Two days passed without incident, almost too smoothly that it became disturbing. Jia had half-hoped the ministers would forget about her entirely. But unfortunately, that wish of hers had been cleanly wrapped and tossed squarely into the trash.
That morning, two imperial guards bearing the dragon crest appeared at her doorstep. The gleaming insignia had left her frozen. These weren't ordinary palace messengers. They were the Emperor's personal guards.
Wait–!
HIS PERSONAL GUARDS?!!
Her stomach sank at the sight of these flashy armored men.
The Emperor himself had sent for her this time?
This doesn't sound good.
Jia exhaled sharply and turned toward her grandfather who had followed her outside.
"I'll be back soon, Grandpa," she said simply. "Please take care of yourself until I return. If the stocks are too heavy for you, try not to buy them all at once."
Her grandpa forced a small smile. "You can always count on your old man," he said with his usual pride, though the worry in his eyes betrayed him. "You be careful out there, and write to me, okay? Even if I'm not there with you, never forget the things I taught you, do you understand?"
"I won't" Jia replied, letting him pat her head.
When they were done saying their goodbyes to one another, she turned to the waiting guards, giving them a curt nod to let them know she was ready to leave. The palace guards she's met so far have been patient with her.
The two guards stepped aside for her to pass, and Jia climbed onto the dark lacquered carriage without hesitation. As the horses started forward, she leaned out briefly to wave her grandpa goodbye one last time. The wind caught the edge of her sleeve, and for a fleeting moment, she felt that her peaceful life was really about to take an unexpected turn.
Since it was the Emperor who had summoned her to his palace, Jia had used the safest approach to look as forgettable as humanly possible. She didn't need anyone remembering her face - especially not a man notorious for surrounding himself with beautiful people.
So, she took precautions.
Starting with the most obvious problem: her hair. That ridiculous silver shade had been drawing unwanted stares since she was ten, but her grandpa always told her it was because she looked unique. She has had enough of that uniqueness.
Last night, she wasn't exactly sure what had gotten into her, but she had prepared herself in advance, using the dye she had begged for from Lian. A single rinse of dye later, the shimmering silver was gone, now replaced by an ordinary shade of black so dull it could blend into a shadow.
It was perfect.
The truth was, nature had already done half the work for her. Without her silver hair, there wasn't much left to catch anyone's eye. Her face was plain, her figure unremarkable, and her build– well "frail" sounded like a polite word for it. She was that sort of person you could bump into in the market and forget about immediately after.
She wasn't blind to her own looks - she was a healer, not delusional.
The Emperor's courtesans were the kind of women poets wasted ink over: radiant, elegant and sculpted to perfection. They floated instead of walked, spoke like honey poured over silk, and had curves that could make a man forget his own name – and possibly his purpose in life.
Jia, on the other hand, was simply… there.
And honestly, she preferred it that way.
Being plain meant no one asked her nonsense questions. No one schemed, flirted or expected her to know how to flutter her lashes like some white lotus. Jia didn't even know how to flutter her lashes properly – the courtesan sisters once made her try, and she nearly poked herself in the eye. Don't ask how, it just happened.
Going to face a ruler who treated beauty like collectibles and women like trophies? Yeap, getting rid of her hair was important.
He might have been a capable Emperor, wise even, but his fondness for surrounding himself with "favorites" made Jia's stomach twist. She had no intention of becoming a decorative addition to anyone's palace. She just wanted to heal people with her grandpa, and live peacefully in their home.
"No," she muttered under her breath, smoothing down the freshly dyed strands of hair she had tied with a simple ribbon and braided at the tip.
"You know what," she decided, squaring her shoulders as she made herself comfortable inside the carriage, "ordinary suits me just fine."
*******
The Imperial palace of Solara stood at the heart of Drakoria, the Northern Province of Solara itself.
The first light of dawn spilled through the tall arched windows of the Crown Prince's chamber, painting the marble floors in pale gold. The scent of incense still lingered from the morning prayers, faint and bittersweet, mingling with the crisp chill that crept in from the northern winds.
The Crown Prince stood before his table, silent and composed, though the stillness around him carried a tension sharp enough to draw blood.
Before him, several bottles of crimson wine gleamed beneath the flickering torches, their ruby liquid catching the sun's early rays like pools of dark flame.
Kneeling on the embroidered rug were his physicians - three men of high repute, now pale as ghosts and trembling despite their bowed heads. The air was thick with their fear; none dared to speak unless spoken to, aware that even a misplaced breath might end up deciding their fate.
