From The Ashes (6 page)

“I’m sure of it.”

“Good. Now go.”

“It’s just…”
 
He didn’t know how to tell her he had no idea where the princess’s chamber was.
 
“I mean…”

“Oh when will they ever send me some intelligent help?
 
I wait two months only to get…” she pointed at Ying, her finger quivering with rage, “…you?”

Ying bowed humbly.
 
“I know where to go,” he lied.

“Then don’t just stand there like a complete imbecile!
 
Go!”

Carefully as he could, he stepped out of the kitchen and into the massive halls of the palace.
 
Colorful light infused the halls as it flowed through the stained glass windows and spread out like a rainbow over the expansive white marble floor which echoed with every step.

With at least half a dozen staircases in sight, Ying’s head spun as different thoughts floated within.
 
Somehow, he’d managed to sneak into the palace and not get killed.
 
Now he was about to see Mei-Liang in person.
 
Shouldn’t he be happy?
 
And yet, his apprehension which manifested in sweating palms and racing heart made him wonder if he was not quite as glad to see her after all.
   

Just then, he saw a chamber maid at the foot of the ever-winding staircase.
 
Ying rushed over and whispered, “Can you please help me?”
 
He almost dropped his tray.

“I am late.
 
The princess—”

“Yes!
The princess.
 
I am new and must bring her breakfast or…” he glanced back at the kitchen then back to the chambermaid.
 
Giving him a knowing look, she shook her head.

“Oh, I see.” The chamber maid smirked.
 
“You’ve met the Tiger Lilly.”

“The what?”

“Never mind.
 
Quickly, come with me.”
 
She started up the stairs.
 
“If that beast of a cook decides you are not worthy, she’ll have your head.
  
Literally.”

With his free hand, Ying touched this throat and for a brief moment wondered how much pain he’d suffer if he were to be decapitated by an executioner’s axe.

Three flights later, they finally arrived.
 
Ying was about to follow the chambermaid inside when she slapped his hand, nearly toppling the biscuits again.
 
“You mustn’t!
 
Her highness will be dressing.”

“Oh!
 
I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”

“Country bumpkins!”
She sniffed, turned her nose up and opened the door and entered.

From high above the vestibule, Ying could see outside the castle and over the citadel walls.
 
Rolling hills with sharp zeniths crowned by verdant trees stood in the way of his eastern view, where Xieh Di ruled Chungzhou with a fist of iron.
 
If his troops were coming now, he could not see them.
 
He could only hope the forward sentries could relay a signal back in time to warn the royal guard.
 
But if the Chungans were going to strike, he must find a way to prevent it.
 
For all Ying knew, the sentries were already dead, and the Chungan army lay in wait, obscured in the thick of the forest and hills.

“You!
 
Country-boy.
Come here!”

How long he had been staring out the windows, Ying could not recall.
 
The chambermaid’s harsh tone jolted him back to his present situation.
 
“Oh, right!
 
Is the princess ready?”

“Her highness is dressed.”
 
She rolled her eyes.
 
“But it’s not as though she’s waiting for the likes of you.
 
Just go inside, set the tray down and back out of the room.
 
Tarry a second longer and she’ll have you—”

“Executed, I know.”

“Perhaps you are smarter than you look.”

Both hands on the tray, Ying smiled nervously and shrugged his shoulders.

Again, the chambermaid rolled her eyes.
 
“Or perhaps not.”
 
She grabbed his arm, digging her claws into his skin and pulled him to the open door.
 
“Go!”

Ying stumbled into the door, which stood almost twice as large as any door he’d ever seen.
 
It took all his control not to stare slack-jawed at the ornate carvings in the polished ebony door.
 
There were lion’s heads, dragons and phoenixes, and so many other objects in the woodworking he thought he could spend the entire day just looking at each one of them and admiring the craftsmanship.

As he turned his head back into the cavernous chamber, bright red flooded his eyes.
 
Scarlet satin sheets covered the princess’s bed, upon which five grown adults could have easily slept.
 
Wine colored curtains towered over the entire room. It took Ying several attempts to locate the princess, or at least a table upon which he could rest his tray.

Finding neither, he decided to place the tray on the bed.
 
As he did, the sweetest aroma of perfume tickled his nose.
 
Intoxicating.
 
He had only encountered this heavenly scent once before—like jasmines and honey—when he had first met Mei Liang in the woods.

As the tray touched the bed sheets, the goblet with the ‘Millennial Phoenix’ egg tipped over.
 
He caught it before it made a sound and righted it.
 
Slowly backing away, for fear he might disturb the quietude of this vast room, Ying let out a somber breath.

The chambermaid hissed through the doorway.
 
“Get back here at once!”

With the weight of a millstone on his chest, he turned around and started walking back to the door.
 

To have
come
this close, only to…

“Wait,”
came
the gentle command from within the chamber.

Ying stopped.
 
Dared not move a muscle.

Clear as the ringing of a crystal wine glass, her voice penetrated the air.
 
“Jing Li, pray shut the door.”

“
Your
Highness.” The chambermaid inclined her head and shut the door right before Ying’s face.

