A simple tale

4.The Announcement

This time I fully took in his features: he had a shock of white hair despite his young age. His chiselled cheek bones and sharp jawline meant that in any time period, he would probably be considered good looking.
"Your Imperial Highness, 3rd prince, we welcome you to our humble abode," grovelled the head of the family bowing with the rest of the crowd. My jaw dropped. A prince him that over confident guy. He smirked at me.
"Close your mouth victor." He whispered. I glared at him how dare he talk to me with such disrespect, I shoved the sword at him.
"Your sword" I said menacingly. He chuckled and took it only for ,when I turned around, to throw it at me. I caught it one handed.
"Keep it for now!" He called as I stalked out of my courtyard and into my quarters.

The next week

"Miss Ai Jei Sun! Miss Ai Jei Sun! Your presence has been requested in the main courtyard. We need to prepare you." My maidservants screamed as they hurried through the newly renovated halls of my living quarters. I sighed this could take a while.
Finally they had finished dressing me in a formal sheni in which I could hardly move.
I strolled into the courtyard.
"Kneel down the royal messenger is here!" A servant hissed at me. Jeez the disrespect! However I obediently knelt down and listened to messenger.
"Sun family you recently have discovered the talent of the beautiful, virtuous and brilliant Ai Jei Sun who, will be betrothed to his highness the 3rd prince!" Declared the messenger. What! Who did that brat think he was. Admittedly in this body I was 15 and he was 18 do I shouldn't be calling him a brat but still. I can't get married but it might help my rise to power.
"Also I have a personal message to deliver to Miss Ai Jei Sun." Added the messenger handing me a scroll. After I had got back to my quarters I opened the scroll.

My dear future wife Ai Jei,
Don't even bother trying to escape after all we still have to get you to achieve your goal.
Your dear husband
Xiang Chuan (the 3rd prince)

He obviously knew that I was going to try and escape but now I have a better idea. I'm going to pay my husband a visit. Late at night when the whole family was asleep and the guards gambling I nimbly changed into leggings and a tunic and slipped out of a window and headed to the palace, careful not to be detected.
I looked up at the towering wall in front of me which might put some people of but there was nowhere that I couldn't get over or through no matter what time period. I threw my grappling hook at the top of he wall and watched with satisfaction as it landed and hooked onto a ledge. In one swift movement I pulled myself up with unbelievable grace. Unnoticed by the guards I crept into the inner palace where my 'husband' was lying on a bed resting. His eyes snapped open as I was approaching him knife in hand.
"Dearest wife why have you come to pay me a visit?" He inquired grinning.
"Oh you know to take your life." I responded casually throwing the sword he left in my keeping at him.
Easily deflecting the sword, he got up." Fine then, let your husband play with you for a while." So we battled it out. Damn I didn't realise how much pent up frustration I had. Finally it ended with me on the floor and my husband straddling me ,panting. Now in this situation I did what every woman would do.
I kissed him. I kissed him pure and simple.
Taking advantage of his shock I flipped the situation around.
"Not so confident now" I leered pushing my dagger further into his collarbone, just hard enough to draw blood. He, instead of admitting defeat, threw back his head and started .........laughing? I snarled at him. Why was he laughing?
"Little thing, well done" he chuckled. Glancing out of the window he said to me," Little thing you best be going back as your family will be worried."
Calmly I got off him and strolled out of the room and scaled the palace wall. When at the top I looked down to see him looking up at me smiling. I quickly scampered home and into my quarters. As I lay on my bed I thought to myself. In the fight it felt as if he was only using a fraction of his power. Just how powerful was my "husband".