It was the turn of just one month and Damian still had not bothered to return. Yingtai had to move on. But she just could not.
Everything she had tried to do could only make her think of the courageous Damian. Come to think of it, Damian had not come to see Yingtai…instead, the brave boy had encountered the King!
“And why have you come here?” he asked.
“Your royal highness,” recited Damian, “I only came here for a blessing from you, as I am about to marry your daughter. I am so yearning to have her in my arms. Only if you abide with me on this.”
The King guffawed. And then he shouted, “Guards! Come and arrest this insane lad! And execute him in the least! He might be a heretic!”
“Please, your majesty!”
“Only those in the catholic faith can marry Elizabeth of England!”
Elizabeth?! Yingtai’s name is…Elizabeth?! But how?!
Meanwhile, Sadako had come to visit Yingtai, who was in her room. She gave off a worried look.
“Thou lookest tired and hungry: thou'st been treated ill! Come with me!”
The lowly servant led her to the kitchen of the castle, where they had prepared delicious dishes for Yingtai’s betrothal feast.
But the new princess was still upset because of it.
In fact, she felt as if she was betraying herself more than she was betraying Damian.
I would have to tell him sooner or later! How, though?
“Where did you live?” asked Sadako, cheerfully?
“I lived in China for most of my life. The culture is rich, their way of trade was fair, and I lived a comfortable life all of those sixteen years.”
“But…”
Yingtai was quiet for some time. She then cleared her throat.
“I despised the way how the Nobles and how the royal family treated the young peasants, even the young men that were in pauperism. I hated it, simply!”
“You must have! It was the way I was raised when I was in Japan! Tamaki would always take the blame and get all of the beatings!”
“What! Beatings? But, why?”
“I don’t know.”
“In China, that is all they know how to do. They hit those that either don’t listen, or don’t do well. Just look at the bruise on my wrist.”
Yingtai presented the wrist bruise to Sadako, who was in utter shock.
“But how did you get this?” she asked.
“My legal mother had always flogged me, whenever I would try to talk about my opinion. But her maids would often hit me. And it was torturous!”
“I feel terrible for you.”
Sadako rubbed Yingtai’s hand.
And then, she said, “What is thy name, lass?”
Yingtai was about to say something, but she stopped.
“I am not Elizabeth, even though that is my birth name.”
“Then what is your name? What would you like to be called by?”
“Dare not tell anyone that I've said this,” said Yingtai who was whispering, “I am Yingtai, and I am the prime minister’s daughter.”
“Elizabeth, whom we worship thee, you are sick or and a terrible headache must've shattered your memory. Let me go find a doctor.”
“But I don’t have a headache, this is what I like to be called.”
“You’d like to be called a name from China?”
“Of course! I’ve always treasured this very name, and I always will!”
Sadako saw determination with the princess. She then saw tears filling her eyes.
“Yingtai,” she said, “I’d love for you to be my friend, and always stay side by side with me. For I had never felt true honesty from someone in the palace. Do you accept it?”
Yingtai stood up.
“In the eyes of heaven! I do!”
Both girls chattered away back and forth to each other. They quickly became friends after quite a while.
And then, it was while they were delivering water for the main servants to the princess Mary I of England, when Yingtai heard someone screaming in pain.
The cry for help…I know this voice!
She then ran to the royal court yard…and saw someone almost being burned at the stake!
Yingtai took one look…it was her love: Damian! She screamed from the top of her lungs.
“Damian!”
And then, she took the bucket of water, ran up to the execution scene, and flashed the water at both the executor and the burning Damian as well. Damian was both paralyzed but still alive.
Sadako untied the boy from the post and Damian landed in Yingtai’s arms, as if he was embracing her.
“Yingtai!” he said weakly.
He was then unconscious. Yingtai pressed her face against Damian’s cheek, kissing it afterwards. She was in love indeed.