A man of esteemed position sat with eight of his nine sons. They looked up at their father, some with looks of respect, others with boredom, and one of them even circled his finger along the carpet, attempting to entertain himself. The man, with a crown perched upon his combed raven hair, looked upon all of his children with adoration. With soft eyes, he spoke in a deep and calming voice, telling them the story of a long time ago.

"A sorceress?" one of the boys questioned, leaning forward with a tilt of his head.

"That's right, a sorceress. She was the most powerful one I've ever met, so strong she could change the shape of the moon. And should you have doubted her, she would have done so."

The man, with a portrait in his hands, turned it to face the boys sitting in front of him. A woman with short (h/c) hair stood tall and proud, covered from head to toe with yellow and golden fabric, the sign of gifted magical ability. Behind her stood the gleaming form of the man holding the portrait, his hand on her right shoulder. It appeared as though it was a painting of a husband and wife, but the truth was far from such a conclusion. If anything, it was a piece of art for two close companions.

"Yes, she was quite terrifying at times!" the man chuckled, using one hand to hold his stomach, "She was quite blunt, too, used to call me a...Well, I shouldn't say in front of you."

"Imperial father," one of the boys hummed, narrowing his eyes slightly, "If this woman insulted someone as noble as you, should she not be shamed?"

"Ah - Yes, ordinarily, but Bai Li is a special case. You see, she saved my life."

The looks of the man's children changed drastically. Even the one scribbling on the carpet seemed to gaze up, curious to hear the details of such a legendary feat. After all, their father was not fragile, skilled in the sword and strategy. To hear he was in such a position even he couldn't deal with was shocking enough, but supposedly, some foreign woman managed to surpass his own abilities? They were in awe, the younger ones' eyes sparkling with expectation while the older ones simply smirked, having heard the story before at least once.

"The battle we had with the Tao was a lengthy one, and it caused much despair in both sides. When we pushed them back, on the verge of victory, we were careless. We lowered our guard, and, in a last attempt to strike a blow to us, a small group of assassins rushed our base in the middle of the night. When a dagger was about to place a blow to my heart, Bai Li appeared. With a snap of her finger and a glow of bright blue light, she dealt with them all, saving my life."

"Then shouldn't she have a reward?!" one boy asked excitedly.

"No, she should be here in the imperial city!" another grinned.

"Actually, imperial father, I've always wondered why Bai Li didn't become the empress," the first son smiled gently, his younger brothers gasping in realization, "May we hear why?"

"Ha, she would never want such a fate! Becoming empress! I can't even imagine it! But I did offer her the position. A good ruler knows talent beyond social standing, after all. Yet she refused. I knew she would. She's always been a wanderer, a nomad of sorts, free-spirited and self-focused. Ruling an empire would have never suited her. And besides, she fell in love with Hao Feng. You know him as Emperor Feng, the ruler of an empire to the north."

"Is that so?!" the third son gasped, placing his hand over his mouth, "Emperor Feng, your closest ally?!"

"Not an ally, a friend. When she confessed to him - rudely - the two eloped away from the eyes of the imperial court. And then they had a daughter."

The boys nodded, though most didn't understand what "elope" meant past running away. Of course, most - save for the youngest - knew that the Feng emperor had returned to his post as the supreme ruler of the northern empire. He was a wise man, but a stern one, a man that could raise a loyal maid to a noble or demean the head of the foreign affairs department to a commoner. So he was regarded as an emperor that valued his citizens above all. To hear that he had a daughter with a commoner was not surprising.

"Then where is Miss Li now? I would very much like to meet the sorceress that saved imperial father!"

"Unfortunately, she passed away. The internal fighting in the imperial city led greedy and selfish men to arrange an assassination. And though Bai Li was beyond comparable to any others, she was poisoned, and when she was weak and paralyzed, they killed her. In fear that her daughter would take the seat of the throne with commoner's blood, the same cowardly men have begun to send killers after her, this small six-year-old princess."

"Begun?" the eldest frowned, tensing just slightly, "Imperial father, I have never heard of this before. The last time you told this story, Miss Li's daughter was safe in the palace. Her father loves her deeply. That's...what imperial father said."

