The promised!

It's been so hard for Si'niáng, keeping all those lies and secrets with her all this time. Though she had no idea how Duke Yan found it out, but

for her it was a blessing in disguised as for Xin'er, it would surely gives her a shocked and it will take time for her to accept and made some adjustment for herself. 

But what can I do? She thought bitterly. 

She remembered how exactly it started. The Late Grand Princess Chun'er saved her from slavery when she came to visit in the west with the former Crown Prince, not his Majesty but the one who abdicated the throne to him.

Back then, Princess Chun'er was just like her daughter, stubborn but kindhearted. They were forty women inside the cartwheel with chains and buckles in both of their hands and feet only God knows how those women fit into a small cart.

Si'niáng was one of those women, they were held as captives and later sold in the city as slaves.

Princess Chun'er happened to passed by and the first one she saw was Si'niáng. She looked into her eyes and later she came back with her brother and force the scoundrel to released all the captives. The man agreed except he did not let Si'niáng go that easily.

The man grinned showing his filthy teeth.

"You have to pay the price if you want to release her!"

"Name your price—I'm going to have her, even If I have to kill you!"

The man laughed wickedly.

"You were so naive,Princess!"

She was stunned, how did he knew about her when she disguised herself as a commoner.

"This life is never yours to begin with Grand—"

"Cut your nonsense and name your price!"

"I'm afraid you cannot afford to!"

The old man said with certainty. Out of her anger, she draw her sword and place it in the man's neck.

"Interesting—You are very interesting!"

He laughed so loud, Princess Chun'er realized that the weather suddenly changed and the sky darkened.

"Since you want to pay I might reconsider it!" 

He said running his hands in the sharpness of the steel. She saw his blood drips and fall but it turn into a smoke as soon as it touches the ground.

"Who are you?"

She dropped her sword out of shocked, there were both fear and determination in her eyes. There's no way I would just give up like that!

"I haven't seen anyone like you!"

He look into her eyes and there he saw a vision of her.

"Horrible things—many horrible things, will happened to your daughter. Her fate—"

He said shaking his head.

"Liar, I don't have a daughter!"

How could this man spout nonsense? What a quack! she thought angrily.

"I am not even mar—"

"Of course, but you will have one!"

She was starting to get an uneasy while talking to the old man but she did not took it seriously besides she doesn't believed that sort of things.

"I will be having sons not daughter!"

"Sure!"

He nods.

"Sure. .sure, you will have a son and a daughter, but when you have her. It's time for your lamp to run dry!"

She snorts. "Nonsense!"

He probably came somewhere far west. His accent was different from the people in the west plains. 

Princess Chun'er took a glance into the woman's eyes. She was dying, she thought bitterly and it made her heart broken. she slowly come near her and give her a water.

"Don't give me water, You will never knew what will happened to you!"

Princess Chun'er barely heard the warning she said to her.

"Don't worry, I'm going to released you!" 

"I'm a slave. Only my master can released me!"

Her eyes was closed but Princess Chun'er felt whatever pain the girl feel in that moment.

"You're dying!"

Princess Chun'er said in panicked. 

The woman smiled bitterly. "He won't allowed me to die!"

"Released her— please! I'm begging you!"

She immediately down in her knees and beg the old man to released his captive.

The old man suddenly felt something, it was as if his strength was slowly draining.

"You said you want her?"

He suddenly grab Princess Chun'er hand and cut a little flesh in her palm with his knife.

"Ouch! what the h—"

She tried to get her hand back when she felt the pain from her flesh being cut open but the old man grip was too strong.

He snatch something in his neck, it was a red heart shape that glows inside. She saw that there's a little cracked on it. 

"What are you doing? let me go if you don't want your head to roll down!"

Princess Chun'er yelled at him but it seems that he becomes deaf and more stronger. The more she struggle the more his grip get stronger.

Just a second of exposure, the glowing light almost became invisible. He drip princess chun'ers blood into it and mix it with the flesh like object inside of it.

As soon as her blood mix into it, the object suddenly produced a red flare that glows like a candle in the night.

"A life for a life!" 

He finally let go of her.

"What do you mean?" 

He laughed wickedly. The sky begun to get worst. The clap of thunder followed by lightning could be heard in the distance and the rain starts to pour in mid summer.

Princess Chun'er run into the girl and help her stands. She was so weak and could not bearly move. Chun'er saw a blood in her hand, it was similar to the wicked man had on his left palm while the other cut looks exactly like Chun'er had in her right.

"What is going on?"

Chun'er asked her, but before the girl could answer it, the old man come closer and grabbed Si'niáng's hand and cut her palm open.

Princess Chun'er felt the pain in her hand but there was no cut nor blood.

"If you bleed and die, she will also die. if something will happen to her, you will only feel the pain, she will bleed for you and die for you—

only your death can released the pact!"

