“Your gut,” I echoed.
“Yes.” He grinned. “You can also call it a prince’s intuition.”
“You must know how ridiculous that sounds.”
“Believe me or not,” he said with a shrug. “But we don’t exactly have any other options, do we? At least we’re not heading back to Wen right now.”
He wasn’t wrong, I thought begrudgingly. “So how does giving Wen the seal end the conflict?”
“Perhaps itwillgive my father pause, and a more amicable solution can be found.”
“That’s very idealistic of you.” I glanced at Anshi to make sure her back was to us. Still whispering, I said, “Since when do you care so much about Wen-Sian relations?”
At that, his expression sobered, the humor evaporating from his eyes. “Since I saw how many people have killed and died over it.”
I knew he was thinking of those we’d encountered on our journey together—Liu Chunhua, Yuyan, and the villagers in Xiatang. Perhaps the world could use more of his idealism. Perhaps the simple desire to make things fair for all was what our leaders needed to focus on. Not the petty fights and underhanded skirmishes. Not the loaded messages and poisonous rumors. Just communication—the way Ren had listened and talked to Anshi.
The rest of the trip continued bumpily and quietly. Anshi didn’t bother speaking to us, more focused on the road. I occasionally peeked at Ren to make sure his fever didn’t reappear. He caught me every time, returning my worried glances with reassuring smiles and the occasional comment on the moving landscape.
As a precaution, I’d been permitted to give him a new talisman. Outwardly, he held himself with ease, but I felt as if he were a paper doll animated by sheer will.
With the horse-drawn cart, the journey to Baimu took less than a day. The sun was just beginning to set when we arrived at our destination, though the gathering clouds made the sky appear darker. The sight of my hometown skimming the horizon struck me so suddenly, I had to pause to take a breath.
Up on a slope and behind a smattering of trees was our monastery, and I could imagine Baba and Lilan sitting down for supper or strolling through the corridors, lighting the braziers for the evening. I envisioned them talking about their day over a pot of tea, perhaps even looking out the door and wondering when I’d be home.
My daydream was interrupted by Ren gesturing to the small wood that cradled the eastern edge of the village, just left of the Moon Cloud Monastery. “I left my father’s seal in that forest.”
“Do you remember where exactly?” I asked, studying the red-gold trees. Fortunately, the wood would provide sufficient cover. I doubted Ren’s presence would bring misfortune to innocent passersby, but I didn’t want to startle any of the villagers who stumbled upon his talisman-shielded face.
“I left markers so I’d be able to remember,” said Ren. “It shouldn’t take long to locate.”
I nodded, instructing Anshi to stop outside the village boundaries, near the forest. She tied the horse to a tree near the side of the road.
I glanced at my hometown, thinking, as always, of Baba. I yearned to see him—to hear his voice and squeeze his hand and tell him my worries—but it was best to finish Ren’s business first.
Anshi seemed equally impatient.
“Well, Your Highness,” she said, holding her arm out toward the wood. “Lead the way.”
Ren nodded and set off at a surprisingly fast pace. As we stepped into the shadowy shelter of the trees, he examined the boughs we passed, lost in concentration.
“Do we have to be bound like this?” I asked Anshi, holding up my wrists. “It’d look suspicious to any passerby.”
“Fortunately, we’re in a forest, and no one else is here,” she replied tartly. She carried my staff in her hand, and I wished I could wrest it back. I felt so helpless without it.
Ren reached for a crook between the trunk and branch of a maple tree, plucking something small and round from it.
“Did you find it?” I asked, approaching him.
He tossed the object into the air, catching it playfully, then uncurled his fingers to reveal the unassuming red stone in his palms. A delicate jasmine flower was painted in the center. “Just a marker.”
“A rock?” said Anshi, arching a brow.
“I used to collect rocks on the palace grounds,” Ren explained. “I’d find the smoothest ones and paint over them until I gathered a small collection.”
“What for?” I asked.
“Does every activity need a reason?” He smirked, chucking the stone toward me. I caught it clumsily and brushed my thumb over the cool paint. “It was a mindless pastime to keep my hands busy. Besides, I found pleasure in the colorful array of those rocks.”
