{Music Recommendation- The Wedding by Enaid, Diane Arkenstone}
Standing transfixed in the middle of the bustling street, Yetsune and Erya are overwhelmed by the vibrant tapestry of city life unfolding before them. Children dart between adults' legs, their laughter mingling with the clamour of traders and stall-owners hawking their wares and clamouring for customers.
Entranced, they begin to walk. Carriages rumble past as some men are lured into buildings adorned with red linen and flaming lanterns by striking women adorned with shiny jewelries and flamboyant hairdos. Beholding the sights around them, thoughts of the trouble their escapade might bring fade away. Erya silently thanks Yetsune for this mad adventure, knowing they'll soon be confined to the palace once Yetsune arrives as crown princess.
Yetsune closes her eyes, inhaling deeply to savour the fresh air of Aushasal. The tantalizing aromas from food stalls infiltrate her senses, causing her stomach to growl. She yanks Erya by the wrist and dives into the throng, her messy ponytail dancing in the wind. She stumbles against passersby who curse and yell, but she is too excited to pay them any heed.
"Slow down, Your Highness," Erya pleads, trying to rein her in but Yetsune is as untamable as a wild horse.
Her eyes light up at the sight of a tightrope walking performance. "Look!" she exclaims, grinning from ear to ear and pointing at the performer. She cheers and applaudswith unbridled excitement as the walker executes a perfect somersault on the rope.
Erya watches in amusement. She has never seen Yetsune so cheerful. 'She deserves this fleeting moment of freedom and excitemrnt before she is inevitably married off' she thinks to herself.
They weave through one street performance after another, cheering and jumping with unrestrained delight. "They're so beautiful," Yetsune marvels, captivated by the graceful movements of dancing ladies, their silken purple fabrics billowing.
Her stomach rumbles again. She tugs at Erya's sleeve with a pout. Erya glances at her hand rubbing her hungry stomach and immediately understands.
"You're hungry?" she asks, and Yetsune nods. Erya leads her to a building with a plaque that reads "Delight Restaurant." Just as they are about to enter, a fierce-looking plump woman blocks their path.
"We don't have leftovers for you," she snarls, shooing them away with her handkerchief.
Yetsune instinctively hides behind Erya. "You misunderstand us, we will pay for our meals," Erya clarifies.
The woman eyes them from head to toe, her face contorted in a sneer. She bursts into a mocking laughter, clapping her hands in ridicule. "Such filthy faces and shabby clothes, and you expect me to believe you can pay for your food? Begone!" she yells.
Embarrassment flushes Yetsune's cheeks as she grips Erya's arm. The bustling street around them feels suddenly hostile. "Let's find somewhere else," she whispers.
But Erya refuses to back down, she crosses her arms on her chest and steps forward. "What if we insist on eating here?" The woman simply scoffs and signals two burly guards to get rid of him.
One of them reaches to grab Yetsune, but Erya grabs his hand, twisting it back. Then she lands a jab on his throat that sends him staggering backward and gasping for air. The other guard throws a punch at Erya, only she evades it while pulling Yetsune out of harm's way. She sweeps his legs and delivers a powerful blow to his abdomen, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Such discourtesy," Erya hisses, dusting off her hands before taking Yetsune's and striding away, leaving the cursing woman behind.
Erya angrily rants as she pulls Yetsune through the bustling street. They might receive less respect than the East Palace, but they've never faced such blatant disrespect.
"I'll ensure they learn a better lesson once you officially become crown princess," Erya vows.
"I don't think any of them will take us in," Yetsune murmurs, noticing her disheveled, dirty appearance and tattered clothes.
"We could buy from the stalls. I'm afraid you'll have to make do, Your Highness," Erya suggests reluctantly. Yetsune nods.
They join the queue at a steamed bun stall, its enticing aroma filling the air. Yetsune's mouth waters as the seller closes the basket of pork steamed buns and opens the red bean steamed bun basket to sell to them.
