The Curious Play

"Si"niáng. .how are you?"

"Im good. .good! You, being concerned to me is my blessings. . Besides Xin"er has been filial to me and. ."she suddenly look to Xin"er as if she was trying to find something. "Lu"er is also with me!" 

Si"niáng smiled, but there is something in her voice that Princess Ye"er found it a bit stranged. She might be silly and clumsy but she had a very sharp sense of observation.

"You haven"t change a bit." She said. Her voice is still as calm as before. "You already grow up, but you still act like a child." 

"Si"niáng. !" She said with an embarra.s.sment in her voice.

"How are you. ? You feeling better now?"

Princess Ye"er expression suddenly change. ."Im good and Im back. !" She said clutching her hands in the edge of her dress and force a smile in her face. "I know, its been hard for all of you, taking care of me, in those times. ." 

What she meant was, when a time she fell into an endless sleeps. .Tài fú said, it was already a miracle that she still survived after her fall from the cliff. .whether she wakes up or not will depend on her body. .and will of heaven.

I wonder how Si"niáng and Xin"er managed to keep me safe in those times. .when the snake was just behind the corner. .she though.

"Its our duty. .

"Si"niáng. .you been with me since I was born and as a child I know how difficult it is for you. ." She giggled  remembering how mischievous she was as a child. .

Now thinking, those little accidents that she always had when she was small, might not be just an accident. Someone might actually wanted to hurt or worst kill her."You been trying hard to protect me. .Now that I grow up, Its time for me to protect all of you. !"

Before, she doesn"t care about anything. .she was so naive back then, having a good life with out being restrained was enough for her but now that she had people to protect, she realized that having a power and status is the only thing that could make it possible. .

She will do whatever she can just to protect them even if it means jumping into a pit of h.e.l.l.

"By chance did you remember. .what happened to you?"

She clenched her hands and shook her head. "I could not tell you yet" she said to herself, besides she don"t want to alarmed the snake.

"I just had a feeling that something might happen. .but whatever is that I won"t let it happened!" There is a strong determination in her voice.

"Don"t worry about me. .and always makes sure to bring Xin"er with you all the time. ."She took a glance to Xin"er but she avoids to meet Si"niáng"s eyes. "Take care of Gōngzhǔ. !" There was a trace of wearyness in her eyes while looking to Xin"er.

"This nubi will make her best to protect her highness, Si"niáng."

"Gōngzhǔ. .your father is asking you to meet him. .Xin"er will stay with me, I had something to discussed with her."

"Haó. .I"ll be going!" She said.

When Princess Ye"er went to see her father. Xin"er suddenly knelt infront of Si"niáng.

"Niáng. !"

"Did you. ?" There was a trace of accusation in her voice. 

Xin"er noded. "I accidentally heard everything!"

Si"niáng knew it was her, who come the other day when she had an argument with duke Yan.

"Lǎo yé. .Xin"er doesn"t need to know." She was begging Duke Yan.

"Why. ? She"s also my daughter!" He said grimly.

"This won"t do any good to all of us. .we will only bring disgraced to this family. ."

"You ought to think that before you agree with my wife"s request. ." He laughed bitterly. 

Thinking those days how Si"niáng suddenly got a child when she came back after the late princess send her to her hometown. .she just said that Xin"er was her adopted daughter.

Thinking about it makes him felt stupid. But He doesn"t know how and when it happened. . only his wife the late princess and Si"niáng knows how they schemed it and what"s the story behind it.

He just started to suspect it when both Xin"er and Ye"er had the same habit. He thought it was just a coincidence, but its too much for coincidence when both girls had the same fatherly affections towards him. .

He remembered when they were just a kids, both of the girls will runs towards him everytime they saw him, while Xin"er would stay at the side, with the smile in her face. She has always been protective and keen to her little sister eversince they were small.  

Even now her eyes will glow everytime she saw him with out realizing it. .but because of her status, she will just look down and felt embarra.s.sed while talking to him.

He notice that both girls have the same eyes as his. .except their appearance is different, Xin"er resembled to Si"niáng while Ye"er rerembled with her late mother. 

No one will suspect that the two of them were actually blood sisters.

"Lǎo yé. .this won"t do, Gōngzhǔ. . She said shaking her head.she will hate us. !"

His thought snapped  back when Si"niáng called him

"She had to accept it. .Xin"er is also my blood. I will give you a proper status. .

"No.!" She said defiantly." Its enough that you acknowledge her. It will only bring harm to both of the girls."

"Am I still the head of this family?" His voice suddenly raise up that made her stepped back a little."Ye"er will hate me more if I will not acknowledge her sister, this is the only way I can protect both of them."

"What about your eldest daughter. ? what will happened to us if she knew everything about how you. .

"Enough. !" He stopped her imperiously. He doesn"t want to hear anyone, blaming him on how he made his family, becomes a mess like this.

"You don"t know anything. .

Their conversation stopped when they heard something that has been broken in the corridor. 

They both looked into each other, it was true that he wants to acknowledge Xin"er but they have to take it slowly and they have to conceal it as of now, specially to his concubine and eldest daughter. . .

Remembering how the Duke insist to acknowledge Xin"er as his daughter makes her heart melt at the same time makes her felt guilty. .if time is not as chaotic like this she would be glad but it was different. .Xin"ers fate is bind to the princess. .

she wondered how on earth did he knew about Xin"er.

"Do you blame me?"

"Why Niáng. .how it happened?" She asked sobbing. "Why do you have to keep everything from me. .what will happened to me if Gōngzhǔ knew about this?"

Now she understood. .why she had a stranged feelings toward the duke. .he is actually her biological father but she doesn"t have a right to address him properly and Si"niáng she could not even called her "Mu"qin".

And the princess. .the one she"s trying hard to protect is her blood sister. . she though she had no family but the fact that they were just living in the same roof with out her knowledge. .makes her wants to scream!

The truth was surely the most painful thing. .thats why most people lied! She thought and sobs silently.

"I don"t have a choice. .Your father threatened me to send you away. .If i won"t tell him the truth." There was a trace of suffering in her voice. "Its also hard for me! I had you on my left hands while I had my promise to the late princess in my right hand."

"Would she hate us. ? Would she hates me. ?"

Its better to die than knowing that her sister, the princess, would hate her forever. .

"It doesn"t matter Xin"er. .You don"t have to be confused. You knew who you are. !"

Yes. .I am her sister by blood but I was just born to die for her. .she thought bitterly. Her tears still keep falling down in her face. .her heart is broken but she doesn"t have any regrets. . I will die for her. .even if I die a thousand times!

"Yes. !" 

She whispered almost to herself.

Si"niáng, turn arround tears was on her eyes. .She could not bear to see her daughter die but. .its her destiny!

Fate is cruel to all of them. .