lost in the mist

shoving his feelings down, yinuo took a breath, responding. "yes, i did know. and it stung not to tell you." he hesitated, about to elaborate further when yan halted with a realization. he swallowed hard. you have to tell her. now. if you don't, she'll find out on her own—and things will only get worse from there.

"…about that," he sighed, perching on the corner of a table discarded in the room. yinuo glanced up, making sure his sister met his eyes before he continued. "we are asterian, meimei. we grew up in frigoria, yes—but the blood that runs through our veins is still asterian." nearly as pure as you could get. he risked another glance at the door, hesitating. "we…you and i are related, yes. but we aren't the only ones."

yinuo sucked in a breath. "i don't know what yixin will think; i am not the king. but i feel with reasonable clarity that we won't be banished, because we—"

"…he's our brother, yan."

the... what?

Yanyan blinked at her brother, once, slowly. "He - " what? "What?" she frowned, fixing a dark stare to Yinuo. "He's our what now? Yixinge, our brother?" that was impossible. It was simply impossible, but... but a more gnawing thought furrowed her brows together.

"How do you know? How do you even know? How could you possibly know? We've been in Frigoria all our lives. Why would you say that?" though... hearing it spoken out loud now - it does explain her sisterly affection for the king. Oh, heavens, did he know? He didn't. For some reason, Yinuo had been the only know to know all the secrets - & sharing none with her, his sister. Though, given the rumors, given what he'd just said... had he even shared it with Yixin? Or was he going to never say it?

"Does he know?" she asked, her temper seething in her veins, one thought darker than the other passing through her mind.

"Had these... hollows had not appeared..." she quietly spoke, eyes fixed upon the one person she had trusted with her own life, trusted more than anyone - except, apparently her other brother, the bloody king!

"Were you ever going to tell me - us - about this, or were you just going to keep it a secret forever?"

How devoted of her. Some blood bonds really could not be broken in sentiment, even if one of unaware of the connection. Lips pull to smile, the cousin of Frigoria speaks. "I have not seen him yet, but I am sure he is well and fine. I am sure your brother is safe as well, but I can look for him if you want?"

yes, she could really use lady Mirena's help.

"Would it be too much to ask it of you? I don't wish to bother you with my fears, but... It would put my mind to ease, if you'd look after Yixinge & gege for me, when I can't." Yanyan would never leave them alone, but... everything had become so uncertain.

Should something happen to her, she needs to know they'll be looked after.

this had seemed so perfectly placed together.

"That is a good question. I don't know who would done such a thing. Perhaps it truly is a jest, since it is rehearsed & planned? Otherwise, someone would have caught wind of it before."

at her realization, yinuo swallows hard, glancing up to meet her gaze. rather than answering the accusation outright, he hesitates for a moment, nodding. "...frigoria is not a village," he repeats, confirming the fact. "it—it was a kingdom, long ago; damned to be forgotten by a curse." he pauses. "still is a kingdom, really. more of an empire now, i guess."

a minute passes before he forces himself to continue. "...it's where we grew up. and—yeah. i knew." yinuo glances back at the door—so far, so undetected. good. he hopes it stays that way. "i've known—we ended up there about..." doing some quick calculations in his head, he mumbles numbers under his breath "...twenty-four years ago?" saying the amount aloud, he cringes. it sounds worse when spoken. "...just you and me." a family split and torn, now reunited. somewhat. another thing to tell.

she was so pissed she had started to internally swear. she never swore!

The Shadows in the room condensed, letting out chuckle-like hisses. Like a piece of meat being thrown into a searing hot pan. She had cast a glance their way, doubling back when she had realised they were actually visible to her, but her brother's words had quickly averted her attention from them.

"For twenty four years??" Yanyan hissed out. "You've known for practically all my life & not at one point in these twenty four years did it occur to you to tell me? Walk me through your thinking process, gege, please, because I struggle to see the reason as to why I was kept a fool thinking I was raised in a tiny little village in the outskirts of Asteria - " she paused when her gaze widened & a realisation had hit her.

"We're - we're not even Asterian, are we? Are we Frigorian? By the Gods my entire life is a lie! What will Yixinge think when he finds out? We won't be banished, will we?" she panicked.

shit. shit, shit, shit. shit. not again. another intrusion, scheduled perfectly in order to throw the room into uproar. whoever is doing this clearly takes pleasure in timing things as poorly as possible.

the minute the shriek ends, he snaps back into action. yan. something has changed fundamentally in the room, and he needs to talk to her. before someone else does. before things get worse. before his grave gets dug any deeper.

he spots her from across the room and locks eyes for a split second, a mite too much guilt on his face. quickly, yinuo ducks his head, pushing his way through the throngs of people until he manages to get closer to her. without asking, he grabs her hand, pulling her to a side room, hallway, anywhere—something secluded, away from prying eyes...and ears. this talk is paramount; it cannot be overheard.

glancing over his shoulder one last time, he pulls the door behind him, giving them at very least the illusion of more privacy. only then does he look back at her again, attempting (unsuccessfully) to school his features from nerves to something more neutral. "...you alright?" he doesn't know where to begin.

the three siblings of Asteria.

She had only briefly locked gaze with her brother across the room to notice it - she had managed to lightly frown, her feet already moving toward Yinuo when her brother reached her & started pulling her away from all the panic & chaos.

she felt a bit like panicking, too.

When they were finally alone, secluded enough for the shrieking of people to become a dull echo, cut off by the heavy door, did Yan turn to her brother with a wide-eyed, confused expression. "No! No, I'm bloody not alright. Frigoria isn't a village?" it was an effort not to start hyperventilating at the barrage of questions that had threatened to boil over, when she forced herself to pause & truly look at her brother -

& the expression on his face.

