Hello everyone! How're you?
Here's the next chapter with the incidents in China. A lot of thanks to all the people who have reviewed and favorited it. You're great :D
So...shall I continue? :P
"Nia or changee bu shi yinwei tamen yo ule daan, ershi yinwei tamen yo u ge yao chang. It means: A bird does not sing because it has an answer. A bird sings because it has a song."
Memorizing the quotation, the redhead kept gazing at the ebony-colored book on which numerous circles were painted in white and gray. Before it, she'd tried a lot to unbolt the hidden mystery of the painting on her book cover but failed again and again. As a result, she'd had to give up. The pages inside the codex were dense and slightly yellowish. On them, hundreds of lines were imprisoned in coal ink, representing the freedom and the uniqueness of wisdom. She loved those pages. Though their surfaces were rough, they seemed soft to her…..just like butter-applied loaves of bread. Sometimes, stroking the sheets with her lotus-petal fingers, she attempted to savor the flavor of knowledge just like a merry butterfly tasting the honey inside the flowers with its string-like legs. When those pieces of papers received her touch, they mellowed a bit.
A smile rose all over her serene face. She loved to study and gain knowledge since her childhood. She ardently wanted to be a woman of letters. Sometimes, she couldn't understand why some provinces and countries still forbade the womenfolk to study.
Why have all the good things of the world been created only for men when we women need them the most? Just like…education. What does a man do being educated? He earns for his family and provides his parents, wife, children and other family members with money and wealth, doesn't he? No no, I'm not belittling his efforts and contributions. In fact, a man works hard….just for keeping his dear ones happy and satisfied.
But it doesn't mean that women should be deprived of knowledge and education. A woman also has to labor. She cooks in the kitchen, washes dishes and cloths, keeps the house clean, raises her children and takes care of other family members. Shouldn't these tasks need knowledge? Yes, of course they should. I mean…if a woman knows science, she can cook better. The temperature, mixture….everything. Besides, she is the one who has to nurture the children….I mean, the members of the next generation. So, she's their teacher, isn't she? If she's not educated, how'll the next generation be educated? Moreover, it is believed that men are physically strong since their birth. Again, the society applies oil on the oily heads. Martial arts and the skills of fighting should be taught to women too. If they're trained in martial arts, they can protect themselves from those who are lewd and try to…
Uh oh, those thoughts again. Salima, you really need to rest for a while, don't you? Let's check what brother Gordo is doing now! Yay!
Letting out a short evil chuckle, the girl stood up from her chair. Leaving the book open on the table, she routed inventively. The fringe of her aqua-colored gown flew, the gusts of wind entering through the open windows made her hair blow. Three or four pages of the open codex flapped rhythmically. The rest of the things were quiet, as usual.
The chili-haired prince continued uplifting the earthen dumbbells recurrently. His biceps shrank a bit, almost wrenching. The veins became visible under the skin of his neck. Droplets of sweat trickled down from his back, forehead and cheeks. For the perspiration, his reddish orange bangs clang to his temple. His tightened jaw and scrunched eyebrows demonstrated how hard he was working. His heartbeats increased rapidly as the speed of the blood-flow in his blood vessels was yearning to touch the milestone of the pace of sound.
He dumped those heavy stuffs on the floor, panting heavily. Right at that time, someone standing behind him wrapped his torso with her arms.
Astonished, the prince looked back. Discovering the blameless face of his loving wife, his expression softened a bit as his heartbeats cooled down.
"Biyu!" He exclaimed, not exposing the calmness of his heart, "What're you doing here?"
"What can a wife do for her husband, prince Gordo?" She stared at him with her puppy-dog eyes, "She can do everything. But you can do nothing for your wife, can you?"
"It's not the thing, my princess," Gordo cupped her face, "I can do everything for you."
"Huh, I know your abilities far well," Biyu rolled her eyes, "Well, how much weight do you lift on a single day?"
"Umm…two rocks…."
"Two rocks?" She raised an eyebrow, "Even I also weigh the same! Why don't you lift me instead of these dumbbells?"
Out of nowhere, a sudden eruption of laughter spread all over the exercise room, ruining the romantic atmosphere completely. Gasping, the couple looked here and there. When they found out the source of the laughter, it was too late. The redhead had already escaped from the room.
"Look, what you have done!" Gordo seemed displeased, "Now what will Salima think about us?"
"I? You think I've done it?" Biyu clenched her teeth, keeping her palms on her waist, "After all, whose lovely sister is she? Who has spoiled her by giving her affection? Now, I'm going to teach her a lesson and nobody will protest! Got it?"
