Building relations

Jiu didn't know how to react. If yesterday's incident was made known to her parents, naturally the news will travel all the corners of the palace and from there to the market to the entire Malani. How will she show her face in public?

"Your Highness, His Majesty the king and Her Majesty the queen are discussing the matter with His Majesty(Han Jinan)."

"Your Highness, are you unhappy?"

Unhappy? Is that a matter to be happy about or is there really a matter to be happy about? Maybe he didn't disclose yesterday night's matter. Maybe something good truly happened.

"Hani, don't confuse me. How will I be unhappy before I even know. Tell me everything in details"

"Forgive me, Your Highness, today early in the morning, His Majesty(King) and His Majesty(Han Jinan) came to discuss yesterday's assasination attempt. The guards around the palace have increased. And the shadow guards were asked to guard the palace walls from outside secretly. Since it's a political and confidential matter, nothing much was disclosed-"

"Phoo! Your really scared me", she sighed in relief.

"Wait Your Highness, the discussion didn't end there. The matter regarding the other neighbouring and other states within the subcontinent are becoming more dangerous. Any moment war could strike and civilians will be the worst sufferers. Hence they reached a point of negotiation", "His Majesty(Han Jinan) suggested the best terms of cooperation. By building relations. He suggested to marry you. He will ensure the wars not involving us will not affect Malani, while providing easy and direct trade routes and exchange of weapons and other goods."

"What??!"

"Yes Your Highness, however, His Majesty(King) and Her Majesty(Queen) were hesitating to accept but we can't afford to offend the Great Emperor Jinan. But it seems they have agreed after hearing the real reason. Princess, it seems he saw you when we went to Sitara lake. The queen was intially not willing but he admitted his feelings for you and ensured that despite this being a political marriage, he wants to marry you only because he has fallen for you."

The news was such a shock to her. Did he admit his feelings for her? She thought he just had a crush on her and would forget after he goes back or the worse, he was not even serious. Oh God, everything seems to have happened so suddenly that she was finding it hard to come back to reality. Oh and did he mention seeing her beside the Sitara lake while she was having a picnic? This man says he wants this and gets it the second he names it. But thinking that all of this is a political marriage makes her upset. Initially, she wanted to marry a man who can keep her happy not a man who will shower jewels on her. Even more, the thought of leaving her parents and her brothers makes her upset. This palace where she was born and raised up, how could she easily forget it all?

"Your Highness, First prince is here to visit you"

"Alright, Yuhi lead him to the guest hall"

"Yes Your highness", said one of the two chief maids other than Hani, who was asked.

She stood up and fixed herself. Rubbing her face from the tears she cried just now.

"Big brother", beaming with smiles she welcomed him.

"Jiu, have a sit", she took her place in one of the two head chairs on the right, opposite to the First Prince seperated by a table The hall was decorated with paintings, vases with unique designed birds filled with flowers. Each type of flower was put in one of the vases. Thesw flowers were grown in the royal garden, carefully tended by the Queen herself. The decorations over the walls and pillars with the color and the curtains fitted her status as a princess. The hall was a show of how much the King and Queen loved their daughter.

Among the two princes, The First Prince was always in his study, reading some reports, or handling some government affairs, or reading books. While the Second Prince was always in the training field, training with the soldiers. Both of them loved this younger sister very dearly. Her first brother was always dealing with those cunning ministers, hence he understand people's emotions and thoughts well including hers. Her second brother was a bit more easygoing even if he was a man of the battlefield. He made people around him relax and lifted her mood whenever she was feeling down. If people were to ask which brother she loved more, it was impossible to answer as gold cannot be compared with gold, both of them were important to her.

He seems to be in deep thought, "Brother, what brings you here to see this sister?"

"Jiu, you must have heard the discussions that Royal Father had with Emperor Jinan.", he said with a tone no one could understand his emotions.

"Yes I came to know through my maid, Hani", she thought back to what Hani told her. Why was brother suddenly discussing that? Is there a problem?

"Jiu, I am asking you. Do you wish to leave with Emperor Jinan and become his consort?"