I walked down the stairs slowly, afraid I would trip as I was shaking with nervousness. I couldn’t help but smile.

Every tuesday and friday I would wake up earlier than needed with the best mood just to take a relaxing bath and prepare myself for the self-defense and martial arts class I would have after lunch and until dinner time.

As the princess and only child, I was the soon to be queen of the empire. I was required to know how to fight and defend myself.

When I started my classes, at the young age of 11, I found them to be boring and useless. I would always be surrounded by body guards, so why learn those things?

But my opinion on those classes changed about a year ago, when my father decided I should have another teacher, a younger one, since my first teacher was a wise old man that in spite of being an excellent teacher, didn’t have the “youthfulness and raging blood” (my father’s words) that my new teacher supposedly had.

Huang ZiTao.

A member of the noble and martial arts expert that had been practicing and learning for 12 years now. He was 20 and handsome, tall, with a broad chest and strong arms. He had tanned skin and deep black eyes, as dark as his silk smooth hair. He always had a lazy look on his face combined with a smirk that I was sure he didn’t know what could do to me.

I walked the hallway that lead to the back patium, which had a mesmerizing view of our enormous garden. He was, as usual, waiting for me. It was part of the protocol that the man would always have to wait for the woman, and never the other way around. Especially when it came to the princess or queen, that protocol was religiously respected.

- “Tao!” - I called as he seemed to be distracted looking at the garden.

- “Oh!” - he exclaimed as he turned his attention to me, reaching for my hand to give it a light kiss as he usually did, but that never failed to make me blush - “My princess, I’m sorry, I was distracted for a moment watching the beauties of His Majesty’s garden.”

- “It is beautiful indeed” - I agreed, remembering how my father chose the plants and its locations one by one.

- “But of course not as beautiful as His Majesty’s most precious diamond” - he smiled to me.

- “Oh Tao, you’re too generous…” - I embarrassedly said.

- “My princess, you’re the one who’s too humble. I’ve crossed this empire and I can assure you I have never seen a flower blooming with such pureness and beauty as you.”

I could never get used to Tao’s compliments and he always won when trying to make me blush.

- “Well, should we get the class started?”

- “Wise words, my princess!” - he exclaimed laughing - “Today’s class is about self control”

- “Self control?” - I asked - “But didn’t we went through that on the first classes?”

- “That’s right, but I’ve been feeling you quite tense lately, princess. We have to relieve all that tension and stress”

I gulped and smiled to him nervously. If only he knew he was the one to make me “tense”…

He instructed me to sit on the floor in a meditation position and close my eyes. I could feel his body heat and manly scent as he kneeled behind me, and I almost jumped when I felt his hands touch my bare shoulders.

- “Excuse me the abuse, my princess” - he gently said - “But I’m trying to relieve the tension you have accumulated on your back. Are you comfortable with this level of touch?”

- “Y-Yes”

- “Just tell me if you want me to stop”

- “Alright”

- “So I want you to focus on thoughts that give you strength. You remember we talked about this, right? Concentration. Inner peace. Show a calm front when you face your opponents. They want to see you suffer, break down, beg. They won’t be able to deal with someone that remains calm and untouched. Be tranquil as a forest, but with a fire raging within”

As he talked, his hands kept massaging my back and without me even realizing it, he was already wandering through my waist and lower back.

Surprisingly he didn’t make me feel uncomfortable or nervous anymore.

- “You have an amazing self control, princess” - he went on - “I thought I had too until I met you”

I could feel his fast breath on my neck and soon the nervousness came back to me as I realized what he meant by those words. I thought he was just a natural flirt but now I could understand his behavior towards.

His hand slowly caressed up my arm and shoulder, and that’s when I realized where we were going if I didn’t stop.

- “T-Tao…” - I barely managed to whisper.

He coughed and abruptly stood up and away from me, as if I had suddenly developed a contagious disease.

- “I’m sorry princess, please forgive me” - he pleaded as he made a 90º bow.

I stood up and walked to him. I gently grabbed his face and made him stood up and look at me, his had standing above mine due to the height difference.

- “Tao… I forgive you, but tell me, exactly, what do you feel for me?”

He smiled and grabbed my hands in his.

- “Oh princess… all this time, since the first time I layer my eyes on you, you were the most beautiful being I had ever seen. I have been a crazy man in love since then, waiting for the time you would acknowledge me as more than just a teacher. But at the same time I treasured our relationship, I didn’t want to ruin what we had even if it was just the opportunity to see you and be with you twice a week. But now I’ve just gone and ruined everything and..”

- “Shh, Tao… I… I feel the same way for you…”

With his face still in my hands, I reached to kiss him. My very first kiss. It was so light and soft as he moved smoothly against my lips and his tongue caressed mine for a second.

- “Princess” - he said after - “How would you feel about me asking your hand to His Majesty?”

- “I think you should’ve done it already”