Yuelan looked up at the sky as she stepped out of the palace with her maids. It felt like it might rain, but the skies were clear. She shrugged the feeling off and smiled as Byakko came out in the form of a large, white tiger. “You’re going to insist, aren’t you, Byakko?”

The tiger snorted and nuzzled her. You do not like horses. Let your maids ride the carriage.

The priestess stroked his head. “Sometimes I think you just enjoy scaring everyone in the capital by running around with me on your back.”

Byakko’s white and black tail flicked. I do find it amusing, though it is mostly to make your identity known and widespread.

Yuelan nodded and let Camphor and Leila help her up onto the divine beast’s back. “Thank you.” She nodded to both the humans and Byakko. “Camphor, you and the others will ride in the carriage.”

“I’ll ride a horse, Yuelan,” Leila replied as a stable hand walked up and offered the Hechuan woman the reins. “Hard to protect you from inside the carriage if you’re outside of it.”

“That’s true.” Yuelan smiled and waited for Leila to mount the horse. She patted Byakko’s neck and they headed off toward her teahouse. As they went, she kept glancing up at the sky and frowning.

“Is something bothering you?” Leila called. She would have been next to Yuelan, if her horse wasn’t terrified of Byakko’s presence.

Yuelan looked back. “I feel like there’s a storm coming, but the sky is so clear. And I’ve never felt like they were coming before.”

Byakko looked over his shoulder and studied Yuelan, then snorted and continued on without saying anything.

Leila turned her eyes up to the sky and looked around, then shrugged. “Not a single cloud. I still hear the birds too, so I don’t think it’ll storm for a while, if it does at all.”

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“You’re probably right. I just can’t shake the feeling.” Yuelan smiled at Leila then looked back at the road. It only took a few more minutes for them to reach Red Orchid Pavilion and when they arrived Zhao Hanju and Zhou Xiuya were already present.

“Yuelan!” Xiuya hurried over to Yuelan and started looking her over. “I heard about what happened at the palace. Father was so furious! How could that woman try to kill you, the emperor, and the crown prince! Are you alright?”

Yuelan smiled and hugged Xiuya. “I’m fine, Xiuya. Physically anyway. I invited you and Hanju to have tea and go shopping with me to help me take my mind off it.”

Hanju stepped over and joined the hugging. “We’re glad you’re alright, Yuelan. The purple stones in the circlet you’re wearing are beautiful.”

“Thank you. I’m not sure what it is, but it was my mother’s. Daddy said it has been in her family for a long time.” Yuelan stepped back from her two friends. “Shall we head inside?”

The two young ladies who had come to join Yuelan for tea and shopping smiled, nodded, and turned to salute Byakko. “Lord Byakko, it is our honor to meet you.” Their greetings were completely in sync.

Byakko nodded, then shifted to house cat size and jumped at Yuelan, who caught him in her arms.

“Oh! I didn’t know Lord Byakko could make himself smaller! He’s so cute!” Hanju blushed and quickly covered her mouth at her mistake, then saluted Byakko and Yuelan. “Please forgive me, I misspoke.”

Yuelan laughed. “No, I agree with you. He is cute like this. This form is more convenient for being inside, so he tends to be like this when he’s going inside with me somewhere unless he wants to make sure people remember who I am by reminding them of who he is.”

Hanju nodded. She looked like she wanted to pet Byakko, but kept her hands down and didn’t ask.

“Anyway, let’s go inside and have tea while we decide where to go shopping.” Yuelan walked toward the entrance to Red Orchid Pavilion and stepped inside with her two friends and entourage behind her. The manager bowed and immediately guided them to Yuelan’s personal courtyard.

One of the top tea servers made and served the tea for Yuelan and the others and stood by quietly while Yuelan, Hanju, and Xiuya chatted about accessories, fabrics, and where they were going to go shopping after they finished their tea. The two minister’s daughters agreed to go with Yuelan to the shops she owned in the capital with her. They were curious about what the Emperor and the princes had given to her before.