MeiLan was taking tea in the garden with her maid when Minerva approached her. She stopped for a moment to gape at MeiLan's garments. When she was not going out in public, Meilan preferred men's clothes, finding them easier to navigate with her clumsy legs and her walking stick than the dresses with their long heavy skirts. She sipped her tea nonchalantly and waited for Minnie to speak her mind.
"Today is the Memorial for the Second Prince at Sky Temple." Minnie said bluntly. "Our family attends every year. It's too bad that your carriage was ruined. Our carriage is too small to carry all of us."
Meilan replaced her cup gently on the table and smiled softly. "There's no problem, cousin."
Minnie smiled and bowed before she left the table, but she felt irritated. Though she was never about to admit it, she wanted to hurt MeiLan's feelings, for her cousin to feel left out and excluded. Instead, she sat serenely, which was nothing short of infuriating. "Well, I suppose because she is weak and sickly, she must be used to staying at home," Minnie said to herself as she climbed into the carriage with her mother and the twins. The fact that her mother was fretting about Meilan staying behind only increased Minnie's temper.
When the Yongli family carriage had left the gate, MeiLan turned to Anak. "Go tell Mister Lee to saddle Onyx, and have Emilian prepare for a journey."
Anak made a face. "Mistress, you can't mean that you are going to the memorial on horseback? It must be at least thirty li to Sky Temple! It's too far."
"Don't worry," Meilan stood, "Go tell them while I change my clothes."
When she emerged, dressed for the ceremony, the big gelding was saddled and ready. An unhappy-looking Mr. Lee held the reins. "Miss Meilan please reconsider; this journey is too far. Think of poor Emilian! How do you expect him to go so far on foot? He will drop from exhaustion!"
"I will not!" Emilian packed two skins of water on the saddle. "I am strong, I can escort the Miss safely!"
"See?" Mei patted the old man's shoulder. "Nothing to worry about! Besides, my father cannot attend, it is my duty to represent our family. Now, Emilian, would you kindly give me a leg up again?"
Emilian had turned from placing provisions on the horse and was now staring at MeiLan, slack-jawed. She'd changed into a white dress, with wide sleeves and a simple belt. The flowing gown made her look different somehow, almost magical. Her long dark hair flowed down her back, the front part pulled back and held in place with a silver hairpin in the shape of a butterfly.
The spell was only somewhat broken by Mr. Lee flicking Emilian's forehead.
And was also only somewhat broken when MeiLan cleared her throat in an effort to bring his attention back to the matter at hand.
It was only when Onyx turned his massive head and stuck his muzzle into Emilian's hair and proceeded to blow his nostrils that the young man came fully around with an, "Eew! What did you do that for?" and pushed the horse's face away. Remembering himself, Emelian stepped over to the horse's side, and cupped his hands as before, boosting Meilan into the saddle. She took a moment to arrange her skirts and gather the reins while Emelian ran his hands through his hair checking for horse snot.
"Safe travels, Miss," Lee said, still shaking his chin and frowning over the inappropriate behavior of his junior. He released his hold on the bridle and Emilian took the reins and led the horse and its pale rider out of the barn, out the gate, and into the dusty street. It was the first time he had left the Yongli mansion since Meilan had brought him to her cousin's home. He now had the waist tag with the Zheng insignia tied securely to his belt, and he walked confidently, knowing that no soldier could harass him.
They walked through an adjoining district to the city's Eastern gate, passing through the great perimeter wall, leaving the busy city for the more sedate countryside. Big manors were replaced by small farms and forests. When they were alone on the road, she pulled the horse to a stop, and extended her hand. Emilian looked up at her, his expression confused.
"Onyx is strong," she said patiently, "he can carry us both."
"Miss MeiLan!" He ducked his head. "I can't ride together with you! It wouldn't be appropriate!"
"Who says?" She asked quietly. "Ride with me. It's a long journey and we will go faster this way,"
Although some part of him was thrilled at the invitation, he shook his head regretfully. "People will talk. I can't allow them to sully your reputation."
