary.
31:49The fox king froze.
31:51The sanctuary?
31:52You mean the inner sanctuary?
31:56Yes.
31:57His color changed.
32:00Your majesty, this isn't done.
32:03The sanctuary is sealed.
32:05Only fox kings and chosen keepers may-
32:08Cassian's eyes went cold.
32:10The air at the gate turned heavy all at once.
32:12The bowing courtiers shook harder.
32:14Sweat broke on my father's brow.
32:16I gave Cassian's sleeve a small tug.
32:19He looked at me, and the pressure eased.
32:21I stepped forward and faced my father.
32:24Father, I'm dying.
32:26The calmest voice I had for the worst thing I could say.
32:29His pupils shrank.
32:30The blood drained out of his face.
32:32What did you say?
32:34The healer gives me a year.
32:36I bore six children.
32:38It used up my lives.
32:39The only hope left is inside the sanctuary.
32:42I watched his stunned face.
32:44You sent me to the beast realm and bought yourself decades of peace, father.
32:48Now your daughter is dying, and you won't even open a door for her?
32:52His mouth worked.
32:53Nothing came out.
32:55The hall went dead quiet.
32:56I could feel it, the way my sons were looking at him now.
33:00There was killing in it.
33:01Cassian stepped up beside me.
33:03His hand settled on my shoulder.
33:06Fox King.
33:07Open the door.
33:09Or we open it ourselves.
33:11Your choice.
33:12It wasn't a request.
33:13My father swayed.
33:15A courtier caught him.
33:16He looked at me.
33:17Then at Cassian and my sons, and whatever was holding him up went out of him.
33:21He nodded.
33:23All right.
33:24I'll take you.
33:25He didn't dare refuse.
33:26He knew exactly what Cassian would do if I died on fox soil.
33:31The whole nation would go into the ground with me.
33:33The sanctuary sat in the deepest part of the palace.
33:36An old stone hall, silent.
33:38Two white-haired keepers stood at the door.
33:41They saw us, bowed and stepped aside.
33:44The stone doors ground open.
33:45Air that had been sealed for ages rolled out.
33:48It was dark inside.
33:49A few glowstones gave off a weak light.
33:51The ancestor's heart is said to lie at the very back, my father said.
33:55But no one has reached it in five hundred years.
33:58The ones who went in never came back out.
34:01And?
34:01Cassian said.
34:02He took my hand.
34:03Don't be afraid.
34:03I'm with you.
34:05I'm not afraid.
34:06We walked in side by side.
34:08Aaron and the others moved to follow.
34:10One look from Cassian stopped them.
34:12Wait outside.
34:13The heavy doors closed behind us.
34:15The hall was quiet.
34:16Only our footsteps, echoing.
34:18The walls were carved with murals.
34:19The whole history of the spirit fox.
34:22Birth.
34:22Glory.
34:23Decline.
34:24I saw faces I knew.
34:26Fox kings and queens of the past.
34:28And in a small forgotten corner I saw my mother.
34:30Still young in the painting.
34:32A faint sorrow in her eyes.
34:34I stopped and looked for a long time.
34:37That's your mother?
34:38Cassian's asked.
34:39He didn't ask anything more.
34:40He knew all of it already.
34:42We kept walking.
34:43The deeper we went, the thicker the energy got.
34:46Pure.
34:46The smell of life itself.
34:48It felt good against my skin.
34:49My tails slipped out on their own and swayed behind me.
34:53Cassian said.
34:54Looks like this place likes you.
34:56The corner of his mouth lifting.
34:57I like it too.
35:00We reached the end of the hall.
35:02No altar.
35:03No idol.
35:04Just one enormous tree.
35:05Long dead and withered.
35:07There was a hollow in its center.
35:08Inside the hollow there was no drop of blood.
35:11Only a crystal the size of a fist.
35:14Giving off a soft white light.
35:17This is the ancestor's heart?
35:18Cassian frowned.
35:20I stepped up and reached out to touch it.
35:22The instant my fingertip was about to land, the crystal flared.
35:25An old voice, thin as nothing, spoke straight into our head.
35:28So wrong a weight.
35:29And at last a child of mine comes.
35:31A half-clear phantom drifted up out of the crystal.
35:34An old fox with nine tails.
35:36He folded his legs in mid-air, eyelids drooping, and looked us over.
35:40A serpent, or...
35:41And a...
35:43He squinted.
35:45A little girl whose lives are nearly out.
35:48He clicked his tongue.
35:49What do the two of you want from me?
35:50Cassian put me behind him and bowed.
35:52We've come for the ancestor's heart.
35:53He said.
35:54To give my wife more time.
