The Grand Floral Banquet
Early summer was in full bloom in the Imperial Garden, the air thick with the sweet, competitive scent of a thousand different flowers.
The Empress Dowager held court from the seat of honor, flanked by the Emperor and Empress.
A lively crowd of concubines, princesses, and noblewomen surrounded them, their laughter and chatter filling the air.
But for all their pleasantries, their eyes kept drifting toward Princess Solana, sitting quietly at the banquet.
That girl had been making some serious waves lately.
First, she'd gotten Lord Bradford demoted from Minister of Revenue to Vice Minister.
Then, she'd gotten into a squabble with the Duke of Crestfall and somehow walked away with his horse racing track.
Not long after, she spread a juicy rumor about Heir Vance and some scholar that was now the talk of the town.
And word on the street was she'd recently caused a scene at Grand Tutor Sinclair's estate, running off with his wild, clueless son, who now apparently spent his days getting drunk at a brothel.
In less than a month, Princess Solana had managed to piss off more than half the officials in Argent.
The weight of all those stares finally made Cassidy Sterling, who was just trying to enjoy the flowers, realize something was up.
She touched her own cheek. "Am I really that good-looking?"
Her question only made the expressions on the faces around her turn stranger.
The Fourth Princess, Dawn, who was sitting next to her, glanced around nervously before leaning in. "Do you know why they're all looking at you?" she whispered.
Cassidy touched her cheek again. "Because they're jealous of how good I look?"
Dawn couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "You've ticked off a lot of powerful people lately. They're looking at you because they're trying to figure out the best way to tear you down in front of our grandmother later."
As a princess who had grown up in the palace, Dawn had been warned about these games since she was a child. "Don't let these ladies fool you with their sweet smiles," her mother had told her. "For all you know, they're plotting how to kill you."
A chill ran down Cassidy's spine. "More than half the people here are staring at me. They can't *all* want to kill me, right? I'm supposed to be the favorite."
Dawn felt a pang of pity for her. Without a mother to teach her the ways of the court, Cassidy always ended up being the one punished whenever she went head-to-head with their older sister, Scarlett.
She patted Cassidy's shoulder. "From now on, I'll teach you. Just think of me as your new mom."
Cassidy shoved her arm away. "Get out of here. I don't need a punk like you telling me what to do."
Dawn dropped the teasing and got serious.
"I'm not kidding. I heard from my mother that everyone brought rare flowers for the Empress Dowager's Grand Floral Banquet today. Scarlett and the Vances both spent a fortune importing famous blooms from Ardoria, just to steal the show."
She gave Cassidy a pointed look. "You've got beef with Scarlett, and you've already made an enemy of the Vance family. They are not going to let you off the hook today."
Remembering how badly Cassidy had been punished at the last floral banquet, Dawn pressed on. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Our sister Scarlett is not someone you want to mess with. No matter what she says to you later, don't start a fight, okay?"
Seeing Dawn nagging like a worried mother hen, Cassidy relented with an obedient nod. "Don't worry. I'll stick to words, not fists."
The reminder of just how sharp Cassidy's tongue could be did little to ease Dawn's anxiety. "How about you don't use your mouth, either?"
Cassidy glared at her. "Don't push it. You want me to just stand there and let Scarlett bully me? Whose side are you on? I thought you were my sister, but you're just a traitor, telling me to be a damn punching bag!"
"Who are you calling a traitor?" Dawn shot back, her voice rising.
Cassidy pointed a finger right at her. "You!"
Dawn was so mad she almost jumped out of her seat. "Fine! See if I care. I'm not talking to you anymore."
Across the garden, Consort De and Blair Vance watched the two princesses whispering and bickering. They exchanged a knowing glance.
"The servants at the manor found out Ashworth Manor hasn't bought any rare flowers lately," Blair whispered to her aunt. "That princess has been spending all her time at that brothel. She probably forgot all about the Grand Floral Banquet."
Consort De gave a delicate sniff, dabbing her lips with a handkerchief. "We'll stay out of it. The Third Princess will lead the charge. We just need to sit back and watch the fireworks."
The Third Princess, Scarlett, was indeed glaring at Cassidy, her expression full of hate. The memory of how her father and grandmother always favored Cassidy made her eyes turn cold. *I'm his daughter, too,* she thought. *Why does she get all the attention?*
At the last Grand Floral Banquet, she'd made a few simple jokes at Cassidy's expense, and the girl had completely lost her mind, causing a massive scene.
A small, cruel smile played on Scarlett's lips as she toyed with the emerald bracelet on her wrist.
If Cassidy caused another scene this time, she'd love to see if her grandmother would still take her side.
And that idiot, Dawn. She and Cassidy used to despise each other, but lately, it was as if Cassidy had cast some sort of spell on her.
Now she just followed her around all day like a lost puppy.
The more Scarlett thought about it, the angrier she became.
It felt like everyone was taking Princess Solana's side.
A motherless wild child who was terrible at music, chess, and art, why did everyone love her so much?
Feeling the burn of an uncomfortable stare, Cassidy looked up and met Scarlett's hateful gaze.
Without missing a beat, Cassidy raised an eyebrow and then slowly, deliberately, gave Scarlett the middle finger.
Scarlett's chest heaved with sudden rage. She almost lost her composure right then and there. She didn't know exactly what the gesture meant, but combined with Cassidy's mocking smirk, she knew it was a profound insult.
Dawn, seeing that Cassidy had nearly made Scarlett explode just by lifting a finger, leaned in again, her curiosity overriding her anger. "What did that gesture mean?"
Cassidy blinked, her expression turning sweet and innocent. "I was just saying hello."
*Like hell you were,* Dawn thought.
While they were bickering, the banquet began in earnest. One by one, the guests presented the rare flowers they had so carefully prepared, each vying for the Empress Dowager's favor.
Madam Vance rose with a confident smile and had a maid present a pot of a Gold-Tipped Midnight Bloom.
As soon as the flower was unveiled, a ripple of appreciative gasps went through the crowd.
The bloom was magnificent, with petals as thick as velvet.
Its base was a deep, inky purple, but the edges of each petal were lined with a bright, shimmering gold.
As the sunlight hit it, the two colors swirled together, creating a breathtaking effect.
The Empress Dowager nodded in approval. "A fine Gold-Tipped Midnight Bloom indeed. A truly rare specimen."
"It is only by Your Majesty's grace that we are blessed to see such rare beauty," Madam Vance said, her face beaming with pride before she bowed and returned to her seat.
Sitting nearby, Scarlett saw the Vances getting praised and a defiant look flashed in her eyes. She immediately called out, "Imperial Grandmother, your granddaughter has also prepared a flower for you."
With that, she had her maid bring forth the Clearwater Coral Peony she had prepared.
The moment it appeared, the chatter in the garden died.
It wasn't a plant at all. The branches and trunk were carved from a single, massive piece of deep-sea red coral.
The petals were layered in delicate shades, fading from a pale, translucent pink to a deep crimson, their edges glowing with the unique orange-red luster of coral, like fine makeup soaked in sunset light.
It shimmered under the sun, impossibly beautiful.
This wasn't just a flower; it was a priceless work of art.
The magnificent treasure stole everyone's breath away.
Even the Empress Dowager and the Emperor sat up straighter, their eyes glued to the coral peony in pure admiration.
The Empress Dowager stared at the masterpiece, nodding repeatedly. "I have seen more flowers in my life than I can count, but I have never seen a marvel that blends the shine of coral with the beauty of a peony! Scarlett, you have been so thoughtful. A reward! She deserves a generous reward!"