#002 Chapter I

"I was born in the year 718 AR (After Reset) to a large family with two sets of grandparents, two parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings.

The family was very large so arguments and disagreements weren't uncommon. Although the two sides of my family rarely interacted, my Father's side of the family was much smaller and more harmonious with my mother's family.

In the year 735, I discovered that even though I already knew my Mother's family was truly unreliable, with some were bullies while others where easily manipulated, and others acted as bystanders never ready to act in defense or offense, Betrayal after betrayal after betrayal of my Mother's family left my Mother with no choice but to cut ties from her family. By cutting ties, my Mother protected me and my siblings from blood shed, further trauma, and trying to preserve the delicate bonds of family that had been instilled into us.

Even though family was one of the most important things in our lives, we knew for a family to desire taking our blood and bones as the dirt beneath their steps is not the meaning of family and is best to depart from such a familial relationship.

With struggle my family of nine withstood the challenge of deposing the Matriarchal family. Now free from the Matriarchy's hold and the continued support from my Father's family, my family flourished but no one gets a thousand days of success.

The good days ended with the untimely demise of the remainder of my family members.

When I lost my family I was already in the end of my first year in college and had just gotten a job. Devastation shook my resolve and motivation until I was numb. Not long after I lost my job and I buried myself in watching Asmera continent dramas. Lost of my own emotions I filled myself with costume dramas. By accident I watched a move of a fish, a flower, and a dragon in which all my own emotions surfaced.

With my emotions pushed through I am determined to be happy and to do something to make my family proud in the afterlife.

It's the year 737, I'm 19 now, it's taken me some time but I have finally finished my conclusion to my Phoenix Daughters. The stories of my family were written by me and published giving me a career as author. The Phoenix Daughters is a series of books about a world I dreamed of recorded and arranged by me if I had many lives."

I read the article written in response to the interview and realize I must have babbled too much for the interviewer as they titled the article "Our Favorite Author is Her Own Favorite".

I turn my phone off thinking I've wasted a lot of time. I cross my room to my full length mirror with hand painted peach blossoms. The vase visible in the mirror needs fresh blossoms, I think of crossing to pick at them but instead I catch a glimpse of myself and begin to judge my appearance. I am of average height for a Canamemex Continent woman, five feet seven inches. I have light blonde and brown hair with light red streaks mixed in. My skin is of a neutral fair. I have bright brown eyes and messy thin eyebrows, my lips are almost pink.

All my features are seemingly carved into my round head. My nose however is odd not straight nor crooked but curved like a silhouette made from one of my eyelashes. My eyelashes are long and soft. I flutter my eyes as I analyze my soft chin.

"Vain," I mock myself having wasted a whole ten minutes in the mirror. I realize I'm running late and won't be able to see the moon over Sorel Lake if I don't run.

I hurry to my closet and peer over countless options of outfits. I find a favorite of my Autumn dresses with patterns of spring blue flowers and a bamboo like foliage, pair it with my newest winter leggings that hug a desirable length up half my torso almost reaching the top of my belly, a white leather coat that goes down to my knees, I choose platform heels of a matte white with brushed details of blue, I tug on a white and powder blue beanie with a poof on the top and grab my matching gloves. I grab my ice skates and my daily purse to go dance on the ice.

I reach Sorel Lake in time to see the last few minutes of visible moonlight and am surprised by how many people aren't on the ice tonight. It's bittersweet, I'm cold but heart is warm st this simple view. I put on my skates and see there is three other people on the ice two little girls and my friend Autumn. The ice is tested and marked for safety and I make note of the small areas of taped off areas.

"Autumn! My Dear!" I coo as I skate over to where Autumn is struggling to spin in tight circles. Autumn's spinning creases and I'm met with a fake glare, Autumn's happy eyes too obviously beaming showing no signs of actual anger.

"Bai Mei Yin!, How dare you break my great concentration?" Autumn questions me attempting to keep scowl. I circle her in a large, loose, and lazy circle. She follows my pace trying to hold her facade together.

"Not bad. I do dare to distract you, and you almost actually seem mad, but your eyes give you away," I say stopping before we go in for a hug.

"I knew you were gonna late," She chides with a smile. I say nothing but think 'Dash me to pieces about my punctuality' with a big smile. As though she hears my thoughts she sighs, "I won't dash you to pieces about your punctuality because we don't have the time," she's says as she leads me to middle of the lake.

"You think, I think, you were thinking, that I was thinking you were thinking of dashing me to pieces about my punctuality?" I ask amused as she looked puzzled at my words for a moment.

"No. I know that you know that I know that you were thinking that I can't know you were thinking that I was thinking of dashing you to pieces about your punctuality. I know you too well. Now come before we miss the time!" Autumn commands as we skate in a circle finding a perfect spot to see the moon brighten were we are.

Autumn found an old heirloom of her family that held rituals and ancient remedies. One such was a ritual that guarantees the life the next generation, it seemingly worked as every generation had done it and now the number of generations was long blurred in success of next generations. The ritual worked for her parents and as close friends Autumn thought it was only right if we did the ritual and that our families could one day be connected.

