Before I begin, I apologize for deleting my story A to Z Songfics. I HATE that I had to delete it! I can't stress that enough! I worked really hard on it, but apparently I was violating site guidelines and it could have cost me my account, so it was no contest on which one to choose.

Another thing, I know I've got a whole lot of stories I need to update, and I'm suffering from writer's block on pretty much ALL of them! Considering the fact that my life is VERY busy doesn't help either. I know I should be writing new chapters to my other stories, but I have a problem: once an idea is in my head, I can't get rid of it! Here's the story!

"Princess Tigress, wake up dear."

I opened my eyes to see the silky canopy above my head. I sat up from my smooth covers and silky pillows. My maid, Jasmine who was a white rabbit, was placing my breakfast tray on my night stand. It was my favorite, You Tiao. She smiled at me and hung up an everyday princess dress on the hanger of my closet door. It was smooth, long, white and strapless. It had a matching brown belt to go with it.

"Your mother wants to see you after you eat, and your first lesson today is dancing for the ball this weekend." Jasmine said and walked out of my room.

I put the tray on my lap and took a bite. As always, my taste buds danced at the moment it touched my tongue. I wanted to savor the taste of my favorite meal, but I knew I had to talk to my mother soon, so I ate a little faster than usual, while trying to remember my manners. Being the princess of China, I was supposed to be "elegant" in pretty much everything I did. I'm not exaggerating.

When I was finished, I put the tray back on the night stand and changed into my dress. After I had changed, I looked in the mirror and gave myself a small smile. I looked to my left at my diamond tiara. Unless I was sleeping, I had to wear it at all times. I gently put it on my head and looked back into the mirror. As always, I looked like a princess. I looked around my huge room. Another day, another lesson.

I walked out of my room and down the giant, spiraling, ivory stairs, thinking about a dream I had had the night before. I wasn't a princess. I didn't even look like myself. I looked like a normal person. I had a family of my own. I had a husband and children. I didn't have to be elegant. I could do pretty much whatever I wanted. The only thing that bothered me was that I couldn't figure out who my husband was. He didn't look like anybody I had ever seen before. My thoughts were interrupted when I reached the bottom of the staircase where my mother, Lady Lijuan and my father, Lord Han were waiting.

"Hello dear." said my mother with her usual bright smile. I smiled back.

"You wanted to see me, Mother?" I asked.

"Yes we both did." said my father.

"As you know, the annual winter ball is approaching." I nodded. "You will finally be meeting your betrothed, Prince Keung of Japan."

I nodded once again, but in my heart I was rather furious. Sure I had known this, but it still made me mad. Why was my husband chosen for me? Why couldn't I choose my own? It's not that I was in love with anyone, but I wanted to make at least ONE choice for myself.

"It is important that you are on your best behavior. Take interest in him and he will take interest in you. Be polite and listen to what he says." Mother said. I just nodded again. I eventually spaced out but still looked at her to make her believe that I was listening.

I brought myself back to reality, when I heard my mom say, "Above all, just show him how wonderful you are." I nodded again.

With that, my mother sent me off to my dancing lesson. As I walked down the hall, I wanted so badly to punch something. I wanted to run away. Being the princess of China may sound great, but try spending a day in my shoes. Everything was decided for me. I couldn't do anything for myself and I couldn't make my own decisions. All I wanted was to be a normal person. I wanted to choose my own life. I wanted to choose my own prince. I wanted to choose my own fate.

I wanted to be free.

There's only one time where I'm free in this life…

My train of thought was interrupted. I wasn't looking where I was going and ended up colliding with someone. I sat up straight and looked into the eyes of someone I had never met, but somehow, he looked strangely familiar. He was a panda. He saw me and stood up, helping me up as well.

"Princess Tigress! I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going, that was my-"

"It's alright. I wasn't looking where I was going either." I interrupted. I then noticed he had dropped some papers. I began to pick them up and I put them in his hands. His expression seemed shocked.

"What's wrong?" I asked with a smile.

"You… help me. I figured… I mean- you're not-"

"Not how you would expect a princess to be?" I finished.

"Oh no, I just-"

"It's alright. Many people can't help but wonder the same thing."

He smiled. "Thanks. I'm Po."

"A pleasure to meet you." I replied. I then remembered my manners and curtsied.

"The pleasure's all mine, Princess Tigress."

"You can just call me Tigress."

"Oh ok. Thanks Tigress."

"I've never seen you before. Are you new?" As I said this, I now knew I had seen him somewhere.

"Oh, yeah. I was just hired as a cook."

"Princess Tigress, there you are!" came a voice I recognized as my dance instructor, Donghai. He ran up to me, and since he was a white tiger, he was rather fast. "You were late for your dance lessons and I got worried."

"Sorry, Tigress. I didn't mean to keep you from your lesson."

"It's quite alright." I said remembering I had to sound "proper."

"I have to go. I hope to see you soon." Po said. I smiled as he ran off in the opposite direction.

"Me too." I said to myself as I watched him dash away.

The rest of the day went by pretty slowly. I couldn't get Po out of my head, mostly because I couldn't figure out where I had seen him before. The more the day went by, the more I knew for a fact I had. I couldn't concentrate very well during my lessons and I spent most of the day in my imagination. It was only when it came time for dinner that I paid attention to what was going on around me.

"How were your lessons today?" my father asked.

"They were fine." I replied staring down at the mahogany table and tracing one of the spirals with my finger.

"Are you alright?" my mother asked me.

"Yes, I'm just a little tired." I lied.

That was when I heard Po's voice. "Dinner is served."

I looked to the kitchen door behind me. Po had come out with a cart full of food. The smell of the food made my stomach growl. I smiled at him. He smiled back.

As Po placed the food in front of us, I heard my mother say, "Tigress, dear, this is our newest cook, Po Ping."

"I met him this morning." I replied.

"It's very good to see you again, Princess Tigress." he said. I was about to remind him that he could just call me Tigress, until I remembered my parents were there.

After Po served our food, it hit me. I knew where I had seen him, in my dream last night. He was my husband.

I ate my dinner in silence, which I didn't have to worry about my parents noticing because they were too busy talking about their own days. I was quiet, not only because I was thinking about my dream, but because Po's food was delicious.

Eventually, I went to bedroom. I always left for my room after dinner. My parents accepted this because they knew I was tired and I always went straight to bed after dinner.

Or at least, that's what they thought.

When I reached my room, I closed and locked the door. I went to the very back of my closet, and out of my hundreds of dresses, I grabbed the most ordinary outfit I had ever owned. It was a red vest, with gold designs and short, black sleeves. The pants I had were black and stretchy. I stripped off my dress and put on the outfit. I then pulled a little container out of its pocket. I opened the container and popped two blue color contacts into my eyes.

After grabbing my ordinary shoes, I tiptoed out of my closet and stuffed a few pillows under my covers in case anyone unlocked my door and came in (although no one ever did.) I opened the doors to my balcony, but before I went outside, I looked at myself in the mirror and flashed another smile. Not a small one of encouragement I had given myself this morning, but a real, genuine smile.

I walked out onto my balcony, closing the doors behind me and looked out over the Valley of Peace. On a hill, not too far from here was my destination. The Jade Palace.

I jumped off of my balcony and flew through the air. The wind felt good running through my fur. I landed gracefully onto a roof. Before I jumped to another one, I looked around at the Valley. No one knew about my secret life.

In the day time, I was Princess Tigress, but at night, I was Niu. A hardcore, Kung Fu warrior.

To be Continued