The indoor pool looked big. It was about 20 feet long and 15 feet wide. At least for us, we were only about 9 or 10 years old. The bottom and the sides were lined with pretty green colored jade. There was a hole in the roof the same shape that let the full sun shine down as it travelled across the sky. When the light hit it, it seemed to fill the pool with the most beautiful green light. It wasn't very deep, we could stand up in it.
We would take our clothes off to swim in it. If we got caught, we would be admonished, but never yelled at. She was a princess. If you wanted to keep your head you don't yell at the palace royalty.
Princess Li was one of many at the palace. There were lots of sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts & uncles, all with big titles. The palace servants were constantly bowing to one Royal or the other.
We were the best of friends. We held hands as we wandered around looking for something to amuse ourselves with. We were too young to be in love but we had that deep connection to each other that spoke to the innocence of our youth.
When we could not sneak out of the palace and go down to the river to swim, which was our favorite place to go, we went to the jade pool.
We were usually without a chaperone. Everyone was too busy to be watching over us. If we got hungry, she would tell a servant and they would bring us food.
I know my name is Arawashi. My family has lived at the palace for about one and a half years. But we are visitors from somewhere else. I think my father is an ambassador from another land.
There is a lot of turmoil at the palace. There are endless meetings and worried faces. Royalty seemed to be constantly coming and going. One day Princess Li's family started to pack. She was told to prepare to move away. And it happened.
I was without my only great friend and cried a lot.
I don't know what happened after that. If we stayed at the palace or went back to our own land I can't remember. But I know that after a time we did leave and returned home.
Deep inside I felt a great emptiness and loneliness, longing to see my friend Princess Li again. But that never happened.
I know that I grew up back in my own country. I often thought of my great love Princess Li. I never saw her again. I do not know what happened to her. If she lived. If she grew up. I tried to picture her grown up. But I couldn't. All I could remember was being beside her, in our Jade Pool looking at the beautiful green light as it reflected upon her face. She will always be my beautiful Princess Li.**
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** Princess Li Jingshou was a princess of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Northern Liang. Her husband was Juqu Mujian Prince Ai. Li Jingshou was the daughter of the Western Liang prince Li Gao and Lady Yin, who was later Princess Dowager when Li Jingshou's brother Li Xin became prince in 417. When he was subsequently defeated and killed in 420 by the Northern Liang prince Juqu Mengxun, the Western Liang capital Jiuquan, Gansu fell to Northern Liang, and Princess Dowager Yin and Li Jingshou were captured. However, because Juqu Mengxun admired Princess Dowager Yin's courage, in refusing to plead for her life, he treated her with respect and married Li Jingshou to his son Juqu Mujian.
However, in 437, Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei, to whose state Northern Liang submitted as a vassal, wanted to marry his sister Princess Wuwei to Juqu Mujian. Juqu Mujian was therefore forced to divorce Princess Li, and she and her mother Princess Dowager Yin were relocated from the Northern Liang capital Guzang in Gansu to Jiuquan. Princess Li soon died.
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