Hiroko struggled through the crowd of cultivators and hangers-on. Everyone wanted a word with her. She couldn't just brush past them and be gone. She had to exchange pleasantries, inquire after sect members, and listen to boasts about their stories. All the while, she was keeping her eyes open for Joshi.

She had visited the Morning Mist sect, only to find he and Chang-li were out. After speaking with Min, she’d resolved to find Joshi at the party before the announcement and tell him what was to happen.

That was proving hard. She'd caught sight of a bald head on the other side of a crowd a few minutes ago, but by the time she pushed through, he was gone, if it had been him at all.

The Golden Locks cloud city was an extravagant showing of the prism's power. Hiroko had seen similar before. Even Prisms were, if not a common sight in the Imperial grounds, at least one she'd been familiar with, and it was hard to remind herself that everyone else here was more taken aback than she was.

Then, at last, she spotted him. He was speaking with Li Jiya and a cultivator from one of the other sects. They appeared upset about something. Hiroko disentangled herself from her latest batch of would-be suitors and crossed to him, her slippers kicking up little puffs of golden mist as she went.

Li Jiya turned as Hiroko approached and bowed. "Princess Hiroko, welcome.”

“Congratulations on your current standing,” Hiroko said.”

Li Jiya looked almost smug. "Yes, Prism Eri’s contest went well for us, I think." She looked at Joshi with an admiring gaze. "I think my champions and I have a good chance to win this whole thing."

Hiroko felt a quick stab of jealousy from the way Li Jiya was looking at Joshi, but that wasn't reasonable. Li Jiya was competing to become one of the brides of the Emperor. She took a deep breath. "I need a word with Cultivator Joshi, please."

Li Jiya raised an eyebrow but nodded and hurried off, followed by the other cultivator. Now Hiroko was as alone as she was going to get with her unknowing, soon-to-be fiancé. Others were watching them curiously from a barely-polite distance. Hiroko quickly wove a simple blue lux technique she'd been working on. It didn't block out sound, but it did make it hard for anyone else to overhear them.

Joshi looked at the weave as she wrapped them in it. "What's this?"

"I just wanted a quick word," she said. She took a deep breath. "Joshi, about Feng." Oh no, that was a terrible way to start. This was coming out all wrong, but she plunged on nevertheless. "I mean, I thought it was my duty. He was a dangerous agent on his own, with no one to rein in his worst tendencies. Exactly the sort of cultivator who can't be permitted to make the climb alone. I thought I had to marry him in order to tame those inclinations. I was, when you, that is—“ She was blundering worse and worse.

Joshi's expression had gone from confused to completely blank, and she could feel the anger rising off of him. "You have no need to explain yourself to me, princess," he said sharply. "I understand what it was you thought you were doing. Had Feng beaten me, your intercession would doubtless have been necessary. I know the role of a cultivator spouse is to tame a cultivator's own impulses, shackling him to the emperor. You were only doing your duty."

"That's not it at all," Hiroko began to protest. Oh, this was going so much worse than she thought. If only she'd found a way to have this conversation before telling the dowager that she would wed Joshi. "There's something else you need to—"

Joshi cut her off, each of his words a brutal knife to her soul. “The thing is, Princess, you have the potential to be one of the most skilled cultivators I’ve ever seen. The things you can do with blue lux are beyond anything I’ve seen of cultivators two tiers higher than you — and yet here you sit, content to be part of a system that doesn’t value you, or me, or anyone. We’re all just pieces in the great machine. You’re a particularly valuable one not for your own talents, the way it should be, but as a means to controlling others.” He shook his head. “I don’t get it. All these resources at your fingertips and you’re not using them. Have you even been inside this tower since arriving here?”

“I’ve asked, but —”

“A princess has to ask?” He looked disgusted. “A princess commands. A cultivator advances. You’re letting them make you nothing more than a golden chain—”

Hiroko's blue weave snapped. She felt the lux rebounding on her. It flowed back into her, bringing a wave of nausea. Then suddenly, she and Joshi were standing in midair in front of Prism Eri.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"There you are, Hiroko darling," Eri said, her words all trailing just a little too long. "I hoped I'd see you here tonight. And who's this with you? I recognize Cultivator Joshi of the Morning Mists. Yes, I was fascinated by your sect's performance in my little challenge yesterday. You rose to the occasion most beautifully." She looked him over. "And your face. I thought all the Darwur look alike to me. But I don't think that's it, is it? You must be a relative of Khan Amir-Lein.”

Joshi's face was flushed, his hands curled into fists. "My father," he growled.

