Two Years Later

 Princess Yīng Mîn Jíng sat on the marble floor with her legs bent beneath her. She stroked a little white rabbit that played with the tassel hung from her belt, hopping happily across her billowed skirts. It was oblivious to the wrenching pain in her heart, and she envied its ignorance.

 The king seated before her listened to the angry words of her protective older brother, but she said nothing in her defense as her tears silently fell.

 “You promised Mother!” shouted the prince as his father wearily rubbed his furrowed brow. “You swore you would never force Mîn Mîn into a political marriage. You’ve not only broken your word, you’re sending her to the enemy as a hostage. You know that’s what she will become. She won’t be a wife. She will be a tool to control our movements. Why? Why would you do this?”

 King Yīng sighed deeply knowing Yǒng Wěi spoke the truth. What else could he do? Their war had lasted close to two centuries, depleting resources both kingdoms needed to fight this new, deadlier foe.

 “If there were another way,” replied the king regretfully, “you know I would rather it instead of sending my daughter to the enemy.”

 Mîn Jíng took a deep breath but still said nothing. She allowed her tears to continue in a steady stream as she picked up the rabbit and held it close in her arms. She knew her father was doing his best for the kingdom.

 She always knew deep down his promise to allow her to marry who she chose was never a guarantee. Still, she allowed herself the dream of someday finding her butterfly and living happily as in one of her fairy tales. Her dreams had all come crashing down that morning, and she knew nothing her brother said was going to change her cruel fate.

 Yǒng Wěi refused to back down. His sister’s life and happiness were being threatened. He had sworn to protect her. Doing so became his life’s mission for his irresponsible mistakes. He couldn’t stop her nightmares, but he could fight against new attacks on her heart and mind.

 “I told you it could be me,” he insisted, not noticing his older brother entering the king’s study. “I will marry anyone in their royal family for this alliance. I won’t care who it is. Let me do this in place of Sister!”

 The oldest prince bowed respectfully to their father and turned to his brother.

 “You know there isn’t an eligible woman in their palace,” Féng Wěi reasoned. “The oldest unpromised maiden is the six year old daughter of the crown prince.”

 As soon as he was sent word of the meeting, he hurried from his palace to help bring reason to the situation. He had worried Mîn Jíng would be more distraught than she appeared upon seeing her, but she seemed strangely quiet. This concerned him more than if she had thrown a tantrum.

 He watched her crying silently and petting her rabbit and wondered if her submissive demeanor was acceptance or plotting. At any other time, he would have wagered plotting, but the look in her eyes when she looked up at him was different than he’d seen when she was determined to get her way. She appeared genuinely broken, and this worried him more.

 “How can you defend this?” Yǒng Wěi shot back. “She’s nothing more than a lamb being sent to the slaughter!”

 Féng Wěi sighed deeply as he looked at his brother with annoyance.

 “You’re using such an analogy as if Father is sending her to die,” he replied.

 He bent down on one knee and stroked his sister’s back.

 “At Father’s request, I’ve investigated their family and the prince,” he informed them. He lifted her chin so she would look at him. “They aren’t terrible people and your betrothed is much like you,” he smiled to reassure her.

 She took another deep breath and looked back at the floor. As her eldest brother by ten years, he would say anything to calm her fears. Although he had never outright lied to her, he had often sugar coated the truth.

 He kissed the top of her head before rising again to report his findings.

 “Prince Jié Qiáng is five years older than Sister and is similar in many ways to our Mîn Mîn,” he told them with an air of relief. “He is vocal about his feelings on the war, which are the same as Mîn’s. He shows compassion to the commoners and loyalty toward their soldiers.

 King Zhāng Gāng Jié and Queen Bái Xià Wén are good to their people, like father.  They will be wary of anyone we send for an alliance, but I feel Sister will be happy and safe.

 Jié Qiáng has one older brother a year older than me: Yǒng Ming – a commander in King Zhāng’s army for six years until his leg was severely wounded. He’s healed but his father won’t allow him on the battlefield any longer since he’s the crown prince. He is as fiercely loyal to his family as he was to his soldiers, and strives to care for all the citizens, not only officials and royalty.

 There are concubines at the palace, but from my understanding, the women are well-behaved – no in-fighting. King Zhāng’s only son by a concubine is Jié Qiáng. His oldest son is with the queen. His three other children are daughters from two concubines. They have already married.”

 “What more of Jié Qiáng?” asked Yǒng Wěi guardedly. “In what ways is he so similar to Mîn Mîn we don’t have to worry?”

 “He takes the effect of the war on the innocent as seriously as Sister,” Féng Wěi explained. “The kingdom’s citizens love and respect him – not because he is a prince but because of how he treats them. Like Mîn, he frequently walks through the streets to greet commoners and inquire about their health and finances.

 Father, I strongly feel that when he arrives, having him accompany Mîn on one of her outings would help alleviate any concerns he has about this alliance and encourage a better relationship between them.”

 King Yīng thought carefully on his wise son’s suggestion and nodded in approval.

 “I agree,” he replied, then looked down at his daughter still silently weeping. “Mîn, do as your brother says during Prince Jié Qiáng’s visit. Let him see the way our people adore you and your consideration for them.”

