My current job in the kingdom is palace laundry washer, but the maid offers me clothes fit for a consort. When she offers me silk underwear, I don't refuse. When she offers me gowns in my favourite shades of pink, I say yes to the dress. I'm a girl that likes to make the best of things.

So I'm in a good mood when I go out into the garden to find Mo Ran. I can hear cheerful music playing and I find a group of poor musicians playing in a small shelter close by. Mo Ran is playing with them on a polished black Guzheng. I'm impressed.

I lean against a garden post and watch them all playing for a while, feeling very content. Then I start to move a little, swaying my hands from side to side. One of the musicians sees me and nudges Mo Ran.

He looks up, takes me in and smiles broadly. He then manages to contain the broad smile enough to give me a polite nod. I can feel my own smile deepen. I begin to feel giddy even.

After a while, he breaks away from the group and comes down to join me. He gestures to another part of the garden and we turn to walk in that direction.

I turn to him briefly and grin. "Is that your very own secret band?"

He gives me a confused look. "They are a group of travelling entertainers who needed a place to stay for a while. I sponser them and I enjoy playing with them sometimes, though I never tell anyone about it."

"Like I said, secret band." I swing my hands back and forth beside me. "What star constellation do they belong to?"

"I wouldn't know. I've never asked."

"Theeeeen. How do you know some of them aren't Ophiuchus?"

He pauses and gives me a dark look. "How do you know about the Ophiuchus?"

"I asked the maids and Yan Ran about it," I say innocently. I am also the secret Mistress of Ophiuchus, but he doesn't need to know that.

"They are not Opiuchus," he announces firmly. "And even if they were, they are under the protection of my house. So you must not talk about them to anyone, Fei Fei."

I pout. "I'm nice! I'm always nice. Besides, I don't care what constellation someone belongs to. It's only you Masters who care about that stuff."

He gives me a look. "Things are not what they seem."

I narrow my eyes at him. "What does that mean?"

He stops walking, and I stop next to him.

"Can you keep a secret?" he asks.

"Cross my heart and hope to die!" I answer. I love secrets.

"I mean it. You can't tell Yan Ran or Bei Tang Yi or any of the others."

I pointed my finger in the air. "I may have told you about Yan Ran's feelings but that is a once-off offence! I thought she was in danger and I thought you needed to know about her because you were being really really nice to me. Otherwise I would have kept my mouth shut. I have lots of secrets that will go to the grave with me."

"All right, I believe you." The corner of his mouth lifts and then drops again. "I am playing the role of a scoundrel so that Bei Tang Yi can learn to be a more compassionate Emperor when he receives full power. I don't want him to follow the path the Queen Dowager has set for him. I am...waiting for him to stand up to me."

I stop walking and stare at him in amazement. Mo Ran actually cares for the Ophiuchus, and he wants the Emperor to care for them too, unlike the Queen Dowager.

"Why?" I say. "What makes you think the Ophiuchus are innocent of all the bad things that have happened in the kingdom?"

He shrugs. "I have my informants and my intuition. They tell me otherwise"

I gulp. "What you're telling me could get us killed. I could get tortured for this information. Why are you telling me? I thought you liked me."

He gives me this all-knowing look. His eyes go down to my chest.

"W-what are you looking at?" I demand. My hands come up to cover my front. Can he see through my dress?

"The maids told me something last night that confirmed a suspicion I had about you." HIs face softens. "Fei Fei, it's all right. I know. I will protect you."

"What are you talking about?" Yes, I am determined to play dumb until the ghastly bitter end. Can you blame me? No one likes the Ophiuchus here.

He comes closer and gently eases aside the material on my shoulder. I stare at him, wordless, as he reaches out to touch the hidden mark of my constellation near my neck. The touch is intimate. Slowly, I push his hand away.

"You can't bribe me with this," I warn, fixing my dress. "If you decide to tell the Emperor then I'll just tell him sooner, then I'll run away with the travelling musicians."

He tilts my chin up with one finger. "I didn't tell you this to bribe you or to drive you away. You are my heart. I want to protect you."

"Hmph." I fold my arms across my chest.

The corners of his mouth turn upwards. "But if this was a bribe, would you share my bed for one night to keep your secret?"

My mouth falls open. "One night. One lousy night. That's all you'd ask me for? What is wrong with the men in this place? You all want one night and as many different women as possible. Didn't anyone tell you that gluttony dulls the senses?"

He seems to be hiding a laugh from me, but I'm not sure. "So. If this was a bribe, and I only wanted one woman, do you think I could ask for a better deal?"

"Yeah!" I insist. "Any business minded person knows to always ask for something better in a negotiation, bribes included. If I were you I'd tell you to marry me and then I could have you in my bed whenever I wanted."

He nods thoughtfully. "That is an appealing idea, and I'm sure I could carry it out. What kind of wedding ceremony would you like, Fei Fei?"

"Not funny!" I punch his shoulder. "Don't even think about it."

He frowns. "Why must I not think of it?"

I sigh. "How can you be so sure of your feelings? I thought I knew what love was until you came along and-and..."

He puts his arm around my waist and steps close to me. "Tell me what I did so that I can do it again. I'll keep doing it until you give in to me."

I keep my mouth shut.

"Was it when I confessed to you?" He lifts his other hand to touch my cheek. "Or was it when I-"