Moonlit Vigil.

The moon was late to show her face, and when she finally did, she found Ying Lan perched on the topmost branch of a tree, watching the rear of a long building, where the maidens who had come to join the imperial family in the prayer ceremony lodged.

The building had many rooms, each with a window that opened to the back; some of them glowed with the lantern light, signaling that those inside were still awake. But among these bright windows, only one held Ying Lan's attention most — the second from the left, the one that belonged to Miss Ding's room.

Ying Lan had learned of this room from a friend she had made within these walls. Their paths had crossed shortly after Ying Lan had slipped past the guards and into the guarded courtyard. She had tried to remain unnoticed — keeping her mouth shut and her head low behind the line of eunuchs and maids, but then she had felt a gentle tap on her shoulder and heard a soft whisper in her ear. "Little brother. Little brother."

She had turned and seen a girl with a round face and a naive smile. She wore a blue dress, the mark of a palace maid. "Are you new?" the girl had asked, falling into step beside Ying Lan.

"New?" Ying Lan had repeated, confused.

"Yes," the girl had glanced around. "You don't seem to know anyone here."

Ying Lan had looked around too, and noticed that the other eunuchs and maids moved in groups, chatting in low tones. She had realized then that the maid took her for a new eunuch. She had decided to play along. "Yes. I am new." she had said.

The girl's smile had brightened. "Me too." she said. "My name is Xiao Jia."

Ying Lan could not give her true name to Xiao Jia, so she made one up. "And I am Xiao Yi." she said, returning the girl's smile.

They had walked past a long building where a stream of young maidens flowed like water along the corridor. Xiao Jia had gestured toward them. "They are on their way to see Miss Ding," she had said.

"Miss Ding?" Ying Lan had repeated, her interest piqued. She had watched the maidens stop at one of the many doors that lined the corridor and enter one after another. "Is that her room?" she had pointed.

Xiao Jia had nodded "Yes." Then she had whispered. "They were so bold, those assassins, to dare attack the marquess in broad daylight and injure his daughter. I wonder what he will do to them if he finds them."

Ying Lan had felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she remembered her unfortunate encounter with the Marquess by the river. She had seen his face in her mind, livid with rage. She had heard his voice in her ears, cursing her for daring to harm his daughter. She had imagined being caught by him while trying to retrieve her pendant. She had shaken off the fear by reminding herself that her pendant, her precious pendant, was the only thing she had, the only thing that mattered, the only thing that linked her to her forgotten past and her uncertain future.

She had marked Miss Ding's room as the second one on the left. Then she had walked on, chatting with Xiao Jia. They had approached another building, more splendid than the first. It must be where the emperor and his kin were residing, where Xiao Jia was heading. Ying Lan dared not follow her there. She was no true eunuch, and her secret might have been exposed. She had turned to Xiao Jia. "Sister Jia," she had said. "I need to go to the outhouse. I'll join you later."

Xiao Jia had nodded. "All right. I will go ahead then."

She had watched Xiao Jia vanish in the distance, before making her way back to the first building.She had crept along the shadow of the wall, careful not to make a sound. Voices had reached her ears as she neared the window of Miss Ding's room. She had risked a glance inside. There she had seen Miss Ding lying on a bed, with a dozen maidens fawning over her.

But Ying Lan eyes were drawn to something else. Something that glittered on a table beside the bed. Her pendant. A surge of anger and longing had filled her, a strong urge to storm into the room and snatch it back. But she was not so foolish. She knew that would be madness. She would only draw attention to herself and ruin her chance of escape.

She had crept away from the window and slipped into the grove behind the building. She had found this tree, the tallest in the grove, and climbed it with ease. It gave her a clear view of the building, of the window to Miss Ding's room.

She was waiting for the light to go out, signaling that Miss Ding had retired for the night. She would allow her a few minutes to fall asleep, then she would descend and make for the window. She would sneak in quietly and get her pendant, then she would proceed to the gates and vanish.