【 椒壁 | Jiao Bi 】

"Are we not pawns in the cosmos' great machinations? I am a pawn & so are you. We are both ladies serving another. You serve a king, I serve a princess & round & round we go, doing their bidding. Have you a choice in that?" she retorted, head quirked to the side as she observed her.

her grin widened.

"Can I not merely be making conversation?" Vivian asked, innocent expression flying over her face. "You seemed like someone appreciative of such a discussion, but excuse my manners if I have overstepped a boundary." she inclined her head to the other.

feisty was an understatement - the lady Bi had a burning rage within her that only made Vivian's own enraged smile grow.

"No one sees a blade in the dark, lady Bi. Our magic... does it not both belong to us & corrupt us? It is an external thing assigned to all of us at birth, what say did we have in that? You spoke of failures, but fate is more than negating one's own stupidity. Did our powers not already set a path for us?" she hummed.

   She tapped against the stone, each following the tune of an erhu score.

   “As for destiny, I need not speak for myself… My path has been laid out for all kingdoms to see.” She smiled, saccharine yet knowing. “And so has yours, I imagine?”

   She eyed the grin. Split by agency. So this had been a test of allegiances? Such tests were warranted only by the presence of a threat. So? What did the Lady fear? Ah, well. The Roan girl had been quite the fair player to put up with her games.

   Leaning away, Jiao Bi doubted she'd gain more from this exchange.

   A pity.

   “It seems we have reached an impasse, Lady Vivian. If you had wished to secure allegiance to Her Highness, then we could have done so without tests.” A pause, calculated. “Fret not. What has happened here does not change my welcoming anticipation of the princess.”

   Such defiance from a servitor. Were these the Princess’ true thoughts? Words reflecting Sotera's? How odd. Very odd, indeed.

   She had a solution for this: a reminder of assimilation. But first — let the silence settle, and then…

   “The Benevolent King’s word remains law, does it not?”

   Benevolent until death. He had decreed the match while he lived, thus, there, his wisdom remained — to live on through issue and land.

was the choice their for the making?

"We are all pawns, lady Bi, or do you consider yourself a woman of true liberty & importance?" she retorted. "Did this charade not show us how helpless we are, or do you think anyone of us could've stopped it, but chose not to? Even kings succumb to fate, so how could we not?"

   “True liberty? How quaint,” she murmured, gaze persistently synced into Vivian's own. “I find that those who call themselves pawns do so only to excuse their own failures.”

   Liberty? Importance? The Roan girl spoke as if these were luxuries, as if choice had ever been a question. They were both noblewomen. Was the Lady merely projecting helplessness through her? And what wide grin she had – too pleased, too certain. Jiao Bi did not like that. This either goaded or fished – for something. Which was it?

   She leaned slightly towards her companion with fingers splayed against marble, palm hovering over the space.

   “Yet here you sit, reaching to another while untouched by the game’s cruelty. Speaking in riddles.” She spoke singsong-like, but it was a hiss. “Tell me, Lady Vivian… Are you warning me, or testing me?”

   She tapped with her forefinger, feigning curiosity.

   “And when kings succumb to fate, it is only because they were too foolish to see the knife at their throat. But I am no king. And I do not deal in helplessness.”

   The Stone's Collapse. Yes, undoing by arrogance. Had she any arrogance to display, it would be her privilege being raised as artiste, but here she was – upholding dignity by what little remained of the ancients. For she was the voice of her father, the voice of her House, the many voices of old Asteria.

   She could never foment the second coming of the Shih's downfall. Never humiliate their king.

But, then another king had appeared, speaking of another queen & Zhao Yan found herself deeply frowning, completely overhearing the lady Bi's words of her own ancestry. Yanyan's frown further deepened, then, at the sudden slip to her left, she had turned to see lady Bi swaying lightly on her feet. Not quite falling, but her balance had felt off kilter.

"Lady Be, are you quite alright? Have you seen something disturbing?"

   She was not sure what it was. The thing that slipped.

   Nearby a little boy cried. An instinct, she could not determine, compelled her to scan the crowd for his family. Anyone. Why was he alone?

   Cries. No, not crying. A breath – ragged and uneven. An older woman, trembling.

   Jiao Bi searched for Lady Yan. There! But the crowd was moving, shifting, consuming. Rocked them. Shifted them. She had no control over her position, but…!

   She lunged.

   Her fingers latched onto silk. Rrrriiip! The pull led to the torn seams of the lady's sleeves, but Jiao Bi did not care. She pulled Lady Yan into her arms, shielding her. Life mattered. How they were not alone — wherever this may lead.

   “ZHOU. The Lady Jiao Bi — now…! GO.”

   Father?

   She could not shut her eyes. Her vision blurred.

   All she could see was the floor.

