16 years~
The suns shone beautifully, the kiss warming my skin.
I looked at the dark golden skin and smiled, to the side two steps behind is Di'ordi.
The girl at eighteen is really a beauty, I loved to sit and stare at her, of course, not as much as my peach blossom tree.
What can be better?
Eh, nothing, unless it was my husband sitting underneath, said tree.
Looking down at my wrist I saw the bracelet now invisible with the two gems.
Engagement tokens from the two males who proposed six months ago.
I bit my bottom lip struggling with myself.
First, it was Li, the young master from the Leng family and the young master from the Nia family.
Both were traps!
One with tea, the other with hair products and snacks and like a dolt I fell for it.
Ugh.
Somebody should have knocked some sense into me.
My heart can only hold so many people; my husband and friends who were with me for more than eighty years in my last life and finally my children.
Children will grow and love their spouse, that is acceptable.
So I had doted on them, gave them all they required, and allowed them to go out into the world.
I loved them, as a mother I had no choice but I loved my males more.
Now, since I have been given another chance, in a world where I can have multiple husbands, I find myself in a dilemma.
'Should I marry multiple males?'
'Do I have the capacity to treat them as equal?'
I kept my eyes closed and stood there head tilted to the suns and simply allowed myself to be lost in thought.
In history back on earth a king would have concubines, those women would fight for favour.
Children would die, slaves, and entire families implicated.
Of course, it is not just the concubines who would start this but always the family, everyone wants benefits.
I have no problem with that, marriage is like a business deal anyway.
Women had always been looked down upon but in some instances so were men.
In some places on earth, men had to do so much just to have a spouse, to be able to pass on their genes.
If a concubine woman would fight slyly unable to know how they died or their own opponent.
Then the males would have an open fight, many becoming maimed, losing eyes or limbs or worse; the root that made them a male and to allow them to pass on their genes.
Weighing everything the only difference is that I have the common view of earth.
One man and one woman.
I wanted to laugh though because even then either still grows tired of each other and cheat.
Hm, still, some were like myself; living lovingly with each other for more than half a century and our children--right, I had a few of my children who had two or three husbands and a son with two wives.
My head dropped, I placed the left hand to cover both my eyes laughing softly.
"What is to be, simply let it be."
"young miss?"
Ignoring Birdie, I continued on feeling lighter.
My first child had been birthed when I was twenty-nine years old, the idea had been, I wanted to spend more time with my husband without the burden of a child.
On earth it didn't matter, of course, people would speculate but the pressure was not as great as here.
I sighed, gathered my composure so that my look is of course as usual, indifferent.
I am sixteen, truly I am sixteen, I am also engaged to two males.
Officially my husband will be that trapped boy from the Leng family, while the other will become my secondary husband from the Nia family.
On my eighteenth birthday, it will become official and announced publicly.
Well, it is fine, I have accepted them anyway.
Tossing those thoughts aside I walked around the garden admiring the trees and scattered flowers.
I am not a flower fan but I do love slightly flowery scents, like the wonderful plum blossom scent.
"Young miss, the new term begins tomorrow."
"Yes, I am aware, by then you should stop calling me young miss,"
"It-"
"Birdie, I choose you because I knew you. It does not mean I like you but respect you as a person and not just as a servant pet."
I said, Birdie as a servant pet is good but it seems that she had somehow lost her soul.
I stared up at the young girl of eighteen, yes, stare up, I am still on the short side.
Ah, you would think at sixteen I would grow two inches like most girls but I only grew half an inch.
How sad is that! Growing half a freaking inch!
Is the god of growth playing with me?
It's bad enough that I am the youngest in the new school I entered but to be a shortie to boot at sixteen.
I shuddered.
"I am sorry, it is just. I still need to show respect when-"
"You are mine, you know that right? At least until I marry, if I tell you to call me simply by my name it is fine. I am also your junior, so referring to me by my given name."
Saying that I continued forward towards my courtyard.
Pausing by the entrance I turned back and looked at Birdie and thought to myself; 'can I trust her?'
This world has so many people with ulterior motives, what is hers?
"Enjoy the rest of your day Birdie, perhaps visit your Fiancé and parents."
A blush covered her cheeks, I found it cute, "Then I shall take my leave for today,"
"En,"
Retreating fully inside I walked a bit to the building that is considered solely part of my personal space.
Consisting of eight rooms and a pool.