Love's Eternity

Written in Bone

Yin, China 1,o46 BC

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          Until only three weeks ago, Lu Xin had lived on a farm with her parents on the banks of the Huang River, her home nestled in the river valley between the path to temple and the river full of life. The only thing she knew of was the simple life of a farmer in Yin, where the orioles chirped a song in the branches of the cherry blossom trees, and the bamboo forests across the river danced in the warm, summer breeze.
          One morning, a luxurious, gold chariot that contained the King, King Shang, rolled along the path when the king laid eyes on Lu Xin, who was tending to the rice fields as the sun peeked its head over the top of the valley. He had fallen for her immediately, and ordered that he would be married to Lu Xin, she would become his bride.
          The next morning, there was a knock at her door. Two militiamen had come to take Lu Xin from her home, to leave her family and life behind, to come live with the king in the temple on the rolling, green hills. She'd have to leave everything behind, even leaving the young, handsome fisherman from the village beyond the valley.
          The fisherman's name was De. One day, he had came to the village of Lu Xin's to sell his catch, and when she saw De, she immediately fell in love. He had taught her to catch fish for her own family, gently coaxing the brightly speckled fish in the water to his fishing net with such skill.
          She had to say goodbye to De. For forever. She wanted nothing but to see him one last time.
          It had been nineteen sunsets since Lu Xin had seen De, seven sunsets since she'd received a scroll from home with bad news: De and some other boys from the neighboring farms had run away to join the rebel army, and no sooner had he left than the king's men had ransacked thevillage, looking for the deserters. She worried for what had become of her love, De.
          Lu Xin stood inside the palace in a floor-length silk, white robe. Her black hair flowed over hair shoulders, down to her waist. She was lonely within the marble, palace walls. She hated the king for summoning her to be his wife. She missed her home, her family, but mostly, she missed De.
          Earlier, the king had asked of Lu Xin to see him in the King's chamber when she had the time to. Of course, it was a command, everything King Shang told her to do wasn't optional. She sighs as she trudges along the marble floors covered with enormous animal skin rugs. The palace seemed like it went on forever, with endless marble halls and endless gold curtains.
          She arrived at his room, and knocked three times on the thick, stone door. She waited. No answer. Lu Xin thought that was odd. The king would most likely be in his chamber, getting ready for war. This war was important to him, because if he lost, he had to give up the dynasty to the rebel enemies.
          She knocked again, but there was no answer. She decided to walk in, pushing the brass handle open and stepping inside the massive chamber.
          Inside, light flooded the room. Endless windows filled the walls, and four timber pillars held up a finely thatched gabled ceiling.Bronze lamps stood on jade tables on every corner in the room. The room smelled of spice, mostly because of the stone basin by the edge of the room that held cups of jasmine tea and jars of oils and aromatics. A gigantic jade wardrobe stood against the wall next to her, and the dragons carved into the bed canopy sneered at her like they knew everything that she didn't know.
          And in the center of the room, King Shang lay dead, his arms and legs sprawled out on the floor, a dark red stain on his breast, and a dagger in his cold, dead hand. Lu Xin froze.
          On the ground next to the king lay a small, turtle-like shell. It seemed to have fallen out of the kings pocket. It was the oracle bone, more important than any king, holding the answers from the Deity above. It was nothing more than a tortoiseshell, but it was small and polished and pristine. She looked closer at the shell to find that someone had painted words in soft black ink: