Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Sister Ai Fen, I didn’t expect it from you,” Jingfei said. Ai Fen confusedly glanced at the First Princess.

“Pardon me, First Sister? Did I make any mistake unknowingly?” Ai Fen asked humbly.

“Yes. Sister Ai Fen tried to get close to Commander Huang Xi,” Jingfei said with a displeased look. “I trusted Sister Ai Fen a lot, yet she has to do it.” Ai Fen got confused when she heard her.

“First Sister, how could you say this? I never got close to Commander Huang Xi,” Ai Fen asked and glanced upon Lin Jie, who was gazing at her with suspicion.

Qiqi came forward and got on her knees, keeping her back straight while her hands rested one over the other. “First Princess, the Second Princess never did any such thing. I swear on my mistress’s behalf. The First Princess surely has some sort of misunderstandings,” Qiqi humbly told Jingfei, who chuckled.

“Stop telling lies, Qiqi. If it wasn’t true, then why is Commander Huang Xi following the Second Princess to the market?” Lin Jie questioned her.

Ai Fen frowned and looked at Jingfei. “First Sister, I never did it. Please don’t believe the words of a mere servant. I am well aware of the feelings of the First Sister towards Commander Huang Xi. He was ready to accompany me to the market on the King’s order. Since all of my brothers are busy, Father told Commander Huang Xi to follow me. If the First Sister doesn’t believe Ai Fen, then she can ask our Royal Father about the same,” Ai Fen explained everything to Jingfei.

Jingfei glanced at Lin Jie, who had lowered her head. Jingfei felt that she came into the words of a servant. She stepped toward Ai Fen and held their hands. “Forgive your elder sister for doubting the Second Sister,” Jingfei apologized to her. “I should have not accused her this way. Please forgive Jingfei.” She again requested while caressing Ai Fen’s hands.

.....

“I have no complaints from the First Sister anymore. I just want her to not believe anyone’s words. Ai Fen will never betray her elder sister,” she forgave Jingfei, who thanked her and assured her that she would scold Lin Jie for her mistakes.

Ai Fen forced a smile on her lips. Since Jingfei was her elder, she did not say anything to her. Moreover, she was the Queen’s daughter. “I will not go to the market, Sister Jingfei. I will go some other day when any of my elder brothers will be free,” Ai Fen affirmed, which overwhelmed Jingfei’s heart.

“Sister Ai Fen is such a great younger sister to me. Jingfei will also accompany her Second Sister to the market when you go to the market. Please do tell me,” Jingfei stated. Ai Fen nodded at her. Jingfei soon took her leave. She was surprised to see Huang Xi outside Ai Fen’s chamber.

Huang Xi bowed upon seeing her and then stood straight, looking inside.

“Sister Ai Fen doesn’t feel good. Commander Huang Xi shall leave,” Jingfei told him. Huang Xi tilted his head to glance at Jingfei.

“The Second Princess looked healthy before. What happened to-” he paused when Ai Fen interrupted him.

“Commander Huang Xi, my head is aching. I don’t think I will go to the market. My humble apologies for wasting the precious time of the commander this way,” Ai Fen apologized and lowered her head.

“The Second Princess is embarrassing Huang Xi. I usually get free at this hour, so I thought to accompany her highness. Please take a good rest. I shall leave,” Huang Xi stated and turned to leave when Jingfei stopped him.

“Why doesn’t Commander Huang Xi accompany me to the market?” Jingfei’s statement bewildered Huang Xi. “He is free at this hour, so he can accompany me, right?”

Huang Xi turned to her and nodded at her. “Of course, First Princess,” Huang Xi agreed.

“Sister Ai Fen, do you want me to buy you something? I will bring it for you,” Jingfei asserted. Ai Fen refused and asked her to enjoy it. Jingfei hummed. “Take a good rest, Sister Ai Fen,” Jingfei said and walked ahead. Huang Xi peered at Ai Fen for a while and then left behind Jingfei.

“Why did the Second Princess lie about having a headache?” Qiqi asked Ai Fen.

“So that Sister Jingfei can spend her time with Commander Huang Xi. It will be great if two come close to each other,” Ai Fen said with a smile. “Moreover, I need to ask Li Hua if she could make the tea from the flowers that I plucked earlier. I may go to the market some other day,” Ai Fen asserted and walked inside her chamber.

“My Mistress is so kind,” Qiqi murmured and followed her in.

~~~~~~

“Your Highness, my energy is drained. I don’t think that I may be able to train more,” Li Hua complained while wiping the sweat from her face. She brought her hand down which was holding the bow. “These clothes are too heavy and uncomfortable to train with,” Li Hua mumbled and turned to look at Lóng Wei, who was on the patio.

Lóng Wei rested on the support of his right elbow which was on a bolster. His right leg was flat on the floor mattress while his left knee was in the air. He had a cup of wine in his left hand which he was enjoying.

“Don’t you want to train and become strong? If you cry like this, I am afraid, you won’t become a great archer like your eldest brother,” Lóng Wei pronounced and brought the wine glass to his lips. He sipped it and smiled.

Li Hua turned her back to him and stomped her leg on the ground. “If you think that I am the hero, who will keep his heroine weak while protecting her, then you are wrong, Wifey. When you burn like a sun, you give a great outcome,” Lóng Wei gave encouragement to her.

“How could a husband enjoy his wine while pushing his wife into this kind of training? Shouldn’t he help her?” She muttered and scoffed. Pulling the string of the bow, she let it go. The arrow hit the bark of the tree, but could not pierce it.

She picked another arrow from the table and put it on the bowstring. Stretching her arms out, she was ready to release the arrow when Lóng Wei put his hands over hers.

“At least give your heart and soul to this training. You shall burn in revenge to burn others,” Lóng Wei said. “Of course, your husband cares for you. If he had not then, he would have let her roam weakly,” he asserted.

Li Hua tried to push him away when she got a scolding from him.

“Stay still, Li Hua. At the present moment, I am your teacher, not your husband. You are my disciple,” he whispered near her ear.

“Whenever you shoot this arrow, remember what happened to you. You would have been happily enjoying your life with your family. The cries of your family members, the servants in the Xu Residence- remember them. However, don’t let yourself fall weak. That’s an enemy of yours. You need to be perfect and become good at warfare,” Lóng Wei kept saying in her ear.

Li Hua recalled the night when her father was fighting with the masked assassins. She ran away while her father died and numerous others.

The arrow released from the bow and pierced through the bark of the tree this time. Lóng Wei smiled and said, “this much is enough to kill the enemy before you.”

He handed another arrow to her which she readily put on the string. Lóng Wei put his hands behind his back and watched her. After a minute, she released the arrow and it pierced through the bark easily.

“Good. Can you hit the spot above my head then?” Lóng Wei asked her and she promptly shifted her gaze at him.

“What does His Highness mean?” Li Hua asked him when Lóng Wei walked to the tree. He removed the arrows from its bark and threw them on the ground. He faced Li Hua while his back rested against the tree, he said, “Shoot the arrow above my head. My life is in your hands now.”

“Your Highness, I have yet to become good at archery. Please get aside,” Li Hua requested him.

“What if I am attacked by someone? You need to shoot the enemy. Will you think the same? Will you let me die or will you pick your bow to shoot that enemy?” Lóng Wei stated. His questions intimidated Li Hua. What if something happened wrong and she ended up shooting Lóng Wei. He might die. No, she could never do it.

“Li Hua, when I can have faith in you, can you not have faith in me? Shoot the arrow right above my head,” Lóng Wei loudly said. Li Hua gazed into his eyes and gulped.

She again put the arrow on the bowstring and after a few seconds released it.