Luzhu Garden, the largest garden connecting all the major Palaces. The night before brought rain, causing the red leaves to blossom with flamboyancy. In the centre of the garden was a huge, man-made lake, shaped like a water droplet.
Eternal serenity. Dark, wet stone accentuating the flurry of colours around it. Like a sunset, autumn had arrived and brought with it the end of life in a last show; a burst of colour before everything faded to brown and white. Trees that bloomed in spring were now ladened heavy with vivid leaves.
With every flutter of wind, another leaf fell.
A brown bird flew from the bright foliage, the sun streaming through the feathery tips of its wings. Swooping down, it let out a bright chirp as it landed on a branch, causing droplets of water to fall.
One of these water droplets fell onto the back of Wei Mudan's face. She blinked in surprise, lifting one hand to wipe it away. Her fiery clothes made her blend into the scenery, the only thing standing out being her inky-dark hair and snowy skin.
With every step, a cheerful tinkle rang out. The weak sunlight reflected off the silver bells, nesting snugly in Wei Mudan's hair.
Princess Yimu was early. Wei Mudan stepped into the golden pavilion, alerting Princess Yimu of her presence.
Yesterday, at the banquet, Princess Yimu did not seem to have changed a bit. Applying thick make-up and wearing the most lavish of clothes. Heart on her sleeve, an uncontrollable mouth. This led to several problems throughout the night; she was reprimanded for the simplest of things. Laughing too loudly. Saying the wrong things at the wrong time.
Wei Mudan observed. She saw the hurt flash across Princess Yimu's face.
Now, Princess Yimu's pretty face was free of make-up, tired circles lining her soft eyes. She smiled weakly at Wei Mudan. Dressed in a light green and holding a teacup, she seemed the opposite of the girl from yesterday.
"Third Princess Mudan. Won't you take a seat?" she asked.
Wei Mudan sat down, and Princess Yimu placed down another cup of tea. She came prepared, along with a basket of delicacies. Wei Mudan raised an eyebrow, but accepted the tea cup. The tea cup had little pictures imprinted onto the sides, from bamboo to flowers. Princess Yimu quickly began to set out the delicacies, a rare action for someone like her. These kinds of things were often left to servants, but today there were none around.
Calling her out on such short notice and meeting at the Qing Shui Pavilion, where people rarely passed by… What could her motive be? Younger Princess Yimu had been the typical tyrant; ego inflated to the point where she threw her weight around, even at the tender age of ten.
Princess Yimu sighed. "It has been quite a few years."
A few years since Wei Mudan faded from society, everyone forgetting that she had even existed. A few years since she moved out from the Palaces - no one cared. Not the Emperor, not her own mother, Consort Zhen.
But the few years of obscurity brought freedom.
Wei Mudan nodded, lifting her cup up to take a sip. Unbeknownst to Princess Yimu, right before she took a sip, she dipped her pinkie into the hot tea. She paused for a fraction of a second, waiting for a reaction. When there was none, she took a sip, enjoying the warmth it brought.
"I...asked you to come here so I could apologise," Princess Yimu said.
Hiding the shock inside her heart, Wei Mudan raised a cold eyebrow. "Apologise?"
"For my actions. Back then."
"There is no need. We were children."
Princess Yimu set down her cup. "What I did was still unforgivable."
"It was to be expected. You were raised that way. Even reaching out to me with your current intentions is good enough for me."
Rather than blame a pawn, Wei Mudan would rather strike the one hiding in the shadows. Princess Yimu was certainly guilty in some aspects, but she could not be completely blamed either. She was also a puppet in the end, and what was the use of being angry towards a puppet?
Princess Yimu's face scrunched up, bitter regret lining her forehead. "I...admired you back then. I did not know how to express it, and ended up pretending to hate you instead."
Wei Mudan let out a light chuckle. "Admire?"
A blush spread across Princess Yimu's face. "You were strong. You did what you wanted, even going against your own mother."
She picked up a tray of small cakes, and held them out to Wei Mudan. Wei Mudan hesitated. She never ate anything unless she checked it first. Under Princess Yimu's unwavering eyes, how could she check without her noticing?
Princess Yimu saw her hesitation and smiled a small, sorrowful smile. She took back the tray of cakes and did not remark about it.
"I'm willing to gain your trust. I want us to be like real sisters," she said, eyes gaining a small sliver of hope.
Wei Mudan was floored. This was not in her plans. This was completely unexpected, out of the blue, totally unknown. She had never gone into a situation and had it turn out like this. But her inner pessimist told her that this was a trap. That under the peaceful tranquility of the noble Imperial Palaces, there was not a single person that held pure motivations. Including herself.
But Wei Mudan ignored her instincts telling her it was a trap. There was a small voice inside her, telling her to maybe, just this once, trust Princess Yimu.
The cogs inside her mind whirled, balancing out each and every one of the possibilities. The consequences, the positives and negatives of each action.
She came to a conclusion. She could try, but she would only give Princess Yimu one chance. The moment Princess Yimu betrayed her, that was the point of no return.
Wei Mudan did not trust anyone in her royal family.
She picked up one of the small cakes and held it out to Princess Yimu.
Princess Yimu's eyes lit up as she took the cake, and for the first time since Wei Mudan saw her, she let out a real, happy smile.
Maybe this decision wasn't as bad as she thought it was.