When Xiao Zhi woke that morning, her head was pounding relentlessly. She groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead. Her mouth was dry, her temples throbbed, and the world seemed to spin.
"What… happened last night?"
She rubbed her eyes, and she could smell the faint scent of wine clinging to her sleeves. She vaguely remembered music, laughter, lanterns glowing like stars, and then… Ruhan's face, so close to hers.
Her heart almost stopped. Wait. Did I… do something stupid?
A knock came at the door.
"Princess?" Ruhan's voice was smooth and annoyingly calm. It was as if he wasn't suffering from the same hangover headache she was. "We'll be leaving soon. The mayor has sent a carriage for us."
She scrambled up and quickly dressed in the clothes laid out for her, hissing a curse every time her headache flared up. She didn't know who had prepared them, since she no longer had a maid, but there was no time to think about it.
When she opened the door, Ruhan was already waiting. His fur robe was neatly pressed, his hair tied back in traditional Tughril style. He looked like he'd slept for ten hours and drank nothing but water.
He looked at her, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"You look… awake," he said, his voice way too bright for her liking.
"Barely," she muttered, still feeling irritated with the throbbing in her head and the fact that Ruhan looked the exact opposite of her. "Ruhan, did I… do something bad last night?"
He tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Define bad."
Her eyes widened. "You know what I mean! Just tell me!"
Ruhan only smiled. That small, mysterious curve that always made her nervous and annoyed at the same time.
"You should try remembering on your own. Memories taste sweeter when they come back slowly." With that, he turned and walked down the stairs.
"Ugh, stop being so mysterious," she snapped, following him. "I'm serious!"
He didn't answer.
Xiao Zhi glared at his back the entire walk to the carriage waiting in front of the inn.
The mayor was there too, waiting politely as a gesture of respect to the princess and the young lord.
"The carriage is ready, my lord. It is not royal, but it will carry you safely to the capital."
"It is more than enough," Ruhan said with a polite bow.
Xiao Zhi added her thanks, smiling sincerely. "And the festival… it was beautiful. Thank you for insisting we stay."
The mayor laughed. "Ah, I didn't insist. It was the young lord's eyes that gave him away. He would have agreed no matter what you said."
Ruhan's ears went slightly red. Xiao Zhi blinked at him, and a small smile tugged at her lips. "Oh? Is that so?"
"The mayor exaggerates." He took her hand and helped her into the carriage, dismissing her comment.
The carriage left the city by midmorning. Inside, the air felt way more comfortable than before when they started their journey.
Ruhan leaned back, calm and content, as though a great weight had lifted from his shoulders.
"You look… happy,"
Xiao Zhi's eyes narrowed. Her gaze was sharp with suspicion, trying to read what he wasn't saying.
"I had a good stay in this city."
"Hmm." She studied him closer, chin propped on her hand. "You're hiding something."
"Am I?" He lifted an eyebrow.
"Yes. And you're not denying it, so that proves my point."
He chuckled softly. "You talk too much for someone who doesn't remember last night."
She gasped. "So something did happen!"
"Maybe," he said, amusement glinting in his eyes. "Maybe not."
Her cheeks burned. She crossed her arms, staring stubbornly out the window. "I hate you sometimes."
"I'll take that as affection." The smile didn't falter.
She pretended not to hear him, but her ears turned pink anyway.
By dusk, the outline of the Tughril capital appeared on the horizon, stone towers rising from the sand, banners of red and gold fluttering in the wind.
They did not enter the city immediately. Ruhan asked Duran to steer the carriage off the main road toward a small hut nestled near a cluster of grassland.
"Why are we stopping here?" she asked, peering out the window.
"If we go straight to the capital, we will arrive at the palace by night," Ruhan explained. "It's not good to arrive so late. We will rest here for the night and leave tomorrow morning. That way, we will reach the palace at a proper time," he paused and added a faint smile, "for a grand entrance."
There was something in his tone that made her chest tighten. "What do you mean?"
Ruhan did not answer. Xiao Zhi hated the way Ruhan always talked in riddles.
The hut was small and clearly unused for a long time. The wooden walls were worn, and the air smelled of old wood and dust.
Duran started a small fire, breaking dried wood into pieces.
"You should eat." Ruhan handed her a small box the mayor had provided. "Don't worry, it's not snake."
Xiao Zhi gave him a suspicious look, knowing Ruhan too well. When she opened the box, she saw a flatbread with some dried fruit. She let out a tiny smile and took a bite.
She chewed slowly, eyes drifting toward him again. His hands were steady, his expression calm and unshakable as always.
"Ruhan," she murmured after a moment, still nibbling on her food, "once we reach the capital… what happens then?"
"I will take you to the palace and report to the Khan. You will be safe there."
"Safe," she repeated, barely above a whisper. Her gaze dropped to the flatbread in her hands, and her voice trembled slightly. "And after that…?"
He did not answer immediately. Pausing a few moments too long before finally saying, "After that, I am not sure. Maybe prepare for your wedding?"
The mood in the hut shifted, becoming quiet and thick with things they weren't saying.
As the fire crackled between them, Xiao Zhi found herself studying his face. She noticed the tired slump of his shoulders and the dark shadows under his eyes.
Without thinking, the words slipped out. "How do you stay so calm? Even when everything is falling apart around us."
"If I don't stay calm," he said softly, "who will protect you?"
Her heart stuttered.
He noticed her silence, and a knowing curve tugged at his lips as she turned to her. "You're staring, Princess."
She blinked. "I-I was not—"
"Yes, you were."
Heat crept up her cheeks. She looked away quickly, pretending to poke the fire with a stick. "Do not flatter yourself."
Ruhan stood, brushing the dust from his cloak, and stepped closer until she could feel his warmth.
"Do you really not remember last night?" he asked out of the blue.
She grew suspicious. "No… should I?"
He chuckled softly. He said nothing more and simply lay down to rest.
Xiao Zhi hated that. She did not press him. She knew it would be useless anyway. If Ruhan did not want to answer, no one could make him. She lay down too, still frowning at the firelight before finally drifting off to sleep.