The next morning, I went to Chen. That's what I'm supposed to do as an assistant,right? I don't know.
I walked through the cold marble corridors decorated with flowers and aroma. Every step echoed longer than it should have, as if the palace wanted to remember who passed through it.
I knocked on Chen's door. She told me to come in.
I was surprised to see her packing weapons. Arrows,swords and what not. She handled them like habits, not tools — the kind of familiarity that came from choosing violence and surviving it.
I asked,"You are a fighter?" "Yes, I am. Did that come out as a surprise?" "No,not at all. But are you going somewhere? " "More like we."
The way she said it made refusal feel theoretical, not practical.
"Um,okay then. I'll pack my stuff as well." I met Dannyal on the way to my room. He asked,"Where you going on a rush?" "Chen was packing weapons. She is going somewhere with me." "Oh,good luck then." "Yeah,thanks. "
I went ahead. He turned back again and said,"Oh,hey,I forgot to tell something." "Yes?" "I saw some men like you out there." "I'm not a man."
"I mean like you." "Stop this joke,dude." "How do I say that...I saw some...white people. They call them Jesuits." "Oh," I said lightly — and committed it to memory anyway.
"I thought you would be interested to know. "He muttered.
I took my sword and rode on my horse. While going out, Dannyal said,"Bye ,have all the fun..without me."
Dude,is he stupid? I'm not going to a movie theater. Shuying said from beside,"Why sad? I'll be with you."
I bid farewell and went away. I just hope Shuying gives him more sweets so I can loot them.
Chen took me to the countryside. Big mountains with windy and cloudy environment. The grasses would be long enough to hide a child. It felt like the kind of place the palace preferred not to notice.
While roaming around, I asked,"I don't know a lot of princesses who would take their personal assistant somewhere with weapons."
"Oh,you think I don't know what you did to Mughal Empire." She wasn't asking. She was aligning facts she already trusted.
"Wait,what?!"
"My,my,don't act stupid. You look cute when you act like that though." She said while chuckling.
I blushed a bit. "Bu–but."
"It took you six years to raise a rebellion, right?"
"Yeah."I said while looking down.
"It's fine. I won't get you caught. But I won't let you rebel either."
"Why?"
"A fighter like you is all I need as a friend. The assistant role is to avoid suspicion. "
The moment I went to ask what she meant, she went ahead to a gathering. It felt like they were all waiting for her. She opened a bag full of coins and gave them.The way they accepted it told me this wasn't charity — it was restitution.
I asked the reason. She replied with just a small smile. Then she took me to hike on a mountain. I said it was really high. She replied with," It will be worth it."
These ancient techniques of climbing were risky but the view was amazing.
She knew a cave. She said,"I meditate here. Come,join me."
She did all those ancient yoga poses and practiced for Kung fu. I fell a thousand times doing them.
So I just gave up doing them and enjoyed the the beautiful villages and tea gardens from up. After finishing, she sat beside me and offered me snacks.
She said,"This is like my lonely picnic. Not a lot of people enjoy them."
I exclaimed, "I do. Just as long a–"
"You don't have to do the workout?"
"Yeah." I said with a small smile.
I asked,"Why did you give them coins?"
"To repair for a damage I have done."
"Damage?"
"Don't you agree there are times when we have to do necessary evil?"
"Yes,I do." I said with widened eyes and slow voice.
"But I feel like we should repay that after we're done. Don't you agree?"
"I never gave myself permission to think about it. "
"Oh."
"But you are right."
"Did you agree in fear?"
"No,I didn't. "I said backing a bit."You still didn't answer my question though."
"Which one?"
"Which damage are you repaying?" I asked.
"Oh,I rebelled once...against the kingdom."
"WAIT,WHAT?!"
"Yeah,this might shock you b–"
"I'm more interested in you right now than shocked."
"Oh,that's good then." She said while putting her hair behind her ears. Then she added,"I was the eldest,the bravest, the strongest,the wisest. Everyone admired me. But I wasn't given the throne because I wasn't the son."
"So you rebelled?" I said with a sorrowful voice.
"Hmm,but I lost."
"How are you still alive then?"
"My brother saw logic in my reason but would he leave his throne for that? That's why he forgave me. I'm like a symbol of King's forgiveness. "
"I see." I said with sigh. The fact is losing didn't break her. Being forgiven did.
"That's why I'm meditating to leave my desire of the throne."
"But you were rig–"
She stopped me in the middle of the sentence by putting her index finger in front of my lips and said,"Sshhh."
Is she afraid to face the truth that she was right along? Cause this truth could break her motivation for meditating.
Then she went back and packed both her and my bag. Then came forward and said, "Come on,let's go back."
I was still confused at her behaviors. But what can I say? At least I think it's going to be a bit easier to survive with her.
We came down and returned. Chen gave me a work. She gave me two files to submit to the King. But I only had the time to give one faster and the other later.
Problem was both needed immediate action. One was about animal danger in a village, it would result in death of at least two people everyday.
Another was about a foreign country's rebels' invasion. They were secretly planning to attack tomorrow. They might be small but they were beside a densely populated area.
Which one do I choose? Of course the second one.
After giving them, I went to Chen and asked,"Were you testing my loyalty?"
"Had I tested your loyalty, I would not have given you the files on the first place. I was seeing your judgment system." Then she added ,"Loyalty could be taught. Judgment had to be revealed, my dear."
I understood the type of girl she was. I really find comfort in these calculating type of people.
But comfort didn't mean safety. People like Chen didn't hesitate when they cut.
That night, I told Dannyal about Chen, he replied that it would be awesome if I could convince her for a second time.
It would be great indeed but thing is if she gets angry or feels that I'm a threat,it could all go wrong.
After some time,Shuying came,this time with a bag of dumplings. I'm stealing them the moment she goes away.
Dannyal told her some mid level jokes that she found funny. He could tell better jokes though.
Her laugh made him shy. I looked at Shuying and oh boy, she looks charming when she laughs. Her laughing is cute to hear.
From my previous experiences, beautiful girls like her are blamed the first. In harem, it's like a clinging danger.
To think of it,how come I sound like a donkey when I laugh? Should I change it? OBVIOUSLY NOT.
I went to check out on the Jesuits. They helped the Chinese learn the Western astronomy.
Among them, I found a French. He bragged to me about something and showed me the dresses of singers, I saw a blade kept in their folded sleeve to straighten it. Weirdly dangerous technique indeed.
Beauty hides tools. But those tools could hurt the beauty as well. One wrong movement and your skin could get cut by those blades .
I didn't understand what he said though. I told Alex to teach me French. But that piece of a sloth won't.
But I had to convince Chen the next morning. The problem is Convincing Chen wasn't the danger. Becoming someone she agreed with was.