Wuxia Tale: Hua in Bloom

Disappointed

(CAPTAIN WANG)

"The Emperor wants me to what?"

Watching the donning horror on my son's face doesn't give me any pleasure at all. Wang Dao is not just disappointed. He is devastated to hear the Emperor's condition to let Prince Jin marry Dao's sister.

"I have to leave our home and live in the Military Base inside the Palace? Why?" Dao harshly stood up from his chair and started pacing. "No. I don't want to go anywhere. I want to stay here and master the art of sword fighting from Father!"

"Stop being loud, Dao ah." Dayu told our son in a calm tone. "Sit again and listen to us..."

But Dao is beyond listening. "Is this because of that secret meeting with the second Prince. Are you still mad about that? Is this still a punishment? Father!"

"I said calm down!" Dayu glared at Dao. Dao glared back. "I don't want to go to that military base. I want to stay here and train." Our son stubbornly replied.

"You will go," Dayu said in firmer tone. "You will go because I told you to go. Or will you really start ignoring my words? Tell me, are you disobeying me, Wang Dao?"

"You are throwing me away!" Dao's emotions are high. "And for what? So my sister can gain her Prince? What about me?"

I watch as Hua's face paled at the words of her brother. That snapped my temper.

"What about you?" I asked our son. "Will you die if you will go to the military base inside the Palace? I thought you want to be a general like me. Do you know how hard it is to enter that military base? We only took people with potential in that place. It is an honor to be part of that military base..."

"Listen to your Baba, Wang Dao." Dayu added. "And we are not throwing you away. No one is being thrown away. Such words...and after all of the things I taught you..."

"They are not enough," Dao said passionately. "They are not nearly enough. I want to learn more. I want to learn everything from you, Father. If I will go to the Palace, in that military base, my training under you will suffer. All my efforts so far in training under you will be wasted. I don't want that..." Dao is truly upset about the idea of his training with Dayu getting halted.

"Dao ah..." seeing our son like this is a first time for me and Dayu. Dao is our obedient child. Eager to please. Ready to accept any challenge. Ready to learn.

Seeing him disappointed like this, is hard for me and Dayu.

Dao close his eyes and took a deep breath. "If I will not adhere to the Emperor's order, what will happen?"

"You know that it will put Prince Jin and Hua in a difficult situation. They will have to face a disapproval from Prince Jin's father and our Emperor." Dayu said. "And it will put your Baba in a disadvantage as well."

Dayu is giving it to Dao without sugar coating anything.

Dao clenched his jaw, "Will you afford me some time to think about this? Because I don't want to go to that military base, Baba. Father. I don't want to go..."

"Dao ah," Hua finally spoke up to call her brother's name. Dao looked at his sister. "I promised to protect you. I know it is my duty to make sure you are happy. But does it really have to at the expense of my own happiness? My own dream? Do I really have to sacrifice for you to be happy? Will you be happy knowing that while you get your Prince, I will be miserable?"