It felt surreal, traveling by carriage, let alone in an imperial carriage as a member of the Semetran delegation. Xian knew that the blue silk hanfu he wore now was of some of the finest material someone of his assumed position could ever hope to afford, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the fine material was chafing against his skin. How long had it been since he wore silk?

  Xian's heart squeezed tightly in his chest, but he refused to let his discomfort show on his face. Not when Akita was so close.

  . Xian couldn't help but muse as their carriage crossed the bridge into Traverse castle. While he knew his A-die would have wanted him to reach such a position of honor honestly... Xian had to cling to the fact he had reached this point meant something.

  The Rathanian guards didn't pay him any mind as they escorted the Semetran delegation through the castle halls that Xian was already familiar with. In fact, Xian knew that none of them would ever even remember seeing him; that was the point, after all.

  But while the Semetran delegation all clamored about the decisions the Rathanians had made regarding the coronation, and the Prime Minister gave his opinion on the current state of Rathania, Xian allowed his focus to drift and encompass the room as a whole. Which delegations were seated where, which countries had sent representatives, which ones had sent actual royalty. He had expected Anaeia to send a member of the royal family, given the sultan's advanced age, so he wasn't surprised to see the second prince seated among the front few rows. He was, however, surprised to see just how many princesses had accompanied him.

  But then Xian remembered the conversation he had spied on in the cabinet room. The Four Thrones and their consorts had joked about how much of the delegations were comprised of women, despite not following Rathania's matrilineal culture. Xian allowed his gaze to drift over each delegation with this piece of information in mind. Besides the Anaeian princesses, Xian spied several members of Lanrutcon's Day and Night Court accompanied by what appeared to be several female relatives, Mecadet had sent a number of their priestesses to accompany their ambassador (unless one of those was actually a princess, Xian would be the first to admit Mecadet was a weak point in his education). One by one, each kingdom had some excuse to bring along more women than was usually acceptable. Even the Semetran delegation had a generous number of "maids" to wait on them, as if Xian didn't recognize them as his juniors from the Lotus Pond. Most likely, these girls wouldn't make the cut to become a Lotus, and the Gardener had found another chance for them to be useful.

  All to try and catch the eye of the soon-to-be, and very much unwed, King of Fire.

  Xian thought it would all be a wasted effort. Nothing about Prince Naes suggested he would be easily swayed by a pretty face; even if he were not preoccupied by his duties and the threat of war on the horizon, the prince seemed far too...chaste to allow baser desires to cloud his judgment. The plan could have worked on Prince Retniw, he supposed, but he wasn't entirely sure.

  But then again, Xian's opinion had not been asked for, so he knew better than to give it.

  All too soon, the sound of trumpets cut through the air, heralding the beginning of the event they had gathered to witness.

  The Four Thrones entered with far more finery and decorum than Xian had seen them in during his other visits. Whereas before, the queens had dressed modestly, if plainly; now they wore their full regalia of Throne colors, gems that caught the sun and dazzled in its light, billowing brocades and trains of fabric that must have taken seamstresses months to complete. And yet, Xian couldn't help but wonder if they were truly dressed in their best; he couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, the Four Thrones were holding back. Holding back what, Xian couldn't name, but the feeling was still there.

  When Prince Naes entered, the entire room stood to greet him. While the prince was clearly putting on a brave face, Xian could see the traces of that scared young man he first spied on. Time would tell if the prince had found his courage to become king, or if he would simply become a better actor. No doubt Xian's next orders would depend on that information.

  Xian barely paid any mind as the guests took their seats once Prince Naes reached the raised dias, and Guardian Nire began the ceremony. He kept his attention wide open, trying to take in every detail of the busy chamber. What exactly he was looking for, he didn't know, but surely Akita would demand a report from him after the coronation was over.

  It was as his eyes scanned through the crowd, then back to the front of the throne room, that Xian saw him.

  Dark red hair, golden amber skin, a jaw carved from granite. Even seeing him in profile, Xian recognized the young man who had almost caught him during his first adventure spying on the royal family. But this time, he wasn't wearing plain clothes. On the contrary, now he wore fine Rathanian regalia, his tabard a deep red embroidered with golden motifs of roses. And flames.

