Indigo Sunset

"Hien Lixue!" Someone called out. "Hien Lixue" The person called out again.

Sighing, I stood up from the chair I was sitting in and left the book open to where u stop reading. "Yes father?" I said walked towards the corridor where my father was.

He looked at me and smiled. My father was the only person who took time to admire his daughter.

Since my mother, his first wife, died while giving birth to me, I was the only thing that reminded him of her.

"We are having guests tonight and you know what that means" he says as we walk along side each other and towards our section of the compound.

My father, Chen Jian was a very well respected official of the imperial city. He was even close to the previous emperor and was like a personal friend to him. He was the 3rd master of the Chen compound after my grandfather and uncle.

My father never liked showing me off. He thought as my beauty was too 'rare' and a gem like me needed to 'choose' for myself, he kept me hidden.

I did go outside and had freedom, as long as there was a veil covering my face and that my bodyguards were always around me.

"Yes dad, I'll go change and wear my veil" I sighed as I bowed to my father. I walked towards my area of the sector.

The Chen compound had four sectors, the Yueji sector where my grandparents and 4 dozen servants stayed, the Mudan sector where my uncle, aunt and cousins stayed with 2 dozen servants, the Pugongying sector where my step mother and step-siblings stayed with a 2 dozen servants and the Lianhua sector where my father and I lived with 3 dozen servents and 6 guards.

I walked towards the bath room, where I met with 2 servants. It seems as they already got the message from my father.

The maids closed the door and I undressed behind the silk curtains, easing myself into the warm bath. It was scented with cherry blossom pedals. I enhaled the smell and relaxed my mind.

I finished bathing and dried myself. I put on a purple hanfu, which showed my pale shoulders and brought out my violet coloured eyes. My eyes weren't from any of my parents, but from a very powerful monk who gave me eyesight when I was blind.

My grandmother went to the temple one day, and asked the heavens to give me eyesight when my third week passed and I still could not see.

Luckily, a man approached her and asked her to lead him directly to me. She was startled at first, but saw how he was dressed and guided him to me.

Hence, I was giving eyesight through this man.

But with these eyes come difficult. It's hard for me, because I can see things that will happen or may have happened, but never the full story.

I am always woken up from my sleep because of these dreams that came with these eyes.

They say we can never cheat death, but I have many times before. I never told my father about this because it will make security ten times worse than it is now.

I covered my face with the veil proved by the servants. My hair was left loose, while pins pushed it back so it wasn't a mess. I sat by the window and looked at the sun setting.

It left the sky purple, just like the colour of my hanfu, but much more darker. As I gazed at it, I heard my father call for me. I stood up and walked towards him.

"It's time. You look lovely" he said as we walked towards the dinning hall. "Hien Lixue thanks father for the compliment" I said, bowing slightly.

We arrived there and I bowed down before my grandparents. "Hien Lixue greets grandmother Chen and grandfather Chen" I said while kneeling. "Come child, let your grandmother see your precious face" she said.

My grandparents where very involved with my rising. My grandmother was like a mother to me, teaching me the ways of a lady and also making sure that I was proper. She taught my how to dance, sing, play instruments and paint.

My grandfather taught me the art of combat, sword fighting, archery and horse riding. Even when my father would protest, I always went hunting with them and Wei ge-ge.

Chen Wei was my eldest cousin on my uncle's side. He was like an older brother to me and never left me alone. He was a soldier in the army but was here at home helping with the family business.

I didn't notice my step family was also there. Chen Ho Fu and Chen Liu Mei and their mother , Fa Ting.

They never liked me from the start, since all my father's attention was constantly on me. They have tried to get his attention multiple of times, but never succeeded.

My uncle and aunt, Chen Dingxiang and Liu Yuehai. They were the best, like second parents, they treated me like a second child. They would always take me with them (with my father's permission and my bodyguards following) and I would have fun with my ge-ge.

A servant entered the dining hall. " The Han family has arrived" she said, before bowing and opening the door.

In walked two people. I felt my father shift and heard his voice greeting our guests. " General Han, what a great honour to have you here today" he said, being his cheerful self.

"Its always a great honour being in the presence of one of the most well respected offcial" the man replied. His voice made out that he could be around his mid 30s or so. "I see you have brought your family. Please all, come in and take a seat" my father replied.

"Elders of Chen family, its a plesure to see you all doing well" a womans voice said. "Dear, you have grown so much. How have you been?" my grandmother asked the female voice.

"I have been doing well" she replies. I felt my fathers presence return to my side and the dinner began.

As everyone engaged in there own conversations, a certain conversation caught my ear.

"Old friend, may I asked" General Han asked. "Who is this elegant lady by your side?" he asked, guessing as he referred to me. " This is my daughter. My oldest child" he replied. "Well, its an honour to meet her, but why does she have a veil over her face?" he asked.

"My child, as you know is Wa Zhi Ruo, my previous wife's only child. With this and that she has an extremely sensitive eyesight, she mostly can not see people. So to prevent any more damage towards her eyes, she wears a veil over he face at all times" he lied smoothly.

The only reason I actually wear a veil is because of my 'rare' beauty and because of my eyes. He did not want people to see such 'goddess' like beauty.

To be honest, I see myself as an average beauty, but everyone claims I have beauty that can be compared to a goddess, just like my mothers beauty but more intense due to my eyes.

"Oh dear, will she be alright?" Lady Han asked.

"I will be well" I replied softly, while sipping on tea.

"Her voice is lovely" General Han said to my father. "She's my treasure and the last gift from Zhi Ruo" he replied softly, a hint of sorrow in his voice. I heard my step mother scoff lowly, not wanting anyone to hear her.

The dinner ended and we all walked to the living room.

I sat by my fathers side and kept quiet. "Well, is there any entertainment that could be...." I tuned down the general and looked outside. The sky was partly indigo, a very beautiful shade to say.

"Hien Lixue, would you like to do something?" my father asked, pulling me out the trance.

I cleared my voice and thought of a poem I once wrote:

Beauty that is portrayed in many ways

Material, jewellery and beauty of a person

But why can't people realise there is beauty everywhere?

In the forests, in water, in the sky and in the night

We search the whole world for beautiful things,

But why can we realise its in front of us rights now

The sky.... Indigo

A shade that symbolizes both peace and jealous

A beautiful sight indeed

I ended my poem and heard clapping. "Your daughter truly has a gift" General Han commented, his voice filled with astonishment and admiration. "She is indeed a gem" Lady Han said as well.

"She is of course my daughter after all" my dad said with a little pride in his voice causing my grandparents and my aunt, uncle, cousin and the Hans to laugh at his slight humour.

And to say the least I was glad my step family had not commented negatively towards my poem.