My dearest little sister, I am doing fine. My chest is not hurting much but my head is in pain for the things our father wants to do. Lately he wants to make more military excavation to other places. He wants to gain more land so that we have more resources. I understand his urgency but there are limited men for this military excavation. I have dispatch some of the finest soliders we have. Till now we havent hear of them. Its a rather anxiety peroid of time waiting for them.
I have another piece of news for you. Our brother Baridyah have passed away. His madness have drive him to despair. He was found dead in the house that was keeping him alive. We did not inform Azedeh, his sister who is still remain lock up in the tower. She remain quiet in her room without sound. The servants who send food for her never hear a word out from her mouth. She choose to remain silence. I think she is repenting for her actions. While Defne is the opposite of Azedeh, she is constantly screaming for her children. There is nothing we can do as this is father's order for punishment. While our nephews and nieces are learning to behave in the palace. It seems to work woth corporal punishment. Under the watchful eyes of our father, no one dare to defy him and my authority is not to be underestimated. However looking for a suitable heir among them is still proven difficult.
I hope everything for you is going smoothly. Out of all the siblings, you are the one who seems to found the happiness that you need. I hope you will live a long time with the ones whom you love for along time. For now, i am engaged but i don't think i would like to marry her. She is too young just fourteen. She is from the house of Hassim. I don't wish to destroy her life to live with me without a hope but i have to accept the engagement for the least of the face of Ottoman. When i die at least she is just a fiancee and she can be free to marry anyone.
My sister, the new envoy dispatch to Tang is getting to leave in a month by the time of this letter dispatch to you. He is someone you might know. He is scholar Afshin, the one suppose to marry you. He will be taking over Ayaz and stay with you in the Tang capital. He is consider the one of the wises scholar among those scholars and able to assist when you need help. I am sure you will get along with him well.
I will end my letter here. May god always bless you and happiness follow you wherever you go.
Your bother, the crown prince
Esfandiar
After Banou read the letter, she got mixed feeling especially the last part. The man she suppose to marry will be coming to Tang to be the envoy. How are they going to face each other in the coming days. She look at Li Xin who is doing her embroidery beside her. She smile to as Li Xin grows older, she looks strangely like Banou even though they are not blood related.
That evening, Banou decided to write to the crown prince to ask not to send Afshin. There is no need to dispatch a new envoy urgently when everything in Tang is going smoothly. However the next morning when she is out to deliver the letter, she witness a fight between two different Persian merchants that needs the envoy to smooth things over. Thus she walk away without sending out the letter. There is a need for an envoy to handle things like this. If not her mansion will be busy every day inside and outside. She carefully think of how to ask the crown prince to change the person for the job.