A month later after the nightly banquets reached the ears of the Emperor and the inner court, there was a fuss. The Emperor was ferociously angry at how both of his most talented sons didn't love their wives and were playing in Peony Palace.

Kana no longer followed him when she saw him, she stayed in her room, dressed up and adorned, but feeling like she was in a dream. The foreign land and room caused her to unable to find anything to grasp to after she lost everything.

Kana walked out nervously, knowing the court ladies would chuckle behind their sleeves at the young princess being thrown away. She walked but her heeled slippers were so high she fell, and servants immediately gathered to help her up.

Yizi gasped and pushed them away to pull Kana clumsily up again, and held on to her waist.

"Kana! Don't walk outside without an escort!" Yizi quickly said.

She dismissed the servants and told them to clean Kana's room. Yizi stood there and waited to follow Kana as they walked. They stopped at the garden and when they found a seat outside Yizi lowered the petite princess down.

"Are you not cold, Kana?" Yizi asked, and touched her hands before Kana recoiled at how cold Yizi's hands were.

Although still a tad cold, there were finally signs of plants budding. While the sunlight was hidden, warm rays escaped the clouds, Kana was not cold and took off her cloak trimmed with rabbit fur to Yizi.

"Wear this, your fingers are going to freeze."

"I cannot wear this, your highness!" Yizi pushed it back.

"Never call me your highness," Kana whispered. "This kingdom is not mine. There was no prince for me after all."

Yizi was quiet but she couldn't argue.

"You lied to me, Yizi. I thought that surely Prince Kai Yin would love me, if not by little," Kana whispered. "Yet he has taken to prostitutes instead."

"That's a lie!" Yizi spoke quickly. "Peony Palace also puts on dances and singing, it doesn't mean he's cheating!"

"I heard," Kana cut in, "he wasn't back until late morning."

Yizi shook her head quickly, and looked into the large eyes of her lady's. "There could be circumstances!"

"Stop lying, Yizi. This land is not for someone like me. No one wants me here."

Kana finally leaned forward and wept, knowing how her small stature and undeveloped body was embarrassing. Even those heels only added enough for her to be half a head closer to Yizi.

More importantly, she knew her eyes and nose were different—her very name was strange. Maybe it was these things can never be changed that drove Prince Kai Yin, her husband, away.

"That is not true. You are very kind, and I'm sure your happiness will come."

Yizi kneeled down and held one of Kana's small hands, wet with her tears and kissed it. Kana's thin fingers flinched, but Yizi treated them like precious gems, holding it against her cold cheeks.

"Kana, even if this world does not give you the happiness you wished for, know I will always be here for you." Yizi looked up and her earnest eyes made Kana unable to speak.

"You fool, one day you will marry and leave me, Yizi," Kana whispered, and her body grew with chills.

It had always assured her even though Yizi looked not of foreign blood, part of her was of her was just like Kana. Truly her closest friend, she wished her both happiness yet a part of her did think "Yizi cannot leave me", she did her best to stifle as she spoke.

"I'll find you a good Jia man. You should not waste your prime serving me, for I won't ever bear an heir anyways."

"No, I won't! I'll serve you, for as long as I can!" Yizi argued back.

Kana opened her mouth but couldn't say anything back. She fussed over Yizi instead, pulling her up from her kneeling position and standing up herself.

"Come, you fool, your dress is dirtied! Let's return to my room, and you can change," Kana snapped.

They walked in the cold garden, and Yizi held the cloak in her frozen hands and this time, docilely followed behind Kana.

Yizi was always a shadow behind her. As Kana followed Kai Yin, Yizi followed her similarly, and Kana knew she was loyal.

"You're wasted on a pitiful person such as me," Kana wanted to tell her, but couldn't bring forth such words. Even if Kana hated herself, she still didn't want Yizi to leave.

When Kana's brain couldn't find the word for fruits in their language and was unable to say what she wanted to other servants, she had Yizi. If not, she could never have found the word and she would point at objects awkwardly, having even servants laugh at her.

When Kana woke too early and no one was there, she knew where Yizi's chamber was and would tap on it before she came out. The Emperor allowed Kana to choose two servants to be in a joined room with her due to her being young and of Emir blood.

Times like that the two were like sisters, and there was peace to be found even in a messy situation such as the one she was in.

The two girls were back inside the large and pretty bedchamber, and the doors were closed. Yizi went to the middle of the room and spooned charcoal into the brazier and the heat grew.

Kana sat on her bed and kicked off her shoes. She was unused to her canopy bed and the strange gilded cabinets and tables—it was too frivolous and the prince never visited. Yizi called for the other servant there to set a warm bath for Kana, and after the servant left, wiped Kana's tears and smiled gently.

"Take my hair down, Yizi."

"Yes."

Yizi kneeled besides her and turning her body, took out jeweled hairpins and the gem earrings Kana had put on. As she moved closer to undo Kana's hair, her face was next to her face. Kana wanted to do something.

It could even be disguised as an accident, just turning her face a bit more.

"Your highness," Yizi said, backing away, "you must turn your head so I can let the rest of your hair down."

"Yizi." Kana pulled on her sleeve until Yizi crouched to her height.

"Yes, your highness?" Yizi replied. Kana felt her breath as she spoke, and dare not turn her face towards her by a finger's length.

"Couldn't you replace my husband?"

The question lingered between the two women, Kana's face growing red, hair covering her face as she tilted her head down. Yizi was formulating a reply, and it was her answer.

"You are the princess of Jia Kingdom, with our Emir blood. You will be so happy once your husband comes to his senses and sees you. You mustn't think of my, a friend, if I dare say, even a quarter as important as your husband," Yizi said calmly. "That would be awfully rude to Fifth Prince. Now, turn you head."

Kana slapped away Yizi's hands. Yizi did not speak, eyes averted, accepting her punishment by the princess, her mistress.

"What do you mean?" Kana asked.

"Mean?" Yizi looked at her with confusion at her reaction. "I only wanted to be your confidante, and share your sorrows."

"You cannot even be here when my husband is with another woman! You can't even give me just the smallest bit of attention!" Kana scurried away into the corner of her bed, not sobbing but shaking with fury.

Yizi stood up straight again.

"I can be here for you all the time, as your servant Yizi."

Kana sat at her bed and was dumbfounded as she looked at Yizi.

Somehow, Kana was more embarrassed at how she had overreacted, and now surely Yizi would think Kana was a crazed nymphomaniac.

You can't be closer than a husband, Kana thought, and yet she had to convince herself this time, because she knew her face was flushed and her heartbeat was quicker than usual.

"I will have Nini bathe me, go and change your wet clothes," Kana ordered, still shaken. "I will undo the rest of my hair myself."

Yizi nodded and bowed down before hurrying to her room, and as she closed the door without uttering a single word.

It made no sense—was Kana jumping to assumptions? Wasn't it strange in of itself when Yizi held Kana's hands to her face, her skin so smooth and cold, and told her she'd always be there for her?

It was as though Yizi was offering herself.

Kana stood up and looked in the mirror, tugging on her hair without any hesitation and wincing through the pain.

She listened and heard Yizi undressed in her room, the silence making the noise all too clear. Kana curled up and covered her ears with her palms. She had only read of such things in books, and was sure this was solely for one's husband or wife.

Maybe Kana had grown crazed—but she prayed Yizi would ignore everything she had said.

She could never replace her husband.