Blood of Deception [ON HOLD]

Chapter Fourteen

"Your Highness, I have brought some refreshments," said Ruixue's personal maid, Yawen. She carried a tray heavy with food to the table in the parlor.

The crown princess appeared from the adjacent room, dressed in an embroidered white blouse that exposed her clavicle and tied to an orange skirt by a sash around her waist. A long coat adorned her shoulders, shimmering in the light as she came over to sit.

Ruixue looked down at the tray, barely having an appetite. Several baked pastry with sesame seeds sprinkles sat on a plate while another held grapes and sliced apples. A cup of tea rested at a side. On the account of being the heir to the throne, her schedules usually took on until the afternoon without many breaks. And now that the festival was impending she supposed she wasn't to take suppertime too lightly.

The sun shone onto the courtyard when Ruixue headed out to the Second Division. Rows of hyacinth and lilacs embellished the winding pathway, ranging from pink to a richer shade of violet. Camellias and peonies bloomed from carefully nurtured bushes, the large flowers like unblinking eyes of a thousand watchers. Ruixue inhaled the various fragrance as she passed her favorite spot of the garden. She had always been the one among the siblings who enjoyed strolls in the sun. The warmth made her feel alive.

Several servants stood about the Ward's gate when she neared. They dispersed at the sight of her, dropping brisk curtsies before scurrying to their tasks. After they departed Ruixue saw another group of guards gathered around someone near the entrance outside. She approached.

The soldiers seemed to be engaging in a fond conversation. One of them then parted from the circle, nodding something in agreement. It was then she saw the person in the middle.

Ruixue stopped short. She stared as the figure stepped into the Ward's property, not believing her eyes. The man glanced around the vast area of the courtyard as if in search of something. He wore commoners clothing, yet that face was unmistakable.

"Ge." She didn't realize she was running until she heard her maids startled behind.

All she saw that moment was the image of her younger self, hiding between shrubs in the gardens knowing that the older boy would come finding for her in their games. But the memory cracked apart when the figure's eyes landed on hers.

Ruixue halted a short distance from him, breathing fast. The drumming of her heart slowly ceased. Her gaze held his unfamiliar brown, feeling all her hope shattering down to her feet among too many times to count.

The stranger approached her. His eyes flicked to the servants rushing to the princess's side before finding hers again. Ruixue's mind was in a daze when he went down on one knee before her.

"Good day to you, Your Grace," he greeted. His voice snapped her out of her distraction. Ruixue quickly recovered her composure, impassiveness donned on her face.

"Rise," she ordered. When he did she ascertained herself that this man merely shared a similar resemblance to that she saw in her dreams. He was not that person at all, no matter how badly she wished him to be.

The color of his eyes was the surest confirmation.

"Who are you?" she demanded. She noted the royal pass he was clutching. Menservants did not roam the palace free with a pass, nor were they to leave their master's side.

"I am Li Yuzhe, Your Grace," the man said. "And I'm here to return these." He withdrew a parchment and handed it to her along with the tassel.

Puzzled, Ruixue granted Yawen consent to accept the items, which she took the scroll and unrolled the content.

"I cannot express how much I am grateful for the opportunity, but I'm afraid I cannot accept," Yuzhe said later.

Ruixue handed the scroll to the maid. She accessed the man with new eyes. "You must be the one who accompanied Meiyue to the south," she said to him. "I've heard about you." Yuzhe acknowledged it with a bow. "Might I ask the reason for your refusal?"