POV – The Seventh Prince
Silk rustled through the imperial hall as servants hung crimson banners for the banquet.
The scent of peonies and polished wood filled the air.
Li Wei stood near the window, his expression carved from ice.
Behind him, the sound of delicate footsteps announced the one person he didn't want to see.
"My son," the Empress Dowager said warmly, gliding toward him.
Her silk veil hid most of her face, but her eyes sparkled with calculation.
Li Wei turned and bowed.
"Imperial Mother. It has been too long."
His voice was smooth, polite… and entirely false.
She cupped his cheek briefly, a gesture of possession more than affection.
"I hear the palace is peaceful again. The… foreign girl is gone?"
"Yes," he said, tone unreadable.
"Your son obeys the whispers of the court."
The Empress Dowager smiled in satisfaction.
"Good. These rumors of you dallying with a foreigner were… unpleasant.
It is time you considered a proper bride. The court still remembers the… tragedy of your brother."
Li Wei's jaw tightened, but he bowed again.
"As you wish, Imperial Mother."
But inside, his thoughts burned like fire.
POV – Leena
Across the city, Leena sat under the shade of bamboo in Merchant Bao's courtyard.
Bao Wen returned with a small wooden box and placed it in her lap.
"Open it," he said.
Inside lay a faded sketch, its edges worn with time.
It was a jasmine flower—clumsy, but full of life.
At the bottom, in childish handwriting:
For my brother from another land.
—Leena, Age 10
Leena's breath caught.
She remembered the tree outside her old room, the warm summer light, the day she had drawn this.
"This…" Her voice wavered. "Why do you… have this?"
Bao Wen hesitated, his usually stoic face softening for the first time.
"Because… you gave it to me. A long time ago. You just don't remember."
He lowered his voice.
"I never forgot my little sister from the West.
I always wondered… if I would see you again."
Leena felt her throat tighten.
A strange warmth—mixed with guilt—rose in her chest.
So many people had cared for her, and yet… her heart still wandered toward the Seventh Prince.
A shadow passed across the courtyard wall.
Bao Wen's gaze flicked toward the street before returning to her with a faint smile.
"Strange," he murmured. "It seems… the palace has sent someone for you."
Leena's stomach dropped, the sketch trembling in her hands.