Prisoner of My Own Madness

“Pink… well I am a girl I guess…” She muttered and put on the undergarments. She then slipped on the hanfu and then did up her hair.

She stepped out of the washroom. She was glad the hanfu covered her arms so they wouldn’t show her scars. She was lead by one of his servants to where he was. She entered the room, “thank you for letting me clean myself and the set of clothes.” She said with a small bow.

"It's hardly something to be thanked for, my Lady," He didn't look up from his cup of tea. "Come, have something to eat, you look like a ghost" He instructed, indicating the tray of food.

"What's your name?"

“Where i’m from, there is never an empty room.” She admitted with a much softer smile. Falling quiet as in to listen to what he had to say, she piped in a few comments, with one being about calling him Lord Ziliang if he insisted on addressing her as Lady Eris, along with a brief cheeky smile, and a thank you as he pulled out her chair and she listened to his country’s situation and how war-torn it was. Raising her index finger and thumb to her chin, she let her one green eye slide to one side, wondering if she had fallen through a portal of some kind. Where she was from, it was of modern day with cellphones, laptops, and the like, but she lived beyond a Tori Gate where magic hid the last remnants of the gods, hence her thoughts on why she wondered if she had fallen back in time.

Catching his explanation nonetheless, she turned to him, lowering her hand just in time to thank the handmaiden and then respond to him. “A kingdom will not survive without the support of its people, but the people will not survive without the support of a king. It is a delicate balance that must be achieved through peace and war. Balance is perhaps the most important thing in our world.” She admitted with a soft sigh. “And you are not boring me. My mother is a warrior, and so am I. While I do not like to fight, it calls to me in my blood to do so to defend those I love.” But perhaps it was best to move on. “What can you tell me of China? I have heard of this place, but I have never been here.” Glancing down at the food, she patiently waited for it to cool off a bit as well. “Such as these delicacies. What do you call these?”

"Really? Oh my, you must be really strong." Sima Gan seemed fascinated when she told him she was a warrior, and while he was terrifying good with a sword, he was more an assassin than a warrior.

"These are baozi or steamed buns if you like. The perfect delicate dough around well seasoned ground meat to warm up your belly even on the coldest of winter days. They are more a snack than a meal, my older brother is absolutely obsessed with them" He explained with a smile, taking one carefully in bandaged hands and carefully breaking it apart to show her the filling inside. "They're steamed so they're both healthy and full of flavour" Despite the fact that they were still warm, the man didn't seem bothered about holding the bun at all.

The girl settled into the sober mood, some what soaking it up like a sponge while she listened.

"It seems, slightly scary, for a lack of better vocabulary. I was petrified when I got married..” she claimed in a small voice. “And I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my days with someone. To get married to someone who is practically stranger. Aren’t most married to produce and heir in higher society? What happens if the two don’t seem… to get along?” She asked slowly, not sure if she had any right to be asking all of these questions, or if she was just making the situation worse.

Sima Gan just wore a light smile as he shrugged.

"Marriage is a big responsibility, you're also agreeing to commit to one person and to support them for the remainder of the marriage" He stated. "It's not unusual to have many children, especially in times of war. I am one out of eleven, I only have one sister but I have never met her and four of my brothers have already passed." He pointed out.

"Even if the couple don't get along, it's still considered the duty of the man to continue to afford for the woman if they have children. If they don't and he has never touched her, then they are permitted to go their separate ways but divorce is not common among the higher classes." He seemed to take the questions in stride rather than personally.

Her pale cheeks rose in colour, “I can wash myself, I do not need one of your handmaidens.” She said and then went to where he said the washroom was. Her hair hair was black at the moment but that would change soon. She closed the door and then stripped. She got in the shower. And washed herself off.

15 minutes later…

She stepped out all the blood and dirt washed off and her hair was now a silver white. She got a towel and looked and around.

A pastel pink hanfu with green accents and white lily embroideries had been left out for her by one of the servants, coupled with undergarments and a hair ornament. They looked to be about her size which was good.

Sima Gan had returned to the drawing room to drink his tea, a tray of food having also been prepared for Wisteria when she was ready to join him.

Walking with him, anything moving out of the corner of her good eye was immediately taken into account, but anytime he spoke, he was given her full attention. Be on guard at all times, her mother taught her, and those lessons did not go to waste. “Really? I suppose it’s because i’m not used to such places as palaces.” If you called the bathhouse one, she would have to disagree due to the many open ways one could go… but she digressed. “Sima Gan… forgive me, but I do not know what ‘styled’ means. Where I come from our names are a bit different, but which would you like to be called? Ziliang or Sima Gan? Or both?” At his question, she smiles. “My name is of Greek origin, and please, Lady is hardly befitting of someone like me.” She pauses a moment, taking a look out one of the windows as they pass by. “Your land is very beautiful. May I ask you to tell me more about it? Anything is fine.”