  Xian's heart leapt into his throat as his gaze flicked from the mystery man to the crown prince, then back to the mystery man. No, not mystery man. Prince.

  Second Prince Lamaj di Alexela of the Throne of Fire.

  It didn't make any sense, but Xian trusted his eyes to recognize that he was looking at the same face that had thrown a knife at him and chased him across the rooftops of Traverse. But why was a prince spying on the royal family? There were far too many possibilities: a spare prince growing envious of his brother's birthright, a rebellious teen wanting to test his limits.

  No, those would not explain the skill in which Prince Lamaj had thrown that knife. That was a trained skill. For whatever insane reason that only made sense to the Rathanians, the second prince of the Throne of Fire was training to spy, and perhaps kill.

  Had Xian stumbled upon some dark Rathanian secret? Was this the fate of all spare heirs, once the next heir to the throne was decided and they were no longer needed for the continuation of the dynasty? Xian momentarily glanced at the only other spare heir within the royal family. Could the Rathanians have actually turned such a delicate looking princess into their own version of a Lotus (but wasn't that her title? The True Rathanian Rose? Was it a hidden threat?)?

  Xian couldn't allow his mind to explore the possibilities now, he would only get lost in them. Right now, he had to focus on Prince Lamaj, and just what that meant for his mission in Traverse. He hadn't told the Gardener about being spotted and pursued by the Rathanian, and while Xian wanted to tell himself it was a strategic withholding of unnecessary information, he knew deep down he was afraid of what might have happened if Akita found out he had been made. But Xian could cover up that secret: he hadn't been captured, and even if the prince had seen him, it wasn't as if he could ever identify--

  As if summoned by Xian's thoughts of him, Prince Lamaj's head turned.

  And looked directly at Xian.

  No, that was impossible. It was just a coincidence, the prince was simply scanning the room, looking at all the people at his brother's coronation. His attention would move on soon enough...

  But no, the prince's gaze did not move, his jade green eyes fixed on Xian, and Xian found himself unable to look away, unable to banish the slowly growing feeling of dread coiling in his gut.

  The realization brought a new wave of horror to Xian. Not only had he been made, he had been made by a member of the royal family. But how? Xian had surrendered his face years ago, there should be nothing distinctive about his appearance for the prince to recognize. Could the Rathanians see through the Ryoishi ink that was embedded in his skin? If that was true, was that what had happened to all the Lotuses before him? Had the Rathanians found them out instantly and inflicted their madness on them as punishment?

  What would Prince Lamaj do now? Would he call the guards to apprehend Xian now?

  No, he wouldn't. No matter how Prince Lamaj recognized Xian, no matter what he may know, they were still in the middle of the coronation of his brother. This was the event of the decade, there was no way the prince would cause a spectacle during such a public event. And even if he were so audacious, Xian was still a Semetran citizen, not a Rathanian. There was no way the Semetran delegation would simply hand him over based on the prince's word.

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  Everyone was standing now, the day's celebrations were beginning. Xian momentarily lost sight of Prince Lamaj as the crowd began their retreat from the throne room to join the Rathanians in their celebrations. His heart skipped a beat when a hand grabbed his wrist, squeezing hard.

  "Why was the second prince of Fire staring at you?" Akita's voice was barely audible over the murmur of the crowd, but it cut through Xian more than any shout could have.

  Xian opened his mouth, his mind frantically trying to piece together a story explaining his encounter with the prince, and why he hadn't reported it sooner.

  "I don't know." The lie tumbled from his lips before he could stop it, even as his wits screamed at him for his foolishness. Why would he try to lie to the Gardener of the Lotus Pond? But it was too late now to recant and tell the truth, not without punishment, "During my observations of the castle, I have seen Prince Lamaj engage in flirtations with several women who either have a degree of Semetran blood, or at least share enough similarities."

  The lie felt vile on his tongue, even if it was by far not the worst lie he had spread during his training in the Lotus Pond.

  Akita looked him over, scrutinizing everything about Xian. It took every ounce of will to stand his ground, to not flinch under his master's gaze. Finally, the Gardener gave an unimpressed scoff, "You're far too sharp and lean to convincingly pass for a woman. But Rathanians hardly seem to care about looks."

