Location: Imperial Palace of the Phoenix Empire
"Your Majesty, the ministers are waiting for you in court. You cannot shut yourself away like this!"
The prime minister's insistent knocking echoed through the halls, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Inside, Zhang Ruiyan, Emperor of the Phoenix Empire, sat intently as the imperial painter worked on yet another attempt at the portrait. The emperor's mind was consumed by the memory of the girl he had met the day before. He needed the painting completed before her image faded, though it felt impossible-it was a face too extraordinary to forget.
The painter handed him the seventh portrait, his hands trembling slightly. Ruiyan's eyes scanned the canvas, his expression darkening.
"NO! This is not it!" Ruiyan's voice roared through the chamber. "The shape of her nose is wrong, and her lips-how could you make them so grotesque? Her lips were..." He faltered, then continued, "They were more beautiful than anything you've ever painted!"
The painter flinched under the emperor's outburst and stammered, "Your Majesty, I cannot capture such lifelike perfection from mere imagination. I have done my best-"
"Your best is not enough!" Ruiyan cut him off, his tone sharp. He gestured to the painting with a tired, exasperated sigh. "How can I find her with this pathetic work? She was as beautiful as the moon itself-if not more."
The painter, frustrated, muttered under his breath, "Should I paint the moon instead, then?"
The emperor's piercing gaze turned to him, and his voice rang out, low and commanding, "Do not mock your emperor."
The painter bowed quickly, muttering apologies. Ruiyan crumpled the unfinished painting in his fist and stormed out of the chamber.
Outside, the prime minister sighed in visible relief as the doors opened. "Thank the heavens, Your Majesty. You've finally come out! We need to-"
Before he could finish, Ruiyan swept past him, his strides purposeful. The prime minister groaned inwardly as the emperor disappeared down the hall. "What on earth happened to our disciplined emperor overnight?"
----
Location : Pavilion of the Princess Royal
Zhang Xinyi, the emperor's younger sister, sat in her pavilion playing cards with her lady-in-waiting. The clinking of gold coins and laughter filled the air until Ruiyan's sudden arrival silenced the room.
Xinyi's eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly stood to bow. The ladies-in-waiting scrambled to hide the cards and coins, following suit.
Ruiyan's sharp gaze fell on her. "Were you gambling with your ladies-in-waiting?"
Xinyi paled but quickly regained her composure. She knew lying to Ruiyan was futile, so she opted for distraction. "What brings you here, Your Majesty?"
Her question snapped Ruiyan out of his thoughts. He handed her the crumpled painting, his voice steady but commanding. "Find this woman. Use as much gold as needed. I want her location as soon as possible."
Xinyi's brow furrowed as she inspected the painting. "Is she a spy? A traitor?"
"No," Ruiyan replied curtly.
"Then why are you searching for her?"
Ruiyan's voice grew firmer. "This is not a discussion. It is an imperial command."
Xinyi tilted her head, observing the faint redness creeping up her brother's usually stoic face. A sly smile played on her lips.
"Ah, I see," she teased. "I will do my best to locate our future empress, your majesty."
Ruiyan's face turned crimson. "Shut up," he muttered, his tone flustered.
Ruiyan's footsteps echoed down the corridor, but Xinyi's words lingered in his mind.
Our future empress.
His empress.
His beloved empress.
----
Later that night, Ruiyan sat in his study, a brush in hand, idly tracing characters onto a blank scroll. The soft glow of a lantern illuminated the room when Xinyi entered, her footsteps light but deliberate. Without lifting his eyes from the page, Ruiyan spoke, his voice calm but tinged with curiosity.
"Did you discover anything?"
Xinyi lowered herself onto a nearby seat, her expression composed.
"I did. She hails from the Northern Kingdom."
At the mention of the Northern Kingdom, Ruiyan's hand paused mid-stroke. His brow furrowed deeply as he set his brush aside and turned to face her.
"How can you be certain of this?"
"Only those from the North possess eyes as blue as the sky," Xinyi replied, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "The North Kingdom is a snowy kingdom and it is said that the lack of sunlight causes some of the citizens to take on that hue."
Ruiyan exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting as if lost in thought. Xinyi's voice soon broke the silence.
"Where did you meet her?"
"In a place far from here," Ruiyan said, his tone softening. "I had wandered into the deep woods while hunting and found her in a field of lavender. It felt... unreal."
Xinyi arched an eyebrow, her tone laced with curiosity.
"And what was her name?"
"I do not know," Ruiyan admitted, his voice steady. "She never spoke a word. Perhaps I frightened her."
Xinyi's lips curled into a faint smirk as she leaned forward.
"You don't even know her name, and yet you're behaving like some lovestruck fool?"
Ruiyan shot her a sharp look, his tone turning firm.
"I have my reasons. She reminded me of someone... the girl I often saw in my dreams as a teenager."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, Ruiyan spoke again, his voice quieter but resolute.
"I believe she is the one destined for me. The priests foretold that my bride would possess an affinity for water, and everyone knows the Northerners are inclined to that element. The pieces are falling in their place. It's too perfect to be a mere coincidence."
Xinyi frowned slightly, her voice skeptical as she asked,
"Are you certain you did not imagine it? Perhaps the dreams of your youth clouded your judgment. It is rare for someone from the Northern Kingdom to wander so far south, especially into our forests. That kingdom is leagues away."
Ruiyan's gaze was steady, his tone resolute.
"I know what I saw, Xinyi. Perhaps it was the will of Heaven, guiding her steps to a place where our paths could cross."
Xinyi sighed, shaking her head.
"Very well, believe as you wish. But how do you intend to find her? The North is vast and unfamiliar to us. She could be anywhere."
Ruiyan's eyes glimmered with determination.
"I entrusted her with my pendant. I will journey to the Northern Kingdom and seek her out. The pendant holds great power-it will guide me to her if she is near."
Xinyi's eyes widened, disbelief evident in her voice.
"You gave her the Holy Phoenix Pendant? The one bestowed by the imperial treasury? That artifact is priceless! How could you entrust such a treasure to a stranger? What if she loses it-or worse, uses it against us?"
Ruiyan's expression softened, yet his resolve remained firm.
"I understand its value, Xinyi. But no treasure, not even the Holy Phoenix, is as precious as she is."