If only time stood still.!!

Its been five days since Duke Yan Wu, grounded his daughter, Princess Xiao Ye'er after she disappeared in the lake and made herself quite a ridiculous feat infront of his Majesty and other important ministers in the palace.

She even forgot all the words of curtesy that Xin'er and Si'niáng taught her. She stood there like a statue, plus the shocked she had when she saw the man sitting beside the king made her quite suspicious.

Who would have known their path will cross again, after she leaved him and disappeared in the lake? What a small world!

And of all people she'd meet that day, why it has to be the Crown Prince?

"Why it has to be him?"

She casually asked herself and wrote in her book.

Ye'er was bored to death, she's not even allowed to take a step outside in her chamber, there were five guards who stood still at her door. 

Her father already changed the guards two times and this time he put all deaf and mutes guardsmen so she could not tricked them again. The worst of all is that Xin'er was also confine with her.

"Fetched me a book and a brush!"

She told Xin'er one time. Out of her boredom she wrote everything that she dream and experienced. She just stop when she remember about her accident in the lake.

Just like in Princess diary she was also pushed by someone and almost drowned to death, luckily she was save by that "Psycho!" but remembering how he humiliated her infront of everyone makes her enrage with anger.

If she only knew that the Crown Prince had a weird, exotic taste, a very bad taste. She should've dressed up nicely.

"You looked like a cactus in a pot!"

She remembered exactly what he said, even the way he laughed at her.

I should have pulled his teeth out!

She disguised herself into an ugly lady so she won't be selected, who would have thought it was him? the last person she wanted to see.

She should have dress herself nicely and make herself beautiful and walked like those annoying ladies, she should have sneered on him and ignored him.

"And I shouldn't have gone to see that pavilion!" 

Out of her fury, she bang the table with her fist that startled the maids and rush over to her.

Ye'er wave them out and continue writing.

She suddenly stop when she remembered something important. On that day she did not saw even one single soul and the place was strangely quite.

She suddenly smell a scent and it was quite familiar. After that she felt like something stung on her neck.

Sorting those things that happened to her, she concluded that she was somehow related to that princess she read on the book.

And everything that has written into that diary, might really happened to me in the future?

It was difficult for her to guessed what will happened next and when it will happen. Her memory is not accurate at all, sometimes out of the blue it will just came.

Thinking those things makes her felt tired and exhausted she lean her head in the table.

"Little sister!"

She jerked, surprised to see her older sister.

"Why are you here? If Father will see you here you will be in trouble!"

Yan Yue give a soft bark of laughter. She then picked a comb.

"Father will never confined you anymore. You will be entering in the palace soon!"

She said while combing her hair.

"Who said I want to go?"

Ye'er asked defiantly.

"Beside I already promise myself  to someone else"

She frowned and did not noticed that her sister smirked.

"We could not decide for ourselves we have to considered our parents!" She said. "Alright—

it's done, you have to come with me!"

"Where are we going? Father will—"

"Don't worry! we're just going to take a walked. who knows? tomorrow I could no longer see you!"

Yue said grimly. Ye'er was too preoccupied to realized what her elder sister had said.

"If you already married, it will be hard for you to come home and visit us."

"Why is that?"

"Silly you have to asked permission to your in- laws. Besides, you can't just go home without your husband."

"What?"

She laughed. "You will understand soon, come on, the driver is waiting for us" 

"But I have to informed Xin'er—"

"No need!"

Yan Yue abruptly interrupted her.

"We have to go now, otherwise it will be dark soon. We have to come back before father does."

"Ok!"

Ye'er said. Besides, if ever she would really enter in the palace tomorrow, what her elder sister said really makes sense.

"I want to show you something, it's almost autumn now, the moon shine the brightest in that place!"

"Really?"

She exclaimed excitedly. She moved the curtain and excitedly stick her head outside to see the scenery. Ye'er did not noticed her sister's behavior as she was too happy to see the scenery.

Yue was clutching both her hands, as if she was nervous or thinking something. She also sighed many times but there was no expression in her face.

"How far are we going to go, jiě?"

"The driver knows, he will tell us if we were there."

Yue suddenly becomes irritated.

" jiě, What is wrong?"

