THEY ARRIVED AT Hongwen that afternoon, to Myrina's pleasure. Upon arrival, she stayed to make sure everyone was settled before quickly making her way out with Chunyi. She left Chunju behind to make sure their accommodations were well, and to unpack.

Myrina still remembered the way to the temple she'd served at without issue. It was the furthest away from the town itself, and also the biggest, the most holy. It was a giant of an architecture, half built into the mountains that surrounded Hongwen. The red tiles on the roof, the stone ground, the green accentuating the building and the white walls were all familiar. The temple had not changed, and she had not expected it to.

She stopped in front of the statue of Hongyun that guarded the main entrance, the solemn goddess with her spear in hand, standing on a puff of clouds that gave her her name. Myrina swept into a low bow.

Then, she straightened herself and made her way inside.

The temple's front hall was open to all, since the townspeople would regularly come and pray. There were two priestesses guarding the front hall, lighting incense and tending to the statues of Hongyun and her immortal attendants at the end of the hall. There were pillows regularly spaced out for believers to kneel and pray. The priestesses were young, and looked curiously at Myrina, who clearly did not wear the same garments as most visitors did, but they were well-trained and did not ask anything.

Myrina kneeled on one of the pillows near the front, and Chunyi did as well in the one behind her.

The prayers she'd been taught were still with her.

She began to whisper the one she liked the most, the one she thought was most appropriate for the moment. Her eyes were screwed shut, and her surroundings fell away until she was the only one left. This was what she'd liked about becoming a priestess. This was why she'd chosen this path before being stripped of it.

It felt like forever before she opened her eyes again.

The two young priestesses walked over.

Upon closer inspection, Myrina realised that they were younger than she'd thought. No older than fourteen or fifteen, and no one she recognised. Not one of the younger acolytes she'd known, nor one of the villagers' daughters.

She looked at them calmly, allowing them to inspect her too.

Finally, the taller one began, "You know our prayers. You are one of us, yet you are not."

The other one, with features that marked her as from one of the tribes around Sai, raised her chin. "You are dressed in very nice garments. We've been told about you. You're the Countess of Li Han."

They did not curtsy or bow. They would, outside this hall, but here, Hongyun reigned supreme, and then came her priestesses. Once upon a time she'd be one of them, standing vigil in this very hall, watching the visitors come in and out.

Myrina offered a smile. "I am. Is Abbess Yuexian here?"

The taller one answered, "She is. Do you wish for us to fetch her?"

"I'd greatly enjoy it," Myrina said, slowly standing upon. Chunyi moved forward to help her. "It has been many years since I've been here, and I do not always have the time. The last time I was here I was an acolyte."

"And in leaving you became someone greater," the smaller one said, voice firm. "That is what Abbess Yuexian says. You are still a believer, and in soul you are as worthy a servant of Hongyun as any of us are. You provide advice and suggestions to the Chosen of Hongyun, and you bless our Empire with prosperity and peace."

"Very kind words," Myrina said, a sad smile on her face, "but I do not think I am as great as you may have heard. Legends, you see, tend to be greatly exaggerated."

And that was what she was within these walls now. Legend. The Countess who wished to become a priestess, who was willing to give everything up to become a priestess. There had always been noblewomen who chose this life, but none of them did so fully. Most of them did not fully relinquish their wealth and status like Myrina was willing to, and so anxious to do. That was what made her name pass down each generation of girls who came here, who took the path she'd so desperately wanted to once upon a time.

At least her name was remembered, recorded somewhere.

"I do not think so," the smaller one said stubbornly. "But come. You and your maidservant may follow us in. We will invite out the Abbess. I think she wishes to see you very much."

Myrina didn't know why those words had such an effect on her. Perhaps it was because it had been so long, so, so, long, since anyone had wanted to see her. This was the one place she'd ever truly felt at home. The nostalgia was already affecting her, and she smiled at everything she saw. It was still the same hallways, the same arches, that she'd seen the last time she was here. The resting place of the priestesses was at the back of the temple, partially into the mountain itself. Her room had been on the top floor, she remembered, with the other acolytes. That was all she'd gotten to before she'd been summoned back to Hong Cheng in a rush.

