The great hall turned into festive after few minutes. Tables and food scattered off everywhere, a good wine had been served too as a good music had been played and a group of beautiful Manggan women danced to the rhythm.

Xhemin was watching the dancers with Handmaid Lin when Professor Owen dragged the girl to where Baruk Tsu and people from the Tsu'ang village sat. Xhemin greeted them politely and joined their table where great food had been served.

​​

"Dear what exactly happened in the household? How did the Chieftain find you?" Professor Owen asked Xhemin who was starting her first bite with the food they shared.

"It happened fast professor," She answered using the Manggan language so everybody can understand her. "I found him drowning himself with our strawberry harvest in the backyard. He seemed unwell right then, he even called me his child"

"Strawberries," Baruk Tsu sighed. "It must be the strawberries that woke him up. Didn't he come to the kitchen to ask Bitbit and asked for strawberries?"

"I agree. He must have smelt the fruit and followed it. Bitbit told him where he got the strawberries and so he went to Princess Song household because Bitbit instructed him too" One of the Tsu'ang village elder who was also in their table said.

"I don't think strawberries have smell," Xhemin pointed swallowing a mouthful of food.

"Tell that to a person whose addicted with strawberries," Professor Owens commented rolling an eye with Xhemin. He had witnessed himself how Xhemin can be aware that strawberries lingered in a distant without seeing it.

"His first wife loves strawberries so much. She was the one who introduced the fruit to us and it had been one of the people's favorite back then. When she died, we stopped planting them because our farms end up either being ruined or us being hurt," One old woman narrated.

Xhemin stopped her eating when she heard this, "You mean—"

"We suspect it was the recent Chieftana who made it. All those vicious thing with the farmers" She continued.

"But why would she ever do that?" Xhemin frowned at this.

"The first Chieftana was a roux blood. The Nan people hated her but we all loved her. When she died, they wanted to get rid of her memory" She answered Xhemin's question.

"What about the child? The one the Chieftain had with her?" Xhemin curiously asked. She still remembered how the Chieftain called her 'my child' way back in Princess Song's household.

"We do not speak with of her," The old woman's eyes suddenly were filled with fear.

"She's gone. Long gone. She was never born at all since the devil's fetus ate her" It was Baruk Tsu who answered Xhemin's query. "The Chieftain might have mistaken you for her when he was still unwell. Although that child was long gone, he longed for her every day and even kept a chamber and clothes for her as if she was still alive"

"How sad. Did the first Chieftana died the same day she died?" Xhemin asked again, sad on how fate had been so cruel with the Chieftain.

"Not only them. He lost his well trusted friend too at that time" Baruk Tsu recalled quite sentimental "Forgive me healer. I cannot anymore speak of this. Those are dark times that's why we do not speak of it anymore"

"I understand" Xhemin assured Baruk Tsu "It was destiny after all that strawberries bloomed again,"

"True," Professor Owens interjected "The Chieftain perhaps had awakened from his deep loneliness when he smelt the fruit. When he found the strawberries, he had found a way back to being his self again–the wise Chieftain we all knew"

"Indeed" They all agreed.

The music had stopped and everyone's attention turned to the center stage where the Chieftain seated. The Chieftana was beside him. Even though she did not want to join the feast, she did not want to offend her husband so she had no choice but to force herself.

"It is now time that I make some gratitude for some special people" The Chieftain announced as the music completely cleared off from the air. The Chieftain dragged his gaze to the table where the Tsu'ang people seated and stared at Professor Owens, the latter gave him a bow of respect.

"To Aki Owens who had treated my youngest from the poison that was inflicted to her, I bestow you Princess Song household in the east mountain and so the land that goes with it. However, I had special interest to the strawberries that the healer had grown in there so I hoped you can share it with me" There was a big smile on the Chieftain's face when he said the words.

"I do not deserve such land my Chieftain as I am a roux blooded. Nevertheless, I accept them with all my heart" The Professor of course was very thrilled at this since the Princess Song household was located in the mountain where a lot for wild herbs and flowers grow.

"Roux blooded or not, you had always given me a loyalty beyond compare that you even dared to treat princess Song even though the law forbids it. You take your life at risk for her and for that I am grateful" He added and the crowd cheered for professor Owens.

"For Handmaid Lin who had never abandoned my child in her greatest need," He turned to where the handmaid was "You will be promoted as a ladymaid and I grant you the island of clamps in the east sea. However, I ask that you should remain in Princess Song household and continue to kept her company. Princess Song's new handmaid's will be under your instruction and care"

"O my! Oh my chieftain!" Handmaid Lin could not believe her luck and fortune. She became a wealthy woman in an instant. "Thank you! Thank you!"

The crowd cheered for her too just like they did with professor Owens.

"Now I shall reward the person who saved my life and had awaken me from my deep slumber," The Chieftain gathered his gaze back to where Xhemin was, and she was left astounded to this.

"Healer, you had saved me and my daughter too. You become her provider and protector and you had become my savior. To you I owe my second life. You had reminded me of who I was and why I was here. The fruit you planted woke me up and dragged me back again to the reality. You saved me and my people again this time. Previously, you saved our livelihood when your cure reached our place. Now, you saved our future and had given us hope. Although I admit, you had reminded me of the love of my life and my first child but for my people, you always remind them of hope. For this, I shall bequeath to you the status of the of a princess…"

"What?" The Chieftana rose from her seat out of shock "You cannot reward anyone to become a princess! A princess is determined by blood"

"You are mistaken Chieftana," The Chieftain disagreed with her "Our ancestors make leaders for one reason. They can lead people to the right path. Our blood does not determine our leadership; it is our character. The healer although not a royal blood deserves to be called our princess"

"No! You cannot defy our law!" She exclaimed again.

"Our law allows me to give status to people!" He reminded him "If the law does not allow the healer to become a princess because she's not my child then I am going to adopt her as my own. She will be a princess as I say so"

"I do not agree—"

"You do not have to agree with me. I stripped away your voice from the council. Starting today, the healer will stay in the palace. I give her the first princess chambers and everything that belong to her" He added. The chieftain had kept a place for the first princess and some properties under her name even though she was long gone. Now, he had given them all to Xhemin.