"Thank you," Erya says, handing over coins. She's already started leaving when she notices Yetsune is not beside her. She turns back to find her still ogling at the beef steamed bun while the seller is shooing her away. Erya quickly goes back to pull her away.
Once at a safe distance, Erya hands her two wrapped buns, keeping one for herself. "We should share the second one," Yetsune says, noticing the discrepancy.
"It's alright. I'm not very hungry," Erya responds with a reassuring smile.
Too famished to argue, Yetsune eagerly bites into the first bun. She wiggles her tongue, feeling a mix of pleasure and slight burn as the hot filling tantalizes her palate.
"I'll get you some water. Please stay here," Erya says, wandering off after a nod from Yetsune. Despite the steam oozing from her mouth, Yetsune continues to chew, relishing every bite.
"Hey."
Yetsune feels a tug on her clothes. She looks down to find a young boy staring up at her. Raising a brow, she follows his pointing finger.
"What are you—" Yetsune turns back to find the boy has vanished—along with her bun! Her eyes widen in disbelief as she frantically scans the surroundings, spotting him fleeing into the crowd.
"Hey!" she cries out, giving chase.
Erya, returning with a filled water pitcher, is shocked to see Yetsune running. "Your Highness!" she exclaims, dropping the filled pitcher as she starts running after her.
"Stop there!" Yetsune yells at the boy, who continues to sprint with all his might. She's endured too much for those buns to let a petty thief rob her of satisfaction.
"Your Highness!" Erya's cries draw curious glances from onlookers.
Observing the trio's chase, bystanders wonder which of them is being addressed as 'Your Highness'. They conclude all three must be somewhat mad, given their appearances. Soon, Erya loses sight of both Yetsune and the boy.
After running for so long, the two find themselves in a narrow alley flanked by opulent manors. Yetsune corners the boy at one end, while the other leads to a dead end.
Hands on her hips, struggling for breath, Yetsune demands, "Give it back to me!"
"No!" the boy retorts. "I've stolen from many, but never met someone as relentless and stingy as you. How can you chase a child for so long?"
"Do you have any idea what we've been through for those buns? Give them back!"
The boy smirks, stuffing both buns into his mouth at once. Yetsune watches in horror as he chews, disbelief and fury washing over her. Had she not tasted the buns' soft sweetness, perhaps she wouldn't yearn so desperately for another bite. Just one more bite...But the boy has callously deprived her of it.
"You wretched thing! How dare you eat my buns! Do you have any idea who I am?" she screams at the top of her lung. If possible, she'd dig into his throat to retrieve her buns.
"Who are you?" he retorts in a mocking tone.
"I am the Second Princess of Asana and the appointed Crown Princess of Aushasal," she declares, chin lifted in pride.
The boy scoffs, crossing his arms on his chest. "If you're the Second Princess of Asana, then I must be the Crown Prince of Aushasal," he responds, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Her blood boils at his mockery. She bites her lips and clenches her fists. "Wretched thing!"
Yetsune lunges towards the boy, but he scales the fence and vanishes into a nearby house. Determined to take revenge, she summons all her strength and begins to climb, propelled by sheer willpower. As she reaches the top, poised to jump, she suddenly wobbles, struggling to maintain her balance.
"Oh no!" Terror grips her as she realizes the daunting height. "Erya!" she cries out in panic.
Just then, Erya appears at the alley's entrance, her eyes widening in shock at the sight before her.
"Your Highness!" Erya exclaims, rushing forward. "How did you end up there?"
"Help me down!" Yetsune cries out for help as she can't possibly jump down from either side. Never before has shhe been so high up, fear overwhelms her in an instant and she starts to wobble.
Sensing the imminent danger, Erya races towards her. But she's is too late. Just as she arrives, Yetsune loses her footing.
"Erya!" A piercing shriek escapes Yetsune's lips as she plummets over the other side of the fence, arms flailing helplessly. In that terrifying moment, her entire life flashes before her eyes.