"You... knew, didn't you?"

   "Queens and princesses, you say?" Cefin echoed, his intrigue settling into a subtle smile. He had sisters, yes. One a ruler, the other an explorer – both have been explorers. Much like himself, in their own ways – actions dictated by the powers of the continent.

   Yet to speak of them was to reveal too much.

   "I have been fortunate to know women of great wisdom and ambition." A truth carefully phrased. "But it is never too late to map out a destination, lady Yan. Nothing grand, start with somewhere small… For your first location: a place that brings you pure joy?"

   His gaze relaxed, bemusement creeping in. Perhaps at her curiosity, or perhaps at how long it took to realize the sensation of something crawling atop his head. The praying mantis perched on his eyepatch. Its spindly limbs balanced as though claiming dominion over his vision.

   He remained blissfully unaware.

what had brought her pure joy? Asteria. Because her brothers brother was there, accompanying her all the way. She had someone of great importance by hr side to rely on & in return, they could all rely on her, as well.

just not her power as she held none, yet. she had wondered if it'd ever manifest.

"Well, I suppose I could go travelling around Asteria. I quite love it. The people are wonderful & so is our king. I think I should be happy, making my rounds around their villages, perhaps even explore the scenery & hidden caves." she mused, but then her gaze widened at the... intruder. She wasn't sure if it was polite to say anything, but she did end up lightly tapping at her eye, mirroring the one he lacked.

"Uh... you have a visitor."

"i agree, meimei," was all he said, smiling. and it was the truth. the marriage seemed pointless to him; he didn't understand its purpose at all. especially if it wasn't yixin or his betrothed that had suggested it in the first place. why would a marriage be the thing to bring the two unruly, uneasy kingdoms together, anyway? surely there had to be better ways to do that.

at yan's reply, he laughed outright, shaking his head. "not at all," yinuo chuckled. "i mean, certainly, you know a fine thing when you see one. clearly we are superior on both fronts. just don't let the soterans catch you saying that," he grinned.

a small voice in the back of his head asked him if he was talking about asteria or frigoria. he did his best to ignore it.

but, she wouldn't think about why is that. perhaps because it had been her home.

"Aiya, don't worry gege, I'm very careful of what I tell the Soterans. I'd never let them hear my true opinion on it, it's not polite. I believe everyone is glorifying their own home, it's only natural we feel that way, isn't it?"

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. 】

"i...guess it depends on who put it together, y'know? the soterans have known about the party for a while, so. that would make sense." but somehow, the twisting in her gut didn't agree.

this had seemed so perfectly placed together.

"That is a good question. I don't know who would done such a thing. Perhaps it truly is a jest, since it is rehearsed & planned? Otherwise, someone would have caught wind of it before."

"It may be some time yet before we can return," he said honestly. "The circumstances have changed. If you wish to return a little sooner, Yanmei, I am sure I can try to make it happen." He hoped it didn't show that he didn't want that. Yan was one of the only ones here he trusted; and it wasn't like she wielded much power to assist or help him, but still, it was a comfort.

"I agree. The nightmares do not feel like typical nightmares. As if... they do not come from within." It was unsettling, and once again he berated himself for leaving his dreams, instead of remaining to try and learn more. But that had been his choice, and now he must make the most of it.

Because he was not going to try and return to that sleep.

"But we will try not to give in to that fear. Things could very well be within our control; we don't know yet, so let's assume that we're strong enough to handle it, yes?"

Yanyan clicked her tongue, lightly frowning. "That is nonsense, I'd never leave you here alone, Yixinge. That is exactly what I'm saying. Something about this whole place seems so off." she sighed, but nodded as he spoke of the nightmares. Yes, yes, exactly! They feel so... wrong.

well, all nightmares feel wrong - that's why they're called nightmares.

But, this... it was unnatural. Not even unusual. Unnatural. "I don't have doubt in our strength, or better said I wouldn't have doubt in our strength, but if these nightmares keep depriving us of sleep, I fear our health might take turn for the worse. & then whoever, or whatever, is pulling these strings, could have us ripe for the picking."

the shadows had seemed to have agreed.

yinuo laughed at her summary, shaking his head. "so it's quantity over quality for you? is it like that with everything?" he let out a tsk, mocking disappointment. "ai, come on, meimei. i raised you better than that," he teased. "it's true; the real reason for the marriage: more fountains. i'm afraid you've cracked the code."

like, not having strange jesters perform at a queen's coronation.

Yanyan humpfed, pouting at his jab, but she found herself chuckling nonetheless. "I'm not preferring quantity, smarty. I'm just saying that when it comes to our décor & generally everything else about Asteria, we are far more in quality then they are. & in quantity. Are you implying we lack in either quality or quantity?" she teased back.

words that would, in another life, probably be fit of a princess of the kingdom.

qynna cocked her head at the question. "um...i'm not sure! i've...never seen anything like it before, if i'm being honest. but who knows? i mean, there's a first time for everything, y'know?" she was being very polite.

she couldn't say.

"It seems awfully random for it to be a first time. Even if they have just... thought of this out of the blue, they wouldn't have been so well coordinated, would they? It seems rehearsed to at least some extent, wouldn't you agree?"

   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.

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?"

"It will be better. Bad dreams do not last forever." Mirena reassures. They could last forever if spun by Frigoria's nightmare master. If the queen orders.

but, lady Mirena had been right.

"You are right, nothing shall last forever, good or bad. I simply feel... well, uneasy by the last night's event. Have you seen his Majesty? I fear how this might impact him. & my brother, Yinuo. I am not worried for myself, for some reason I am not as terrified of the jesters as one might think."

no, she truly wasn't. she was terrified of the things that hid in the corners of the room, staring at her with dead eyes.