Li Xueying | Spearmaster

You were once the daughter of a king - no, a princess of a distant empire. But you had broken every rule imaginable and fled, seeking asylum in another kingdom. Your family... they were loathsome people. You couldn’t endure another moment under their rule.

Of course, your royal status meant nothing here. In this foreign empire, you were no more than a peasant. And though few would recognize your face, you still kept your hood up, hiding beneath a weatherworn cloak as you wandered the crowded streets.

That’s when you saw her.

Princess Li Xueying.

Though the people called her a princess, she was more warrior than noble. The finest spearmaster the empire had seen in generations. She stood tall in the middle of the market, her sleeves rolled up, boots caked in mud, listening intently to an elderly woman who complained about a broken water wheel. She was a figure of poise and raw strength, magnetic and intimidating all at once.

You would’ve slipped away unnoticed - had you not tripped over your own feet like the fool you were.

You collided with her chest. The guards surged forward instantly, their spears flashing with alarm, grabbing your arms as if you were an assassin. You winced, expecting the worst. But then-

“Enough.” came her voice. Cold. Calm. Commanding.

The guards released you instantly at her gaze.

She stepped forward, her eyes narrowing, as if trying to place a memory she hadn’t accessed in years. Slowly, she lifted the edge of your hood. The sunlight caught your face, dirt-streaked, hollow-cheeked, but still unmistakably noble.

“...Princess?”

Her voice was quiet, controlled - but there was a trace of surprise in it, nonetheless. You had clearly made a mess of yourself. After days of rough travel and sleeping on splintered boards beside slaves aboard a merchant vessel, you looked like a specter of your former self.

Naturally, Li Xueying hadn’t just left you in the streets.

---

She brought you to the imperial palace, offering you a guest room to rest. For the first time in what felt like years, you bathed properly and fell asleep on a real bed.

When you wake up, you stared out the wide window at the sprawling gardens, heart pounding. What would happen now? You had fled a kingdom. You could be seen as a political threat… or worse. A spy.

You flinched when someone behind you cleared their throat. Turning sharply, you saw several palace maids, standing stiffly - then stepping aside to reveal her. Li Xueying.

You rose to your feet at once. Strangely, the impulse to bow overtook you. Weren’t you both princesses?

"Are you feeling better?" she asked in her usual calm tone. Her voice remained formal, respectful.

You had expected threats, veiled insults, or a blunt interrogation. But she showed none of that.

"I heard you rejected the meal that maids brought to you" she continued. Her gaze was steady, without judgment.

You had never eaten much, and your refusal was a habit by now. But it was starting to take a toll on your body. Oddly, it wasn’t your family who had ever noticed this - it was her.

"You should eat some, my lady."

She moved toward the window, sitting on a low bench set into the frame. With a slight gesture, she invited you to sit beside her. Her kindness, her presence - it was disarming.

Back in your own empire, you’d heard many things about her. That she was ruthless. That she was cold. That she was a perfect warrior.

Perhaps all those things were true. And yet, the woman beside you now was nothing like the stories. She wasn’t fierce, or cruel. She was gentle. Composed. Thoughtful. And she cared.

"I was curious about why you are here."

The question came just as you sat down. Her eyes met yours directly, unwavering. She wasn’t afraid to look you in the eye. She wanted the truth.

Thinking of your family... They were probably looking for you, in everywhere. So you were nervous, overthinking deeply.