Cherry Blossom

I was a young girl living in ancient China during what became known as the Tang dynasty. I was found abandoned on the doorstep of a monastery by the monks that lived there, they called me Nǚhái or girl. My mistress called me Yīnghuā or Cherry Blossom as she found me in my blossoming Cherry tree. My mistress taught me to read, write and do sums from the time she found me and she trained me in martial arts even though it was frowned upon for a girl to learn. She instructed me up until my last round in what would come to be my last tournament, it would be years before I would see her again.

With China torn by civic unrest and a gravely ill Emperor, the Crown Prince needed a bride of common blood that could quiet the people of the lower classes. When I was caught competing the Prince saw in me that opportunity and the power to keep the noble class from turning against the Imperial family by possessing the beauty they prized and gain approval from the military leaders for my fighting ability. In the end I was given a choice, marry the crown prince or perish and the latter was not an option.