She watched the men closely and wondered why they were suspicious about a young girl. Perhaps they thought she would bring him more trouble.

 “As soon as I’ve guided you to the right place, we can go our separate ways,” she told them regretfully. “I have to return home soon, anyway.”

 He smiled slightly as he intended not to let her go so quickly.

 “See?” he offered his worried companions.

 Before they could stop him, he walked away with her in the lead.

 As they passed stalls of merchants she knew well, she would tell him their life stories:

 One woman had lost her husband in the war and sold cakes and sweet bread to support their children.

 A man with a booth for jade and hairpins created his beautiful pieces in a broken down hut at the edge of town. He shared most of his profit with soldiers’ widows.

 A mother and son selling leather goods had been waiting for more than a year to hear about her husband’s whereabouts. He went missing after an exceptionally bloody battle, but his body was never recovered.

 An elderly couple ran another booth selling baked goods. They loved seeing the smiles on children’s faces as they ate their cookies and candies. It reminded them of their own children, who had died delivering food to the soldiers and mistakenly traveled too close to the battleground.

 “So many of these people have lost loved ones in this war,” he remarked sadly. “I’m certain the other kingdom has just as many casualties.”

 He watched her cautiously for her reaction to his remark.

 “The soldiers and their families suffer the most on both sides,” she replied. “They all deserve peace, no matter which king they serve.”

 He smiled at her compassion for the enemy. He had heard many terrible words to describe innocent people simply because of their allegiance. Finding someone who realized victims existed in both kingdoms was rare and refreshing.

 “How do you feel about King Zhāng?” he warily asked.

 He ignored his brother when he cleared his throat to end this direction of the conversation. He needed to hear her true feelings rather than propaganda keeping the hate between kingdoms thriving.

 She stopped a man selling candied hawthorns and bought one for each of them before answering. He took the offer and listened nervously.

 “I think he is like our King Yīng,” she answered before tasting one of the coated fruit. “He cares about his people and wants to honor the kings of the past by winning the war they cultivated.”

 She took a bite while eyeing him thoughtfully. He seemed surprised by her answer, but she wasn’t sure if the other expression was contemplation or anger.

 “Both kings feel an obligation to their predecessors, that they are bound by honor to achieve a win,” she continued. “I believe this is the only reason the war has continued.”

 He watched her sink her teeth into another bright red treat and glanced behind him at the other two men. They only looked at him in disapproval of his provocation. While he was taken aback by her bold answer, he wasn’t disappointed. He had argued this point with his father many times, only to have it fall on deaf ears and a stubborn ego.

 She continued when he didn’t reply, grateful she finally had an opportunity to speak with someone who sincerely cared what she felt about the war.

 “I believe one day, there will be someone who can bring peace to both kingdoms,” she said. “It won’t be through war but reason, compromise, and mutual understanding.

 If our kings and officials could set aside their pride and speak openly with one another with the objective to live in unity rather than how an alliance can benefit their need for power, they could end this bloodshed and move forward for a stronger empire.”

 He stared at her with growing interest.

 “Pretty and definitely not stupid,” he thought to himself as he glanced back at his brother for his prior assessment.

 She was no ordinary girl in a land full of revenge-driven citizens and pampered sovereigns. He had always believed in the words she had spoken, but before he could express his agreement, she skipped away from his side.

 She hurried ahead of him as they reached the lantern seller she sought.

 “What do you think?” she called out as she lifted a beautifully painted lantern from the string where it had been displayed.

 “Koi?” he noted and looked over the others. “I prefer this one,” he replied.

 He held up one painted with a crane flying over a pond of pink lotuses.

 She laughed and replaced the koi lantern.

 “Then I’ll take that one,” she said. 

 She pointed to one with a multitude of butterflies flying among drifting peach blossoms. He smiled and took it down for her.

 “Where do we release them?” he asked as they held their lanterns and looked around.

 “There,” she answered.

 She pointed toward the people lining up along a railing at the edge of a pond.

 “Hurry!” she rushed him and grabbed his arm to pull him with her.

 He laughed at her excitement as they ran to find a spot not taken, leaving the other two men behind. They reached the lake just as everyone began releasing their lanterns and quickly added theirs to the growing cloud of fire and paper art.

 “Wow!” she breathed as they watched the sky light up in dozens of man-made stars.

 He watched for a bit but was more interested in looking at the girl by his side. He stared down at her covered face and wondered what would happen if he stole her away and brought her home to be his wife. Kidnapping a girl and forcing her into marriage wasn’t his idea of honor or romance, but if he could think of another way to have her in his life, he would take it.

 She looked up to see him staring down at her and her heart beat faster. Their eyes met and she wished she could escape in them forever.

 She suddenly remembered the time and knew her absence would be noticed.

 “I have to go,” she blurted. “I’m not supposed to be out this late.”

 She turned to hurry away but he stepped in front of her.

 “It’s dangerous to walk alone,” he worried. “Let me bring you home.”

 She bit her lip as she fought the desire to agree. If this were the last time she was to see him, leaving with him would give them extra time together. He couldn’t know who she was or where she lived, though, so she politely declined.

 “If my father sees me walking home with a stranger, he’ll be furious,” she replied. “I’m already in trouble for coming here without an escort.”

 He looked around for an answer, something to have more time with her but without getting her into any more trouble.

 “What if I walk with you most of the way?” he offered, pleading inwardly for her to agree to his compromise.

