The (h/c) haired girl sat as still as a rabbit in the much smaller princely palace she'd been brought to. With a stiff posture and a tense expression, she did not move, her eyes wide as though she expected the book across from her would eat her. To be certain, he was somewhat intimidating despite his small size. However, to her, who was tiny and frail from starvation, he was like a wolf waiting to strike a limping bunny. His piercing eyes also bored into her skull, further encouraging her notion of him as frightening.

That being said, contrary to her expectations, he simply was staring at her in both curiosity and irritation. When his older brother had burst into his palace unannounced, toting around the small girl, he was unable to refuse. After all, his brother held a grand standing, someone to be respected and listened to. The smaller ravenette held a similar viewpoint others did towards him, but it didn't mean that he was elated to do everything and anything his brother wanted him to do. He wasn't a hundred-percent sensible, after all, and of all things, he burdened him with a tiny girl who wanted nothing to do with him, or anyone else for that matter.

Zhan wasn't a fool. He obviously recognized the (h/c) haired princess that his father had so adored. She was the daughter of his father's savior, so he held an obligation to show her proper respect. He was only confused on how to perform such a feat when she wouldn't even blink in front of him. The male watched as she struggled to keep her eyes open lest he strike when they closed. They quivered as they dried out and a small tear fell until, eventually, she could no longer hold them open. As such, they quickly shut together before she opened them wide once more, repeating the process yet again.

Not expecting such a childish reaction to something as natural as blinking, the boy couldn't help but let out a chuckling scoff. The girl stiffened once more at his reaction, and he swore he could hear a bit of a whimper from her. Of course, he hadn't heard much about her as much as her mother. Yet, from the way the emperor had described the sorceress, he had expected her daughter to be just like her. It couldn't be further from the truth (unless his father was suffering from dementia).

Nonetheless, he kept a close watch on her, even especially moving his lessons to his own princely palace. The girl continued to stay remarkably still during the process. Through his etiquette, strategy, and calligraphy classes, she moved not an inch. Despite that, he somehow believed she would find the courage to perhaps speak to him. He figured she wanted to know what happened to his older brother. She formed an immaculate bond with him, after all, but he just left in the middle of the night, leaving her in a stranger's abode. The boy sighed. Then the sound of a small peep drew his eye.

The ravenette's blue eyes laid on her form. For the first time, she noticeably moved, her arms around her stomach as she blushed with great shame. He waited for a bit before she peeped again. Lifting an eyebrow, he then realized the reason behind her response. She was hungry. Zhan chuckled, holding his sleeve in front of his mouth to try and stifle the noise. Why she hadn't told him she wanted food, he didn't know, but it was only right to provide her a warm meal. It was winter, wasn't it? Summoning his head maid, the boy took that into careful consideration.

"Prepare some sweet tea, vegetable hot pot, and...a warm dessert. I'll leave it up to the kitchen to decide, but let them know it's for the princess."

The woman bowed low before backing away, respectfully facing towards the boy. He then attempted to smile at the girl, but in practice, it was more like a threatening grin. It wasn't an expression he liked to make in public. Remaining impartial was a better look for the imperial family. Then again, it was probably the reason why the (h/c) haired girl looked at him with teary eyes. When she did that, he regressed, apologetically darting his eyes the other way. He wouldn't want to make her feel trapped. Both his father and older brother would have given him an earful. The boy huffed, resting his chin on his hand.

It was when the meal arrived that he lightened up a little. While she was staying in his care, he would have far preferred she be at peace. As such, he presented the food to her, himself, placing it down on a lap table so she could remain seated on the bed. The warmth radiating off of the food instantly moved her. He could see that clearly. Again, he wasn't quite certain why she looked at it like it was the most precious substance in the world, but he was glad she thought that way. At least, he was until she refused to eat it.

He sat there, waiting for her to take a bite, but she didn't dare to. Rather, she stubbornly drooled while looking at it, her stomach squeaking at her to partake. With a murmur, he took a spoon and scooped up some of the hot pot radiating heat. Holding it up to her, he gave another disingenuous smile, yet she still didn't eat. Rather, tears fell from her eyes, causing the male to stumble on holding the utensil, dropping it clumsily.

"I apologize!" he blurted out, blushing with embarrassment.

The boy gazed down, moving back out of respect for her personal space. However, after an uncomfortable moment of silence, he gained the courage to look back up to her. In doing so, he discovered something interesting. At first, he had been incredibly confused on why it was his brother had specifically requested he look after her. Zhan thought it would have been better to leave her in the care of the eldest of them. That being said, she held a relentless stare on his raven hair, sometimes looking down at the blue eyes he shared with his second brother and imperial father. He realized it was due to those two characteristics that he was entrusted with her.

