It was now 1907. Chiui, an 8-year old girl with medium gray hair, red eyes, and noble pink Xingese clothing, ran down the streets of Xing.

Giggles of laughter escaped her lips as her feet hit the solid, light yellow ground. The reason why she was passing by in the busy streets was a question to the people, but it seemed to be answered when they saw another kid run down the street, following her.

This kid's name was Yosung, the child of Rin and the Xingese Emperor. Unlike Chiui, he had dark black hair and dark eyes like his mother. Same went with his skin tone. He was wearing noble, green Xingese attire.

"Catch me if you can, brother!" Chiui giggled once more as she looked over her shoulder at her 6 year old half-brother.

"Heh." Yosung smirked. "Back at you, sis!"

He went to turn the corner where Chiui had run into, and was shocked to see that the older kid was not there as his feet skidded across the ground, causing dust to subside under them.

He scanned the perimeter, hoping that nobody took Chiui or that she is hiding somewhere.

"There you two are! I've been looking everywhere for you."

Yosung's eyes widened as he blinked, soon turning around to face the owner of the feminine voice.

He saw it to be his mother, Rin Youngsen. She had Chiui next to her, holding her small hand gently. The noble woman had anger in her expression, which didn't show in her concerned eyes, but in her eyebrows...due to one of them being arched down and furrowed.

"I should have known that you two would go off and do this, since you two share the love of playing and adventure," she sighed knowingly, then let go of Chiui's hand for a brief moment so she could pick up Yosung, holding him up with one arm. She then took a hold of her daughter's hand once more. "Also, you two should knew better than to not run off when you're in my sight."

Chiui and Yosung looked down apologetically. "Sorry, mommy..."

"It's alright, my dears." Rin replaced her stern frown with a warm smile, as to not make Chiui and Yosung sad about what they did. "You just need to learn not to do that again, that's all."

Yosung's little tummy growled, and he rested his hand on it.

Rin couldn't help but chuckle. "You must've worked up an appetite while we were outside shopping for stuff for dinner later." she then turned around, with Chiui and Yosung following her. "Come. Let's get back to the house."

Rin set down the story she was reading when she heard footsteps approaching the living room of the house.

"What took you three so long?" she asked them, her eyes presenting her concern.

"Well, it wasn't supposed to take long at all, Mother," Rin started to explain, and put her hands on her childrens' shoulders. "But I had to run and get these two after they ran out of my sight." she then giggled thinking about it. "I had told them that doing this will teach them a lesson not to do it again...but I can't help but see the adventurous side they have to their personalities..."

"True." The older noble woman couldn't help but smile, either. She then looked at her grandkids. "I'm guessing you two are waiting for dinner?"

Chiui and Yosung nodded enthusiastically, their heads going in a fast motion. Even though the two were half-sibilings, with Chiui being Samuel and Rin's daughter...and with Yosung being the Emperor and Rin's son, the two were a lot alike.

"That is a pretty obvious answer." Rai's eyes grinned at her grandchildren. "Want something to tide you over? I bought dumplings last week."

"Oh, boy!" The medium gray-haired girl showed signs of joy with her arms bent upwards and her fists clenched. "Would we? I missed eating those."

"Well, that's why I bought them."

Rai then excused herself for a moment so she could go and get the dumplings, which she kept stored in a freezer her servants made for her when they were working in the house. They were on leave for right now, and won't be back until fall.

Chiui and Yosung's eyes beamed with delight when they saw Rai bring two dumplings each for them, which they happily took and devoured. The dumplings were a medium size, so the kids having two would fill them up for the time being.

The kids decided to play outside, where the backyard was gated up safely so they wouldn't wonder off. Rai was glad to see them occupied since something had just recently crossed her mind, and was sticking there.

Rin could tell by her mother nervously resting her fingertips on her coffee cup. "Something wrong, Mother?"

Rai blinked, then shook her head. "No, no. Just thinking about Yosung, that's all."

"Ah. Is this about my husband, the Emperor?"

The older Xingese woman replied with a slight, worried frown at first. "Yes. He's been gone for quite a while now, and I'm pretty sure Yosung misses him a lot. The Emperor left a few years ago when Yosung was just 3, and we don't know where he's gone to..."

"Well, the meetings he has to go to with the other important politicians and leaders tend to take while." Her daughter reminded her. "We both know that."

