Chapter 4 - A Token Of Our Bond.

Liu Fen rode in one of the many carriages that trailed behind the Emperor. She peered out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of something new, something to ease the dull ache in her heart, but all she saw was a cloud of dust that billowed from the wheels like a brown fog, choking the air and hiding the trees and shrubs that lined the road.She dropped the curtain and slumped back into her seat, caressing the jade pendant that hung from a silver chain around her neck. It was a beautiful pendant, half a lotus flower wrought with skill. The other half had belonged to A'Xin, the princess who had been her dearest friend.They had sealed their friendship with the pendants, promising to always keep them close to their hearts. But that promise had been shattered by a cruel twist of fate. For Yi Xin was gone now; dead and buried, or so they said.The day haunted Liu Fen still, the day they had shown her a corpse of the girl they claimed was Yi Xin. A corpse covered in dirt and blood, a corpse with a mangled face and broken bones."That is not A'Xin," Liu Fen had breathed out in a tear-choked whisper, her fingers clinging to her father's arm. "That is not her.""And how can you be certain?" her father had asked gently."Her pendant, father, her pendant. She does not have it; it can't be her," Liu Fen had murmured, showing him her own pendant."Perhaps it was lost in the struggle," her father had suggested."No, no," Liu Fen had whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "A'Xin is not dead; she can't be dead."Liu Fen had cried until no more tears would come, until her voice was a raw scrape in her throat. She had imagined Yi Xin alive, hiding in some safe place, waiting to be found, waiting to be brought home. She had clung to that hope even when they buried her in the imperial tomb, even when they said she was gone forever.Liu Fen was so immersed in her past that she didn't feel the gentle hand on her shoulder until it squeezed. She turned and met the concerned gaze of her maid Xiao Mei. "Miss... you are crying," Xiao Mei said in a gentle voice.Liu Fen felt the dampness on her face and quickly brushed it off with her sleeve. She attempted to smile, but it twisted into a grimace."The wind is dry and dusty. It stings my eyes," It was a feeble excuse, and Liu Fen knew Xiao Mei saw through it. The little maid knew of the deep bond Liu Fen had shared with Yi Xin, and she had seen Liu Fen cry and mourn like this many times before.Xiao Mei reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out a silk kerchief. She handed it to Liu Fen with a gentle smile. "Here, take this," she said. "It is softer than your sleeve."Liu Fen accepted the kerchief and dabbed at her eyes, feeling the delicate fabric against her face. She took a deep breath, trying to quell the turmoil in her heart. She then smoothed out the kerchief and laid it on her lap.Xiao Mei gazed at her with compassion and began to hum a soothing tune. Liu Fen smiled in appreciation, then leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. And as Xiao Mei's tune filled the air, words formed in Liu Fen's mind, words that blended with the tune.♪ We shared our joys and sorrows We swore to never partBut you went away And left me aloneA jade pendant hangs on my neck A token of our bondBut where is the matching piece That belongs to you? ♪