"We are here to greet the Liang Princess and lead her to the palace," a young general announced, motioning to the guards around him. "Your Humble servant YuwenShu greets Your Highness."
Admittedly, I initially breathed out a sigh of relief. Then again, from this initial encounter, I wasn't quite sure how I would ever allow this foreign country to become my home.
I began taking in the surroundings. Their capital city of Chang'An was definitely more than double the size of JiangLing, the walls being much thicker and spanning indefinitely as far as my eye could see. It had a certain air of solemness, but whether it was from the city's lasting historical background or the sheer number of guards posted, I do not know.
All I could say for sure was that it was the literal opposite of welcoming. Even once we entered the city, my vision was dominated by a mass of gray. Back home, even commoners wore colorful gowns, but here, most donned either white or a faded blue as if in uniform.
Unlike Liang, there were no gathering crowds, much less any street performances. Not very many people were smiling, and when they saw us, they immediately kneeled. It wasn't the same as the people who bowed to me at home. Their actions had emotion while these citizens seemed to be following an unspoken rule.
Compared to the orderly movements of the commoners, the dirt streets formed a maze, none going on for too long before being intercepted by another. Turn after turn, when I least expected it, we arrived at the base of the palace walls.
The palace was nestled inside the rest of the city but was yet separate. If anything, it seemed to loom above the rest of the dull streets as ferocious stone statues guarded the entrance, barring their teeth and telling all intruders to beware of the wrath of the imperial court.
"Princess of Liang, Emperor and Empress would summon you, but they are busy now as the court is in session. They said for you to temporarily reside with Princess LePing until your marriage," the general informed me.
"They are both at court?" I asked. Though Empress Dugu had a reputation for jealousy, I had never heard of an empress joining the emperor at court. Per tradition, their roles should have been split, the emperor taking care of the country while the empress stabilized the internal harem.
"Empress waits outside each day until Emperor dismisses the officials," he replied.
Passing through the palace, I realized that it was more suffocating than the one at Liang. Here, the only sounds in the narrow alleyways were the howling winds. They seemed to be telling stories of the unknown, the many tales of wandering ghosts.
We stopped in front of a modest palace, and I was escorted inside by the guards. At this point, I felt more like a prisoner than a bride.
"Are you my future sister-in-law? Wow, you're so pretty!" a little girl around A'Yu's age skipped toward me, a little cloth bunny in her hand. "I'm so envious of Second Brother right now. I'm sure Eldest Brother is too."
Was this the Princess of LePing? She was much younger than I expected.
"A'Wu, how many times have we told you. It's Crown Prince and Prince of Jin now," a woman walked out, carrying herself with poise. She was at most twenty, but in her eyes was a sense of wariness. Especially when she said those words, sadness seemed to creep into her very being as she let out a soft sigh.
She must have been the last empress of the previous dynasty. Like me, she was married into a royal family to preserve an alliance. However, the emperor died young, and when she called upon her father to help preserve her son's throne, he took it instead for his own. My uncle had frequently spoken out against the Sui emperor's actions back home, claiming that it was absurd for a grandfather to usurp his own grandson. It must have stung, being betrayed by the one you most trusted.
"YouShi greets the two princesses," I plastered on my sweetest smile as I tried to figure out who exactly the younger girl was.
"Aiya, there's no need for such formality here, though Father and Mother would be sure to like it," the little girl replied, beaming.
"A'Wu! It's Father Emperor and Mother Empress for you." She frowned, a look of disapproval lightly etched onto her face. "Pardon my younger sister for her lack of manners. Though her title is Princess LanLing, she is still too young to fully grasp the norms of the court. I am YangLihua, and you will be staying with me until the day of your marriage."
So she was the Princess LePing. But why had she refused to use the title her father had given her? She did not seem to express hatred towards the current emperor for his doings. In fact, she showed very little emotion at all, and the only facial expressions she would spare was the occasional objection to A'Wu's actions.
I stood there, not knowing quite what to say next as I watched the two sisters. Did the Sui palace mold people from a naive child like A'Wu into a stoic stone such as Princess LePing?
"Follow us," Princess LePing nodded at me and walked into the room.
"New sister-in-law, what are you waiting for?" A'Wu beckoned to me with her little hands, coming over and tugging on my sleeve when I didn't immediately respond.
In comparison to the rest of the nation, Princess LePing's manor was strangely well-decorated. Most noticeably, dazzling jewels framed the edge of the screen divider that stood in the back of the room.
"They felt guilty, so they let me keep the decorations from my old palace," Princess LePing explained, following my gaze. "That old screen was a gift from the past dynasty's emperor. If you like it, take it as my wedding present to you." Her voice was flat, and I couldn't tell if she was trying to suppress her sentiments of grief or if she had none left.
"Aiya, Sister, the past is already past," little A'Wu ran over to her elder sister and hugged her. "In my opinion, you should take Father's offer to remarry and leave this place. Then you can go out and enjoy festivals and everything!"
Her cheerfulness was contagious, and Princess LePing's frown faded a bit.
"YouShi, sorry for letting you see this. On another note, you must have someone to rely on in this palace," she gestured toward the screen.
A girl with a matured look approached us. She was dressed in the attires of a maid, but when she looked over at me, the air seemed to drop in temperature, and I shuddered. Her expression revealed a much deeper history.
"Princess, from today on, please trust me. My name is A'Huan. I have served the previous Zhou empress since childhood. Most maids grow up with their masters and follow them when they wed, but you have not a personal maid."
Her voice was firm and down to business, making it quite clear that she would not be only my maid but rather my teacher. For a moment, I was confused as to who her old master was. When I realized that she was referring to Princess LePing, only one burning question remained. Why were they all so against using the title of Princess LePing?
I acknowledged her and her previous master, thanking them both for their consideration before forewarning A'Huan of my inexperience with court affairs.
Could I trust her fully? She seemed much more loyal to her previous master than she ever would to me. Yet what choice did I have?
YOU ARE READING
Crocodile Tears
Historical Fiction"Let us meet again in hell." Before she became the infamous seductress. Before he was the most hated tyrant. Before it all fell apart... Born a curse, she was cast away from the royal family. But when the kingdom needed an alliance, she was the one...
