The day began with brilliant blue and cloudless skies and a sun that appeared larger and brighter than normal.  I was still in a festive mood after last night’s party and announcement.  I quickly changed out of the new pink silk sleeping clothes my father gave me into a plain blue cotton top and pants that would be suitable to practice with my brothers.  I also removed the special hair pin and replaced it with one I found months ago.  It was plain and made of metal with a very sharp tip.  The other end was adorned with a blue peony.  The hairpin was simple but pretty.  It was perfect to wear every day.

When I entered the dining hall, everyone was already seated and waiting for me.  The men had rearranged the seating at the table.  When I took my usual place on the same bench and to the right of my father, Cao Feng was now to my right. Usually he sat to the left of my father and Yuan Lang was to my right.  Now I was sandwiched between the 2 most important men in my life: my father and my future husband.  My heart could not be more filled of pride, love, and happiness than it was at this moment.

“The four of you will practice on your own today,” my father stated as we were served our morning meal. “I have some business to attend to around the town.  It will probably take most of the day.”

“Cao Feng, you're in charge.” I blurted out without even thinking. I looked up from my meal as I realized what I had said and all eyes were on me. My brothers laughed and my father smiled. “We know the routine, dad” I whispered blushing slightly.

The happy conversation continued as we talked about the skill sets we would practice and if we would be using our flags.  Tiger always had a plan when he was in charge, as he always worked us hard.  There would be both barehanded training and some use of the flags. The junior brothers usually got it the worse as they were younger than we are and started their training later.

Tiger dismissed Leopard, Monkey and I after 2 grueling hours of intense training in the sun.  The 4 younger brothers were kept another 2 and worked extensively on their flag wielding in order to build their upper body strength. Dai Cong and Lui Heng were holding their own but Lu Biao and Wong Wa struggled to maneuver the large and heavy flags.  They were going to need more practice than the rest of us.

“Princess, don’t leave the courtyard yet,” Tiger called after me as I followed my other 2 brothers back into the house.  “I need to ask you something.”

I  walked back to face Tiger who had stopped the junior brothers who looked like they were about to pass out.  He told them to take a short break so he could speak to me in private.

“What do you want to ask?” I questioned Tiger with a curious smile on my face.  “What did you need to ask me in private?”

“To celebrate our engagement, I would like you to accompany me to dinner this evening.  I already received permission from your father.  It will just be the two of us.”

An evening meal without Monkey and Leopard in tow sounded delightful so I gladly accepted.  I already knew the perfect outfit to wear for this celebration. The blue silk tunic and skirt I received from Ping-Ping paired with the new blue slippers embroidered with peonies was a perfect choice.  The matching cape from Monkey and Leopard would complete the celebratory outfit.

The evening was beautiful with a sunset of fiery oranges and reds and a slight breeze blowing enough to ruffle my skirt slightly.  We ate a delicious dinner in a small semi-private room at the Fu Lai Inn.  From our position in the back, we could see everyone who came in and left the restaurant.  The ever-vigilant Cao Feng had arranged the seating to be aware of any danger that may befall us. The small room was windowless and our backs were to the wall.  No one would be able to attack us from behind.

We looked up from our dinner when we heard the beaded curtain move, expecting to see the waiter bringing the next course of our meal. To our surprise Gao Deng was sneering down on us.   Cao Feng stood from his seat to show the Eagle he was not afraid of him.  The two young men stood glaring at one another with only the small square table separating them.  You could feel the tension in the air and the animosity the two shared was filling the small space rapidly.

“The Iron Tiger is having a meal alone with the Princess at an Inn.  Does Chief Tieh know where the head animal has brought his lovely daughter tonight?” Gao Deng asked in a lustful tone so that both Tiger and I both understood his implied meaning.

“My father knows exactly where we are,” I responded to the foul young man in an undignified tone of my own.

“I was not speaking to the Princess,” he snorted at me.  “You need to learn your place when 2 men are speaking. The Tiger needs to learn how to control his woman!” Gao returned to glaring at Tiger who was already glaring at him.

“The Princess knows what to do when 2 gentlemen are speaking. However, currently, she is only in the presence of one gentleman and a man of ill repute.  Her parents have taught her well.” The smirk on Tiger’s face said it all.  He approved of how I was handling myself in the situation and Gao Deng disgusted him.

Gao turned his attention back to me “The next time you speak to me wench, you need to address me properly!”

Instinctively, my right hand went to the hairpin that held the top section of my hair neatly in place and I whipped it like a tiny dagger into the left shoulder blade of the disgusting Eagle before me. At the same time, Tiger had struck Gao in the chest with an open palm blow that sent the Eagle stumbling backward through the beaded curtain that separated our room from the rest of the restaurant. Shocked and embarrassed by the double-sided attack, Gao Deng quickly arose from the floor and exited the Inn.