She's a princess and he's the butler she loves. The
promise they made to meet every full moon under their favorite willow tree means their paths will continue to cross even after they're torn apart by spiritual and magical war.
Despite Chuntao's encouragement, my once powerful will had shriveled to practically nothing by the time we reached the front wooden sliding doors of the Shui family house. I open the doors quietly and slowly. The sweet, soothing smell of Huiliang's favorite tea fills my entire body with warmth and comfort. Huiliang joked that that was how home was supposed to make you feel - warm and cozy, like you're being wrapped in a hug.
After some hesitation, I decided to break my contemplative silence and asked Chuntao about her history with Longwei. She didn't respond right away. In fact, another uncomfortable silence followed. I wasn't entirely sure she would answer, and after some time had passed, I started to regret bringing it up. But Chuntao finally cleared her throat and spoke in a small, shaky voice.
"Longwei and I were meant to be married last year. Er...I wonder if I should even call it that now. He asked me, and at the time, I thought it was the most romantic thing that had ever happened to me. I was so happy. I basically told the entire village. But when I think about it now, I remember it all a bit differently. Longwei had asked me to marry him so casually that I wonder if it had all been a joke. I ended up feeling like such a fool." She chuckles darkly, and her green eyes sparkle with tears before she reaches up and wipes them away. Anger flickers across her face, replacing the solemn expression.
"Did he court you?" I asked, and I'm sure she knew why I had. I couldn't imagine Longwei properly courting a lady like Chuntao. The women he hung around with were nothing like her. They liked to get drunk and party just like he did. Chuntao was the Princess of the Diqui empire, a domain that rest on an island just past the ocean surrounding the hidden Shui territory. Chuntao would take over for her mother, the Diqui Empress when she was ready to retire from the throne. Until then, Chuntao had been trained as both a lady, a warrior, a leader, and a dancer. She had power over the earth and could make flowers bloom just by running her fingertips across the soil. At 18 years old, she was the picture of sophistication and grace, even at times when she lost her temper.
When Chuntao had turned 14, she was sent by her mother on a tour of the 7 states. Well, the 6 states, really. Chuntao's mother had sent her to the other states, but had been cautious about sending her to the hidden Shui territory. Most of the world thought that our people had died out ages ago. We only told certain allies of our location because the Huo empire had reason to believe the Shui empire still existed and would set out to destroy us in the event that we were discovered. This made the Diqui empress skeptical about how safe Chuntao was in our village.
It took a lot of convincing, but Chuntao managed to win her mother over. You see, Chuntao was determined to tour the other empires and learn their traditions and culture. She believed that she had a lot to learn from the world outside of her home, and I admired her for it. She absorbed everything that she was taught and shared it with others.
If Longwei had failed to commit to her, my brother was more of an idiot than I thought. I would have been honored to have such a wonderful woman in my family — and as a sister, no less! I looked up to Chuntao and hoped to become a beautiful, intelligent, wise lady just like her one day.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
