A Flower Without Rain

Chapter 18

Taking off the hair ornaments, gifted to Crown Princess Lian Yu by her sister-in-law Lady Yuan Li, she placed them back in their holder. She was simply trying them on to see if they suited her as she's had them for quite a while.

Shutting the wooden box, the female servant that stood outside her doors, announced the presence of a high ranking individual.

"Your Highness, the 2nd Princess has come to visit." she announced.

Setting the box aside, she responded. "Allow her entrance."

The door slid open and shut as footsteps followed coming closer to her.

Standing, Lian Yu gave a short bow before greeting her with sign language. "Greetings, Lan. How have you been?"

The princess returned the gesture, "Greetings, and I've been well. How about you?" she asked as they sat across one another at the couch.

"I have also been well." simply giving the same answer.

Looking at the table that separated the two young woman, Princess Xin Lan couldn't help but to admire the pressed flowers frozen within the resin. "Did you recently make these?" she was curious.

The Crown Princess gave a light chuckle. "Yes, I did."

"They are very beautiful."

Lian Yu couldn't help but smile to herself.

Remembering another reason why she came by, she spoke. "Other than to visit you, I wanted to teach you how to make embroidered fans." as the way to make this certain type was of a particular kingdom different from theirs.

Lian Yu for one, wasn't the best at sewing so at the words of being taught on how to make an embroidered fan, made her unsure. She only ever did simple designs.

Seeing the disheveled look on her face, Xin Lan laughed. "Its alright, I'll be here to guide you along the way."

That for sure, assured the Crown Princess.

With their cloth and needles ready, they began.

Handing a piece of chalk to her, Xin Lan signed. "You should first draw out your desired piece before sewing. It'll make it easier."

Taking note of this, Lian Yu nodded her head. She sat there thinking of what design she should do while the other woman already knew hers. The Crown Princess for one always leaned more towards plants, that's the area she decided on to do her piece. Looking around her room, she could see just how much resin pressed flowers she had already made, yet none seemed to fit what she wanted. It was then as she looked out her courtyard that just behind the hill she could see hints of pink that peaked. This became her inspiration.

Quickly, she began to draw out a branch but not what hung from it. Those pink flowers and its petals were rather easy to sew, and if she was being honest they were the least difficult simply because of her love for flowers.

Pausing in her steps, Princess Xin Lan tapped her in-law's shoulder gaining her attention. With those magnificent eyes turned to her, she waited for her next words.

"There's actually a very beautiful meaning behind these folding embroidered fans in the Wei Kingdom." she signed causing a curious expression to form on Lian Yu's face.

"When a woman holds feelings for a man, she pours them into making a fan to give to them. This represents their most sincere and genuine self that they want to present to that person. If the man who receives it accepts their feelings, they shall return the woman a hairpin confirming that they both feel the same about each other." a tradition that still lives on.