"Yes, Hao loves her more than anything else. That is why he had to send her away in the arms of his most trusted guard. Right now, she is being carried on horseback away from the harm chasing her all on her own. It ails my heart to hear my savior's daughter is in such danger. It must be terrifying for her."

. . .

The clanking of the horseshoes against the soiled dirt of the forest was a repeating banging against the (h/c) haired girl's head. Tears that she shed had dried against her cheeks as she clung to her father's guard. The man was out of breath, panting, and was already losing blood. It had already stained her light yellow dress. The assassins behind them yelled and shouted threats, demanding the guard give her up lest he lose his life protecting her. She burrowed into his chest plate. It was hard, but it was comforting.

The snow soaked them to their skin, sending shivers along their spine. The man protecting her looked down quickly with eyebrows turned up in concern. He so desperately wanted the small thing under shelter and beside a fire. She was destined to catch a cold, the poor thing's cheeks red, her small body shivering despite the coat she wore. There was no food that she had access to, having run out shortly after their departure from the palace. And sleep was rare. The horse was so jostling that she got not a wink of sleep on it, and off it, they only ever let the horse rest. But she could not sleep in the freezing snow.

An arrow flew, striking true to the guard's neck. It placed itself through his trachea, blood spurting out of his blood vessels at a rapid pace. He attempted to say something, but a gurgling sound was only made, the sound of unvoiced air wheezing out of the hole the arrow had caused. He fell to the snow, the young girl sent down as well. His body trapped her small form between his bleeding body and the freezing snow, and her wet form only caused her to suffer more. Though she attempted to squeeze out from under the man, and he tried to get off of her with whatever fading strength he had left, it was no use. He died right then and there.

It was only when the assassins dragged him off to get to her did she be able to get away. However, she was only so tall, the snow too deep for her to run through. Rather, the best she could do was walk with great panic through the freezing powder. Her legs shivered as she held up her dress, her newly formed tears becoming ice that stayed glued to her cheeks. As the assassins came closer and closer, she screamed and yelled, begging for help. However, they soon grabbed onto her neck and lifted her up, a dagger swiftly flying to her heart.

The tiny princess cried and tightly closed her eyes, only able to hope that it wouldn't hurt too much. Yet, in doing so, a spear moved past her small form and struck through the man's head, making him instantly drop her. She shrieked in fear before being caught by strong and yet tense arms. Though she attempted to open her eyes to see who had caught her, a calloused and big hand placed itself over them before a deep and caring voice spoke to her.

"Don't open them and cover your ears." She was then picked up and placed on a horse, following his orders with great nervousness, "If you do that, I'll buy you some yummy dumplings on the way back."

The sound of food made the (h/c) haired girl cry. Her stomach rumbled with a desperate need for nutrition, and the male heard it well. A small grin came across his face before he launched himself forward, dealing with the assassins. He was brutal for the sake of ending their lives quickly. The small girl on his horse was freezing, starving, and on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. To see her as such, he grimaced, taking his anger out briefly on her would-be killers. Before long, they all dropped to the ground, their bodies staining the pure snow beneath them.

Silence enveloped the forest, the male cleaning his spear quickly of blood, flesh, and brain matter. He then placed his foot in the stirrup before lifting himself onto the saddle. His gentle hands placed themselves on hers. His gloves were warm, letting her lean into such heat with bliss. Figuring that he wanted her to look again, she lowered her hands from her ears and opened her eyes slowly, flinching as she did so. Upon seeing once more, she noted his large yet slender stature and raven hair, his piercing blue eyes putting her at ease.

With a kind smile, he removed her blood-stained coat and threw it to the ground. In doing so, he noted the man that had given his life to protect the precious child before him. Giving a somber expression, he let a moment of silence fade over them. He then removed his own coat and placed it over her. With body heat that had warmed it for her, it went over her form, far too large for her. Yet she wept.

"It's alright now," he spoke in a lulling voice, petting her head softly before pausing and giving her his gloves as well, "You'll be safe with me."

