Mîn Jíng awoke for the second time that morning. The first was in her bed in the middle of the night with a vague memory of Jié Qiáng placing her there. The second was at her writing table with her head resting on top of her finished embroidery pattern.

 She stretched and yawned and tried remembering how she made it to her room. The last coherent thought was falling asleep against him as he stroked her back. The day was long and exciting, but she didn’t feel as tired as she obviously had been to fall asleep standing up.

 Straightening her drawing brushes and ink, she tried remembering what happened next.

 She had begun to awaken when she felt the bed beneath her. As she looked up through half-closed eyelids, she saw Jié Qiáng pulling the blanket over her. She had reached up with one hand to hold onto him and keep him with her. He had kissed her hand, tucked it under the blanket, then kissed her forehead before telling her to go back to sleep. The last thing she heard as she closed her eyes was her brother talking to someone outside.

 Yawning again and rubbing her eyes to wipe away the sleep, Mîn Jíng gathered the two patterns into a tied bundle to send off with a servant. She had worked through dawn to complete them before the messenger from the embroidery house arrived.

 Sī tapped on the door to her private bed chamber and entered with tea and breakfast cakes.

 “Good morning, your highness,” she greeted.

 Mîn Jíng stood and stretched out the stiffness as she watched her maidservant set the tray down onto the tea table in the center of the room.

 “Good morning, Sī,” she replied. “Are Jié Qiáng and my brothers awake yet?”

 “Yes, your highness,” Sī replied as she readied a basin of water for her mistress to wash herself. “I saw Súnzi with a breakfast tray on my way here. He said he was delivering it to Prince Yǒng Wěi and Prince Jié Qiáng in the second prince’s courtyard.”

 At the mention of only Yǒng Wěi and his servant, Mîn Jíng began to wonder where her oldest brother could be.  She quickly freshened up and dressed in clean clothes with Sī’s assistance.

 She sat at her dressing table so Sī could brush and arrange her long silky hair. She only chose a simple jade hairpin to adorn the skillful braid work of her maidservant because she would be out among her people. She never liked wearing too many adornments in the first place, but when she visited the marketplace, she often played with the children. Using fewer accessories was best.

 There was a knock on the door and Sī hurried to open it.  When she did, she found the embroidery attendant sent to retrieve the designs for the wedding robes.

 “On my writing table,” Mîn Jíng called to Sī as she slipped into her soft white suede boots.

 Sī handed the rolled up designs to the attendant and was about to close the doors when Mîn Jíng stopped her.

 “I’m going to my brother’s courtyard,” she announced.

 She called for Xiù Xiù and the little rabbit emerged from its blanket beneath the bed to follow her mistress. Mîn Jíng waited for her pet to hop over the threshold of the door and then hurried off to find her betrothed and brother.

 In another part of the palace near Mîn Jíng’s courtyard, Jié Qiáng sat with Yǒng Wěi and Yáng Ning discussing the king’s itinerary. The young prince’s courtyard wasn’t as flowery as his sister’s, with room for swordplay and archery among sparse vegetation and two or three small trees.

 Jié Qiáng had already sparred with both of them as a morning exercise before they took a seat to examine King Yīng’s revised plans, which now included the secret wedding.

 Yǒng Wěi rested dreamily against one of the wooden columns that held up the black roof of the small pavilion. Dangling his leg over the railing on which he sat, he bit into a loquat and looked over at his brother-in-law scrutinizing the book-like document.

 He had come to recognize the good qualities in this prince he no longer referred to as the enemy. He had even learned to let go of the hostility he felt every time Jié Qiáng kissed and held his sister. After speaking with Féng Wěi for most of the night, he was able to admit this man had genuine love for Mîn Jíng, and she was once again truly happy.

 “Our early arrival made time for relaxing before kingdom business,” Jié Qiáng was telling Yáng Ning, breaking into Yǒng Wěi’s daydreams. “That’s why we’re escorting my bride around the kingdom today to see her people.

 Tomorrow, we meet with officials to discuss my father’s plans and expectations for the alliance,” he read from the list. “The day after, we’re to accompany the king, Mîn, and her brothers to their family museum.”

 “Family museum?” wondered Yáng Ning and he glanced over at Yǒng Wěi for any insight as to why that was part of the list.

 Yǒng Wěi merely shrugged and took another bite of the orange colored fruit.

 “It’s boring. I don’t even go there,” he replied.

 Jié Qiáng smiled at the casual remark and offered, “I would assume it’s the same reason Father would take them to visit our family museum: bragging. He wants us to see the contributions his ancestors made to the country and admire their strength and capabilities.”

 Yáng Ning nodded and asked, “What else?”

