The next several days were a blur of activity for Yuelan. The old general came and took her to the camp where her new soldiers stayed to introduce her to them and preparations for her trip to Lanzhou got underway. Instead of Guangfeng, who had responsibilities in the capital, the fourth prince, Xiong Guangzhu, was going with her. He had been chosen to marry one of the princesses from Lanzhou and was going to determine which one he got along with. The princess he was to marry would return to Longuo with him.

Yuelan’s horns had finally finished growing in two days before she was scheduled to leave. They were white and forked at the end with two points. Fortunately, they were only a couple inches tall and could be disguised with accessories and carefully styled hair if Yuelan wanted. What couldn’t be disguised was the change to Yuelan’s eyes. While they were still jade green, the pupils had changed. They were no longer round like a normal humans, but had become slitted like a cat’s. Or a dragon’s.

The physical changes upset Yuelan. She couldn’t go back to visit her father with horns and strange eyes! And they looked odd, so she didn’t want to be seen, either. As she sat in front of her mirror in her residence staring at her reflection with her slitted eyes narrowed in distress, she heard speaking coming from outside. A moment later, Camphor stepped in.

“Priestess, His Highness the Crown Prince is here with the coral accessories you asked for,” the maid said in a soft voice. She could see her mistress was upset and didn’t want to upset her too much. “He asked if you would come out to see them.”

“I don’t want to go out,” Yuelan answered. She covered her eyes with her hands and put her forehead on the vanity. “I don’t want him to see me like this.”

Camphor reached out and rubbed Yuelan’s back. “You cannot hide the changes forever, Miss. Eventually, His Highness will see them. And in two days you will leave for Lanzhou. If you hide from him then you will not get a chance to see him before you leave.”

“But...my eyes look horrible...and I have horns!” Yuelan sniffed.

“Priestess, I do not think his highness will mind. And you are the dragon priestess. That you have marks of dragon heritage will only serve to remind everyone of your noble status. Even an emperor must bow to you. Who would dare to mock your appearance?”

Yuelan brushed Camphor’s hand away. “Maybe not to my face, but what about behind my back?”

Camphor chuckled. “Does it matter what others say behind your back? It does not matter what others think of you, Priestess. I think seeing his highness will help you feel better. You haven’t left this room since the day before yesterday. The sunshine and company will help you feel better.”

“I don’t want to. Camphor, I want to be left alone.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

The maid sighed and nodded. “I understand, Miss.” She walked out of the room and spoke to someone outside. Yuelan could hear voices, but not understand what they were saying.

After a few minutes someone stepped into the room again.

“Camphor, I said I wanted to be left alone.” Yuelan hadn’t lifted her head. She was still covering her eyes with her head on the vanity.

The hand that was put on Yuelan’s shoulder was too big to be Camphor’s. The weight and warmth were familiar, and the surprise was enough for Yuelan to lift her head and frown at Guangfeng.

“Sorry for not listening to what you said you wanted, but I thought this might be a good time for an exception,” the prince explained. He studied the red around her eyes and the tears on her face and leaned down to pull her up and into a tight hug. “Did you think such small changes would be enough to scare me away?”

Yuelan sniffled and hid her face in his chest. “I don’t want to look like a freak.”

Guangfeng frowned. “You don’t. You look like what you are: the only dragon priestess in six hundred years.” He used a hand to gently tilt her head so he could look into her eyes. “Just because nobody else looks like you doesn’t mean that they will consider you a freak. Instead, the dragon features will remind them to give you the respect you deserve. In most cases, at least. There will always be fools or those who are jealous who will cause trouble, but at least there will be no denying that you are who you claim to be.”

Tears welled in Yuelan’s eyes. “You really don’t mind it?”

“Of course not. Though I think it’s more important that you are confident about your appearance.” He smiled and gently poked her nose. “You don’t have a crown and your robes are for formal occasions. Without these small changes, nobody would know for sure who you are.”

Yuelan sighed and rested her head on his chest. “Thanks.”

Guangfeng hugged her a little closer. “Feeling better?”

“No, not really. Maybe getting used to it will help.”

The prince gently stroked her hair. “I still think you’re beautiful. If I could go with you to Lanzhou I would and keep reminding you, but unfortunately, you’re going with my brother.”

Yuelan smiled a little. “I’ll be okay. Thank you, Guangfeng.”

“You’re welcome. And next time, I don’t mind if you hide from everyone else, but please don’t hide from me, alright?”

She lifted her head and gave him a bit of a smile. “I’ll try to remember. But I won’t make any promises.”

Guangfeng pressed his lips to her forehead. “Would you like to see the accessories now?”

“Yes please. After all, we got them to help hide my new horns.” Yuelan took a step back and away from Guangfeng then headed out of her room with him following behind.

The coral accessories were carefully crafted in several different colors and included full sets with necklaces, hair pins, and earrings. The coral had been carefully polished and placed into settings.

As Yuelan looked over each of the sets, Guangfeng stood by her side and watched her with a slight smile. By the time Yulean had finished examining them she was feeling much better about her changes. It helped that the accessories were beautiful and she could see that Guangfeng had put quite a bit of effort into working with the crafters.

“Thank you, Guangfeng. They’re beautiful.” Yuelan smiled up at him.

“Not as beautiful as you, but I’m glad you like them.” The third prince smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek.