I AlwaYs havE AnD I AlwayS WiLL --PART-2-TimE & AgaiN" Ongoing.

CHAPTER 12 " Veiled Feelings..."

Chapter 12

Veiled Feelings....

Penong Palace , 1858:

"You what?" said the Princess, laughing out loud at Wei Ying's description of the day's events.

"Poor old Nuan. Never mind, though," she said, motioning for Wei Ying to sit on the bed. Growing serious, Maithali continued,

" Do you know, Wuxian , sometimes I hate being a woman. Why must I marry? My father ' "Here, Lady Qing's voice shook with fury- " Plans to encourage all those princes who desire my hand in marriage. The prince of Honjung comes here next fortnight, and I am supposed to meet him? Oh, if I could commit a murder!"

"Calm down, Princess," said Wei Ying , putting a restraining hand on her shoulder. "We will do something. Leave it to me."

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Room in a cottage:

When Haikuan returned home, he saw YangZhang sitting next to the window, looking glum.

"What's the problem, brother?"

"Like you don't know," scoffed YanZhang. "No," said Haikuan , nonplussed. "I don't."

"It's your new pet, Wuxian , " snapped YanZhang. "She's bad news."

Haikuan lowered himself onto the ground beside him. "Bad news how?"

"I don't know, she just is," snapped YanZhang. "The way her eyes look right into you, as if she wants to get everything out of you. She's scary!"

Haikuan let out a laugh. "She's scary?"

YanZhang shook his head, as if to clear it. "I don't know. Something about her makes me uneasy. I just know she's wrong, Kuan ."

"Don't be silly," snapped Haikuan . " She's absolutely fine."

"Yes, yes," YanZhang retorted impatiently. "Defend her like you always do. We'll see how you fare when someone looks at you like that."

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Next day:

"I wanted to give you something, Wuxian," said Haikuan as soon as he saw her.

"YanZhang's gone on some job the King sent him for."

He led Wei Ying through the forest, stopping at a rickety old cottage. "My home," said Haikuan , awkwardly. "It's not much, though."

"I like it, Haikuan, " Wei Ying was moving closer to it.

"Wait," Haikuan called. He darted inside, and came back with a medium-sized, clumsily wrapped packet. Wei Ying took it with some surprise. He hadn't really expected a book...

As he unwrapped it, Wei Ying let out a gasp of surprise. Set in a simple wooden frame was a painting depicting a man and veiled woman, in a wood. Their arms were stretched, almost touching each other, and Wei Ying felt tears prick his eyes as he recognized the scene from the previous day's archery lesson with YanZhang.

"Did you...did you like it?" Haikuan asked, hesitantly. Ecstatic, Wei Ying rushed over and gave him a quick hug, leaving him baffled. "This- this is so wonderful, Haikuan ," he said in a choked voice. "Did you make it?"