When Yue almost instantly breaks the vision of glorious nobility she first showed, it makes Chen blush and fidget. Sure, she knew it was Yue just Yue, the simple village girl. In fact, she almost interrupted to say that's exactly who she'd been told to look for when Yue said she had the wrong person! But there was something about this young woman, so obviously empowered but at the same time so out of her depth that just felt so sincere, and that gave everything she was doing so much weight in the world of Princess politics. 

So when she said she didn't mean to laugh at Chen, it made Chen's cheeks burn and her arms almost squirm of their own volition to gather her ruffles to herself self-consciously. But. But! But it was simultaneously the kindest thing anyone had ever said to her and the way that Yue really seemed to want to be nice to her made Chen feel like she was going to burst. She wanted to jump up and give Yue a big hug and she wanted to fidget and she wanted to pretend she was invisible, but that would be even more weird! 

If not for the interruption, Chen would have enjoyed just staying here and reveling in her fluttering heart. She could have stammered and blushed and gathered her skirts awkwardly while Cyanis made a whole show of forcing her to finish her cleaning before they could go anywhere and she would have loved every second of it even though she would have blushed her way through the whole thing and kept on glancing back to see if Yue and Cyanis were looking at her. 

But, as beautiful a vision as that was, it was not to be. Yue and Cyanis would have to settle for Chen's first blush and the moment when she cutely tried to gather her dress to herself as signs of what was in her mind. Because then there was a gentle song echoing through the air in a voice that Chen could tell was Rose's, so recently carrying her in her bundle form. Then the song stopped abruptly, held at the height of its crescendo and left to hang in unfinished silence that left Chen yearning. And then, then the darkness gathers and it's not just the setting sun. Had Rose encountered Yin first and been held up? Maybe that's why she wasn't quick on the chase after the sheep. Before Chen can think much further along that line, Cyanis is suddenly sheltering behind her and all in a flash Chen is reminded how much she's needed, for good or for ill. This was, after all her specialty.

She stands, smoothing out her dress and gathering her folded scarf, wrapping it around her neck in a double loop atop the dress, and as Yue makes her wish, Chen offers Cyanis soothing pats on the shoulders. A little smile comes to Chen's lips as she watches Yue handle her fox. Li wouldn't buckle so fast, but she knew when things were important too, and it would have been nice to have her leopard here to help keep watch. 

When Yue is done, Chen offers her a solemn nod. "This is Yin's shard, isn't it? A technomancer earlier told me she was here. Is that where the wolf came from?" The way Chen says "Yin" with that tired little exhale and the look of resignation on her face speaks worlds about their interactions before. Chen hadn't been planning to say anything even though Yue had referenced Yin. After all, far be it from her to judge how a shard wielder chose to shape her world. But, now that she was going to have to deal directly, Yin was just so...much. She wasn't anywhere near the hardest Princess to work with, but she had her thing and she just had to go over the top every time before anyone else could get anything done. 

Chen takes a deep breath and lets it out, then nods to herself again, as if making up her mind. She gives Cyanis a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and looks at Yue with her dark eyes focused. "Alright. I promised you my protection and I meant it. I've got another new friend out here too who I think did the singing we just heard, so I want to stay here anyway, wish or no wish. We're just going to have to weave our way through Yin's night hunt until we can escape. It's easier than it sounds. Usually." Chen offers a wry little smile and draws her crystal sword for what's coming.