“Father,” King Yīng heard from the right side of the room. It took him a moment to awaken from his thoughts of all that had transpired. “Father!” he heard again and turned to see Féng Wěi waiting for his attention.

 “Yes,” King Yīng replied and cleared his throat from the lump that had grown as he held back his tears.

 “Do you remember me telling you about Crown Prince Yǒng Ming’s war injury?” When his father nodded, Féng Wěi continued, “Mîn saved his life.”

 King Yīng gave his son a perplexed expression and turned to Mîn Jíng for the full story. Jié Qiáng answered instead.

 “She tended to my brother after he was injured on the battlefield,” Jié Qiáng replied.

 Yáng Ning spoke up then since he was the one who was present at the time. “I was moving Prince Yǒng Ming away from the fighting when this young girl ran up to us. She had a box of medical supplies and immediately began treating his leg. She never asked us which side we fought for. She only cared about keeping him alive.”

 Jié Qiáng watched the king’s reaction as he heard the account and smiled at the look of pride the father held for his daughter. “I understand the worry and anger you and your sons felt about Mîn putting herself in such danger. I’ve heard about the nightmares she’s experienced from her well-intended deed. I agree she never should have been out there, but my brother, the king and queen, and I will forever be grateful Fate sent her there that day.

 I can assure you, when everyone hears his savior was your daughter, she will be greatly rewarded for her merit and have a cherished position in the palace and in the kingdom.”

 King Yīng watched as the prince once again kissed his daughter’s hand and recalled the anxiety he endured every day she was gone. He had wanted to send the royal guards to bring her home, forcibly if necessary, but he felt some time at the camp helping the wounded would make her understand reality a little better. He never imagined she would be so irresponsible as to run directly into the bloodshed and violence.

 He thought, then, on Jié Qiáng’s words. She had saved the enemy’s crown prince. Not only had she saved his life, she had played a critical role in the recovery of his leg. He wouldn’t become a crippled king and could once again command an army if the need arose. The doubts he still harbored regarding her treatment by her husband’s family began to fade as he understood the monumental impact her single deed would be on her livelihood at their hands.

 Yǒng Wěi looked around the room, waiting for his moment to respond to the mention of an attack on his sister. When everyone paused from the discussion to take a drink, he jumped in.

 “Did you recognize the men?” Yǒng Wěi asked Mîn Jíng.

 She held chopsticks clenching rice and vegetables just outside of her opened mouth. She looked over her food at her brother as she thought of how to answer. She hoped she wouldn’t have to describe the incident she had tried to forget.

 Moving her hand aside to speak without the food in her way, she replied, “They weren’t from the village, and I had never seen them in the capital.”

 She took the awaiting food in her mouth while watching the others eyeing her for more.

 “I smelled them, though,” she added after swallowing the food. “I’ll know them if I smell them again.”

 “Smelled them?” wondered Jié Qiáng.

 “I have a strong sense of smell,” she answered, “just like my hearing. Remember when I smelled your hair and clothes in the prison?” He nodded and she explained, “I was looking for the familiar scent of the man I met that night. I had only smelled it that one time and never again. Whatever it is, it’s unique to you.”

 Jié Qiáng thought back on that night and remembered wondering if she had just sniffed him as she brushed passed him.

 He laughed and replied, “It’s my mother’s creation. She used to make scented sachets and used her own blend of flowers and herbs. She made that one scent specifically for me. She added it to my bath and hair oils and never shared it with anyone else.”

 “The queen?” wondered Mîn Jíng, becoming excited over having something in common with her royal mother-in-law.

 Jié Qiáng shook his head to correct her. “My mother is a concubine. She was once my father’s favorite until a brain illness changed and weakened her. Her condition is one of the reasons I will never be in line for the throne. The queen mother is given responsibilities my mother can no longer oversee.

 Because I won’t become king, except in a dire situation, the pressures of having concubines and bearing a multitude of heirs are not my problems. I can have only my little crane if I so choose.”

 He kissed her hand again and grinned at her in wait for her to recall their personal oaths. 

 Mîn Jíng giggled and replied, “It’s in the contract, so you can’t change your mind!”

 “Contract?” wondered King Yīng.

 He knew he left any mention of concubines out of the marriage contract, so this confused him.

 Mîn Jíng turned to her father and answered, “When we were at the prison, Jié Qiáng had us write oaths to each other. He wanted me to feel safe as his wife, and he wanted Féng and Yǒng to know he was serious about treating me well.”

 As she spoke, Jié Qiáng removed the envelopes from the chest pocket beneath his robe and gestured for King Yīng’s eunuch to take them. Eunuch Lín hurried over to collect the two contracts and handed them to the king.

 King Yīng opened and read each thoroughly. When he was done, he looked over at the pair, who were now passing food to each other’s bowls as a gesture of love. He was speechless. He had never heard of such contracts between a royal couple, much less a couple forced to marry for an alliance.

 He could feel all of the worrying since the passing of his wife suddenly lift like a weight from his shoulders as if it were never there. He no longer wondered if this prince’s kindness was an act to impress him or feared for the emotional state of his precious daughter.

 Slipping the contracts back into their envelopes, he motioned for Eunuch Lín to hand them back to Jié Qiáng.

 “I have an itinerary you can look over tonight, Prince Jié Qiáng,” he announced. “If you’re still planning to stay here for a week before escorting Mîn to your kingdom, you should take the time to learn about your wife and the kingdom that loves her.”

 Jié Qiáng nodded his agreement and replied, “I would very much like to do that. I hope there’s time to revisit that village.”

 He looked at Mîn Jíng in hopes she would agree.

 Mîn Jíng nodded happily and squeezed his hand. “You’ll get to see the village and the garden they made for me during the day. I’ll introduce you to the grandfather who sold you my mask.”

 Jié Qiáng turned again to the king to ask, “Is there a messenger I can trust with a letter home? I need to inform my father about my arrival and the positive direction our meeting is progressing.”

 King Yīng called out to Eunuch Lín, “Send for Officer Chén and bring over my ink and paper.”

 “Yes, your majesty,” the eunuch obeyed.