Misora felt the breath still somewhere in her chest before her head whipped to look at him. His face was so open, cheeks tinged with colour as he waited for the Intendant to speak.

She almost wanted to tell him she did not need him defending her, for him to help her, but the Intendant hummed. The sound made Misora sink in her seat a little. Her eyes flicked up to her mother, who gave a gentle expression as her brow quirked upwards. To Misora, her mother was beautiful. She had the brown skin that those of their heritage possessed, but due to her father being someone with a fairer complexion, Misora had inherited that. Other than that, Misora and Intendant Nuyen looked strikingly similar.

"How kind of you. Remind me, again, of your name?" The Intendant's gaze moved sharply back to Misora, and she knew then that this did not appease her mother. "I was not aware you two have had met. Mimi only resides here in Sonshan." Then her mother's face fell to a frown.

"Are you two sneaking out to see each other? Is that why this is the second time in three days you have slipped away from your guard?"

Although posed as an innocent question, Misora knew her mother did not like dishonesty.

"No, Mama. No, we have never—"

"We have rules about this. There is an etiquette to be followed. Anyone wishing the court the Princess Intendant has to introduce themselves to me and to the family. Three meals with the family and then you both can spend time together, under guard escort."

Misora wanted to melt. This was not... she had no words for this moment. Mortified, but too scared to upset her mother to tell her she was incorrect. And all of this happening before Enkai? What if he thought she fancied him?!
 
Did he make it worse? Somehow he felt like he had. Biting his lower lip he looked back to Misora before realizing how it must have made him look like a guilty liar. Good intentions gone wrong, he should've kept his mouth shut and let Misora handle it. Why even butt in? Enkai was as good with words as he was at making friends. Clammy palms stained his knees with sweat. He either backed out now or kept up the charade.

"It's my fault!" Enkai shouted, shocking even himself. A shiver of fear iced through his spine. "I didn't understand your customs." That was true, wasn't it? He was a country boy in the city, a shaman if he acted like some street magician in the street. His culture was different then Misora's.

"But I will follow them if you'd accept it?" A strange thought crept into his head, did Misora have men like him come in all the time. Maybe not shamans, but adults, men who thought about marrying her. Did she really have to have meals with them, under the watchful eye of her mother?

His offer was tame wasn't it? He'd join in on a meal, hopefully dinner as he was starting to feel a bit famished, and then return home, never to see Misora and her creepily calm mother. He had heard of Go masters, people who never showed a lick of fear towards their opponent because they ruled the entire board. Intendant Nuyen reminded Enkai exactlly of that, even if he gave it his all he would lose in the game that was what was presented before him. Enkai thought he could win enough to escape, after all, it was Shaman way. Do the least amount of work as possible.

And yet... and yet... could he really leave Misora behind to face her Mother's wrath all alone?

"I've been ignorant. Lady Misora tried to tell me and I didn't listen. Forgive me, please. I deserve punishment for such negligence."
 
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Suddenly, Misora's cheeks were so red she was sure there would be flames kissing them.

Intendant Nuyen gave a gracious chuckle as she dipped her head towards the tea cup being brought up to her lips. When she set it back down on the table, she looked to the excited young man with humour. "You are forgiven."

Misora coughed. She cleared her throat and stared at the idiot making this so much worse. "Enkai, please. Stop. You do not ha—"

"Enkai, is it? Ah... yes, I remember the name now. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight, or reschedule for a night the rest of the family were here?"

Misora gawked at her mother. "Mama!" She protested.

"You agreed to this, anak. We have traditions, and we all abide by them. Your sister will go through the same when she finds someone. Your brothers have courted back home too. Mimi, you will be the next Intendant, and it is up to you to continue teaching our traditions to your future children." Intendant Nuyen shrugged, a hand sweeping is a dismissive manner. "If Enkai wishes to learn to, that only benefits you in the long run."

"Oh my goodness." She groaned, hands coming up to hide her face. Misora could not bear to see this, to watch Enkai dig them both into a deeper hole. "He does not want to court me, Mama!"
 
A shaman and intendant princess would never work. Shamans needed to work in the shadows, shamans needed to go out and handle raakguis. Sometimes they had to go and get things done that meant they'd never come back home the same. Sometimes it meant that they never come back at all. Enkai knew that all the Intendants might answer to the Divine Peer, but they were royalty all the same. They were always in the public eye, being watched in their own home or in Sonshan. Enkai would never get to live out his dream, to follow his calling.

And yet, all of Misora's complaining and backtracking just somehow irked him in ways he couldn't explain.

"Well it sure sounds like you don't want me to." Enkai said to Misora with a gritted smile, words dripping with the venom, eyebrow twitching in irritation. Was it because he when he joked about her name earlier? Not his fault she was some uptight princess that couldn't take a joke. Or did she just think she was too good for him? He chuckled, swinging over his leg from behind him to in front, unwrapping his ankle with her gift from earlier.

