The empress stared hard at Yuelan, a frown forming on her perfectly made-up face. “Which family is this unfamiliar girl from?” she asked in a sweet-sounding yet arrogant voice. “This empress has not seen her before.”

Guangfeng stepped forward to partially shield Yuelan from the empress’ gaze. “She is Long Yuelan and is betrothed to this prince,” he answered on her behalf.

Yuelan frowned at Guangfeng’s back. “I can speak for myself,” she grumbled in a voice soft enough that only Guangfeng and Liling, who were closest to her, could hear.

“He knows that. He just wants to protect you,” Liling comforted in an equally soft voice.

Yuelan fixed her expression to appear calm, though her eyes still had a hard glint in them. Now wasn’t the time to argue with either of them over whether or not she needed protection in such a public place.

In front of them, the Empress placed her circular fan to cover her mouth and her eyes curved into crescents. “I see. So this is the girl from another country nobody has heard of before whom the emperor has placed everyone’s hopes on.”

“This emperor knew of the country Kilin before Miss Long came,” the emperor said calmly, his voice loud enough that others could hear it. “This emperor has a reason for doing what he did and wishes to remind everyone that they should not speculate. Even if the reason is not understood yet, it will be made clear eventually. This emperor has heard of the rumors regarding Miss Long and advises everyone that they should be careful to not do something they will regret in the future.”

The empress waved her fan in front of her for a moment before speaking. “This one heard Miss Long is skilled with the guzheng. Would Miss Long be willing to favor us with a song?”

Yuelan glanced at Guangfeng, wondering how soon the servant he’d sent would arrive with her guzheng. She turned her eyes back to the empress and curtsied. “Yuelan would be happy to play for the emperor and empress. His highness the third prince sent someone to my residence to retrieve my guzheng. As soon as the servant returns Yuelan would be delighted to perform.”

The empress’ smile looked more like a smirk as she nodded. Her eyes as she looked at Yuelan seemed to be calculating something. Yuelan returned the gaze with a calm, steady expression. The two stared at each other for several long seconds before the empress spoke again. “Then we will wait for the servant. Ainuan, why don’t you perform a song for us while we wait?”

The second princess gave her mother an elegant smile and curtsied, then waved a hand to summon a servant woman who was holding a bamboo flute. Ainuan took the flute and stepped to one side, bringing the instrument to her lips and beginning to play.

Most of the conversation among the banquet attendees ceased as everyone listened and watched the second princess with delighted expressions. Yuelan was willing to admit that the second princess was very skilled on the bamboo flute. The song she had selected was reminiscent of autumn and the leaves dancing in the wind as they fell from the trees. She smiled and closed her eyes so she could better appreciate the song until it ended five minutes later.

Polite applause from everyone at the banquet sounded and Yuelan joined in before curtsying to Ainuan. “Second Princess is very skilled on the flute. Yuelan is happy to have had the chance to appreciate your song.”

Yuelan’s sincere praise seemed to surprise the second princess, who looked at Yuelan with suspicion hidden in her eyes before forcing a smile and nodding. “Thank you, Miss Long. This princess looks forward to hearing you play as well. Your skill on the guzheng is something this princess remembers clearly from eldest sister’s cherry blossom banquet.”

“Thank you, Your Highness, for the praise.”

The empress’ hands slid into her sleeves and Yuelan thought the woman looked tense. The look in her eyes made Yuelan’s skin crawl with a prickling sensation, though she didn’t let it show on her face. She hadn’t done anything wrong and wasn’t sure why the empress seemed to be even more angry at her than before, but felt it was best to pretend she hadn’t noticed.

The emperor asked the third princess, Ruzhen, to perform as well. Ruzhen smiled and complied, having a servant produce a pipa and a stool. The third princess sat down and played a cheerful song. When her song finished, Liling, as the first princess, decided to join in and played a song on the erhu. By the time the last notes of Liling’s song had faded away, Yuelan’s guzheng had arrived.

Nobody was speaking with anyone else among those attending the banquet and everyone was watching the royal family and Yuelan. Yuelan sat down on the provided stool, placed her fingers on the strings, and started to play one of the songs that Guangfeng had given her to learn. It was a longer song and lasted almost fifteen minutes before the last notes sang in the air before softly fading to nothing. Yuelan lowered her hands, stood, and curtsied toward the emperor and empress.

The banquet was silent for almost a minute before everyone remembered to applaud. The emperor had a bright grin on his aging face and the empress looked furious, though she was hiding it well behind her smile and waving fan.

“Miss Long plays exceptionally well. She will not be an embarrassment to the women of the imperial family with her musical skill,” the empress stated.

Yuelan curtsied to accept the praise that felt more like it was intended to be an insult, especially with the empress’ eyes seeming like sharp daggers that bored into Yuelan’s forehead.

Before anyone else could say anything, the emperor called for the guests to be seated and ordered the food served. Yuelan went with Liling to her seat and was pleased to see that her spot was beside her friend Xiuya. At least she would have someone to talk to other than Liling.