LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

Shengli had an emotional roller-coaster that evening, he was elated when he saw Xing at the entrance looking pretty and then was jealous when she was pulled out by the Emperor, scared to his bones when he saw the arrow coming towards her, was glad to know her thoughts about his brother, but when that Elder Shu started to talk he didn"t know what to do except being with her and to tell her that he"ll stay by her side. But when she left with her father, he felt his entire world crumble and all the insecurities he had, started to wrap around his throat and he felt like suffocating.

Also the way she walked out - her robes fluttering, her back straight, her chin up and her eyes looking straight and her mouth curved slightly in an arrogant smirk in that expensive menswear like she owned the place. Considering that was the Imperial Palace only the Emperor would have such att.i.tude and she pulled of such a domineering aura like she"s the boss with ease.

Also he couldn"t decide if her friendly att.i.tude towards the Emperor was because she doesn"t know the palace etiquettes alone or just because she sees him as his brother or is it because she knows that she is equal to him?

It gave him s.h.i.+vers thinking how she is so suited for the palace and also the appearance of the mysterious star again. Feiye noted Shengli being too quiet and he realised he is worried about the things the elder said.

"What"s bothering you, son?", Feiye asked

"Nothing", Shengli replied coldly.

"You know this att.i.tude of yours is really worse. No one will be able to know what you are thinking. Also treating those who have helped you all this time , not to mention someone older than you like this is downright bad manners. You should be disciplined. You may think we are not important to you but we have lost a lot to help you. Even so I have only thought you as a son ever since you came with me ", he said with disappointment.

Shengli knew that Feiye lost his wife because of the misunderstandings that rose from his arrival and even now his only daughter does not live with him because Shengli was there. Still, it was not easy for him to open up his heart and say his thoughts to him.

"I"m sorry father, I"ll try to be better ",Shengli said politely.

Feiye sighed, it"s not easy to get anything out of this kid, "That old man.....", even before he finished, Shengli interrupted, " What that elder said about Xing was not all wrong".

"What?", Feiye was shocked. That elder said many things, her being someone to sit on the throne, she could see blood ties, she could control elements, she has Shu blood in her. So not all is wrong means which are wrong? How much does Shengli know about her? He wanted to ask him but seeing him indifferent, he knew he won"t be able to get any legitimate answers from him and he decided to give up and took a deep breath.

"Shengli, MingXia is of marriageable age. You are not young either. If you ask AoTian, he won"t put much of a resistance for long. What is stopping you from marrying her? "

Shengli was sh.e.l.l-shocked by Feiye"s simple question. He is right, what is stopping him? Even when she gets close to him, he pushes her away. Is it really because of s.h.i.+hong? Even if she becomes his wife they can protect each other and she is much stronger than him too. So that"s not it. What other reason? Is he not sure she is the one for him? That"s impossible since there is no way he could think of anyone else that way he thinks of her. So then, is he doubting her love for him? That is impossible too, because he knows she waited ten years for him just because he asked her to and she did everything in those time to get close to him. So why is he hesitating to marry her? Is it because he knows deep in his heart that he has no right to have her? That she doesn"t belong to him? That all her impressive skills would be a waste if she stays with him? That her greatness should be known to others, than kept in secret? That her place is not by his side, but by the Emperor"s as the mother of the wind kingdom? That the prophecy about her is true and will certainly come true? That the G.o.ds won"t let him have her? He was sinking deep in thoughts and he felt cold, like all the warmth around him were drained.

Feiye saw him not answering and deep in thoughts and patted his back gently which pulled Shengli out of his trance.

"I promised her mother I won"t marry her before she turned eighteen", Shengli said suddenly remembering.

"Hmmm...Is that so? ", he nodded, " But then Shengli, I know only you know best about MingXia. I know you are worried about today"s incidents, but imagine her predicament. Today that elder dumped a lot on her and she came to know a lot about herself this day, while we all know a bit already. She should be the most troubled one of us all"

His words were true, Shengli thought. There is no way information like this won"t trouble a person. He was selfish to think only about himself. He decided to meet her tonight to make sure she is alright.

After this he went to interrogate the a.s.sailants who got caught for information.

When Xing reached her courtyard, the courtyard was empty and smelled like herbs that Xing liked. As per her request, her father had decreased the number of maids and guards in her courtyard.Xu mama welcomed her and ordered the maids to prepare a bath.

While Xu mama was undoing her braids, Xing asked about the punishments in the Huang household. Xu mama gently brushed her hair and explained the various punishments for the servants. Since their house is a n.o.ble one and also her father is the Prime Minister, there is a possibility of spies from other families or even other countries, in the guise of servants , so new servants are selected after careful scrutiny.