"I really hope this works as I'd like to have a child someday and I'd like to see your child drag my child around as you do to me," I confided to Autumn as she prepared. She smiles up at me and hands me a string of rose prayer beads and places a pearl between my lips.

"Hold it on your tongue but don't swallow it! And then we do what we've been practicing all these cold nights. This is for our futures and our hope for children!" Autumn excitedly explains and we begin a dance of moves that seem to be meant for literal gymnastics and well trained figure skaters. We do a dance and I feel as though my spirits are lifted if nothing else.

"I don't know if this works but I feel really good. I've been through a lot and this gives me neccessary hope," I say in thanks to Autumn.

"I feel like this ritual was mostly exercise, but it was really awesome and I feel like it's really gonna work,"Autumn beams and then she brightly smiles. "My ovaries feel very fertile to me right now," she says and laughs. She rubs her heart in a circle telling me she is giving thanks to her deceased ancestors. I copy her and hope that my family feels my thanks. Me and Autumn skate for a while before Autumn has to leave. I skate her to the bank but decide to keep skating after she leaves.

I'm skating in the middle of the lake again and back in the glow that seems to linger even though the moon is leaving as the hours begun to flow by. As I look around I realize the little girls have skated out near me and it seems they skate precariously close to the taped off areas of ice.

"You guys should be careful, avoid the taped areas, stay safe," I caution the young strangers. The nod at me and seem to listen.

I decide to soak up the last few rays of moonlight before I leave. Half way back to the bank I hear a loud crack and a splash. I panic as I realise the two girls have fallen into the frozen lake.

I rush over managing to pull the older girl from the water. I give her my coat and pull myself out of my dress before diving after the other little girl. I faintly remember grasping her small hand and pushing her up to safety and the feel of the first breath of freezing air but before I caught a second breathe of freezing air I lost conciousness.

I wake up in a panic and clutch my chest. I feel very confused and feel as though I've broken all the bones in my body and stitched them back together with splinters. My eyes flutter open and when I open my eyes I see a nearly curtained bed. Confused I look around. Inside the bed is three pillows, three quilts and I'm wearing a silk undergown.

I realize the curtains are a bright brocade fabric at the top a sheer chiffon on the bottom. I open the curtains and a young girls rushes to my side.

"Young miss, you're awake now? How do you feel?," the young girl asks.

"Where am I? Who are you?" I ask. The young girl looks confused and worried.

"Someone! Get the Imperial Physician!" The girl calls. She turns back to me and gives me a cup of water and another girl bring a basin and a cloth. "Here, drink water," she says and then she holds a small basin of water. "Here wash your face," she says holding the basin out to me. I splash my face hoping to wake up faster and understand what is happening. She hands me a dry cloth handkerchief after I've splashed my face with the fresh water.

"Where am I? Who are you? Who am I?" I asks again. The girls face grows worried but then she looks at me and she studies my body.

"As long as you alright, You are at home, I am your servant Xiao Qing, and you are the third young miss Bai Mei Yin. You have two biological older sisters, four brother's, and your parents adore you. You are engaged to the Crown Prince Jin Bei Zhen," Xiao Qing pauses and then continues, "the marriage was arranged when your Mum saved the Empress, who was still just Crown Princess, during hard labor. Your Mum was also pregnant and then the Crown Princess and Crown Prince promised if you were a son you'd be given a prince title and assigned their Prince's reading partner, and if you were a daughter you'd be their son's official wife," Xiao Qing tells as an imperial physician arrives.

"What happened to me?" I ask as Xiao Si makes way for the physician. The Imperial Physician bows.

"Greetings young highness, Imperial Physician Ying Wei reporting," the physician announces herself and then begins to take my pulse.

"Am I alright?" I asks the physician as my memory fails me completely. The physician peers up at me and then casts her magic. Something sprouts from my back and my forehead feels warm and Xiao Qing and the physician look satisfied.

"You magic senses are open, your wings are intact, your head is a bit damaged but it's nothing we can't fix, I've always known your thick skull could save your life," The physician explains. She studies me and then looks at Xiao Qing, they share a semi worried look and then they use a magic to pull out a shared memory.

In the memory three young girls are rummaging in a lush garden full of different plants and trees. "Older sister Ying Wei teaches us about medicine, sister Xiao Qing teaches us to make cakes, and I teach you both to play zither," A younger me says. The little girls giggle and agree, giving each other bracelets as promise. The memory ends and we are all still wearing three bracelets although mine has been weaved into one due to wear and tear of the material we used when we were little. I feel a tug in my heart as though a true physical bond exists between us three.

"I feel a definite bond but I don't remember who I am. I don't remember anything actually," I say sounding evidently disheartened and bewildered.

"It's alright, older sister Ying Wei can solve your ailment! my medical skill is weak but it's good enough to keep us alive," Xiao Qing reassures me.

"Who am I?" I ask emptily and try hard to recall anything. Trying to remember causes me to feel a splitting pain. The pain is too strong and sudden, I suddenly clutch my head and faint.