It wasn't hard to find the inn at all. The road they travelled on led directly into the heart of the village and there, nestled in between a blacksmith and a giant oak tree, was the roadhouse.
It was certainly smaller than the flower vase pub but that was to be expected. The latter was a business right in the focal point of the capital and this one was…less well visited, despite the merchants who passed through.

It ducked right under the mighty branches of the tree, which had been decorated with vibrant red lanterns. The day was still bright but the sun was on its way towards the horizon; and the low beams made the thin paper lamps glow even without them being lit. It would have been a really nice sight, hadn't Shian been so occupied with her own thoughts.

The marketplace they crossed to reach the inn was small but clean, a few benches lining the edge. People sat on them, an elderly couple with flower baskets, and a family. The two kids were chasing each other around the tufts of grass that sprouted up between the stones and only stopped for a moment when they heard the clicking of hooves on the cobble.

Kouha took in the scenery with careful interest, the same interest he had shown back in the capital. When he finally steadied his horse in front of the inn's door he seemed content with what he saw.
With an elegant hip swing he slid onto the ground and after a moment Shian followed him. Her landing wasn't quite as elegant but, as he noticed with a smug little grin, she didn't seem so intimidated by his mount anymore.

"So. Same procedure as last time?", he asked, while tugging at the reins to keep his horse from wandering off somewhere.
Shian adjusted her clothes before she shook her head. An embarrassed smile darted over her face before she answered.
"We are in a small village, without any sort of announcement whatsoever. Usually one would welcome you with Rukh knows what kind of celebrations but here we are now, dressed like any old traveller. I would prefer not having to waltz in there to announce the arrival of an imperial prince."
She was right of course; but Kouha couldn't care less. He waltzed in wherever he pleased and people would have to adjust to that.
"Fine, we'll switch roles then."
He shoved the reins into her hands, straightened his hair, and pushed open the door.

With a satisfying thud the door closed behind him and Shian was alone with the horse. The family had watched them curiously but she doubted that they had recognized the prince. She waved and gave them a polite smile before returning her attention back to the inn. It was two stories high despite being relatively flat and behind one of the windows under the roof Shian could see the dim shine of candlelight.
Her gaze wandered farther up into the sky. They had entered twilight and the sun got darker by the second. It was still visible over the mountain in the distance but the sky was already tinged dark blue and the morning star had made a first appearance.
On her own Shian had no way of pushing back all the thoughts that came to her head.

They hadn't been at the inn often, they had servants after all, but as the pub was the only of its kind in the village the people had gathered here not only to drink but to socialize as well.
Shian's family had been a welcomed guest as they were not only rich but also generally generous.
Those times were fuzzy in her head though as they had stopped coming here after her mother's illness forced her into bed all day.

Without noticing her eyes had wandered even farther now, away over the zenith and onto the dark blue mountaintop to her left. The stone was covered in tall trees, all sprouting and blooming as summer took over. In between the houses and vegetation was an empty spot, as if something had been standing there some years ago. Seven years ago…

Before her mind drifted further into her past the sound of the door flying open with force brought her back. Her eyes snapped back to the inn, where a small person was standing in the bright rectangle of the doorway. The light came from inside, so she could barely see any details, but the figure seemed to be breathing heavily. Before she even processed fully what was happening the person bowed deeply before her, letting Shian take a look behind them.

The whole tavern was in turmoil and suddenly she regretted letting Kouha go in first. The owner of the establishment – at least that's who she assumed it was – ran around like a startled chicken and tried to tidy up the place, while his few customers darted around looking panicked.
And in the middle of the chaos stood Kouha, the third imperial prince of the Kou Empire, and looked absolutely delighted. For a second their eyes met and a grin spread over his face. He rolled his eyes slightly as if to say: "Look at them running around. Amusing, isn't it?"
Shian had the slight suspicion that he had held back in the capital as to not cause a commotion, but here, in this tiny village, he savored the effect his presence could have.

