The road of life and love is endless. Just when you think you are done, everything shatters, and you must begin again. Take your stones, break them in two. Only in rearranging the pieces will you find true enlightenment. -A Monk of Xiaofeng Peak to a mysterious stranger

  “Chieftess?” Xinya asked with the same amount of confusion as I felt.

  “Yes,” Shion confirmed. “You defeated our former Chief, and since Grandmaster Kaishin very clearly does not want anything to do with us, the title falls to his champion in the battle, should you accept.”

  “Wait, a second,” I stood, glaring at the young oni. “She’s eleven.”

  “Is that a problem?” he asked. “I’m fourteen. My sister is seventeen.” The confusion on Shion’s face was so genuine that I actually believed that he didn’t see the issue. Did he not know that human aging meant that both he and Xinya were considered children? Or had the Chikara Chief put expectations on him from such a young age that it didn’t matter to him?

  Luckily for Shion, his sister stepped forward and bowed gently. “Forgive Shion. He is still young and underexposed to the other peoples of our world. I am Chikara Erisa.”

  “I take it you see my concern?”

  She nodded. “I do. However, oni customs do not discriminate by age, only by power. The Chieftess may decline, but it is her decision and no other’s.”

  I bit my lip. Xinya was far too young to lead, but she was far from the first in history to be thrust into such a role in their childhood. Surely, the Chikara had some provision for advisors to help her until she was old enough to assume her role in full.

  But, what of her childhood, I wondered. So much of the joys of simply being a kid had been stolen from the little girl. Her mother died when she was an infant, then her father and hometown were taken when she was nine. For the first time in ages, she had the time to play around and be a kid while Lin and I were in seclusion, and instead, she decided to take on the responsibility of running the inn, just so that Lin and I would praise her when we got back.

  I wished dearly that she didn’t have to grow up so fast. There was still time for her to enjoy playing with other kids or dressing up to look like a princess. Yet, that wasn’t my choice. I couldn’t choose to make her slow down. Only she could.

  Xinya thought long and hard about it. In the end, though, she nodded.

  “I accept the title,” she declared. “On the condition that Chikara Shion and Chikara Erisa remain my advisors so I can make sure that I don’t screw it up.”

  Both Chikara oni nodded and bowed.

  I had to give the little cultivator some credit. She would have a hard time as Chieftess, especially given that she was human and not oni, but with advisors, she would be directed to put her efforts where they were important.

  “Now, with all of that done, can we eat? I’m hungry and Big Sister Kirana said there was a spicy chicken dish that I really want to try.”

  Several adults chuckled at the simplicity of the new Chikara Chieftess. Blushing Rose disciples led us all back inside where they’d already begun serving dinner. Xinya chose to sit with the other oni as their new Chief, leaving Lin, Iza, and I at the head of the room.

  At the end of it all, Xinya was right to be excited. The dinner was delicious, even if I didn’t partake at all of the spicy chicken she was so excited for. I took one look at that and felt my eyes water at the spice, so I elected for a much milder fish soup. It was savory, with tangy vegetables adding a bit of color to the rest of the meal.

  Never let it be said that the Blushing Rose Sect didn’t know how to entertain, either. Several dancers dressed in dazzling pink and purple silks performed at the center of the room. It was a sensuous dance, and it was very clear that the sect had pulled in favors from some of the businesses under their protection to get the dancers to attend, but I had to admit that it was quite a beautiful display of skill and passion.

  “I am terribly sorry that the dance probably isn’t to your liking, Your Highness,” Iza murmured just loud enough for me to hear. “I wasn’t certain that you wished that particular detail about yourself to be known, since much of the rest of your identity is yet hidden.”

  “Oh, that has never been a secret, but I appreciate the thought all the same,” I answered. “Your performers are exceptionally skilled. Anyone with eyes can see that they are quite the prize.”