"Nothing!"

She forced a fake smile. 

Suddenly, the carriage stop in motion and the driver informed them that they already arrived.

Ye'er stepped down first, true to her sister's words the place is indeed beautiful. It was already dark by the time they arrived at the place. The sky already kiss the sun goodbye and it's time for the moon to showed up.

"Ye'er slowly. .slowly!"

She runs toward the clift, unaware of the danger that her sister had prepared for her.

There she saw the valleys down in the clift. The tress in the forest were decorated with so many fire flies and the sky were full of stars, then finally the moon slowly rise up.

"Beautiful. .beautiful!"

Her young and innocent heart could only admire such beauty. She even wish time stood still.

"I hope time will stood still!"

Ye'er prayed silently, mesmerized by the beauty and magic of nature she forgot that her older sister was with her. She did not even know the real motive behind her sister's invitation.

"Ye'er—"

She turn arround and smiled at her sister what happened next makes her gasped in shocked.

"I'm sorry!"

She then pushed her.

"Why—"

Her question froze in the air when she found herself falling down rapidly into the cliff. She was trying to grab her, but she turn her back on her, instead. 

Her scream echoed in the silence of the night. Ye'er remembered the looked in her sister's eyes.

It was like a fire burning, filled with so much Hate! she did not even see a glimpse of remorse in it.

There was nothing but hatred! Ye'er did not even see a trace of remorse in Yue's face she even smirked at her. There was actually a monster that lies behind her sister's composed and gentle personality.

It's pity. .it's pity! 

One thing she could not forget is the extreme hatred she suddenly felt toward her.

The moon shone the brightest above where she landed. It was as if guiding her and giving her lights into her flickering sight. 

She felt like her body was shattered into pieces. But it was her heart and broken soul that hurt the most not her physical body.

Tears silently fell into her eyes.

"This is probably the reason why the night always seems to be perfect— this night was meant for me!" 

If only time stood still!

She smiled bitterly and everything went black.

"Prencess. . Princess!"

She realized that someone is shaking her harshly.

"Why are you crying, what happened to you?"

She open her eyes and the first thing she saw was Xin'er looking at her worriedly.

"What happened?" 

She look arround confusedly, she saw the moon through the intrance of her chamber.

"It's still shone on me?"

It took a little while before she realized that she's in a different place and still alive. She hugged Xin'er tightly and sob.

"I remember now—I remember everything!"

She sank in Xin'er arms, sobbing heartily.

"What did you remember, princess?"

"Xin'er I died, why I had to die? Why it has to be her?" 

The pain she felt was unbearable, it was like yesterday. Ye'er was so scared, the moment she saw herself fell down in the cliff feels like she fell in there for a thousand times. The memory of that tragedy keeps on coming back into her head.

The looked in her older sister eyes, the hatred she'd been hiding towards her.

Xin'er was shocked. She could not believed that the one who did it to princess Ye'er was actually Yue, Ye'er older sister. Though, she already suspected her but the reality of it is just too much to bear.

"Xin'er why I had to die?" 

Yes she died, she saw herself died but who is she now? she's alived isn't she? She was starting to questioned herself and even her sanity.

"Who am I?"

"Princess!"

Xin'er heart melt by looking at her. She sob as if she's the one in pain.

"I'm sorry I wasn't with you in that night, this servant deserves a thousand death!" 

"She pushed me, I fell down and—"

"What is going on here?"

"Father!"

Ye'er heart suddenly felt warm and secured when she heard her father voice. She immediately stood up and runs towards him.

She throw herself on him and hug him tightly.

"Father, I'm sorry—I'm really sorry!"

Ye'er start to be hysterical and Duke Yan hearts melt by the look of his daughter.

Though he had no idea what was going on, still no father could bear to see his daughter on that state. Duke Yan heart was broken, he had to knocked her down against his will, and asked the family doctor to come. 

"What happened Xin'er, what makes my daughter to be like this?"

"This servant doesn't know Master"

Even if she knew she will not going to betray the princess.

**************************************

Note:

Si'niáng*  -   courtesy name for aunt

Xiǎo mèimei -  little sister

jiě          -simplified term for big sister               

                      Xièxiè