Hello everyone! I apologize for the long gap between updates. Between college, moving dorms, moving houses, finals, the holidays AND a crazy roommate (AKA the reason I had to move to a new dorm), I didn't have much time to sit down and give this story much attention. I have recently started a job as well, so between classes and work I will try to find the time to get the next chapter done.

But enough of my excuses, I hope you all had a lovely (and safe) holiday season! I hope you enjoy this next chapter, and as always please leave some feedback to let me know what you think!

"Quills down and booklets closed."

Sawara's voice boomed out around the hall, the sound of rustling papers and relieved sighs echoing his announcement.

Kyoko might have sighed herself, but the pounding in her ears was too loud for her to hear much else.

She'd finished her test long before Sawara had called time, managing to be one of the first done. Her remaining time was spent meticulously double and triple checking each and every detail she had written, making sure she left no room for any error or misunderstanding. Normally Kyoko would have been satisfied with only checking once, but anxiety was fueling her frenzy and making her desperate to do anything in the hopes of avoiding looking in the direction of the blonde man that still loomed at the front of the room. She hadn't dared to glance up, not even once, since they'd first made eye contact at the start of the test, and she intended to keep it that way for as long as possible. Never again, if she could truly have her way.

"You may leave as soon as your papers have been collected." Sawara continued, raising both of his hands outward and pausing a moment before lightly flicking them inward towards himself. At his gesture a tidal wave of parchment rose into the air, each booklet peeling off wooden desks and flying across the hall to rest in a neat pile on top of his outstretched palms. After the last test had landed safely in his hands he looked up, nodding to them all in dismissal.

"As I said before, you will all be given your scores by the end of the day. Those of you who passed will also be provided with the next exam's location and time. To the rest of you, I hope you enjoyed your stay, and I send you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors."

At his words there was a shifting around the hall. Chairs scraped against the floor, and low mummers of conversation bubbled up in scattered pockets that quickly began to form.

Without the booklet in front of her to preoccupy her gaze and not wanting to risk another moment by lingering for too long, Kyoko's hands lunged under her chair to grab her bag, scrambling out of her seat in a manner that she feared was more than a little ungraceful.

Not bothering to take the time to compose herself, she rushed towards the exit as fast as she could, trying her best not to seem unnatural but not caring enough to walk at a normal pace. Thankfully the open hall had plenty more space than the market's narrow streets, and avoiding crashing into someone was much easier than it had been the day before.

She walked boldly through the large propped doors, relieved to make it outside without any accidents and grateful for a breath of fresh air. Kyoko felt her lungs ache in relief as a weight lifted off of them. She didn't even realize she hadn't been breathing properly while inside the testing center, and felt foolish at her own negligence to her health.

"Afternoon, Miss Kyoko!"

Piers' cheerful voice cut through her self-scolding, a bright smile radiating off of his face as he skipped across the grass to greet her.

She could feel a smile growing on her own face as well, his positive mood contagious.
"Hello, Piers," she replied, adjusting her bag on her shoulder as he approached.

Piers stopped in front of her, bouncing on the balls of his heels and obvious excitement bubbling underneath his expression.

"So how do you feel? Do you think you passed?" He asked.
At that, Kyoko couldn't help but frown. She felt rather confident of her answers, and found the majority of the test to be fairly straightforward. What had drained her so much was the stubborn buzzing in her head that hadn't stopped since she noticed the blonde man waltz right through the front of the testing hall, and it still had yet to completely go away.

Deciding she didn't need to tell Piers all of that, she held back a stubborn sigh and chose to only answer the last part of his question.

"I think I did alright, but of course I won't know for certain until the results come out later tonight," Kyoko replied, in what she hoped wasn't too heavy of a tone.

Piers studied her face for a moment, the corners on his mouth quirking downward in a slight frown. But he just shrugged at her answer as if to agree before offering her his arm and a reassuring look. Nodding in the direction he had come from with a smile, he led their way back to the palace with light conversation and reassuring words.

