If you asked Samaya what happened for the rest of the banquet, she could not tell you, save for some vague recollections of the entertainment that followed. A dangerous thing, for a spy like her. But one might give her some grace, considering the situation.

Ayden had held her gaze as his performance reached its crescendo and then gently faded into an ending that was poignant and resonated deep within you. Perhaps it was only Samaya who felt that way because she knew the true meaning of the music he had just presented.

Once the performance ended, however, he let his gaze fall naturally, bowing his head toward the Emperor and awaiting his verdict like a good little peasant should.

God, she had forgotten how easily he could slip on his personas.

Slow clapping reached her ears.

"A splendid performance, indeed." The Emperor's voice - always him - pulled her out of her trance once again. "We are immensely pleased. Tell Us, is there anything you would like as a reward?"

Samaya dreaded every word that would come out of Ayden's mouth. Not because of what he would say, but because his voice itself dug deep into her ears and made her heart twist painfully.

He kept his head bowed as he spoke softly. "This one is honored to have performed before Your Majesty and requires no reward."

"Humble, We see." Samaya could not discern much from the Emperor's blank voice without seeing his face. "But one must acknowledge one's own abilities. Too much humility is not good either."

Ayden only bowed his head deeper, as if gratefully taking the reprimand.

After a moment, the Emperor spoke again. "You may take your leave, minstrel. Your reward shall be delivered to you."

Ayden did not spare her another glance as he straightened from his bow and took a few steps back before turning around and melting back into the shadows of other servants. Samaya let out a breath she did not know she had been holding, but the tight knot in her chest did not loosen.

The rest of the banquet passed in a blur.

She could hardly tell you how it ended, when the newest Consort left, and when the Ministers began to socialize amongst themselves, when it was time for the ladies to retire. She was on autopilot, both her mind and heart racing even as her training and reflexes took care of her motor skills.

It was only when Manu wrapped her arms around her waist that she came back to herself a bit. The Empress and the Empress Dowager were already going down. She looked down at the boy, who now had his face buried into her stomach. She frowned and put a hand on his head.

"Manu?"

He looked up, those golden eyes glistening with concern. "Mama, are you okay?"

She tilted her head. "Yes, of course. Why do you ask?"

He paused for a moment and then spoke softly. "You seemed like you needed a hug."

And with that, he buried his head back into her stomach again.

The knot loosened a bit, and warmth replaced it. Oh, her baby boy. How could such a small child know the raging storm inside of her?

She steadied her shaky heart. It would not do to lose her mind. Her son is and would always be in danger. She could not protect him if she herself was spiraling.

She reached down and heaved the boy up into her arms, smiling softly. "Did you have fun up there?"

Manu beamed and nodded. "Yes, Imperial Mother gave me sweets! And-"

She nodded to Fu Caiyi in silent goodbye before walking down the stairs, listening to Manu ramble on. Keeping her gait steady, she kept her eyes stubbornly forward, not even glancing at the shadows where servants and entertainers stood, waiting for their superiors to leave before they could make their exit.

It was only when she had tucked Manu in that she finally plopped on the bed, soft tremors running through her body.

He was here.

He was alive.

All those years looking for him… where had he been?

"Huh?" She blinked down at the wet droplet that fell on her hand and reached up, pressing a hand over her cheeks, only to realize that she was crying. Tears sprang from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks relentlessly. There was no sound, only silent cries. No matter how much she tried, she could not stop them now that the dam had broken.

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There was only so much she could bury. She was human, after all.

She pressed her back against the headboard and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She felt ridiculous, like that damn child who used to be left alone in motels with no idea what to do.

She hated this feeling. This feeling of hopelessness, of being lost and drowning.

Manu stirred beside her, and she turned her head. He looked so peaceful as he burrowed against her, frowning slightly as he searched for his usual position. Almost without conscious thought, she reached out to run her hand through his hair. His eyelashes fluttered slightly before he seemed to let out a contented sigh.

Samaya kept her fingers running through his hair, the motion strangely calming. Her tears did not stop immediately, but the tremors running through her body faded slowly. Eventually, so did her tears.

She felt a headache coming. She did not remember when was the last time she'd cried at all, let alone like this.

Samaya was not sure how long she stayed like that. She was pulled out of her thoughts when something bright flashed above her. She turned her head, eyes widening at the sight of a small, contained, rotating ball of fire blazing in the air. It was … blue, and felt as cold as it looked. She did not have the time to react. It flashed once, twice, and then slowly shrunk out of existence, spitting out a scroll - seemingly out of nowhere - that plopped on the bed in front of her.

She stared at it as if it might explode any moment. It was a nondescript scroll, with no mark on it to indicate who sent it.

