The Princess's Passion

After trying on what was supposed to be her twentieth dress. One of the pink color with delicate peaches on the hem and beautiful golden spirals, her face came out of an expression of complete expectations and twisted in a face when looking in the mirror of her room.

-Horrible - she spoke to some of the maidservants who were wearing more dresses and the pile seemed to grow with the most delicate silks and handmade designs.

One of them the oldest and already used to the princess's tantrum attacks, dared to make an affectionate comment.

- You look beautiful, my dear Dianxia. The most beautiful princess of all six states. - She said smiling and making her expression marks deepen.

The princess threw her a look capable of making all the cold outside simply retreat scared. It was time to say goodbye to the heat and welcome winter with open arms. Looking outside gave the princess even more anger, hated the fact that she was born on the longest night of the year. She could have been born at the time of the peach blossoms, or any hot day, but not on that day. It seemed like everything was conspiring against her. The general, her only true love, simply threw her into another man's arms and her father accepted. That is why she needed to be at least dazzling on her birthday, she did not want to impress her possible fiancé, in fact, she could not bear to hear anything about him, and the clothes were for the General and only for him.

-I look like a child - she spoke with her arms crossed and armed his usual beak, making her acid comment sound ironic to the servant's ears. - I should look like a woman, older and more attractive.

The maid frowned and smoothed her skirt with wrinkled hands.

-Your fiancé must have been a few years older than you. I doubt you will mind - The comment was not mean, nobody liked to hurt the princess' unstable feelings. It was just a fact, but that was enough for the princess to distort the words and to think that the General did not care about her. Like any spoiled princess, she only heard what she did not want.

She was a little surprised by the way, the gossip ran faster than the wind through the Palace, but her admiration went away when she heard the word "engaged". He was not and would not be her fiancé, her heart and soul already belonged to Qiang Mao and would not belong to anyone else.

She could give a smart answer to the older woman or simply send her away, but she chose to lift the thin skirts of her dress and run in footsteps listening to the screams of the house cleaner about how her reaction was childish and unworthy of Naran's future queen. She did not care a bit about the old maid's burps, she owned everything her feet touched, and with a command she could replace the maids by younger and less petulant.

She ran to her secret place, passed through long corridors then to the garden and beyond. The guards did not care to see her running like that, certain that soon they would get rid of her outbreaks and evil looks. In the last few weeks, Mei Yang was so irritated that she had sent some guards away, because they had dared to congratulate her on her supposed engagement. Mi Gu had only arrived when the young guards seemed too shocked to tell what had happened, with luck a servant told him and the tutor reprimanded Mei Yang and made her apologize with everyone she had offended.

She was frustrated; she was the princess and could not even have an opinion about her future.

Her bare feet knew the way so she did not get hurt on the stones when she stopped panting in front of an old peach tree. Her father often told her stories about her, because the tree only bloomed in winter and started to grow just when the princess was born. When the others were waiting for the time to open this one seemed destined to belittle the seasons with its rebellious attitude. Her long black branches were welcoming and Mei Yang loved to climb them when she was younger and Mi Gu pretended not to know where the princess was hiding, that's where she came when lessons and tasks made her little head throb. When she felt sad when the General did not return to the Palace or had not talked to her, when she simply needed to be alone. Sometimes Mi Gu would leave and pretend to look for her somewhere else. He knew that sometimes it was necessary to be alone, he said that the mind, in some moments, had to be in connection with nature, and even the princess being an airhead and spoiled, had her limits.

Mei Yang sat at the base of the tree, not bothering to knead her skirt and let out a long sigh. Sometimes she lost track of time when she stood there, enjoying the soft winter breeze that made her arm hair shiver and the strands of her black hair dance around her face.

She bowed her head and it was in those moments that it seemed her soul was finally at home, there with her tree. In addition, she ignored the whispers of the wind that carried the promise of a destiny different from what the poor and naive princess longed for.

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- It's beautiful, Dianxia - said Mi Gu for the second time while contemplating the young princess. Beautiful was blasphemy compared to how the princess was.

She smiled victorious.

Her dress too many might look dull by the choice of color, but if they looked carefully they would see the perfection and the well-done work of the tailors. Snowflakes lacy and painted by hand came down by the silk fabric of her hanfu*. The black, blue and dark purple of the clothes contrasted with their pale skin and their black hair was half attached to custom-made ornaments. Snowflakes, a moon and small, delicate stars were scattered through her hair. She was the embodiment of winter night, beautiful and mysterious.

Mei Yang opened the black fan with several stars, a gift from the General, which did not go unnoticed by Mi Gu, who when he saw raised his eyebrow and opened his mouth to probably persuade him that it was not a good idea to use something given by one man being already almost engaged to another.

The General had already saved her several times during her childhood. The princess of Naran, for some mysterious reason, seemed to live under constant attacks and this made the king grow old with more concern. The first time General Qiang Mao saved her, Mei Yang was eight years old and since that day, She had declared to her tree and to the wind that her heart would be nobody else's but the General.

- It's my day Mi Gu - speak coldly. - Please let me use whatever I want - he did not seem convinced so she used her tactic able to convince him. She lowered her eyes and her shoulders fell in complete defeat. - I will already be forced to marry someone. I can at least wear something I like before he decides what I will wear.

- You know, marriage is not torture.

She shrugging her shoulders is starting to get annoying. I could hear the sounds of flutes and drums. I just wanted to see her General and how he would react when he saw her.

- I am going to marry someone I do not love. So yes, it's torture," she says crying.

- It will make many people survive. An alliance between two strong states, you suggested it yourself.

She thought of several mean things to say, but that would not make Mi Gu let her go to his party right away. Forcing a smile, she blinks her long black eyelashes.

- Please, Mi Gu.

Mi Gu thought it was funny and pathetic the way Mei Yang tried to persuade him, but there was no point in protesting with that windhead, she always got what she wanted. Finally Mi gU crossed his arms with a sigh.

- You can use the fan - Mei Yang's smile was genuine and it was so sweet that it made Mi Gu lose his serious pose, just for seconds. - But, you will at least have to talk to Yan Feng, if only for a few seconds. He is the future groom chosen by the king - the princess's smile died instantly. Mi Gu wanted to laugh at her expression, however he was as serious as she was. - if you talk to Yan Feng I will give you a day off, chosen by me, from your lessons in politics.

Mei Yang's eyes lit up and Mi Gu had to admire the fact that she could be just a futile princess most of her time with nothing on her head, except flowers and enchanted princes, but when it came to negotiating, Mei Yang was exceptional!

Already defeated, she sighed throwing her hands up, not looking at all like a modest princess.

-All right. Two days off and I will try to have a friendly conversation with this boy. - She left walking large steps before Mi Gu noticed the addition of days that the princess who made her bargain.

Mei Yang was so fast that she left him behind. Smiling she entered the room, would not talk to Yan Feng, would avoid anyone but the General.

If she was not used to such ostentation she could be amazed at the decor as some nobles who came to her party were. Beautiful lamps were hanging from the vaulted ceiling, and many people in fine, colorful and beautiful clothes walked chatting with old friends around the room. The gold that adorned the doors and windows of the courtyard looked more splendid with the golden fabrics that came down from the ceiling to the floor with wide embroidered dragons.