 The two men with him exchanged silent glances. She would be going home and they could finally get him to leave. Escorting her wasn’t too much to ask. Regardless of their precarious situation of being in this place, she was a young girl who needed to be protected.

 She was happy he wanted to spend more time with her, but her stomach was beginning to turn over her concern for being out. Then she recalled the four men who attacked her earlier. What if they were still around and found her by herself?

 “All right,” she agreed as she subconsciously took a step closer to him at the frightening memory.

 He smiled and motioned for her to lead the way.

 She guided them from the road they had taken to reach the pond to another that would take them directly through the village toward her hidden trail.

 Along the way, he stopped her to ask about a secluded area barely lit by stone lanterns but aglow with the moonlight.

 “What place is this?” he asked as he took a step onto the rocky path leading in.

 She stepped forward with him and answered fondly, “A garden the villagers created for me.”

 Her eyes widened at yet another slip of her tongue. Why did she feel so comfortable with him that she kept forgetting her secrets?

 He looked at her in thought.

 “They really love you,” he remarked with more curiosity than admiration. 

 Who was she that an entire village befriended her and created such an enchanting sanctuary for her?

 The slightly questioning tone of his remark made her anxious, but she was quick with a vague answer.

 “I’m here a lot to visit the merchants,” she answered honestly. “They were grateful for help I provided, so they built this for me to visit when I’m here.”

 “Oh,” he answered and decided not to press her for more. He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable enough to run off alone.

 Forgetting the urgency of returning home, she took another step forward into the garden.

 “Walk with me,” she invited in a soft voice, and he found himself unable to resist her gentle command.

 He turned toward his brother and friend and motioned for them to stay. He wanted her to himself for the short time they had remaining. They reluctantly obliged and sat down on a nearby bench to guard the entrance.

 As the pair strolled along the bordering flowers, she looked him over to find more clues to his identity. She could always ask him to remove his mask or even for his name, but that would ruin the fun she planned when she created the mask in the first place.

 She noticed before that his clothes weren’t simple or common, and upon closer inspection, she was sure she was right that he was the son of a rich family. His long, deep blue embroidered robes draped his tall, strong figure nicely. White and black layers beneath peaking out from the neckline looked to be the finest quality silk.

 Around his waist was a wide black belt with buckles that held his expensive sword. Hanging below the belt in the front was a bright white jade figure adorned with silver, jade beads, and a black tassel.

 Instead of allowing his sleeves to drape as most men at the festival, he had wrapped them securely around his wrists with black leather straps. Her brothers did this when they wanted their sleeves bound for fighting. He was on alert here at this happy celebration, and she wondered why.

 Looking up to examine his features, she noticed for the first time the intricately carved silver clasp fastened around the wrapped section of hair at the crown of his head. The rest of his black locks flowed smoothly down his back to the top of his belt.

 The black mask suited everything about him perfectly, and she shook her head in disbelief at another coincidence.

 He looked around at the flowers, pretending not to notice her visual appraisal of him. Was she admiring his physical qualities, or had she become suspicious about his identity? He silently laughed at the possibility he was more eager about her true persona than she was about his.

 He dared not allow his gaze to linger as long as hers in worry of making her uncomfortable or afraid. He had seen enough to know she was young, beautiful, and obviously from a social class higher than anyone in this village. He suspected her identity was the reason behind this dedicated garden, but he said nothing to alarm her. She hid herself for a reason, and he would respect it. A young rich girl on her own would be a more delicious target than the simple prey those men were after. She wasn’t so naïve after all.

 As he looked ahead, something caught his eye. He squinted in the dim light and motioned with a nod.

 “Is that a swing?” he asked.

 She pulled her eyes away from him to find what he was asking. When she saw it, she smiled broadly and grabbed his arm to pull him once again.

 She sat on the seat large enough for adults and began to push with her feet. He stood behind her and gripped the ropes to help her.

 He looked around to see if they were alone. His need to kiss her had grown stronger, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to behave so thoughtlessly. It would be wrong to steal what would certainly be her first kiss when he knew they would be separated before the end of the night, though not for long.

 As he gently pushed the swing and listened to her soft laughter, he knew he would never let her go. He would find her again and make her his.

 He knew the struggle he would have convincing his father, but what about hers? She mentioned a strict father and brothers who had left her when she needed them. Who were they? Did they hold any power that should concern him?

 “Do you want to know a secret?” she whispered and he held his breath in anticipation. “Today is my birthday,” she said a bit louder.

 He stopped pushing her for a minute, disappointed it wasn’t her name or where she came from, then pushed again as he replied.

 “You should have told me sooner,” he said. “I would have bought you a gift.”

 She shook her head at his kind offer. “You saved me from those men and then stayed with me so I could have fun. This was my best birthday in a long time.”

 He let go of the swing to walk around and sit beside her. Reaching around her back with one arm, he held the rope again and pushed them with his boot.

 “Why would your brothers abandon you on your birthday?” he asked, feeling a bit angry at their neglect.

 “They didn’t abandon me,” she replied, enjoying the feel of him sitting so close and his arm behind her. “They were called away to the battlefield a few days ago. They didn’t want to leave, but they were needed for supplies and reinforcements.”

 He was silent and dared not breathe. There was so much she could say at this moment that would reveal the movements of the enemy army. On one hand, it was his duty to let her continue speaking. On the other hand, he didn’t want to take advantage of her trust.