Not letting her husband speak anything, she dashed off, like a hungry bear finding out a honey-filled beehive. Staring at her trails, the prince sighed.
It was the battle of women. What could he do?
"Hahaha…..lift me up…"
The carefree redhead couldn't stop giggling, while rolling and tumbling on the grass-covered ground under the wooden awning.
"Really, princess Salima?" One of the girls seemed amused and excited, "Did princess Biyu really utter those words?"
"Yes…..oh my….." Salima stood up, somehow controlling her laughter, "You should've seen the face of brother Gordo. His cheeks were as red as tomatoes."
"Salima! Where're you?" A pissed off womanly voice could be heard.
"Shit!" The princess bit her tongue, "Sister-in-law has reached us. Let's hide somewhere!"
"Okay," The girls gathered in the garden nodded. Together, they ran towards some bushes at a corner.
Almost huffing and puffing, the fat woman stopped under a mango tree. Breathing heavily, she pronounced, "Oh….God knows where the girl has gone!"
Screening behind the scrubs, Salima was trying her best not to burst out laughing. Amusement was brimming in her gorgeous onyx pools.
"This girl will torture me to my death!" Biyu blurted, "Oh my holy lord…..please split the ground into two equal halves and let me enter there…..or let the sky fall upon my head…."
The redhead looked back. There was a stone-made table on which several bows and arrows were kept. A naughty plan was hit upon by her. Quickly reaching the stand, she grabbed a bow with a dart. Adjusting them against each other perfectly, the scarlet-haired princess targeted at a branch of that mango tree and shot the arrow. As the projectile speared the twig containing two mangoes, it fell on the head of the royal bride.
"Ouch!" She leaped, "No no God….I didn't mean that literally….."
Now, the princess couldn't hold her amusement. Once again, she burst out laughter. Hearing her, Biyu could easily track her position. Rolling her eyes at the bushes, she called, "Salima!"
The redhead gasped. Realizing that there would be no profit by hiding anymore, she came out, bending her head down like a red-hand caught thief.
"So….princess Salima," Biyu crossed her arms on her chest, "What were you doing exactly?"
"Come on, my sweetie," Salima pinched her cheeks, "I was just doing what I love to do."
"Yeah yeah, do whatever…" Her sister-in-law winked, "In the next year, you won't be here to make fun of me. I'll send you to your husband's house, sooner or later!"
"But I won't marry ever!"
She boldly let out her announcement, standing among her four brothers, mother and sister-in-laws. It was the fifth time since the question had been asked to her.
"But Salima…" Shaina remonstrated, "Every girl has to marry in her life. In short, they've to get married."
'What's the difference between marrying and getting married by the way?' The redhead pondered.
"Besides, you are almost 19," Gordo explained, "In our country, almost all the girls above 16 are married."
"I'm not like the other girls of China, brother Gordo," She grouched, "Remember, I'm the princess of this kingdom. I get all the rights and privileges what the other girls and women of this state cannot get easily. So, it is my decision when, where and whom I'll marry. Nobody can decide these things for me."
"Not me too, my child?"
Hearing the bold manlike tone, all the people in the room turned behind. There stood Zagart, both the mighty emperor of China and the loving father of princess Salima.
"It is every father's dream to marry his daughters off," The father continued, "No, not for getting rid of them, Sal. An ideal father wants the happiness of his daughter at any cost. In her life, he wants such a man who can care for her, love her and support her. My child, I won't be alive forever. After my demise, someone has to take my place. Won't you let me choose the perfect one for you?"
Salima shivered a bit. Her chin wobbled, the gleeful mien from her face vanished into the blue. Her eyes started glinting with tears.
This is the truth of human life. Therefore, the truth cannot easily be accepted always.
"My princess, I know you're feeling bad," Zagart squeezed her shoulders, "But you're mature and knowledgeable enough. You also know what the realities of our life are. Salima, my girl, won't you fulfill this tiny wish of your father?"
"Sure, father," Somehow she nodded, smiling a bit, "But I've a condition too."
"Condition?" The emperor frowned, soon backing his normal exposure, "What's it?"
"You've to arrange a groom-choosing ceremony for me," She demanded, "In it, everyone has to attend a sword duel against brother Gordo. The guy who will defeat him will be my groom."
"What?" The shonen-haired guy seemed to fall from the sky, "This is….impossible!"
"What's impossible, my brother?" Salima narrowed her eyes, "Father, you wanted a perfect man for me, didn't you? The whole world knows brother Gordo as the best sword-man of all time. If someone gets to overthrow him, it means he'll be stronger than brother Gordo. I want such a warrior for me as my life partner."