"But you said, she will die if I die—"

"Clever! Only the pact will be release but not her. She is cursed. The slave will die along its master!"

"You!"

"That girl is a man of sacrifice. Her tiny life depends on the fate of her master. She lived and die, only for the one who owns her!"

His laughed mixed with thunder that send a chill down to her spine. She felt scared, it was like all her tiny hair raised up because of his dreadful laughed.

He throw the necklace into her. She catch it in her left hand while supporting Si'niáng in her right hand.

"Only pure blood can mend it— when the cracked gets big, it means your end is near!"

Chun'er could not believed there were such things like that. She read it in the books but it was only known as myths and legends, who would have thought it's true?

"Chun'er we have to go!"

His brother called her, one of the soldiers wrapped her with the cape as she was shivering and her dress was dripping from the rain.

"Capture him!"

She said pointing to the man.

"Who?"

The crown prince frowned.

"I had never seen anyone in here except, you and her!"

"Where is he?"

It was stranged how could he disappeared without getting noticed.

"Please take care of her!"

She commanded the soldier.

"I will bring her back with us!"

She shouted, so her brother could hear her voice over the rain.

"Take responsibility for her!"

The crown prince said and went on. He knew that It's useless to argue with her. She would get what she wants either way.

Then. . .

True to the sorcerer's words. Princess Chun'er got only one son, after that the object that was given to her by that man started to cracked little by little.

"This life is not yours to begin with!"

Princess Chun'er remembered what the sorcerer said to her. She already knew that she won't lived long. This is the price she had to pay, a price of life!

She had to released Si'niáng from the curse or else she's going to dragged her in the underworld.

"I already sent someone in the west to asked about it, we will break the curse!"

"Princess, I only lived and die to served you—"

"Nonsense!"

She said angrily.

"I didn't save you from that monster just to kill you. We don't have time, we have to do it. I want you to stay here with my children. We have to break the curse!"

Princess Chun'er learned that Si'niáng is actually from a tribe in far west. She was once belong to a royal family, but her kingdom fell from the hands of her own relatives. She was a royalty by blood, A princess!

"We have to do it tonight!"

Chun'er knew that convincing her husband won't be that easy, and she doesn't even know how to begin with. So tricking him would be the easiest solution. 

He would hate her for sure but it doesn't matter. life is always been precious! He will understand soon.

"What?"

Si'niáng eyes widened in surprised.

"Grand Princess, I can't do this—"

"I will meet Duke Yan in the night. You have to get ready!"

She said ignoring her protest.

Princess Chun'er loves her husband, no doubt about it. She even begged his Majesty to weed him to her and now she will going to commit this unforgivable sin because of her selfishness.

"Oh God, forgive me for what I'm going to do!" 

They executed everything as planned. Princess Chun'er went in Duke Yan's chamber later that night and arranged someone to bring Si'niáng secretly, She had to dragged her just to make her submit. She also put an aphrodisiac poison in Duke's drinks ahead of time.

The night was over. Except her and Si'niáng no one knew that dirty little secrets of her. Until Si'niáng got pregnant, she arranged someone to accompanied her and send her away to protect her and the baby.

When Princess Chun'er got Princess Ye'er thats the only time she summon Si'niáng back. The black sorcerer words come true, indeed. She knew, her time is up.

She was already in the brink of death and Ye'er, the little princess was in her side crying when Si'niáng was summoned by her.

"Do it!" 

"Grand Princess, I can't do this!"

Si'niáng said shaking her head, tears were almost blinded her eyes. She was holding her highness hands.

"I can't do this!"

"It's too late!"

She said in a very weak voiced but there was determination on it.

"How could you bear to leave her?"

Princess Chun'er said, her glance was with the little girl beside. Her eyes glowed with hopes when she see the little princess.

"You have to do it!"

She took the necklace and give it to her. "Do it!"

Si'niáng had no choice. She get a needle and puke Xin'er finger on it and drip her blood on the heart shape object that Princess Chun'er gave to her.

Its glow become almost invisible, almost gone. She did the same to the little princess, as soon as the needle touch her finger she cried so loud.

"Thank you, promised me! you have to take good care of Ye'er—take good care the two of them"

Princess Chun'er voice almost become a whisper, it was so low and lifeless. Her warmness was slowly fading while holding Si'niáng hands tightly.

She nodded between her sobs.

As soon as the object produced a red light that almost blinded her. Princess chun'er passed away.

Her hand already lessen its grip.

"Grand Princess—Grand Princess! Please wake up, I still didn't pay my debt to you. Please!"

Her screams echoed in the corner of the room before she passed out.

All their secrets has been buried together with the Grand Princess.

Now, both girls grew up without realizing their special bond and connection but as what fate has written, one of them is destined to die in order for the other to lived. 

Xièxiè beaux. . .