She'd been so close to becoming a fully-fletched priestess too. Mere weeks away. If her father had died a little later, it might be her brother with the title right now, and her spending her days here.

She was led to the large chamber used for receiving important guests. It was slightly saddening that she was invited there rather than one of the living rooms within the sanctuary of the priestesses, but Myrina understood. It was as the younger priestesses said. She was one of them, but she was also not.

She didn't belong here anymore. It was already clear to her. And this was Abbess Yuexian's way of telling her this before Myrina even laid eyes on the woman.

The two priestesses left her and Chunyi there. One returned shortly after with hot tea, brewed with water that Myrina immediately recognised as from the stream at the top of the mountains. They all took turns getting water there, the younger acolytes. The water was sweet from the minerals and tasted wonderful with the tea they received as offerings from one of the families in the west of Sai. Myrina believed it was the family of the Earl of Qunan, but she was not certain.

The other priestess, the taller one, returned a while later with a familiar figure behind her. Dark hair with small greying streaks, small dark eyes that pinned you to the spot, a small oval face and a tall, imposing figure.

Myrina stood, and then kneeled. Chunyi did the same behind her. "Abbess."

"Lady Mai," Abbess Yuexian greeted with a smile, stepping forward. "A'qu, Duxuan, return to the grand hall, won't you? In case any other visitors come by."

The two priestesses did so without a word of complaint. Trained well. Once upon a time, Myrina would have been like that too. Even though it was clear the curiosity to know what Myrina and the Abbess were to discuss was killing them, they did not say anything in defiance.

Abbess Yuexian was the highest rank priestess of Hongyun in the entirety of Sai, and the entirety of the world. In the views of the most fanatical and devoted, she was the current mortal incarnation of Hongyun herself, though the Abbess had always disagreed with that.

"It is foolish to pretend to be a god," she'd once told Myrina, one particular night when she'd pointed out that it would be far more useful to have accepted such a view.

Myrina still remembered all of that clearly.

"It has been long since you were here," the Abbess murmured as Myrina stood. Chunyi had followed the two priestesses out, and now most likely stood in the hall waiting for her to return, or in the grand hall with the two.

"Seven or eight years, I think," Myrina said. "I've lost count."

"Yes, something like that." The Abbess had grown older. When Myrina had been here, she'd only recently risen to the position and could not have been older than forty. Now, though, time was starting to catch up with her. Myrina already spotted some grey in her hair. "I still remember you as a little girl."

"I'm not that girl anymore."

"No," the Abbess replied, amused. "You are one of the highest-ranking advisors to the Crown Prince of Sai, was one of the ladies-in-waiting to the Princess of Sai and now future Queen of Arecia, and the Countess of Li Han. You have achieved some great things in this short little time we've been separated."

"I did not ask for any of it."

"You did not," the Abbess agreed. "Yet you got it all anyways. I hope you'll know to treasure that."

"I do not know if it is something worth treasuring, Abbess," Myrina said quietly.

There was a moment's silence as the Abbess studied Myrina, brows creased as if she could see right through her. "You are very conflicted, aren't you?"

Myrina stayed quiet, because she knew she didn't have to say anything else. The Abbess had always been good at reading other people, and her abilities to do so seemed to intensify tenfold when it came to Myrina. When she was younger, the Abbess said it was because they were quite alike.

They came from similar backgrounds, actually. While no one really talked about it anymore, the Abbess had been the daughter of a baronet as well. Nowhere as high ranking as Myrina, but a noblewoman nonetheless. The Abbess saw Hongyun as a sanctuary too, away from her messy family and the never ending battle for power and money the rest of the world engaged in daily. It was why the Abbess had taken a particular liking to her when she'd been here.

"You're filled with conflict," the Abbess continued. "Even now. It has been so many years, Zimi, have you not placed it behind yourself yet?"

