"You are unusually quite today..." Arashi remarked as I was practicing the verse the empress was teaching me.

"What happened?" He asked.

It was already night and the whole time, I had practiced every letters that I was supposed to learn. Even the instrument. I went to Rei and asked her to help me. Even when I was bad at it, I kept trying it.

I knew I didn't need it but that didn't mean, I didn't have to learn it. I went to the head maid to teach me the tea ceremony etiquette. Arashi had taught me but I wanted to perfect it.

I said, "I want to learn these..."

I had finished writing the letters and I dropped my ink pen. Then I turned around and hung the paper before Arashi. "How's it?"

He examined it for a few seconds and nodded. "Well, it has certainly improved a lot."

I smiled but it still didn't make me happy as I sighed.

He looked at me then to the ground where piles of papers laid. I had used up all the papers already.

"You...have you been practicing them the whole afternoon till now?" He asked, a bit surprised.

I nodded.

He raised a brow. "Well, that is impressive but you don't really have to do this. You do know we will leave once the trial is over."

I nodded. "But before that I want to...make sure everything is alright..." I whispered the later words but Arashi heard me.

He didn't say anything for a while as I kept repeating the verse of the ancient poems and I felt his gaze on me.

He finally said, "You seem so determined..."

"I am." I said and finally closed the book as I went to him.

I asked, "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded, "What is it?"

"Can you tell me the more about the cave?"

He looked at me for a while as if he was studying me. "Okay... What exactly you want me to tell?"

"About the traps..."

He nodded and said, "Okay... But if you think you can outrun the traps by knowing them, then... you are mistaken."

I nodded as I sat straight and said, "Don't worry. I know I am not able to do that..."

"Okay... But as I have already planned it, I will teach you some basic things so you won't fall in any trap."

I nodded, determined at learning about what he will teach me because I definitely needed to pass this.

***

I was with Rei as I was trying to play the instrument. I played some tune and Rei gasped.

I looked at her questioningly, "What happened?"

"You played the tune perfectly!" She said and grinned at me.

"I did?" I asked as I wasn't sure if I had or not.

To be honest, other than cooking and stitching, I wasn't good at other things.

She nodded frantically. "Yes! And I am surprised how fast you learnt that!"

I smiled but I wasn't happy. Well, because my mind would wonder to Princess Rose. I hadn't seen her or heard from her in days and I was worried.

I didn't know what would I do to make things right for her but for that I needed my power as Arashi's wife. Officially, my status was far lower than Akio and everyone in the palace.

Rei asked, "What happened?"

I realised I was distracted for a second and I got startled as she called me. I shook my head and said, "Nothing..."

Rei said, "You seem disturbed, Bianka... Did something happen with my brother?"

I chuckled, "No! It's not about him."

"Then?"

I didn't know if I should say her this or not. It was a very delicate matter and I was afraid I might end up making her life in danger as well. Princess Rose's life was already in danger. If these kept going, and she would die. No one would do anything and it would simply become like she had died from an illness. I hated that.

I sighed and asked, "If I tell you some worse things about your family, will you believe me?"

Rei was a bit flabbergasted and said, "I had seen worse, Bianka."

I nodded and asked, "How do you think Prince Daichi is?"

She gave it a thought and said, "He is an excellent Prince who knows how to get his jobs done. He is indeed very sharp and powerful. If that's what you wanted to ask."

I shook my head. "I meant about his personality."

"He is an excellent personality and because of him, his whole kingdom is now flourishing with wealth and prosperity." She said and I nodded.

Well, I wasn't talking about that... He certainly had done many great things for his people and for his family but I wanted to know what made him do those to his own wife?

I couldn't understand since everyone seemed to be very impressed by him. Everyone loved him and there were practically no rumours about him which would make him seem a bad person.

Rei said, "I guess, you weren't asking me about that..."

I gave a faint chuckle and said, "No, it is okay. I was just trying to know everyone in this family better."

However, she added, "Is it about Princess Rose?"

And my head snapped at her. She said, "Well, if it is then, I guess you have seen he is not very fond of her."

I nodded but didn't reveal about the bad things I had seen.

"If you ask my personal opinion then I would say, he doesn't like her and he wants to ignore her."

Rei added, "I have seen him since childhood and I feel like he is in...love with Akio..."

I looked at her with a pair of surprised eyes. She seemed a little hesitant about telling it but she told me anyway.

"What about Akio?" I asked. "Does she love him too?

"I am not sure since, she used to be very close to him but now it feels like she is just playing with him..." Rei shrugged, "It is just what I feel. I don't know, to be honest."

I nodded.

She said, "I think, it is because of Akio, brother Daichi has become this powerful."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Well, at first, Daichi's family wasn't this rich. Yes, they had the royal names of us but not wealthy at all." She said, "I think, after having the throne, he had worked hard to reach brother Rian. I don't know but I feel like he had always been envious and jealous of Brother Rian."

Well, that felt odd. If he was jealous then why he was angry with me? Shouldn't he be fighting with Arashi instead? I was still confused about wwhat was going on.

What did anything to have with Princess Rose? She wasn't even part of anything yet she had to feel his wrath. But I knew I could not tell Rei about all these. She wouldn't believe me...

I refrained asking more about Daichi and started ask about other cousins and family members. Rei made sure to tell me all about them from her point of view. It seemed they might held the royal statuses but they still had less power than Arashi and Daichi.

As the time came for me to return, I went back to my room and started to practice what Arashi taught me.

----

18th November, 22
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