A drop of ink splashed onto the paper below.

A pen rolled between two fingers.

Shiyao stared down at the words she had mindlessly scrawled in her messy hand.

...ness

...Highness?...

Was this the kind of thing her teacher was looking for when he had asked her to write creative non-fiction?

Sleeplessness had plagued her for days since Master Yu Liang had arrived. When it was time to eat, she had no appetite. When it was time to rest, her mind wouldn't stop racing. The wetness that kept pooling in her eyes every so often was unwelcome, but necessary. Writing this letter hadn't made her feel better at all, if anything, it was making it worse.

Who the hell was Prince Min to occupy her mind like this?

Why was she even thinking about him so much?

It didn't make any sense and she didn't like it.

"Your Highness!" Ina's cry startled her and she turned in her seat to see her by the door to her room looking almost as tired as she. "Your Highness, please! You can't keep going on like this! What if you get sick?!"

"I'm fine, Ina." she smiled wearily, only making the lady-in-waiting whine even more.

"No, that's it." she huffed, marching over to the princess and forcibly hoisting her up. "We need to go and walk outside, you've been here all week! Master Yu Liang has had to come all the way here just to teach you!"

"Okay." Shiyao nodded, not protesting as the younger woman gripped her arm.

"You can't even fight me on this?!" Ina wailed, stepping away from her to take a closer look. "Your Highness!"

"Sorry." she smiled weakly, appreciating Ina's genuine concern.

"What is this about?" she asked, looping her arm through the elder woman's and tugging her along to walk with her outside.

She couldn't tell her.

The idea of becoming Queen one day was really rather appealing and she didn't want Jing Han to know anything about her sudden love sickness over Min. She couldn't even be sure if it was Min that she missed, or if he was merely a representation of something more than that, but if there was something she was sure of, more than anything else, it was that telling others your deepest fears and feelings was a fool's game. You never know when they might decide to use it against you, or if they would happen to let it slip to someone else who would.

"Just missing Ranhara a little bit." she confessed, which wasn't untrue.

"Oh, Your Highness! It hasn't been that long, and Ranhara was always ours anyway - you can go back any time!"

Shiyao actually laughed at her words, though she was sure Ina wasn't trying to be funny.

"It's more the people." she clarified, blinking in the mid-morning sun as they stepped outside into the courtyard, Yixing bowing as they passed by and following after them dutifully. "Well... a few of the people, certainly not all of them."

"Don't you feel at ease with us yet, Your Highness? Oh, I'm sorry!"

"I do!" Shiyao assured her with a smile. "Please don't worry."

"Well, it's your day off from study today. What would you like to do?"

Shiyao had to admit, having a daily routine really did help. It stopped her from wasting away her days doing nothing and made her appreciate her free time much more.

"Your Highness..." Ina's voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned in closer. "There's going to be a party tonight in Master Luo's residence. All the advisors are going to be there."

"And?"

"And... well it's only for the young advisors." she explained. "And friends of, but... Master Zixuan is going to be there."

"Aha." well, that made a lot of sense.

"I'm afraid you're not invited, Your Highness, it's for non-royals only."

"Naturally."

"Will you leave the key for me under the paving stone?"

"Of course."

"I'll try to be back early. Thank you, Your Highness."

"So, you and Zixuan?"

"Ah! No, no..." she raised her hands in protest. "Of course not."

"But you like him?"

"W-well, that's not why I'm going."

"Then why are you going?"

"Just... because I want to, Your Highness."

"And will there be other women at this party?"

"Lady Dana will be there with Lady Wen."

"Who invited you, then? You're not an advisor."

"Master Luo invited me." she clarified. "He knows so many people, he just spreads the word and we go."

"Fine." Shiyao nodded.

As night fell, Shiyao helped Ina get ready for the party, insisting that she do her makeup and she had to be thankful towards the younger woman for truly distracting her from her blue mood. The rest of the residence had already retired, leaving only themselves and Yixing awake.

"I'll walk you over." the princess offered.

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"No need, Your Highness! It's a secret party."

