It was Saturday morning and I had just finished watering the plants which grew in the gardens when Chyou came running to me. She was in her usual uniform worn by the servants - which included a white plain dress and a red belt on their abdomens.
"Mistress, Mistress!" she said whilst running to me with excitement all over her face.
I had to stop watering the plants and placed the mug down. Then I waited for her to come to me "What is it Chyou?"
"Mistress there's a letter" she said trying desperately to catch her breath.
"A letter?" My jaw dropped when I peeped Chyou holding an envelope with the crown prince seal on top of it.
"Yes a letter Mistress, from the crowned prince of Leilani. Prince Yishen himself"
I gasped and a smile escaped my lips, I didn't know how to react and what to do at that moment.
"Do you want to receive it?" asked Chyou.
"Yes I do"
"Kneel then Mistress"
Well those were the rules, one must kneel inorder to receive the crown Prince's letter or orders however Chyou didn't know of my own secret endeavors. So I kneeled and accepted the letter, Chyou gave it to me. I took the letter and rushed inside my room. I locked the doors and like a mad woman possessed, I even locked the windows and pull down the curtains.
My heart was racing even before I opened the letter, I was already having a panic attack. The letter did indeed have a crowned prince seal, I was sure it must've come from him and if it was a fraud - and someone else got the hand of the seal and sent me the letter. Then they were in the risk of being charged with treason.
I unsealed the envelope and took out a piece of lavishing and luxurious paper I had ever seen. I guess that's what happens when you are the prince of the whole kingdom. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath, then I overindulged into the sweet words of my charming prince. The letter said;
My dear Princess Yae Lin,
I got a hold of your letter which you wrote to me and I haven't been able to sleep since then. My lack of sleep has nothing to do with the over exhaustion from daily activities of the crown, but has to do with your sweet words which left me breathless and yearning for more.
My darling princess, I can't say this enough of how much I want us to be united in marital affairs as much as you do. I feel a very strong connection to you even though I haven't yet laid my eyes on you, but I know my heart. I know my soul and it always yearns for perfection and my dear, perfect you are.
I promise to fight with you until we finally get ride of that ruthless bastard that sits on your throne. Leilani will take back Tong'an and you shall rule beside me. My love, once you receive this letter my men will be already at the city of Karta ready to bring you to me, I have stationed them at the market, follow the green robes and a wolf sigil. They will bring you to the palace where you will be safe, by having me on your side.
Yours forever.
Prince Yishen.
I closed the letter and held it close to my heart while tears rolled down between my cheeks. I was overjoyed - emotional and it felt like a dream.
But suddenly the door to my room was banged and I hadn't even sit upright and Lee barged in. "I'm starting to think we don't live in the same house anymore..." he said grinning from ear to ear. I was still holding the letter so I returned it to the envelope and placed it inside my drawer. I wasn't so charming towards him as he may have expected and somehow the grin he had dissapeared.
"Mingzhu what is going on?" He asked.
"Nothing"
"We are doing this again?"
"Don't you have parties to attend tonight? You should be getting ready for them" I said taking off my earrings.
"I will not go today if that means you will talk to me"
"What do you want to talk about?"
Lee remained silent and I could feel that he was heartbroken. I didn't care about that - my heart was already into Prince Yishen and the kind of life we'll live together in the big city of Leilani. He was all I ever needed at that time, a man ready to commit to me and not one who spends his most days stuck in a brothel.
"You seem rather quiet for someone who wants to talk" I said looking straight at him. I was serious and didn't want to play no more games with him anymore.
"You are different Mingzhu"
"How so?"
"The way you talk to me, like I'm a stranger to you"
I sighed and closed my eyes "But you are" I said and somehow I was very emotional and not yet healed from what he did to me. My heart was still broken to pieces, and I believed the only person who would pick them up and mend it again was my prince - and not the same person who broke it first.
Lee sat close to me on the bed, he was calm and collected. He looked at me and slowly reached out for my arm, then he placed it with his.
"I am not a stranger Mingzhu. I will never be a stranger to you no matter how much we try to get away from each other" he said and paused for a moment as if having a conflict with himself whether to continue or not "Mingzhu, is there anything you want to tell me?" he ok asked me.
Did I have something to tell him, well no. There was no way I would ever tell him that I was about to leave him and marry a prince. I knew him to be a troublesome and even though he broke me into pieces, I was never going to hurt him the same. So I managed a simple "No" and I said it with a smile to clear any suspicious. We spent that whole afternoon having simple talks about life and he told me about his accomplishments as a merchant and how Yokosh has been helping him out with his trading.
"That's great Lee. I'm so glad you are happy here"
"We can be happy together Mingzhu, all of this is for the both of us. You and I together" he said holding my arms close to his heart and I was silent not knowing what to say to him.
Come dusk and Lee left our house to have a meeting with other merchants - I used that time to flee with Chyou only and I didn't carry anything apart from a basket filled with breads, apples and bananas just in case we felt hunger along the way. Chyou told me it would take a two day ride from Karta to Leilani on a good horse but I didn't know what kind of horses did the prince prepare for me.
I made sure we weren't suspicious when we left our small castle, the last thing I needed was the servants telling Lee that I ran from him. Hence we walked out as usual - like how we always did when we went to the market for our usual shopping. Chyou held an umbrella for me as we passed through the gates and onto the carriage.
"Where to Ma'am?" asked our carriage driver.
"To the market" Chyou replied and the horses neighed loudly and kicked off.
I was nervous and excited at the same time, nervous to be invited to a place where I didn't know anyone. What if they work along with Qianlong and I was walking into a trap, but also excited for the future that awaited me and the Prince Yishen at his Kingdom. I had little time to think about his parents - His Majesty the King and her Majesty the Queen. Would they like me? Was I fit for their son? What if they don't bless our marriage and somehow it all come crashing down on me.
"I will have no way but to join the rebels - again" I thought out loud for returning to Karta was never an option after how I just fled without saying goodbye.
The market was overly crowded as the sun was setting. I remembered the days Lee and I used to live just close to a building which I stood face to face with it, my thoughts wondered through like a lost hermit before Chyou took my hand and she brought me back to reality. "We have to find soldiers with green robes and a wolf sigil" I said.
"A wolf sigil? Like my husband's... are they Leilani soldiers? Chyou asked me, her eyes widened with amazement but I turned my back on her and walked slowly towards the carriage which was at the corner of the market.