Chapter 1

Mid-June, Northern Zhao State:

It was the time of the year again for the hot humid days to arrive soon. 16 year old Zhao Taiyang, the youngest daughter of Emperor Zhao Meng, was seen walking along the long waded path ways just outside Tian-Jian Hall. She looked happy and excited today for some reason.

She was dressed in a thin layer peachy color royal robe with a white sash tied at her waist. Her hair was neatly tucked half up into a small bun covered in a golden head dress with golden hair pins that dangled shortly to the both sides of her head. She had a small head, thin pink lips, thin eye brows and cute round eyes. Her smile was so clean and pure; it could be compared to the water that streams in the clear river valley.

She had her hands in front of her on her stomache as she walks with pace neatly along the path way without any servants or maids following behind. She suddenly stopped as soon as she reaches the end of the path way that was going to turn,

“Crown Princess,” A few palace maids greeted her with a clean bow to their knees as soon as they spotted her.

“At ease,” She excused them with a bright smile staring into space.

“Where are you headed to?” One of the maids asked her. “Let one of ustake you there?”

“No thanks, I can get there myself.” She said as she gently shakes her head side to side.

It was like she was staring at them, but missed. Her eyes were pale.

“Y-Yes,” The maids all bowed again as they peeks at one another and went on their way.

Taiyang waited until the maids turned around the corner behind her and begins her way on the path into a new direction now. Her footsteps were paced and steady; her breathing was normal and fixed.

“Crown Princess,” A few palace male servants greeted as well as they came across her.

“At ease,” She excused them too.

“Where are you going? Let one of us take you there?” The servants all chattered.

“Yes, let one of us take you,”

“No thanks, I can get there myself.” She replies with a bright smile.

Out of all the royal princess, she was known to have the brightest smile ever.

“H-Hao,” The servant’s nods and went on their way.

Why were they asking to take her? She looked normal. She looked fine. She seems perfectly okay. Taiyang, again, waited until the servants disappeared behind her and begins her walk to her destination.

Ming Palace;

"Jie-Jie!" She walks into the chambers of her older half-sister, feeling her way in with her hands opened to the side.

"Taiyang Mei-Mei!" Her older half-sister exclaimed softly as she walks out from her bed room into the main area. "What are you doing here?" She approaches her with her personal attendant maid.

"It's your birthday. I wanted to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday this morning. So I set out early." Taiyang said and grabs her older half-sisters hands. "Happy birthday!" She giggled.

"6th Princess," The maid whispered to her master as she stands behind them.

She was the Current Empress's daughter, 6th Princess Zhao Ruyang. She had sharp brown eyes, a long face, dimples on her cheeks and tinted lips. She was clothed in a royal blue silk robe with a black sash at her waist. Her robe had golden thread-- sewing's of a white tiger's face on the front of it. With one glance, anyone could tell she was the Empress's daughter!

"Alone?" She noticed no maids serving Taiyang. "You don't have to travel all this way to say happy birthday to me, I can come to you."

"No," Taiyang shakes her head cutely. "It's your birthday! I should be the one to come to you." She chuckled like a little child, staring off to the side, even though she was facing Ruyang.

"Hao le, thank you." She tried to smile as she stares into her little half-sisters innocent but dead eyes.

Yes! Taiyang was blind. Her eyes had deep emerald depth in them, an unknowing gaze that was glazed over. She was born and raised blind. Ruyang scanned her up and down quickly and sighs in silence with a not so happy frown.

"Is that tea I smell?" Taiyang sniffed the soft aroma of the tea brewing behind the curtains in the living hall. "Black tea leaves mixed with honey dew?" She guessed right. "I heard that Honey Dew is good for your skin, but... Isn't black tea leaves poisonous??"

Ruyang was surprised at her talent to smell something that was so far away from her-- so clearly, "Do you.... Want to have some morning tea with me?" She asked her just because she felt like she had to and released Taiyang's hands.

It seems Ruyang didn't like her as much; judging from the way she is acting towards her.

"Tea? Sure!" Taiyang nods quickly without any hesitation.

Even though, Taiyang never knew how much her sister hated her.

Ruyang scoffs to herself a little and turns to walk ahead with her maid towards the table in the back of the room. Taiyang, without knowing, followed behind her all in excitement and suddenly bumps into a wooden small table at the side where a handmade jade  vase was stationed.

The vase fell off the table quickly and crashed onto the floor into pieces!

"Ah!" Taiyang jolted from surprise and flung a few steps backwards causing her heart to pump in speed.

"... Are you okay?!" Ruyang rushes over to make sure that Taiyang wasn't hurt.

Not because she cared, but because Taiyang is the Crown Princess and if anything should happen to her, Ruyang will get in trouble. Ruyang's personal maid noticed the vase on the ground that was smashed into pieces and made a worried expression.

"I-I'm fine," Taiyang stuttered and shook off the sudden feeling of being scared as she shakes her head side to side trying to figure out where to look.

Ruyang scanned her again with another deep frown in an annoyance expression.

