The war finally ended. I was so relieved to see Father walk through the front gate after so many months of wondering. It had been a joyous reunion. Mother cried out of joy to see her husband alive.

And then the news. The look on Father's face will forever be etched in my mind when he told us. They wanted Father to be emperor, to take China into the next era. And Father accepted it. He would be the next emperor of China.

We didn't take much, just family heirlooms and prized possessions. Our farm was left for our neighbors. And so we made our way to the Imperial City.

I have been in this palace for two years. The awe that I felt upon first seeing the palace has now faded, and I feel an utter disgust for this life. My rooms are breath-taking, filled with rare luxuries and exquisite furniture. My kimonos are made of the finest silk, and are embroidered intricately. My fans are beautifully painted. But I have become nothing more than a doll, lovely to look at, but without a mind. I am not allowed to do anything that might be considered physical besides walking. I asked Father to be taught how to read. He replied that it was not in the place of the emperor's daughter to read. That she shouldn't trouble her mind with reading.

And so I sit, day after day, longing for the life I once had. Maybe it is silly for me, the emperor's daughter, to long for the work of the rice fields and the tear of old clothes. But most of all, I longed to have my father back.

He changed. It started out slowly. He would ask my mother and me to leave directly after we took meals together. Then he started taking meals alone, still seeing us throughout the day. The visits became fewer and fewer as time went on, until we saw nothing of him.

I recall the one day that I sought him out. I found him sitting on a bench in one of the gardens. I sat beside him and asked in an undertone, "Father, why do you not see us anymore? We are your family."

I still remember the chill that settled in my bones when he laughed. "Foolish child. I am the emperor of China. I have no need of family. Go back to your rooms."

I ran into the palace, tears blinding me. My hands clenched in my blue dragon embroidered kimono, and my feet pounded on the rich floors. In my rooms I cried for my father's corruption. The power of being emperor twisted his mind, and he was no longer the man I once knew. Soon after that incident, strange women started appearing the palace.

I can't help but blame the people who asked my father to be emperor. They ruined my life.