Zimi. Heavens, when was the last time someone called her that? In private, her and her friends addressed each other by their Arecia names. It had become a habit long ago, and one that they could not recover from. The adults used to call them by their Saian given names, but as they'd grown older, Myrina had turned from Zimi to Lady Mai.

"I don't know," Myrina confessed. "And my new position has granted me a lot more responsibility as well, and thus, more things to be conflicted by."

"You come here for advice?"

"Partially, yes," Myrina said truthfully. "You are one of the wisest people I know. But I also came to see this place. It has been too long."

"Stop looking at the past." Abbess Yuexian's expression was soft as she stared at her. "You are past this temple now. You are onto greater things. Tell me, Zimi, what is troubling you so? I do not know the way to govern an empire like you may, but I have been alive long enough to have some sage advice to offer."

Myrina swallowed. "Multiple things, actually. Part of the reason this tour has been set is because I needed the Crown Prince to help me regain total control of my estate from my uncles."

The Abbess sighed. "I foresaw this. When that uncle of yours came to collect you to Hong Cheng, I knew you would be in a tricky situation."

"I didn't realise how important the title and the estate would become back then, so I allowed them to gain total control over it. But now I am fighting for it back and it has not been an easy journey. Thus, I requested the help of the Crown Prince."

"And what is the problem with that, then, Zimi?"

Myrina's expression crumbled and she stared down at her fidgeting hands, unable to meet Abbess Yuexian's eyes. "I feel like such a failure, Abbess. To not even be able to control my own estate! I cannot even clean up my own mistakes! It is as if I cannot do anything of my own, but instead always have to rely on people around me."

"There is nothing wrong with requesting help sometimes. And you are his advisor, yes? You help him often enough that I think it is right for him to offer you some assistance when you need it as well."

"He has been most gracious about it." No, he'd practically threatened her into it, but she really hadn't had any other choices at that point unless she'd wanted to drag it on for years and years. If not for Ryan coming to help, she might genuinely have to wait until some of her uncles died to be able to regain control over the estate and her properties.

"And the problem?"

"I just... wish I could solve this by myself." She knew the grievance was ridiculous, but she had to air it. And there was no one else she could complain about this too. She was glad she was here, because the Abbess would keep all of this a secret, and she'd know the right things to say. It had always been like this, from the moment she'd stepped foot here all those years ago. The very first time, when she was nothing more than a little toddler and came to pray. And all those times after.

"Well, sometimes we all need assistance. If everyone could solve their problems by themselves the world would be a far simpler place, but unfortunately we do need to all work together." She said this all wryly. Myrina knew that the Abbess did not like most company. She preferred the quiet, and it often made her wonder why she'd taken the position of abbess in the first place, since it was a position that was constantly required to be organising such a large group of priestess under her.

"The second problem, then," Myrina continued on, taking a small sip of tea. "The Crown Prince offered me a proposal of marriage last night, though not directly."

The Abbess froze, but quickly recovered. Slowly and carefully, she asked, "Does he love you?"

Myrina shook her head.

The Abbess's brows tightened. "Do you love him?"

Myrina shook her head again.

"Why did he offer it, then?"

"Because he believed I'd be an appropriate and suitable empress. And I think he is becoming rather impatient at how we're all trying to convince him to choose a bride. I think it is a horrendous choice. I am not at all cut out for the role."

"Why not?"

Myrina looked up in surprise. She'd expected the Abbess to immediately agree with her, since the older woman knew her personality so well. "Abbess... You know I enjoy the quiet."

"So do I," the Abbess pointed out. "Yet I am now the leader of all the believers of Hongyun in this empire. It is a preference, not a necessity. Sometimes we must make sacrifices for the better good."

"But," Myrina said quietly, "don't you think I've made enough sacrifices already?"

The Abbess took a moment to process that, and then let out a silent breath. "Oh, Zimi. Oh, my sweet little girl. Come here."

And Myrina did, scooting over. The Abbess wrapped her arm around Myrina's shoulder and pulled her closer, letting Myrina lay her head on her lap.