  “You honor me with your praise,” she deflected politely. “However, if I may ask a personal question. I am yet unsure how to address Master Tenri.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Is he your servant? Personal Guard or Retainer? Or is he your lover or consort?” she asked. Though the question was presented in a clinical tone, that of a hostess trying to ensure that she doesn’t insult one of her guests of honor, my ears began to burn. I took a drink of wine before summoning a hand-fan made of pure voidlight qi to hide my embarrassment. Luckily for me, Lin had stepped out for a breath of air and couldn’t ask about my darkening cheeks.

  “He isn’t any of those things,” I admitted. “He’s…just a friend.”

  “Just a friend?” Iza raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “If you say so, Your Highness.” She didn’t believe it for a second, and we both knew it. Still, she had the grace not to ask further. Instead, she bowed and stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a few things to check on with my disciples.”

  “You do your position proud, Sect Leader.” Dutiful was the hostess who consistently checked on the welfare of her staff for the benefit of her guests.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Alone at the head of the room, I watched the dancers go into another routine. Echoes of emotion swirled around the room, but they were gentle in comparison to the heavenly wrath that Xinya had produced in the battle. I could easily manage these and the voices, and so my mind began to wander.

  Iza’s question lingered in my mind. What was Lin to me? Was he really just a friend? My soul was literally twisted around his such that he was the anchor to my entire reality. Without him, I didn’t even want to know what would happen to me. By that logic, I was using him, especially given that I hadn’t had the chance to ask him back when I established that connection in the first place. Yet, if either of us was master or servant, it was him who could give orders to me. He had never consciously used that power and was sickened as soon as he’d learned that he even could order me to do anything I didn’t want to.

  Yet…

  “Don’t you ever make me worry like that again, do you understand? You were so still, and I could only touch you with my qi. I thought you’d died and were reduced to a shade.”

  “Didn’t you know that your chains tighten when you’re upset?”

  “I’m here to help you change things. You just have to let me.”

  I drained another cup of wine, letting memories of Lin swim through my mind like the koi that once lived in Half-Moon Manor. It felt wrong to call Lin ‘just a friend.’ After all, when I was at my lowest, when I’d only just escaped from the Labyrinth, he gave me the benefit of the doubt and half a chance to prove myself different from the legends that had been perpetuated in my absence. He fought the Chain-Bound Fury with me, coming face-to-face with the ugly truth of my past. When even I had given up on myself, he hadn’t given up on me.

  Not even Jinshi had that kind of faith in me, I realized before immediately attributing that thought to the wine. It was hardly Ascendent grade wine, but Iza had pulled the finest jars she had in her cellar, infused with enough qi to make my head swim, even at Gold.

  It wasn’t fair to Jinshi for me to question his faith. I never gave him the chance to see through the walls of my void-induced pain. I could defend myself all day, claiming it was mere madness, but that was no excuse for isolating myself from the one person who was willing to listen.

  Except, now there were two people who fit that description. Lin listened. He called me out when I was being stupid, but he was always there for me when my mind tried to shred itself apart. He rescued me from drowning in my own qi. He kept me balanced.

  I took a deep breath. The wine was really talking now. Maybe Lin was right about getting a bit of air. Being the center of attention didn’t really suit me anymore, and Blushing Rose supposedly took great pride in the flowers of their gardens. I rose and excused myself from the few disciples who still watched over my table.

  True to their sect, the gardens were lovely. Roses of every color, interspersed with dozens of other types of flowers grew in well-trimmed plots along winding paths around the back wall of the Blushing Rose Estate. I even spotted a few voidlight moths which danced around me in greeting as I passed.

  They’re not as nice as Lin’s garden was, I mused. Just as I was about to admonish myself for the thought, a flash of green and black turned in the corner of my eye.

  “Lin?” I called, but there was no answer. I jogged to the bush where the flash disappeared. Just as I turned around the corner, I caught a glimpse of green again. This time, it was clearly Lin’s long ponytail and green robes.

  Rounding another rose bush, I found myself at a small gazebo with a small river flowing around it. Beneath the vines and flowers that grew on the gazebo roof, Lin watched as petals of every color were being carried away by the water. When I arrived, he turned, slightly startled, giving me the impression that he’d been standing there quite a while, despite the fact that I’d been following him here.

