Kai Yin headed home but the ride was tiring with their hoard of horses and carriages and they made stops due to the cold in houses for a while. As he headed home he thought of Shui Lian.

What would he be doing, Kai Yin wondered. Maybe he had began to gone to guzheng or flute class. Maybe he was waiting for Kai Yin to come back, and he would say his feelings, how he missed him.

"As if it would happen," Kai Yin murmured, but he was giddy. He was going to arrive in three days and his mind was more clear than ever.

He would bathe and change out of his smelly clothes and armor before he finally changed into whatever new clothes they prepared, ask Prince Jin Long why he lied—and go visit Shui Lian. How would his face look? Would he complain and push him away, or hold him tight?

In three days he had arrived and received a gracious welcome. He was surprised when His Majesty said he would receive a present from His Majesty. Kai Yin knew his father would bestow him some honor for conquering new land.

Of course he has to make a big show of my first real battle, maybe he'd even appoint me general next, Kai Yin thought, tired. He wanted to run to Peony Palace, but Wei Jiang was by his side and would pull him to the meeting.

Eunuchs entered and Kai Yin was unpleasantly surprised when they dressed him in luxurious red robes and had his headgear on. Kai Yin felt a bit startled but the ceremony might have Jin Long and Cheng, and maybe even his mother, who he rarely saw.

He should've known. He should've seen it coming.

The moment Kai Yin saw the entourage of guards outside the hall he felt queasy, and sought out Wei Jiang, who guarded him.

"Why is this such a grand matter? Why is my third brother here?" He saw Yisha, dressed up but not as nice as Kai Yin, and he wanted to call out but was led away.

"Please enter the front hall, the ceremony will be fast." Wei Jiang found it difficult to tell him back then, but now it has happened, he found it easy to lie to him. He was so naive, after all.

"Wei Jiang, this is not just a ceremony, it's like a—like a wedding."

The words sunk in as Kai Yin processed it. He looked to Wei Jiang for confirmation and he showed no emotion.

"Wei Jiang!"

"Your highness, calm down!" Wei Jiang set his lips closed.

Playing with Shui Lian was over. Kai Yin had his duty as a prince to produce an heir. His family would be nobility, and Shui Lian was a man, even though castrated.

"It's a happy day, be joyous," Wei Jiang whispered.

Kai Yin was stunned as he walked in. His mother was dressed up and sat there in the smaller throne, and his brothers were all lined up. Jin Long refused eye contact, Yisha gave a small smile, and Cheng seemed excited to see him.

It should be a happy day, as Wei Jiang said. His loved ones were here with him to celebrate, and they had beautiful foreign entertainers—until he realized they weren't.

The foreign men and girl who sat opposite him were smiling and with the ringing of bells and thudding of drums, music a fusion of the two countries began to flow.

In a red veil there was a girl who entered. Normally they'd have her enter from a carriage but it was still cold, and so her maidservants walked her, two of her small hands on a girls' and they led her opposite Kai Yin.

A servant walked up and standing there, she carried a grandiose tray of silver cups with alcohol.

Kai Yin was speechless when the music ended and then someone gestured to the bride's veil. With shaking fingers Kai Yin opened the veil of the girl a head shorter and so petite she might as well topple over.

The small face that looked up was so small it scared Kai Yin—she was foreign but also seemed too young for him.

"Today we gather for not only Prince Kai Yin's hardwork and success, but to a special occasion for him. From the country of Emir we have princess Kana marry into our bloodline." The Emperor's eyes widened like a crazed man's. "Now, drink and you shall be husband and wife..."

Kai Yin wouldn't drink, but as the princess in front of him gently held her cup and gave a nervous smile he felt a rush of emotions. But everyone was looking at him. His family, Cheng, the Emperor, and a whole country whom they did trade with. He saw how cleverly his father had betrayed him along with his eldest brother.

He felt betrayed by the world, and yet, within two minutes of silence, he felt his hand moving despite his everything and he reached for the cup.

Trembling, he drank it.

"Prince Kai Yin is wed!"

There was cheering and music and the princess held on to arm. She seemed to wear tall wooden blocks on her slippers and needed his support. When had his father thought he liked young girls? Or it was for the sake of politics, he realized and felt grim.

