Chapter 3: Meet

                                    

                                          
There's no mistaking that voice, it's Empress Mei Hu.
                          
Fawn immediately scrambles to the highest bush and jumps behind it. She waits for her mother's voice, but for a while, nothing is heard. Two figures, a man and a woman walk past the garden entrance and enter through the golden gate. They walk into the garden and approach one of the sakura trees for shade.
                          
The woman is wearing a raspberry dress wrapped by a long sleeved pomegranate and gold trimmed jacket tied at her waist. Her long dress caresses her womanly fair skinned body with a lotus-shaped ornament resting on her tied up orange hair. The Empress' face is decorated with matching pomegranate makeup to compliment her beauty in the summer morning.
                          
The man is wearing a navy blue kimono with a black tribal dragon pattern. The kimono is a little loose around the chest area showing off his bright tan skin. His black hair is in a long pony tail that reaches at the end of his back.
                          
Finally, with both of their golden wedding rings sparkling in the summer morning, the parents hold each other's hand. They walk on the smooth stone path passing through the beautiful array of bright flowers towards the large bronze stone bench that stands outside of said path. The dragon bench is protected under a sakura tree and only lies a couple of feet from the red curved bridge. At close range of the bench, the Empress lets go of her husband's hand, quickly saunters to her destination and sits on the bench. She brings her manicured hand to her forehead and wipes off the sweat that began to form. The Emporer walks behind the stone bench to the base of the sakura tree and leans his shoulder against it.
                          
The Empress lets out a tired and slightly frustrated sigh.
                          
"We should have stayed in our chambers," she complains as she breathlessly exhales in pretend exhaustion. Both monarchs really didn't walk that far.
                          
Fawn, being behind a tall bush, gently grabs a handful of it to remove the leaves from her view. She only manages to get a twenty foot slightly obscure view of her parents. She recognizes those navy and pomegranate garments anywhere.
                          
Sure enough, it's her parents.
                          
"Come now, my love. 'Tis a beautiful day." Emporer Yung tries to reassure his wife with not a drop of sweat on any part of his body.
                          
"After all, I know how much you love the royal gardens."
                          
"I do, but how can I enjoy the gardens if I am melting?" The Empress dramatically complains again. She brings the back of her wrist to her forehead, pretending that she's going to pass out.
                          
The Emporer chuckles at his wife's overdramatic antics.
                          
"If you do melt, then perhaps your remains could be used as fertilizer for the gardens, it would be easier for our gardeners."
                          
The Empress replies in a quick high-pitched gasp. She isn't really angry at her husband's comment, she actually finds it pretty funny. However, she cannot let him know that. Besides, this could be her only chance to convince her husband to go back to the palace.
                          
"That is not funny! If I stay in this blistering heat, I could get all wet or even drench my dress." Empress Mei whines as she turns her attention away from Yung.
                          
Yung picks up on his wife's words and takes them into a different context.
                          
"Not as wet as I wish for you to be." Emporer Yung mumbles to himself, his eyes face the ground.
                          
Mei turns to face her husband.
                          
"Nǐ shuōle shénme ma, Yung?"
                          
Shénme dōu méiyǒu, My Empress."
                          
The two monarchs continue to converse with Mei Hu occasionally complaining about the summer heat. Fawn is still in the bushes, waiting for the right time to leave. She looks at her surroundings until her eyes land on the open golden gate, her exit and the same gate that her parents had entered. The memories of Fawn's last attempt at escaping from her parents' room pops back into her mind. The red princess immediately cringes with fear, for she knows that she isn't supposed to be outside. If she were to get caught, her punishment would be worse than being stuck in her bedroom for a week.