Also even gossiping is not allowed and people "disappear" if they break the rules. She also whispered in her ears, about the incident when the young miss of the Ran family sneaked in as a servant bribing the guard and entered AoTian"s bed chamber. He was really furious and threw the half dressed girl out in the cold and killed the guard she bribed and the one in charge of the guards right in front of her. He was h.e.l.l bent on killing everyone in the Manor , but somehow pacified by Lord Zhong even when Rijun was shouted at. Later, everyone was fired and new servants from the Southern Province whose relatives work for the Huang family jade mines were hired.

The only reason Xu mama was spared was because she was serving tea for her father because he was pulling an all-nighter that day.

According to Xu mama she came in and started to strip even after she saw her there, since she can force him to marry her if he saw her naked. But Xu mama stopped her and pushed her out. She was left there s.h.i.+vering in disheveled clothes and AoTian stopped anyone from getting near her to help her. Later her father Lord Ran came with Lord Zhong and begged AoTian to take her at least as a concubine just in name, but AoTian firmly refused and later Lord Ran made a deal to not spread this matter about his daughter if she stays away from him in the future. Young Miss Ran was later kept in house arrest and but she still tries to meet Lord AoTian.

Wow, that was intense, Xing thought. So that beautiful lady from the banquet could not get father"s attention even after using such means. No wonder the Ran family will hate the Huang family and vice versa. In fact Xing never understood much about love and romance. She could not fathom, how a woman would degrade herself, or beg, or use despicable means to that extent just for a man. Maybe she doesn"t understand because, she had Shengli all along. Also she couldn"t believe how her father stood firm, even after all those years after her mother left. As per what Xu mama already told her, father never mentioned about her mother except when he was sick or dreaming. They probably didn"t knew each other for long. But that was enough for him to grieve for her for more than seventeen years. Love is a weird thing. But that"s not what she meant to ask her.

"Xu mama, I was asking about the punishments father usually gives to brother "

Xu mama smiled at her and carefully undressed her, "Young Miss, Young master was never punished before. He was always obedient and never broke any rules. This annoyed master many times. He behaves like he is in someone else"s home is what he would say. But young master was always well behaved"

What a divine son to have! Mother would have been happy having a son like him rather than someone like me! Xing thought.

Just then the maids informed that the bath is ready. So Xing excused everyone and went to the bath area in her inner robes after asking for warm milk.

Xing got to the bathtub and soaked in that perfectly warm bath water infused with various herbs. After she lashed out a couple of times, no one would bother her in the bath anymore.

In that calmness, she thought about the various incidents that happened that day, especially what that elder said. Am I such an important existence? Can"t I have a normal life? What"s with what he said about her having the power to control elements? Maybe there are others like her?

Xing dipped in the water holding her breath. Shengli came to her mind and her heart sank.

What does he thinks of what that Elder said? Would he tell her honestly? She doesn"t mean to keep any secrets from him, so why does he? She was p.i.s.sed off at him, but didn"t know how to express it to him. Should she challenge him to a duel or a game of chess? Or should she just leave it just as it is? How do people usually deal with such things? She came out to get air and was panting lightly. She felt someone sneaking in the bath area and walking towards the bathtub past the wooden screens.

Who other than him would dare? She smiled.

"I promised my father that I wouldn"t do anything to spoil his reputation. You meeting me here would create nasty rumours", she said with her head leaning on the side of the bathtub.

Shengli walked straight towards the bathtub and stood by her foot. The water was translucent and her figure was visible through the water and Shengli saw her jade like skin in the dimly lit bath with the glistening water. Her golden hair was spread in the water and reflecting the candle light. Her face was slightly flushed with the hot water and her lips were plump and red like cherries with that birthmark adding more appeal to the already beautiful face. He wanted to take her then and there, without minding all those promises or social conventions. Nothing can stop me, right?, he thought.

Xing looked at him almost drooling over her with his eyes like a wolf and she couldn"t help but smile, "My dear Prince, you can look all you want but you cannot touch me until we are married", she said teasingly and pointed at a stool near the tub. He snapped out and sat on the stool with a gentle smile.

"Why are you here?"

"To see you of course ", he said matter of factly, "A lot happened today! ",

Xing looked at him and wanted to say she"s hurt. She is mad too for being different and everything in her life is not like she wishes. Is it her fault for being born with strange powers? So what could she do or say?

"How are you feeling? ", Shengli asked the silent Xing.

" I"m feeling helpless! ", she looked the other side.

"How may I be of a.s.sistance, my love? ", he grabbed a lock of hair floating in the bath water. He wanted to help, but how?

"Then, tell me what happened the day I was born", she looked at him like she needs to know and sat hugging her knees inside the water. He looked at her and gently played with her hair in his hands. This guy knows everything about her, right?