“Sir, would you please turn around and face me?” Her voice was clear as the red
Kao
birds that sang during the spring harvest in Xingjia.
 
With trepidation and anticipation, Ying obeyed.
 
Was he smiling?
 
Should he appear severe?
Repentant?
Courageous?

“Yes, your highness.”

“Permit me to look upon your countenance.”

He turned slowly.
 
And to his surprise—because he had not perceived her walking towards him—there she stood.
 
“
Your
Highness!”
 
Ying dropped to one knee, his face bowed to the ground.
 
Even though the moment in which he had beheld her face had been shorter than a breath, his heart raced.
 

A gentle hand rested upon his shoulder.
 
Though he knew he must not, Ying lifted his eyes to meet hers.
 
Soft as silk, her hand touched his face.
 
“I have long
awaited
this moment, Ying.”

Slowly he raised his eyes.
 
Standing before him, Mei Liang was even more beautiful than he remembered.
 
“As have I, my princess.”

She reached out her hand.
 
“I pray you, arise, Sir.”

Ying stood, never taking his eyes off of hers for they were shining as ink in the well of a calligraphy pen, and matched her flowing raven mane.
 
Neither smiled.
 
Instantly, they each felt what the other did—a painful yearning that had persevered against all hope.
 
A yearning that one day they would meet again.

Mei Liang’s eyes shimmered, reflecting the golden light of the morning.
 
“Time and again have I foreseen this moment.
 
Since the day we met.”

Before he knew it, their lips were touching.
 
Rather than speak, he pulled her close, and she him.
 
And as they kissed, a thousand images flashed through their minds, sharing thoughts, sharing memories, desires, fears and premonitions.

Breathless, he pulled back to speak.

But Mei Liang would not let go.
 
Tears in her eyes, she kissed him again and held on until the tiniest sobs forced her to turn away.

“
Your
Highness, if I have offended you in any way…” Confusion and compassion riddled Ying’s heart.
 

“It is not because of you.”

“Then why do you weep?”

She sat upon the bed, and wiped her eyes.
 
“Imagine waiting so long to finally be reunited with the man of
whom
you have dreamt for years, only to be…” she sniffed and sat up with great courage.
 
“I—I don’t even know how it all fits together.”

“Forgive me, Your Highness—”

“Please, don’t call me that.
 
I would give anything not to be princess right now.”

“Why?”

“My father is dead—killed in battle, so they say.
 
My mother lies ill, perhaps days from death.
 
Only my uncle remains as the Lord Protector, and he insists that the future of this kingdom rests upon my obedience.”

Ying perceived her anguish, but still did not understand.

Which Mei Liang must have understood, as she continued to expound.
 
“My obedience to marry the victor of the tournaments today.
 
Whomever
it shall be, we are to form an alliance in military and economic force.
 
This, as he says, is ‘for the best.’
 
It is my royal duty.
 
What my parents would have wanted.”

“But what do
you
want?”

Now her eyes lit up in anger.
 
“My uncle knows nothing of my parents.
 
Especially my father.
 
He would never have compelled me to marry anyone I didn’t…why, he even encouraged me to wait until I found…”
 
She lowered her eyes, as though she had spoken out of turn.
 
In a softer tone:
 
“It’s not just that, you know.
 
It’s the visions.”

Ying sat on the bed next to her and poured a cup of warm Fire Jasmine tea for her.
 
She took a sip and rested it in her palm.
 
Keeping a respectful distance, though they had just embraced and kissed, Ying said, “What about the visions?”

“No.
 
I can’t bear to tell you.
 
All I can say is that there were two.
 
And both—” suddenly, she looked up and gazed straight into his eyes as though searching for evidence it would be safe to continue.
 
“They came from Valhandra.”

“How can that be anything but good?”

She blinked,
then
released his gaze.
 
“One was that I would finally be reunited with you.”
 
Mei Liang touched his face.
 
A warm tingle rushed through his entire being.

“And the other?”
He took her hand into his and kissed it.

“That…” Her lips quivered.
 
“That…” A heavy teardrop fell from her eye and landed on Ying’s hand.
 
It was so hot it nearly singed him.
 

“Yes?
 
What was it?”

“That I would save my kingdom from destruction and…and bring about the return of the Sojourners.”

All of a sudden, everything came rushing back to Ying.
 
He leapt to his feet.
 
And though his abruptness should have alarmed her, it seemed to have no affect at all.
 
“You must warn the Lord Protector immediately.”

She nodded.
 
“Yes.”

“Wait, I haven’t even said anything.”

“I know.”

“You must warn him that there will be an attack on the citadel, perhaps by Xieh Di’s army.
 
I don’t really know, but I’ve heard talk of it.”

“I have been warning my uncle of these things for many months now.
 
And he always looks upon me with deep thought when I do.
 
He assures me that he has the royal guard on high alert.
 
However, I have my doubts.”

Just then, a heavy pounding came upon the door.
 
“Mei Liang!
 
Come out at once!” It was the Lord Protector.
 
“The final rounds of the tournament are about to begin!”