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"Thank you for coming, Xie."

"I do as the emperor commands."

"Of course." said Emperor Senka

"Why have you called me here, Senka?"

"I want to arrange a marriage-"

"I told you Senka, our relations are still too close. You and I cannot be married. Furthermore, I am already married. I have no wish to enter your harem."

"I am not proposing to you, Xie."

"You mean Jia?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Why not?" asked Senka, "I am the emperor, you do as I command."

"And on any other occasion I would, save marriage. I will not let my daughter get married to a man she may not love. I had the greatest misfortune of marrying someone who never loved me. I will not subject my daughter to that."

"Xie. Calm down."

"Senka. You're proposing marriage in behalf of your son. He doesn't even know it, what makes you think he would even agree to it?"

"He is my son. He will agree to it."

"Senka. I don't want to force my daughter into a marriage she doesn't even want. Furthermore, she's only 9 years old, Jiro is 15."

"I don't want her to marry Jiro." said Senka contemplatively

"Who then?"

"Seien."

"You know what that means right?"

"Yes I do." replied Senka as he sank back down to his seat.


"Who are you?" asked Seien as he was walking around in the gardens

"Good morning Prince Seien." said the girl with silver hair and steel blue eyes in her light indigo robes

"I'm not familiar with you so I am assuming you came here with my aunt."

"I did."

"Jia! Come." called out Xie. When she saw that Seien was there, she walked towards the two of them and gave a bow towards Seien

"My Prince." said Xie

"Auntie." replied Prince Seien

"I see you have met my daughter."

"Well, you've changed." Prince Seien told Jia

"I know." said Jia with a smile

"Jia, we must go. Please excuse us Prince Seien."

"Of course, auntie."

"Good day Prince Seien." said Jia and made a bow towards Seien

"Good day, Lady Jia."


"Seien, come here." said Senka as Prince Seien walked past his father's office

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Please leave us." he told his advisers. They made their leave and closed the door on the father and son pair

"Take a seat Seien." he motioned for Seien to take a seat in front of the tea table by the window

"Is there anything I can do for you, your highness?" asked Seien once he was seated

"Seien, we're alone. It's alright to call me father."

"Father." he said with a small blush. The smallest form of intimacy and it was something he craved for.

"I have been thinking about your future Seien. I think it is time that we look for someone for you to marry." said Senka

"Father?! Why? I'm only 11 years old."

"Because I think it's necessary for you to do so. However, I will not force you to marry her until she becomes a woman and until then, she will just visit us here in Kiyou."

"Who is it, father?"

"Lady Jia Hyou." said Senka

"Oh."

"You're not surprised."

"That it was lady Jia? No. That I'm getting married? Yes."

"So do you understand what I am asking of you?"

"Yes, father." said Seien.

"You won't immediately get married. I assure you. I want you to... get to know Jia. To make sure that you have a mutual attraction to each other."

"What for father?"

"A loving wife is important, Seien. Now go back to your studies."

"Good day, father." said Seien, standing up and leaving his father's office.


"Good day, Lady Jia." said Seien, gesturing for her to sit down across from him at the table he was at.

"Good day, Prince Seien." said Jia with a smile. A minute of awkward silence passed over them while they avoided meeting each other eye to eye.

"Would you like some tea?" asked Jia

"Oh of course. Of course. Shall I?" asked Seien remembering his manners.

"No. Let me." said Jia

"So..."

"So..."

"This is really awkward. Isn't it?" asked Jia with a smile

"Yes. Yes it is."

"So tell me something."

"What?" asked Seien then taking a sip from his cup

"Are we really getting married?" asked Jia

"I believe that is the plan."

"And how do you feel about that?" asked Jia

"These are very personal questions."

"Isn't that what we're supposed to do?" asked Jia, "Be personal?"

"Sure. However, I don't really know what to tell you."

"Tell me what you're thinking about." said Jia

"You don't sound like you're 9 years old."

"I'm young but I think I have lived a thousand lives before this."

"Why is that so?"

"Well, I feel like I have thought up too many thoughts for a girl my age should." said Jia

"Thinking is good. It ensures that we are never idle."

"That is true." said Jia

"So what have you been thinking about?" asked Jia

"What makes you think I am thinking of something." said Seien

"Well you agreed with me didn't you? So it must mean that you're thinking of something." replied Jia

"Well I think that what father is doing is dangerous."

"What makes you say so?" asked Jia

"Well it means that he's putting more faith in me than in my older brother."

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't."

"That's so rude! Don't say that. Even if it is true." said Jia

"I apologize if I have offended you."

"Forgiven. Now tell me what did you mean?"

"I shouldn't tell you. We must get back." said Seien, standing up and ushering Jia inside the palace. They walked back in silence to where Emperor Senka was.

"Did you have a pleasant afternoon?" asked Senka

"Yes we did your highness." replied Jia

"That is good to hear, Jia."

"I wish to bid you farewell before I depart."

"Of course."

"Goodbye your highness. Goodbye Prince Seien." she said with a bow to each of them.

"Goodbye Lady Jia." replied Seien


"I can't believe it has been nearly two years since we've met." said Seien as he leaned over the banister of the floating gazebo.

"I hear you're fighting in the competition tomorrow." said Jia, she had grown taller and started to develop as a woman little by little. Even so, Seien was still a head taller than her and much stronger due to his practice.

"I am. What of it?" aske Seien

"Nothing, Seien. I just think that a show of your prowess will just sow more hatred from your brothers. Don't you?" asked Jia

"Jia. They will always hate me. I know that. I just think that if I will always think of that before doing something, then I will have nothing."

"I understand, believe me. I just think..."

"Look, it's a tournament. It's not combat. I won't get killed." he said, looking at her straight in the eye

"Seien." said Jia as she looked away towards the koi pond. It always made her feel uncomfortable every time he talked about dying.

"Hey. We were promised for each other, remember? I do. I will do everything I can to stay true to that promise." said Seien.

"Shut up." said Jia, shoving him aside as she blushed from what he had said.

Seiran woke up in a cold sweat, his heart pounding as the images in his head fought for every corner of his mind. He walked around his room and took his robes and went for a quick walk in the cold air.

"I let her down. I broke the promise." said Seiran to himself though he knew that what he did since his banishment was also for her protection.

"Who did you let down?" Seiran turned around and saw Lord Shoka standing by the door, making his way to him as Seiran just brushed the rocks near the pond with the soles of his boot.

"Master. I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't, Seiran. What troubles you?"

"I don't want to trouble you."

"It won't trouble me, that's why I asked."

"Well, it's not so much what troubles me but a path in life that could have gone differently." said Seiran

"Well, the past is something we can never go back to and we can never change. However, it can have a distinct mark on the present. What's worse is dwelling in the past for so long, you forget to live." said Lord Shoka


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