"I don't know what to do," Myrina admitted. "I don't hate the Scarlet Palace as much as I used to, but I don't like it either. I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life once I leave my position as advisor."

"Why do you have to leave your position as advisor?" the Abbess asked patiently. "Do you not like it?"

"No, but it doesn't feel like where I belong," Myrina said quietly. She felt like a little girl again, thirteen or fourteen, scared and worried about the future. Wondering about her father wasting away but too cowardly to leave the temple and visit him. Thinking about her brother, hoping that no one had mistreated him, but not finding it in herself to go and make sure he was alright. What could she do? Nothing. She was one girl against the rest of the world, she didn't have the power to even save herself, much less anyone else.

That wasn't how it was anymore. Despite everything... she did have power. She did have the power to save herself, to protect some of her loved ones with that as well. It was all just a problem of whether or not she wanted to. Whether or not she tried.

But she didn't even know how to begin.

"You would make an excellent Empress," the Abbess said quietly. "The empire is too familiar with cold and rational rulers who make the best decisions for the future, but not necessarily the most humane ones. That is necessary during times of turmoil, but it is a time of peace now, no? Even the war with the Meliqueans does not affect us nearly as much as it used to. Even if it restarted right now a majority of people would be unaffected. Most of the soldiers drafted may never even see a Meliquean rifle."

"On paper, yes, but would I really?" Myrina questioned. "The Prince has always disliked and mocked me for my cowardliness. All I do in the face of danger is run."

"And do you plan on doing that forever?" the Abbess asked. "Because if you do not, I think this is a good time to start bravening up."

"I'm trying," Myrina whimpered. "But I lack the courage to do anything of importance."

"Zimi, Zimi, stop thinking so lowly of yourself." The Abbess gazed down at her crying face. "You are one of the bravest young women I know. You are of importance. Great importance. Do you pretend that you have done nothing for the Crown Prince and the Imperial government all these years? You were lady-in-waiting to the future Queen of Arecia. Noblemen and women have come and gone to this temple. I have heard great things about you. The wedding you arranged. The strategies you have presented. You even planned this tour, did you not?"

"With the help of Lady Lu Junya, daughter of the Duke of Shui Xiang."

"An admirable young girl, her too. Your names are often mentioned together."

Suddenly shy, Myrina said, "She is far greater than I. I look up to her very much."

"Yet in the eyes of everyone else, you are equal in ability and power. Is this young lady here with you as well?"

"She is," Myrina replied honestly. "If you wish to see her I could bring her here before we leave in two days' time."

"You lengthened the stay here, eh?"

Myrina blushed. The Abbess would immediately see through her excuses. She always had. "I wanted to be here for a little longer. And Hongwen is a nice little town, Abbess."

"There are thousands of better ones," the Abbess huffed. "Including the one your own estate is located near. An excellent little settlement there. The farmlands, gorgeous. I was there a few months ago, to pray for the Harvest."

"I went with you there that year," Myrina murmured softly.

"And all the tenants were shocked to realise that their lady wished to become a priestess. Remember that?"

"I didn't think my father would pass the title to me."

"Well, he did anyway. And no one else knew that at the time. Weak men always like to underestimate us women, but the truly powerful ones know what we're capable of. It is how the world has always worked, little Zimi. You will realise that soon."

"Yes, that is true," Myrina murmured, "but I fail to see how that would solve my current dilemma."

"I still do not understand why he would propose to you unless he has some affection for you, and believes you to be the most suitable woman. Honestly, Zimi, if you became Empress, you'd be capable of great things. Are you sure you want to turn it down? It also seems to solve a lot of your current problems."

"By opening a whole new can of new ones," Myrina sighed, allowing the Abbess to stroke her hair. She'd always loved that. She'd lost her mother young, and the Abbess had filled in that hole during the short period of time she was here. She missed this desperately.

"Ones you can solve. Ones that you have been solving for many years."

"There are many more responsibilities as well, Abbess. I do not think I am up to the task."

