The morning sun stretched pale across the palace roofs, glinting off golden tiles as if the heavens themselves had washed the world clean after the storm of yesterday's trial.
In Phoenix Hall, Ananya rose with quiet determination. Though her body still carried the exhaustion of the Purity Rite, her mind was clear. The memory of her father's trembling voice, her mother's tears, and her sister's bright smile echoed within her chest.
"I must see them," she whispered to herself. "Just three days. Three days with my natal family."
She smoothed the folds of her robe and stepped out into the corridor.
Her shadows drifted close. Wei Rong yawned as he stretched lazily, his translucent form sharpening. "About time you thought of leaving this cage. I was beginning to feel like a prisoner myself."
Fen Yu floated beside her, excitement sparkling in her eyes. "Maybe your mother will make sweet rice cakes again! She always gave me extra last time."
Li Shen adjusted his sleeves with his usual calm. "You forget—you cannot taste them."
Fen Yu pouted. "Then I will watch her eat mine. It is the same."
Their chatter lifted Ananya's heart. A smile ghosted across her lips—until she turned a corner and nearly stumbled into him.
The Emperor.
---
He halted, dark robes brushing the stone, his tall frame casting a shadow across the corridor. The faint sandalwood of his presence curled through the air, heavy, inescapable. His gaze, sharp and cold, fell upon her.
For a heartbeat, neither moved. The silence deepened, broken only by the flutter of distant banners.
Ananya steadied herself and lowered in a bow. "Your Majesty."
His eyes narrowed. "The Queen Consort seems in great haste. Where does she hurry so early in the day?"
Her lips curved faintly, though her tone remained respectful. "To seek the Dowager's permission."
One dark brow lifted. "Permission? For what matter?"
"To return to my natal home," she answered smoothly. "Surely, a daughter may see her family now that her honor is no longer questioned."
The words were calm, but beneath their politeness lay a blade.
---
Wei Rong grinned broadly. "Oh, she's poking him straight in the ribs."
Fen Yu flapped her hands nervously. "Don't tease the dragon, don't tease the dragon—"
Li Shen's voice was low, thoughtful. "He asked. She replied. Nothing improper in truth."
---
The Emperor's lips pressed thin. "So quick to speak of honor," he said coldly. "Should not a wife first serve the Emperor's household before longing for her own?"
Ananya raised her head, her gaze unflinching. "A wife serves her husband's house best when her own house stands proud beside it. Or—" her voice sharpened, quiet yet clear, "—would Your Majesty prefer his Queen Consort bow before him with shame in her eyes?"
The corridor stilled. A passing eunuch froze mid-step, eyes lowering quickly as though afraid to breathe. Even the banners seemed to hold their sway.
The Emperor's gaze darkened. For a moment, it seemed he might rebuke her—yet he did not. Instead, his expression shifted, unreadable, the faintest flicker of curiosity breaking through his ice.
"You speak boldly."
Ananya dipped her head again, her tone steady. "I speak only what is true."
He stepped closer, his robe whispering across the stone, his shadow falling over her. His voice dropped low, so only she could hear.
"Do not mistake Heaven's favor for a shield you may wield at will."
Her heart beat faster, but she did not step back. Her own voice came quiet but sharp, her eyes locking with his. "And do not mistake silence for weakness, Your Majesty. Heaven gave me breath another day—I will not waste it trembling in fear."
For a long heartbeat, their eyes clashed—ice against flame, authority against defiance.
---
Wei Rong let out a bark of laughter. "By the ancestors, she taunted him! Did you see? She actually taunted the Emperor!"
Fen Yu covered her mouth, giggling despite herself. "I thought she'd faint, or he'd order her head struck off!"
Li Shen's gaze softened with something like pride. "No. He will remember her words. That will weigh on him more than any silence could."
---
The Emperor's expression shifted once more—hard to read, shadowed with something beyond anger. He turned sharply, his robe sweeping against the stone as he walked past her. The faint scent of sandalwood lingered where he had been.
Ananya exhaled slowly, her fingers tightening on her sleeve. Her heart still raced, but her spine remained straight.
She whispered to herself, "I will see my family. No matter whose shadow I walk under, I will not bow in shame."
Behind her, three unseen companions followed, their whispers carrying faint laughter.
And in the stillness of the corridor, the weight of their clash lingered like a storm that had yet to break.