I WILL FIND YOU.

Chapter 46: Signature

After lunch Minda and Kai returned to the Southern Tea Room to finish the last invitation meant for the Emperor.

"I'm a bit nervous. What if I make a mistake." Minda said as he looked down at the beautiful red paper.

"It will be fine. The new Emperor isn't an unreasonable man. He's someone who appreciates a direct and honest approach. As long as the invitation follows the common rules of etiquette and clearly states what you want to say it will be fine." Kai reassured Minda.

"Are you sure that is all we need to write?"

"Yes, but we also need to include a letter explaining the gifts that are being sent including the snow leopard's pelt." Kai explained as he handed Minda a white scroll.

Minda looked at the paper feeling nervous again. The rough draft of the invitation was written according to the examples his father wrote for his brothers but he didn't have any examples for the gift part.

"Trust me, it will be fine." Kai said. Minda read what Kai had written and thought it sounded fine. He then picked up his brush and dipped it in the beautifully opaque gold ink before starting to write the letter. As he did Minda's hand trembled slightly.

"Relax."

Kai noticed he was tense and gave him a light kiss. His kiss effectively helped Minda and he was able to smoothly write the letter inviting the Emperor to the wedding.

He then switched to the black ink and white paper to write the letter thanking the Emperor for everything he had done for him. It also detailed how his fiancé Kai had mistakenly trapped and killed the snow leopard and rescued the two snow leopard cubs along with the list of gifts.

After writing the thank you letter Kai passed Minda a second paper listing several gifts he would be sending the Emperor.

"What's this?" Minda asked. He knew about the leopard pelt but not the other fifty items listed.

"Sending the Emperor a single gift isn't enough. Your servant added several items she believed would be appropriate for the Emperor." Kai explained.

Minda looked at the list and recognized some of the items. Many belonged to his family. They were all items he had no use for.

"Most of these are things left at the main estate in the Capital." Minda said.

"Are you fine with giving them away?" Kai asked. He wanted to make sure there was no problem with the list.

"It's fine. I have no use for the jewelry, weapons, or art. Actually I'm a bit surprised Auntie Feifei added a few of the paintings I've done. I'm not a famous artist or anything."

"You may not be famous but your paintings are beautiful. I'm sure the Emperor will appreciate them." Kai said.

Minda had his doubts but didn't feel the need to objection. Seeing no problems Minda started to rewrite it in his own beautiful writing. When both the list and invitation were complete all that was left was the signature. Minda dipped his brush and signed both with a little tiger and red panda. It was how he had been signing all of the invitations.

"Oops." Minda said when he realized what he had done.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked.

"I drew the tiger and red panda on these, too." Minda admitted.

"And?"

"Isn't inappropriate to sign with two little drawings on any correspondence meant for the Emperor. I should restart." Minda said. He grabbed the paper ready to ball it up and throw it when Kai stopped him.