Flower In the Palace

Prince Jai of Zihan was soon to be named Crown Prince once his father ascended the throne. At seventeen he was an accomplished young man who had learned at his father and grandfather's knees the ways of an emperor. There was no doubt that he would one day be a formidable ruler. But now there was a great struggle about to unfold, the fight for the position of Crown Princess Consort. She would one day become the Empress to rule at her husband's side and the vying political factions were willing to go to any lengths to get their preferred noble daughter on the throne. By chance Prince Jai, when he was still a young man came upon a beauty unlike any other he'd ever seen before. He was at once captured and captivated by the young girl who looked to be a few years younger than him. When Mia was chosen as one of the last contenders for his hand in betrothal, the two could not be happier and when she finally defeated all others they believed their life and future happiness together was set. What they didn't know was that the calculating ministers and the Empress dowager, who had their own chosen candidate were not about to let that happiness last. One day they were a happy young couple, looking forward to the day they could finally wed, and the next she was suddenly stricken with an incurable illness. After her death, the young prince lost the will to live himself and gave up all hope of ever finding happiness again. Years later, after his enemies tried to force him to accept someone else as his princess, someone he refused to share even a word of kindness with, something strange began to occur. After falling ill, while burning up with fever he saw his Mia all grown up at his bedside. When he awakened she was gone, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she had been there in the flesh and not just his imagination. *** Introduction Zihan, a land of unparalleled beauty. From its majestic green mountains and flowering fields to the lakes and streams that shone like polished glass under a clear blue sky. Where the people lived in peace and prosperity under the guidance of the emperor. Free from fear of alien enemies, their borders now safe and secure for the past few decades. Where the people revered their emperor as more than just an earthly leader, but as someone possessing all the blessings of the heavens. And so due the respect and loyalty as such. The rich soil and clear waters were the envy of neighboring kingdoms. Their army and men of valor were hailed and praised by many. No one looking on could find any want or need in this flourishing kingdom. This land whose beauty was a balm to the souls of all those who beheld it. But beneath the seeming calm and rest, there was a darkness brewing, ready to devour all in its path. Something so foul that it will shake the very foundation of the royal family and reverberate throughout the land for times to come. And yet there was one who saw, one who knew what was to come and shuddered with dread at the hell that was about to be unleashed upon the people. Tears formed in her eyes as she saw what would befall the innocent ones. Her heart bled and her knees trembled as the smoke rose from the censer and the pictures of her mind told their story. The great seer was revered and feared by all, not only because of her accuracy in predicting things to come but because she also carried the power of healing in her hands. It was said she held life and death in the palm of her hand and those who crossed her path were ever mindful. She was indeed feared more than the emperor himself, and for this reason was the one most turned to for direction. On this day the seer sat among her many pots and vials, wrapped in the woolen shawl that had been passed down from her great-grandmother. She looked blindly into space as if in a trance as the story continued to unfold in her mind. She saw their young lives, the hardships they will face to get to the joy that awaited them, but only if they endured 'til the end. She knew the task ahead would be hard. That she could only do so much to steer fate and change the planned destiny of the two, whose lives now played out vividly in her mind. Suddenly there was a shift in the atmosphere and she pulled the shawl closer around her shoulders. With a deep sigh, she rested her head back against the chair and looked up at the ceiling. “She's here." The words were little more than a whisper as she watched in her mind, the birth of the child, the one she had been dreaming of these many nights past. Her heart raced as the child's birthmark came into view. “The mark of the Phoenix." Her mind traveled far and wide throughout the years to come as she watched the child's destiny unfold. With another deep sigh, she got to her feet as she wrapped the shawl even tighter around her shoulders to ward off the sudden chill. There was joy and sorrow in her countenance. Joy that the child was finally here, sadness because of all that must befall her before she takes her place on the throne beside her man. Outside the wind picked up and the sky turned a dark ominous gray as the clouds rolled in and covered the sun completely. “How apropos." The old seer murmured to herself as she stepped out into the chill of the night. It had been a night much as this when he was born. The one who would sit on the throne beside her. The 'son of the dragon', future emperor and majestic ruler of Zihan. “The time has come, I must prepare for the days ahead."