They were about halfway through their walk back when Kyoko noticed Piers take a turn she didn't recognize.

"Are we going back a different way?" she asked, confused.

To her surprise, Piers looked slightly guilty as he stopped and turned himself around to face her. Kyoko could tell he was hesitating, obviously unsure of himself or what to say. When he did reply he spoke slowly, eyes focused on the ground between his feet.

"Well… after you came out from the testing hall, I thought you looked kinda worn out, so I thought maybe you might want to walk through the conservatory on the way back. You seemed so relaxed when we visited earlier, and there's a few seating areas on the second and third floors too, if you wanted to take some time to rest..." His hands twisted behind his back as he spoke, tugging at the ends of his servants uniform. Her silence only seemed to heighten Piers' anxiety, obvious doubt flooding his worried face. His next words came out in a rush, and Kyoko thought he might choke on his own tongue if it moved any faster.

"U-Unless of course I was wrong and you would rather go back to your room after all. I'm terribly sorry for assuming anything, I shouldn't have gone out of our way and just walked you back to your room. We can turn back right now, and I will accompany you to-"

His ramblings were cut off by a light giggle. Kyoko held up a hand to her mouth, a small smile still obvious behind her eyes as she tried to stifle another laugh.

"Really Piers, I don't mind at all. I would love to go to the conservatory."

Even after her assurance he seemed to be unsure, but Kyoko only offered him a warm smile before continuing to walk in the direction he had taken them.

Kyoko was grateful Piers had noticed her sour mood, and was even more grateful that he cared enough to take her back to the conservatory. It was such a kind gesture, something no one would have done for her back home in the Southern region.

When they arrived, the conservatory was empty once again. The group of mages that had come in earlier was no longer there, and Kyoko was glad she wouldn't have to worry about interrupting their work, even though Piers had insisted she wouldn't be in their way.

"I'll wait down here to give you some space," Piers said from where he stood by the entrance. "I've got some herbs I need to collect anyway for the kitchen staff, so feel free to take your time and spend as long as you like. I'm in no rush."

Kyoko gave him a thankful nod and turned towards the spiraling staircase they had passed earlier. In the morning when they had visited, Kyoko hadn't gotten the chance to explore the upper levels, but admired the twisting stairs that were covered in overgrown vines and budding flowers. Now, the flowers had opened, revealing dusty blue petals with curving white lines leading to their centers.

Gently placing her foot on the first step, Kyoko felt abruptly aware of how still everything was around her. She turned her gaze upward as she ascended, entranced by the new beauty the conservatory now held as the soon setting sun bathed the sanctuary in golden light. Leaves that had previously been a deep, veiny green were now shifting into a vibrant burnt sienna. The tall glass walls that enclosed the space reflected every angle of light bleeding in, blending the greens and reds and oranges beautifully across a crystal canvas. The scene was breathtaking, and as Kyoko climbed the last few steps, she found herself in what looked like a sea of earthy orange and green.

The second level brought about the soft aroma of a flower Kyoko didn't recognize, tickling her nose and leaving a sweet perfume hanging in the air. Curious, she began to walk through the hanging vines, eager to see what was responsible for such a pleasant scent.

She wandered past dozens of organized herbs and spices, all labeled in neat manuscript before she spotted another staircase, covered in just as many vines and considerably narrower than the first. Passing it, she came across one of the sitting areas Piers had mentioned on their walk over. Carved marble pillars with sagging vines framed stained wooden benches, the sweet aroma growing stronger as she approached. If she took a closer look, she could see scattered bunches of small red flowers hanging off thin stems sprouting off the body of each vine. Deciding to take a seat, Kyoko sighed as she breathed in the heavy scent, finally feeling the last of the buzzing in her head die down.

Alone and hidden by the vines, she felt like she could finally think clearly again. The first test was over, and she'd tried her best. Now all that was left was to wait for the results.