When the shape in front of her rose again the moment was over. They stepped over the threshold and finally Shian could see better. The woman before her was short, skinny, and old. The grey dress and dirty white apron hung around her body like cloth on a rotary clothes line, mirroring the way her thin pale hair framed her face. She had wrinkles like rivers on her face and more freckles than stars in the night sky. While not looking like what people would imagine as a typical granny, her face had a certain kindness to it and Shian was sure that the old woman was nice to be around.
Right now there was only anxiety in her expression though as she approached Shian and bowed again, only seconds after she had done so on the doorstep. A quiet crack could be heard, followed by a groan – it surely couldn't be a comfortable position for someone of her age.
Before Shian could say anything – not that she would have known what – the woman rose yet another time and finally addressed her.
"My Lady, what a pleasure to have you. If you would allow me to take your horse, I will gladly take care of it."

The way she spoke left Shian completely dumbfounded. She hadn't been in her current position for long and after so many years of being talked down upon it took her by surprise.
Memories flooded her mind, servants bowing before her and people on the street bending their heads. Suddenly she was thankful for the fact that she barely remembered anything about the inn, her mind would have been an even bigger mess.

The woman still looked at her expectantly and Shian wondered what on earth Kouha had told them about her identity. She nodded slightly but the suspicion must have been clear on her face. Being not only old but also scrawny, the woman would have a hard time getting the giant warhorse to obey.
With a short hesitant pause she handed the reigns over and watched as the horse followed the woman with its head lowered, so she could lead it comfortably. Truly a sight to behold.

They vanished over the porch of the blacksmith and Shian turned her attention back to the inside of the tap room. By now the commotion had calmed down a bit.
The townspeople had settled into a corner with a few bottles of alcohol and chattered intently but quietly.
Out of nowhere the owner had produced a few pillows and was currently trying to pad one of the benches with them. Clearly the royal bottom couldn't just sit on bare wood.

Finally gathering her courage Shian entered the room and crossed over to join Kouha, who still stood in the middle proudly waiting for his seat to be ready.
She couldn't help but notice the way the villagers bowed their heads when she passed by and it made her highly uncomfortable.
When she reached her companion she lowered her voice and asked the question burning on her tongue.
"My Lord? What did you tell them about me?" With an overly innocent expression Kouha turned to answer her. "I just said that I had business in this town and that my partner was waiting outside with our horse."

A quiet groan was his response. Shian had buried her face in her hands. No wonder they were so overly polite, they thought she was his spouse! Not to mention the fact that she was still wearing his pants. At her apparent embarrassment Kouha chuckled quietly.
"Let them be, don't you think it's nice to be courted like that?"
"Not at all. It rather seems…kind of devious."
"Let's call it mischievous."

And with that he walked over to the sturdy man preparing the table. He had succeeded in placing a heap of pillows on the bench and without second thought Kouha flung himself upon them, sinking into the soft mountain. He gave Shian a small wink and implied for her to come over. She complied and encircled their host before joining Kouha on his bench. Other than him she preferred sitting on the wood itself though and she found herself pressed against the edge near the wall to avoid all the cushions.
The man bowed respectfully, first in front of Kouha and then in front of her and took off towards the kitchen.

"Did you already ask about the merchant?", Shian asked, her head towards her superior. Shaking his head he declined, and she suspected that he had been too caught up in the luxury of being pampered.
"Honestly? I doubt we will return tonight. I don't feel like riding around in the darkness. So we will stay here, get the stuff tomorrow and then return. No harm done, right?"

Shian had already suspected that it would end up like this. He had already told her he wouldn't want to return after nightfall, and although there was still a shimmer of daylight outside it wouldn't be there for long. She really wanted to return home, but was admittedly not too keen herself to travel at night. Not only could the way itself be treacherous, there were also bandits and thugs to worry about.

Hesitantly she nodded. "We should still see that we find him tonight. What if he's not even here anymore?"
Instead of answering Kouha growled quietly and Shian could imagine what he was thinking. He would not be chasing the guy through the Kou Empire.

