It's just a matter of time, I thought. The summons to join my betrothed for dinner will arrive. He will call me to his side, and I will be more than willing to come to him.
I let my hopes up, and I knew I shouldn't have. I should have known better than to expect anything from the second prince.
Perhaps the rumors were right, perhaps, he didn't care for me just as those concubines muttered. I was an illiterate peasant, daughter of a farmer who couldn't even read or write.
The whole night came and gone. My eyes dry and sore from waiting on a summon that never came. I made up all kinds of excuses why the second prince couldn't see me.
Maybe he was too tired from his travel, maybe he's gotten sick on his way back.
People spoke of his illness, his frailness. The second prince isn't like his robust younger brother or his domineering older brother. He was sickly and often inside the protection of the palace.
That's it, he was too tired and too sick to bother with me tonight. I told myself.
The following day was the same, I expected a summon as I eagerly loomed by the door in hopes of meeting my betrothed. No summon came.
The third day was the same and so was the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, a whole week passed, and he never asked for me, he never bothered with me.
I don't matter.
Something inside me shattered. I never knew how hard it could be, how sad it would make me. I paid no mind to the rumors, taking them as gossips, harsh words spread by jealous concubines, denying the truth to it.
But it was the truth, they spoke it, and laughed at my face while they did it.
Depression groped me more intense than I had anticipated. I found myself staying in bed, avoiding the garden. I stayed in my chamber and found no interest in anything. I grew quiet, I hid, I disappeared. I didn't want to be bothered, didn't want to eat the food they gave me, didn't want to put on the luxurious hanfu they sent me. What's the point? I thought. My own betrothed doesn't want me.
"Eat, Jasmine." Bailing murmured as she placed the tray of food by my bedside.
"I don't want to," I whispered and turned to my side.
"You need to stop moping around."
"I'm not moping."
"Yes, you are." She crooned.
Silence, I pulled the sheets over my shoulder, pretending to fall back asleep. I found even talking made me exhausted these days.
"You know, you're bound to meet the second prince at one point or another. It's just a matter of time." Bailing cupped her hand on the curve of my shoulder and tried to get me to face her.
I refused to look at her. "Maybe..."
"I bet he's going to fall in love with you at first sight, and it'll be as magical as you dreamed it would be."
I shrugged. "It's already ruined. He could care less about me."
"Don't say that." She said softly, tenderly. "How about I take you to the garden today? It's peony season, I bet those flowers will put you in a good mood."
I turned over my shoulder, soft eyes on her. I was glad I had Bailing on my side, she had become a sister, a friend, and everything I needed her to be. With her, I didn't feel alone, she's always there for me, with me, she defended me against the concubines, comforted when I needed it, and scolded me when necessary. Bailing is my family.
"No, not the garden. Let's go for a walk somewhere else." I murmured.
We decided upon taking our walk on the endless moor where the air is crisp and clean. There're no concubines to bully us, and no third prince to chase us.
I could've sworn the open field was the last place I would run into the third prince when I was proven to be wrong, so wrong because the large field turned out to be the imperial army's training ground. This is where they practiced their combat training and martial arts.
Confused eyes wandered into us, as Bailing and I walked alongside the sea of sweaty and smelly men.
Whistles and chants rose in a crescendo as the men got distracted and feasted their eyes on us.
I was stiff barely able to walk straight. I could barely stand the attention of one man much fewer hundreds of them.
Soon the proud prince took noticed, spotting me and Bailing in the field. He rode with his steel armor shining at the reflection of the sun hitting it.
He paused once he made it near and prince Julong soon recognized one of the women was me. He grinned at the surprise. "Lost, Jasmine?"
I craned my head upwards, narrowing my eyes to see him better. "I'm sorry prince Julong, we didn't know this place was here. We would have taken our walk somewhere else and avoided distracting your army."
"No worries. I don't think my men minded at all." He turned his head to his army and one look from the prince was enough to send hundreds of scary men scurrying back to what they were doing.
It was impressive, the kind of command prince Julong had on his men. His army respected him, they feared him, and they obeyed him.
His gazed returned to me, prince Julong leaned down and offered his hand to me. "Come, Jasmine. It's a long way from your chamber. Let me give you a ride back."
I looked over to Bailing, I can't very well let my servant walk while I ride horseback with a prince.
"It's alright Jasmine, I'll walk." Said Bailing.
"No." Prince Julong waved his hand to one of his men, calling for one of his captains.