The princess cleaned the sweat on her palm with her skirt. With she could do nothing for the cold sweet that was skittering down her back when the crickets began to sing the song of the night.
The path they were walking along has been stretching since she left her residence.
Before stepping on the stairs, the ladyship looked around, "Eunuch Fu Liu didn't return, your majesty."
The princess exhaled the locked gust of air in her chest and while ascending carefully stated, "the rain might have been troubling him, we will see him later."
The rain was gone and no longer did the sky roar, but these slippery steps were a thorn in her shoe. Her flat shoes weren't suitable for this but she persisted to wear the ones that were gifts from her father.
Ke Xin nudged Zha Gang and the guard walked ahead and extended his hand to his princess.
"Let me serve your highness."
The princess smiled, lately, she could realize how they had been attempting to serve her honestly. It was a relief that during the hard times of grieving for her mother, they kept being understanding and held out to be by her side.
Rolling her hand over his arm, she climbed up in peace, until reaching the gates. Master Fu Bo, the King's eunuch announced the princess's presentation as loud and cheerfully as it was possible.
"Welcome, my Majesty."
"Thank you, eunuch Fu Bo."
The gates drew wide and she walked inside, her companions followed her along the corridors until reaching the King's room.
Waiting by the door, she peeked at Ladyship Ma.
"Calm down, my lady! Everything is fine."
He wasn't angry, right? She could endure this one but his sadness.
Getting inside, the eunuch closed the door behind her. Xing Huan kept her head down, but snatching a look at her father, he was peering at her.
Serving the King a proper bow, she stood still to get permission for having her place to sit.
The King stretched his hand out of his body and directed it to the pillow in front of him, at the other side of the table.
"Sit here, I want to see you from closed eyes."
King Xing Yingjie demanded and his daughter hastily obeyed.
"Why are you keeping your head down? Isn't it unlike the strong girl I knew?"
Her eyelashes flattered up, her father hated to see her like this, she knew it well but her emotions were fragile and she discovered this after losing her mother.
"Please spare your miserable daughter."
The King shook his head, pointing out to the teapot his lips parted, "put the grieving down and make your life constant, it was your mother's wish."
She grasped his point and poured some tea for her father and then herself. After that, she clenched her skirt between her fingers, her mother's wish? It was... It was... A long time passed since she left contemplating it, she could not even focus on her own desires.
"I will be listening to father if he pleases me with his forgiveness."
"Except for ignoring your father, I see no other mistake to cause you punishment."
He picked up his cup and she took the drawing out of her sleeve pocket and gently placed it on the table.
Laying down the cup after a sip, King Xing Yingjie picked it up and opened the envelope. Taking the paper out, he could guess that was one of her drawings but what was illustrated there burned his heart. He loved his queenand again another beautiful drawing to melt his spirit.
The woman who lend the throne to her husband while she could hold it as the empress and the true heir of this land. She chose to raise her daughter and tend to her people rather than struggling with the courtiers who each used to ride their own horse in different fields, believing that what they want was also the correct decision for this reign.
"It is beautiful, you have improved so much since last year."
She smiled when the beam in her father's face glinted. But soon it died when the King drove his hand to the candle and the scent of burning paper burned her soul. The burning paper fell, turning to ash.
She was startled, not knowing why did he burn her mother's portrait.
"You shouldn't live in the past and swing between the memories. I don't want you to forget her, but I want you to fly for the future of this land. Don't blame me for burning this painting, it was the tenth portrait you had sent me, it was all her in the picture, Xing Huan! What about you and me? Should we kill our souls?"
She couldn't say a word as the lump in her throat had taken this skill from her. She couldn't protest, nor could she beg for his mercy.
"It was your punishment for not meeting me during the year. Next time that you visit me, I want a different painting."
Her eyes rolled on him, she was angry, the flames were storming in her chest but soon all of it faded away when he mentioned a new one!
"Father..." She took a deep breath, "I won't disappoint you; from tomorrow, I will start my training with my maiden."
The King looked at her blankly, "your maiden! Is she capable of what I heard about her?"
"Yes, she is skillful, not just training can make such level, she is talented, I am sure one day she can become one of the elite warriors."
The King smiled satisfyingly, his daughter had sharp eyes to collect people, thus, was this girl another gem she had picked from somewhere.
"I would like to see her, soon! I might visit you at the training arena. If she is beautiful, why not make her your brother's concubine!"
The princess's face twitched, tensely!
"Father, I want to keep her close to me, why should I offer such a gem to someone who was about to shoot the arrow exactly onto my forehead?"
The King sighed, his stupid son, "are you mad at your brother?"
"Shouldn't I?"
"I won't leave him without outcomes, keep that maiden for you."
"Father, regarding the case we work on, it dragged us to Da mines. The budget that you had set had gone somewhere else."
The King's face drew sour, "greedy hearts are like pests, tell me more daughter. I have received complaints from there, today."