Flower of Bulann

Chapter 2

Kinna sat in her quarters alone, having sent her handmaidens away in a fit of rage, she felt terrible about it now, they were more like family than servants to her. Kinna's make-up was ruined now thanks to her tears and she'd torn off her clothes angrily, throwing them across the room in her anger. Now she sat calmly, an ornate knife in hand, all her years of intense sword training behind her father's back had gotten her was this knife and an ivory-hilted, silk-bound katana from her swordmaster. Kinna knew to kill herself over this great slight was her only option, as harrowing as the thought was. Her sisters had known this too, their faces had said enough. She hesitated though, afraid of the pain, afraid... of dying. Kinna jumped, hearing the door to her room slid open suddenly.

    "Forgive me, my lady... I did not know you were in a state of undress," a man said from behind her.

She turned to look at the intruder, he was young and handsome with his long, dark hair hanging loose upon his shoulders.

    "It matters little, I am shamed already and must deal with it as I must" she replied, ignoring the interloper and looking down at the blade once more, poised next to her exposed belly.

    "Shame... my lady?" He enquired, stepping towards her and squatting down close to her exposed back. "Lady Kinna, forgive me once more. I have been rude... but your overwhelming beauty has thrown me. I am Prince Liu Kwon, fourth son of Liu Huang, king of Giou... I will be competing for your hand in marriage soon. Forgive my overt behaviour, but my curiosity got the better of me... I wished to see your face, for it is rumoured that you are the rarest of beauties, even compared to that of your esteemed sisters. I am glad those rumours were true."

    "And now, you are disappointed? My tears have made me ugly and my nakedness shames me before a prince... if I were saddened before, I am more so now than ever" she said lost in her despair and barely registering the prince's words of false praise.

    Before she knew it he had wrapped his cloak around her naked body, kneeling down in front of her and flashing a beautiful smile. His closeness made her heart beat faster and she averted her gaze as she blushed.

    "I have seen you at your lowest, my lady... and still find you more beautiful than any maiden I have ever, or will ever lay eyes upon. The only shame here is that I must compete with my peers for your hand, and not marry you come the morning" he explained, the prince's sincerity shining through his honey-coated words.

    Kinna was roused from her misery instantly as she looked at the handsome Liu... she would certainly have accepted him as a husband had he been offered to her just a day ago, but now... a strange thought passed through her mind.

    "Your peers?" She asked, wiping away her remaining tears on his cape, intrigued at who else may be competing for her hand now.

    "Of course, my lady. Nearly all of my competition are princes or lords' sons. Your father has gathered us from across the known continent and beyond. I know of my unworthiness to marry a beauty such as you, we all are... but, please," he gently placed a hand of hers and she dropped the knife, the weapon thudding on the wooden floor.

    "Do not deprive the world of your presence, even if you are not to be mine. This world would be too dark without you in it" he told her, his eyes glistening in the wan light.

    He lightly kissed her cheek and departed without another word, leaving her draped in his cloak of green velvet. Kinna smiled at the thought of being the prize for such a man now, the tournament no longer seemed so bad if someone so bursting with love could be her husband after all. Kinna stood up and sheathed her blade, placing it back on the stand carefully with her sword and clutching the cloak tightly to her. Kinna's door slid open once more as Ovinna, her head handmaiden entered the room.

    "My lady, please don't take your life... we all love you so much, we couldn't bear life without you," the handmaiden said frantically kneeling down before her, the other handmaidens kneeling in the doorway on the verge of tears.

    "Don't worry Ovinna, I have found a new resolve. These brave and resolute men must compete for me because they are unworthy of me" Kinna replied with a smile, perhaps understanding why her father had not married her off before to some lesser lord.

    "I agree, Lady Kinna. Your father must have rejected so many marriage proposals in the past" her handmaiden said with tears in her eyes. "We were so worried when you sent us away and eyed your weaponry so..."

    Kinna knelt down in front of Ovinna and hugged her. "I am going nowhere, not without a husband who will love me in tow."

    "Then I shall fetch you new clothing, this feels... indecent, my lady" Ovinna commented, making Kinna laugh.

    "I suppose it is, please do so. And, keep this quiet, I would not wish to worry father" she said releasing Ovinna and holding her a short distance away.

"Of course, my lady. We all love you dearly and would not see your reputation tarnished."

    Her handmaidens departed to fetch new clothing for her. Now, strangely Kinna couldn't wait for the tournament... how handsome would the man be that won her hand, would they be older like Prince Liu? the thought made her giddy and she sat down waiting for Ovinna to return, why did she now feel impatient with the knowledge that the tournament wouldn't start tomorrow?