"6th Princess!" Her maid cried out and she looks over, "This is the vase that the Empress Dowager had bestowed to you last month!" She added in as she bends down to see it more clearly. "If the Empress Dowager finds out that it's broken, she will blame you!"

"S-Sorry!" Taiyang gasped in fear and holds onto Ruyang's hands, "I didn't mean to break it! I didn't know there was a vase there! There wasn't a vase there the last time I came here...." She fought in her defense almost in tears.

Because Taiyang was blind, she had to learn how to adjust to everything quickly since she was a child. She has always found time to come to Ming Palace in the past to spend time with Ruyang, thus she knew where most of the things were around her room.

Ruyang took a moment to peek down to her maid and back up to Taiyang's eyes mysteriously.

"Hao le," Ruyang calmed her sister down, "... Xiao Mei, why did you put the vase there in the first place?" She yelled. "Such an expensive vase, couldn't you have placed it somewhere else?" Ruyang took out a little anger on her as an act.

"S-Sorry! Your servant is wrong!" Her maid blamed herself as she lowered her whole body to the ground.

"I'm so sorry!" Taiyang panicked in tears now. Her face begins to fluster in a pale color.

"It's okay... It's just a vase." Ruyang turned back to face Taiyang and gently rubs her hands.

"But, the Empress Dowager had given you that vase! Will she blame you? I can't let her blame you, I have to report it to her--" Taiyang tries to turn away but Ruyang stopped her.

"Hao le, it's okay. I'll explain it to the Empress Dowager later... You don't look too well... Xiao Mei," She turns to her maid.

"Yes Princess!" Her maid lifted her head up.

"Since the crown princess isn't feeling well now, see the her back to her chambers." Ruyang ordered.

"Y-Yes Princess," Her maid bows and stands on her feet, "Crown Princess, let me take you back to your chambers." She said and grabs Taiyang's hands.

Taiyang slowly nods her head and decides to leave the room in silence with Ruyang's maid feeling guilty of breaking the vase.

Tianji Hall;

Later that afternoon, Ruyang walks into the room of Tianji Hall and received a surprise from everyone there.

"Happy birthday!" Other Princesses and Princes wished her a happy birthday.

A birthday celebration was held in the popular Tianji Hall for her.

Ruyang carved a soft smile across her face, "Thank you all," Her fingers rubbed onto her tummy.

Everyone came to give her birthday greetings and went on with the party that afternoon. Food and wine was served with gifts to open later.

"6th Princess," the 2nd prince walks over to her. "Happy birthday, another year older, but you still look so young every time I see you." He reaches a cup of wine to her as he raised his own cup.

Ruyang takes hold of the wine and smirks, "You flatter me too much," She thanks him and gulps it in one shot.

"... Where's the Crown Princess?" He asked her after watching her finish the wine. "We don't see her here at all, we thought she'd be coming with you."

Ruyang looked a bit annoyed and reaches her cup to the side as a maid walks over to retrieve it.

"Er-ge (second brother)," The 7th Princess, Feiyang, pokes herself into the conversation, "Just because Taiyang hangs around Ruyang-Jie, it doesn't mean that she is always with her..." She crossed her arms on her chest to hold up a fur woven scarf around her shoulders.

She was dressed in a dark colored silk robe with golden beads dangling from the side of her white sash at her waist. Her eyes were much sharper and deeper, thin red lips to match her pale looking skin.

"Hao le," Ruyang stopped them before they started arguing. "The Crown Princess," She paused as she peeks at Feiyang, "Is in her chambers... She won't be joining us tonight." She rolls her eyes back to the second prince.

Ruyang wanted to let Feiyang know that Taiyang should be called by her title: 'Crown Princess' and not by her name so simply. Feiyang understood it but pretended like she didn't.

"I see, then I will be joining the party over there. If you need me, you know where to look for me." The 2nd Prince smirks and turns to walk away to join the party.

Ruyang walks into the back of the room where there was less people and takes a seat at a table.

Feiyang followed her and sighs, "What?" She noticed Ruyang glaring at her as she takes a seat across Ruyang, scrambling her piece of fur scarf on her chest.

Ruyang crosses her arms onto her lap releasing a chuckle, "You're very daring to be calling her by her name and not the titled that Royal Father has bestowed on her."

"Her title? Humph! It's only a title... What is wrong calling her by her name?" Feiyang snarled as she rolls her eyes away, not caring. "Is that not the first title royal father had bestowed on her on the day she was born?"

Richu Palace;

Taiyang was seen sitting out in the yard of the her chambers, staring in a blank open space that only allowed her to see nothing but pitch darkness. She sighs a few times and releases deep breathes over and over. She was feeling guilty for breaking the expensive vase in Ruyang's room earlier.

"Crown Princess," Her maid runs over out of breathe. "Crown Princess!"

"... What is it?" She asked with a long sigh, even though she didn't want to know.

"Guess who is here to visit you?" Her maid cutely jumped in front of her.

"Who?" Taiyang echoed her voice softly. She didn't care who it was, she was still worried about that vase. She kept thinking to herself, maybe now Ruyang will hate her for sure!

"... General," Her maid said the one word and Taiyang stood from her seat.

