Back in time

Chapter 29 - Red Anemones

Minori's POV 

"I know that we are in China now. But, really? Cosplaying as a Panda is really tacky." Trish laughed as she brushed out the tangles in my hair. Perhaps it was due to Saikhan's presence at the Naadam Festival's celebrations,  Trish had decided to take her role as my "Lady-in-waiting" more seriously. In her words, it was time for me to 'put that bitch in her place'. And apparently the first step to doing so was to have me look the part of a Qing Princess and the wife of a Mongolian Prince. After all, 'Aisin Gioro Ke Jing' could not go running around the festival with a bird nest on her head. 

I gave a long sigh as I glared at her weakly through my reflection on the bronze mirror before us. 

The conversation that I had with Kame left a stronger impact than I had thought. My feeble heart was not as strong as I thought it would be. Chocolate brown eyes haunted me through the night- they were all that I could see behind my closed lids. Baritone whispers and soft murmurs filled my ears as I tossed and turned trying to escape those Chocolate brown orbs. 

It was no wonder that I ended up looking like a Panda this fine morning. 

"Seems like someone woke up on the wrong side of bed," Trish chuckled as she moved her fingers nimbly through my hair to weave tiny braids across the back of my head. The other maids who were standing guard behind Trish coughed as they tried to hide their laughter. 

"Shut up. Why are you in such a good mood any way? It is unlike you to be so bright and uplifting so early in the morning." I grumbled as I watched Trish fasten my hair securely with hairpins.

"Well, that is because I found this on your table when I came into the tent", Trish said as she brandished the item that she had been hiding in her pockets.

An involuntary gasp escaped my lips as my eyes took in the object that she held in her palms. 

It was a little bright Red Anemone flower. 

"Seems like someone has a secret admirer." Trish teased as she wove the flower into the braid that she had finished.

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The Red Anemone flowers continued appearing over the next few mornings of the festival. 

Each morning, a fresh Red Anemone Flower appeared on the same table where the first Anemone Flower was found. 

Each morning, Trish wove the flower of the day into the hairdo that she created for me for the day.

Each morning, Trish gave me a long meaningful smirk as she worked her piece.

"You must be thinking too much into this entire matter. Given how common Red Anemone flowers are around the area, they are probably flowers that are picked by the servants to decorate the place. I am pretty sure all the guests have one on their table." I finally said after being unnerved by her latest 'meaningful stare'. 

"Sureee... And cows can fly." Trish retorted as she yanked on my hair. It was almost as though she was doing so deliberately in response to what I had said. 

Wincing at the pain that my scalp was currently going through, I gave her an evil eye as I swat at her harsh hands in an attempt to rescue my poor hair. But it was too late. A few fallen soldiers fell through her fingers onto the carpet beneath us. 

Welp, it will take a while to recover from the growing bald spot that my best friend is imposing on me. 

"Besides, Cheonwu has clearly not received the same special treatment as you have." Trish further added as her substantiation for her point. 

"Seems like someone has gotten really close to Cheonwu recently eh." I chuckled.

Rolling her eyes at the remark, Trish quipped "Is that the only thing that you got from this conversation Madam Ostrich?" 

"You can continue playing dumb with me if that is going to make you feel better about yourself. There is a more pressing concern at hand.  Your competition with Saikhan will be happening this afternoon. Are you ready for it?"

"Don't remind me of the impending misery that I will be facing. Just the thought of having to hear that nasally whiny voice of hers is giving me a headache." I sighed. 

"Besides, you saw how much I have practised over the past few days. It is as good as it can get. In any case, I have never thought of winning her anyway." 

As annoying as she is, Saikhan is still a princess of the Mongolian plains. After all, she grew up on the vast grasslands of Mongolia. Horse riding would be as natural as breathing to her. And while I might have had some training under Father, my horseriding skills would be incomparable to hers. In fact, it would be a miracle if I could even keep up with her. 

"But do you really have to take on such an extreme approach just to escape Kame?" 

"It is for the best." 

After all, this will the most permanent way of getting rid of Kame and for things to return to the way they were. The Qing Empire will not take kindly to a Prince of Mongolia relegating a favored Princess of the Aisin Gioro family, much less one who was sent to Mongolia for an arranged marriage, to a secondary concubine. 

Not when she is the Kangxi Emperor's favourite daughter.

Not when said daughter is disgraced in front of all the tribes of Mongolia during the  Naadam Festival. 

And most definitely not when a disgraced "Aisin Gioro Ke Jing" returns to the Qing Empire, vowing to never in Mongolia again.