To Find Her

The Palace

The parts of the Palace to be used have been made habitable, the big doors opening to a huge courtyard where most of the fallen leaves has been cleared away. With a flick of his wrist Master Blue sends a light blue light and in one sweep the courtyard is cleaned, and the overgrown bushes trimmed.
"What a lovely place!" Mistress exclaims as she heads towards a rose bush, pulling Nian with her.
With the females admiring the garden, the two men walks through the next set of doors into the actual Palace. The women following hastily, scared to be left behind.

As night is setting in, the stars so close you can almost touch it, the personal servant of Yuan finds Nian and Xia in the garden, her sitting on an ancient swing, Xia pushing her. Formally the servant bows to her, and with a solemn, "The master awaits goddess for dinner," he waits for Xia to help her off the swing before leading the way to the archway.
Walking down a corridor he walks past their rooms, turns down an unknown passage, through another archway and stops at the entrance to a semi-outside structure, made to look like a room yet overrun with beautiful exotic flowers. Surrounded by flickering candles, Yuan gets up when he sees her and comes to meet her at the door.
With unusual gentleness the big white haired man takes her arm, leading her in silence to the ready table.
His eyes as dark as ever, reflecting the golden flame of the nearest candle, he offers her a cup of wine and gives a rare smile. Unbeknownst to them the real surprise and gift has started, in fact it is placed inside the flowers. A scent invisible and thought up by master of Blue himself. A gift that can make or break their companionship.
A fragrance that will, for a few hours, let them feel what the other feels.
"Why is it so difficult to talk to you about us?" This question burst from Yuan before the first meal is served and through her surprise a sudden fear grips her heart. Frowning she, somewhat awkward, looks away. Oh no, she thinks, he's got feelings for me. And with that thought something inside her head jumps in joy...and dissappear when he grabs her hand.
That shook her little bit of real heart left with the realization that this is not like him. "Through these years I've been your perfect companion, but this..this here," and he touches his heart, "Is upset because you just will not see me for me." and before her astonished eyes a tear rolls down his cheek. "Well, you have known what I am like. How these displays of emotion pushes me away." she counters distractedly because there is a look on the servants' faces that rings bells.
Abdrubtly Nian gets up and with a slight bow rushes out of the room.
It's Xia who grabs her the moment she is in the corridor, yet still she refuses the contact, frowning and scolding the servant so harshly that Xia only stares at her.
This is not like her mistress. Catching sight of the servant of Yuan she realise something is very wrong.
"Best to go back and eat something goddess." it is his servant who calms her and take her back to the dinner waiting with a very silent Yuan.