Chapter 2

I felt thankful that there were no nightmares afterwards, but I still awoke only less than 4 hours later.

I sighed as I stared at the mirror, I suppose I would have to use makeup to cover my eye-bags. My maids, Mei Hui and Li Hua, were helping me bathe and dress.

I was wearing a dark pink hanfu with a gold lining along with a simple hairpin. I wasn't a big fan of elaborate dresses, as elaborate as this piece of clothing could be. However, today was the day where the Feng-Yan peace treaty was being renewed, so I had to be there in a pretty outfit.

It could be said the Feng Kingdom and the Yan Kingdom were once enemies, after one of the kings had stolen away a favoured concubine of the other king, which resulted in a war between them. Hence, this treaty was to be signed every 100 years, and it just so happened to fall on this day.

As I prepared my study materials for the day, I began thinking about the King of Yan. My guard, Jin Ying, had mentioned him before, only once though.

Jin Ying has been my guard since the age of 6 years old, after my father, the King of Feng, discovered her swordsmanship abilities at a banquet as well as her excellent water arts.

She came from the Wu Province, a rich city in Yan, just below the capital. Her father is a travelling merchant and often went back-and-forth Yan and Feng to sell his goods to both of the Royal Families. It was only after Jin Ying's caretaker was outed for child abuse did her father take her to the Kingdom of Feng.

As far as I am aware, The King of Yan inherited the throne at the age of 13, just 2 years younger than me. My eldest brother, the Crown Prince told me about the political disputes that have occurred in those times, just before Jin Ying's arrival to the Feng's Capital.

I shook away these thoughts and began concentrating on the words written on the books that I pulled out to study and immediately felt a headache. Arithmetic is really a pain…

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I stopped an hour later, seeing as the King of Yan and his envoys had just arrived. My maids fussed over makeup yet again, when my fourth older brother came to pick me up.

I have five older brothers. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but it was, without question, decided that the eldest would succeed the throne and the rest would protect him from enemies.

It was a far cry from a certain other kingdoms that had their princes battle to the death in front of the king in an arena just for them to be the next successor. Those princes were currently at war with another kingdom. Father likes to describe them as 'barbaric warmongers'.

I greeted my older brother, "Fourth Brother."

He seemed to be distracted by the lilies that grew in my palace gardens. I was suddenly aware that he hadn't been here for quite a while already.

He had important diplomatic businesses, being a smooth-talker and was often away to the Ping and Yan Kingdom. The Zhang and Qi Kingdom were still at war.

On the other hand, I enjoyed staying in my palace to study and read. There was no point to leaving my palace to look at something I've seen my entire life: Stone walls.

If anything, I only came out during festivals, anniversaries and birthdays. Oh, and when Mother and Father call me out, which was rarely as they were always very busy.

He pinched my face. "Meimei, you've lost so much weight!" That was an unfortunate thing that came with ageing… or was it my lack of sleep?

Nevertheless, I had always liked my chubby cheeks and I was a little sad they were slowly disappearing from my face.

"I know, Gege." I patted the hands that rested on my cheeks. "You are going to wipe all the makeup away." I gave him my widest and brightest grin, as if I didn't only sleep for about three-and-a-half hours. My eyes blinked cutely to hide the urge to simply fall asleep in his arms.

But of course, as the brother whom I have grown up with, he obviously knew that I wasn't taking good care of myself. He rubbed my head and took me by the hand, running as if we were in the past as young children, playing in the gardens. I also just so happen to ignore my maids' shouts about dirtying my skirts.

"Slow down, Gege!" I yelled as I nearly tripped over a stone slab. Fourth Brother did slow down considerably, but we still ran hand-in-hand, until we stopped at a very interesting sight.

I remember seeing the King of Yan once, at my father's birthday two years ago. He was twenty-two years old then. He was admittedly a very beautiful person, but he couldn't match up to my father.

My father is very aesthetically pleasing, mind you.

The King of Yan was talking to Jin Ying, even though he should have been at the entrance of Liu Kong Hall, the main hall used for diplomatic relations, with the rest of the Yan Kingdom's envoys.

I dragged my Fourth Brother over to a nearby tree, my maids have already stopped running at this point, and we both stared at the two.

We couldn't hear what they were talking about, but it was very clear that they had some sort of history. Before we could go closer, the King of Yan and Jin Ying had both already walked away.

My brother and I stared at each other and we made a decision in our hearts.

We have to know what they were talking about!

… That was until we found out that we were almost 2 minutes late and we rushed over without a moment's hesitation.

It seems that we would have to put this 'conversation' on hold…

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Feng Huan ("I"): Main Character; Second Princess of Feng Kingdom; Air-born.

Mei Hua: Feng Huan's maid; Thunder-born.

Li Hua: Feng Huan's maid; Air-born.

Yan Jian Jun: King of Yan Kingdom; Water-born.

Jin Ying: Feng Huan's bodyguard; Water-born.

Feng Tong: Feng Huan's fourth brother; Fourth Prince of Feng; Air-born.