When imminent conflict threatens the peace, there is only so much a person can do – even if they are in a position of absolute authority.

It was decided that the four people in the room would split into two groups. Lay and Kris would ride out to Tao and Xiumin, tell them news and hurry back to the city with the army at call. It was a good two hour ride to the border and then another two, back but we had eight to spare. If our militia are within the borders and securing the capital then the city will be safe. The foreigners will probably arrive by ship in the early, unsuspecting hours of the morning and so, Tao and his crew need to be back and ready before then, already at the docks and stopping them from getting on land.

However, at the same time – troops needed to be sent in capturing the perpetrator behind it all. Right now, no one in the palace, especially the guards, can be trusted. Who knew what allegiances they pledged and to whom, too.

You and Chen were staying in the capital, making sure that the palace itself was under control. Chen had many trusted relationships with the scholars due to his status as the academic and could be called upon to organise the palace proceedings if things got really bad and everyone needed to be told the news and evacuated. However, it was more important for him to call on loyalties outside of the royal court, free from potential corruption. His scholar friends that weren’t apart of the palace needed to be informed to assist in protecting the civilians and that was Chen’s main priority.

Nonetheless, your heart ached to be on a dark mare, riding into the night, instead of remaining in the city. You still needed to find Qi-yan and ask him how to organise the team. You wondered if the maid had managed to pass the news but not having heard her in the last two hours made you worried. Right now, you couldn’t waste time in deadened concern and still, there was the problem of Luhan who had disappeared into the night – still oblivious to the chaos that would soon surround him.

‘Just leave Luhan to me,’ you had said before the Princes split up and Lay shot you a pained expression. Kris’s mouth was still in a hard line but even he could guess what had happened: some sort of disagreement or betrayal, or another – the usual between unrequited lovers. ‘Stay safe’, he had cautioned roughly as he strapped his word onto his belt. Kris was already on his steed when Lay brushed his fingers against your cheek, catching you unguarded. You pulled away but his words were forever echoing in your ears. ‘Just don’t get hurt.’ He’d murmured and you were pretty sure he meant it both ways: physically and emotionally.

Before anything else could break your integrity, Kris pulled the younger away and Lay was forced onto his own horse. Then the two princes dressed in commoner’s clothes vanished into the night and out the back gates.

Chen, who understood where things were going, just remained silent. “We’ll report back in an hour, in the gazebo out the back. If you’re not back by then, I’ll just assume the worst so don’t be late.” His warning was stern and you nodded. He then left too, dressed inconspicuously to notify his most trusted friends in the city about the munity and what preparations they would have to make to protect the civilians.

Then, it was only you. The only remaining factor in all of this stupid conquest. Somehow after telling them what Sun-ye old man’s motives were, the huddle of people moved from Lay’s room to near the stables and then out the gates where the night air was impossibly cold and frigid. Never had you felt so alone in the entire world than now but you needed to stop being selfish. The world didn’t revolve around you and right now, Luhan was more important.

The group had been at the gates since the last time you had seen him and so he couldn’t have left the palace, yet even then, the royal court was so big, it would take an eternity to find him. It was around nine o’clock at night, but time was always so elusive, you never knew how much longer there was left. Starting with the humble, waiting staff who were the eyes of this place, you began asking one by one: ‘Have you seen Prince Luhan?’

“I’m not giving her up to you.”

The dark was only cut through with the sound of hooves galloping and the whoosh of the wind.

“What are you talking about.” Kris’s steady breath pierced through, laced with feigned ignorance but Lay wasn’t going to relent any time soon. With the moon as the only source of light to guide their paths along the forest to reach the borders, the glow was eerie and patterned with pale luminance.

“You know very well what I’m talking about. Anise. I’m not giving her up.” The younger Prince never once turned his head to face the elder, looking straight ahead in a determined stare.

“Who said I wanted her.” Kris growled, irate.

“The way you look, and look at her.” Lay laughed; it was a short scoff but the sound still carried to Kris’s ears and the latter frowned.

“So, if you’re still in self-denial, stay there. Because she’s mine.”

With an angry whip of his reins, Kris sped forward. He didn’t need his sibling to tell him something he already knew. He just wasn’t going to admit it. By the way things were going, he didn’t need useless emotions to taint the anarchy that was already happening. “Shut up Lay, just keep riding.”

Lay just smiled.

The Harem. That’s where they all said he was. That’s where they said he was going. Apprehension gripped you in the long walk down those familiar yet so distant corridors that you had temporarily called home. Ever since the maid came into your life, the other girls became hesitant to approach you. It was like they were weary of you, all of a sudden. One day, Zi-yu just stopped talking to you all together, apart from the polite greeting in the morning or along the hallways and really, the other girls just followed suit and chose to ignore you too.

It didn’t matter either way because just as you had applied for the role in the beginning, you had known that this was a cat eat cat world. Everyone was bound to be fake and selfish once in a while – just that you had to put up with it longer than others.

The girls seemed to be rowdier than usual. After dinner they would either be called to the Princes or spend the night by themselves, doing embroidery or painting something for amusement. But tonight, there was music, giggling and lots of clanking bottles. Wine? Maybe? The girls rarely drank.

Sliding the rice paper doors open, you first entered the living quarters and then hesitantly made your way to the entertainment quarters. It was just a large room with a lot of space that would be occupied in free time to do as the girls wished. What you saw though, made your insides churn.

“More wine! More!” the drunken Prince slurred as he tried to lift his glass, one girl to each side of his open arm embrace; nestled to his left was Zi-yu and to his right, Chiao-Han, whilst the younger girls danced before him, serving him alcohol and feeding him sweet cakes. “This is what the harem should be like.” He chuckled. The party hadn’t noticed that you’d walked in as the door was off to the side but one of the younger girls who had been playing the erhu saw your figure and slipped the wrong note – jarring the music to a halt.