They were interrupted, then, by a knock on the door. Myrina sat back up, and the Abbess turned. "Yes?"

It was the voice of one of the young priestesses. The taller one. Duxuan. The other one had a faint accent that marked her as foreign.

"Ma'am, His Highness the Crown Prince has visited. He awaits outside in the grand hall."

The Abbess turned to Myrina, looking curious. "Your prince has arrived."

"Not mine, ma'am. Never mine. And I believe him here for more diplomatic and serious purposes."

A few minutes later they were joined by Ryan. He waved his hand, and his manservant left the room, most likely standing guard outside with Chunyi. He nodded at the Abbess. "You must be Abbess Yuexian. I have heard many wonderful things about you."

Most of them from Myrina, who had sung her praises endlessly when she'd first been dragged back to the Scarlet palace. She'd meant it to be ignoring. Myrina bowed her head, refusing to meet Ryan's glance.

"It is wonderful for you to have come to visit," the Abbess said in a polite but dignified voice. "The people sing your praises, Your Highness, and I am honoured to host you today. I was just discussing some matters with Lady Mai here. She has grown up very much in the past few years, and I consider her one of my best proteges. I trust she has served you well?"

"Most excellently, Abbess. She is one of my best advisors."

The Abbess turned to Myrina and smiled, as if saying, see? Myrina raised one brow.

No, she did not see. Ryan was just being diplomatic. Nothing he said right now could be taken seriously. He'd say all the things the Abbess wanted to hear. That was what he was good at.

Irina was good at telling you the truth. She was good at staring into the abyss no one else dared to and telling you what you needed, not what you wanted. Ryan was the opposite of that. He was far better with making people happy, making them do what he wanted that way. It had been fascinating to observe it. Now it felt awkward and embarrassing.

But she knew the Abbess was smarter than that. She would not be fooled so easily. Hongyun would guide her.

"I am glad to hear that," the Abbess said with a slight nod. "Is there anything you're here particularly for, Your Highness? Or is this just another regular visit? Would you like a tour?"

"In fact, I would," Ryan murmured. "I've heard so much about this place from Lady Mai, I could not stifle my curiosity. I wanted to see this with my own eyes."

"Well, I'm pleased to hear that." The Abbess stood. "I have some time now, actually, and I am more than happy to lead you around. I think Lady Mai would be very happy to go around the temple as well, wouldn't you, Zimi?"

"Yes," Myrina said, mustering a smile. "Is my old room still here?"

The Abbess nodded. "In fact, it's actually currently occupied by the priestesses you just met, Duxuan and A'qu."

"Is Fu Wu still here?" Fu Wu had been her roommate while Myrina had been an acolyte here. Last she'd heard, the girl had gone through her initiation and became a proper priestess. They'd lost contact after that.

The Abbess shook her head. "I sent Fu Wu to another temple a while ago. She's an excellent leader. She's currently posted in Nai Du."

"That is quite far away," Myrina murmured. "Perhaps if I ever have the opportunity, I will visit her."

"Come on then," the Abbess motioned to Ryan, and then to Myrina. "Let us travel around this humble little temple. I have been here for so many years yet it still feels as if I uncover something new every time I travel around."

"It is not humble nor small," Ryan laughed. "It's massive, actually. Far bigger than I was expecting."

"It's even bigger on the inside," the Abbess murmured. "There's room for hundreds of us here. There's only about seventy or so priestesses here at any given time, but if there's ever a need, far more people can be taken in."

"Fascinating," Ryan murmured as they headed out of the door of the room. Myrina motioned for Chunyi to stay behind, and Ryan did the same with his manservant. They'd be suitably received by the younger priestesses with some nice tea and enjoy their time greatly.

"We receive our guests in that room you were just in," the Abbess explained. "You would have just come through this corridor, of course, from the grand hall. That is all that is open to a majority of the public. Hongyun is a goddess who enjoys her peace and tranquillity. And, well, we have some artefacts here that we'd rather not risk."

"That makes sense," Ryan said. Myrina remained prudently quiet. There was no reason for her to speak right now unless she was called upon. And the Abbess would have mercy on her.

