The afternoon air at the Royal courts stables and racing track smelled like strawberries and sunflower oil. This was because there was a field of strawberries behind the racing track which belonged to the Jun family. There was also a sunflower field over the hill which was owned by the Grand Emperor.
All these scents assaulted Mei Mei's nostrils but all she smelled was the musk of horses and all she heard was the distant thunder of hooves as riders raced for glory in preparation for the Vermillion Derby.
It felt like a lifetime since Mei Mei last took the reigns of a horse to train for a competition. She felt like an invader in this sacred place. Once, her images had been everywhere on these grounds, her name was spoken with reverence. But now, no pictures of her remained, except on the wall of former champions.