It was a rush of cacophony. In the silence that ensued, another girl dropped a plate onto the straw mats, gasps followed like your being there was scandalous and finally, Chiao-Han ripped herself from the Prince’s side. Zi-yu just smiled.

“Glad you could join us.” She cooed, running her fingers down the Prince’s chest. His robes had been pulled open a bit to reveal the milky white skin below his deft collar bone. You watched it rise and fall as Luhan swallowed. His face indifferent. Cocky. Uncaring and distant. “But you know, I’d much prefer it if you didn’t. I’m sick of you stealing all the attention.”

Your brows furrowed. Attention was never what you had wanted, in fact, it was the opposite. You wanted to be unseen, to be erased and passing without a trace. Before you could retort, Chiao-Han had grabbed onto your arm, her expression guilty. “Sister Zi-yu doesn’t mean that… Here, take my spot.” She gestured to Luhan’s empty side but you shook your head.

Zi-yu frowned at the younger girl and gestured her head towards the door. Chiao-Han could only comply and left the three of you in the room. Speaking up, she tested again, “Getting arrogant now are you? Refusing Prince Luhan? Is he not good enough for you?”

You bit your lip at Zi-yu’s harsh remark and lowered your head. The other girls had now scurried out of the room, led by the eldest. Ever since the formation of the harem, Zi-yu had always been the unofficial leader. It was something no one really spoke about but just did as they were told and this sudden conflict would have come as trouble for the others who were just content to be followers. They didn’t want to be caught up in the mess.

“No.” you finally murmured. “No, he’s too good for me.” You looked up with a pained expression tinting your features and watched as his face softened.

She scoffed. “Don’t be so fake. We all know you’re the ‘lucky’ one that gets to sleep with all the Princes around here and make them fall head, over, freaking, heels for you. So, what did you do? Witchcraft? Poison? Or is it that club, Crimson Lotus, you’re apart of?” She smirked as your eyes widened in shock. “Come on, you can tell me.”

“What?” Luhan spoke up, his voice rough and callous, eyes never leaving yours.

Smug and satisfied that she elicited a response from the Prince, she turned her head up to look at him. “Didn’t you know? The of Crimson Lotus! I asked someone to follow her for me one night and she went to the red light district, dressed as a man! What shame!”  

Angry throbbing rose in your throat and you stared her down. “You must be mistaken.” You tried to control the rage in your voice but it seeped out anyway. Anyone can ridicule you and taunt you, but no one can tarnish the name and reputation of the organisation that you’d sacrifice your life for. “Crimson Lotus is not a ‘ club’ and I am not a e. But I don’t need to explain the details further to the likes of you.”

She snickered, cheeks red. She must’ve been drinking too and somehow, you pitied her. Her life was all about pleasing someone else. All about getting affection, attention and being in the spotlight. She was one of those girls that would rather die than have nothing to her name.

“You, are a member of Crimson Lotus?” Luhan’s voice was tinted with surprise and you looked back at him, indignant.

“If this is how you want things to be then I’ll never cross your path again. But right now, your brothers are trying to stop the capital from turmoil. Just wanted to let you know before I disappear forever.” You gave the two one last look before you politely excused yourself from the room, pulling open the doors to reveal the girls pressed up and eavesdropping.

You smiled at Chiao-Han sadly. “Look after her, okay?” Naturally, she knew who you were talking about and could only nod sadly before you left the quarters, walking out into the corridor.

“Thank god she’s gone.” Zi-yu giggled. “Now where were we?” She slid her hand down the Prince’s robes, fingers tightening around the waist-band, ready to pull when he stopped her.

“Get off me.” He growled with more fervour in his voice than he could possibly muster. He wasn’t going to let her slip away like this. In shock, the poor girl complied and watched as the Prince followed after in a hurry, calling her name. Angry tears welled in her eyes as the other girls flooded in, trying to comfort her. What did she want out of life but affection? Pity, it shouldn’t be something a maiden’s heart so craved.

You had run out into the crisp, clear air when you heard heavy breathing and thudding footsteps behind you. “Anise!” he called. It was a desperate cry and even you could tell that from the wavering sound in his cracked voice.

“Anise,” he finally breathed, standing before you. ”I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

You looked at him, ambivalent. “There’s no need to apologise.” But before you could do anything further, Luhan had brought you into a tight embrace, wrapping you up in his arms. It smelt of booze and perfume but you didn’t resist.

“I know you can’t be mine, so just give me this night. Just one night.”

In any other circumstance you would have diffidently agreed, but fate wasn’t so gracious. You didn’t have one night. Time was running out. 

~

A/N: Hey guiiise~ How've you all been? Sorry this took so long; I was battling with a lot of different ideas for this chapter and really, it couldn't gone a billion different ways. But ultimately, this is what I would imagine Anise to do.

Also, I took a reader's advice (EXO-Kpopper, hahaha honourable mention to you!) to make the chapter easier to read. At first, I was just happy to stick to what I had done before because I'm not really one to change - heck, I live on consistency but maybe this is for the better?

Hahaha, hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more! I have a big epiphany for the ending of this and I'll tell it to you guys in the next chapter. Can't wait!! 

If you're still desperate, you can always check out my other stuff~ I'd really appreciate it.  Click -->  LOVE

And also congrats to EXO, Busker Busker and BAP for getting awards at MAMA~ It really was the perfect outcome for the fans. Seriously, the fan wars that were happening because of the whole thing was just ridiculous.

 cuties must be so tired~