The girl nodded with great hesitation before looking up with teary and pitiful eyes. Grabbing onto his royal blue sleeve, she gave him a weeping gasp, begging him silently. She then looked down to the guard's corpse, the ravenette nodding. He understood her perfectly well. Hugging her tightly, he apologized quietly, tucking the girl into his chest. Again, it was warm. And she was grateful.

"I will send someone back to give him a proper burial. But for now, we must flee. There will be more not too far behind. Please, try to get some rest, princess."

Such a thing was easier said than done, but, in the arms of someone so warm, even despite the jostling of the horse's movements, she was able to close her eyes. In doing so, the male gave an appreciative smile, patting her head reassuringly while using the other hand to control the horse's reins. The travel made the male exhausted and he wanted so desperately to stop and get a good night's sleep at an inn. But he knew he couldn't. The girl in his arms was depending on him, and with a protective desperation, he continued on.

Such a need to continue defending her allowed him to keep on going, and due to such perseverance, when the imperial city came into view, the male's eyes brightened. In excitement, he looked down at the small girl in his arms and squeezed her tightly, nuzzling his nose into her hair. Her small (e/c) eyes fluttered open, bags under her eyes. Awakening, she held tightly onto his rough hand and looked up with fear. With adoration, he pet her small head and kissed her forehead, putting her at ease.

"Look there," he hummed, watching as her head turned slowly before her eyes widened, "That is your new home."

A look of both sorrow and somber acceptance crossed the small thing's face. She was likely relieved her arduous journey had come to a close, the freezing weather rendering her ill despite the male's warmth. Her running nose and frigid body temperature gaze that away, so returning to a place of great food, protection, and heat brought tears to her eyes. Yet, at the same time, she also wept because it was confirmation she would not see her father nor her mother again.

The ravenette gave a look of concern but still smiled, trying to give her a bit of support. In doing so, he nudged the horse's reins, instructing it to continue trotting to the city. It was then that he was able to hold the girl in one of his arms, using his other to lead the horse through the city. The bustling streets murmured at his passing, their eyes wide at the blood-soaked dress the small princess wore. Rumors spread like wildfire, but he paid it no mind, smiling lovingly as she hid herself in his neck. Like a little mole, she burrowed into him any chance she got. She was a sweet little thing.

The male, noting the girl's hesitance to show her face in front of strangers - likely due to fear that any one of them could have been assassins - sought to comfort her. He stopped in front of a stall, quietly pointing at the wares sold before paying the man. The ravenette then moved along to the palace, holding something steaming in front of the tiny princess. He watched amusedly as she discreetly lifted her head before she reached her hands out to take one of the dumplings. Her cheeks, which had been shrunken by her time running from killers, were soon filled up with delicacy. She shed more tears but continued to stay hidden in the male's neck. Occasionally, he would hear her sniffle.

Approaching the western wall of the palace, the male pulled over a hood to cover the girl's face. He then handed the reins to his horse to a nearby shadow guard before holding tightly onto the (h/c) haired princess. The ravenette jumped onto a nearby tree, using his one free hand to pull them up onto the branch before leaping to the high walls, barely grabbing onto it. Despite the closeness of the fall, he nonetheless smiled gently to her, tilting his head down as a sign of apology.

When within the palace, he quickly ushered her into his princely palace. There was simply one maid there, a woman with a cold demeanor. At the sight of her master, she stood to attention and bowed, her hand on her heart while on her knees. The male instructed her to stand before attempting to place the girl down on the floors. However, she only lifted her feet up before clinging tighter onto his arm, shaking her head rapidly. Lifting her back up, the male decided on, instead, listing out his orders. The woman obeyed immediately, having drawn a warm bath.

"(Y/n)," the ravenette spoke quietly, "This is one of my father's shadow guards. She will protect you at all costs, so please trust her. She's going to give you a nice, warm bath, okay?"

The girl shook her head again and again, desperate not to be separated from the male. Still, with the way she shivered and sneezed, he couldn't have her not be given such treatment. So, with an understanding heart, he escorted her to the bath. The "maid" followed close behind, there to help the royals. As the girl lowered herself into the bath, comforted almost immediately, she held tightly onto the male's hand. He had anticipated she would allow the maid to wash her hair while he held onto her hand, she refused it, shaking her head vigorously.

