By the next day, more than half of the lux Hiroko had brought from the tower had leaked from her. Cycling became difficult, like she’d tied lead weights to her limbs. The world gradually lost color and verve. She felt the lack like a missing tooth.

Hiroko resolved not to try to cling to the rest. Instead, she practiced her new skill on servants and the other cultivator spouses and began to understand what she was seeing. This was not an ability she had ever heard of before. It felt incredibly valuable. If she, in her role as a cultivator spouse, could see the web of connections between people, she would be able to use that to aid her future spouse.

By the evening, she was ready to start putting her tentative theories into practice. What better way to begin practice with her new skill than to employ it at the garden party? Besides, the question of marriage had suddenly become important. It wasn’t just a matter of her duty, but her personal future. Her hunger for lux grew with every drop she lost. She spun her new technique again and again, refining it, ekeing out the value of the lux she put into it, marveling at what it was showing her.

A stronger body, heightened senses, longer life — all the benefits of cultivation felt more real to her now that she’d had a taste. Hiroko wasn’t going to stop here, or after reaching the Peak of Bodily Refinement. If she couldn’t progress without a spouse, then she’d better find a good one. Hiroko would climb to the very top, even if she had to drag her spouse along with her.

The Court of Gems sanctum within the cultivator camp had been set up as though it were a portion of the Imperial Gardens. Delicate paper lanterns swayed in the gentle breeze as they hung from flowering treelimbs. Small tables dotted the courtyard so that cultivators and noble prospects could sit and converse.

A small court had been set up at one end of the garden rectangle near to the Dowager Pearl's tower. There, throne-like chairs sat, each wrapped in silk fabric of different hues. The Dowager Pearl's was black, signifying her rank.To her right stood a pair of chairs swatched in blue and yellow for the master of Moon Whispers and his spouse. The next chair was wrapped in the purple and orange of the Soaring Heavens sect, and a fourth in green and yellow, celebrating the recently arrived Jade Lotus sect.

The servants outnumbered the nobles five to one. Hiroko and her fellows stood awkwardly in their finery, waiting for the start of the party. At last, the Dowager Pearl emerged from her tower and was seated on her throne. At a gesture from her, a pair of Imperial guards raced to the gates and threw them open. A grand procession entered as unseen musicians struck up harp and lyre, punctuated by a hand-drum.

First came the Soaring Heavens sect. Hiroko stood with the other nobles and inclined her head respectfully as their Grand Master passed, followed by Young Master Feng. She considered the young man carefully. From the gossip of the other Gem nobles, he was the strongest of the prospects. Yet, Joshi and Chang-li’s warnings held her back.

He had a sharp face and an intent expression. He seemed fixated on his goal, but when he passed her, he turned and gave her an assessing look. She met his eyes. His own narrowed. There was a faint smile on his face. She couldn't quite decipher it.

After him came three Soaring Heavens disciples of lesser rank. No doubt they would be attempting to court the nobles, but she very much doubted if even the red robes would give them much time. She’d need to speak with each and sound them out. Perhaps with her help, one of them might achieve great things? Was it better to join her life to a strong prospect, who might take her for granted, or risk everything with a partner who appreciated her contributions? Could she somehow find both?

After Soaring Heavens came Moon Whispers, led by their Grand Master and his spouse. Their two Young Masters were a man and a woman about Hiroko's age, brother and sister by the looks of them. Each of them gave Hiroko a polite bow as they passed. Hiroko returned with a nod. Li Jen’s eyes lingered on her. She noted the way he passed over Min and Shisa with barely a second look, and suspected that this was one young cultivator out to make a good match. That wasn’t necessarily a disqualification. Ambition should be rewarded. His sister Li Jiya bowed politely to all the nobles.

Finally, the last sect, Jade Lotus, entered. They had three Young Masters, all a bit older than Feng and the pair from Moon Whispers. It smacked of desperation to Hiroko, like the sect did not truly have any cultivation prodigies and had simply brought every prospect they had in the hope of making a good connection somewhere.

The Master of Cultivation of the camp brought up the rear. He seated himself on his throne, and the Dowager Pearl clapped her hands.

"May your evening be pleasant, my guests," she said. "Tomorrow, the hard work begins."

She gestured to the Master of Cultivation, who cleared his throat. "We have concerns that this tower is showing signs of an incident of eruption. To that end, we will be accelerating the timeline for our cull. We wish to have the third floor completely cleared within a fortnight, the fourth floor in a month's time, so that we can set the race to complete the fifth floor and win the Tower boon before the end of summer."