 “Putting her on display now?” asked Yǒng Wěi angrily. “One day in the palace should tell him what he needs to know. Why does she have to go through such effort to sell herself when the deal has already been made?”

 “Enough!” roared King Yīng as he slammed his hands onto his desk. “The more you argue, the more your sister cries. She knows her duty to the people she loves. Your brother and I recognize her pain as much as you. Creating this scene is dishonoring her sacrifice.”

 Mîn Jíng held her rabbit closer and squeezed her eyes shut. She wished she could drown out their angry words and pretend none of this was happening.

 On the surface, she had accepted her fate. Inside, she wanted to fight. She wanted to scream and rage against the injustice of being bartered like taels of gold. Her dreams of finding her one true love had been ripped from her grasp and traded for a marriage to the unfamiliar son of the enemy king.

 So what if he cared about his people? Did that mean he would allow them to harass her for being King Yīng’s daughter? Did her father once consider such a possibility?

 What about her wish to be an only wife? His father had concubines, so would he? Men of the palace usually did to ensure a lineage for generations to come. Her father had been a notable exception, ignoring his concubines after meeting her mother and making her the queen.

 Did this other king love his queen? Would his son know how to love and be loyal to a wife? Would it even matter when he was stealing her from the masked man she foolishly loved? He would take her innocence and sensitive heart she had sworn would only be for the one she had been determined to find for two years.

 “When did you give Brother the order to investigate the family?” Yǒng Wěi wanted to know, bringing Mîn Jíng’s attention back to the heated discussion. “Mîn and I were only told this morning, and Jié Qiáng will be here in three days to collect her.”

 Féng Wěi looked cautiously at King Yīng, wondering if he should answer truthfully.

 The king looked directly at Yǒng Wěi and answered, “King Zhāng and I have been conversing for six months, negotiating details so we can join our kingdoms to battle the Wáng Píng clan invading both of our borders. After exhausting every possibility, all we were left to bargain with was a marriage alliance. We have already exchanged written agreements.”

 “What’s in the contract?” Yǒng Wěi persisted, trying to find a way to help his little sister escape this misfortune.

 The three siblings watched their father pick up his copy of the alliance agreement and pull it from its paper wrapping. Skipping the formalities, he read through the items both kings had agreed upon.

 “We’ve agreed to have the generals meet at a set date and work together with us and our armies to formulate a plan of attack…” he began, to the ire of his youngest son.

 “About Mîn!” Yǒng Wěi nearly shouted.

 King Yīng huffed loudly and glared at his unruly son. “Have you forgotten who I am?”

 His voice bellowed throughout the lavishly decorated chamber and caused Mîn Jíng to jump. She held her rabbit and shut her eyes tightly. Her father wasn’t abusive but he had his limits. Yǒng Wěi had a talent for pushing through them all, usually for her.

 “Stop!” she cried out loudly. They all grew silent and stared at her, each thankful she had finally reacted in some way.  “I want to hear,” she said quietly.

 With a calmer breath, King Yīng sat down and began to summarize only the parts pertaining to his cherished daughter. He had done all he could to make her transition suitable for her gentle disposition, regretting all the while that he was going to break her heart no matter how generous the arrangement would be. He could only take solace in the desperation of King Zhāng that matched his own to end this war and send their combined armies to end the Wáng Píng.

 “I expressed concern over how she would be received by the people as my daughter,” he told them. “In the contract, I have been assured she will be well cared for by the king and his son. During any outings of the royal family, she will be safe and well guarded.

 I added a requirement that she be sent home after six months to visit her family and pay respects at her mother’s shrine. King Zhāng agreed and added that he would send royal guards to accompany her and ensure a safe journey.

 Finally, I insisted the traditional red of the wedding not be used. I explained an excess of the color causes her panic due to a trauma she suffered as a child. He made no attempt to question it or argue.”

 After a few moments of watching his father look over another sheet in silence, Yǒng Wěi pushed for more.

 “Is that it?” he wanted to know. “Nothing about her freedom or happiness?”

 “It’s enough,” Mîn Jíng told her brother.

 She remained sitting on the floor petting her rabbit and still trying to accept the heartbreak that had come so quickly and without warning.

 “It isn’t enough, Mîn Mîn,” argued Yǒng Wěi. “There are so many concerns left out of that contract as if you don’t matter at all.”

 “It guarantees my safety,” she graciously reasoned, “and I’ll be sent home to visit with a strong escort. The king even agreed to the wedding alteration without complaint. This is all I need.”

 They watched as she stood with the rabbit in her arms. Yǒng Wěi was about to say something else, but Féng Wěi raised his hand to stop him. He had never heard such despair in her voice. Anything more their brother could say would hurt her worse.

 Féng Wěi gently held her arm as she turned to leave.

 “Where are you going, Mîn,” he asked her worriedly.

 “For a walk,” she answered quietly. “You and Father have everything prepared. There’s no need for me to be here any longer.” 

 She moved away from his touch and continued through the study door.

 Mîn Jíng walked down passageways and across courtyards in silence. She barely noticed servants and guards saying something to her she didn’t want to hear along the way to her room.

 Nothing would ever be the same. She would never see him again, and all hope of him saving her from this wretched predicament was merely the desperate yearning of a lost and lonely girl.