"Then I'll walk you half way."

"Okay, then."

"Take a look."

Ina glanced into the mirror, gasping at her own reflection. She looked so... grown up? Mature? maybe even... sexy? Seductive? Oh, there was no way Zixuan wasn't going to notice her that night.

"I look so different." she murmured.

"Do you like it?"

"Oh yes!" she grinned. "I feel like a real grown up."

"You are!" Shiyao giggled, smacking her lightly on the arm. "How about your hair? Do you want to borrow my pins and accessories?"

"...I can't, Your Highness, it's not appropriate." she shook her head.

"I have some from when I was still The Witch Ara. How about those?"

"If Your Highness insists."

"Yes!"

Ina smiled as Shiyao jumped up and zoomed over to the chest of drawers in the small closet room attached to her bedroom, pulling open the top drawer and retrieving a wooden box.

"Here." she began, setting the box on the vanity and opening it for her.

"Oh my God!" Ina gasped. "These are... these are even more fancy than what you wear now, Your Highness."

"What can I say? I'm like a magpie." she shrugged. "I think this one would be nice with your robes since you're wearing deep blue."

"I was just looking at that one, but... how do you wear it, exactly?"

"I need to change your hair." she said, getting to work once Ina gave her permission. It didn't take long, pulling out the braids and loops she had going on and she was surprised at how long her hair was once it was all free. She took her finest brush and swept her hair up into a high ponytail, securing it in place with a large band, pulling and tweaking until it was in the perfect position.

The head piece was, like all of the head pieces she used to wear, one large loop where her ponytail went through and another element. In this case, very large sapphire and crystal gems wrapped around the ponytail in a flower-like fashion and cascaded down to form a straight, wide strip down the center, falling just below the hairline in the middle of her forehead. She pinned the under parts in place and used the tail end of a comb to pull some hairs free to frame her face.

To finish the hair, Shiyao grabbed some fragrant oil and rubbed it between her palms before fingering it through Ina's hair and giving one more comb. The final touch was the pair of matching earrings, the sapphire and crystal gems fashioned into a lotus-like flower shape that sat delicately along the ear lobes.

"All done." she smiled, standing back to let Ina take herself in.

"Now I feel too fancy." she admitted, her eyes lowering as she wasn't used to seeing herself look so elegant.

"It is a party, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"And Zixuan is going to be there, right?"

"Yes."

"So this is one way to get his attention - you look stunning."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Let's go!"

Ina had insisted on Shiyao only escorting her halfway as the location of a secret party must be kept secret and she almost envied her lady-in-waiting as she watched her walk off, ponytail swishing and hair pieces glittering in the moonlight. She looked more confident than ever. Seeing Ina having such fun dressing up had cheered her up enough to want to dress up with her and so she was standing in the middle of the Central Square of the Guorun Palace in a muted laurel green leine with sleeves so long they almost brushed the floor. The overlaying sleeveless dress was the same colour as the leine at the shoulders, but faded down to a rich black silk, the edges of the dress having been shaped and embroidered to mimic bird feathers.

The most outstanding feature of the set was the neckline that was cut wide to expose the decolletage, dipping down below the shoulder blades at the back. A number of matching jade accessories hung along the belt, a fine pair of stone earrings dangling from her ears that drew attention to her neck and delicate shoulders. Her hair was tied back into a low-do, two long golden pieces sitting along either side of her head like a laurel wreath.

It was a shame she was so dressed up and had nowhere to go.

"Yixing, if you wouldn't mind," she began, turning to her quiet and conscientious guard, "Would you please go to the party and keep watch on Ina?"

"My only duty is to guard Your Highness." he replied with a formal bow of apology. "I will not leave your side."

"I see." she nodded, glancing back in the direction Ina had disappeared.

Zixuan would be there, she reminded herself. She didn't have to worry.

A few other people who had slipped through the central square caught sight of her and scurried off, no doubt also attending the party. What a waste of a good outfit. Min would've-

No.

"Yixing, what do you suggest I do now?" she asked, looking over at her handsome guard, whose immaculate brows furrowed slightly.