During the short period of silence the host of the inn had returned, accompanied by a boy and a girl, maybe around Kouha's age. They looked similar not only to each other but to the older man too, it suggested the assumption that they were his children. Both of them were carrying tablets filled with steaming bowls.
Shian had no idea how they threw together such an amount this fast but it did smell nice. Their last meal hadn't been that long ago, but the ride had been exhausting; there would be no complaining neither from the prince nor the former maid.

While the boy was very careful to avoid eye contact, his sister seemed to be pouting a bit. Her light blonde hair hung in her face and her dark eyes under it sported a feisty expression. Neither Kouha nor Shian showed any sign of realization of her unfitting expression but her father was apparently very afraid she would let something slip up. He shielded her a bit with his body and then bowed deeply, hastily gesturing for the two to do the same.

Only Shian's experience as a servant saved their meal.
While the sulking girl dropped a reluctant curtsey – no harm done – the boy bowed along with the whole tray. Naturally it tipped, and the bowls started sliding towards their doom. Time slowed down, the older man's expression slowly turning into horror and the boy just dropping the tray altogether in shock.
Her arms shooting forwards, Shian acted without thinking. One hand caught the tray in midair and with the other she steadied the dishes on it, only producing a soft "cling" sound in the process.
Time returned to normal with their host letting out a funny little scream and his son clasping his hands over his mouth. They both looked equally mortified and even Miss Sulk-a-lot next to them seemed shocked.

Kouha on the other hand apparently enjoyed himself. Sure, he was the one with the least to lose. Finally he leaned forwards and took the tray out of Shian's hands – she herself had been too surprised about her own action to move.
"I will take this. I doubt your floors are clean enough to eat off of."
Shian knew he was just teasing but for the poor boy it was just threateningly enough. He immediately fell to his knees; he even started to shake a little bit. Shooting Kouha a warning look, Shian bend down to lay a hand on his shoulder.
"Accidents happen, and this time it could be avoided. Don't stress yourself."
Her voice was calm and not only did the boy relax, the rest of the present family members exhaled in relief too.
Fed up with calling them "man, boy and girl" in her mind, Shian addressed them as a whole.
"Would you mind telling me your names?"

The girl set the tray down in front of her extra carefully, before mumbling "Asha". Then she looked at Kouha for a second, anger flaring up in her eyes again.
And then she was gone.
"My name is Hasor. My apologies, I am not sure what has gotten into her."

On behalf of his daughter he bowed again, not noticing that Kouha couldn't care less for her behavior. He had already started to devour the contents of the saved bowls and had left Shian to fend for herself.
By now the boy had stumbled to his feet again, still red under his light hair. After a small nudge from his father's elbow he finally introduced himself as well.
"I am Sora. Please forgive my clumsiness."
He spoke quietly, hands folded in front of his body. A sudden surge of empathy washed through Shian. She had just remembered a girl she knew in the same position. A girl fresh off the streets, afraid of her own shadow, standing in front of the first prince of the Kou Empire, to ask for work as a palace maid.

"Just be more careful in the future."
She gave him a warm smile before turning her attention back to Hasor, who had laid a hand protectively on Sora's back.
"We are actually here because we are searching for someone. A merchant who apparently is staying here, ill."
A sign of recognition washed over Hasor's face and Shian couldn't help but feel relieved. Maybe their search did indeed end here.
While she waited for an answer she picked up a piece of broccoli with her chopsticks. It wasn't the nicest thing to do, eat while in a conversation, but she was very hungry now with the tasty smell in front of her nose. And Kouha had almost finished already.

"He is indeed here. Got a room upstairs, the poor fella. When he arrived here a few days ago he seemed fine, but in the morning he couldn't get up again. Covered in red splotches and very weak."
An almost embarrassed expression darted over his face.
"Apparently highly contagious, he told us to stay away. Just asked for a few of his wares to be brought to him, and some soup. We slid it into his room, through the barely open door. I unfortunately don't know how he is holding up by now."