He held up the long stretch of fancy silk, as if they were in a courtroom and this was the final piece of evidence to prove his own innocence. The end of it hardly fluttered, the silk of high-quality. Must have been Canshen silk for it to feel this heavy yet cool in his hands.

"Despite giving me this. In my culture this means you want me to take a piece of you with me on all my travels and missions, so if I die we're still together." Usually, it wasn't a length of silk to help keep an ankle sturdy. It was often a hair pin or a comb, something small and easily hidden, something kept close to the heart. The rogue Shaman Hesmou Tarahaya, perhaps a poet in his own right, had made the act popular among all the Storied Clans.
 
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Misora stared, stunned at the silk making an appearance. She had not known if he was lying out of his arse or not, there was nothing Misora could do when her mother turned her gaze upon her daughter.

"Is that right, anak?" Behind the pleasantries, Misora could hear the amusement and bemusement.

"He hurt himself... I... knew how to help him." She hung her head, staring down at her tea. She was waiting, braced for the reprimand, but none came.

Instead, shuffling could be heard and her mother had moved slightly to face Enkai.

"Dinner, tonight. I will write a letter to your mother in thanks for the safe delivery of this raakgui, and of the courting between you and my daughter. Now, let me see this gift, hm?"

Misora schooled her expression, lifting her head lest her mother accuse her of being rude. Her fists, hidden beneath the table, tightened until she felt the crescents of her nails dig into her palms. She looked to Enkai, feeling sorry to have brought him into this and the lie being woven, but for the briefest moment... she imagined.

What would courting Enkai would look like? Of course, she knew he would be under scrutiny, even amongst her brothers. Her sister would poke her for answers to the many questions she no doubt will hear. And her cousins, they would tease Misora endlessly.

He... he was pretty. Too bad being pretty did not make someone's personality not be... less than desirable.

"Can we see a raakgui?" Misora asked, feigning innocence and nonchalance.
 
Enkai looked victorious as Intendant Nuyen looked to her daughter. Is that right, anak? Yeah, it was right, Enkai thought, proud as can be, eyes blazing black stardust. He was sitting straight, chin held high. All the bravado sunk into a empty, gut-sickening feeling like a poorly made lantern sinking to the bottom of the lake during the Lantern Festival. It felt like he had just swallowed a rock and it sat there uncomfortably in his stomach when she mentioned his mother.

His mother was going to find out? Enkai did his best to keep his smile as Misora's Mother turned towards him. Warmth settled over his cheeks and he hung his head, nodding in agreement though he bit his lower lip. It was one thing to proclaim such a lie to the Intendant, she was a stranger. It was another for his mother to find out, most likely well before he got home. Even if he ran as fast as he could, if the message was delivered by a falcon, Enkai would only arrive early to his punishment.

Busying himself with undoing the cage, the moth-cat growling at him and showing its fangs, the young man wondered if it might be better to arrive home at a later time. Would his mother's anger cool down until there was nothing but smoke? Or would he be faced with red-hot coals that wouldn't go out until she kicked him into the middle of next month?

"A rare raakgui," Enkai said, opening up the cage and turning it so the big blue eyes of the raakgui could land on the Intendant. "Never seen in public," he winced at the lie. Well, it was mostly the truth. "The only one in Sonshan." He added, just in case. "My mother named it Achara, and though she looked for others like it, this was the only one she could find. She tamed it for you and your family. Anyone with Nuyen blood will be a friend."

For a long moment it looked like the Achara wouldn't leave it's cage. All puffed out, it looked like a cloud, dwarfing it's small wings even more. It's feathery looking antennas above it's round eyes shifted curiously, white whiskers twitching before it decided to step out. Slowly, it's silky fur would begin lay down, nose twitching with every sniff. Enkai waited for it to go to the Intendant. His eyes widened when it chose Misora first instead, meowing up at her expectantly, awaiting to be pet.

It rubbed it's cheek against the sharp edge of her elbow, sliding down her forearm until licked with a rough tongue the back of her hand.
 
The raakgui had approached Misora first, seeking out her hand with a tongue not unlike that of a cat.

The Intendant was quiet a moment before nodding, "A fine little creature and a welcomed gift for the family. Please, do tell her how grateful I am of this rare gift." Her eyes turned to the feline moth, besotted with Misora now that she had turned her hand over to tentatively pet the raakgui. "Perhaps a new companion will keep you at home more..."

Her eyes went to Misora, a tight smile there on the Intendant's lips. "Of course, now I understand the why you leave home without your guards."

To Enkai, the Intendant bowed her head. "Now, forgive me, I must inform our kitchen to prepare a special dinner. We have an honoured guest tonight."