"I suggest Your Highness return home and take rest."

"What if I want to go drinking?"

"If that is what Your Highness wishes, I will accompany you."

What a reliable person.

Without a word, Shiyao chose a direction that seemed to lead to the part of the Guorun Palace where there was life - lights and noise somewhere in the distance.

The Guorun Palace was truly massive. The Court Room, King and Queen's Quarters, the armory, The Royal Guard, Laoji Academy, the palace doctor, the kitchen that exclusively served the royal family, food stores and the residences of all member of the Revenet Royal Family were located in the inner Palace.

The outer palace was where the advisors like Zixuan and Lady Dana resided, farms where crops and animals were maintained and where the tradesmen who directly supplied the Palace worked and lived. It was policed by the Royal Guard, ensuring the commoners who lived there weren't selling their wares to outsiders. Restaurants, shops, bars and the famous courtesans resided in the outer palace, not far from the private royal hot-spring.

The two worlds were separated by a wall and a single gate entrance guarded by beefy men.

The closer the hustle and bustle of the outer palace drew, the more reluctant Shiyao felt about walking past the huge gate and so she stood before the exit, the bright lights illuminating her pretty face while she watched the world move. If she were queen one day, she wouldn't have to worry about where she could or couldn't go. She wouldn't need permission from anyone to do anything, right? There were protocols, of course, but no one had more authority than the king and queen.

High pitched laughter caught her attention and she watched two young women around her age, maybe younger, dressed in very flashy, expensive looking robes that sat around their shoulders stop by the gate entrance. The fabric had many colours and their shoes were exquisite. Their hair was styled in a way she hadn't seen before, braided heavily around one side of the head, the other side being scraped back tight against the scalp. How much of that was real?

She had resented the responsibility that was forced upon her in Ranhara, but now that there was literally nothing of any significance for her to do, becoming queen would be her ticket to freedom. King and Queen Yun wouldn't let her leave, she knew that much. Leaving the palace permanently was much harder than it seemed, because everyone within it had their role and responsibility towards the royal family and if you turned your back on them, they would do the same to you.

"Yixing?" she called, spinning on her heel and stopping dead as Wang Jun stood a few paces in front of her looking... dark.

A cold sweat broke out over her skin as she stepped back when Jun stepped forward. Why wasn't he saying anything? Why did he look so intimidating? Her fingers curled as sharp tingles danced through her palms and her breath caught in her throat.

"Master Jun."

The swish of Yixing's cloak blocked her view of her cousin, whom she hadn't seen or thought about since that day in the Court Room. Was he angry at her? Did he want to hurt her? What the hell was he doing stalking around at night like that?

"I was just on my way to see Shiyao." he said coldly. "What a coincidence."

"The Queen has already ordered that you do not cross into the inner palace, nor are you to have any contact with Her Highness. You know this well."

"How heartbreaking." he commented, a crooked smile on his lips. "Being treated like an outsider while my cousin gets all the benefits of inner palace life."

"Leave now, Master Jun, and save some face."

"He's right!" a peal of laughter rang through the air as a heavy hand slapped down on Shiyao's shoulder and she didn't have to look up to know that it was Jing Han.

A tipsy Jing Han.

"Why the sour face, dickhead?" the Crown Prince laughed. "Who the fuck even let you in here?"

"No one opposed my entrance."

"Yeah?"

Before Jing Han could say another word, Yixing had drawn his sword, holding it inches from Jun's neck.

"You are not to be around Her Highness." he repeated.

"H-hey, it's not that serious, alright?"

"The orders of Queen Yun are to be respected." Yixing continued, keeping Shiyao behind his back as the tip of his sword drew closer to her cousin's cheek, slapping the skin as it made contact, and he slowly pushed him around until he was facing the gate. Shiyao couldn't see how pale he had become, she could only hear the tremors in his voice as he protested against how he was being treated.

"Get the fuck out." Jing Han spat, and the moment Yixing lowered his blade, Jun made a swift move towards the exit.