…
The carriage carrying the Princess and her two maids alongwith the fifteen bodyguards proceeded without any incident .
They were nearing the kingdom and villagers recognised the carriage of their princess.
They bowed with respect .
When they reached the palace the Princess alighted with happiness and ran towards the room where her father was .
She knew that at this time he was in the room next to the library with his ministers .
She halted and then turned towards the warriors who were following behind.
She called out "Huan you come with me to meet my father The King '"
Huan bowed and followed her .The maids walked behind the princess .
The King dismissed the meeting and walked towards his daughter.He had missed her so much .He had wondered what he would do when she would marry and go far away from him .
The princess hugged him and said " I am back father"
"Are you ? I thought someone else came .is this my daughter?" he pretended with a smile .
The Princess pouted and with her fists she pretended to hit him on his chest .Her father was a handsome man over six feet tall .He was a warrior and only a man of equal strength could win her heart.
"Father I want you to meet someone very important .He is Huan and he saved my life many times .I will tell you all my adventures later .For now I can tell you that your daughter is alive because of this man ."
Huan knelt down in front of the King.
He said " Warrior you may arise .Thank you for saving my daughter's life ."
As Huan stood up and neared the King ,the King looked at his face stunned .
That face …..
It was his wife's face ….
The same face ,the eyes ,the nose ,the mouth ,the chin ….
How could that be ?!!
His wife would be old by now..If she was alive …
And if his wife had been alive she would have reached him somehow …..
He felt the hurt and sorrow pinch his heart …
" Follow me " he said to the warrior.
A while later the King stood looking at the warrior in his personal chamber….
" who are you ? where are you from ?"he asked angrily
"Your Highness I am Huan the warrior bodyguard of Prince Junjie Jianyu…."
" and where are your parents ? "
"I don't have anybody .I am an orphan " She stated
" there must be some relatives…."the king persisted
" no one .I am alone in this world."
The king was frustrated .He realised that it was not easy to get information from this warrior .And he couldn't torture him for information since he had saved his daughter's life .
"You will stay here and protect my daughter .You will be rewarded handsomely ,I promise you ."
"Thank you Your Highness ." Huan bowed and then went out to her living quarters with the king's permission .
The palace was very beautiful with lots of gardens around .
Huan went looking around and memorising the place .
She went with the princess around the palace and taught her modern concepts of bathrooms ,water supply and storage and cleanliness .She taught the gardeners modern means of gardening .The Princess looked at her warrior with respect .The King was impressed with her and asked where she had learnt so much and wondered how she could teach all of them so many new things that they had never heard of .
Huan just smiled and said " I learn them in my dreams"
The ancients believed in dreams and omens .
The Princess implemented Huan's plans all around her kingdom .The citizens were thrilled and happy with the prosperity that followed .
The King still could not get any more information about Huan even though he had sent spies for the job .
King Yue was really frustrated .He could see his wife's face everyday in the warrior bodyguard and he was missing her so much .
Though he had never heard of his wife all these years he had held a little hope that one day he would find her .
He saw his daughter walk with the warrior and they talked so much that he was feeling a little jealous that his daughter was spending more time with the bodyguard than her own father.
He walked toward them and waved out to his daughter in the distance .
They walked towards him and then suddenly the warrior ran towards the king and knocked him down on the ground .
The king was visibly angry and glared at the warrior .
How dare he !
Soon the other guards came running and pulled him up .
It was then that they noticed the arrow beside the king .
Someone had shot an arrow and the warrior had pushed him and saved the king's life.
And then they captured the assassin .The plot to kill the King unravelled and the main culprit the brother was sentenced to death .
As the brother looked on with hatred and screamed " yes I killed your wife and your elder daughter.You will never be happy .."
The King controlled his tears and ordered the execution of his brother.
He had never believed all these years that his own brother would try to kill him and destroy his family .
In his personal chamber the King finally broke down in front of the warrior Huan .
" All these years I loved him so much and yet he …. He killed my wife and my daughter ….I never found their body ..He carried the secret to his hell…If he wanted this kingdom I would have given it to him .My family is worth any kingdom .I never …."
Huan watched the King cry like a baby and then hesitantly patted his head like the Prince always patted her head.
She pitied the King at that moment .Though he had so much power with him, at that moment he was so powerless when destiny played the cruel game with him