35:56More time?
35:57The old fox laughed.
35:58A little girl, you hand your lives to your children.
36:00What's left to lengthen.
36:02If there's a way, we'll pay any price.
36:05Cassian said.
36:06Any price.
36:07His eyes narrowed and came to rest on me.
36:09Even calling those six children of yours in.
36:11Here.
36:12And having them give their lives back?
36:14Give them back?
36:15I froze.
36:16So did Cassian.
36:17What does that mean?
36:18Exactly what it sounds like.
36:19The old fox yawned like he'd just woken up.
36:22This thing your fox clan does, spending a life to bear a child, the life isn't gone.
36:28You split your life force and handed it down.
36:31It's money in a vault, not money burned.
36:33You can take it back out.
36:35The paperwork's just a nuisance.
36:37Cassian and I looked at each other.
36:39We both saw the shock on the other's face.
36:42How?
36:43I said quickly.
36:44How do we take it back?
36:46Easy.
36:47The old fox lifted a claw and pointed in the direction of my children.
36:51Bring them in.
36:52I pull the life force out of them and pour it back into you.
36:56You're good as new.
36:58A few thousand more years, no trouble at all.
37:01He said it as lightly as remarking on the weather.
37:03It turned me cold all over.
37:05And my children?
37:07What happens to them?
37:08They won't die.
37:09But with their life force drained, they'll be sickly the rest of their days.
37:13Their strength never grows again.
37:15Some of them might not live to grow up.
37:17He shrugged.
37:18Ruined, more or less.
37:19No.
37:20I said it before he finished.
37:22Absolutely not.
37:24Cassian's voice was harder than mine.
37:25The old fox looked like he'd expected it.
37:28He pulled a face.
37:29Knew it.
37:30Every generation that comes to me says the same thing.
37:34Dull.
37:36Cassian stepped closer.
37:37His voice was level, earnest.
37:40There's another way, isn't there?
37:42Another way?
37:43Sure.
37:44But can a little snake like you afford the price?
37:48Name it.
37:49The old fox ran his eyes up and down Cassian the way you'd size up something for sale.
37:54You're not bad, boy.
37:55Just awakened this generation's beast king.
37:58Power at its peak.
38:00He clicked his tongue.
38:01Your life force is fragrant.
38:04Cassian's eyes moved.
38:06Meaning?
38:09Meaning you trade your life for hers in this lit of this lifetime.
38:14But once I do, your life and hers are tied together.
38:20Tied together?
38:22I didn't follow.
38:22Right.
38:23Put simply, the two of you share one health bar from now on.
38:28As long as she's alive, you're alive.
38:31She trips and falls, you feel it.
38:33She catches a cold, you sneeze.
38:36I looked at Cassian.
38:37One health bar?
38:38That sounded odd.
38:41If that's all, I'll do it.
38:48Don't be so quick.
38:49This tie is no joke.
38:52You share the good.
38:53You share the bad.
38:55She's in a foul mood.
38:56You'll be cranky for no reason.
38:58She eats too much and gets round.
39:01You!
39:02He drew the word out, watching Cassian, enjoying himself far too much.
39:06Cassian's face went red.
39:08Fast!
39:10I'll do it.
39:12He cut the old fox off.
39:13Firm, so will I.
39:15The old fox looked at us.
39:16He seemed almost surprised.
39:18He was quiet a moment, then sighed.
39:20Ha!
39:21Another pair of lovesick fools.
39:23Fine, fine.
39:24I haven't spoken to a soul in centuries.
39:28Call it a good deed.
39:29He drifted down and circled us twice.
39:33Boy, give me a drop of your blood.
39:36Cassian didn't hesitate.
39:37Silver light gathered at his fingertip.
39:39He touched it to his chest, and a single drop of gold blood lifted into the air and
39:44floated to the old fox.
39:46You too, little girl.
39:48I did the same.
39:49A drop of my blood floated up pale pink.
39:51The old fox held both drops in the air.
39:54His lips moved, low and steady.
39:56They drifted together, met and merged.
39:59One clear bead, half gold, half pink.
40:02There.
40:02He flicked a claw.
40:04The bead shot into the space between my brows and vanished.
40:07Warmth poured through my whole body.
40:09The life force that had been leaking out of me felt like an unseen hand had caught it
40:14and held it.
40:15The weakness, the tiredness, all of it pulled back fast.
40:19I looked at my hands.
40:20They were full of strength.
40:23That's it?
40:24I could hardly believe it.
40:26That's it.
40:27Another yawn.
40:28You're conjoined twins now.
40:30Congratulations.
40:31Cassian came to me and took my hand.