   Where were her feet?

   She tried to move. To anchor herself…!

   The floor. The floor. Where was the floor?

   There was nothing there.

【 𝑭𝒊𝒏: 𝑱𝑰𝑨𝑶 𝑩𝑰 & 𝒀𝑨𝑵. 】

what in the gods' names is she even talking about?

But, lady Bi spoke of masquerade & Vivian found herself smirking at her words - a subtle powerplay between two ladies of the two ( but in her case it had really been two ) kingdoms. Which one shall prevail? Did Erida not instruct her to watch & wait & befriend as many of the lot as she could muster?

"We are. Everyone is misplaced here, I'd say. The last night's event had shown us how... truly alike we all our in our fear, or apprehension. How very deeply distrustful we are." a point, a valid one., but she shrugs at her question - a thinly veiled order, in fact. As if she was the one to boss her around, but Vivian's smile widened.

"The same thing that seems to occupy you & the rest of us, I'd reckon. The masquerade. The players now aboard our little game of chess, two kingdoms dancing around each other, while an unknown force, or a rebel fraction, pushes us around like pawns."

   She tired of this game.

   Jiao Bi's focus slid back to Vivian, her face impassive. “And I do wonder… Does the Lady Vivian see only what is in front of her?”

   Let silence do the work. The Lady was too forthcoming, freely handing over information Jiao Bi had no control over.

   “Rebels, unknown forces… Strange how the most disruptive voices often belong to those with nothing worth listening to.” She traced a pattern against the marbled surface separating two noblewomen: one was Asterian, the other Soteran.

   “But tell me, do you consider yourself merely a pawn in this grand little game?”

   Jiao Bi offered another signature smile. Probes and dissection. Lady Vivian should at least make the exchange worthwhile.

   “Or do you see yourself as something more?”

approach the library.

He celebrated too soon, though, because the moment he stepped in he saw a figure in the elaborate garb of Asterian nobility (presumably) asleep on a desk. He faltered, looking around. Perhaps he could ignore them, but that wouldn't exactly be... comfortable, would it?

"Excuse me, my lady," he said, stepping just a bit closer to the table. "Do you need a cot? The Asterians have a room to sleep, now."

Once he was a bit closer he realised that the figure was Jiao Bi, who he suspected would not wish to leave the library. But so be it: perhaps they could study together, in as friendly a manner as they could.

   ‘This gentleman deserves an applause, he did not stoop to snooping.’ Her gaze flicked toward the drying parchment. Then, it fell upon him, visage reined into her scrutiny. Hmmm. The bribe worked… Should she worry for their king and a loose tongue? No matter, King Yixin arrived.

   “Would you call a library an extension of the common room, my liege? Or is it simply where common rooms send their restless?” A faint smile curved, more out of habit than warmth. “I do not, but I convey gratitude for your consideration.”

   For how long can she maintain pleasantries?

   “Surely, His Majesty is not here merely to offer bedding arrangements. The fools spoke of forgotten nobility. Do you believe in such things?”

   Now would not be the time to dwell on oblivion or the second coming of the Shihs downfall.

   A pause.

   She tilted her head, observing. “Unless… your visit is for something else?”

time: unspecified night.

availability: closed for @pepperwall !

RENYI would have felt her sister's presence anywhere in the world. She was accustomed, since the other Shih girl had been a babe in the cradle, to how she breathed, how she governed herself. While A'yi had been... disappointed over the weakness of her sister's Sirensong, Jiao Bi had still been her dearest sister. Sitting by the table in the Asterian common room quarters, Renyi had been drinking peach wine & mulling over the tonight's oddities.

she had been rather intrigued by it all.

The jesters from the masquerade had... eerie painted smiles that had seemed awfully familiar to her, the soft headache already pulsing in her temples. Still, the fragrant wine had helped in dulling it a bit, just in time to notice her sister's lingering presence.

"You loiter by the doorway again, Bibi. You might as well join me for a cup. It had been a joyous night, had it not?"

   And Bibi… a velvet, thorned endearment.

   Jiao Bi glided toward the armchair opposite to her sister's, but not before plucking the cup from Renyi's grasp, bringing it to her lips. A sip – sweet and syrupy. Jiao Bi delighted in the smallest of victories. So unlike her A'yi.

   She hummed in approval; her elder sister had always been a connoisseur of the finer things. “The wine is fine. Peach?”

   A hint that her nights were not, but A'yi only needed to know about one.

   Jiao Bi sat, all poised, as a precaution toward oncoming visitors who would dare disrupt the room's hush. She laid out a folded sleeve of Renyi's robe. A gesture not meant to appease, but an acknowledgment of her sister's strength — one she loved to toy with. Why aim for perfection if a mere sleeve was… a touch out of place?