It became quite apparent that she was distrusting of anyone around her. He understood why, but for some reason, it was flattering. To be the only one that the princess relied on, he was proud. He supposed his only choice was to personally tend to her, and though he was inexperienced with the act of bathing someone, especially as it had been done for him his whole life, he didn't mind. Lathering her hair with shampoo and helping her relax, he smiled, singing a lullaby to put her at ease.

Soon after, she was helped to get into a warm outfit. Though it was simple as the ravenette couldn't put together any elaborate outfit, it was well-suited to her complexity. The male then extended his hand to her but was surprised when she jumped up into his arms. She snuggled him lovingly, trusting him completely, and because she did, she thought nothing of it as he moved her through the corridors of the palace.

The doors to the most majestic palace in the imperial city opened dramatically, servants bowing lowly to show utter respect. As the young princess lifted her head to see what they had entered, she laid her eyes on nine other males. One was clearly the emperor, the man looking at her with eyes of relief, but the others aged from their early twenties to the youngest around two. The sight of so many strangers sent her to shiver slightly, but with the reassuring pats she was given by the ravenette, she let him take her further into the emperor's palace.

The man rose suddenly, each of his sons following suit out of respect. He stepped forward to greet her, bowing at the waist. Once again, his sons did the same, the youngest stumbling to follow as his brothers did. The emperor looked up with a loving and appreciative beam, reaching out to have the honor of holding her. Yet she refused, hiding in the ravenette's neck with a cowering whimper.

"It must have been hard, (Y/n)," he murmured somberly, "but you should know you are safe here. As payment for your mother saving my life, you are under my protection. You will be treated like my own, so please make yourself at home."

The man's sons murmured amongst themselves, listening to their father's words as if it were law. They then crowded around their second brother and the girl in his arms to get a better glimpse of her. In many ways, she resembled her sorceress mother - at least the way their father described - but in others, she resembled her father. The smaller ones stood on their tip-toes, trying to peek at her face, but she wouldn't show it. Rather, she attempted to crawl up higher onto the male to escape them, whimpering in fear.

"(Y/n) is shaken up from the journey," the ravenette smiled gently, nuzzling his head to hers, "It would be best to leave her be for now."

"I imagine," the emperor sighed, "I'm only relieved that you made a connection with her. Then I should assign you the responsibility of caring for her, Xian."

"Of course, imperial father! I would be honored!"

As his father proclaimed, the ravenette was in charge of taking care of the princess. Just as her first day there, she only ever allowed him to touch her. Whenever she wanted to go outside, she waited for Xian. The face she would make when she saw him was the cutest thing in the world. She ran to him and jumped in his arms. From what he could tell, she loved him deeply, and he had no choice but to adore her back.

During one of their so-called "relaxing days" when she wasn't being "aggressively encouraged" to speak again, he sat on his bed, smiling cheerfully as he looked down at her. She had fallen asleep on his lap, having curled up like a cat. With soft breaths, he could see her back rise and fall with every tired snooze she made. Having been scolded by his elder brother for his lack of focus in his princely duties, he currently spent his time with the small being reading of the current situations in foreign lands. As one in love with the martial arts, he couldn't help but take more interest in wars. That being said, when no wars were occurring, he supposed looking into the girl's home country was profitable.

"Xian," a small yawn murmured, the male looking down to see the girl rubbing her eyes tiredly, "I want to cuddle."

With a small grumble brought upon by her tired nature, the girl turned on her side, reaching up to grab onto his hand. He chuckled, patting the top of her head before placing the scroll down. Lying down on his bed, the male was quite amused to see her scamper along the mattress to tuck herself between his arms. It was not long before the exhausted thing fell back asleep, breathing softly. The ravenette wasn't tired, and nor would he be for quite some time, but he did lay there for her the entire night. It was simply because he knew that she would have woken if he stirred.

