I've always hated the spring.

It reminded me of the scent of death.

I looked up at the grey skies and watched the snow fall. It was nearing the end of winter and all trees and landscapes were covered in white, however, in the middle of our garden stood a large sakura tree in full bloom. I hated the sight of how proud it was, showing its pink petals and brown branches against the greys and whites.

"Have you been throwing snowballs at the sakura tree again, my child?" the voice of my father made me jerk and drop the perfectly formed snowball in my hand. I looked down, unaware that I was showing him a disappointed and annoyed face. My father laughed and patted the snow off my head and placed a coat over me. He must have noticed I was freezing, as my lips might have been turning blue.

"My child, this tree is a treasure to the Kai palace, it's a gift from a goddess."

"It looks so proud, father. It blooms despite the winter colds, it makes the other plants and trees look very weak just because it was a gift from an astral." I pouted.

My father looked high up the tree before looking back at me. "Someday, you'll realize how important this tree is, my child. This is the Kai empire's connection to the heavens, so I want you to cherish it as much as your mother and I treasure this."

"Mother... liked this tree?"

He nodded and told me that I should go inside and change into something warmer. As I approached the palace doors, I looked back at the tree. Even if father's words were meant to teach me the importance of the tree to our family, I still hated it. It was... out of place.

When the servants finished fixing my robes for me, I hurried into my mother's chambers. There she sat on the bed, looking at the falling snow before greeting me and asked me to sit beside her, removing the pillows and straightening the linens for me to sit on.

"I heard you were playing outside by yourself, Rin-ha." she smiled. Her smile was the warmest smile I've ever seen my whole life, it was frail and weak but her radiance would always embrace me. "That tree, it provides protection to your father's kingdom. I know you hate it, but forgive your father, my dear. It's very precious to him." She made me feel guilty that every time I went face to face to the sakura tree, I threw stones, snow and whatever I had my hands on. When I practiced my archery, I always used its enormous trunk as target and the servants would not want to stop me from shooting arrows at it.

"I know, mother." I sighed, watching her struggle to reach the comb on her desk. "Mother, I'll get it for you." I started to stand up to help her but I felt her hand tug my robe. "Rin-ha, let me get it myself. Please." her smiles turned into tears. For the past year, mother had been succumbing into her illness and she grew very weak. I may be a child but I know that my mother is dying and that the palace monks, scholars and physicians can't come up with any medicine to make her feel better. I tried hiding my sorrow for her but whenever I see her growing weaker and weaker every day, it pains me. She wanted to look strong, but her facade breaks every time she tries.

"Rin-ha." she said, finally clearing her eyes. "Do you want to see the Astral Palace?"

I nodded in hesitation but I felt butterflies in my stomach, unsure of what would the astrals look like.

"On the last day of winter, we'll attend the banquet at the Astral Palace where the gods and goddesses will welcome the coming of Spring. I want you to find the best robes and dress you have and wear them to the banquet. Okay?"

"I will, mother."

"Well then, come here and I'll fix your hair for you."

Little did I know, that visit would eventually change the course of my life.

Winter days flew fast and I found myself preparing for the banquet at the astral realm. I wore a red kimono and a purple robe while the servants tied my obi for me. I stared blankly towards the mirror that showed my reflection, a princess, with all the jewelry and robes that I could ever wish for, but why do I feel empty? As usual, I rushed to my mother as soon as I finished dressing up for her to fix my hair for me. I opened the large mahogany door and saw my mother in all of her beauty for the first time since she had been ill. She wore a kimono adorned with intricate gold design and chrysanthemums and a white hagoromo that shined against the palace lights.

She was indeed the fairest and most beautiful of Kai kingdom.

"Ah, there you are Rin-ha. Come here." she looked at me and rolled her sleeves to do my hair for me. But as I waited in front of her, expecting her to immediately comb my her, I found myself watching her reach for a small box from her jewelry closet.

She handed me a small wooden box carved with roses on the lid. I took a deep breath and opened the box. To my surprise and delight, inside was a pair of dragonfly hair ornaments with rubies for its eyes and jades for its wings. "This is called an Odonate." my mother stated while watching my eyes glitter at the sight of two beautiful pieces.

"A dragonfly?"

My mother laughed and held one of the two hairpins in her hands. "This one is a dragonfly."

"Isn't the other one a dragonfly too?"

"This one is an damselfly."

I squinted at the two hairpins. Indeed, the two were different. One possessing wings raised and the other in level to its body. "In the astral realm, these are given as heirlooms to daughters on the day of their marriage. But, waiting for you marriage is far too long so I want you to have this on your debut at the Astral Palace."

There she goes again, saying odd things. It upsets me so much that I finally decided to speak.

"Mother, I know about your illness. Are you going to leave me soon?" I asked. The child me had never hesitated asking such serious questions, but I was glad I did. She placed her hand on mine and stroked my brown hair with melancholy painted on your face. "I pray that I live to see the day you marry, my sweet daughter. It is true that I am ill and growing weaker. I can see the end of life for me but please do not weep. Your father loves you, Rin-ha. I pray so hard to the gods that they give you a longer life than mine."

Without knowing it, tears started flowing from my eyes. I embraced my mother so hard that my little hands clenched tight on her kimono. "Rin-ha don't cry. I don't want you having puffy red eyes in the banquet." she smiled. It amazes me how my mother conceals her true despair and I wish I am able to ease the difficulties that she goes through. When I finally stopped sobbing, she started to fixed my hair and placed the ornaments. Her fingers gently pushing the pins and clips, flowers and ribbons until my hair was as beautiful as those possessed by the ones I see in books and paintings.

"The damselfly will always be the bride's. They are smaller than the dragonfly but the wings are always raised even at rest. This symbolizes hope and dreams to be accepted into a new family but I prefer that you wear the dragonfly pin instead." My mother returned the damselfly in the wooden box and proceeded to place the larger hairpin on my head. "The dragonfly should be given to the husband. The wings are at level to its body and it symbolizes the foundation and perfect level of mind and strength."

"Thank you for this gift mother. I will treasure it."

"Remember this Rin-ha, an astral's pride when it comes to physical appearance is their hair. A black hair symbolizes purity and should always be kept tidy and beautiful, that is why astrals will always keep a beautifully-adorned hair to show their status as gods and goddesses." she reminded, adding textile flowers on the buns of my tied hair.

Suddenly, my father knocked on the door and told us the carriage was ready to take us to the astral realm. When my mother had left the room, I opened the wooden box and took the damselfly hairpin and placed it on my small bag and followed them. For some reason that I don't know, I simply felt the urge to bring it along with me.

That night, my eyes shone so bright at the sight of me and my mother in front of the mirror. How I felt blessed that I had her blue eyes, and I would always cherish the times her slender fingers brushed the strands of my hair.