Chapter 2 Promised

"I promise you, you won't get married for political reason, neither will I marry you out to a foreign land. Royal father will choose the best man to be your husband."

The old Eunuch entered with another young Eunuch carrying tea. The young Eunuch poured it in a tea cup and served the king first before serving the princess. The scent of jasmine teas filled the air. This is one of her favorite tea, so that's what they always serve her when she visit. She sipped her tea quietly, as if oblivious of what her father just said.

She remembered when her father made that promised to her that he will not marry her out for political reasons. She was just five-years-old then, Prince Zichen and the other princes just closed from their lectures, as her usual custom she was standing on the way waiting for him. Prince Zichen doesn't talk much, and always keeps to himself, but no matter what she asked him to do, he does it silently without complaint, like looking for crickets or feeding the fish. When she is tired he would carry her back silently on his back to her palace before leaving. So it became a ritual then, one major reason is to make him talk and laugh more and another is because she feels comfortable and safe around him, a feeling so rare in the royal palace.

Prince Zichen is my most beloved cousin, his father and my Royal father her cousins, but Prince Zichen's father rarely comes to the palace, even on special festivals and celebration. It was when prince Zichen turn five that Royal father passed a decree that he should enter the palace to learn with the other prince, even with that his father gave several excuse why he couldn't enter to learn in the palace. Royal grandmother had to intervene before he entered the palace for the first time to learn with the other princes. I know from a very young age that Royal relatives prefer to stay away from the palace to avoid courting disaster for themselves but Prince Fei, Prince Zichen's father's distance seems to be more than ordinary. Maybe that's why Prince Zichen always keeps to himself, not belonging to any party, he is neither with my brother the crown Prince Rui ze nor Prince Yu Che who place in the royal court is almost as high as my brother. You see him walking alone with his servant behind carrying is bag.

On that faithful day three years ago, I waited for him as usual after school, he walked up to me and said "little Princess, I can't always play with you everyday after school, even though it is fun and you're happy it keeps away from my practice. So let's do this; I'll play with you just twice every week, you can pick the dates." That's the longest sentence he has ever spoken to me and that's the day I knew his plan was to be a great general, so he practice the sword everyday after school. And his dream was fulfilled when he went for his first battle two years ago, at thirteen years old.

I never had any high dreams about my future, there was no need to. In the palace the emperor determine your existence. From a very young age I see and understand things clearly. I watched my older sisters cry as they were married away for political stability, those who acted too smart were discarded by royal father and those too dull, did not even know how they died. So the plan was not to plan at all, I just want to live as a child and let the future take care of itself. But for the first time, I wanted something for my future and it must be plan for starting now. I went to look for my Royal father and found him in the royal garden with Concubine Xie. As always, I was the focus of his attention whenever I was with him, I didn't waste any time to tell him the purpose of my impromptu visit, as if there as ever been any visit that is not impromptu. "Father grant me one wish, and I will be forever grateful and obedient." "You've always been obedient, and you've never asked me for a wish before, Yu'er what is it you want, anything you want father will give it to you." " Then don't make me marry a man I don't want, neither should you marry me away for political reason." He laughed, stroking is beard, even concubine Xie was not left out, she tried to call it a child talk but my father knows I'm not joking. He looked at me in the eyes lovingly, carried me into his lap and said; " Yu'er even if you did not ask, Royal father can not bare to part with you, so I won't marry you out neither will I marry you out for political reason, royal father gives you his word, I will marry you to the best man and to someone that you like. Yu'er do you have someone you liked?" I smiled and nodded and told him boldly, "royal father I will marry Prince Zichen when I grow up". He squirted and try to read my thoughts through my eyes, I stared back innocently, eyes wide open and honest, telling him silently that I meant it. He chuckled, "The future is still far away, let's not talk about it today." I didn't press forward but I knew to stop there, he wasn't pleased with my choice.

As the sweet fragrance spread through my Nostrils and the sweet taste hit all the right notes, I closed my eyes to savour it. I opened my eyes back and smiled to my father. "Whatever you wish Royal father".