山有樞、隰有榆。
子有衣裳、弗曳弗婁。
子有車馬、弗馳弗驅。
宛其死矣、他人是愉。
On the mountains are the thorny elms,In the low, wet grounds are the white elms.
You have suits of robes, But you will not wear them;
You have carriages and horses, But you will not drive them.
You will drop off in death, And another person will enjoy them
***
The following seasons went by too fast. Every night, falling asleep in Jīn Sù's arms, Xiān Chí feared it would be the last. Jīn Sù knew she was scared, knew she was preparing herself for the worst.
It strained their relation.
"Xiān Chí."
Xiān Chí had been practising in one of the courtyards, away from the prying eyes of the Imperial Palace. She had hoped to find some peace and quiet, to pull herself together and savour the moment.
"Do not ignore me."
She didn't want to speak with Jīn Sù, didn't want to hear the same old argument and promise again. She knew she was being stupid, that this was not the way she should act to Jīn Sù. That this was not the way she wanted to spend their remaining time together.
"You were gone before I woke up."
It wasn't fair to Jīn Sù. It wasn't fair to anyone.
"Xuán Hú came by, he said he had sent Chéng Tù to you. Did you see him?"
Xiān Chí raised her arms, her sword in hand, ready to follow the motions of the tàolù again, and again, and again.
"Please, you know what he has said, don't you."
Jīn Sù was standing too close, Xiān Chí couldn't think with Jīn Sù's parfum on her mind. Knowing what she only had to take one step back to be engulfed within her arms. To pretend for a moment they could have this for an eternity.
"Xiān Chí, please, just say something. Anything."
It would only hurt to pretend that they had time. But now that there was no more left did Xiān Chí realise how much better it was to pretend. To act as if the cosmos would never arrive at this point of no return.
If only she had known.
If only she had acted without a care, taking as much as she could.
Anything to have a moment longer with Jīn Sù.
***
"Xiān Chí? Xuán Hú asked me to come and see you."
Xiān Chí had just returned from the kitchen where she had fetched herself some early breakfast. Jīn Sù hadn't been up yet when she had left, and unwilling to wake her lover up for some food did she carefully get up to find something herself.
"What is it? Did something happen to the Queen Mother?"
In her haste to find out what had happened, and unconsciously reaching for her weapons, were the dumplings she had made left forgotten on the ground.
"Oh no, nothing like that. It's—you dropped something—Xuán Hú has gone to talk to Jīn Sù."
Xiān Chí, who had been in the process of retrieving the dumplings, let them fall to the floor once more in shock.
YOU ARE READING
Eastern Sun
FantasyXiān Chí had known that her relationship could not last forever, but when the official news hits it still comes as a shock. She will have to travel to the other side of the country for the wedding ceremony with the Crown Prince. He is the only son o...