Shian exchanged glances with Kouha who paid attention again, now that his dishes were all empty. The way he looked at her made it clear what he thought: 'You go in there. I'll wait here.'
She sighed and just nodded before turning back to Hasor.
"We will talk to him tomorrow. Do you have another room for us?"
"Of course! I will have it prepared right away! Do you have any special wishes?"
Before Kouha could go off on another tirade about Rukh knows how many pillows Shian smiled brightly, just inconspicuously enough that Kouha wouldn't think that she purposely cut him off.
"No thank you, we will be fine."
Hasor bowed one last time and then he left, leading his son away with him.
And only when their figures disappeared through the kitchen door Shian realized that she had forgotten to ask for separate beds.

Kouha was sulking across from her, arms crossed in front of his chest. "You better not let that kind of behavior became a habit! Especially not in front of Kouen or even our father!"
At the thought Shian turned a bit pale – she had come a long way from her shy self, but she was not suicidal!
She shook her head. "Of course not. I am sorry, My Lord, if I crossed any boundaries with my behavior!"
Slightly bowing, she lowered her gaze onto the table, before continuing her meal.

There it is again, Kouha thought. How easily she switched between confident and downright sassy and obliging and polite. She was truly testing the waters.
"Yeah yeah, whatever."
He let his hands fall to his sides again and observed her for a moment. He was still wondering why she had seemed so reluctant about returning to this place.

As if she had read his mind Shian swallowed her last bite and looked up at him. Even with her previous change to her reserved servant-self she displayed an unusual amount of shyness right now. A moment later he knew why.

"My Lord? I would like to go out again before we head to bed. I…I need to go take a look at something. Would that be alright?"
"Now? It's dark out, Shian. I don't feel like stumbling around there because you need to do 'something'".
Hastily she shook her head. "You don't need to come with me! I will go myself. Please, it will only be a couple of minutes. Half an hour, at most!"

She knew herself that this was a bit of an understatement, but the matter was important to her.
Kouha seemed to understand, as he sighed and nodded, crossing his arms behind his head and leaning back.
"You can do it for all I care. Just be careful, I don't need a second investigation on my hands just because my brother's assistant vanished in the night."
His words sounded careless but still Shian thought she could make out a hint of worry in his voice. She suppressed a smile and bent her head. "Of course."
"Then go right away. I will entertain myself here in the meantime." His expression turned mischievous and she felt a bit of pity with the employees.

Standing up she automatically fiddled with the seam of the pants, trying to tug at them to make them longer, but to no avail. She gave up and left their little corner, heading for the exit.

When she opened the door a gust of fresh evening air blew in her face. It brought the smell of heather and cold earth, promising a windy night. The sun had vanished completely now, and the barely rising moon spent little to no light. Maybe she should have asked for a lantern, but she didn't want to head back again, out of fear that she would change her mind.
She was also quite sure that her feet would find the way on their own.

Around twenty minutes later Shian had fought her way through various unfamiliar streets and small alleyways, until she reached the cobbled path that led up into the mountain region. The houses were sparse here, only on occasion did a little hut line the way.
It didn't take long after that to reach the fringe of her old home.

For a moment Shian just stood there, in the darkness, cold hard tiles under her feet. She let the feeling wash over her that arose from just seeing the silhouette of the old stone fence directly in front of her.

She felt fear grasping for her heart, making her chest tight and her breathing heavy. The last time she had experienced a full blown anxiety attack had been with Koumei weeks ago and she sure didn't miss them. Sensing the familiar panic flood her mind she intuitively stumbled back, one hand hooked into the fabric of her top, trying to steady herself.
Easy Shian, she told herself, and took a few deep breaths. Take your time. You can do this.

Approaching with short steps, Shian finally passed the space between the stony fence posts and entered what had been the front yard.
For a few seconds she closed her eyes and exhaled consciously, concentrating on the sound of her breath and the low rustle of the nearby weeds.
When she opened her eyes again she flinched a bit at the sudden beam of light that lit up her surroundings.
During her walk up the moon had risen farther up the sky but had been continuously covered by thick clouds. Apparently while she had been standing there contemplating, the overcasting blanket moved and revealed the moon in all its silvery glory.

For the first time in seven years, Shian saw the remnants of their estate.