"Here we lead to the private praying hall," the Abbess introduced, leading them through a set of sliding doors with intricately carved patterns. "Dragons and clouds, the symbols of Hongyun. You will see them everywhere."

"That is expected," Ryan said. "And a lot of red as well, I realised. Well, more than usual, I mean."

"Well, it is in our goddess's name," the Abbess said lightly. "We will not interrupt them now," she whispered, motioning to the three priestesses within the hall, praying. It was similar to the outside hall, but far simpler and less luxurious. The goddess did not care how rich your surroundings were when you prayed, only that your heart was pure as you did so.

They were heading down towards the dining hall now. It was a far larger place than it needed to be, and the Abbess had told her before that it was because at its peak, there could be hundreds of priestesses and acolytes here at a time. It has been quieter for the past few centuries, something that Myrina was thankful for. She did not want to imagine all the rooms full. It would be disastrous. The noise...

There was no one in it at this hour. A few of the best cooks among the priestesses were in charge of meal preparation, and sometimes the villagers arrived with some of their fresh produce for the priestesses to enjoy. Otherwise, the food would come from the patch of farmland in the temple.

When Myrina had been here, she'd been in charge of welcoming guests, especially when visitors of higher rank came to visit. They looked at her, recognised who she was and were immediately much more respectable. Even then, people knew she was a playmate and companion of the Prince and Princess of the Empire. She was not to be trifled with.

Unfortunately, that status had not left enough of an impression in her relatives' heads. Thus, why they were here now.

Ryan commented on the excellency of the material the tables were made of. Myrina's eyes trailed to the table she'd have sat at, as an acolyte. She never had quite gotten the chance to sit at the other tables.

She never would, most likely. The Abbess didn't seem to agree with her option of returning here after she retired from the role of advisor.

Fair enough.

Then they arrived at the library. The massive, massive library, an entire building of its own. She recognised the priestess behind the desk counter, their archivist and librarian. Myrina had been an acolyte with her.

It brought a smile on Myrina's face to see Hang Anling. Anling's family were merchants, and she was the middle daughter. Ignored, neglected. She'd stolen money and hitched a ride all the way to the temple, where she'd stayed. Her parents had come to search for her shortly after, but Anling had been adamant about staying.

"Zimi!" Anling gasped, snapping upwards. The Abbess shot her a glare, and Anling blushed. "Sorry. Lady Mai. And... Your Highness!"

Immediately, Anling offered a low bow. Ryan's gaze strayed to Myrina for a second before turning back to Anling. "Peace. Stand."

Anling turned to the Abbess. "Please, may I help you, ma'am?"

"I'm just touring His Highness around. And of course, Lady Mai is here to visit us again. You two were close back in the day."

"It's been so long, Zimi," Anling grinned. "How's life?"

"Wondrous," Myrina replied dryly. "Yours?"

"Well, I spend most of my days here with some hundred year old books."

The Abbess coughed. Ryan looked amused. "Anling, dear, won't you mind leading us around? There is no one more familiar with this place than you are."

Myrina tilted her head. "What happened to Priestess Yuan?"

Anling winced. "You remember how her joints always hurt even back then? It got worse. She mainly just remains in her room and prays these days."

"We've sought the best doctors we could for her," the Abbess murmured. "I'm afraid that, considering the Priestess's age, there is not much else we could do for her."

"Oh," Myrina let out a sigh. "That is more unfortunate. Would I be allowed to visit her, perhaps?"

"In a bit," the Abbess said. "Please, Anling, show His Highness around. I've heard that you are quite a scholar, Your Highness."

"I simply enjoy some literature in my free time, that is all," Ryan said humbly.

That was true now, since he was always so busy. But back in those days in the schoolroom, he was unbeatable. Myrina could only catch up with him because of her memory. He was born for this position. He seemed to excel at everything he did.

Perhaps except swordsmanship. He'd never been the best at that, but then again he didn't need to be. He had Malcolm and Justine and even her. He didn't need to be good at fighting, because there were plenty of people to defend him for it.