"Oh, that's a terrible shame," Eri said. When Joshi narrowed his eyes, she added, "You hadn't heard?" She raised a hand to her lips and gasped theatrically. "Well, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but General Nu Zahn has defeated the Darwur in battle. Khan Amir-Lein fell defending his people, and it is said his sons are scattered to the wind. No one expects it to take General of the West more than a few months to mop up the remainder of the rebellion. He's likely to be elevated to prism himself." She turned to Hiroko and gave a head nod of token respect. "My congratulations, my dear. I only wish your mother could be alive to see your father covered in such glory." She turned back to Joshi. "Again, my deepest condolences. I am sorry for your loss. I am hoping to speak with you again later on a more convenient occasion. I think I might have a proposition for you."

She snapped her fingers. Suddenly, Hiroko and Joshi were back on the cloud with the babble of voices all around them. Joshi was staring, his face etched with lines of pain and anger Hiroko had never seen before. Not even when he'd first set foot in the Golden Moon Tower and removed his slave collar had he looked this angry.

"Your father is the General of the West?"

"Yes," Hiroko managed. Her heart was a ball of ice. "I thought you knew." Then she realized she'd never quite come out and said so. "I mean, I haven't seen him in most of a decade. I've lived all my life inside the Imperial Gardens and..."

Joshi closed his eyes. His shoulders slumped. He looked defeated. "I suppose it's not your fault," he managed.

"I didn't know any of this," Hiroko said. She stepped forward, her hand reaching toward Joshi, but caught herself and forced her arm back to her side. "I swear, I didn't know this. The Dowager was worried about me getting caught up in a prism scheme. She... she told me I needed to make a decision. I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

But as Joshi opened his eyes to look at her, there was a burst of fanfare and Prism Nai Hong appeared at their elbows with the Dowager in tow. He didn't make such a flashy thing of it as Eri. They had come walking through the crowd, which parted easily for them. Now everyone turned to look at the Dowager as she raised her hands for attention. Hundreds of pairs of eyes focused.

The Dowager smiled as she addressed Hiroko. "And here I find you together. How perfect," she said. "Prism Nai Hong, I would like to present to you Indigo Princess Hiroko and her affianced spouse, Young Master Joshi of the Morning Mist's sect."

Joshi's eyes bulged out of his head. There was a vein on the side of his neck that stood out, throbbing. "Affianced spouse?" he growled and looked at Hiroko. She shot him a quick look, trying to communicate her confusion and worry and regret. "I'm sorry," she mouthed. "I meant to—"

“How fortunate!” Prism Nai Hong declared. "Any time an Indigo Princess marries is a momentous occasion, and this, following so closely on her father's great victories in the West, is most notable. I presume the Morning Mist sect will wish to travel to the West and seek the General's patronage once this bridal tournament is complete. Word is the Emperor is going to make General Nu Zahn his next prism, now that the war is all but over."

"I—" Hiroko found herself babbling and forced her mouth closed. Joshi just stood there. The Dowager stared at the two of them, then smiled and turned to the crowd.

"Let us offer a toast in the happy couple's honor." Servants appeared, carrying cups. As the subjects of the toast, at least Hiroko and Joshi, weren't forced to accept an offering, but they had to stand there as the drinks were served to the crowd, and the crowd raised their cups and shouted, "Best wishes aloud."

Joshi looked murderous. As the Dowager and the Prism at last moved off, he turned to Hiroko. "What have you done?"

"I—I meant to talk to you. I was trying to tell you—"

He shook his head. "I don't need a spouse."

"I—" She looked away, biting her lip. "The Dowager told me I had to marry, and I was so afraid of making another mistake like I did with Feng. I—that is—I'm fond of you, Joshi. We've shared struggles together, and at least I know you."

"You know nothing of me," Joshi said, before striding off into the crowd. Hands reached out to slap his back congratulatory. She heard more well-wishes and forced herself to turn away.

There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. Hiroko felt hot shame rising in her cheeks and wished the cloud would part and let her plummet to her death in the lake below. She wanted to get out of here. With so many eyes on her, how could she?

And then someone came up beside her and linked an arm through hers. "Smile and walk with me," Min hissed, and Hiroko took a deep breath before forcing a false smile to her lips.

"Whew," Min said in her ear, as the two moved off into the crowd together. "That didn't go well. I really wish you had told me the real reason for your visit. We could’ve avoided this.

"I- I’m sorry," Hiroko stammered. “I wanted to.”

"Yes, but that went about as badly as it possibly could have.”

“He just found out that my father killed his." Hiroko stole a glance at Min's face. The red-ranked girl was a couple of inches taller than Hiroko, and her training at controlling her emotions clearly wasn't as advanced. Min closed her eyes for an instant, looking pained, before opening them again.

"Well, so be it. The engagement has been announced by a dowager and a prism both, which means it's impossible to call off. We will find a way to smooth this over without destroying the sect. Your future is tied to ours now, Hiroko. We will find a way out of this mess."