Even if the blonde man was there for my test, he probably doesn't have any real power over Sawara to sway my results, no matter how much he might dislike me. Kyoko thought to herself. Afterall, Sawara is the head of medicine here at the palace. And it's not like that blonde guy is the king or anything. He's probably something like an assistant that was there to help proctor the exams… She lingered on that thought for a moment, amused at her own misjudgment.A clear mindset really does do wonders to help soothe one's anxiety…

Feeling considerably more relaxed and not nearly as troubled over what the blonde man's identity really meant to her, Kyoko nestled into a cushion resting at the end of the bench. Closing her eyes, she could still see the faint orange shadows of the leaves that hung over her through her eyelids as her thoughts lazily drifted in and out. She wasn't sure how long she sat there underneath the red flowers, but she could feel the warm sun sliding across her face as it slowly traveled closer and closer to its home on the horizon. It was only when she heard Pier's footsteps approaching that she bothered to open her eyes again, stretching her arms above her head with a wide yawn.

"Did you finish collecting everything you needed for the kitchen staff?" Kyoko asked, rubbing her nose and turning to face him.

But when she moved her hands away from her face, it wasn't Piers that greeted her.

If looks could kill, Kyoko was certain she would have been six feet under by now. The buzzing in her head was suddenly back at full force as hard green eyes looked coldly into her own. As usual, attached was a face that was even more formidable, glowering down at her with a look that was far too foul to be worn by someone so handsome. All she could do was wait in stunned silence underneath the blonde man's ruthless gaze.

"You." Was all he said. Even without his horrible expression, his demeaning tone was all Kyoko needed to hear to know it was meant as an insult.

Annoyance quickly replaced her shock, dissolving any remaining wisps of panic Kyoko might have felt.

"Me?" She repeated, exasperated. "What about YOU? I mean seriously, first I run into you at the market yesterday, then you're at the written exam today. And now you just so happen to be here in the conservatory too? What, are you stalking me or something now? And I thought no one but mages and physicians even bothered to come in here anyway?" Huffing herself up, she stood up from her spot on the bench, pointing a steady finger up at his obnoxious face, anger pushing her words out of her mouth with more energy than she thought she had.

"I never even did anything to warrant all your crude behavior! What? Someone bumps into you one time in a crowded market and you decide to hold a grudge against them forever? Who the hell do you think you are? Cause you sure as hell act like a professional insufferable ass that seems to think the whole world needs to push its needs aside all for your own personal convenience!"

Kyoko could feel her gut telling her to stop, to just let it go. She didn't want to ruin her good mood, especially after all the trouble that Piers had gone through by taking her to the conservatory to relax. Besides, even if this guy was only an assistant helping with the exams, if Kyoko passed then she'd most likely have to start working with him. And how could she expect herself to work efficiently with a potential co-physician if she couldn't even get through one conversation without spiraling into a full blown argument?

And yet she couldn't get herself to calm down. How could she when he seemed to wear that obnoxious look of smug superiority like a badge on his face. Clearly someone needed to be put in their place, and she'd be damned if he thought it would be her.

But before she could open her mouth again to hurl more fighting words, someone else walked down from the stairs leading to the third level. Kyoko turned toward the motion and to her surprise saw Head Physician Sawara, dressed in a green physician's robe and gesturing toward the blonde. He must have heard her yelling, if the questioning look on his face was anything to go by. But however curious he might have been, he didn't pry, and instead turned his attention to the blonde man.

"I thought you might have headed down here, Prince Kuon. I still have one more batch of mugwort I would like to run by you before you head back up to the palace if that's alright."

If bodies could evaporate, Kyoko would have done so right then and there. All of her anger had been snuffed out instantly, replaced instead with a cold sinking feeling that started deep in her gut and creeped out to the rest of her body as she processed how Sawara had just addressed the man. He didn't even seem to notice her panic as he guided the blonde's, no, the Prince's shoulder, leading him over to a large section of growing mugwort to their right.

