Mei"er blushed as she looked at herself in the attire of the Suo Kingdom. She was dressed in light pink garbs with a golden waist sash and her hair was done up simply with a pink ribbon threaded through. The sleeves were made of thin fabric so it was quite see through."Is this appropriate? It"s so revealing." Mei"er asked, she looked back at Yue. "Miss Mei"er, this is our Suo Kingdom"s clothing. Of course it is appropriate here." Yue laughed. Yue was older then both Mei"er and Xiao Jun, naturally having a more mature air to her.
"Come, the 4th Princess is waiting for us." Yue escorted Mei"er to the main hall where Xiao Jun was seated near her parents and 3 men sat on chairs in the room.
"Mei"er, come over and let my mother look at you." Xiao Jun said, she stood up and pulled Mei"er over.
Mei"er curtsied and greeted both the Emperor and Empress of the Huo Kingdom.
"Aiya, child, no need to greet us so formally! Has my daughter given you a hard time?"
Mei"er shook her head and then said, "Princess Jun hasn"t been giving me a hard time. She took me from a brothel and trained me in swords."
The Empress"s eyes widened and Mei"er wondered if she said something she wasn"t supposed to say. "A child in a brothel? How did you get in there?" the Emperor exclaimed. The women and men of the brothels in Suo were at the ages of 17 or higher, anyone younger would be sent to be just servants in richer households. The Suo"s red light district was divided between the "explicit" side and then the calmer side where men would go listen to the women sing and dance, maybe get a show or two, but that side never delved into "rolling between the sheets". If you wanted to partic.i.p.ate in that kind of activity, you would go to the west side of the red light district.
Mei"er looked over at Xiao Jun and Xiao Jun gave a small smile, indicating that it was okay to speak freely.
"My entire family was killed and I managed to escape but human traffickers found me and sold me to a brothel. I come from a family of martial arts pract.i.tioners but we are of little status so no one cared if my family was wiped out."
Mei"er bowed her head and her eyes reddened. The Empress smiled sadly and then gave an affectionate pat on the head to Mei"er. "Child, you are free to stay with Jun"er for as long as you wish. Just know that since our little Jun"er has brought you here, you are also part of our family."
Her eyes widened and she looked at Xiao Jun, "Mei"er, you can stay here and regard us as your family. If one day you want to leave, just remember that you have us here. My brothers are your brothers and my parents are like yours."
[A: let"s be honest, Xiao Jun is an angel but a shameless one ^_^;]
The younger girl"s lips trembled and she hugged Xiao Jun, quiet sobbing sounds could be heard and Xiao Jun"s older brothers just chuckled happily. They were all glad to have their little sister back safely along with a new family member.
Sitting on the bed together, Mei"er asked Xiao Jun, "Do you miss that cold person you call your benefactor?"
Xiao Jun looked up from her book and quickly said, "Miss? Miss who?"
Mei"er smiled and then took the book from her, putting it to the side as she held Xiao Jun"s hands.
"Big Sister, you may not know it but your feelings are just beginning to blossom. Maybe they have already taken root and are already grown. Only you will know."
And with that, Mei"er got up and left the room quietly to go to hers.
Xiao Jun looked at the book blankly and then blew her candle out before laying down on her bed with he blanket over her.
"What was that supposed to mean? What feelings have bloomed?"
Tossing and turning, Xiao Jun slept very little that night like some other person.
"General.. why do you look so haggard?" Yue Qi asked, he helped Yun Long dress and tied on his sword to his waist.
Yun Long didn"t answer and just sat down while ma.s.saging his forehead. " Have the kitchen make some congee for me. Quickly go."
Yue Qi left while questioning his young master.
"Is the General perhaps missing someone? Who would he miss? Perhaps the 4th Princess?"
Sighing in the silence of his room, Yun Long took out something from a pouch. It was something Xiao Jun had left for him. She had hidden it under the pillow in her room but before she left, she had told him to go get the item under her pillow.
Before he could bring it out to her, she had left and Yue Qi handed him a letter that was written out to him.
He read the letter and then opened the pouch, inside was a very high quality jade flute with a red ta.s.sel on the end. The jade flute had the characters of "Feng" engraved into it and had a carving of a small phoenix on it.
She had given him her most treasured flute.
[A: Eh? Your most favorite item?!]
Running his fingers along the grooves of the flute, he stood up and walked outside to the pavilion near him. Yun Long looked out at the flowers around him and laughed inside his heart.
When had he felt this way?
Why did he miss someone that was so shameless in conduct and dared to call him handsome brother without batting an eyelash in embarra.s.sment?
Unbeknownst to him, someone had already stolen his heart and had fled with it.