Later along in the night, the male was greeted by one of his shadow guards. The man bowed as he entered, looking up to give a visible look of confusion at the girl there. She was sleeping peacefully, as she often did with the ravenette, but it was the way the male held her that bewildered him. The prince held her as though he was wary of the guard in front of him. Even though the man would have died to protect even the smallest sliver of a secret for the prince or the princess, he still held her protectively. With tense arms around her and a stern expression, he gave off an intimidating aura.

"I see," Xian frowned, petting the girl's head gently as he mulled over the male's words, "Then I suppose someone will need to watch over her. That may be more difficult than it sounds. And I must admit, I'm none too fond of the idea of leaving her under the care of someone else."

"Is your imperial highness...scared that the princess will attach to someone else?"

The ravenette smiled, tilting his head, but such expressions did not match the look in his eyes. The shadow guard was quite correct, and for the better or the worse, he was set to leave before the next afternoon. With a scowl on his face, he tapped his arm impatiently, attempting to put together a solution to his issue. Even if he was fine with just anyone looking after the (h/c) haired girl, she certainly wasn't. Her wariness for anyone besides him was quite the problem. This was especially true as he would rather have her well cared for by another than to leave her starving.

"Shall I look for a suitable arrangement?"

"No need. I'll come up with something, I suppose."

Slaving away on finding a solution to the issue, the male hardly achieved any sleep. It wasn't that big of a deal, as he would sleep in the carriage, but he would have preferred to spend the remainder of his time lovingly cuddling the princess. Nonetheless, he was also pleased when she woke up early, allowing him to feign being asleep. Much to his expectations, she began to play with his hair, braiding it before giggling to herself. He had also predicted her childish shriek as he tickled her with a teasing smirk.

She suspected nothing as he doted on her the entire morning. In fact, as always, she glowed, holding tightly onto his rough hand with her tiny ones. As he caressed them, following her around the garden, he suddenly grabbed hold of a good idea. By no means was it perfect, it was not even great. But it was passable, and a passable idea was what he needed. Picking up the small thing, he escorted her to the other side of the palace, drawing her curiosity. Her eyes scanned the area with small hums, but she still clung to the male's form, careful not to separate from him even a little.

"Xian," she murmured, combing the braids out of the male's hair, "Where are we going?"

The ravenette didn't answer. Rather, he allowed her to become overly curious, amused by the expressions she made when she was. As they entered the much smaller palace, he pet her head possessively. He wasn't all too pleased with her directing her smile at another person's palace, but, if he returned quickly, there shouldn't be an issue taking her back to his. As such, he simply let out a harsh sigh before giving a glare to the servants stationed outside the main door.

Despite the fact that he was uninvited nor had he given previous notice that he would be arriving, the guards bowed low nonetheless. They didn't question his presence, showing proper respect to the second eldest child. It was then that they opened the doors to the palace, revealing to the (h/c) haired girl a boy. He was adorned in royal blue, but it was raven hair that gave away his identity as another prince. That being said, whether it was because she was too frightened or too distracted by Xian, she didn't remember seeing him when she had first arrived.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, princess," he hummed somewhat boredly, bowing at the waist to show his respect, "...and older brother. May I be of some assistance? Perhaps you needed something from the palace?"

"Rather than that, I need your talents, Zhan."

"Talents? Do you need a book translated? I doubt older brother is lacking in such experts under his thrall. But if I must - "

"Yes, little Zhan, I require your talents, and by that, I mean your talent in having black hair!"

The boy paused. He then thought and thought and thought before drawing a blank. It was then that he scowled, tucking his hands into his ruqun's sleeves. Glowering at him, he wondered if there was some kind of punchline waiting for him to grasp, but alas, there was none. His older brother just stared at him with a kind smile, expecting an immediate answer. However, how was he supposed to draw a conclusion from such a strange comment? Should he have said yes? He expected it may work against him should he have agreed without any clear terms.

"Black hair? Older brother, I am concerned about your well-being. Have you ingested poison?"

"Not at all. Rather, besides your hair, I am also interested in your blue eyes. Yes, this should work perfectly well! What do you think, little princess?"

The younger male sighed, turning to look at the closest maid, "Bring the imperial physician. Tell him it is a matter of life and death."