Chapter 458: Crowns, robes and tea.
In the royal palace of the Chinese empire, the Queen dowager was spending time with the empress, Princess Rize and Crown Princess inside of a very large parlor. The women were trying on robes for the liberation day festival which was to take place on the third day of the following month. For each woman over a dozen options had been provided and they were giving one another opinions on what they considered elegant and appropriate.
As they tried on the intricately hand woven robes, they discussed affairs of the empire and ordinary gossip.
"Grandmother you have barely tried on anything from your pile. Are you not in the mood or do you plan to avoid liberation day this year?" Rize asked her.
"I am waiting for Chi-Chi to return so that she can design the perfect gown for me. Look at the crown she gifted me with for the ceremony, the sapphires are devastatingly beautiful but the colors do not match any of these robes." The queen dowager showed off the crown which she had carried along in a silver case that was locked up tight and could only opened with her finger print.
The crown of silver was eye catching with the way it glittered, the little dragons that were coiled around each other and the purple sapphires which also appeared to be emerald green depending on the angle one looked at the crown from.
"That is one beautiful crown, wow!" Rize tried to touch it but the Queen dowager snatched it away and locked it in the case again.
"Grandmother!" Rize was shocked and unhappy, "Do you not trust me with your crown?"
"No." The queen dowager answered, " You are ten seconds away from pleading, whining or trying to emotionally blackmail me into handing you the crown and it’s not happening. Chi-Chi is your sister-in-law to be, your boss and friend. If you want something from her request politely and she will give it to you. How is your relationship with the second son of the Chi family fairing by the way? I saw online that the older brother and his girlfriend parted ways. Make sure that your relationship is as steady as rock, do not allow any of those females in the entertainment industry to steal your man. I don’t know why he has not yet proposed to you, maybe your father should have a talk with him." The queen dowager was extremely uncomfortable with the homeostatic state of Rize’s relationship.
Rize appeared to be completely nonchalant on the other hand. "Grandmother, he assured me on the day of Chi-Chi’s engagement that we would be engaged soon. I know that he will propose and his family treats me as the daughter-in-law already. Mama Chi does not call me Princess anymore she calls me Rui’s girlfriend, dear, daughter or daughter-in-law which shows that we have become closer."