ENLIGHTENED

TWO

          Three days past the great feast, Yanan met Yuan in his quarters and shared some of their thoughts over a good meal. The two friends seemed to deliberate the number of women who came, talking of who was notable and who was otherwise. Yuan's opinions were either a little too harsh or a little too overvalued, either way, it amused his friend to the point of laughing and snorting along the conversation.

"Tianjin's representative was beautiful," Yuan said as he consumed his meat buns and took a sip of his wine. "She was that one with the pretty hair ornament but the moment she got a little too carried away with the liquor, I thought she was actually going to collapse, but no. Instead, she stood up and danced like she was going to stab someone with her fan.

The prince laughed at the idea of that particular woman as he ate his dumplings. But as he was about to take his cup, he remembered a memory – an image of a woman, dressed in pink and red robes with fans flowing gracefully onto the air; her windswept hair and her deific air and manner.

His heart beat as if trying to let him remember that day. He wasn't sure if she saw him, but definitely, she might have known he was there.

"You might be thinking of something, your highness," Yuan said in pure curiosity. "Is there something that I need to know?"

"I promised your sister that I will let you see each other often," Yanan sighed.

"I'm happy that I was able to see my sister, Sire, but going there again might not be a good time. The spring festival is almost near; it was customary that they would put up a spectacle."

"Why? Do you not want to see your sister again?" Yuan could sense a little danger in his friend's voice. He knew the rules too well – he might want to keep his head intact with his body at the moment.

"If you want to go there, then I think I have no reasons to object." He thought submissively.

"You have already objected me a few moments ago, my friend. But I'm letting it go because I still need you alive and well. If you should do that again, I will behead you myself." Yanan could see fear over his friend's face, but in no time, he laughed at the latter and held the urge to smack him in the head.

"For years we have kept the tradition of inviting our families to celebrate the spring festival with us," Yanyu said as they took a stroll around the lake. "We eat, celebrate, and showcase what we have learned to our families, and if they decide that their daughter should come home and settle down with the family of their betrothal, then we let them go."

"So does that mean the festival is exclusive for the families of these ladies?" Yanan asked.

"We always reconsidering taking them out, however, the perils they face outside are larger than we realized." The exasperation on her voice was noticeable, Yanan felt remorseful, he didn't know that there was still more danger out there than he expected.

As they passed through the far side of the lake, they heard laughter from somewhere near, and as they looked around, they found a couple of ladies in the gazebo on the opposite end. And to Yanan's surprise, it was her.

The world spun slowly as if time and space froze at the sight of her. She was with her friend again, dancing with her two red fans with her hands moving in fluid grace, the sun's rays glaring over the water illuminated her beautiful face. Slowly, her smile showed as she spun around with her light green robes elevating her glory.