Golden Thread

His World

It started to rain suddenly.

The palace was drowned under the unpredictable summer storm. I wondered whether the gods had decided to bring down the entire ocean over our heads to wash away the sins of mankind. Somehow, the idea wasn't that revolting to me. 

The lotus flowers in the pond were gently rocked back and forth in the wind, fat droplets flowing down the fragile petals. The sound of servants rushing outside to save the drying laundry from the downpour was deafened by the water splashing on the stone stairs leading to my room. I could faintly hear frogs croaking not too far away, probably welcoming the unexpected shower. 

As I sat in my study, a report about some small provinces asking for help about the flood that had befallen them in my hands, a little bird found refuge on my windowsill. I glanced at it, picking up crumbles from the sweets the handmaidens had brought me earlier and threw them outside the window. The bird, startled, fell back out into the storm. The fluttering of wings reminded me of something and I frowned as I couldn't quite grasp what it was.

I looked back at the report and threw it down wordlessly on the table in front of me. My mind was now clouded by foreign sounds and flashes of golden wings. I glanced into the cup of cold tea that was in my hands, staring into the deep dark eyes of a young man with black hair combed into a hat ornament. A sharp jaw and a straight nose was enough for the people of the empire to call me the Charming Prince. I wasn't particularly picky about my appearance. I just hope the poor girl who will be chosen to be my bride won't be put off by me and that will be enough. 

Knowing I wouldn't be able to go back to work, I stood up and walked to a small cabinet. Taking out a red sandalwood box, I stepped back to my seat. Golden carvings showed a dragon flying through the clouds, its long body moving tirelessly through the flow of the wind. It was passed down to me by my late mother, the last Empress. Although a man owning a jewellery box was unheard of, I couldn't bear throwing it away.

I gently touched the dragon, my fingertips tingling. "Mother...I miss you..." I whispered. Although she was the Empress, she was very adamant that I call her Mother and not Imperial Mother. She said it made her sound older. I wasn't sure what she was talking about but I would do anything to make her happy so I did anyway. She used to call me her little prized bird and liked to drag me out of my calligraphy classes to go play in the bamboo forest, making flutes out of fallen branches, smiling as I played her favorite song. 

The box suddenly felt heavy in my hands and I placed it down on the table when suddenly, something seemed to rattle inside it. Since Mother gave the box to me, it has always been empty and I made sure of it every time I took it out to have a look.

Puzzled, I pulled the lock open and revealed a weird kind of parchment, folded here and there. It was quite bulky too. I took it out and looked at it carefully. The texture was smooth and nice, without the roughness of the paper money recently introduced and used here. I placed my finger under one of the folds and it came unstuck, revealing layers of this strange cloth.

It was a letter, a very long one. The characters were unknown to me, but the moment I laid eyes on them, it was as if I could understand their meaning without knowing what they were.

It was a love letter, full of the person's hidden feelings and yearning. Although it was touching, the intimate words made me furious.

Who dares write such vulgar things to an Imperial Prince ?!