Pursuing One's Dreams

I… made a friend

Well, that was wonderful news, at least!  The spritely youth was always excited to hear about her elder brother forming bonds with others.  He always seemed to be so alone.

...but had a falling out with a lover

Oh...  So he had found someone, as well.  But...  Well, it was probably rather short-lived, if his time up there was anything to go by.  If it was going to end, it was probably for the best that it did so quickly, right...? Feelings of remorse over her dear brother's failed relationship washed over her, a deeply protective feeling budding within her as she pulled him closer in comfort.  Zhuo seemed to have such a hard time forging positive relationships with other people.  She could never fathom why, except that perhaps it had something to do with his constant moves between Wei and Wu.  Some people could be so suspicious.  Perhaps separating from his lover had something to do with it...?

...who happened to be the fiancee of the friend I made.

. . . Oh.

This was the kind of thing Ji accused him of, wasn't it?  Not that Zhui felt there was much basis in it, but hearing this... The much-shorter Zhu let out a long, quiet sigh, allowing her brother to rise.  It sounded as though he really brought the situation upon himself, although regardless, he was still her beloved brother who was, at this moment, exhausted and upset.  Personal feelings aside, it was her duty as his family to support him -- a duty she fulfilled genuinely.

"!!!!"

Her brother's appearance was quite sudden, and Zhui found herself questioning how she'd missed his entrance to begin with.  One moment, she was musing idly to herself, and the next, he was practically collapsed against her.  It wasn't like him to be so affectionate with her, however, and in response she pushed all of her previous questions away.  Zhuo's personal state was of much bigger importance.

She was always so formal, wasn’t she? A pretty face, but unwilling to relax… even with all of her intelligence, he could never understand why so many people insisted on treating him so different, now. If he had his way, he’d be among the rest of them— where he was supposed to be, with his mother. 

He raised a hand to wave her off regardless, readjusting himself upon his saddle before replying, “Zhu Zhui, you don’t need to address me in such a way. I wouldn’t have agreed to come out here if it was to be a formal event. We are out of sight of the palace officials; you are allowed to address me by my name.” It was so strange, having people call him ‘your highness’, ‘majesty’ or so many other cliched terms from fairytale books. 

Still, as he watched her with wandering green eyes, he found himself reveling in her beauty. The dark hair that tumbled over her shoulder in those jeweled cusps… the fullness of her figure… and the way the light hit the portrait so perfectly. 

A small knot began to form in her chest as she fought to keep her expression genial and unperturbed.  His courtesy name fell comfortably upon her tongue, the sound feeling like...  Like light, really.  Though Lady Zhu did not often see Sun Paoyu, she sometimes felt that there was a certain darkness dwelling within him, shadow that she was unable to grasp and identify, but seeming to her that it weighed heavily on the shoulders of the young man.  His style name filled her with a contrasting sense of that dark weight, like brilliant jade let to sparkle in the radiance of the sun. She felt honoured to be able to address him in such a way. Sunlit apatite travelled up slowly, a sudden feeling of awareness of watchful emerald observing her coming to the forefront of her thoughts.  Zhui caught the gaze just as the crimson-crowned royal spoke up, her own eyes darting away as she turned to mount her even-tempered mare once more.  The steed was directed to stand by his in wait, a smile playing across her features.  "After you, my Lo--"  No, that was still too formal, wasn't it?

"Salutations. I’m awake… it wasn’t my original intention to sleep so late, therefore you have my apologies."

"Greetings, Your Highness," the dark-haired woman welcomed, bowing low as a soft smile played across her lips.  This was... Sun Jin, wasn't it?  She had been away from the palace for some time and had not seen the child since he was an infant.  Zhui knew well enough that he wasn't Sun Fan, and the boy didn't seem to match the appearance or age of any of the other children she was aware of.  "This humble lady hopes that you enjoyed your rest."

The noble rose, though she kept her head bowed politely, eyes downturned.  "I have heard that there is a bit of extra excitement circulating across the land, but events at the palace itself have been at a bit of a minimum."

