The palace corridors outside the Inner Wing buzzed with restrained urgency. Word traveled fast when the Emperor summoned his council outside the usual hours, and today the air felt sharpened by more than protocol.
Jiao Shui stood alone again.
The jade pendant rested against her collarbone, hidden beneath silk but heavy as a vow she never made. The Emperor's words replayed in her mind, not loud, not cruel, but persistent.
Stand where I can see you.
She exhaled slowly. Protection that demanded visibility was still control.
The door opened without announcement.
Prince Yang entered.
He did not smile this time.
"You should not be alone," he said mildly, closing the door behind him. "Not now."
Jiao's spine straightened. "You arranged this meeting?"
"No," he replied. "But I took advantage of it."
She crossed her arms. "Speak plainly."
Prince Yang studied her, eyes colder than before. "Shenzha Jao was not supposed to surface yet. He moved too early."
Her gaze snapped to his. "You knew he was alive."
"I knew he was possible," Prince Yang corrected. "Men like him don't vanish. They ferment."
She didn't hide her anger. "And you waited."
"Yes." His tone was unapologetic. "Because I needed to know which side you would stand on when he returned."
"I'm not on either of your sides."
Prince Yang chuckled softly. "That is what makes you dangerous."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "The Emperor is preparing to bind you to the Selection publicly. Once that happens, your choices shrink."
Her fingers curled. "And you're telling me this because…?"
"Because if you want leverage," he said, "you'll need to move before the announcement."
A pause.
"What leverage?" she asked.
Prince Yang's gaze sharpened. "Your past."
The word landed heavy.
"Shenzha Jao isn't the only one who knows what you were before the fire," he continued. "Nor is the Emperor the only one who remembers what you saved."
Her pulse thundered. "What do you know?"
He smiled faintly, without warmth. "Enough to ruin all three of you if I chose."
She stared at him, realization crawling cold along her skin.
"You're not trying to protect the Empire," she said. "You're balancing power."
"Always," Prince Yang replied. "And right now, you are the fulcrum."
Footsteps approached outside.
Prince Yang stepped back smoothly. "Decide quickly, Jiao Shui. Once the Emperor announces his intent, even I won't be able to loosen the knot."
He left as silently as he had entered.
Jiao remained still, the walls suddenly too close.
Past.Present.Claimed.Watched.Wanted.
And somewhere beneath all of it, a truth waited that everyone seemed to know except her.
The palace bell rang once.
An announcement was coming.
And whatever it was…it would change everything.