<div align="center"><strong>Lǎo Fáng (老防)</strong></div><br/>(http://kongming.net/11/i/p/port_lg/Created-Male-091.jpg)<br/><br/>It had been about six years since he had last seen her, and she had just been a child then. My, how much she had grown... He smiled as he looked her up and down, though he did his best to be discreet about his examination. She had her jaw set firmly, almost in defiance as she stepped in front of her father and rested her hands on the swords at her hips. She had been a fiery girl before, he could remember. On that day, six years ago, Lao Fang had gone to the Sunset Islands with the Emperor's father, then Emperor Bue, to arrage the marriage between Shun Midori and Shun Tai. The matching surnames were curious, but they were nothing more than coincidence, though old Emperor Bue and Sunset Emperor Shun were very brotherly to each other, despite Emperor Bue being the much older man.<br/><br/>That day, six years ago, young Shun Midori had told her father that she would rather marry a fish than a stupid western Ox. Despite this slight, Emperor Bue only laughed, but Hideyoshi was wroth. Lao Fang knew the girl would be punished for her transgression, though he never learned what happened to her.<br/><br/>Examining her now, he could at least see she was not harmed in a visible manner. Perhaps Shun Hideyoshi did not strike her at all, though the bold emperor seemed the type.<br/><br/><strong>."You think to greet Shun Hideyoshi by bringing Death? Is this the welcome your new Empress should expect?"</strong>Her comment caught Lao Fang off-guard. He looked around, expecting to find a contingent of his own imperial soldiers surrounding him, swords raised. But there was only Paiyou. He turned back to the princess and bowed stiffly. "Forgive me, Princess, but neither I nor Paiyou pose a threat to your Emperor. I am a lame man; I would be confined to a chair if not for this stick." Turning back to the curious looking jester, he said, "And Paiyou? He's worthless. Sparrows have more martial capability than this one." Lao Fang could feel the fire in the young woman, and despite her open hostility, he could not help but feel drawn towards her. Her relationship with Shun Tai would be a disaster; He did not need to be a mystic to see that. It would make the future very interesting.<br/><br/>"Emperor Shun, Princess Midori, if you would follow me, I will show you to the emperor personally..." He turned from them and began to lead the way, beckoning for the jester to follow swiftly behind.