A Wuxia Tale: Blade in Training

Princess Nadira

(WANG HUA)

"She looks beautiful and exotic," Uncle Mei commented nonchalantly while we are gathered in the tea room inside their home in Jiang Estate. Amidst the beautiful spread of the afternoon tea, Uncle Mei showed my Father and I a painting of a royal princess from the South Asia, the Mughal Empire.

The picture depicted a young looking princess, maybe fourteen summers old, in a bright yellow dress with a sheer orange tinged shawl in her head, jewels wrapped in her neck, wrists and dangling on her ears. She has round bright eyes and a beguiling smile that doesn't show any teeth.

She does look beautiful and exotic just like what Uncle Mei said.

Father sneered delicately, "Those traits doesn't hold for anything." He said. "When will she arrive here?" Father asked as an afterthought.

"Why is she visiting the Capital?" I asked as well, out of curiousity.

"To see and meet the Imperial Family. That's according to the information we received from the people we dispatched to gather information on Princess XiLen," Uncle Mei said.

I winced at that. "Do you both really have to gather information on Jin's mother?"

Father's one brow arched, "Of course we have to. Knowledge of one opponent can be used as a weapon, my flower."

Oh of course, cause we are at war? Are we at war?

I sighed, "Jin's mother is not my opponent, Father. She is not our opponent."

"She is opposing your marriage to Prince Jin, my flower." Uncle Mei reminded me.

I nodded at that. "Yes, but Father was also once opposed my relationship with Jin. But look here now, Father has changed his mind and now support our love."

"And you think you can change Princess XiLen's mind in opposing your marriage to her son?" Father asked me with a frown on his face.

I shrugged, "I have to at least try. She doesn't seem that bad, Father."

"She is that bad," Uncle Mei sipped some tea. "She already called our families second tiered nobles. Which in all honesty, I don't find offensive. But she also mentioned ShuYin engagement to Crown Prince Han and now I don't like her." Uncle Mei serenely finished his words.

I winced. "Yes...that's not well done of her."

"True," Father agreed. "It's fine for her to comment about her son's engagement to my daughter but for her to add some insights about my niece's betrothal to Crown Prince Han, she has crossed some lines,"

"I agree," Uncle Mei and Father nodded to each other.

I sighed. It's clear as daytime that Princess XiLen has acquired two enemies already: my Father and Uncle Mei.

In my part, I don't know what I should feel in all actuality. I don't see Princess XiLen as a threat to my relationship with Jin. Like I always know, I will fight for Jin and for our love no matter who is the enemy. No matter who or what is blocking our way. My only dread was my parents and Dao opposing my marriage to Jin. My family is a hard opponent. I am not confident that I will choose Jin over my family. That's why I am truly grateful and feel blessed that my family, all of them, accepted and support my relationship with the man I love.

Princess XiLen...I don't feel threatened by her. I trust Jin, I trust myself and I trust our love. I know Jin trusts me as well. And I know our love is only as strong as our trusts to each other.

Our love is strong then. We strongly have faith on each other.

That's why I don't feel any urgency to vanquish any enemy my family perceived that we have.