   “And you, Yijie?” She tilted her head. “Which night have you found delightful? The one with theatrics or the one without?”

   If her sister were to choose the former, she must know its jollies weren't entirely coincidental.

it begins them to the library. the restlessness that controls her body and spirit now took her to peruse the tome upon tome of hidden things. what is hidden , what it clear ? they cannot say. they cannot speak when no answers are near , for they ought to be careful of false mysteries and unknown identities. aria has a kingdom to protect , a king to protect , a dynasty to keep safe.

a person sits by the table , illuminated in light of day. familiarity widens violet irises and the whisperer approaches the lady bi of asteria , an acquaintance they are pleased to meet.

" may i join you , lady bi ? " she asks , seven books balance in her lap. " are you working to crack the riddle as well ? " she is pleasantly surprised.

   “Lady Aria.” She poised to nod. “By all means.” While Aria's presence was not entirely unwelcome, she could not help her wariness. However, to observe the king's ear at such close proximity would be impolitic.

   Quite bold of her to presume that she was here for the fools — yet it was not an incorrect presumption. Besides, the scholar so easily divulged a pursuit for the visitation.

   “Are they? If they are, then they ought to be… cracked. Like its merits.”

   With a fingernail, she traced the spine of the illusions book.

   “Do you believe them to be, Lady Aria? Riddles, that is. It has dawned upon me that their words could veil a…” She tapped once on the spine. “…specific proclamation.”

   Briefly, she glanced. Seven then. That many could indicate insufficient progress.

   “I have only conjectures. Empty words — nothing without proof.”

   Others often mistook collaborating with a Shih as collusion, but were they not all Asterians? Should push come to shove, shouldn't the people answer the king's summons? Without prejudice. While she had nothing against the lady or the Velours, Jiao Bi wondered if she was even willing to hear what she had to say.

hearing someone's voice behind her, kavya looked up, coming face to face with jiao bi. she'd met her before, but only in passing, not knowing too much about her or what might be troubling her. something the physician had learned about people over the years was that injuries and illnesses weren't always talked about so commonly. many liked to hide them, to keep them a secret from their doctors. it was for worry that the solution would be one that wasn't so peaceful or kind. that never stopped her desire to help or to find ways to make life a bit easier for those that requested her help.

chuckling softly, kavya gave her a smile and responded. "just kavya is perfectly fine, please." she stood up, wiping her hands on her skirt, really not minding that she was now covered in dirt. "how can i help?" her voice was soft, gentle, and completely welcoming. after all, the desire to help and befriend as many people as she could became stronger with every passing day.

   Medicine?

   Not the bitters, she hoped. Those she detest. Bitters. She can neither stand to see them nor stomach their aftertaste. She managed to refrain from wrinkling her nose, but ended up sharpening her gaze upon hearing Kavya.

   Her main physician was clinically efficient – direct. But Kavya was unsettling. Soft. Gentle. Welcoming.

   Her growing suspicion backfired. A sharp pulse flared across one side of her head, she exhaled sharply, pressing fingers to temples.

   “Kavya,” the name clipped onto conception. She wanted to approach with diplomacy, but the pain. “Fix me. My migraine — I cannot be bothered to –”

   Sharpness.

   “I don't care how. Just... help,” she said through gritted teeth.

   There. Pleasantries abandoned.

lucky for her she was just a little lady.

"I was born and raised in a little village in the outskirts of Asteria, surrounded by trees, farms and very little to do except for read, write and daydream. I had been much more serious then, with only my brother's company to entertain me, as there hadn't been many children in the village - all of them way too grown up to play with me." a pause, as they walked arm in arm, then ;

"I liked to think of riddles and mysteries, inventing problems when there were none and then solving them. Little amusement to pass the time. Then..." another pause, a sigh, and then, "and then my mother said it'd be the best for me to join the court as a lady in waiting to our - still undecided - future queen and I just got... side-tracked by everything in the palace. The etiquette practice, the calligraphy, the musical studies and every other study in between. It's easy to distract me with simple things nowadays, as my mind had been tired from endless lessons."

though she shouldn't complain - it would've been worse had she been a princess.

"Where did you grow up, lady Bi? If I may ask." Yanyan asked, but then the tremor passed through her and she frowned, mirroring the tension in the other's posture.

Yaner turned towards the lady Bi, and spoke ;

"Did you feel that?"

   Chills.

   Instead, Jiao Bi focused on the sway of their sleeves. Hand-in-hand. An endearment reserved for her sisters – odd to be beside someone who wasn't them. She glanced at the candles, her eyes seemed to sparkle. Through Lady Yan's recounting of childhood, she could not help but feel distant yet uncomfortably nostalgic, reconsidering a concept she rarely entertained: loneliness. She had heard the staff describe their household as desolate, but the Shihs kept it well-arranged and inhabited. Everyone, even her brother. Shouldn't Lady Yan have felt the same? Wasn't one sibling enough?