"Who? General Chan?" She smiled from ear to ear.

"Yes!" Her maid nods and they both panicked in happiness holding hands.

"H-How do I look?" She asked and her maid quickly brushes her princess's shoulders.

"You look pretty!"

Her maid wasn't any older than she was. Cute and bubbly too! Taiyang blushed in pink and rolls her fingers to the side of her head to remove any loose hair.

"Crown Princess, he is here." Her maid whispered into her ears and there he came, walking along the pathway towards the yard of her chambers.

Taiyang felt a rush of emotions running through her body as she shook in nervousness. She reached her hands onto her chest to try and stop her heart from beating so fast, but couldn't. Her mind was blank and she smiled sweetly like a little girl. It wasn't the first time she had met him, nor talk to him, but she was still nervous like it was her first; every time he came by.

"Crown Princess," He greeted her with a bow. His voice was so charming to her.

He was tall, tan and handsome! He had a deep charming voice, with huge double eye lids. He looked serious and smart! He had a set of soft dimples on his cheeks as well. He was dressed in a crispy brown colored cotton royal robe with a black sash wrapped around his thin waist. He was Northern Zhao State's most loyal and skilled general and Taiyang's fiancée, Chan Weiting.

"General Chan," She called him softly. "... What brings you into the palace today? Did my royal father send for you?"

He looks up to her stares right into her clean dead eyes.

"Oh...  Nothing, I'm not here to meet with the Emperor. I was heading over to Tianji Hall for Princess Ruyang's birthday celebration but heard that you weren't attending it, so, I came to check up on you first." He replied to her.

For some odd reason she felt a little sad at his response, "Oh, yeah... I'm not attending her celebration this year." She said and gazed down to the ground as she rolls her fingers into a fist in front of her.

He noticed her sullen expression, "Why?"

She stood there in silence for a few moments, "... I-I'm not feeling well." She lied and tilts her head to the side a little.

"Where are you not feeling well?" He asked and brings his fingers to her forehead to feel if she had a fever.

She cutely jumps in surprise from his sudden movement, "Oh," She gasped as his fingers touched her forehead with such warmth.

He noticed her cute surprise and chuckled softly, "You seem a little warm... Cui Feng," He called her maid who was seen smiling to herself to the side.

"Y-Yes," Cui Feng walks over with her head lowered.

"Have someone make some ginger soup for the Crown Princess... Don't let her catch a fever later."

"Yes sir," Cui Feng bows and leaves the yard for them to be alone.

Taiyang was happy that he cared for her, but something else made her feel sad inside. She faked a smile as he removes his fingers from her forehead.

"Although its warm outside, don't sit out here too long. The sun can really take a toll on you." He warned her carefully.

"O-Oh, I know," She nods shyly as she continued to stare at the ground.

"What's the matter?"

Tianji Hall;

Ruyang reaches for the warm tea on the table that was already set out for her to drink, "If anyone shall tell Royal Father, you'd be punished..." She said and blows into the cup to cool the hot tea, "You know how much he loves her..." Her tone of voice changed into a cunning higher pitch.

Feiyang knew what the consequences were but frowns, "I understand, but that title shouldn't been given to her. I'm still upset that Royal Father gave her that title... To title a blind princess as Crown Princess?!? Never in history has that ever been done.... How will other nations view us as?" She sneered and rolls her eyes.

Ruyang smirks at her closed mind ego, "I don't really care, all I understand is that as long as she is around, we'll never be recognized." She said with a pair of daring eyes. "I may be the Empress's daughter and you may be the royal concubine's daughter, but compared to Taiyang, we lack what she has."

Feiyang became annoyed at Ruyang words, "... Lacking on what? Maybe you, but not me..."

"Of course you are lacking. Just look at you; sitting here talking about a blind princess in that matter. Where are your manners and class?" Ruyang and places her cup of tea down, "Taiyang has never once bad mouthed you, but you've already said a million things about her..."

Feiyang smirks, "So what? I like to be real and honest. Do you have a problem with that? Or would you prefer me to lie to her and tell her I like her when I don't-- just like you?"

Ruyang chuckled, "So that's how you see me as?" She asked and Feiyang sat in silence growling to herself. "Listen, of course we are nothing alike. I may act like I care for her when I don't, but I'm not one to be messed with... Unlike you, who is very easy to break." Her voice shuddered coldness down Feiyang's spine as if she was threatening her.

A pat of silence came between them two, "... They say that the ones who talk the loudest and those who are the most honest-- are the first to lose." Ruyang smirks evilly.

Feiyang looks away with annoyance and anger building in.

"I'm not trying to start a fight with you." Ruyang pulls back into her seat, "We're in the same boat, don't you think?"

Feiyang peeks over to her, "... What are you implying?" She whispered loud enough for them to hear only.

"... So what if she blind? She will never be able to help Zhao State physically- with her current disability... But, the Crown Princess is well known for her stagiest knowledge, something me nor you could ever posses." She leaned back into her chair lightly.

Feiyang listened. "So?"

"So... If someone takes her out," She softly implied. "We at least will have a chance to shine physically."

Feiyang smirks evilly.