  Xian didn't even pay the dismissal of his appearance, too relieved that the lie hadn't been called out. However, the implication of Akita's next possible order did leave a strange sensation battering about his chest.

  Without realizing it, Xian's gaze had once more traveled over the crowds before they once more locked with jade. There was no mistaking the fact that Prince Lamaj was focused solely on Xian, and now the prince was making his way through the crowds to close the distance between them. Xian's only means of defense was the current crowd, and his position within the delegation, so he followed the same movements they did as they made their exit from the throne room. Xian's feet carried him even as his gaze was focused on the prince.

  There was steel within those jade-green eyes, determination. But something else was sparkling within those green depths, something Xian was far too uneducated to identify.

  By the time Xian reached the large double doors of the throneroom with the delegation, Prince Lamaj was within arms' reach. He could reach out and grab Xian; reach out, grab him, and--

  But the prince did nothing but stare at Xian.

  So Xian had been right in his assessment. The prince would not make a scene with so many witnesses. He couldn't help but smirk slightly at that; he was safe for now.

  Then Prince Lamaj smirked back.

  Xian walked past the prince, through the double doors. The prince did not follow. Whatever dangerous game Xian had found himself in, he couldn't begin to focus on just how he was going to play it. All he could think about was the sheer warmth that seemed to radiate off the prince, how much his touch might burn.

  And how Xian now felt shivers running up his spine.

  Xian couldn't believe how quickly he had fallen asleep. When Akita had shown him the small room he would be staying in as part of the delegation, Xian had never seen a bed chamber so fine. Sure, he had grown somewhat accustomed to the western-style beds during the short time he had stayed in Rathania, but there was a big difference between the cot set up in a tavern attic, and the lush down tick that made up the guest room designated as his.

  Perhaps it was the luxury that Xian was unused to. Perhaps it was exhaustion catching up with him. Regardless, Xian was lost to the waking world the moment his head touched the pillow.

  It must have been a deep sleep indeed if dreams began to fill his thoughts. Xian hated sleeping too deeply, if only to avoid any visions of his A-die slumped at the base of the Gilded Emperor's throne.

  But perhaps the strangeness of Rathania made the dreams so different.

  Xian felt his eyes opening, the moon still visible from his window acting as the source of illumination. But it was enough for Xian to see the fox perched on the window sill.

  But that was impossible, Xian thought, his wits still clinging to him as he fell deeper into the dream. His bedroom was on the sixth story, there was no way for a fox to climb that height. There was no reason for a fox to want to climb that high.

  Unless it was not a fox at all. Xian thought of the stories of all the animal spirits that rebelled against the goddess Tuzai when her husband Zhiyin guided her from the wilds to cultivate agriculture, and how those wild spirits still wandered, preying on the unsuspecting.

  As Xian watched the fox, watching the unnatural calmness that dictated its movements: the gentle sway of its tail, the unblinking stare that never moved from Xian. A stare that cut right through Xian with their far-too-human gaze.

  Xian didn't want to think about what the goddess Tianxin would divine from the jade green of the fox's eyes.

  He wished he could claim that his continued thoughts about Prince Lamaj were based solely on his concerns for his cover as a spy, his mission to uncover as many Rathanian secrets as possible. But in the dark recesses of his mind and his heart, there was something twisted and broken within him that craved--

  It was starting, wasn't it? The madness.

  The fox's eyes never left Xian as it walked the length of the sill. Its tail only gave a single slow sway before it leaped from the window sill, landing on the foot of Xian's bed without a sound.

  Xian's heart was in his throat as he spoke, "Spirit, be at peace and leave me be," He whispered, "I have nothing to offer."

  The fox was not appeased by Xian's feeble attempt to placate it, if the narrowing of its eyes were anything to go by. But Xian could not afford to be spirited away by whatever demon this fox spirit served.

  "Do not be angry, spirit," He hated himself for being so frightened by a dream. Had he not faced worse horrors in his waking hours? Did he not survive years of training in the Lotus Pond? And yet he trembled at the presence of a fox spirit...

  Because a fox spirit could take what Akita and all his cruelty could not.

  "What can I offer you so you will leave me in peace?" Xian's voice was barely a whisper.

