A Royal Engagement

The Princess

(QING)

I open the door of my sister's room. I saw Baozang standing by the window and looking outside but her mind is clearly a million miles away from the scene on the garden below.

"Stop worrying," I said as I stood next to her. "You are giving GrandMa grief by acting like this."

"Why?" Is her question when she looked up at me. And I knew she is not asking about GrandMa's grief or anything.

She is asking why, probably on a lot of things.

I put an arm around her shoulder, "I don't know. Li Yi is not talking. She won't say the reason why she is doing all these. Dayu has a theory. Maybe you can help us confirm it. Does Li Yi has a lover?"

Baozang was surprised at the question. She shook her head, "Not that I heard of. Her last serious relationship to a boy was back when we were in high school. She never tried falling in love again. Why?"

I told her Dayu's theory. Baozang ohh-ed at that.

"It does make sense. Us girls, we usually hate lying, unless a girl is a pathological liar. We don't like cheaters that is why we also hate lying. But, when we are in love, lying for our lovers is easy for us," Baozang frowned. "But who could be her lover? She doesn't tell me anything. Goodness she doesn't told me that she wanted to kill Dayu because...I told her...what?"

I hugged my sister, she looked beyond confuse. She looked scared and close to tears.

"You don't believe it, right Gege? I love Dayu gege...I will never. I do have a temper but...I will never...oh..."

"Shhh," I hugged her tighter. Anger rising inside me. I cannot take this anymore, these people trying to harm Dayu just dragged my sister into their sick games. This is enough. I will not tolerate this anymore.

Hurt me, that's a different thing. Hurt Dayu, that's another different thing. But to hurt my sister too. And my parents. My grandmother...that's it. Fuck it!

"If she is doing this for someone or some man, I will find that man." I promised my sister.

"Ge, do you think I could, you know, step down as a Princess..."

"No!" I said as I let her go to capture her face. "Why? Fuck that. Why do we have to give them anything? You, stay where you are. Live normally. I am here. I will protect you. You have been a princess all your life, that is you. Don't give them that. Don't let them win,"

Baozang face took a grim expression, then she smiled. She hugged me again. "You are right. Fuck them all. I am a Princess of the Crown. Daughter of the King and Queen. I am a Wang. Why do I have to bow down to anyone? Never. I think I just got...I don't know..."

"Your position is a threat to me. You are thinking like that again. Like when you are starting to study our customs. You finally understood that you can usurp my position. That you can push me aside..." I said.

Baozang was eleven when our mother started to educate her about the Royal Family. She, one day, run crying to me. Telling me...

"Qing ge! I will never push you aside! I will never be a Queen! I love you..."

Our whole family were so scared. Baozang cried for days, telling people she is no threat to me, her older brother. She even refused to eat. My mother started crying with her. Baozang wanted to leave her Princess status so no one can accuse her of trying to take my place.

I got angry. Why did my sister had to be exposed to that? She started treating me differently, like she is scared of me. She won't look me straight into my eyes, she always bowed down to me, it's sick. So I talked to her. Telling her...