As dancers performed for the joyful ceremony he pulled his arm away from the princess, who looked at him in awe. Her eyes, although pretty in a very light shade of brown, he could not look at.

"Prince Kai Yin," she whispered, "my name is Kana."

"I do not care," he spat under his breath.

Kana bowed her head, and her face no longer held a smile.

***

Canan was shattered when her father's messenger called for her to be wed to a fifth prince of a a country they called Jia in the far East.

She was taught in their language and etiquette by a small amusing woman who knew their language. She spoke of the food they ate, words slightly similar, and how they walked and bowed, as well as ranks and hierarchy.

Canan was not happy when spring fell, and she was to be married at seventeen. She took a carriage and without her wedding dress, in their fashion, and some accessories she left her country and sisters with the woman from the East. She would be her lady in waiting and was named Yizi.

Canan and Yi rode and spoke, and when they arrived at the palace of their country, more than two weeks later, Canan sobbed as she left the carriage. Yizi comforted her, saying that now she was "Kana" in their language. It was easier on the tongue, Yizi explained. Yizi was born of her blood and the blood of a Jia general, allowing her the honor of escorting the princess.

Canan was deeply wounded by her father's cruel instructions but after wiping her tears, she met with the Emperor of Jia Kingdom. Their building were strange and servants and eunuchs stared at her without shame.

She hated the dress she would be wearing until her fiancé returned from a successful conquest. Her fear grew as she nodded timidly to the Emperor, only remembering "yes" and "no", and to add "Your Majesty" after each sentence.

When she met her father, the rage returned. She stared at Rahmi who smiled cruelly and pretended to greet her.

Canan asked in their tongue why she was here—what was he planning? What happened during this visit? All his questions about the journey was unanswered, and he snapped angrily.

"It's not always about you, Canan. You have lived under my palace as a bastard daughter for seventeen years."

"I'm not a bastard child!" Canan was shaking and Yizi quickly turned and left to give them privacy. Rahmi's men were away and he stared down his "daughter".

For years he had been looking for a chance to marry off Canan, whose mother, he believed, wasn't faithful to him. He cursed Canan after her mother eloped, telling himself she wasn't her daughter.

Now she stood from him, long black hair flowing and reaching her small waist. She had the body of a young girl, not yet grown into a woman. The Jia clothes were a bright pink robe that made her look familiar to that woman. Rahmi saw her mother in her.

She looked like a Jia person, no longer of his country.

"You're treated as a princess despite your shameful upbringing," he spoke. "Shouldn't you be grateful?"

"Why don't you believe mother? I am your child! Your dreaded blood runs in me!" Canan exclaimed, stopping herself from begging to be spared.

"This will be all, goodbye, Canan," he said, looking away from those golden eyes that were the happiest eyes he saw when she was born, proof she was his.

When had that changed?

Now he feared those eyes.

Canan watched as Rahmi turned, and she opened her mouth, but words did not escape. She choked back everything she wanted to tell him.

She couldn't tell him which sister had fallen off a horse, which sisters needed someone to tell them stories until they fell asleep, and how she was properly learning the customs from Yizi, her new friend. She couldn't tell him—her own father.

"Kana," she whispered, raising her head. "I am Kana," she spoke, words accented but understandable. In her robes she held on to Yizi and keeping her own misery inside, followed her to the west wing of the palace.

"Yizi," she asked in the language, taking time to think of what to say, "will the prince love me?"

"Of course he will," Yizi said, as a mature servant at twenty. Truth was she found the young girl pitiful, thrown away without hesitation by her father.

"Even if I am not of his blood?" Kana asked.

"Yes, he will, your highness."

No longer needed, Kana waited for her purpose.

She was to marry Kai Yin, she was told, and be loved—as husbands and wives should love one another. She cannot be thrown away a second time.

It was her biggest fear, waking up in this strange new land alone, with no hand to hold and guide her.

Nights after waking up screaming, strange maids who barely understood her language stood by her, trying to sing to her, but that wasn't who Kana was.

Kana was the one who went to bed after everyone, after her younger sisters fell asleep amidst her stories, telling her older sisters to stop talking about the new attractive guards, and nestle amongst them in their lively bedchamber.

In Jia Kingdom, she was Kana, esteemed princess. She craved love and so she waited desperately for her prince—but her prince did not love her.