After catching up with her childhood friend who is now working for her parents, the two of them went out for a walk in the garden. During the walk, Serena noticed that Ming Xu was also taking a stroll in the garden as well.
Serena turned around, about to make her way back to the palace but he called out to her and she has to turn to acknowledge him with the best smile she could give him and pretend that she didn't notice him.
"Hello, are you taking a walk as well?" Serena asked him and he smiled at her.
"Its been too long since the last time we talked, would you care to walk with me?" Ming Xu asked her and she nodded, she didn't want to be rude to her parent's guests, especially towards the man she seemed to had forced into this marriage since they were little.
"I can walk with him alone." Serena said to her maid
"Yes, I will come get you once dinner is ready." Meira said to her and she nodded as she turned her attention back to Ming Xu
"Let's head over to the gazebo, there are seats there and far from people's ears." Serena said to him, leading the way without waiting for him.
Once the two of them arrived at the gazebo, Serena took a seat and he sat across from her with a smile on his face. She does not understand why he always seems so happy whenever he sees her.
"Is there something on my face?" Serena asked him and he shook his head
"I'm just happy to see you again after so long." Ming Xu said to her
"I thought that this marriage was forced on you since we were little because of my demands, was I wrong?" Serena asked him and he chuckled.
"Let's see. You were about 7 when we met and I was about 15 years old when we met, I don't think there was any way that you could have forced this marriage on me." Ming Xu said to her with a shy look on his face
"Oh but don't take me wrong either for agreeing with this marriage when you were only 7 years old. Like everyone, I thought that you would outgrow this phase but for the following years until you became 12, you wrote to me and kept me up with your life." Ming Xu said to her
"I wrote to you as much as I could but since I was in high school and getting ready to enter the real world I was not able to write as much as I used to. When I turned 20 there were no more letters from you who was 12." Ming Xu said to her, looking a little sad as he recalled the memories, Serena could not recall those memories.
"I fell in love with you the moment I saw you when I came to visit you on your 16th birthday, it was only then that I wanted to honor your words when you were younger." Ming Xu said to her.
"So you want to move on with this marriage?" Serena asked him and he nodded
"If you still want to marry me while I stay here, if not, I have no intention of forcing you to marry me." Ming Xu said to her and she nodded
"Young miss." Meria called out to her and she turned around to see her maid walking towards her.
"Her Majesty is looking for you." Meria said to her and she nodded, she turned back to him.
"I will see you at dinner." Serena said to him and she walked away from him and made her way to her mother's palace.
Her mother called her to have tea with her at her palace, Serena's mother is a gentle soul but as she aged. Her mother's health has been declining, her father has been be sticking to her mother's side even more than usual.
"Mother." Serena said to her mother as she walked into the lounge room and noticed her father as she walked closer to her mother.
"Father, you're also here." Serena said to her father who smiled at her and nodded
"I usually come to have tea with your mother." Her father said to her, Serena took a seat across from the two of them and the maid poured her a cup of tea.
The three of them were drinking tea and talking. After 30 minutes there was a knock at the door and her brother walked into the room.
"Perfect timing, I was looking for you three. Can I join in?" Her brother asked them as he walked over and took a seat before anyone could say otherwise.
Soon enough the four of them were drinking tea and chatting, and soon enough the maids came to get the four of them for dinner.
Ming Xu was already sitting at the dinner table, the four of them took their seat and soon dinner started. After dinner her parents and brother decided that the two of them should spend some time to get to know each other better.
As Serena talked with him more, she got to know that the two of them actually have some things that are similar to each other such as the music that they like to listen to and even their major in the royal college.
The two of them study war history but he graduated years before her, other than that the two of them also enjoy the same hobbies.
Serena was not raised to be a fragile princess, she was raised the same way that her brother was raised and she also took the same lesson for being a ruler as well.
"I may not be a prince but I promise to treat you just like a princess." Ming Xu said to her
Serena does not remember him or the promise that she has made everyone promise to her but she does have good feelings towards him.
"I can't seem to remember the past but I don't dislike you, I am willing to spend more time with you and get to know you better." Serena said to him and he smiles
"That is all that matters to me." Ming Xu said to her.
The two of them spent time together and it wasn't until 4 months later that two of them decided to get married. Their wedding wasn't set until another 4 months had passed.