There were some murmurs from the young masters. Hiroko gathered that was an ambitious timeline indeed.

"To that end, we will be approving larger than usual cultivation parties entering, as well as more frequent. There will be oversight. An Inquisitor is coming up from Moon Whispers City within the week. He will aid us in ensuring that no one reaches dangerous levels of lux contamination. Of course, this is less of an issue for those who have passed the Peak of Bodily Refinement, but do not be overconfident. Always remember the example that has been set in the past, and ensure you are being safe."

Hiroko stored each phrase in her memory, studying them for anything she could turn to her advantage.

The Dowager Pearl raised a hand, and the Master sat back, clearly done talking. “That is more than enough business for the night. Go, mingle! Speak among yourselves and learn about each other — but not too much, and my eyes are watching!” She laughed, but no one else did.

As the garden party wore on, Hiroko maneuvered herself to the other end of the courtyard from the Dowager Pearl and her guests. She stood on a little wooden bridge over the stream, which ran artfully through the Court of Gems. It was arranged, no doubt, for their pleasure by the camp architects and engineers. Graceful trees bent over the stream. Hiroko leaned over the railing, staring down, knowing her rank would bring the others to her. Always let the fish come to you, her father had told her on one of their rare afternoons together, spent beside a lake in the Emperor’s Heavenly Gardens, casting hooks bated with squirming worms into the water. Have patience, and your enemies and friends alike will yield themselves to you.

One by one, the higher-ranked cultivators approached. First, the brother and sister pair from Moon Whispers introduced themselves, expressing how happy they were that her horrible ordeal had ended so easily. Hiroko replied politely, knowing that they were compelled by duty to speak with her. She was fairly certain Li Jiya from Moon Whispers was not interested in her; yet a high-ranking cultivator spouse might be worth a marriage of convenience. Perhaps she thought to try her hands.

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While Hiroko understood the importance of her marriage and that it involved far more important things than her own happiness, she had no intention of marrying someone to whom she was categorically not attracted. Li Jen was overly attentive, uncomfortably so. Hiroko tried to exude friendliness but lack of interest back at the Moon Whispers pair.

The Jade Lotus trio were all at least five to ten years older than Hiroko and felt a little shopworn and desperate. It was fascinating. Joshi had to be at least five years her elder, yet he did not give off the same feeling of desperation and weariness that these did. To still be attempting to reach Mental Refinement after presumably a decade or more of cultivation did not speak well of their prospects. They seemed to realize this as well and faded into the distance, though not going very far.

By now, the other gem nobles had joined the group. Hiroko realized she was, in a way, holding court herself, standing on the bridge with the cultivators on the bank facing her and the other nobles just beyond them, attempting to engage the cultivators in conversation.

Only Young Master Feng had not yet paid his respects. Now, he strode forward confidently, the lantern light falling on his face and making him look regal and proud. Hiroko drew herself up. Yes, Joshi and Chang-li had spoken ill of him, but compared to the other cultivators here, he was at least potentially a better choice.

There was no doubt of the interest in his eyes as he approached. He bent low, and then, as Hiroko held her hand delicately out, raised it to his lips, brushing her fingers gently. He straightened up. Hiroko considered him. He was six inches taller than she was, dark hair, classical features, piercing eyes so deep she could feel his cultivator's strength coming off of him, thanks to her own advanced cultivation.

"Your Highness," he said, "it is my honor to finally make your acquaintance. I had looked forward to this for some time, and I meant to, like the others have, ask after your ordeal. But having met you, I can feel the strength of your core. No wonder you were able to survive in the wilderness. You are much farther along the heavenly climb than I would have expected."

"Yes," Hiroko said, suppressing a momentary stab of fear. "His Imperial Majesty, my ancestor and patron, has declared that Violet and Indigo offspring are to be taken into his personal tower and begin their cultivation well in advance of any hopeful marriage."

"You must have reached the first condensation already," Feng said. "Surely a remarkable achievement. Your tutors must be proud."

Hiroko had achieved the second condensation during her time in the tower, but she had no intention of telling Young Master Feng that. Instead, she turned his question aside.

"I did have tutors, some of the greatest cultivators in the land. I believe that it is greatly to my benefit to have begun my own path before uniting with a cultivator spouse. I shall be already prepared to be the asset he requires.”

The others gem nobles, hearing how she was addressing Feng, moved closer to the cultivators. Young Master Feng's eyes sparkled.

"Indeed, I myself look forward to the day when I can take my bride along with me on cultivating journeys. Together, we shall ascend to the very heavens, or at least as far as your Imperial ancestor permits. I wish only to serve the Empire."

