Meili walked out of her room and stretched. Her lessons had finished for the day, and she had a few hours to herself.
A pebble rolled from the roof into the garden, and she looked up to see Tan Bowen peeping over the ridge line.
That image was scarily familiar...
Manni was with her, so she spun around and grabbed the girl by both arms, staring into her face.
"Manni!"
"Yes, young miss?" she asked, startled.
"I have a terrible craving for egg tarts. Can I trouble you to go to Luna and buy me some?"
Manni laughed. Her young miss's desire for her favourite egg tarts was well known in the family.
"Alright, alright, I'm leaving now," she shook her head in mock dismay as she hurried off to get there before they closed.
Meili breathed a sigh of relief, "come down," she called to him.
Tan Bowen landed in her courtyard again.
Tricky raised a small growl this time, opening one eye, then closing it and going back to sleep.
"You really must work out how to visit me without climbing the rooftops. I'm worried the guards will shoot you down like a pheasant."
"Are you worried for me?" he grinned.
"Yes!" she said. "With good reason, too."
"Have you missed me?"
She laughed. "How could I miss you? It's only been two days since I saw you last."
He pouted playfully, "what have you been doing since then?" He plonked himself down in her pavilion.
"Well, the second prince came to visit me yesterday." That was big news for her.
Tan Bowen stilled. "Did he?" he asked lightly. "Why did he come to see you?"
"He brought me back my veil that flew off when I danced at the palace. But I think that was an excuse, I don't think that's why he really came."
"What do you think is the real reason?"
This should be interesting, he thought.
"I really don't know... It seemed like he might be angry at me. Do you think I angered him by running off from his Empress mother's flower viewing?"
"What makes you think he's angry at you?"
"He kept staring at me with this fiercely intense look, like he was expecting something from me. Something I have no idea what it was, but he seemed disappointed when I didn't give it to him. And then he pushed me up against the bridge and put his face into mine. I was quite scared. Does that make any sense at all?"
"Hmm, I couldn't really say," Tan Bowen studiously inspected his nails.
Makes perfect sense, he thought. One sided feelings, not reciprocated...
"He asked me what my hopes and dreams were, but then he didn't listen to my answer," she complained. "He seemed distracted by something. Anyway, the entire visit was mystery to me. I thought you might know more... You've been friends with him for years."
He was distracted by your face and body, Tan Bowen thought naughtily.
"Nope, I've got nothing," he said. "He's a man of mystery. Princes are a different breed from the rest of us. Ours is not to wonder why."
She smiled in agreement. "Yes I did think the same thing. I just hope I haven't upset him."
"I'm certain you haven't."
At least not in the way you have in mind, he thought.
"I brought us a game to play."
Tan Bowen pulled a cuju ball from his long sleeve.
"Hooray," she clapped, jumping up and down with delight.
She was quite skilled at cuju, having played many times with her brothers.
She did wonder quite how she would play dressed in her cream silk dress. Usually, she'd wear training clothes that allowed her to move much more freely.
Bu there was no time to worry about her outfit as Tan Bowen had already tossed the ball her way, and the pair started quite a skilful game, passing and catching the ball using nothing but their feet.
She was a good player and had learned in the rough and tumble of being the youngest of six, so she didn't hold back trying to win.
Soon they were both laughing uproariously as they tussled for the ball, jostling one another. She loved that Tan Bowen didn't treat her like a delicate piece of glass even though he was more than a foot taller than her. He reminded her of her brothers.
They started to do ferociously hard kicks at one another. Meili was now laughing so hard she wiped tears from her eyes.
Tan Bowen tucked the lovely image away. It could be treasured later in the safety of his bed.
He charged towards her with a hard kick. She missed the ball, and it struck her side, tilting her balance.
"Tan Bowen!" she squealed.
His momentum carried him forwards and he reached for her hand. She gripped his hand as she fell, pulling him on top of her.
They both fell into the hot spring with a splash.
She emerged from under the water to find herself lying flat on a rock ledge with Tan Bowen lying on top of her. His hair fell across his forehead and dripped into her eyes. She stared up at him, in utter embarrassment.
"Tan Bowen, get off me!" she yelled.
He turned bright red as he sat up, pulling her up behind him.
His eyes dropped to her chest, and she saw them widen in surprise. She looked down to see that her thin silk dress had turned see through in the water and clung to her chest, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.
She was not wearing her chest binding because she'd finished her lessons for the day and planned to say in her courtyard. She flung her arms across her chest. It was something of a futile exercise because she was 'over-blessed' in that department, and had thin little arms.
"Stop looking!" she cried.
"Sorry ... sorry!" he ducked his head playfully, like she was going to hit him.
"Oh my god Tan Bowen! Don't you know not to stare at a lady's... you know..."
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. They're just, kind of... hard to miss," he teased.
"Stop it, I'll kill you," she jumped on him and put her hands across his mouth and eyes.
"Mmmph, mmmph," he mumbled through her hand, laughing hard.
"Look who's sitting on who now," he tormented her.
"Stop it, stop it," she cried. "I'm getting out now. Don't look!" she said fiercely.
She took her hand off his mouth but left his eyes covered, as she tried to manoeuvre herself out of the water with one hand glued to his eyes.
When she managed to climb out, she rushed off to her room, still calling out "don't look Tan Bowen, don't look!"
He turned to watch her retreating form, and was treated to a view of her behind, with flimsy wet fabric clinging to it.
"Oh my god," he moaned, sinking under the water.
Why was this water so hot. He needed cold water so badly right now...