By the time the last seed had been buried and the sun began to bleed into the sky, the West Garden had returned to silence.
But in Lady Yuan's courtyard, the game was only beginning.
She didn't bother changing from her silk robes. Let them see her untouched. Let them whisper that while others sweated and blistered beneath the Crown Princess's new rule, Lady Yuan's fingers still smelled of jasmine.
And the Crown Princess didn't do anything about it.
A tray of honeyed fruit rested untouched beside her as she reclined on a lacquered bench, her favorite fan tapping slowly against her palm. At her feet, koi drifted through the pond like lazy thoughts—silent, glimmering, slow to strike.
She wasn't.
"Summon Lady Bai and Lady Hui," she said to her maid without turning. "No attendants. Say it's a personal visit."
