I spent the entire night reading.
Meera had returned with an armful of dusty cultivation manuals, most of them basic texts that any five-year-old in this world probably memorized. But I wasn't looking for advanced techniques. I was looking for foundations. The underlying theory. The why behind the cultivation system.
And holy shit, it was fascinating.
This world's cultivation system was based on the Ashta Siddhis – the eight supernatural powers from Hindu philosophy. Eight realms of power, each named after a different siddhi. Body Foundation, Spirit Awakening, Core Formation, Soul Manifestation, Domain Creation, Law Comprehension, Heaven's Defiance, and Divine Ascension.
Standard stuff for a cultivation world. What was not standard was the elemental system.
Five elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Space. Everyone was born with an affinity for one or two elements. You spent your early cultivation years learning to channel your element through your meridians, building up your foundation until you could break through to the next realm.
Original Aanya supposedly had no elemental affinity. Her meridians couldn't absorb energy at all. But that didn't make sense with what I was feeling now. There was energy moving through my body. It just wasn't moving through the standard pathways.
I pulled out a piece of parchment and started sketching. Standard meridian pathways looked like this... but my – Aanya's – meridians looked like this. Different routes. Different flow patterns. Almost like...
I sat bolt upright.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
"Princess?" Meera looked up from where she was preparing my outfit for the ceremony. "What is it?"
"Aanya's meridians aren't broken. They're configured for weapon cultivation." I kept my voice low, excited. "It's an ancient technique where cultivators bond with weapons instead of building internal cultivation bases."
Meera blinked. "I've never heard of that."
"Exactly. Because it's been lost for thousands of years." I was already forming a plan. If I could find a divine weapon, I could actually cultivate. But I couldn't tell anyone. Not yet. The moment people knew I had power, I'd become a target. Better to stay underestimated. "Meera, what time does the ceremony start?"
"In three hours, Princess." She held up the outfit she'd chosen – a traditional dress in deep crimson with gold embroidery. Beautiful, but...
"No."
"Princess?"
"That's 'I'm a dutiful fiancée' clothing. I need 'I'm about to ruin someone's day' clothing." I rifled through the wardrobe. "What about this?"
I pulled out a dress in midnight blue, almost black, with silver embroidery that caught the light like stars. The cut was more severe, more elegant.
"That's... that's your mourning dress, Princess."
"Perfect. I'm mourning my engagement." I grinned at Meera's scandalized expression. "Too much?"
"Princess, what are you planning?"
"To take control of my own life. Starting with breaking that engagement before Karan can humiliate me publicly."
The Grand Hall of the Imperial Palace was exactly as intimidating as Aanya's memories suggested.
I walked down the center aisle in my mourning dress, very aware of the whispers.
"Is that Princess Aanya?"
"Why is she wearing mourning colors?"
"Still the Trash Princess though..."
Good. Let them underestimate me.
Crown Prince Karan stood at the front, barely hiding his disgust when he saw me. Next to him was Aditi in soft pink robes, looking innocent and concerned.
I reached the front and bowed to the Emperor. "Your Majesty."
"Princess Aanya." The Emperor's voice boomed. "We are gathered to formally announce your engagement to Crown Prince Karan. Do you accept this honor?"
This was it.
I looked at Karan, then smiled.
"No."
The silence was deafening.
"I beg your pardon?" The Emperor looked genuinely confused.
"I said no, Your Majesty. I formally request that this engagement be dissolved." I kept my voice calm, clear. "The Crown Prince and I are fundamentally incompatible. Forcing this marriage would be disrespectful to both our families."
The hall erupted in gasps and whispers.
Karan looked stunned. "You... you're breaking the engagement?"
"Yes. You don't want to marry me. I don't want to marry you. This arrangement made sense when we were children, but not anymore." I glanced at Aditi. "Besides, you're clearly in love with someone else. I won't stand in your way."
The Emperor and Empress exchanged glances. They looked... relieved?
"If both parties agree to the dissolution—" the Emperor started.
"I agree!" Karan said immediately.
"Then the engagement is dissolved." Magical sparkles appeared as the contract broke. "Princess Aanya, is there anything we can offer as compensation?"
Here was my chance. I needed access to that vault without revealing why.
"Actually, Your Majesty, there is one thing. I've always been interested in history and ancient artifacts. Since I won't be joining the royal family, I'd like to pursue my own interests. Might I have permission to visit the royal vault? Just to study the historical pieces there."
It was a reasonable, scholarly request. Harmless. Exactly what people would expect from the powerless Trash Princess looking for a hobby.
"Very well. I'll grant you a one-time pass to examine the artifacts."
Perfect.
I bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
As I walked back down the aisle, the whispers followed me, but I kept my head high. Let them think I was just a girl with hurt pride looking for distraction in old books and dusty weapons.
They had no idea what I was really planning.
The royal vault was a treasure trove.
And in the back corner, covered in dust and forgotten, was a bow.
My heart raced. This had to be Sharanga.
The vault keeper – an ancient man with a long white beard – watched me nervously. "Careful, Princess. That bow is cursed. Every cultivator who tried to use it has died. We keep it here for historical value only."