@fallenmarquis​

“I pray that you should never find yourself in need of a hundred empty rooms and souls which exist together only in the day time” The man replied, taking a seat at the table after pulling out a chair for her opposite him.

“A style name is a courtesy name given when a man reaches adulthood. It is considered politer than using a given name. My given name is Gan, but it would not be appropriate for you address me by it without my family name. Unless you are my wife, that is.” He explained. “Please call me Ziliang”

Her smile was wonderful, better than the lost look of frustration she had been wearing earlier, but he could understand why.

“I think that respect should always be given until someone proves themselves unworthy of it, Lady Eris” Though he seemed interested in her background, there was a light sigh at her final question.

“China may be beautiful to look at, but she has been torn apart by war for nearly half a century. Ridiculous politicians and rulers spouting lies about their dreams and visions for unifying the land when the people have stopped caring. The truth of the matter is simply that they do not care who becomes the Emperor so long as their condition improves. But that is an age old story, let me not bore you with it”

“No… no I suppose not.” A trickster, but what kind? “Tea sounds lovely… although afterwards I really should go. Where I come from beckons me back, but this labyrinth is not easy to navigate.” She admits, taking a look around at her lavish surroundings. She had thought she could just blaze through this palace and make her way out the back, using its routes to return home to the Tori Gate, but it appeared she still had much to learn. Turning her gaze upon him, and judging by his gaze, she supposed introducing herself might be a good idea. “I apologize for being rude. My name is Eris. May I know the name of whom I am speaking with?”

@fallenmarquis​

The man indicated for her to follow him through several hallways towards a tea room where a servant seemed to scurry immediately to prepare some tea and snacks for the guest accompanying him.

“Labyrinth?” He seemed to find that quite amusing, a small chuckle leaving him as he smiled at her again. “Forgive me, this would be the first time I hear someone call this place a labyrinth” It was perhaps more confusing because it was a ground floor building with no levels but many corridors and doors which led out and in and through other passages.

Trouble relaxed into her seat, leaning her shoulder into his just a bit while she listened. “That… that’s very different, from where I come from.” She peeked over at him. “Here, you marry due to… social hierarchy?” She asked furrowing her eyebrows.

"It's taboo not to" Ziliang replied, letting out a sigh. "Here the social norm may seem strange to you, but it's quite normal for a man to have multiple concubines before he marries and even then, some men still prefer the company of the lesser ranking women" 

Being a marquis and also the son of the emperor's right hand man, he had some of his own but he very rarely found interest in them. 

"Marriages are often used for alliances, securing positions in the court and establishing political relations with families that can support you. I mean... I am not the kind of man to love a woman, so perhaps it is the only way for me to get married" He had somewhat of a phobia of women in his younger years, and even though he acted like a ladies' man now, he actually tended to stay well away. 

Trouble was just a rare find and in truth, he didn't regard her as a woman, just a really good friend or sister who also seemed to have some maternal authority over him at times.

“I just need a place to hide. I sent my horse off through the forest so they will follow him. If they do come her and won’t leave I will give myself up. I don’t want anyone else hurt. But I don’t want to go back.” She said looking panicked.

“I will give you anything you want. I don’t want to go back. I will die if I go back. I just need a chance to live. Please.” She had scars along her body and her clothes were horrible and tattered.

"Hide?" The marquis wasn't certain about her intentions, but judging from her appearance, he could over power her easily if he chose. Throwing one look outside for any pursuers, he indicated for her to get in before closing the door after her.

"Before anything, you're going to take a bath and change those horrendous clothes. I don't want to hear another word until you've done that." He stated. Even if he decided not to let her stay afterwards, he could at least provide her with some new clothes and some food before sending her on her way.

"Bathroom is that way, one of the handmaidens will help you" He indicated down the hallway casually.

“Who? Me?” She’s just passing through his palace looking for a way out and happened to find herself in a giant maze… and now she was face to face with royalty.

Ah shit.

“I’m kinda… lost for a lack of a better word. I’m just trying to get home. Ehe…” Her mother taught her better than this, but she still ended up in trouble… damn.

@fallenmarquis​

“Is there anyone else around here, missy?” Heterochromatic eyes fluttered open to focus on her, the glacial blue of his right contrasting the warmth of his golden left eye.

“Oh my,” Sima Gan tilted his head, idly playing with one of his dark curls. “Quite a predicament to be lost all the way out here” If he had caught on to her reason, he didn’t exactly let on as he gave her a smile.

“Why don’t you join me for tea and I can send you on your way with someone to escort you home?” He offered, he was either very oblivious or very polite.