   Her initial thought, that Lady Yan simply needed recalibration, seemed unsatisfactory. Riddles? Mysteries? Quite the discovery she made today. Had the Lady truly abandoned them? Perhaps time must be set aside for the two of them. It'd certainly be better than vanities versified by scholars about ladies, old rulers, and the court.

   “Lost sparks, Lady Yan. I believe you have…” She hesitated. Wasted was too harsh a description. “...set your focus elsewhere. Tired minds often seek distraction, but yours seems too sharp to be so easily dulled.”

   Was that how it worked? How should she know? She had the privilege to do as she pleased. Had she taken this for granted? The thought unsettled her, not out of regret, but because it left her with nothing to offer the Lady in return.

   At a loss for words. She felt… empty, but she turned to speak, “in the northern regions, Lady Yan –”

   Then the tremor ran by anew. Blue, red for crooked smiles. Silver grin. A wooden dummy atop wood. Crow costumes.

   A King of Hollows.

   And a Queen of Sorrows.

   Then flames to ashes.

   Most curious indeed, yet she felt something slip away from her.

"A wise decision. It does suit you, lady Bi." she complimented. The silver really did look well matched with the young lady of Asteria.

Reasons beside leisure. Of course. Tracking down the court jesters and the so called Hollows could certainly not be seen as leisure. Though, she had not worn her charmed leathers today, nothing to blur her into the darkness of the courtyard and the place around them.

so she accepts.

"I would be delighted, lady Bi." and she would, for the time being. She walked over to the bench, seating herself down, her russet eyes fixing upon the three in their vicinity. She had seen something similar before, in Frigoria -

so, it must have been them.

"Have you come for leisure as well, or does something else occupy your thought and attention?" Vivian asked, forcing herself to not think about Frigoria.

   So she sat with a hum. How she hummed at metalwork details fading into afterthought: all whorls, lines, and dots. That her hand did not carry a mirror, but in fact weighted silver. And this was not, should not be, an unfortunate mentality. “Does it, Lady Vivian… I suppose mirrors do not serve any function beyond aesthetic appeal.”

   Her still hooded eyes lit with delight at the irony.

   “The masquerade.” Cutting. Why beat around the bush?

   “...it appeared to be on everyone's mind,” she drawled. A blatant fact, yes, but an oh-so-safe answer. It was predictable. Like a cat sunning before the sun had even risen, Jiao Bi too tarried. Was your presence coincidental? She wanted her dawn companion's confession.

   Then masked faces tugged at her mind. To pester. Yet she managed to smile – a smile now devoid – a vacancy derived from calculation for Vivian to weigh. Like father, like daughter.

   “It seems we are both out of place then.” Her gaze flicked momentarily towards the building. “I answered, so must you — what thoughts occupy the Lady?

He only relaxed when she finally agreed to his offer, his smile becoming more honest - but just for a moment. This was a political game, as were most interactions with courtiers. He offered his hand.

"My retinue would be too much of a giveaway. What point are the masks, when I'm wandering about in my Asterian robes with an honour guard?" He laughed self-consciously. "Don't worry, they're still about. Keeping an eye out."

He doubted she had worried about that. It occurred to him that it wasn't good form to advertise potential vulnerability to someone from a family of sedition, or in a public space with listening ears. It wasn't that he necessarily suspected her of planning a repeat of the drama of previous generations; simply that he didn't not suspect it.

Was that simple? Was anything simple, in court?

"Let us go downstairs, then, for this dance. Thank you for the honour."

𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Sotera palace library

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 & 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: February 14, 1276; terce ( 10:50 AM )

   Five books, four calligraphy brushes, a bottle of ink, a stack of Asterian parchment, and a wooden incense holder. All neatly arranged on the trestle table. One incense stick was half-burning in place, which indicated his liege was 10 minutes late.

   …

   When it came to the king… she could only judge him by his public persona. To her, he represented Asteria's hope along with its burdens. And here she was – fulfilling her civic duty by pursuing information that led absolutely nowhere. Elbow propped upright, her fingers curled repetitively midair, as if tapping on a flat surface. She had just returned from her appointment with Kavya; although the migraine was gone, the worry remained. Yet at present, she lost the appetite for intrigue and conversation. Not since the masquerade.

   With a sigh, she reached for a parchment and dipped her brush in ink, writing in Asterian: I am alive and well. She set the paper to dry near, but nowhere near to taint her sleeves. Jiao Bi then placed a metal bookmark between the book's pages, closed it, and pressed her cheek to its cover.

   How utterly, satisfyingly, splendidly cool.