Kyoko simply remained where she was in frozen silence, trying to remember which torcher methods were still legal in the kingdom and guessing which one the Prince might use on her to atone for all the verbal abuse she had laid against him the past two days. Even if he did deserve it, there was no way she would be allowed to continue living after insulting a member of the royal family to the extent that she already had. At least no one would mourn her, except maybe the nice couple that had let her stay with them during her time in the capitol. But the law was the law, and she was sure they would understand. The landlady might even scold her for her misbehavior if she knew…

"And who might this be?"

Snapping her head up, Kyoko found Sawara walking towards her, mild interest written in the thin wrinkles on his face. His curiosity must have gotten the best of him, and Kyoko wished more than anything that he would have kept his questions to himself. The last thing she needed was for the Head of Medicine to find out she had been yelling at the Prince. Even if she did pass the exams and managed to live through whatever punishment the Prince had planned, she doubted he would want to employ someone who seemed so quick to anger.

The Prince remained behind Sawara, and for the first time Kyoko saw something besides anger or condescending annoyance on his face. Instead, amused lines now creased around the corners of his eyes and lips as he watched her. He was obviously enjoying her panicked state, and that made Kyoko all the more nervous for what was to come.

Realizing that Sawara had asked her a question, Kyoko looked back at him to answer, but stopped before she could choke out a response. Even if she lied about who she was, he would surely recognize her if she attended the next exam. Not to mention that could very likely get her in even more trouble than she was already in. To her surprise, it was the Prince that spoke and interrupted her silence.

"I believe she's here to take the physician exams, Sir." Kyoko could tell that he was trying to sound professional, but he couldn't quite conceal the distaste that leaked out of his mouth. Sawara seemed to notice as well, and turned to give the Prince an odd look before glancing back at Kyoko.

"Is that so? And… do you two happen to know each other?" He sounded even more curious than he looked, no doubt picking up on the sour energy radiating off the two of them.

Another question Kyoko wasn't quite sure how to answer. Even though she had run into him three times already, she certainly didn't know him. She wasn't even an acquaintance. Mortal enemy seemed a bit too strong of a word, although that was probably what her emotions best aligned with.

"Um, well-" she tried to start, but was cut off yet again.

"No. Not at all." The Prince interrupted bluntly, earning himself another confused look from Sawara.

"Oh. I see." Sawara looked like he wanted to ask further, but the Prince simply turned around and left down the stairs that led to the first floor. Sawara watched as he left, a single eyebrow raised, but didn't seem to bother lingering on it much longer as he turned back to Kyoko.

"None the matter," he said with a sigh. "If you're here for the physician exams, then I assume you already know who I am," Sawara continued, reaching a hand out towards Kyoko.
"Takenori Sawara, Head of Medicine here at the palace, and monitor for the annual physician exams."

Kyoko stared at his outstretched palm, shocked someone of his level was offering it to her so casually. Slowly, she offered her own hand, unsure if she should really accept his offer at a handshake.

"I'm Mogami Kyoko. I come from the Southern Region." She tried to manage a smile, but it felt unnatural and she worried it looked more like a grimace.

If Sawara noticed, he didn't show it. He dropped his hand away and offered his own smile, gesturing to the large collection of plants around them.

"I see you've found the conservatory. Interesting for someone new to the palace to already know about it. Have you visited before?"

"Oh no! This is my first time here in the capitol, let alone the palace. Piers, my guide, showed this to me." She paused a moment, wondering if she should continue. "It's a very beautiful conservatory. I don't think I've ever been surrounded by so much life before, even when I lived in the Southern Region."

That made Sawara laugh, although Kyoko wasn't sure why.

He didn't elaborate on what he thought was so funny, and instead nodded back up to the third floor.

"I still have some clippings I need to check up on, but it's been a pleasure coming into your company this evening." He turned back to the stairs, but stopped before he made it to the first step.

"You know, you're more than welcome to spend your time here in the conservatory. I hope the Prince and I haven't made you feel unwelcome with our presence. He rarely conducts himself in such a manner, and I apologize if his attitude was too intense and frightened you."

Kyoko wasn't sure how to respond, but managed to choke out a quick "thank you," before he grabbed the railing and disappeared to the third floor.