It had become so obvious. At least for the palace staff. Their time spent in gardens around the palace always lasted for hours on end, and frequent trips to the library were constantly deemed as "coincidental" when they caught each other surrounded by piles of scrolls in the middle of the night.
It started five years ago, at least for Koumei. One particular spring day, the second prince sat underneath the blooming cherry tree, its emerging white petals bright against lush green surroundings. He had fallen asleep on the stone bench while feeding the many pigeons that crowded at his feet. Unbeknownst to him, the pigeons had begun to flutter atop his sleeping body, ravenously pecking at the bag of seeds he held in his hands. He was startled awake at the sensation of harsh pecks and claws on his skin. Hastily, he swatted the birds away and they flew upwards, leaving grey feathers and white petals fluttering down from the blue sky.
Amongst the mess of grey and white, Koumei spotted Yueying. She stood a little ways away, swathed in silk robes of pale blue and skirts the colour of the petals that fluttered in the wind. Her inky hair swept into a loose side braid snaked its way down her left shoulder. At her waist hung a jade ornament in the shape of a butterfly. Brown eyes were curled upwards in a crescent shape, and twinkled with laughter at the sight of the prince's disheveled appearance. A small smile graced her lips before being covered with a sleeve.
Ah, Koumei thought, She's the girl that Judal brought here six months ago.
As his pink eyes locked with hers, Yueying froze. Her eyes widened, and as if she was in a panic, she turned around abruptly and hurriedly made her way back into the palace halls. Koumei remained seated there for a while longer, as if he was in a daze. The sight of her made the nineteen-year old prince's heart skip a beat. The smile hidden behind the pale blue sleeve made him feel light.
She's pretty. Koumei thought.