The past should be buried (III)

A chair is bring into the hall. Banou is request to sit down and remove her shoes. She hesitate to sit on the chair but she knows that she have to sit down there is no way around it. She finally sit down and slowly she remove her shoes and socks. She did not want to revel her heels after awhile she did. There is a crescent moon on her heel. 

"You majesty, please have a look! There is a crescent moon! According to the Sultan, she is the only daughter with the crescent moon branded on her heels. Banou remember when she was younger she asked her nanny why there is a moon on her heels. She was told that only princess with special birthdays are born with a crescent moon. Banou used to believe that. Now she knows it is done by the Sultan to recognises his children. 

"Show us the painting, Envoy De Ri." 

His servant hurry to move in front of his master with another servant they unroll the portrait. It was a painting of Banou. She is sitting down with her usual garment.

"Your majesty, according the the Sultan, the original was painted when the Princess was twelve years old. The original painting is hang in the office of the Sultan . It brings peace for him to look at her."

This is the first time Banou hear of this. She never feel like her father have treasure her in any way. She is always the rejected member of the royal family. 

Meanwhile the rest of the ministers request to move closer to look at the painting. They move hurry to stare closely at the portrait. 

"Oh my heavens! How did the painter managed to paint in these brilliant colors?!"

"Not only that, the painter have drawn it as if live like!"

Some of them turn around to compare the girl on the painting to Banou. 

"Indeed, they are the same person!" 

"We should have this painting done!" 

"Look at the back ground, the details. Strangely it's not flat like our style of painting." 

"Amazing... "

"The royal painter should be painting this style! To capture the alikeness of a person. There won't be a mistaken identity!"

The envoy Demir is delighted to see the painting is admired by so many Chinese men. He look over to Banou who is siting on the chair in a daze. He see the sadness in her eyes. Demir feel that he should explain to her that it was a mistake that cause her misery and now he is taking her back to where she should belong. Princess Banou is consider a pride of the Sultan. She shouldn't be treated like a slave in another country. She is a hidden gem that the Sultan love. After this, Demir wants to talk to her in private to express the feelings of the Sultan. For now, he must convince the Emperor of the Great Tang to allow him to take her home. 

The Emperor request the ministers to move back to where they supposed to be standing. Once they are back in place, the emperor look at Banou. 

"Lady Ban Nu, do you have anything to say?"

"Your majesty, i am now a subject of the Great Tang. My family is here in the capital. Therefore i request not to deport me back."

Banou look at him pleading with mercy. The emperor takes a deep breath and look at his son. He sees the worry look in his eyes. While The envoy is all full of hope to bring the princess home. 

"I do agree with you that you are now a subject of my Great Tang. Also your family is here."

"Your majesty, if i may remind you that Princess Banou belongs to the Ottoman Empire! She is one of the youngest daughter of the Sultan. She..."

"I admit i am Princess Banou however i now have my own family here in Great Tang. I cannot leave here."

"What do you mean? Your family is back in Ottoman, Princess Banou."

""It is true. She have a family here. I am her family. We have a son together."

"Is it true? Are you married?"

"She is not married to my son. They happen to have a son together."

"According to Arabic law, a woman must be married in the eyes of god to stay with her husband. She.."

"She is my woman the moment i bought her. I will marry her in the future..."

"This is preposterous! Even if the law allows, how ..."

"Envoy De Ri, Please remember that you are in the Great Tang. Our law is different from your's but we will do everything we can to help settle this issue." 

The envoy and the ministers starts to argue. Mehmet is just standing there speechless. He realised that he and his daughter might have offended both the Ottoman Empire and the great Tang. He is feeling fear in his heart, he shouldn't allow his daughter to run amok and look for trouble with Banou. He look at the Envoy Demir and hope that he will not mention to the Sultan about his family in Great Tang what they had done to Princess Banou. 

Banou stands there watching the ministers and Demir argue in court in front of the emperor. She is worry how the emperor will decided to do. 

"Don't worry Ban Nu, I won't allow them to take you away."

She look up to Li Jun and see the Consort is standing near her too. 

"Silence!" Yell the eunuch. 

"This issue is not a day or two to resolve. We will discuss this further tomorrow. Now the next problem we have on hand. Ma Meh, why did your daughter choose to pick up a fight with Lady Ban Nu in the streets. I heard that this is not the first time."

All eyes are on Mehmet. He look nervously and bow. 

"Your majesty, i think this is all a mistake from my daughter. She is just immature. She doesn't know how to behave with fellow Persian. I ..."

"She have her coming of age ceremony a few years back. How can she still be immature? If so, she needs strict discipline from you."

"Yes yes, Prince Jun. I will personally discipline her. I ..."

"However i don't see any improvement in her character. She is still that conceited that she goes around to boost about her family, her father's power in court." 

Mehmet begin to sweat. He feel the heat pressuring on him. He cannot allow all those years of building up connection to be destroy. 

"Please forgive my daughter. I will discipline her severely. Not allowing her to run amok like this again. "

"My family will forgive her if she kneel in front of the prince mansion. She will ask for forgiveness from Ban Nu. She will not get up till the sun sets. Do you agree?"

Mehmet feels that there is no way around this. After all they are the one who is causing the trouble. He nod his head and bow again. 

Suddenly the envoy rush up to Banou. "Princess Banou, you have a son???"

"Yes we have a son. What is wrong Envoy De Ri?"

"That that that... your highness, that son of your's could be the crown prince of Ottoman empire! He must be protected at all cost!"

Suddenly the hall becomes so noisy and everyone is talking and getting excited. While Banou feels like the room is starting to spin. She close her eyes and falls. Li Jun catch her in time and yell for the royal physician.