40:32His palm was warm and dry.
40:34How do you feel?
40:37Good.
40:37I looked at him and couldn't help smiling.
40:39Better than I've ever felt.
40:40He smiled too.
40:42Right then, my nose started to itch.
40:46At almost the same instant, Cassian sneezed beside me.
40:49Exactly the same.
40:50We stared at each other.
40:52The old fox was doubled over, the whole phantom shaking with it.
40:55See that?
40:56That's your side effect.
40:57Boy, next time she wants to scratch an itch, you'd better grit your teeth.
41:01Cassian went red to the ears.
41:03We shot the old fox a glare.
41:05Let's go.
41:05Took my hand and started for the door.
41:08Hey, don't run off!
41:09The old fox called after us.
41:11I've got loads of good stories left.
41:14Stay and keep me company.
41:16It's lonely in here.
41:18We didn't answer.
41:19We walked out fast.
41:20The stone door shut behind us and cut off his wailing.
41:24The sun outside was almost too bright.
41:26Aaron and the others crowded in at once.
41:31Father, mother, are you alright?
41:34We're fine.
41:35Cassian's voice was back to its steady self.
41:38The tips of his ears were still red.
41:40My face was hot too.
41:41I could feel it.
41:42I gave my own palm a secret pinch, cess that stung.
41:46And beside me Cassian's eyebrow gave the smallest twitch.
41:49He turned his head and looked at me with a very complicated expression.
41:54I couldn't hold it in.
41:55I laughed.
41:57The days ahead, it seemed we're going to be a lot of fun.
42:00Life with a shared health bar took some getting used to.
42:03When I stubbed my toe, Cassian flinched across the room.
42:07When he nicked his finger on a scroll, I hissed at the breakfast table.
42:11We learned to live with the small things.
42:13The big things caught us off guard.
42:15It was an ordinary afternoon.
42:17Cassian had been locked in council since dawn.
42:20Something about the northern territories, a trade dispute, the usual.
42:23I hadn't seen him all morning.
42:25I had my own work.
42:27The wives and daughters of the high-ranking beast clans had come to pay their respects.
42:31A formal tea.
42:32The kind where everyone smiled too much and said too little.
42:35I sat at the head of the long table.
42:38Twelve noble ladies arranged on either side.
42:41Fine porcelain.
42:42Fresh-cut flowers.
42:43Polite laughter.
42:44Lady Maren, the Bear Clan matriarch, was in the middle of describing her son's betrothal
42:49when it hit.
42:50Heat.
42:51Low in my belly, sudden and sharp, my thighs pressed together under the table.
42:55My fingers locked around my teacup.
42:58This wasn't mine.
42:59I knew the difference by now.
43:01My own body had a rhythm I recognized.
43:03This-this was coming through the bond.
43:06From him, the heat spread.
43:07Slow.
43:07Very deliberate.
43:09Your Majesty?
43:11Are you unwell?
43:13I'm fine.
43:15Please go on.
43:17She picked up her story.
43:19Something about wedding arrangements.
43:21I couldn't hear a word of it.
43:22The warmth crawled down my spine and settled between my hips.
43:26A slow pulse.
43:27Then another.
43:28Each one heavier than the last.
43:30I bit the inside of my cheek.
43:32Hard don't make a sound.
43:33My breath caught.
43:34I turned it into a cough.
43:36Twelve pairs of eyes looked my way.
43:38Pardon me.
43:39Strong tea.
43:40Where was he?
43:41The garden courtyard was open to the sky.
43:43A second floor gallery ran along one side with a row of private windows that overlooked
43:48the hall, usually shuttered during formal events.
43:51Un of them was cracked open.
43:53And there half in shadow leaning against the window frame with that lazy, careless ease.
43:58Cassian his eyes found mine.
43:59The corner of his mouth curved up.
44:01That bastard.
44:02He wasn't even pretending to hide.
44:05One hand was out of sight below the windowsill.
44:07And his face was perfectly composed from a distance.
44:10But I could feel exactly what he was doing every single thing.
44:14The next wave hit harder.
44:16My vision blurred for half a breath.
44:17I gripped the edge of the table with both hands.
44:20Your majesty, you're quite flushed.
44:22Shall I call for a healer?
44:25No need.
44:26I just remembered something that needs my attention.
44:29Please, enjoy the rest of the tea.
44:31I'll be back.
44:32I walked out of the courtyard with my back straight and my steps even.
44:36The second I turned the corner and left their sight, I pressed myself flat against the wall
44:41and let myself breathe.
44:42My whole body was burning, and he was still going fine.
44:46Fine.
44:47You want to play?
