In the Past

Your POV

I wonder if Tao had ever gotten those letters that I sent him over the years. I smile at that thought.

“Hey, Tao-ssi I think she’s awake?”

I feel myself being shaken by small hands so I open my eyes to see that Chin Hae is a few inches from my face.

I laugh and reach up pulling him down into a hug.

“Chinhae, I will tell you this once,” he nods his head telling me he’s listening, “don’t wake me up like that.”

He nods his head and Tao says to me, “Your highness how will you explain the child?”

I look back at him for only a short second then I go back to playing a game with Chin Hae.

“He’s my adoptive son,” I look at Chinhae, “How old are you?”

He holds up his hands to show me the number nine.

“Ahh so you’re nine,” he nods his head for an answer.

“Ahh well I’m 18 and Tao…. How old are you Tao?”

“18, milady,” he says not looking at me.

“Ahh that means you’re my age.”

I look up at the tree branches that have leaves budding on them.

I smile as I reach my hand toward the sky.

“It’s so peaceful and beautiful here,” I mumble to myself, “in the city it’s so damp and sad. I can actually smell the nature that’s around me. I think I’ll have to make a greenhouse when or if ever I get back home. I wonder what he’s doing?”

“Who?”

I look away from them and then say, “Ahh a friend of mine. She got married and I was wondering how they were doing. I think she was pregnant.”

Even though I said that as a lie it feels like all I told him was the truth.

It’s like I really do have memories of this princess in my brain, but since I’m myself I can only think of the 21st century.

“Is there a good place to meditate nearby?”

I miss the name of the temple he says all I caught was it was half a days walk to get to.

“Milady, may I ask why you need to go to a temple?”

“I need a nice peaceful place of enlightenment to think about something. This is important to me. I need to be able to do this.”

He nods his head and smiles at me, “If that’s what you wish to do then we shall help you milady.”

I nod my head and look at Tao, “You started to call my name formally. As I told you before Tao you are to call me my name if I’m to pass off as a normal citizen.”

Chin looks at me and asks, “What do you mean?”

“I’m a princess someone with royal blood.”

He looks at me shocked but yet he still seems to respect and care for me just the same as before. To him I’m like an older sister that took place of his mother.

“Chin Hae, are you sure you want to travel with us?”

He nods his head as he jumps over to me wrapping his arms around my waist.

“Yes, so please don’t’ leave me,” Chin Hae says as he buries his head into my chest.

I smile as I wrap my arms around his body holding him to me, “Don’t’ worry Chin Hae I won’t leave you. I’ll never leave you.”

In my head I wonder why I said that. I want to go back home to see Panda yet being here I’m just as happy and I feel even more loved since Chin Hae had joined us less than a week ago they haven’t’ left my side. When I sleep at night I hear my Tao from my time talking to me. He’ll tell me how things have been, how his day was, and how much he misses me. I swear sometimes I’ll hear other voices of people along with him asking him that he should try to visit me less often that he needs to come up with a way to get me back.

We walk to the temple after I had changed into a diffrent set of clothes than being wrapped up in a blanket.

I follow Tao who walks effortlessly, and even Chin Hae does better than I do. Well we walk Tao gives Chin tips on how he should walk so he saves energy and ways to keep speed.

After we reach the steps the the temple Tao hands the packs to the young boy and kneels down in front of me, “Milady, please get on my back. Chin Hae, carry these bag for me.”

Chin Hae nods his head and takes the bags, “Of course.”

Well we’re walking up the steps I ask Chin Hae, “Chin Hae, why aren’t you more curious about me?”

“Because the past hurts someone. When I look at you I can see your past is like mine. You have things you want to forget and believe that it’d be better to live the life you want. Yet you know you can’t.”

I smile at him, “For a 8 year old you are quite smart. Chin Hae, would you like to study as a scholar?”

He looks up at me and smiles, “Really you mean it?”

I nod my head, “Of course I do. Nam Chin Hae is a perfect scholar name. Don’t you think so Tao?”

He nods his head, “It will be a name to remember. That’s right. Nam was the surname your mother gave you correct since your father died when you were young?”

The little boy keeps his head down, “No, ‘mam my father had my mother so I hope that he is dead.”

No, wonder the boy had grown up so fast. He had to in this tough world.

“Chin Hae, where did you surname comes from?”

“From what my mother knew about my father she had known his name was Nam and he was a government official.”

“Chin Hae, do you want my last name?”

“You mean Wang, Princess,” he doesn’t ask but more states.

“Well I guess I can’t hide anything from you. Yes, would you like it? You are my adoptive brother/son. So you just have to remember that I’ll forever take care of you.”

“I couldn’t do that,” Chin says.

“It’s what I can do for you. You are a young boy who has a dark past and I’m willing to help you leave it in the past to overcome it with a new beginning.”

He looks at me and nods, “I’ll like that princess.”

I sigh, “No calling me princess or anything of such. I am just Mei Lien and that’s all I am until I reach the castle.”

They nod and when we reach the top Tao sets me down.

“Alright… where would the priest in charge be?”

Tao sighs and drags me over to the main temple and sitting there under a tree is an elderly man who I might have seen paintings of or maybe descendants, but I swear I know him.

The man looks up and smiles grimly, “Oh I have guests how may I help you?’

I bow to him at a 90 degree angle and smile, “I am here to mediate for enlightenment. I had hurt my head and I can't seem to remember much of my past I wish to unlock it.”

“Ahh of course and what of you 2 fine young men?”

“I am here to protect this young lady.”

Chin Hae looks up at him and states, “I am here to forget my past and create a new beginning like noona says.”

I smile back at him as I sit down on the cobble stone path in front of the elder priest, “We are here to learn more about our inner selves so we can help others along with ourselves.”

“Good choice of words. All right I’ll let you use my garden in the back with these 2 young men. Do you know how to mediate?”

“I know the basics sir, but I do not know more than that.”

The man smiles as he nods leading us back to the back of the temple towards what I can see is a beautiful garden.

The only thought through my head is, ‘What a beautiful place for Chin Hae to begin a new life and for I can understand this life.'