"Yes, I know...but, his wives are in charge of the empire for right now. His first wife knows how the empire is ruled and how it runs in terms of the said topics you mentioned. I just hope that he comes back alright, and that his kids are alright."

Rin reached out to her mother, and rested a hand on her shoulder, patting it gently. "Don't fret so much, Mother. Yosung's alright being here, since he is the youngest of the 16 princes and Princesses of Xing. So I am pretty sure that Yosung's siblings will be alright, including Ling Yao."

There was silence before Rai responded. "...I suppose you're right, Rin."

The two women then looked at the backyard, where Chiui and Yosung were playing tag outside, laughing at times when one of them either jumped or fell into the grass.

"...I've always been wondering what Chiui will be like when she grows up."

"Hm?" Rin didn't exactly hear what her mother said, since most of it came out in a mutter, and all she heard was "when she grows up". "Say that again?"

Rai faced her daughter. "I was saying that I have always been wondering what your daughter, Chiui, will be like when she grows up, considering that she's half Ishvalan, half Xingese. She is already a Princess due to you being a wife of the Emperor, but it might cause some trouble down the road when she becomes an adult. She might get kicked out or rejected by the Emperor."

Rin's dark eyes widened; she was shocked at her mother's choice of words. It sounded...so much different than usual.

"What do you mean, Mother?" The noble daughter had a confused, yet knowing tone to her question.

"I mean that, if Chiui wants to live out her life here as a normal citizen and inherits your noble status when she's an adult...or happens to marry a Prince of Xing that becomes Emperor, it would be troublesome for her due to her race, in which I just mentioned it."

"That's what I'm worried about, too, Mother," Rai agreed, "but...you usually have a prejudice against Ishvalans, with Samuel being one. And you care a lot for my daughter, Chiui, though she is half his race. Are you saying that you're..."

Her voice trailed off, since she had expected for her mother to say something right away to her. Rai only continued to stare out into the backyard, her eyes luminating from the sunshine outside.

"Mother?"

Rai apologized when she turned to lock her eyes on Rin. "Sorry. I...am just worried about Chiui's safety, that's all. I still have my prejudice against Ishvalans..."

Rin gave her mother a doubtful look when Rai looked away once more. She had a weird feeling that what her mother said was a lie at the end. Could her mother possibly be revealing that her prejudice against Ishvalans is slowly starting to go away, or is it something else...?

That is what Rin was left to think about...

Rin planted a soft kiss on Chiui's forehead as she put her daughter to bed later in the night. Chiui smiled, followed by a small giggle.

"Good night, Mom." she told her. Yosung was already asleep next to her in a separate bed, snoring away, which didn't bother Chiui all that much. It used to when she was younger.

Rin smiled warmly. "Good night, my dears." she then pulled the sheet up a little closer to make Chiui more comfortable." she then patted Chiui's head before making her way to the door.

She stopped in her tracks, with one of her feet lifted up, and looked over her shoulder at Chiui. She thought she heard Chiui say, "Mom." as she walked away.

Chiui pursed her lips for a moment, thinking of what to say, since what she was about to bring up had quickly went away from her mind.

"Yes, dear?" Rin asked, still paused in the same position, waiting for her daughter's answer.

The gears in Chiui's head started turning as the thought came to her mind again. Her little hand clenched lightly at her bed sheet as her crimson eyes locked on her mother's.

"Where's Daddy?"

That simple question made Rin's blood freeze, and the room went dead silent afterwards.

"W-Why do you ask, Chiui?" The noble Xingese woman questioned her daughter nervously.

Chiui seemed confused by her mother's sudden change in expression. "Well, Mommy..." she gave a little shrug, "I haven't seen Daddy at all around the house. Is he gone somewhere or something, possibly helping the Emperor?"

"Uh..." The raven-haired woman went to say, but stopped herself for a moment. "That's a good question, dear. The best guess is that he's gone a trip somewhere. That's how he always is...busy busy busy." she added a fretful laugh to the end of her reply.

Chiui just blinked, then yawned. She struggled to keep her eyes open, since she wanted to ask her mother many more questions about her father. But Rin could see that her little Princess needed sleep, so she came over and gave her daughter another kiss on the forehead.

"Good night, my little Princess." she received a soft giggle from Chiui as the little kid started to get some rest, and then carefully walked over to Yosung, kissing his forehead gently as to not wake Chiui's half brother up.

Rin then left the room, turning off the lamp as she did so.