She looked so fondly at those features of him, almost reassured by their presence. It was as if she connected the idea of a protector to those with such characteristics. Suddenly, Zhan became quite enraged. His brother didn't need his help to care for her. It was to use him as a replacement in the meantime. Narrowing his eyes, he turned the corners of his lips down, unamused by the situation. So much for being viewed as a capable individual by his older brother.

"Please have something to eat," the male grumbled, though his feelings were more directed towards his brother than the tiny girl in front of him, "I promise, it's very delicious."

Though he expected she would continue to ignore his words and simply remain perfectly still as she had done the entire day, she exceeded his expectations. The (h/c) haired princess reached forward with a trembling hand, causing him to take on a stillness. Although he did widen his eyes, he made it a point to hold his breath, trying with all of his might to not scare her off. With such a timid personality, she was likely to flee if he even spoke. So, with great concern, he waited as she reached forward.

The girl touched a lock of his hair before drawing her hand back in surprise. In doing so, his heart dropped suddenly and dramatically. Still, she attempted once more, this time able to gently fold her fingers around it. Genuinely surprised by the soft feel of it, she gave a look more resembling one of concern. She then moved forward, observing the color of the male's eyes more closely. He tensed in embarrassment, cheeks dyed red at the proximity of their faces. Yet he remained as he was, allowing her to do as she wished.

"Zhan?" she stuttered nervously, unused to speaking.

"Y-Yes? Yes! That's me...I suppose."

"Zhan promises?"

"I never go back on my word. So, if you're asking if it's safe, I promise. And if you're asking if the food is delicious, I promise it is."

The (h/c) haired girl nodded, taking account of the male's words. It took her a while, but eventually, she seemed to take it as fact and soon gave the briefest of smiles. The sight made the male's heart beat quickly, allowing it to get lodged in his throat. He gave a dazed grin, uncertain of how to react to the situation. However, he knew he was relieved. The ravenette also knew that he was flattered. She took his word not because he looked like his brother, but because he put his name on the line of his promise.

Zhan looked up at the girl, his stern face turned soft and his composed demeanor turned to one of uncertainty. He genuinely didn't know what to do, completely at a loss for even words. As such, he simply acted on his wishes. Bringing the spoon to her lips again, he gave a soft gasp as she accepted. Though hesitantly, she tasted it with joy, her stomach rumbling for even more of the delicious substance. It was so tasty that she even reached forward to grab the spoon for herself, but was surprised to find the male pulled it back with a concerned look on his face.

"S-Sorry," he murmured, hiding the bottom part of his face with his sleeve.

Despite his apology, however, he nonetheless continued to hold onto the spoon. He chose to feed her himself, and though she would have rather not burdened him with the chore, she was too heavily invested in the food he gave her. As such, he was given the pleasure of feeding her by his own hand. Like a tiny squirrel, she beckoned more food from him, and though her cheeks didn't swell as he would have liked, it gave him great motivation for the future. Perhaps he could see them become chubby enough for him to squeeze at.

To his surprise - and utter thrill - the princess hadn't simply cast worthless words when saying she trusted him. She truthfully allowed herself to be under his protection. Though slow to act, she became just a bit braver, venturing around his room or reading on the bed. Occasionally, she would peek over his shoulder to see what he was doing. It was that action that made him flare up and lose his composure. She was too adorable for him to take.

"Zhan?" she peeped one day, pulling curiously on the side of his ruqun, "May I go on a walk with you?"

The boy suddenly paused. It wasn't unusual for the girl to stare outside the window, perhaps watching a sparrow land on a nearby bush, but she never wanted to leave the safety of his princely palace. She understood that she was far more protected within it than out of it, the area a safe haven. Yet, there she was, asking to venture outside of her little bubble. How was he to say "no" to her taking such a large step to reopening to others? It was his father's greatest wish that she be happy and content wherever she may go. As such, Zhan felt more than pleased to be able to help himself.

As she trembled, looking out of the door to the boy's private garden, she made small peeps of fear. Holding onto his hand tightly, she attempted to calm down with the promise that he would remain with her. She took one step before glancing over to the male, only proceeding when he gave an encouraging glance. A few minutes passed, allowing her to take a few steps into the garden. Every so often, she might have hidden behind Zhan or attempted to flee, but she surprisingly continued to go further into it. He thought she would have given up within a few tiny steps, but lo and behold, she was braver than he gave her credit for.

