An imperial affair

CHAPTER TEN

Our journey to the palace only lasted about fifteen minutes. The view of the bustling city and the merchants carrying out their daily activities made me somewhat nostalgic about my life back in the Xia kingdom. The memories of my brother and I playing around our father, as he carried out his transactions with his business partners, made me regretful of coming to the Liang kingdom. Would my father have wanted this life for me? If he saw me now, he would be heartbroken that such a fate had befallen his daughter but I had to do this. 

Our Northern Xia's borders were weak, and if the Liang kingdom wanted to attack us, we would be at their mercy. The Liang kindom was notorious for their military feats and tatics in battle. We wouldn't stand a chance and my brother would probably lose his life. 

It was difficult for my mother to bring him into this world. He was her last child. A few months after she had delivered him, she passed away. He body wasn't able to fully recover but my grandmother told me that she wanted to give my father an heir to his business and estates. She knew the risk of pregnancy but still went along with it. That was a woman's duty after all, to give her husband male children.

 After she died my father was inconsolable for the rest of his life, refusing to remarry, refusing to forget her. I missed her too, just as much as he did but Jiao'er would never know her. She risked her life to bring him into this world and I needed to honor her sacrifice and protect him.

''Your Highness we're here,'' Linyu said as we arrived as the enterance of the palace. I handed her my jade name tag to give to the palace inspector before we proceeded inside.

''You may go Your Highness,'' the inspector said before he bowed and allowed us into the palace. After we had reached the main hall I got of my carriage and asked a palace maid to direct me to the crown princess' quarters. She lead me through a maze of chambers and halls before I reached the crown princess' hall. Princess Wenyi's hall was enormous, the walls were decorated an instricate golden dragon design and painted with the view of a mountain and a cascading watterfall. Her roof was glazed with golden tiles which contacted her black and red walls. Surrounding her chambers, were rows of pink cherry blossom trees and an outer foyer for having tea. A group of servants were cleaning her rooms before they spotted me.

''Who are you?'' one of her servants asked. I held up my name tag to them before they bowed.

''Greetings to Your Highness, wishing Your Highness happiness and prosperity,'' they said in unison.

''You may arise,'' I said.

''Yes,'' they chanted.

''Where is the crown princess?'' I asked.

''Replying to Your Highness, the crown princess is in her gardens behind the hall,'' one of her servants said.

''Take me to her,'' I said before one of the servants directed me to the area she was located. We passed though a thick layer of bamboo trees, and flower plants before I saw the princess sitting on a bench close to a small pond. She had a handfull of seeds in her hand which she threw into the pond to feed the fish. She looked somewhat miserable and somber. Slowly I approached her before I responded.

''Greeting to Your Highness, wishing Her Highness the crown princess peace and prosperity,'' I said before I bowed to her in respect.

''Your here,'' she said sadly. ''Arise, sit next to me.'' 

I slowly made way to sit next to her on the bench and watched the simple view with her. The pond appeared to look busy as the fishes moved around in a hasty manner to eat the food the princess had thrown. I wondered what had happened to the princess.

''What's wrong Your Highness?'' I asked but she refused to speak. The look on her face spoke volumns but I couldn't figure out what the problem was unless she told me.