44:48Let's play.
44:49He would be expecting me to come to him.
44:52Up those stairs, flushed and shaking, straight into his arms.
44:56That smug, satisfied grin.
44:58Not a chance.
44:59I headed for the eastern wing.
45:01The open-air bathing pool behind the east hall was fed by a mountain spring.
45:05The water ran cold year-round, even in the dead of summer.
45:08I didn't stop to undress.
45:09I walked to the stone edge, silk dress and all, and stepped off.
45:14The cold hit so hard my lungs locked.
45:17My gown ballooned around me, then dragged heavy.
45:20The water came up to my collarbone, freezing against skin that was still burning from the
45:24inside.
45:25The shock jolted through the bond.
45:27Somewhere in that second-floor gallery, Cassian had just choked on his own breath.
45:32Good.
45:33I leaned back against the stone ledge and tipped my head back.
45:36One hand slid down my own throat, over my collarbone, tracing slow lines across my skin
45:42beneath the water.
45:43The other slipped between my thighs, the cold bit into my fingers.
45:47My body burned underneath.
45:49Two sensations slamming together with nowhere to go.
45:52And all of it, the ice against my skin, the heat building between my legs, the slow drag
45:57of my own hands was feeding straight into him.
45:59I took my time.
46:01One minute too.
46:02I heard his footsteps before I saw him.
46:04Quick, not running, Cassian didn't run, but close to it.
46:08He came around the corner and stopped at the pool's edge.
46:12Fully dressed.
46:13Slightly out of breath.
46:14Ears red.
46:15Jaw clenched.
46:17What?
46:18He said flatly.
46:19Do you think you're doing?
46:20Taking a bath?
46:22I didn't open my eyes.
46:23Is that not allowed?
46:24You're in your clothes.
46:25I was in a hurry.
46:29Saren.
46:31Hmm?
46:32Get out of the water.
46:34No.
46:35His voice dropped.
46:37You're freezing.
46:38I can feel it.
46:39Oh?
46:40I cracked one eye open.
46:41You can feel it?
46:43That's funny.
46:44Because I felt something from you too.
46:46Right in the middle of my tea.
46:48In front of twelve very important guests.
46:51Silence.
46:52The red crept from his ears down his neck.
46:54That was...
46:55That was what?
46:57He didn't finish.
46:58I let one hand trail up my stomach under the water.
47:02The other stayed between my legs, moving slow.
47:05The cold water lapped against my throat.
47:09Cassian's chest hitched.
47:11I watched his fingers curl tight at his sides.
47:14Having fun up in your window?
47:16I asked.
47:17Watching me squirm.
47:19You...
47:20He stopped.
47:21Swallowed hard.
47:22This isn't fair.
47:24You started it.
47:26Saren.
47:27Get out.
47:28Come get me.
47:29We stared at each other.
47:31The water was freezing.
47:32My body was on fire.
47:34Every nerve I had was lit up.
47:36And I knew he felt all of it.
47:38The cold biting his skin.
47:40The heat twisting underneath.
47:42One hand moving across my body and the other between my legs.
47:46Slow.
47:46Deliberate.
47:47Not stopping.
47:47His breathing went uneven.
47:50His fists shook at his sides.
47:52You win.
47:53He said.
47:54His voice was rough.
47:55Alright.
47:56You win.
47:58Say it again.
48:00You win.
48:01Louder.
48:02He looked at me like I was the cruelest thing alive.
48:05Then he stepped off the edge.
48:07He hit the water in his boots.
48:09His robe.
48:10All of it.
48:10The splash crashed over both of us.
48:13The freezing water met his overheated body and the shared sensation doubled.
48:17Cold cold and hot slamming together from two directions.
48:21He gasped.
48:23I gasped.
48:24For one dizzy second we were just standing there.
48:27Chest deep.
48:27Clothes floating around us.
48:29Shivering and burning at the same time.
48:36His hands found my waist and dragged me against him.
48:40You.
48:41He said through his teeth.
48:43Water running down his face.
48:44Are going to kill me.
48:46Funny.
48:47I wrapped my arms around his neck.
48:49I was about to say the same thing.
48:52His forehead pressed against mine.
48:54His breath was ragged.
48:55A drop of water ran from his hair and landed on my lip.
48:59I lose.
49:00He said.
49:00Very quiet.
49:02And?
49:03And I'll never do it again.
49:06Liar.
49:07A slow grin broke across his face.
49:10I'm lying.
49:11He kissed me.
49:12The cold water didn't matter anymore.
49:15Neither did the twelve noble ladies waiting for me to come back to tea.
49:18They could wait.
49:19They could wait.
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