"May I examine it? I promise I won't try to use it." I kept my tone scholarly, curious but not desperate.
He shrugged. "Your funeral if you do."
I approached the bow slowly. It was simple, dark wood with a shimmering string. The moment I got close, something in my chest resonated.
This was definitely Sharanga.
I pretended to study it like an academic, taking notes, sketching the inscriptions. All while my mind raced. I needed to bond with this weapon, but not here. Not with a witness.
"Fascinating," I murmured. "The craftsmanship is incredible. Would it be possible to return another time? I'd love to study this more thoroughly."
The vault keeper looked relieved I wasn't trying to touch it. "Of course, Princess. You have standing permission now."
Perfect. I'd come back tonight, when no one was watching.
I spent another hour examining random artifacts, playing the part of the history-obsessed former princess. When I finally left, I was confident the vault keeper thought I was harmless.
Phase one complete.
That night, I snuck back into the vault.
Getting past the guards was easier than expected – they were used to ignoring the Trash Princess. Why would powerless Aanya be a threat?
The vault was dark, lit only by my small lamp. I made my way to the back corner where Sharanga waited.
"Alright," I whispered. "Let's see if this works."
I reached out and touched the bow.
Warmth flooded through me. The bow hummed, and energy surged through my meridians. My pathways, those supposedly broken channels, suddenly lit up like circuits connecting to a power source.
Finally, a voice said in my mind. I've been waiting for you.
I nearly dropped the bow. "You can talk?"
You can hear me. Good. I am Sharanga, the Celestial Bow. And you are... interesting. Two souls in one body?
"It's complicated. Can we bond without anyone knowing?"
Smart. Stay hidden until you're strong enough to protect yourself. The bow approved. Yes, we can bond quietly. But it will hurt.
"How badly?"
247 people died attempting this. So... pretty badly.
"No pressure then."
I like you already. Hold on.
The energy intensified. My meridians burned as they reshaped, aligning to Sharanga's frequency. I bit down on my sleeve to keep from screaming. This was agony, every nerve on fire, but I couldn't make noise.
After what felt like hours but was probably minutes, the pain faded. I was on my knees, gasping, but alive.
And I could feel it – the connection to Sharanga, energy flowing through my meridians, a cultivation base forming not in my body but in the weapon itself.
Body Foundation Realm, Level 1, Sharanga announced. Congratulations. You survived.
I looked at my hands. They weren't glowing – I'd suppressed the energy signature instinctively. Good. No visible signs of power.
"Can I hide this? The cultivation base?"
Yes. Weapon cultivation is different from normal cultivation. Your aura only manifests when you actively use me. Otherwise, you'll still appear powerless.
"Perfect." I stood shakily, Sharanga in hand. The bow shifted, becoming a simple wooden bracelet around my wrist. "That's convenient."
I have many forms. This one is best for hiding.
I left the vault as quietly as I'd entered, leaving no trace I'd been there. By morning, no one would know anything had changed.
The Trash Princess was still trash in everyone's eyes.
But I had a divine weapon, a cultivation base, and a plan.
Time to start training in secret.
The next morning, I returned to the family estate to face the inevitable confrontation.
My father stood in the main hall, looking older and more stressed than ever. "Aanya. We need to talk about yesterday."
"I broke the engagement. I'm sorry if it caused problems, but Karan was going to do it anyway. At least this way we kept some dignity."
He sighed. "I won't lie – it's made things difficult. But your mother and I understand. You did what you thought was right."
I felt a pang of guilt. They were being so understanding, and here I was keeping massive secrets from them.
"What will you do now?" my mother asked gently.
"Study. The Emperor gave me access to the royal vault. I want to learn about ancient cultivation techniques, see if there's something that could help me." All technically true. "Maybe I'll find a way to fix my meridians."
My father looked doubtful but nodded. "It's good to have goals. Just... be careful, Aanya. You've made some powerful people uncomfortable with your actions yesterday."
"I will. I promise."
As I left to "study" in my room, Sharanga spoke in my mind.
Good. Keep them thinking you're harmless. Build your strength in secret.
"How long until I can actually fight?"
With proper training? A few months to reach Spirit Awakening Realm. You'll need to practice archery, learn combat techniques, and master energy control. None of which you can do obviously.
"So secret training montage. Got it."
Precisely. Find somewhere isolated. No witnesses.
Over the next few days, I fell into a routine. During the day, I played the part of the scholarly former princess, reading in libraries and asking innocent questions about history. At night, I snuck out to abandoned training grounds outside the city, where Sharanga taught me how to actually use a bow.
Turns out divine weapons were demanding teachers.
"Your stance is wrong."
"How can my stance be wrong? This is how the manual says—"
"The manual is for normal bows. I require seventeen different grip variations depending on combat scenarios. Again."
I practiced until my arms ached, until I could draw Sharanga without my form making the bow cringe. Slowly, painfully, I improved.
And no one suspected a thing.
The Trash Princess was just the Trash Princess, quietly studying dusty books while the world moved on without her.
Perfect.