The palace banquet hall was a tapestry of opulence, flaunting every trend and privilege the imperial family could afford. Yet, to Princess Kasumi’s discerning eyes, the grandeur of it all seemed dull, and the splendor tainted by everything that could have been finer.

The princess wore an elaborate headdress, beaded with jade and rubies that mirrored the colors of her silk robe. But compared to what her elder brother wore, a purple brocade robe sewn with gold, and shoes adorned with ivory, the beauty of what had taken five hours to change into was eclipsed by his radiant splendor.

The decorations, to, were lacking in her eyes. Though the palace attendants had spent all week strewing the walls with chrysanthemum, they paled in comparison to the foreign flowers Kasumi’s bastard sister had imported for her birthday banquet. The injustice of the half blood living in greater luxury was enough to sour her mood.

Even the lush wisteria that had graced the palace walls now seemed to mock her, its tendrils creeping across the stained glass windows like a muddy veil, casting a dim glow over the room. As Kasumi bitterly pushed through the sea of colorful robes, searching for a servant to rectify the situation of the overgrown vines, a sharp, mellow note cut through the air.

The poetic song of a flute caused a stir in the still crowd of people. Lovely as the music was, men and woman gathered around a corner of the banquet hall, while others swayed to the sweet melody, there moves as gentle as the petals of a lotus flower.

The woman who played the flute was unremarkably plain, unlike her music, with her only memorable feature being the long, deft fingers that graciously played a tune. As her song came to an end, the group of people that surrounded her like moths dispersed one by one, gone now that the warmth of the performance had ended.

I will make her one of mine, the princess thought. I will have her talents before the others can.

As Kasumi drew near, the flutist's eyes shot open, and she hastily lowered her head in a deep curtsy. Kasumi's smile, as shallow as a pond, stretched across her powdered face.

“Your Royal Highness,” the woman murmured. “How may I be honored to serve you?'

“You play quite remarkably” the princess inquired.

The flutist smiled, unlike the false one that faced her. “No need for flattery, your highness.”

“But it’s true. I am not one for music, and still, I stayed to hear it all. That is why I would like to make a proposal.”

The flutists warm smile dropped at the princesses words. “What for?”

“You’ll play for me and my people, and in return I’ll grant you whatever you desire.”

Curtly, as if she had not even given it a though, she rejected. “There is nothing I desire.”

Kasumi’s patience, already frayed liked a rope stained to its limits, threatened to snap.

“Impossible” she spat. “Everyone desires something.” In Kasumi’s case, she desired everything. She coveted the crown, the talents of her people, and the treasures that filled the imperial coffers. She even desired to have the things she didn’t want, such as the flutists girl.

“I do not, your highness” the flutist cautiously responded. “My family and music are all I need to be content.”

The princesses face contorted into a snarl, resembling a hissing cat. “You dare put such trivial things over a request from the imperial family!”

“You asked if I desire anything. I do not. Therefore, the request cannot be fulfilled.”

“Don’t try to outwit me!” The princess yelled, her ears as red as a peony in full bloom. The courtiers nearby turned to stare, and Kasumi knew her father would hear about the outburst soon enough. But for the moment, she didn’t care.

“I am not” the flutist responded. “I’m simply not bending to your wants.”

The princesses eyes narrowed, ridiculing the flutists simplicity. How quaint, she thought, to be content with so little. To never feel the burning desire for more than what you have. She decide she would show the flutist the true meaning of longing.

“Guards” the princess said, her cold gaze settling on the delicate hands of the flute player. “Break her fingers. Make sure she can’t play again.”

She didn’t stay to watch what would become of the flutist either, paying no mind to the protests and cries that rang through the palace halls.

Kasumi understood in that moment that she wanted everything that others desired as well. And what she could not possess, she would simply destroy.