He’d dressed in his usual attire that morning, using one hand to pull back the crimson locks upon his head until they were smoothed out in their normal crest. He fitted his gauntlets upon his hand and strapped his sword to his side, his gait casual and comfortable whilst making his way to the stables. 

Léi Shēng seemed to be in good spirits that morning, allowing Paoyu’s fabric-fastened hand to slide over the strong muscles in his neck. He was a tall horse; one the prince never once used in his practices in fighting. The stallion was saddled and bridled and soon had his rider draped regally across the leather seat, the tips of his boots in the hanging stirrups. 

“Zǒu,” The word left him and his horse was off at a gallop through the stall, the dust trailing up behind him as he made his way down into the trees, standing slightly for better footing on the stirrups. Scarlet locks bounced in place, his back hunched ever-so-slightly to peer through the woods. He could feel Lei Sheng’s hooves sinking down into the soft terrain, kicking up the chocolate colored soil that rested around the ferns. 

Features dappled by the sunlight that hung through the canopy, he drew back on the reigns to pause in his movements, a few snorts of confusion soaring through the air from his irritated steed. He listened for the sounds of another animal or person, turning his head up toward the hill at the west. 

“Zǒu,” The prince commanded once more, tapping gently against the stallion’s sides to set him into a slow walk, heading toward the sun-bathed hill. It took a few minutes to get all the way up, his mind carrying him to different tasks he would nee to perform throughout the day. One included a council with his father, the other with his nephew— he who had so comfortably bestowed the term brother upon him— and another being that he would see to someone heading out into the country to inspect living conditions. 

As he stood upon the top of that hill, however, he looked down at the woman that waited below, a golden light enveloping where he stood, Lei Sheng’s legs kicking and pounding at the ground, neck lowering to taste the vegetation. 

Moving her eyes upward, she spotted a figure at the top of the hill.  Though their features were partially obscured by the angle with which she could view them at from this distance, the red hair illuminated from the sunlight was all the confirmation she needed to know that her party had appeared, although she had not quite expected him to arrive up there.

Raising an arm and casting a wave in his direction, the dark-haired noble turned and untied her horse from the tree, then swung herself up into the saddle with finesse, taking the reins and turning her steed in the direction of the hillside, urging the creature forward.

The walking path up the slope wasn't difficult for Hua Tian to traverse, though a slow and steady pace had to be applied with the narrow and uneven terrain all the same.  Inwardly, Zhui felt a bit of guilt over taking so long making her way up the hill, though there wasn't much to be done about it.

Rounding a final, sharp corner, they made their way up a gentle slope, Sun Paoyu coming into sight nearby.  She guided her horse onto the flatter, grassier hilltop, and halted a few feet away from him.  Hopping down and offering a crisp salute, head bowed, eyes closed, and a smile playing across her features, she sounded her greeting with confidence, volume clear and not lacking in professionalism:

Following her gaze, Zhuo nearly cringed at what a mess everything appeared to be from this angle. “No… no it’s fine, it looks more convoluted than it actually is.” He really ought to clean everything up, if he intended to invite her inside, but where was he going to put it all? He didn’t particularly want to put the items back into his “undetermined” drawer, as a few of these had been in there for quite some time…

Sepia irises returned to his sister as she spoke again, nodding his agreement. “I would be delighted to, although I agree that hosting a discussion here probably isn’t the most comfortable of options… we ought to get away from the bedrooms at least.” He lifted a hand to signal her to wait a moment before turning back into the room, stepping carefully past the materials to the wardrobe on the opposite side.

Opening the left side door, he reached for a comfortable coat and pulled it easily over his shoulders, pausing a moment to wonder if Zhui had anything. Shifting through some of the folded pieces at the bottom, Youmei finally procured one of his older coats that he’d long since grown out of, draping it over his arm as he closed up the armoire and made his way back to the door.

Only upon squinting slightly at the characters describing fennel root did he realize that the lamps were burning quite low, indicating the late hour. The prince supposed he ought to sleep soon, but he really should get each of these labelled and neatly put away before retiring for the night, shouldn’t he? Unfolding his legs to stand and adjust the wicks, a soft knock came from his door, and he paused. Had he disturbed someone somehow? He didn’t think he’d been particularly loud…