At the camps Kai Yin felt listless, almost. The village was scared of them but nights when the soldiers boiled stew and ate the hot soup in their camps they laughed loudly, startling the villagers. When he saw this he realized he was what had destroyed Kai Yin's future. He was a murderer.

When it was night and only a few soldiers stayed up to guard them, Kai Yin changed out of his bright red robes. He had a cape of animal hide with soft hair, like a bear's fur. He sniffed it and was met with unpleasant smells. Wei Jiang and the other soldiers were fast asleep so Kai Yin left his tent.

As he ventured closer to where he knew the elders of the village were, confined in a brick hut that looked pitiful in his eyes.

His heart beat loud, telling him he was making a mistake. Go back, Kai Yin, he told himself, and his footsteps grew wet from the snow and rain but he sneaked to the hut, only a few minutes to run to.

He knew he wouldn't let them get hold of him so he knocked.

An elderly man opened the door. His language was hard to understand but Kai Yin introduced himself.

"I am General Kai Yin. If you could allow Jia Kingdom to take you as part of them, you'll be safe from all wars that you'd be entangled with in the future."

There was shouting and the voices in the hut grew until the elder man gestured in a big arm swipe.

"Shut up!" he shouted. "Can't you see the poor general is here alone?"

"Alone? We can just beat him up!"

"The man has left his army and weapons, only here with his words," the elder said softly, "in the rain, too."

Kai Yin wiped his face eagerly. "I can tell you more things you can have. You will not be taxed as part of a minority. You will be able to ask the palace to employ you guards for several years or to be left alone, too."

"Young man, why do you want to persuade us so bad?" an elderly woman asked, stepping to the doorway.

Why?

Kai Yin felt the eyes on him, the pressure. He couldn't say his real reason—that he was a prince and his lover suffered a fate he didn't want to repeat.

"Because I don't want Jia Kingdom to harm you, like it has harmed others," Kai Yin whispered.

"What? Such a foolish reason."

The woman laughed and others followed, although it didn't seem to be out of malice. The beckoned Kai Yin in but he shook his head. A lady tugged him in and he shook off the water from his bear cloak.

Kai Yin stood there shivering, but his inner robe was plain enough he looked like a general who had ran out. His boots were wet and he shakily sloshed in it with each step, heart racing more than ever.

Only four elderly and three middle aged people were there. They seemed to pity Kai Yin and one lady poured him tea as a man gestured for him to take his seat.

"Young ones like you are foolish," another old man at the table said, drinking the same hot tea offered to Kai Yin. "Leaving your camp and coming to enemy territory is suicide."

Kai Yin never felt so timid as he nodded, taking in his berating.

"Yeah, how dangerous would it be if we killed you?"

"Not that we will, or we will be the same as those soldiers." A man set down the tea slowly. "I can't tell if it's time for me to give up, but I suppose you're suffering fighting out there."

"No, we haven't fought," Kai Yin whispered. They were all looking at him. "We mainly set up camp there in hopes you join our country—my country."

"Jia Kingdom, huh," a lady said. "It seems like people there are really spreading here."

"It's not bad to mix," Kai Yin said, suddenly feeling warmer and smiling at them.

"Yes, it's not, but it's an important decision. Once you've warmed yourself you should leave."

"Yes, sir," Kai Yin said, unused to calling someone else by a title.

"Or you can wait until the rain lets up," the old woman said. "Poor boy, you're fighting so hard for your country."

She laughed, but this time it seemed melancholic and sad, as though they were hiding their sadness and defeat.

When the rain let up Kai Yin thanked them, bowing to each, then he raced back, chest beating with exhilaration. They had not hurt him. They were a good village.

Yet that made it the more harder to fight them. They've been pushing the people who try to leave for food back, and the village would surely cease before they starved. It was cold and every night here felt like betrayal.

Shui Lian—Kai Yin could only think of him. It was scary that he could love Shui Lian to this extent and his desire to return emerged tenfold.

A few days after the night Kai Yin went to the village a messenger arrived, and expecting news of his engagement or similar news, Kai Yin listened, but the message was different from what he expected.

"Crown Prince Jin Long has a message for esteemed Fifth Prince Kai Yin. The message he writes is this—I saw a water lily last night." 

Only Kai Yin and Wei Jiang were there and at the reading of the message Kai Yin stood up so fast Wei Jiang rushed over in case he fell, but Kai Yin didn't.

He stared at the messenger and the paper with a few strokes of calligraphy on it. The young messenger had raced from the palace to where they were camping, all the way south. It took him probably a week to arrive and sending a letter back would be senseless so Kai Yin had no way of turning his anger at Jin Long.

The messenger left at Wei Jiang's nod, and he looked down at Kai Yin, whom he loved like a younger brother.

"Shui Lian—that bastard is provoking me!"

Kai Yin's fists shook. He didn't mind fighting a war that would be credited to Jin Long or even all the risks he took but his lover was different. "He better stay away from Shui Lian!"

"You are engaged, Kai Yin!"

Wei Jiang regretted it the moment he said it.

"What do you mean? There's no one I'm engaged as of yet!" Kai Yin narrowed his eyes, anger now towards him. "Whose side are you on?"

"Of course I'm by your side, master, it's just I can't help but tell you the truth. The Emperor has been waiting to use you to form connections and your wedding will be decided by the Emperor soon, without your choice." Wei Jiang looked at Kai Yin, the only one able to stare him in the eyes.

Kai Yin sat down, breathing labored.

"I know. I always knew—but what if I feel differently about it now?" he asked.

"Shui Lian is a castrated male." Wei Jiang didn't want to say it. "He's not fit to be your—other half. If you desire him during night it shall be, but you have to wed a woman."

"Who says!" Kai Yin shouted, worked up.

"The Emperor, and I believe the Crown Prince, too."

Kai Yin knew and groaned, both hands over his face. He waved Wei Jiang away, but Wei Jiang didn't leave. It somehow angered and upset Kai Yin how much Wei Jiang looked out for him.

So Shui Lian was really castrated. How would that look? Kai Yin felt responsible for Shui Lian and without warning, tears came to his eyes, which he hid under his face.

How dare Jin Long always take what Kai Yin cherished. How dare he play with their emotions!

"Have you told them?" Kai Yin asked, narrowing his eyes. "That I am with Shui Lian?"

"Of course not!" Wei Jiang argued. "I will support your choice regardless, as I know you too well. I only want you to keep in mind you will be engaged very soon and must hurt either Shui Lian—or your future wife."

"That's no question!"

Kai Yin, fired up, stood up and motioned for the messenger to return.

"I have no paper nor calligraphy, but tell Madame Ran of the Peony Palace that everything is alright and I'm thinking of my beloved. I will see them as soon as I return."

Wei Jiang thought it was risky to say but Kai Yin didn't include a name or anything so he gave a nod of approval, as he was often treated as the babysitter.

And Wei Jiang himself had a girl he was thinking of, who promised to see him on the night of his return.