One Year

Spring Hunt (5)

Just a quick rant from the author... As always thank you for reading and supporting me on each journey I go through with each book. Thank you for liking, commenting and sharing each chapter I release. As of late, I've been getting a lot of messages to quickly update a new chapter to this story when I legit just updated not 10 minutes ago or a day ago. I appreciate the fact that you all love this book and it's characters. It gives me a reason to keep writing. However readers, please understand and respect the fact that I do have a life outside of Wattpad. I have bills to pay and I wish to high heaven that I could do this full time and get paid for it. And publish chapters out for you guys on an hourly basis. I just ask that you not PM me or comment for me to quickly write a chapter and publish it because you're anticipating what's going to happen next. I usually update on a daily basis, between 1-3, sometimes more chapters a day. Please respect that and stop asking me to update ASAP when I'm already updating everyday. But you can ask me to update should I go M.I.A and haven't done so in a week. Again, thanks for all the love and support. Internet hugs for everyone. This rant became longer than I wanted so without much further adu.......

*********************

Minister Roland Wang stood up quickly as he heard his daughter's wish. How could his beautiful daughter wish for a marriage with The Crippled Prince? Before Prince Ryu got injured, he would have been fine with this request, but seeing how the Prince has been injured for the past 7 years without cure in sight, he thought his daughter would lose her interest in him. But seeing her now, in front of every major important Minister, General, and royal family, his face grew hot as he lost face in front of them.

"Chunhua!" Roland shouted angrily as he approached the King while bowing his head. He kowtowed three times at King Cai before begging him to not grant Chunhua her wish.

"Your Highness." Roland said after he kowtowed. "Please forgive my daughter to be so presumptuous as to ask for a decree of marriage between her and Prince Ryu. How could a lowly servant, such as myself, ever wish to have ties with the royal family? My daughter does not know the difference between heaven and earth and is still a foolish maiden who does not know better. Please forget this silly request my daughter has wished for."

Roland's sweet words, insulting his own family and station in life, instead of Ryu made other's snicker in laughter. Of course any Father would fight tooth and nail not to have their beautiful and talented daughter marry a crippled Prince, no matter how handsome, how great his past achievements were or what the rumors were saying about his prowess in the bedroom was. A useless cripple prince will always be a useless cripple prince.

"Father--" Chunhua whispered, but Roland gave her a hard stare, silencing her immediately.

Her father had never looked at her this way before, but her heart couldn't help itself. It became uneasy and frantic that Siri would occupy every inch of his heart.

"We could never presume to even be apart of the royal family." Roland said as he kowtowed once more. "As a commoner, I have not taught my daughter enough to know not to reach for the heavens. Not to dream about dragons and phoenixes. Please forgive my daughter for her thoughtless behavior."

Chunhua was going to speak again, but Roland pulled her down so she would bow down to King Cai as well.

King Cai stared at the Father and daughter as he stroked his beard.

"Minister Roland." King Cai said as he made his decision. "Did you not just come back from Bido Kingdom representing my interest as a diplomat minister to talk to King Nao?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"You were there for the past year negotiating terms and agreements between the two Kingdoms and have come back very victorious. For your hard work, this King will ask Prince Ryu what his thoughts are to Lady Chunhua's wish. Should he chose to marry Lady Chunhua, it is out of my hands, should he chose not to, this King will grant Lady Chunhua a different wish."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Roland said as he sighed heavily. Now it was only up to Prince Ryu if he would accept his beautiful daughter as his concubine. But how could his heart stay still? His beautiful daughter was willing to become a concubine instead of first wife due to her foolish heart.

Everyone turned their attention to Prince Ryu, but all they could see was the loving couple as Prince Ryu holds Princess Siri in his arms as she rests her head on his shoulder.

"What say you Prince Ryu?" King Cai said as he looked over at them.

"This Prince is satisfied with Princess Siri as my wife. This Prince does not need another woman in this Prince's household." Ryu said as he took the half cup of tea Siri just sipped on.

"Prince Ryu has spoken." King Cai said as he smiled at Minister Roland and Lady Chunhua. "This King should still reward you both for a job well done. For Lady Chunhua, ten bolts of fabric, two chests of jewelry and two chests of gold coin. For Minister Roland, he will now become Second Rank Minister of Diplomatic Relations to Bido Kingdom, 2,000 gold coins will be added to his pay every month. Seven of my royal horses will be gifted and a new home will be provided for Minister Roland."

Roland kowtowed while Chunhua followed suite. Her heart was broken at Ryu's response. She was so close to getting what she wanted, but her father had to ruin it for her. Ruin her chances with Ryu and becoming his wife. Chunhua didn't want to cause a scene and make her father lose any more face than she already has, so she quietly and quickly thanked the King and left the feast to change and hide her anger.

When Chunhua entered her tent, her father followed her right afterward wanting to give her an earful.

"How could you embarrass your father like that?" Roland said as he lectured his daughter.

"Father, I want to marry Brother Ryu! He's the only man that has occupied my heart since I was five. He has a noble character and treats others well. I want to be cherished like how he cherishes Princess Siri!" Chunhua said as she started crying out of heartbreak and frustration. "This whole time I have been rejecting all offers is because I have been waiting for Brother Ryu to notice me. I have been waiting for all the bad rumors about him to disappear so I can be with him. And when I finally have a chance to do what my heart wants, you ruined it! You ruined my life! I hate you!"

Chunhua's harsh words wounded Roland as he watches Chunhua's crying form fling itself on to her bed. Her tearful cries wounds his heart even more. How could he watch his only daughter cry?

"Forgive Father, huh?" Roland said as he sat next to her. "Father didn't know you loved Prince Ryu that much. Had you told Father, Father would have helped you instead of blocked your path. Since this path is no longer opened to us, we shall seek another man, a man who is worthy of your beauty, grace and talents, to be your husband. This Father cannot bear to see you become a concubine to man who is lesser than you. Forgive this Father for this father's selfish desires for you."

Chunhua cried even more loudly at her Father's words.

"Now that this already has happened. We cannot change it." Roland said as he patted Chunhua's head.

"Father, you must help Chunhua marry Prince Ryu. Or Chunhua will die!" Chunhua said as she cried louder. "Chunhua will only love Prince Ryu and will only be Prince Ryu's wife."

Roland sighed heavily as he knew what words he would say next would not be listened by his daughter.

"It's for the best, you will see this when you are older." Roland said as he left her room.

Chunhua cried pitifully for a long time before her tears stopped flowing. She would be Prince Ryu's wife no matter what. Even if it meant losing her relationship with her Father. Even if it meant killing Princess Siri.