 Jié Qiáng continued down the list and answered, “A visit to the training camp, another meeting at the palace, and the wedding the day before we leave.”

 “Will General Zhuāngyán Jiāng be at the camp?” asked Yáng Ning.

 Jié Qiáng laughed at the unrestrained excitement in his guard’s voice as both men turned toward Yǒng Wěi for the answer.

 Yǒng Wěi tossed two loquats toward a peacock pair the king had been gifted for his birthday. The exotic birds came and went as they pleased, serving mostly to beautify the private courtyards of the palace. 

 “Uncle is already on his way to your kingdom,” he told them. “He’s meeting with King Zhāng and your military officials.” 

 He hopped off the railing and sat at the stone table with them.

 “Why do you look so happy?” he asked Yáng Ning.

 Yáng Ning noticed Jié Qiáng silently laughing as he folded up the visitation itinerary.

 “I’ve always admired the general,” he admitted. “Even when we faced him on the battlefield, I couldn’t help but respect his courage and leadership.”

 “He’s more enamored with General Jiāng than a boy with his first bedroom experience,” Jié Qiáng pestered.

 As he dodged a small pastry Yáng Ning threw at his head, he looked across the courtyard to see Mîn Jíng crossing the covered walkway of one of the buildings. She was walking toward them with Xiù Xiù hopping behind her and Sī following them both. He watched as she came closer, ignoring the ongoing conversation about the general.

 Her soft teal robe flowed through the breeze in the windy corridor. The long sleeves flipped between the ripples of the layered white and pale teal skirts as she hurried her pace to greet them. By the time she reached the pavilion, she was skipping the way he remembered at the festival.

 Jié Qiáng stood and walked around Yáng Ning with his arms opened wide. Without hesitation, Mîn Jíng ran and jumped into his embrace and returned his joyful hug.

 “Good morning, Little Crane,” he told her before kissing her cheek.

 “Good morning, Black Butterfly,” she replied and returned his kiss in kind.

 He released his hold on her just enough to allow her to slide down to her feet.

 “Have you eaten?” he asked, brushing his hand over the locks of her hair his hug had mussed.

 She shook her head in answer, so he took her hand and led her to a round stone seat beside him in front of the food. As she sat down, he lifted Xiù Xiù from the ground. Instead of handing the little rabbit to Mîn Jíng, he cradled her in his arms and stroked her between her long silken ears.

 Mîn Jíng smiled happily as she watched her loving betrothed snuggle her precious pet. Xiù Xiù’s eyes slowly closed and she settled peacefully into this new human’s arms.

 “Where’s Féng?” she asked Yǒng Wěi and poured herself a cup of tea in wait for his reply.

 “Preparing the carriage for the visit through the capital,” he replied. “He had Wén Mĕi and Yán Mĕi brought over from his palace so they could see you.”

 At the mention of her niece and nephew, Mîn Jíng’s face lit up and she turned to Jié Qiáng to tell him.

 “My brother’s children,” she explained. “Wén Mĕi is his six-year-old daughter. Yán Mĕi is his four-year-old son. They like to visit the marketplace with me so they can see the other children.”

 “And because she spoils them,” Yǒng Wěi added. “I hope you brought money,” he told Jié Qiáng. “They’re going to make you their new benefactor.”

 Jié Qiáng patted the money purse strapped to his belt. “I have a niece. I understand.”

 Yǒng Wěi directed his attention toward Yáng Ning. “You’ll get along great with Yán. He idolizes Uncle Jiāng. He knows all the battle stories even at his young age.”

 Mîn Jíng saw the guard’s growing smile and asked, “You know our uncle?”

 “Only from the stories and across the battlefield,” he answered. “I was a soldier before I became Prince Jié’s personal guard. I served under his older brother. We all feared General Jiāng but also, admired him for his skills and battle strategies. I wish I could be there to see Prince Yǒng Ming meet him at the palace. It will be a moment he’ll always remember.”

 Mîn Jíng gave Yǒng Wěi a contented smile and sighed in relief. She was certain her brothers and father had worried about how their renowned general would be received by King Zhāng and his court. They would still see him as a force to be reckoned with but value his merits respectfully.

 Péi joined them with a message from his master.

 “Forgive the intrusion,” he bowed. “Eldest prince is ready with the carriage.”

 “Thank you, Péi,” Mîn Jíng replied and stood from her seat.

 Everyone joined her in readying themselves to leave the courtyard. Jié Qiáng slipped Xiù Xiù into Mîn Jíng’s awaiting arms, and she in turn handed the rabbit to a servant waiting to remove the breakfast trays.

 She gave the little animal a kiss on the nose and sent the servant to return her to her room.

 “Be sure she has fresh vegetables,” Mîn Jíng directed and the servant nodded in reply.