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I silence my protest as she scrubs every visible part of me until the water in the dish has turned murky. The intense sweetness of the fragrance intrigues me, unlike any I’ve smelled before.
“It’s frangipani,” her companion offers helpfully. “These trees grow on our islands.”
As the first girl drags a comb through my knotted hair, I wince. “Her Ladyship is looking forward to seeing Prince Zixin,” she tells me. “According to gossip, he’s as handsome as an immortal—and for once, the rumors are true.”
Her friend glances in the direction of the others. “I think the one with short hair is more striking, though I wouldn’t mind a closer acquaintance with the prince’s other companion either.”
The first girl cranes her neck to peer around the wooden screen. “Are they both the prince’s guards?”
I like how they speak to me, as one of them. “The short-haired one is spoken for, but the other is available. He is recently heartbroken and in need of good company,” I say in a conspiratorial tone.
As their faces light up, I tell myself I’m doing Shenming a favor—unlike with Jin. The taller girl picks up a red robe from a tray of folded garments. “This color will suit you.”
“Not that one,” her friend says hastily. “Lady Shufang has chosen this color today. No one else is allowed to wear it.”
After the Palace of Nine Hills, I’m used to the conditions imposed by those in power, constant reminders of their influence. “I like blue,” I offer to their relief. “If there are no rules around wearing that.”
They cluster around me, coiling my hair up with ornaments of seed pearls. Once done, they push aside the wooden screen. Jin is leaning against a pillar, the prince and Shenming beside him.
Shenming looks at me like he’s found a six-legged frog. “You look… nice.”
“You sound surprised.” I grin at him. “You look ‘nice’ too.” His long gray robe reaches his ankles, worn open to display his dark tunic and pants.
The white-haired soldier gestures at us impatiently from the end of the hall. “Come. Lady Shufang awaits.”
Jin strides toward me, his black robe embroidered with silver bamboo, while Prince Zixin is in white with gold cranes sewn upon the cloth. The two of them in these fine clothes, the elegance of this hall—memories wash over me, dragging me back to the Palace of Nine Hills. It’s like us three are back there again, except with different roles to play. Dangerous, these strands of the past interwoven amid the present. They need to be picked out before I’m entangled.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
SOLDIERS ARE STATIONED ALONG THE HALLWAYS AND OUTSIDE each chamber, mostly women in silver armor with swords or bows.
“It’s as you told me before,” I remark to Jin. “But isn’t the physical strength of men an advantage in battle?” I’m thinking of General Xilu, how a single blow from him inflicted such pain… and yet, he lost.
“Men and women train equally here, choosing later which path to take,” Jin explains. “They believe in a different type of warfare in the Pearl Ocean, focused on speed and agility rather than sheer force, and their archers are famed across the realm. While they have male soldiers too, their strongest and highest-ranked warriors tend to be women.”
Sounds of conversation drift from a doorway, the strains of music. As we enter, I stare in wonder. The ceiling that arches above is crafted of the same aquamarine as the bridges, partly opaque as though clouded over, sunlight spilling through the translucent sections. Tall windows are flung open to the ocean, the air laden with the scent of frangipani. Flowering trees are planted in large pots along the walls, smaller than those outside yet just as fragrant.
The courtiers, both men and women, are dressed in flowing garments of silk and brocade. Their outer robes are worn open over their tunics and pants, while most women are in long skirts like mine, their braided hair adorned with pearls. As we move farther into the hall, many turn toward us, their attention riveted by the Prince of the Iron Mountains. With the dust of travel washed away, his head tilted with habitual arrogance, he emanates power and elegance like it’s his birthright—striding through this court as though it’s already his.
A petite woman rises from the lapis throne at the far end—she must be Lady Shufang, the ruler of the Pearl Ocean. A circlet of pearls rests on her long white hair, her red gown shot through with silver thread. Slender eyes are tilted at the corners, her mouth wide and full. A thick gold chain wraps her neck, a glittering stone dangling from it as luminous as a shard of the moon.
Starfire.
My hands curl, but we can’t be distracted from finding the waterfall. Shenming and I follow Jin’s lead, moving to the side of the hall. Here, we can watch the proceedings while allowing the prince to command all the attention, as he halts before the throne.
“I welcome you to my court, Your Highness.” Lady Shufang’s voice is clear and melodious. “I have invited Your Highness for a visit many times before and am honored that you chose to grace us with your presence now.”
Prince Zixin’s mouth slides into a slow smile. “Thank you for your generous hospitality, Lady Shufang. I have long desired to visit, hearing of the beauty of your kingdom and its people.”
She flushes, watching him, entranced—like he’s a statue come to life. Yet the glint of calculation shines in her eyes. “Does Your Highness remember our last meeting? It was years ago, when my father brought me to your court. You showed me around your palace.”
“Of course I remember, Your Ladyship,” he says warmly, exuding a charm seldom wielded back when all pandered to him, when he didn’t need another’s support. “I think of it often.”
“Shall we discard the formalities? After all, we’re far from strangers,” she says archly. “Titles become cumbersome when one desires a closer acquaintance.”
“If so, why did Your Ladyship not permit my guards to join me, limiting the number of my attendants?” A mild rebuke edges his tone, maybe testing her favor—his discontent a farce to reel her in, the willing fish on his hook.
At once, her face falls. She gestures to an attendant who sets a chair beside her throne. “Sit beside me, Zixin,” she offers. “Such rules have always existed to ensure the safety of my people. The bridges are vital to the security of our island. We did not recognize the unmarked armor of the soldiers you were traveling with, whether friend or foe—whether you were their ally or hostage.”