It occurred to Hiroko that she could judge the truth of Joshi and Chang-li's accusations better if she had seen Young Master Feng in action. Her own core ached at the loss of lux. Gathering up what precious lux that she still had, she once again used her new ability to get a look at the bonds being forged here between these groups.

There was a strong connection between the two Moon Whispers cultivators, of course, as well as between them and their sect leaders. The Jade Lotus cultivators were bound by ties lighter even than that of the servants here to each other. Feng had thin lines running between him and some of the lesser members of his sect, but to her surprise, there was a thick red line connecting him to Min. What on earth could that be? She had not yet seen anything like this. Were they lovers? She would have to investigate this further.

"Tell us about your trips inside the tower," Lady Shisha of the Gem Court said.

Feng started and turned. "Well, I—“

“I meant Princess Hiroko," Shisha said. She smiled at Feng with a bit of a challenge. "All of us gems are eager for our own first taste of cultivation. Princess Hiroko is, I think, the only one here who has partaken."

"I can see why you would be eager," Feng said, a bit of bluster in his voice. "There is nothing like cultivation. Why, I myself have accompanied parties inside and seen the delight as they took their first steps along the path.”

Hiroko clapped her hands together. "That's right, you have," she said. "I heard a rumor about that in the camp myself, that the people you took in were woefully unprepared and some perished because they failed to listen to you."

Feng puffed up like a peacock, and now Hiroko was certain that her friends had told her the truth. "That is correct. It was a truly unfortunate event, but sadly, this is what often happens when the unprepared begin to cultivate when entering a cultivation tower without proper preparation.

“Which is exactly what I was saying in praising the Emperor's wisdom,” Hiroko said. "I think all cultivator spouses ought to be prepared and taken into towers before they accompany their spouses. After all, most of us wed spouses who are already at the Peak of Mental Refinement. That is a large gap to make up between starting fresh and achieving Mental Refinement."

"Yes," Min said, speaking up suddenly. Feng's eyes fell on her, and his expression hardened. Hiroko could feel the connection between them. It was mutual, and it certainly wasn't love. No, Feng detested Min, and Min didn't like Feng either. Why? What had the cultivator done to so offend a mere red lady? Hiroko intended to find out. "I completely agree with Princess Hiroko. Here we are at a tower. That's an opportunity we ought to take. Why not have the prospective spouses enter and begin their own course of cultivation? Why, it would give us a chance to see our suitors in action and make a judgment on them before we commit to a lifetime at their side."

"Yes," Hiroko said, glad that Min had offered her the opening. She could feel everyone's attention on her, and the ties which connected her with the Gem Court were suddenly strengthened as she took this first step in a leadership role.

This, this was true power. If she could use, refine this ability, and put it at the disposal of her future spouse, who she very much hoped and suspected would not be any of the people here tonight.

"Yes," Hiroko said again, "we should. The cultivation master spoke of additional parties entering the tower. Now while you are finishing up on the third floor is the perfect time. All of you know what to expect, what sort of threats, and you can help us with our cultivation."

"What, all of you?" Feng asked, his gaze sweeping around. He turned to Princess Hiroko with a patronizing look on his face. "Your Highness, I believe that I myself could accompany you and a few select others along."

The Moon Whispers woman stepped in. "Yes, indeed," she said. "Young Master Feng, I believe that we here are all capable of protecting such a party and helping them on their first steps to advancement. And certainly, we would not want to leave anyone here out."

Feng very obviously did. Hiroko had absolutely no intention of entering a tower with only him as a cultivator protector, but stepping back inside, refilling her lux, working on her own progression—that was worth a risk or two.

"Then it's settled," Hiroko said happily. "I will speak to the Dowager Pearl, and we'll make arrangements."

That seemed to end her little court. The other cultivators drew off. Feng tried to speak with her, but Hiroko, pretending she had something to say to the other gems, brushed him off and joined the nobles.

Min caught her and drew her to one side. "I think the Dowager Pearl will go for this," she said in a low voice. "She's often said that we gems don't bestir ourselves enough. This should show her some initiative. Speak to her in the morning, between second and third bells. She's usually in a good mood then. After that, she needs a nap, and in the afternoon, it's usually hot. She gets cranky."

Hiroko nodded. "I can do that."

Min glanced around. "Nice job handling Feng. He's made it clear to the others that he thinks you're his personal possession. Even if you do wed him, make him work for it a little."

With that, Min wandered off, disappearing back into the crowd as Hiroko stared at her, wondering what she had just let herself in for.