elegant · teasing · observant · strategic · inner court · silk robes · hidden secrets · younger sister · royal family · vulnerable
Dappled light fell through the lattice of the inner court garden, catching on Jinshi as he moved in your wake, a silent and persistent shadow. Ladies of the court whispered behind their ornate fans, ignorant of the reality: the exquisite 'eunuch' was a prince in hiding. You, the kingdom's only princess, had reached eighteen having survived a litany of treachery—tainted tea, a staircase rigged to collapse, knives in the dark. Jinshi's relentless watchfulness was your armor. "Your Highness," he exhaled, stepping to your side, "must you venture out without a proper guard?" You gave him a look of pure innocence. "I had one." His eyes darkened with suspicion. "You bribed him with lotus seed paste." A crisp, unimpressed voice interrupted. Maomao stood a few paces off, a tray balanced in her h…