Misora bowed her head to her mother, "Thank you, Mama." Her head did not lift up until she heard her mother leave the room.

Once she had, Misora lifted her gaze and glared at Enkai. "Courting? I know you are pretty, but that does not... I mean, there are other reasons... I just..." She sighed, slumping back in her chair. The raakgui took this opportunity to flutter up onto her lap, and Misora looked down at it with every hesitation. "It will not bite me, will it?"
 
Eyes never quite leaving Misora, Enkai bowed when he was expected to, or at least he hoped he did. He wouldn't tell his mother that he regretted not paying more attention to her lessons about etiquette and manners, but right now he did wish he had paid more attention. Enkai had begun raising his head too early, glancing at Misora and bowing once again. His dark gaze remained low and on the ground. He didn't raise his head again until Misora started talking.

Enkai stood up, looking down at Misora and the raakgui. He wondered if the raakgui was actually supposed to like Misora as much as it did or if it were to be far more affectionate with the Intendant. With a hand on his hip he rolled his eyes, his other hand was used to sweep away the fringe that had fallen into his sight.

"Calm down, Soup Princess," Enkai said without much humor. "I have no plans to be a live-in husband for you. Although... it's good to know even your mother isn't impervious to my good looks. It's my jawline, isn't it?" He held his chin in the palm of his hand, a thumb tracing over a sharp edge as now he grinned mischievously.

"I hope it does bite you." Enkai doubted it would with how it was bumping its fluffy head against her, mewing for attention. Greedy little raakgui. It was no longer his problem, now that it was delivered and presented to the Intendant. His stomach growled, a small reminder that he really shouldn't miss breakfast. "Are we gonna be eating those quail out there? They're kinda bite-size but you know what they say, the smaller the bird the more tender it is."
 
Her gaze fell on him, unimpressed and very much done with his presence here.

"You did this. All of this! She thinks we are courting, when I would never even think about being courted by the likes of you." Misora scoffed, and even the raakgui seemed to give him a disgruntled look.

When she moved to stand, the raakgui fluttered to perch at her shoulder. She turned her head to give it a look, but at this moment it did not deserve her annoyance. Her dark eyes fell on Enkai again. "Those quails are button quails and they are my pets. The only thing from them you will be eating tonight is their eggs."

She stepped closer to him, scowling and not at all amused by anything he said.

"You will stay for dinner, and then the rest of this week I will make up an excuse as to why we cannot meet. At the end, I will fake crying over you and inform my mother that you ended things with me, and then I will make up some big deal about her looking for a future husband for me so that something like this does not happen again." Her finger lifted, pointing inches from his nose.
 
It was instinct that smacked Misora's finger out of his face, brows settling low over his dark eyes with a glare that could rival Misora's. It was instinct again when he stepped back from her. If she got close to his face again, he wasn't sure if he could fight the urge to not shove her back. She was the Intendant Princess, and he was just some hot-headed shaman apprentice who's mother happened to be in good standing with Intendent Nuyen.

"You don't want this to happen again? Then stay inside like you're supposed to." Vitriol was back in his voice, every word like a bee sting. "You crashed into me, you followed after me - it's not my fault you were sneaking about like a vagabond to do what? Jump over some sticks? You can do that here in your big ole fancy palace." Enkai crossed his arms over his chest.

"And I can't be the one to break things off, it has to be you. My mom would kill me. She's going to kill me when I return anyways for letting the raakgui out of the cage!" He still wasn't sure what would happen, nothing bad had happened yet but his mother definitely made it seem like it was dangerous. Had she lied to him about it?
 
Misora let out an outraged gasp as he swatted her hand away.

"Oh, forgive me for wanting some fresh air that is not behind these gilded gates!" She seethed, stepping forward and poking that finger into his chest. Her hand dropped to her hip, poised to bug him again if she needed to. "I will not tell a soul what happened today, especially about the raakgui, so go on home, pretend you broke my heart, and we can forget this ever happened!"

She did not realise she had stepped forward, practically nose to nose with him. Their glares were piercing, but only when Misora took notice of where she stood, her expression fell and she retreated a few steps. Half turning away, she sighed.

"Either we break this off... or we pretend this is something for some time before we can truly call it off." Her eyes moved to him before her head turned to meet his gaze straight. "This was a rash decision, and perhaps we should... think this through." Her nose scrunched as she frowned at the idea, that they would need to pretend and keep up appearances.

He just had to be pretty on the outside, and terrible on the inside.

"Let us not have this conversation in my Mother's office... we can sit in the blossom garden." She gestured for him to follow, and Misora led him back down the stairs and towards the eastern side of the home. There, she slid open a paper door and revealed a quiet zen garden. Stones gave them a path to step on in order to take a seat on the stone bench by the water fountain. White petals and some intact blooms floated on the pool's surface, where overhead an orange tree was in bloom.
 