A good ruler was not someone who could do everything themselves, but someone who knew how to get people good at different things to listen to their instructions.

The Abbess let out a pensive hum, and Anling quickly started leading them towards the shelves. "The library is organised in the old ways. Honestly, it's about time for an upgrade, but at the same time, there's so many books here it would take years to change it. Therefore, I've settled for understanding how this current system works rather than making any alterations."

"A wise choice," Ryan murmured.

"The books are all sorted by subject, then author, then year. We have some really old copies here. Even a few original copies, I think."

"That is fascinating to hear."

"We pride ourselves on it," Anling said with a grin. "This here, this is the one frequented by us the most. Myths and stories regarding Hongyun and her many miracles."

Myrina vividly remembered all the time she'd spent here. She stood there for a moment, staring, mouth wide open.

Anling turned to glance at her. "Remember that time we spent two hours here trying to find that one book only to learn that it had gotten missing a whole decade ago?"

Myrina raised one brow. "We could have just asked Priestess Yuan."

"But we didn't," Anling sighed. "And so we wasted two whole hours trying to search for that one tome. I still think it's one of the most idiotic choices I've ever made."

"And you've made plenty that could be given that title."

Anling glared. "Well, I'll have you know—"

Despite Ryan's curiosity, the Abbess let out a cough. "Girls, I think we can save that for later. Anling?"

"Of course, Abbess." Anling was a lot more respectful to authority than she used to be, that was for sure. The old Anling would have done anything she could to rebel. She wanted to be a priestess as much as anyone else did, but there was always a rebellious streak in her that had never disappeared. She didn't like being told what to do.

They were led further down the corridor. "History books," Anling murmured. "This shelf is for Saian history. And these are international ones."

"You place a great emphasis on history in this library," Ryan said mildly.

"History and religion often go hand-in-hand," the Abbess explained. "And I do believe that the priestess who first founded this library was the widow of a renowned historian. She took over her husband's work after his death."

"Fascinating," Ryan said. "What was her name?"

The Abbess glanced at Myrina, who got the message immediately. The Abbess herself did not remember, but she knew of Myrina's memory, so she assumed the younger woman would have the answer. Myrina gave a slight curtsy. "Her surname was Zhou, her given name unrecorded. Her husband was Wang Yue, who wrote History of the Yan Dynasty. It was assigned to us for study when we were thirteen."

Ryan turned to stare at her for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Yes. I remember that now. I was not aware that Madam Zhou became a priestess of Hongyun later in life."

The Abbess waved her hand in the air. "It is a fact little known, I think. Her name is not often mentioned among us. Her contributions are mostly just to us in this very temple rather than to all of Sai."

"Still, it is most impressive that she managed to cultivate such an excellent library."

"We have even more collections in the basement," Anling said, staring up and around at the shelves upon shelves of books. "And of course, the second floor. But the ones most usually read are all here. There is around a team of ten of us who take turns cleaning and dusting and sorting out the books here. It is a most tiring but rewarding job."

"Anling leads our team of librarians," the Abbess said with no small amount of pride in her voice. "She has taken over the work of Priestess Yuan most excellently with little instructions. She has a natural talent for this."

Anling offered a bright smile in return. Yes, things had changed since the days she was here. Back then, Anling would not have been this willing to accept praise. She would have fought it even when it was for her own good. It had made the two of them the opposite of each other, and Myrina suspected that Anling had gotten annoyed at the way the two of them were compared more than once.

But that was past them now. That was childhood rivalry, and they were all mature enough to ignore it. They were in very different places in life now, Myrina having left this path long ago.

"If you ever require any assistance with the archiving or keeping of all these books," Ryan offered, "send a message to the Scarlet Palace and I will be more than willing to send some of our librarians to help. In case you ever want to go through that reorganisation, Priestess." He said this while glancing at Anling.

Anling curtsied. "Thank you for your offer, Your Highness. I will keep it in mind."

long long long chapter!