Just go to sleep

Machiko decided sleep was the better part of valor. The next morning, she was awoken before dawn by a quick knock on her door.

"Who is it?" her maid demanded through the peephole, but before she could even peep out, the door was flung open and Machiko's father, along with several of his samurai guardsmen and imperial advisors, marched in.

Machiko tried to cover her modesty with the sheets, but to no avail. "Father, what is it? You look angry?"

"Look angry? Look angry? I am angry! Thanks to your impertinent misbehavior, we have deeply offended the realm of Prince Han! It shall take all my efforts to avoid war. And as for you, as of this day forward you are no longer my daughter, the Silver Princess, but a nun, married to the Lord of the Singing Cloud! Take her away!"

And so it came to pass that Machiko left the splendor of the palace and spent the remnant of her days spinning the thousand-eyed prayer wheels of the Singing God. In the end, she came to accept the life of quiet contemplation and found inner peace and happiness.

But she would always wonder, what if she had chosen differently?

THE END