  “Yoru,” he said. “I just needed a moment away from the spotlight.” He turned back to the river. “I don’t think I’ve ever been a guest of honor before. It’s exhausting.”

  “You get used to it after a while,” I said, crossing a small bridge to lean on the railing next to him.

  “The flowers are quieter companions than all those people. The hovering servants were giving me stress,” he admitted.

  “Do you want me to-”

  “No, you’re fine.” Lin put a hand on my arm. “You don’t have any expectations of me.”

  Together, we leaned on the railing. Petals drifted by on the water below, and a gentle serenity settled between us. After a while, Lin’s shoulders began to shake. For a moment, I was startled, wondering what was wrong, but several quiet snickers escaped his lips, and I relaxed.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “Hanako always told me that I made better friends with flowers than with people, and here I am, proving her right,” he explained with a melancholic smile. “and look, the sect has lunafall flowers.” He pointed to a cluster of brilliant blue and purple lilies nearby. “I wonder how they grow. Ishida won’t tell me.”

  “I’m not really the person to ask about plants,” I admitted. “My sister got all the gardening talent in our family.”

  Lin rested his head on his hand. “I had a lunafall in Saikan, but it never bloomed as beautifully as those are. Its petals were dull and lifeless.” He paused and gave me a genuine smile. “Maybe I should have had you shine your light on it. Lots of things seem to grow more beautiful around you.”

  “I don’t know, you were pretty fine before I met you,” I said, entirely without thinking. As my mind caught up with the words that escaped me, I blushed and looked away. “I…must have had too much to drink.” It was all the apology I could manage.

  What on earth was I thinking?! Calling him fine was the truth, with his beautiful green eyes and soft black hair…and the way he always pushed his glasses up his nose when he was nervous or thinking…and…

  “If you were a flower in this garden, I would be a simple weed,” he mused, eyes still on the river. “You’re amazing beyond words, both in your cultivation and in your personality. I don’t think I’ll ever measure up.”

  “Yet, it was you who saved my life twice.” I remembered the fight with the Tide Serpent. He dove beneath the waves to rescue me when I was drowning. My cheeks grew warm just thinking about it. “I think you more than measure up.”

  “You’re just-”

  I reached out, laying a hand on his cheek and turning him gently to face me. His skin was warm, just like before, but this time, I could see the full picture. Green eyes alit with the sparkle of his qi. There was a question in those eyes.

  Leaning in, I pressed my lips to his. At first, he stiffened in surprise, only to relax once he realized what had happened. When I pulled away, his cheeks and neck were crimson, and a dazed sort of glaze was over his eyes.

  My head caught up with the rest of reality, and I flinched back. Why did I do that? I just made a big deal about telling Sect Leader Iza that we were just friends! Why did I…

  The letter and tablet in my robes grew heavy and warm. What was I doing?! Jinshi was still alive somewhere, and here I was betraying him for Lin?

  For…my friend?

  “I…I’m sorry.” I said, though I wasn’t sure who exactly I was apologizing to. “I should go.”

  I only barely managed to maintain my dignity as I fled the gazebo at a brisk walk instead of a run. Confusion and shame followed in my wake, and the worst part was that I didn’t fully understand either the course of events nor my reaction to them. So, knowing full well that I couldn’t deal with them with my head spinning with wine, I fled.

  Hoping to be alone for a while, I wound my way through the gardens. However, as I rounded the third rose bush that was taller than I was, I ran headfirst into Ishida.

  “Oh good, I found you.”

  “I wasn’t missing,” I answered grumpily.

  “Yes, but there’s been news. You’ll want to drink this.” She pushed a jug that smelled distinctly like medicinal herbs towards me. “It’s a sobering remedy. You’ll want it.”

  “For what?”

  “One of the Blushing Rose disciples just brought in the news. The Shattered Moon Sect is attacking the Armillary, and their leader is with them.”