Change

He didn't know when he started to notice her. He only realized that he even noticed her, when she wasn't there anymore.
It was one of the warmer days of summer in the small Kou Empire.
Every afternoon he had some training lessons. Even though he already was a part of the army, even though he already fought a lot of battles he had those private training lessons. He didn't mind. He liked them.
On his way to the trainings ground he had to pass by a small garden. It was filled with colorful flowers. In the middle of this garden was a little pond.
Normally a young girl took care of the flowers in the afternoon.
But this afternoon she wasn't there.
When he asked one of his servants she told him, that the girl was the daughter of one of the generals and that her parents send her to her grandparents.
The girl was the youngest daughter and her parents doesn't seem to be proud of her.
Her name was Gyokuen.
He liked her name.

During his training he thought about Gyokuen.
She was send away.
He wondered why.
She seem like a very gentle person.
Why would you send such a person away?
Why did he even care?

It wasn't something unusual that the staff changed from time to time.
It also wasn't unusual that the children of nobles were send away for studies or other reasons.
He never cared about it.
So, why did he care about her?
Was it because he knew her?
No, he did not.
Was it because he thought that the small garden would go to waste?
No, it was not.
Was it because it was unusual to send a daughter away for studies?
Maybe.
Was is because he had the feeling that it wasn't because of those studies?
Maybe.

The days passed by and the young girl never showed up again. So, she really was gone.
In those day he tried to remember when she first showed up in the garden. She was very young back then. He could barely see her between all of the flowers. For him she had been a child back then. Now she was older but still a child somehow – she didn't look like one anymore.

A moth had passed when he decided to confront her father.
He knew that it was not his business.
The conversation was relatively awkward. Of course, the general wanted to know why he was asking about his daughter. All the people around them were whispering with each other and soon the first rumors were out.
Stupid things like he and the girl had a secret relationship.
He ignored it.

What he didn't ignore was the fact, that a few days after the conversation Gyokuen was standing right in front of him. She look different. Someone or something dimed her light.
Her eyes were looking on to the ground, like she was ashamed of something.
He didn't understand and he didn't care.
She was back.

Every afternoon when he was on his way to his private training lessons he passed by a small garden. Gyokuen was in the garden and took care of all the flowers.
When his finished his training she would stand at the side of the training ground and hand him some water and a towel. They would walk to his room and talk about their days.

He didn't know when he decided to marry her, he only realized that he did, when she was his wife.

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