Life has its own ways

4.- A marriage alliance

4.- A marriage alliance

Many problems between the clans were solved in the way she had proposed. The new reality was now that only some very few distant kingdoms were still demanding an independence from the Sky Kingdom and were trying to make alliances with other clans in the central parts of the world. Generally, all the distant kingdoms were critical ones for the world's safety, because they were near the unknown and dangerous world, the Forbidden Land. In fact, they were the defense of the world, that's why their men were, almost all, good warriors.

But even this smaller problem was severe enough to demand special concern. The Heavenly Lord, in a meeting with Dijun, Lian Song and the other two imperial princes, proposed to the Third Prince, Lian Song, to make a marriage alliance with the Fox Clan, because Queen Feng Jiu had strong personal connection with the Last Kingdom, which was the most important of all these distant kingdoms. Lian Song could not believe what was happening just before him and was wondering what kind of a chance this proposal was. He, also, saw that Dong Hua had stiffened at hearing that.

LS: Oh... no, no, Heavenly Lord. I have other schedules. Besides... such a marriage should be a complete failure and bring many worse problems in the future. The queen is very willful and free mannered, she can't obey the Sky Kingdom's rules or even tolerate them. On the other hand, we already have made a marriage alliance with the fox clan... (He bent his head thinking of the problem). Mm... just a moment... oh, perhaps... I would say that Dong Hua Dijun, not belonging to our clan, would be a better option for this... if he, of course, does not insist on being single for ever.

Lian Song tried to hide his smile. He was very curious to see how Dong Hua would react. Dong Hua's face remained cold and it took him a long time to think it over, but in the end he said, being thoroughly expressionless:

DH: Alright, I accept, although I dislike the marriage alliances. But... I doubt that the queen will accept this proposal. She dislikes the strict rules and the Sky kingdom itself and does not want to marry again. Oh... Anyway... (he said indifferently)... from now on, do what you want on the matter. I don't care.

Heav. Lord: Dijun... If she refuses... mm... can we make... another alliance with another princess of these kingdoms?

DH: Not a chance.

HeLord: But why? You have already agreed to a marriage alliance.

Dong Hua sighed being bothered, but he had to give a reasonable explanation, so that the real purpose would not be revealed.

DH: I yielded now only for some severe reasons. Feng Jiu's family is well known to me and they are not schemers but, on the contrary, straightforward persons. She has stronger connection with Qing Qiu than with the Last Kingdom, so, she will not try to benefit only this one. She is willful and free mannered, but she is not hypocrite and plotter and has a good character. And I am specially interested in the Last Kingdom, because it is of greatest importance for me the recent years. I will not risk my own and world's peace for any marriage alliance with women's nonsense and dangerous schemes.

He got up and left unhurriedly, not paying any attention to them.

Lian Song remained silent and still. He suspected that Dong Hua had deep feelings for Feng Jiu and just now he, Lian Song, his friend, had given him a chance to grasp and solve the matter once and for all, without revealing the past difficulties to anybody.

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The proposal for marriage alliance arrived to Feng Jiu's family.

Bzhi (grandfather): Third Prince, I don't disagree, but I am afraid she will reject the proposal. She is very independent and stubborn, just as Bai Qian was. I understand the problems, but I have not the power to impose on her a marriage neither with him nor anybody else. However, I will inform her without delay.

When Feng Jiu heard the news could not believe it, she was looking at them with her eyes wide opened and such an astonishment...

FJ: Whaaat....? Is he out of his mind?... No, absolutely not! I will not marry again. I dislike the Sky Kingdom and I don't want to be married with such a cold man. How could I live like this?

Only Bai Qian and Zhe Yan were secretly smiling, because they suspected that Dong Hua Dijun accepted to marry her, only because he was interested in her and not in the world affairs. He had rejected in the past innumerable marriage proposals in more difficult world conditions. But her whole family pressed her very much using, very cleverly, the reason that her son would have in the future to face many difficulties in such a dangerous area and time, like her husband, and such an alliance would make his life safer. This weighed very much in her mind and heart, because she knew well enough the great dangers hidden in the Forbidden Land. She, also, knew well the instability of the relationships between these distant kingdoms. So, finally, she decided to meet Dong Hua in the Sky Kingdom, to make him -if possible- seek an alliance with another distant kingdom or, at least, bargain the conditions of this marriage alliance.

When she arrived there, at her aunt's palace, she sent a maid to invite Dong Hua Dijun to visit her. But the surprised maid hesitated.

Maid: Your Highness, Dijun cannot come to you... it is you who... must go to him.

FJ: I don't care. He knows that I don't want to go to his palace, so, if he wants to solve the recent problem, he is the one who must come to me. If he makes questions, you can say exactly what I said now.

Maid: Really...? You mean "exactly"?

FJ: Yes!

The maid visited Dong Hua's palace and informed him about the invitation very humbly, trying not to make him angry. However, in the end, under his persistent pressure she had to describe to him, in very complete details, what and how exactly the queen had said. But, despite this, he remained expressionless.

DH: Alright, I agree.

The maid looked at him in disbelief, that not only he accepted the invitation, but also he did not get angry because of the queen's bold manners.

But Dong Hua had never forgotten the moment he had told her never to come to his palace again and that its doors would be closed for her. She was so desperate... but she could not feel his own loss, because she didn't know his own hidden feelings. He had forced out of his life his love and he had felt a deep pain for both of them. He could understand very well her emotions and her persistent decision to keep her distance from him and his palace. And, additionally, this woman was not a petty or a miserable one. She had a strong character and could make decision on her own, she was quite independent and stubborn. So, she would never come to him or enter his palace again willingly. Now, he was the one to walk back all the distance which he himself had put between each other. The main obstacle now was her refusal to marry again. If he could come over this, then during their marriage he could gradually penetrate her alienation, not because he was arrogant, but only because he knew that they were a real match. Fortunately, the reasons for this marriage-alliance existed and were really severe enough to make her think it over, despite she didn't want a second marriage or a marriage with him. That's why she had invited him to make the discussion about the matter. He was sure that she wanted to bargain with him, but she didn't know how determined he was. She had loved him in the past, but she had never had the opportunity to really know how he was as the former ruler of heaven and earth in that chaotic ancient times, the burden he had to carry, but also the decisiveness and readiness of his character to act according to the circumstances.

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