9 The 3rd Prince Has Returned

Tianshi Xue dropped her clothes to the floor and it pooled around her feet. Her eyes turned scrutinizing. Her jaw almost dropped as her hands cupped the princess' bosoms. "Oh my God! They are really big."

She had refrained from looking at the body yesterday. She felt like she had no right to actually look at the princess' body. But while she was "inhabiting" this vessel, she needed to take care of it—even though this was just a dream, her mind quickly followed.

She could not really embrace the thought that this was now her reality. Because that was not really possible. Tonight, she was going to jump from the balcony. The next moment that she would open her eyes, she would be back in her old body.

Tianshi Xue walked closer to the mirror and was in awe. "She must've been locked in this palace, for real." She shook her head. "Her skin doesn't have that much sun damage and she's really fair." Her nose was little, her eyes big, and her mouth was small and light pink. The shape of her face was lovely and soft.

She could be pretty… beautiful, even, Tianshi Xue concluded.

Her gaze went down and she turned a little to look at the princess' back. Clear flawless skin.

Her body had curves in all the right places. She placed her palm on the stomach. "She has a little bit of this… and this," she said as she pinched on the arms and thighs. "But she's really sexy." Who knew that the princess was hiding something like this underneath all those layers of clothes when she goes out? She turned to the side and cupped the bottom. "A little flat, but okay."

She was suddenly reminded of some rule from the ancient days about how royalties were not meant to have scars—queens and future queens to be exact. That bullcrap was no longer implemented, right?

Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of knocking.

"What?" she groaned. To be honest, she was getting tired of all the knocks that she had encountered since yesterday. This was why she preferred to live alone.

"Ah, Princess Yingyue," said Howin from the other side of the door. "Prince Qui is arriving earlier than expected. We should get you fitted in your dress."

Tianshi Xue narrowed the princess' eyes on the mirror. Would she be able to face that monstrous face?

"I'm a good actress," she whispered to herself. "I'm just going to act like I don't hate him and that I am not scared of him."

Now, she had to act like she was royalty. It would be much like the same in occasions in the media. Actresses who hate each other had always been commanded by their managers to take pictures together.

Tianshi Xue raised her voice so her handmaiden could hear. "Fine. But I am going to bathe first."

"Do you need a hand, Princess?"

"No!" she said firmly. "I would like to take my baths on my OWN starting today."

"Okay, Princess. As you wish."

Tianshi Xue only shook her head and got into the shower.

**

When she was finally in the dress, it was as if her jaw dropped for the second time today. It was in a dark burgundy color, lightening until it turned to a peach pink and cream shade by the time it reached her ankles. It was flowy and had multiple layers. It was cut at the front to show her knees and legs. Her shoulders were bare and she was wearing gloves that reached her elbows.

I guess royalty did not mean that much modesty, she thought in her head, appreciating the princess' nice shoulders and collarbones.

"Where is Prince Xiaodan?"

"I haven't seen him since he left your room this morning, Your Highness. I think he's finishing the last minute preparations for the arrival of Prince Qui." Howin set the golden pins in her hair in the shape of leaves and moons. It stood out against the stark silver hair of the princess.

"Forgive me, Princess," said Howin in an uncertain tone. "But are you feeling quite well?"

"I'm good as new, Howin," she said in a cold voice. She didn't want to be this rude to the handmaiden. She was sure that the princess had been kind to her. But Tianshi Xue was NOT the princess. That was why she had to get out of this body. So the princess could return to it (if that was how it worked).

So she tried again to be more princess-like, "I… I still feel a little pain from my fall from the stairs. I think I'll feel better by tomorrow."

"No worries, Princess," answered Howin in a quiet voice as she clipped the last pin to her hair. "You're ready."

Tianshi Xue turned to the mirror and made the princess' lips smiled. Yeah, she could be kind of beautiful if she didn't look so pale. She turned to the table and found not a single make-up in sight.

Asking if the princess had cosmetics would be pushing it too far. Hell, the princess didn't have a TV and a Linker. So she did the oldest trick in the book and munched on her lips and pinched her cheeks to color. It didn't take much as the princess was very pale.

"Let's go."

Howin looked surprised. "Oh, no. Princess. You would have to go on your own. I am not allowed in the throne room."

"Yes," she said, feeling mortified. "I was talking to myself." Howin only bowed as she passed.

"Damn," she whispered as she went out the doors, looking at the long hallways, wondering which path she should take.

**

Prince Qui and the rest of the people had finally arrived in the Heping Empire. The gates were opened and their banner carrier spoke. "Prince Qui has returned to the Empire!" He repeated the phrase in all directions and the prince wanted to roll his eyes.

It was not like these people were happy to see him. He was the prince that lead the parade, slaves walking in the middle, guarded by soldiers on either side to make sure that no one would be able to escape. People lined up on the street, bowing to him as he passed. Some of them had the nerve to glare at him before looking at their feet.

Prince Qui's lips quirked upwards. "I have to get to the palace. You know what to do with these people."

Colonel Aiguo nodded at him and Prince Qui sunk his heels on the sides of the horse and they were flying with the wind.

It had been a year but not much has changed. They slowed down once they were inside the palace gates. He alighted and rubbed his horse before handing it over to one of the men waiting for him. He climbed the steps, feeling the fatigue on his legs.

The men opened the grand doors for him and he stopped walking when a man on the side announced him even though everyone in the room knew who he was.

"The 3rd Prince, Yang Qui, has returned!"