She sighed. "Do you know what I have learned in life? People will always talk, and the louder they talk the more shame they are hiding. I am a person who is weak and ill, Emilian. I don't know how many years I have, and I will not waste them worrying about the crows that caw from the trees. Now, since you will not ride, I will have to walk—" she grabbed the pommel of the saddle and began to swing off the horse.
"Stop!" Emilian looked up panicked. His mistress was weak and lame. He could not allow her to walk for miles. It would cause her pain, and he couldn't bear the thought. "Fine, I will ride with you, since you insist."
She hid a small smile and again offered her arm. Emilian did not know where the skill came from, but he swung up easily behind her, as though he had been doing it all his life. However once settled behind her, he took great care not to touch her, instead resting his hands on his thighs and leaning back so that their bodies would not bump. When the black horse surged forward, Emilian almost tumbled backward off the animal's rump. It was only MeiLan's surprisingly fast reflexes that saved him from falling. Her hand shot out behind her and caught his wrist. She pulled him upright without unseating herself and brought his hand around her waist. "I am not naked, there is no shame, just hold on to me." She laughed, releasing the tension on the reins and giving the spirited gelding his head. The horse needed no more urging and stretched into an easy gallop. MeiLan let Onyx run until his excess energy was spent, and he slowed back to a brisk walk of his own accord.
"Your horse has amazing stamina!" Emilian said, breathlessly. He did not release her waist, even though they had settled into a more sedate pace. He found he liked to hold her, he liked the feel of her slender waist between his hands, and he was loath to let her go.
"What is the Memorial?" He finally had the courage to ask.
"Don't you know the story of the second prince?" She asked, surprised.
"No. Or if I ever knew it, I lost the story when I lost my memories."
"Oh. Well, the Emperor had three sons. The second Prince was a peculiar child. He begged to be allowed to go to the temple to study under the monks. At first the emperor refused, but Prince Jian Xiao was so persistent that eventually, they allowed him three months to go and stay at the temple. He was disguised as an ordinary boy, and no one knew his identity, not even the Master. Near the end of his third month, just a few days before his departure, the temple was attacked. All of the monks and their students were locked in the pagoda, and the pagoda was set on fire. All perished except for the Master and two of the senior monks, who were away from the temple that night."
"The empress was devastated, as everyone knew that the second prince was the closest to her heart. She declared the day to be forever observed as his memorial. People come from all over the Empire to burn incense and bring gifts for the second prince and all of the thirty-one souls that died."
They rode on in silence, through alternating stands of hardwood and tall slender bamboo. The gnarled, towering trees shaded and cooled the road, and birds flitted through the branches, undisturbed by their passing. Each was lost in their own thoughts until they reached the main road leading to the temple. Soon they were joined by other pilgrims on the way, some walking on foot, some riding, and some upper-class citizens driving fancy carriages. A pair of monks was directing the stream of visitors into a clearing outside the temple wall.
Once they had found a spot to tether the horse, Emilian slid to the ground, and then helped Meilan dismount. He supported her carefully until she had gained her balance. There were already many horses, carts, and wagons parked outside the gates. Looking up, he took in the ancient stone temple, seeing that the courtyard was now crowded with people who had come to mourn, then studying the statues, trees, and walkways. Everything was new to his eyes, and yet, eerily familiar. Searching inside of himself it was not hard to find a sense of spiritual wonder, aroused no doubt by the proximity to this holy place, and he found it easy to believe that in his forgotten past he had surely been one of the pilgrims who visited just such shrines across the land.
As they approached the ruins of the burned pagoda, he felt a cold sadness settle in the pit of his stomach. Fifteen years of rain had washed away the charred wood, leaving only scorched stone rubble to mark the sacred place. The shrine was already littered with flowers, fruits and gifts for the dead, and the air was perfumed with burning incense. His eyes traveled over the tablets, reading the names of the dead, until they came to the last stone, inscribed with the name Wang Jian Xiao, second prince.