But deep down, she knew.

It was him.

How on earth he managed to use elemental powers to communicate, she had no idea. If he were anything like her, then he would have no powers. Did he have someone helping him, like she did Ah-Liu?

She took a deep breath and reached out, keeping her hand as steady as possible, to take the scroll. She was loath to retract her other hand from Manu's hair, but she had to. She opened the scroll slowly, as if doing so would somehow change whatever was inside.

Meet me at the northern gate. At the second of chǒu.

Second hour of chǒu. 2 am.

She contemplated, but only for a moment.

She had to meet him. She had to know.

Reaching into one of the secret compartments in her drawer, she pulled out a talisman and ripped it.

Ah-Liu appeared immediately.

"Jiejie?" He called hesitantly.

She turned her head to look at him. His eyes widened and he quickly stepped forward, kneeling down in front of him.

"Jiejie, what happened?" He asked, his voice on the verge of panic.

She blinked. Oh. Her eyes were still probably red, with dried tear tracks on her face.

Samaya exhaled softly. "Nothing." Before he could say anything, she put a hand on his head. "Don't worry. I called you here for something else."

The boy snapped his mouth shut. His eyes were stormy, and he looked like he wanted to destroy something. But he still looked at her expectantly.

"I need to go out," she said softly. "I need you to conceal me and keep an eye on Manu."

He looked like he wanted to ask a thousand questions. Samaya smiled at him reassuringly. "It's alright. It's something I have to do. I will tell you if you need to know.

Ah-Liu clearly wanted to protest. But he lowered his head and nodded, having learnt to trust her and follow her orders.

She stood. "You need to stay here. So, make sure to give me something I can use at will."

Ah-Liu gave a small nod.

After a few minutes, Samaya walked out of her courtyard with simple, cotton robes and a cloak draped over her, the hood pulled over her head. The cloak was coated with whatever illusion Ah-Liu weaved, and she was sure it was working, because the Shadow Guards put around her courtyard were still.

Northern Gate. That was a few hundred meters behind the Cold Palace, where unfavored concubines or concubines who committed some sort of offence short of treason were sent. Right now, there was no one there, and so, the entire place was deserted.

The walk took more than half an hour, and her mind was occupied the entire time. She passed the deserted Cold Palace, filled with dust and filth and dry leaves, almost in a trance. She went around it and kept walking, and soon enough, saw the Northern Gate come into view.

This was a gate usually used for bringing in supplies into the Palace. So, at night, the guard here was lackluster. She knew if he had called her here, he would have taken care of the guards as well. Still, seeing the guards slumped on the ground made her heart seize. She quickened her pace and quickly knelt in front of them, pressing two fingers against one's throat. And then on another. She let out a soft sigh of relief when she realized they were alive. And then she took off her hood, letting the illusion fall away, standing up.

She knew he was close. But she was not going to run around like a headless chicken to look for him. Let him come to her.

"You did not think I would kill them, did you?"

That voice was familiar, painfully familiar.

She turned her head around, and her heart seized once again as he emerged. Having cried her heart out, she felt lighter and more in control of her emotions. So, it was easier not to break down again. But her heart tightened, nonetheless.

He was close. So close. Her eyes traced his face with something bordering on desperation. He had not changed much. But his hair was longer, tied up in a top knot in the style of the Xin Empire, and his eyes were colder.

She opened her mouth.

"I thought you hated long hair."

She blinked. That was not what she had wanted to say. She was thankful her voice did not crack.

He blinked as well, not having expected that question. And then he shrugged.

"When in Rome."

They stared at each other. Samaya could see the storm beneath that cold mask, the desperation, the urge to close the distance, and it felt good, in a way, to know that she was not the only one drowning.

What should she do? Should she just run to him? Embrace him? Stand still? Ask him where he had been? What he was doing here? Why he had called her here?

She did not know, and as a result, she was left standing awkwardly. He mirrored her. It would not be obvious to all, but Samaya could tell. He was unsure. He was struggling to say what he wanted to say.

"Gods, will you get it over with?"

Another voice came from the treeline, and she snapped her head to find the scarred man from Rayie, leaning against a tree with a feline sort of grace. She tensed. How long had he been there? How come she had not noticed?

This was bad. If a man powerful enough to conceal his presence from her was roaming around like this, it was bad.

For some reason, though, she was not surprised to find this man with Ayden. After all, he was the one who brought him here. How on earth did Ayden end up in Rayie?

"Samaya."

Samaya shuddered. For how long had she craved hearing her name in his voice before giving up hope? Far too long.

She turned around to see him stepping forward. His eyes, for once, were bare, filled with hope and expectation.

"Come with me."

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