Chapter Eight –Interlude
What is your name? Xiao Xiao whispered silently to the dragon princess.
There was a stirring in her soul, like the flash of carp scales beneath calm green waters and lotus leaves. A soft giggle, a swish of a tail larger than a big carp, a glimpse of expressive eyes that are amused and critical at the same time.
Ming Zhu. I am Ming Zhu.
Bright Pearl. What a beautiful name. Would your father miss you? Xiao Xiao said. The stirring intensified, as if the carp grew agitated.
He wouldn’t!
Xiao Xiao felt a touch of envy too, a current of sadness at things lost.
Did you run away from home? Xiao Xiao gently probed. You ran away from home, didn’t you?
A splash, a ripple of concentric circles, the calm of the water disturbed with an angry tail-swipe.
I needed time to think! That is all. Stop asking.
Then the calm returned, the carp scales sank into the murkiness of the silt. No more words from Ming Zhu.
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Xiao Xiao - Chapter One
Teen FictionEnter the world of Xiao Xiao, daughter of an imperial courtesan, and a fantastical historical Qing China, with dragons and magic and traditions. What happens when her mother adopts a baby girl found in a rice field? What does the green pearl do?