"Okay, my dear," Zagart patted her head, "As your wish."
"Thank you so much, father!" Salima almost glomped on her father, "I knew you'd listen to me."
Tittering like a pleased child, she hurriedly left the room as everybody sighed. The turquoise-haired prince exclaimed in joy once, "Yay! Salima has agreed!"
"Shut up, Zeo," Gordo put a finger on his lips, "From where on the earth will we find a suitable groom for her? None can defeat me in a sword duel, you all know it well. Then?"
"Then you've to lose it purposely." The yellow-head offered a solution.
"You've gone crazy, Jim," Goki facepalmed, "That's why Salima always keeps hitting you."
"Don't worry, my boys," The king tried to pacify his sons, "I know such a guy who can defeat Gordo."
"Who?" Everybody queried in unison.
"Kane Yamashita, the prince of Hong Kong." He replied with a crude and confident smile all over his face.
"Look what I have got!"
The blunette yelled cheerfully, unfolding the royal letter. Almost everyone in the learning center mustered around him in order to have a glimpse of it.
"What's it, prince Kane?" One of the students curiously asked.
"Hehehe…..it's the invitation of emperor Zagart," He proudly answered, "He has invited me in the groom-choosing ceremony of her daughter, princess Salima. Not everyone in this world gets it."
"Congratulations, prince Kane!" Another pupil clapped, "Really, you're very lucky."
"Eeh?" He cocked an eyebrow, "Actually, princess Salima is luckier than I. Let it be, at least someone has got to know that princes are particular, not like the son of a farmer!"
The raven-haired neko-jin rolled his eyes a bit. Nonetheless, he remained quiet.
"You are not going anywhere, prince Kane!"
The blunette's eyes became widened. He felt as if a bolt of lightning struck his head just then. Gulping, he faced his teacher, the one and only, Master Tao.
"Why….Master?" He asked, "Emperor Zagart himself has sent this letter to me."
"Don't forget that you're a prince only in your kingdom, Kane," Tao approached him, "Here, you're an ordinary student….just like Ray and others."
Kane gritted his fangs. It was his least desired thing to be compared with Ray.
"But…emperor Zagart will feel humiliated!" He tried to show a logic.
Tao kept his eyes closed for a few moments. Flames were rising beneath his veins, ending up boiling his blood. That name….
"I must have taught you that the teacher is greater than the king," Finally, he opened his eyes, "You're my student now. You haven't completed your education yet. At this moment, to you and your comrades, nothing is more important than the orders of your mentor. Got it?"
Almost snatching the royal letter from the hands of the dumbfounded prince, the teacher ripped it into pieces. Tossing them in the air, he left the place. Everyone looked at those torn parts, falling on the ground and getting mixed with the sands.
Again, it was the turn of the blue-haired prince to get reddened in anger, embarrassment and frustration. Kicking at the ground once, he left the place too.
Only the raven-haired Chinese smirked a bit, guessing the actual motive of his mentor.
This is gonna be a real game….
China's P.O.V:
It was too late. The worst son of me, most likely a burden of my womb, sold my Driger to the evilest person of the world, Boris Balkov. He couldn't be blamed solely, that backstabbing bastard made him drink a lot on that day. In his drunken state, he almost traded me but thankfully, the cruelest Boris Balkov seemed to have some mercy.
Or…was it just the first step of his plans?
Be it or not, the ideal sons of me got the hint. That night, it was raining cats and dogs. The soil of the learning center was melting gradually. Perhaps, it got to know what had happened to me. Thunderbolt struck one of the trees in the holy territory of knowledge as its principal woke up from his slumber. He could understand it too.
Seeing his anxious eyes, I wanted to burst into tears. I wanted to scream, "My son, don't worry at all! Soon, this bad time will be gone!"
His ideal student understood it too. Leaving his bed, he stood beside his mentor, seeing the sky lamenting and showering her tears on the earth.
Why was God punishing my worthy children in these ways? Why was He testing me by the way? What had I done? What had Driger done?
Driger….the shining white tiger of the west….my trustworthy guard…..wasn't there to protect me. I was alone, stranded, vulnerable just like an unlocked bar of gold…..for whom thieves and robbers were craving…..just like an openly-kept fruit in a local market….with flies surrounding me….
Oh...poor China T_T
So...what will happen to China? Will she be rescued? Or not? In order to know, stay tuned and keep your eyes at "Kingdom".
Do read and review. Pardon the grammatical and the spelling errors. Take care :D
-Misty ^_^
P.S: May you help me fulfill my second double century? Please? *Makes puppy-dog eyes*