The next morning, in the Imperial Palace, a maid served the Emperor his breakfast, and when no one was looking, she yawned widely. 

Sleep had eluded her last night, as the banshee-like wails echoing through the hallways terrified her. Rumor had it that those cries had come from the bedroom that belonged to the Emperor's beloved princess. One of the maids, who cleaned the room that morning, claimed she had had to pick up several broken feather dusters, which littered the room. No one knew what had caused the disturbance. 

"Tell me again; why will you be out all day today?" The Emperor asked Baiyi as he ate his breakfast. 

"I told you already; I need to find shelter for the survivors. I also need to make sure that it's safe to bring her back to the palace," Baiyi replied. "What would happen if she went berserk and hurt someone?" 

"Very thoughtful of you, but honestly, these are menial tasks you could leave to your subjects," the Emperor replied, after which his gaze shifted to Mia, w