Days passed by, but this time Xiao Zhii had started to get used to the Tughril palace. Her long walk in the city with Kabil the other day had improved her mood.
The palace, once cold and foreign, began to feel a little less hostile. The corridors no longer echoed with whispers when she walked by. The servants, who used to stare at her with disdain, now bowed politely and went about their duties. Even the concubines, once eager to size her up, seemed too distracted with wedding preparations to bother her anymore.
By now, Xiao Zhi had grown used to the endless etiquette lessons too. Her back no longer ached from hours of forced posture, and she could glide through the greetings and gestures almost without thinking. Lady Sura still found reasons to frown, but even her sharp voice had started to sound like part of the palace routine, a dull, predictable rhythm Xiao Zhi could endure.
And Kabil?
He continued to surprise her.
He was nothing like the stories she remembered from the novel.
The cruel, arrogant Grand Prince she had read about should have been impatient, quick-tempered, even dangerous. But the man she saw each day was warm and gentle. He laughed easily, never spoke sharply, and somehow always managed to make her feel at ease.
Sometimes he brought her small gifts. Other times, he simply came to talk. He asked about her favorite colors, the songs she liked, or her thoughts about the ceremony.
It was… odd.
Each time she saw him, the knot of fear in her chest loosened just a little more.
Perhaps the story she knew, the one filled with cruelty and tragedy, wasn't quite right.
Or perhaps, somehow, this world was slowly rewriting itself.
***
One quiet afternoon, Xiao Zhi sat by her window with a brush in hand. She hesitated for a long while before writing. Each stroke was careful, she's not used to writing with a brush.
Mother,
I arrived safely in Tughril. The land is vast, the air dry but clean.
The people are kind, and though their ways differ from ours, they have treated me well.
The Grand Prince, my betrothed, is polite and gentle. I was afraid at first, but he has shown me nothing but respect.
Please do not worry.
I am well.
Her brush lingered on the final word.
Well.
She wasn't sure if it was true. But she wanted it to be.
Xiao Zhi let out a soft sigh, then signed Princess Lian Zhi's name neatly.
***
That evening, she found Ruhan standing in the corridor outside the main hall.
He was dressed in the plain robes of a servant, his posture straight and composed.
"Ruhan," she called softly.
He turned immediately, his expression calm but his eyes briefly softening when they met hers. He bowed slightly. "Princess."
She hesitated before stepping closer, holding out the folded letter. "I've written to my mother. Could you help me send it to Hua?"
He took it with both hands, his fingers brushing against hers for the briefest moment. The contact was fleeting, but it sent a faint tremor through her chest.
"Of course," he said quietly. His voice was steady, but there was a faint roughness to it.
"Thank you," she murmured. "I trust you with it."
Ruhan lowered his gaze and bowed.
Their eyes met for a single heartbeat, long enough for something unspoken to flicker between them, something neither dared to name.
Neither moved. For a moment, it felt as if the air between them had thickened, holding them both in place. Xiao Zhi opened her mouth, unsure what she even meant to say, just as Ruhan drew a quiet breath to speak.
"Have you been… well?" they asked almost at the same time.
A startled silence followed, then a small, helpless smile tugged at both their lips.
"I have," Xiao Zhi said softly, lowering her gaze. "Just… getting used to everything."
Ruhan nodded, his voice low. "That's good. The palace can be… overwhelming at first."
"It still is," she admitted, her tone faintly teasing, though her eyes carried a trace of longing.
He looked as if he wanted to say more, something that might shatter the fragile boundary between them, but instead he bowed his head slightly. "If you ever need anything, Princess… just let me know."
"I will," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
For a few seconds longer, neither of them moved, as though parting might break something delicate between them. Then, at last, Xiao Zhi turned away.
Ruhan watched her until the last trace of her figure disappeared beyond the archway. Only when the silence returned did he look down at the letter in his hands.
***
That night, Ruhan sat alone in his hidden chamber behind the Khan's private hall.
The letter lay before him. He turned it slowly, his thumb brushing over the tip of the envelope.
For a long time, he simply stared at it. Then, with quiet care, he opened the letter.
He read each line slowly, his eyes moving across her clumsy handwriting. The words were gentle, proper, filled with hope. The kind of letter a dutiful princess would send home.
When he reached the final words, he let out a quiet breath and smiled. It wasn't a happy smile. It was small, almost sad.
He folded the letter again, straightening the edges with care, putting it back into the envelope, and placing it in the drawer.
For a moment, his hand lingered on the drawer handle before he locked it.
The room fell silent again.
He leaned back in his chair, looking toward the window where the moonlight filtered through the screen.
"She says she is well," he murmured under his breath. "But peace never lasts here."
His gaze lingered on the drawer, the faint curve of his lips fading as a shadow crossed his face. Somewhere deep down, he knew, this calm was only the eye of the storm. And when it broke, she would be caught at its heart.