terms you may need to know

po po
mandarin term for grandma, or a form of formality for elder women.

batik
cloth that has been dyed using the batik method (a method (originally used in Java) of producing coloured designs on textiles by dyeing them, having first applied wax to the parts to be left undyed).

apam balik
Apam balik ( lit. 'turnover pancake'), also known as terang bulan ( lit. 'bright moon'), martabak manis ( lit. 'sweet martabak') or mànjiānguǒ (Chinese: 曼煎粿), is a dessert common in many varieties at specialist roadside stalls throughout Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore

beef rendang
flavourful West Sumatran dry curry that's made with beef, that's cooked together with a spice paste and coconut milk until fork-tender. It's then fried together with the remaining braising liquid until the liquid caramelizes around the beef, coating it with an insane amount of flavour.

THE RETURN OF ZHI HUI MADE HER HEART FLUTTER.

Verine's arm extended past her window, delicate fingertips reaching towards the clouds. Graceful wings soared through the misty evening, claws latching onto a roll of ancient parchment. With an elegant fall, the snowy owl threw the letter right into her mistress's hands and returned to her humble abode, a little house made of bark, lined with silver petals. Verine glided over to give her love a little peck on the head before twirling her fingers, commanding a stream of water towards the tired pet's beak. Zhi Hui gulped it down gratefully, bright yellow eyes gaping with wonder.

The princess's face lit up as she carefully read the words scrawled on the paper, cheeks turning delightfully rosy.

My love,

I hope you are doing well. Work is exhausting and retirement seems ages away.
I hope your sisters are good. I hear there is to be an event arriving.
Be cautious of other kingdoms and stay safe - but do not act rash.
I will be at the night market today, I hear there may be - an incident. Keep close watch.
I'm sorry for the terrible words, my writing is - inadequate, to say the least. Is that the right word? I do hope so.
See you soon.

- your love from the beyond

A small grunt snapped Verine out of her trance.

Looking down, the princess let out a stream of laughter, picking up her baby panda, Kun. The little angel yawned tiredly, snuggling into her arms as the sun fell behind a curtain of orange-purple clouds. A small figure zoomed past the gardens, alerting Verine's senses. She glanced down, seeing a shadow speed across the trimmed grass.

"Is that - Zoë?"

The princess dressed in white leapt forwards and disappeared between the bushes.

Shaking her head, Verine let out a little smirk.

"Well, I guess someone's got a date too."

The night market always brought joy to Verine.

Vendors lined the darkened streets, each with their own unique offering. From tantalising meat buns to refreshing sugarcane juice, everything screamed vibrancy. The princess took in the energy of the atmosphere as she strolled past the lights, adorned in a black outfit and a face covering to match. It made her feel alive.

Passing pass one of the stalls, she smiled slightly turning her head towards the old lady rolling out some dough.

"How goes the business?" Verine asked, lowering her head in curiosity.

The old woman let out a toothy grin, old worn skin creasing around her eyes in joy, "We've got a lot today, young one! Ube cheese puffs, apam balik, some beef rendang, dhal and the daily special: matcha pops!"

Stomach rumbling in anticipation, Verine laughed, "One of each please! They sound amazing."

The old woman nodded in glee, quickly packaging the delicacies and giving them to the princess.

Verine thanked her, reaching for the uwuros in her pocket. However, the vendor stopped her, clicking her tongue in annoyance.

"Keep your money," the old woman huffed, "Hela is always welcome here. You protect us, that is more than enough."

The princess's heart swelled. She took out the uwuros despite the protest, smiling behind the translucent piece of cloth hiding her true features, "That is my duty, po po. Take the money, it is yours well-deserved. Citizens like you amplify the beauty of this queendom."

The elderly woman yelped in protest but before she could retaliate, the buyer had left, swooping past the stall with speed. 

Verine knew her presence bought a sense of peace to the humble market, amidst the dazzling glow of the scarlet lanterns and the roaring of fire crackling as they roasted meats and vegetables galore. She munched on her apam balik happily as Pak Chee bowed slightly towards her, stirring away at his masala chai. Other vendors waved at her as well, greeting the 'great Hela', 'our protector'. They offered her little gifts of appreciation: woven bracelets, beautiful batik, a tray of dumplings. 

As she walked, a little girl bumped into her knee, shaking her head in confusion. 

"Ming Yi! What are you doing here?" Verine asked, sighing as she brushed dust off the little girl's blush-coloured dress. 

Ming Yi laughed, revealing two missing front teeth, "Mama said I needed to give you some gifts, Hela!" she yelled out, waving her arms frantically, "For thank you to um - to - save us yesterday when bad people try to hit us and take our money!" 

Verine stared in awe at the tiny three-year-old standing in front of her. 

"Well, it's my duty to protect the citizens of Elavnia," the princess scrunched up her nose playfully, "I'm Hela, remember? The night warrior protecting the streets," she huffed. 

"We know, Hela! But we still, we want to thank you!" Ming Yi yelled again, this time retrieving an array of hair clips from her pocket. They were rough and undefined, each with a different type of fruit moulded using clay stuck on the top of the metal surfaces, "Come on, Hela! I made them myself," Ming Yi frowned, eyes widening . 

Verine stared at the little girl eyeing her in desperation, short hair frizzed in a bungling mess of curls. 

"Fine," she sighed.

Maybe I can give these to my sisters. 

short one but guess who's arriving in the next chapter ;)