Little Princess Miso sure did know how to get under his skin, didn't she? Stabbed at his chest as if she meant to pierce straight through his heart, leave her mark on him. It only had Enkai gritting his teeth more, glaring at her more. She had no idea how lucky she was that she was a princess, the Intendant's favored daughter, or he would have headbutted her with his big forehead (why else get bangs?) and knocked her back on her butt.

"Can't keep your hands off of me, can you?" Enkai half spat, half sneered at her, but the cruel curve of his lips would be lost on Misora with how close they were, nose nearly touching. Enkai hated that Misora had clean smelling breath, he had wished that it would stink like her quails so he could make fun of her for it. If anything, he felt awkward and nervous that maybe he was the one with the bad breath and that she could make fun of him for it.

Before he could continue his fretting, Misora turned from him, slapping him in the face with her ponytail. Damnit, her hair smelled good too, like spring flowers and early mornings, soft sunshine and white fluffy clouds. He blinked and raised a hand to cover his nose, smelling dirt and musk and sweat and something a little sour but at least it wasn't flowers.

She had a point. As much as Enkai didn't want to admit it, he knew she was right. He had put them in this predicament and ignored all the warnings that the lie held political implications. Not only political, but familial. It was the sort of lie that was most dangerous because of how many relationships it could ruin for the both of them if anyone found out. So he followed her out into the garden, appreciative of the sun warming his bones. He hadn't realized just how cold Misora's mother's office was.

He refused to sit, preferring to stand so he could have some semblance of control. Birds flapped above them, creating small shadows in the zen garden.

"Do I have to be the one to break up with you because you don't have a choice to break up with someone?" Enkai asked suddenly, surprising even himself.
 
Misora scowled at him.

Stared at him.

The light caught him unfairly, so much so, Misora had to avert her gaze to keep that blush rising to her cheeks to be hidden as she turned into the gentle shade of the trees. "In a way." She answered. He was entirely too right with his assumption, but she was not going to tell him so.

"My mother always made it sound as if it were entirely too important that I find... love. There became a pressure to do well, where I would become too critical of a young man or young woman... I ruin any chances. Before I can even enjoy being courted, I am already stressing about how they would fit into my future. What marriage to a Princess Intendant would do... if they were simply interested in me because of the title and prestige that comes with my name."

Misora frowned, now not looking at him on purpose. She had only told her siblings of this fear, of this anxiety. They had all felt it themselves, and she had always asked them how did they know they picked the right partner? What was the secret to happiness?

"I think my mother accepted this so quickly because... our mothers are long time friends. They send letters weekly, you know? But I cannot help but feel as if... I would ruin this too. There is no feelings between us, this is fake, but I am so worried I would make a mistake and I would become miserable again." Her head lifted, leaning back. There was stinging in her eyes, but she looked to the brightest source in the sky and bade those tears to not fall.

Not in front of him. Not after she bared her hidden wounds to him.
 
Out of all the things that Misora said, there was only one thing that really interested the young Shaman.

"Woman? Isn't your goal to make heirs?" Enkai had heard about the rich having concubines, it was a sign of status. Passing a circle of aunties usually would have him catch pieces of the talk, a woman marrying a second or third husband because her first husband was too serious and she wanted a man more playful. The happiest relationships were always the ones with another husband to fill in where the first husband failed.

His mother had told him something similar, but with friendship when he was a kid and fighting the first hurricane of jealousy that his best friend had other friends, friends that Enkai worried would eventually replace him unless he was the best at everything. If you expect one person to be everything you need then you'll always be disappointed, Enkai. If someone expects you to be everything they need in life then you'll always be exhausted.

Enkai figured, not that he was much good when it came to things like finances and money and numbers since that was a woman's domain to handle, but an intendant princess could probably have at least five concubines and not have to sweat about it.

The moment he took notice of the strange, pinched expression on Misora's face, he realized too late what had happened. He recognized that sort of face, his sister made it every now and then, usually when she was frustrated, but mostly when she felt like she had said too much and exposed too much of herself to him. They were getting to that age when hiding their secrets from their siblings was easier than being forthright.

"You can't ruin this if we've already decided that it's gonna end," He said lightly, turning his back to Misora. His shadow didn't reach the bench she sat on, the sun still high enough in the sky that it would stay close to Enkai. "So...." Enkai rubbed the back of his neck before tilting his head to the side, enjoying the cracks and pops of the motion. "I'll call things off. Say it's because I'm too much of a womanizer and can't be tied down. Then your mother would be glad we broke things off and it'll be my fault, not yours."

He took a step back and sat down on the other side of the bench, looking up at the sky like she was, squinting hard.

"Maybe I go as far as seducing one of your sisters."
 
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