They meet a second time in the same garden almost a year after their first encounter. This time, Yueying is seated on the stone bench beneath the cherry tree, with the flower buds still closed and green. She nurses her hands which are bandaged from the training that she has undergone. Callouses decorate her hands and fingers and fresh training wounds are bandaged with white cloth.
Yueying winces as she experimentally presses against the bandages. She sighs deeply, then closes her eyes; letting the mild breeze tickle her cheeks and hearing the wind rustle the leaves in the trees. It's at moments like these she finds peace and calmness during her daily life, away from the politics of the court and constant scandals that pass through the palace halls from gossiping servants.
Yueying's mind slips away to the past, before she ended up at the royal palace. She thinks of her parents and little brother with their tea house in the western regions of Kou. The tea house had been her life for sixteen years before running away. She remembers the early mornings when her and her brother would excitedly scramble out of bed and run into the gardens behind their tea house to pick tea leaves in the coolness of the mountain air just before the sweltering summer heat would set in. The sunrise of those early mornings were always her favourite. The rising sun would always shine onto the mountain faces in such a way that they would seem so much more detailed and dramatic. The sight etches into her mind and suddenly, a feeling of nostalgia weaves its way into her being.
The sudden smell of roasted tea that wafts through the air only intensifies the nostalgia. Yueying feels tears prick the corners of her eyes as she slowly opens them, letting the sunlight penetrate her sight, blinding her for only a moment. She sees a mop of red hair first, then pink eyes. She stands abruptly, wipes away the tears and bows her head in greeting.
"Am I interrupting you, Lady Wang?" His voice sounds clear as it cuts through the silence. Yueying raises her head and meets Koumei's pink eyes, then notices the tray with two teacups in his hands.
"No, Your Highness. Welcome back, I assume that your work with the Western Subjugation Army was fruitful? I hear you have also obtained a djinn, congratulations." Yueying rambles. "I take it that you are meeting someone here, so I will take my leave." She gathers her skirts in her hands and moves to leave.
Koumei clears his throat. "That is not necessary, Lady Wang. I was passing by earlier and noticed you here alone," He pauses, as if mustering up courage, then continues. "I was wondering if you'd like to share some tea with me."
Yueying stops in her tracks, slightly shocked at the Prince's offer. She regains her composure. "It-It would be an honour, Your Highness." She berates herself in her mind for stuttering as she and Koumei take a seat at the bench.
The tea tray sitting between the pair is the only thing that separates them on the bench. Their conversation carries on the wind, reaching the ears of curious servants. They talk about the weather at first, only giving short answers or nods of agreement.
Koumei mentions the mountains to the west and Yueying feels excitement bubble up within her as she tells the Second Prince about the early morning shadows on the mountains and about the fresh mountain air.
The tea between them cools as their conversation continues.
For once, the pair find solace within the palace halls.