Ruhan moved quietly through the palace corridors. The heavy Khan mask covered his face, and his dark robes hung loosely around his body, hiding the tension in his muscles. Even here, deep within the palace, he felt the weight of the throne pressing down on him. Every step, every movement had to be careful. He could not show any weakness.
Tonight, however, he allowed himself a rare indulgence. The private hot spring pool tucked away from the main wings. One of the few places where he could exist without the constant scrutiny of ministers or his stepmother. A place where he could breathe.
The spring was not natural. Tughril was a land of wind and dust, not warmth. It had been built by his father, stone by stone, for his mother, who had come from Hua. No one was permitted here without the Khan's consent. Even now, years after their death, the space remained untouched, sealed away like a memory Ruhan was never meant to outgrow.
"Arkan," he said, lowering his voice so only his second-in-command, someone he trusted like a brother, could hear, "keep watch around the perimeter. I don't want anyone seeing me here without the mask."
Arkan inclined his head sharply. "Understood, my lord. I will watch outside."
Ruhan's gaze lingered on the young man for a long moment. Arkan had been his shadow for years, the only person who knew the man behind the mask and didn't try to use it against him. He was sharp and loyal to the bone, but even the best guard in the world couldn't stop a rumor. If a single pair of eyes caught a glimpse of Ruhan's real face, the game was over.
He'd spent the last few days avoiding Lian Zhi like the plague. He couldn't stand to see her like that. The bruises on her face, the way she cried herself to sleep every night. He kept telling himself he couldn't step in, that it was her fate. He had to stay in the shadows to keep his plan alive. But every time he thought of her, 'fate' just felt like a poor excuse for being a coward.
Still, he sometimes instructed Arkan to secretly ease her burdens, like slipping her sleeping pills, keeping Kabil occupied so he wouldn't harm her, and removing poisoned food before she could even touch it. Each act of protection felt pathetically small compared to the anguish of knowing she suffered while he stood helpless.
He needed this bath. He needed to clear his mind, to put her out of his thoughts for a while.
He lifted the silk screen and stepped into the pool area, inhaling the fragrant steam rising from the mineral-rich water. The heat hit him instantly, soaking into his stiff shoulders and easing the knots in his back. He just stood there for a second, with his eyes closed, letting the warmth do its work.
Then a flutter of wings broke the silence. A bird, small and dark, fluttered in through the open window. A tiny scroll was tied to its leg.
"Arkan," he said quietly, "retrieve that."
The warrior emerged from the shadows. He untied the parchment and handed it to Ruhan. "News from our watcher, my lord."
Ruhan scanned the scroll. "So the Chancellor has been secretly meeting the Hua General." A faint crease formed between his brows. "Interesting."
Finally, the Chancellor was making his move. He had been quiet for weeks, and that silence had been suspicious.
"Find out what this is about," Ruhan said, returning the scroll to Arkan.
The young man hesitated. "Yes, my lord. But that means I'll leave you here alone. Perhaps you should—"
"I'll manage. You can step away." Ruhan shook his head. "I don't think anyone will come."
Arkan inclined his head once more and departed, leaving Ruhan alone in the steam.
The hot spring gave him a brief moment of peace. He moved his hands along the edge of the pool, and he felt the warmth flow through his body, easing the strain from weeks of constant vigilance. For now, he can forget about the Chancellor's schemes, the burden of the throne, and the endless calculations.
But even here, his thoughts returned to Lian Zhi. Ever since he met her, even back in Hua, she had stirred something in him. Turning his every plan upside down. Did he really have to care so deeply for her?
He let the steam rise around him, the heat numbing some of the tension in his body, but his mind remained restless.
Then, a faint sound broke the quiet. A soft splash, followed by an occasional hum.
Ruhan's eyes snapped open. He blinked through the mist curling over the pool's surface. His hand went instinctively to the edge of the pool, muscles tensing.
Whoever it was had not announced themselves, and he could not afford to be seen as the Khan without his mask. Even with his identity as Ruhan, a mere eunuch on the Khan's private pool? That would not be easy to explain.
Another splash came, closer now. His heart quickened. Someone had come deliberately, silently. Could it be an intruder, or worse?
"Who's there?" he called. A mix of panic and caution.
No answer came, only the soft ripple of water. The mist began to clear, and Ruhan's eyes widened.
Princess Lian Zhi.
She stood in the warm water, her dark hair damp and clinging to her shoulders. Even in the simple undergarments, she was striking, delicate, and graceful. Her beauty was impossible to ignore. His heart raced, and a faint flush crept across his face.
She was not supposed to be here, in his private hot spring. What was she doing?
He stepped back instinctively, planning to leave her to avoid an awkward confrontation. But he made a small noise, a ripple in the water, and Lian Zhi turned sharply. Her eyes met his, and she almost screamed.
Before she could, Ruhan's hand shot out, covering her mouth gently but firmly. His other hand supported her by the arm.