Legend of the Dragon Princess

Chapter 3.2: The Coin's Other Side

When I was Princess June, Hao never once apologized to me—nor did he even remotely consider my feelings as a woman or as a sister. What is wrong with these two brothers?! As if on cue, a wave of intense pain made its way, causing me to place one hand up against my forehead. They're giving me migraines... I felt as though I was meeting both Ming and Hao for the first time—all over again—as Jing.

"Can you clarify that last bit of information for me?" I asked him, putting my hand down but still staring head on. We didn't want to draw any unwanted attention between us two. "Are the people not content with the Empress taking over?"

"It's still too early to say." Towering over me, Hao leaned in a bit toward my side as his horse picked up speed to walk alongside mine. "Regardless, I'll inform you that they just aren't content with her new set of laws that are still being reviewed by the high officials, which had been otherwise leaked out to the public and distributed...as news." At the end, the left corner of his lips tugged into a quiet smirk, going unnoticed by the others but also, breaking his rock demeanor.

It was as I had once thought—that the Chen brothers have never liked the Empress too, but I never knew the extent of Hao's until now as he is usually so closely guarded around me, the princess. When he is around my brother though, I can see that Hao is not as rigid as I had deemed for him to be... For a moment there, Hao looked...to be having a bit of fun, poking at the Empress' failure to please the people.

"What sort of laws?" I raised an eyebrow, slipping up a smile—to which he returned. "Surely, she's not intruding upon their Human rights when it's only been a few days since her crowning. That would have been most unwise for Her Majesty as that would accomplish nothing but revolts and political enemies." I paused, trying to remember anything I had heard in passing between servants and the palace guards recently. "Tax laws?"

"No, Prince." Chuckling, the young man shook his head. "I've never thought of our future Emperor Jing as to be such a simpleton!" His walnut-brown eyes too were laughing, their shine being like smoky tourmaline gems.

"A simpleton?" My eyebrows dipped. "I'll have you know that I can have you dismissed today for such poor lijie and name-calling, Hao—"

"And I'll have you know that you two are flirting like an old married couple." Chimed in a familiar but snappy voice. Both Hao and I turned our heads to see that Ming had joined up with us and our horses at the front—instead of where he was previously, glowering at my back. Once he locked eyes with mine, the leafy green hues flickered away as he glanced over to his older brother. "I doubt that His Majesty even ate a decent morsel of food with the Empress during their lunch, so did you even ask him if he wanted to stop by anywhere?"

Wavering in the air, the onyx-black feather plume of Hao's helmet flickered for a bit while Hao paused to take a long look at Ming before returning his attention to me as if he was attempting to make sense of the sudden hostile situation between us two.

"Know your place, brother." Hao began, slowly. "You're being disrespectful to His Majesty. Should I have known earlier, I would have had you posted somewhere else—lest you anger him, and Father will hear of it." Then, averting his attention to me, he hurried to stammer, "Duibuqi... My apologies for Ming's ill behavior. I hope that you are not angered by his rude behavior."

"Why the formality, Hao?" Sighed the younger brother, in an exasperated tone. For a split second, his bright eyes panned over toward my direction. It was almost as though he was attempting to stir up a fight. "We three have been together since children, after all."

"You want informality?" Narrowing his thick eyebrows, Hao's lips deepened into a thin line of black wrath, his eyes darkened into stormy skies—shrouded in complete irritation and at the limit of his tolerance. "Shut up, Ming! There." It was then followed by mumblings of why the Hell must Ming be in such a foul mood right now—of all times.