"Princess," the male paused, watching the girl crouched down to admire a lilypad on the outskirts of the frozen pond, "Do you know how to perform sorcery?"

At the sound of such a thing, the girl looked down in regret, allowing great regret to seep into the boy. He realized he may have reminded her of her departed mother, but it was something he had been curious about ever since his father had told him about her. Perhaps there was some secret lying within her abilities. He imagined she could have gained confidence through it or be able to protect herself. It would be worthwhile to know.

"N-No," she quivered, rubbing at her eyes, "I'm sorry. Please don't m-make me leave."

With an aching heart, the ravenette quickly embraced her with a chuckle. He understood why she reacted as she did, knowing it was rare for her to find a confidant, but he was pleased to hear such words. They were ridiculous, so much so that he couldn't even give a verbal reply. It was fortunate that she responded much better to embraces than words. He supposed she learned early on that words were cheap.

Despite the cold weather, the two sat together on the edge of the pond, the younger girl leaning on the boy's shoulder with great comfort. Draped over them was the warmest blanket imaginable, to help prevent the princess from catching a cold. Zhan also poured tea for her, instructing warm sweets to be brought out for them, the cups and plates resting on an ankle-high table. Ensuring she drank the warm beverage, he also passed her many custard buns, never satisfied with how many she ate.

In doing so, the princess hastily accepted, worried to offend him by refusing them. However, at some point, she began to chew slowly, a half-eaten bun remaining in her gloved hands. With shame, she looked up at the ravenette before squeaking and turning away. Embarrassed and filled with guilt, she could not face him, but he understood that perfectly well. As such, he took the bun from her and placed it back on a plate. The boy then began to pet her head affectionately.

"Mhm," he hummed, nuzzling her just barely, "You're nice and full now, right?"

"I'm sorry...I-I really can't eat any more - "

"I know. You did a good job, princess. Next time, I'll make something a little more fattening. Do you know how worrying it is to see such sunken cheeks? I feel like your tiny body is going to wither away in this weather. Older brother will despise that. So just keep eating."

The (h/c) haired girl nodded, not wanting to burden either of them. Of course, they were delighted to cater to her, but it wouldn't get into her tiny head that they loved her. Perhaps in different ways, but they did love her with all of their hearts. They found she had an aura that made her want to protect her until the end of the earth. Zhan figured it may have simply been passed down from her mother, but he didn't particularly care why it was. He just knew he wanted to hold her close and fatten up her cheeks.

"How is it outside? It's usually much prettier in the spring, but we'll have to wait for a bit so winter can pass."

"I like it."

"Yeah? Why is that? The flowers, the view, the animals?"

"Um...Zhan?"

The ravenette blushed, but the nippy air disguised his obvious affection as a side-effect of the cold weather. Either way, he was relieved to hear such a thing. She had accepted him as one of the few she trusted with her life. Not the maids or guards or even the emperor, himself, but one of the youngest princes. It did bring other questions to his mind though. About if she liked him more than his older brother or if she would have returned to his palace after he returned. He was very curious about that, but it was for another day.

Day after day, the two ventured further outside. (Y/n) would attempt to go further into the palace, trying to gain more confidence in herself and more trust in the people around her. However, neither truthfully worked. It was the sightseeing that made a positive impact on her, the girl eager to find an excuse to spend time with Zhan. He obliged, of course, but his relationship with her was getting to be far more obvious. So much so that gossip spread through the servants like wildfire, the news being delivered to the second prince.

While in a meeting with other generals, the male was delivered a discreet letter by his aide. Upon opening it, his eyes scanned over the page with dulled interest. Finishing it, he then elegantly folded the page back before carefully tucking it into the envelope. Xian then handed it back to the aide with a gentle smile. At this, his attendant took it carefully, thoroughly bewildered by his reaction.

"Go burn it," he grinned, tilting his head to the side.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me. Burn it. Then, when it's all ashes, burn it again. Maybe after, go ahead and bury it nice and deep."

"I...see. And do you have any other orders, your highness?"

"Nothing much. Just go ahead and have the servants prepare my things. We'll be heading back tomorrow."

The other generals looked over at the ravenette with astonished gazes. They were taken aback, unable to get a single word out. However, it was clear what they were lost on. Their meeting was supposed to take another week to finalize, so the idea that the ravenette would be skipping out was unheard of. Of course, what they didn't know is that he wasn't going to be leaving them to fend for themselves. Rather, he planned on draining them of all of their energy for the sheer sake of him returning to the imperial palace seven days earlier. But they wouldn't know from the look on his face.