" Your mother told me when I was staying with you back then and made me promised not to tell anyone. Honestly I don"t think she wanted me to know anything about that either, but she slipped up one day, forgetting I was the Third prince and immediately regretted it. Apparently someone informed her pregnancy even before she was sure and that her baby is supposed to be powerful and blessed by the G.o.ds to serve a purpose. So she got scared and settled in a village near the capital without even informing your father of her pregnancy and her family. On new year"s eve she left the village and headed for the mountain because your father"s people were in the village. That night she stayed in a cave, but her contractions started early. The sky was starless and the moon was hidden by thick clouds until midnight. But just as the new year bells rang, a wind blew all the clouds away and a bright star pa.s.sing near the moon was seen and then the fireworks started and that"s the exact moment you were born".

"Wow, even my birth story is amusing. Is there more? ", she asked sarcastically. Shengli"s heart fell, as he continued,

" I was six that year but I remember that new-year banquet and the crown prince had died of sickness only half year ago. Elder Shu, the same one as today, said some weird things like, the G.o.d had intervened and left home, leaving the emperor panicked. That night the Emperor was staying at my mother"s place and the next day I heard the maids gossiping about the emperor"s temper the previous night and he scouted the entire city for any childbirth but found nothing. He sent people for searching the entire kingdom too. Also next day the Shu elder was summoned to the court and he had a private meeting with Imperial father. That elder was always eccentric and his family was said to have mysterious powers given by the G.o.ds, so his life was spared. But later since no one could provide any useful information and many incidents started to happen in the imperial family, the emperor decided to leave that matter but he never gave up entirely ", he sighed.

" Is that why my mother stayed far away from the city all those time, to protect me? "

" It should be one of the reasons. But knowing my Imperial Father, if you were found that day the entire Huang family might have been executed. The only reason the Huang family was spared before was not because the previous emperor"s love for his sister, but because she never acknowledged her royal connections after she got married to the Huang family. She really was wise to have taken that decision or else her three sons wouldn"t have been spared and accidents always happen in the Imperial family", he smiled meaningfully.

Xing sighed, "The Emperor said the same thing too. Blood doesn"t always make a family".

Also this was true with the imperial family, probably because they were raised that way right from childhood, making them believe that everyone was out to get them. She was really depressed knowing the fact that, her birth was the one that separated her father and mother all the while. But why even after the previous emperor"s death, her mother didn"t meet her father is still not known. Was it because she would be too obvious with her Golden hair?

Shengli scoffed, " You are right Xing, there is a mother, for the sake of protecting her child stays away from her one true love and there is a mother who wishes for the death of her son for a man to look at her. There are brothers who hurt each other for t.i.tle or power and there are strangers who are united by their heart willing to even spare their life for their sworn brothers. Blood doesn"t always make a family ", he gently rubbed her ear with his fingers.

Xing gently caressed his hair remembering his mother"s cruel last words "why don"t you die" . What would make a mother say that? She would never understand.

Shengli grabbed her hand, kissed it and placed it in his cheeks, "You know, you were lucky to have been raised that way. In the harem, right after the one hundredth day celebration, the Prince would be a.s.signed a residence and he only meets his mother for greetings as per the mother"s wish. My mother met me only once a week, for not more than half an hour. I really wanted more time with my mother, so I studied really well and excelled in everything I did to get her approval. But I didn"t think that my excellence, made the Empress jealous and she made my mother"s life hard in the harem and there were other ways I was responsible for making my mother"s life hard. So my mother ended up resenting me more and I never knew what a mother means. You know, my time with your mother made me realise how wonderful a mother"s love is", his eyes were glistening with tears and his throat closed in grief. Xing"s heart was filled with warmth, now that he opened a part of his heart to her. She used her other hand to hold his slightly trembling hands, he continued,

"You know, the day you almost drowned was the day I decided not to let you go no matter what. Your genuine smile even if I had hurt you, was something I had never known before. I can never let you lose that smile of yours. I"ll protect that smile of yours that saved me everytime I had it rough. Wherever you go, whatever you become I"ll always protect your heart and that smile. That"s the one thing I am sure of..... Everything else, we can deal with it, as it comes. So don"t bother with anything else and just do what you want to do", he smiled at her and gently kissed her forehead.

Xing was stunned by his resolve and the pedestal she was kept in his heart. She was lost for words and was just looking at him stupidly. Wasn"t he the one with a mesmerising smile that day at the pond? Is she remembering wrong? All she wanted that day was to take him home with her and make him stay and nothing else. Guess he has a different memory than her about that day. Just then she was pulled into a warm embrace from the water that had already gone cold.