  "You."

  The fox's voice rang through Xian's mind as the spirit continued to walk up Xian's bed. With every step, the fox's shape began to change: limbs growing, tail vanishing, fur receding to reveal golden amber skin.

  All too soon, Xian was staring up at the image of Prince Lamaj crawling on all fours until he was looming over Xian. This version of the prince wore dark linens, doing his best to blend in with the darkness of the night.

  The prince gave him the same damn smirk they had shared earlier that evening, "If you wish to give an offering, give yourself."

  It was the first time Xian had heard the prince's voice speak more than a single word, in the same smooth canter that so many Rathanians spoke their Common with. So warm, so inviting...

  Xian resisted. He could not afford to give himself. The Gilded Emperor may own his body, but Xian had to hold on to whatever remained of his mind to continue his work. Just a little while longer...

  Warm fingers touched Xian's scalp, and Xian flinched as the heat brushed one of the tender spots left behind by the clamps of the wig.

  "That looks so painful..." The prince's voice murmured, far too close to Xian's ear.

  The prince then moved, pressing his lips to the irritated flesh of his scalp. And oh, how the touch burned, but Xian could not find the strength to pull away.

  Not when the prince's lips were against his scalp.

  Or his ear.

  Or his cheek.

  "It's alright, I've got you now," There was a faint rasp to the prince's voice as their noses brushed against each other. He was too close, too close...

  Xian could feel the heat hovering just above his lips. If he so much as moved, he would be set ablaze.

  "I'm never going to let you go," Prince Lamaj breathed against Xian's lips, then chased the words with his own lips.

  Despite every effort Xian made to pray for strength, for protection, for his own sanity, the only thing his thoughts could focus on was the sheer heat that came from the prince's touch, and the fire that came from his kisses.

  Xian woke with the sun shining through his window, and knew instantly that something was terribly wrong. For as long as he could remember, Xian had always woken at dawn or before. To sleep in so long...had the fox spirit stolen some of his energy, was that why he felt so exhausted?

  To add to Xian's growing horror, he realized belatedly that he was not alone in his bedroom. Akita stood by Xian's bed, staring intently down at him.

  "So good of you to finally join the ranks of the living." The disdain in the Gardener's voice was enough to turn Xian's stomach.

  At once, Xian bolted upright, "Forgive my insolence, sir--"

  The rest of his apology was instantly lost as the blankets fell away from his body revealing his unclothed torso. Which was not the state of undress that he had gone to bed.

  Shame instantly filled Xian as he hurriedly tried to grab the blankets to cover himself before Akita, "I...I..."

  Normally, the Gardener took offense to the slow-witted and tongue-tied, and Xian could have expected a slap for his inability to speak. Instead, Akita grabbed Xian by his short hair, tilting his head to the side. Xian tamped down the impulse to wince at the flash of pain resonating from his tender scalp.

  "Consider your next words carefully, Lotus," Akita's gaze brokered no quarter, " and tell me how you got these lovebites."

  Xian could barely contain a gasp at the new information. Lovebites? But Xian hadn't--

  Xian felt his entire body grow cold at the realization. The dream, the fox spirit, the illusion of the prince...

  It had all been real.

  The world was still spinning as the words tumbled from his lips, "Second Prince Lamaj..." he whispered.

  Akita raised an eyebrow, "The Second Prince of Fire came to your room for a tryst?"

  Xian couldn't even nod at the Gardener's words, still struggling to come to terms with the truth of his situation. "Yes, sir..."

  "And you welcomed his advances?"

  Bile gathered in Xian's mouth. He knew it was true, but something recoiled to hear Akita say it so dismissively, "...yes, sir."

  Akita scoffed, "So it really is true that Rathanians have no shame," He released his hold on Xian's hair, "But the prince's strange tastes will serve Semetra well. Men's lips are loosest in bed, and if the prince chooses to frequent your bed, then you'll be the one to hear all the secrets he might reveal."

  Xian was no stranger to seducing targets, or to sending the female Lotuses to seduce targets. Seduction granted access to a target's inner sanctum, private information that could become blackmail material or reveal a target's true allegiance.

  "I hear and I obey, Master Akita."

  So why did Xian feel so vile?