Their report had been simple and damning.
The so-called holy wine– a sacred Solaran tradition, blessed daily by the temple priests and offered to the heir as a symbol of divine favor - had been poisoned.
The irony of it all almost made the prince laugh. Almost.
"So," he began evenly. "You're saying someone has been mixing Mercury-laced tonics into my holy wine?"
The chief physician swallowed before answering. "It was confirmed by the poison-tester, whom you already detained. The truth is, it isn't just the one stored in the House of Balance, Your Highness. Upon inspection, nearly all the wines in your collection show traces of contamination."
He hesitated, glancing nervously at his colleagues. "Mercury-laced tonics can kill swiftly, but… Each bottle contained only a minute amount. If… we may speculate, it appears the culprit intended not to kill you outright, but to destroy you slowly, over time."
A cold silence settled over the room.
The Crown Prince's gaze lingered on the nearest bottle, its golden seal glinting mockingly. A sacred gift turned into a weapon. So that was it.
The exhaustion, the faint tremors, the restless fog that had lingered in his head for months. He had thought it was the strain of duty, of carrying the Empire's expectation alone. But now, he wasn't so sure. Not with all the evidence.
Someone was out to murder him.
He could hardly believe it himself.
So far, all existing bottles of the holy wine have been confiscated and sealed as evidence. The sacred deliveries from the capital had been suspended indefinitely, the royal edict spreading through the palace like wildfire.
Until a full investigation was concluded, not a single drop of consecrated liquid would enter his halls.
His previous attendants and food testers had been detained as well, awaiting questioning. Even the temple priests - the very man who prepared and blessed the holy wine - had been summoned under full suspicion. No one, not even those cloaked in divinity, was above scrutiny.
It was a matter of gravity.
He could have lost his life.
The realization settled over him like a slow-burning coal. He would've died not on the battlefield, but during his first ever provincial tour at that, a very meaningful tradition for every Emperor, and soon-to-be one.
Then, as if struck by a sudden recollection, the Crown Prince's gaze lifted from the table. His eyes, blue and unreadable, shifted to the physicians kneeling before him.
"What about the girl who saved me?" he asked quietly.
One of the physicians bowed his head lower. "I heard she's on her way here, on the Emperor's orders, Your Highness."
A faint glimmer stirred in the prince's eyes– relief, curiosity and something more. "Good," he said, his tone softer now, but still maintaining a commanding edge. "I'd like to meet her myself."
Moving to the tall arched window, the Crown Prince let the morning breeze brush against his handsome face, the air cooler and now smelled faintly of pine from the northern gardens. Below, in his courtyard, bathed in pale sunlight, he spotted two familiar figures– his younger brother, strolling at a measured pace, and beside him, a smaller boy with a boundless grin on his face.
Lysander and Ren.
A quiet warmth eased into the Crown Prince's chest. The tension that had coiled in him earlier had loosened, if only for a little.
He turned from his window and made his way toward the grand entrance, the soft rustle of his robes echoing faintly across the marble floors. By the time the heavy doors swung open, Ren had already spotted him.
"Big brother Hugo!" He cried, his voice ringing with unrestrained joy.
The Crown Prince's expression melted into a rare smile. He opened his arms, and Ren darted forward, crashing into his embrace. He lifted the boy easily into his arms, drawing laughter from him as sunlight framed them both.
"Big brother, you're doing okay now!" Ren beamed, cupping the prince's cheeks with both his small hands.
"Why wouldn't I be?" the Crown Prince replied softly, pulling affectionately at his chubby cheeks. "And what about you, hm? Are you doing okay?"
Ren nodded enthusiastically, then turned toward the man still standing just beyond the threshold - the Second Prince. "I want to play with both my big brothers today! Pleaasssseeee big brother Xander."
The Crown Prince's gaze followed his, and the moment the two brother's eyes met, the warmth in the air thinned. The second prince stood straight, composed and courteous, but his reluctance to cross into the hall spoke louder than words.
"Xander," the prince started, but Xander already bowed his head slightly, his voice even but distant.
"Forgive me, perhaps another time. I have important matters to attend to. I only brought Ren because he insisted on seeing you."
The Crown Prince studied him for a quiet moment, searching for something behind that polite mask - but whatever it was, it stayed masterfully hidden.
He gave a very faint nod. "Very well. I heard the healer will be coming to the palace today. You should see her as well."
Ren gasped, his eyes lighting up once more. "Miss Healer is coming?!"