It’s an odd experience for Chen coming into all this. She’s spent a lot of her life moving in the top Princess circles, shown off by her parents when she was younger, the hope of the Princess Alliance against Qiu, a point of dispute when Hestia and Ysel split up, and now having been completely missing for a season (though she assumed the sky castle must have sent some word to broadcast their victory and it was possible that Jessic, Keon, and Qiu had even worked together on letting her stay there with no grief considering how everything had gone down). 

But now she’s reappearing with a new handmaiden and a highly unusual entourage. She had thought that perhaps people wouldn’t recognize her. After all, aside from her frillier maid outfits (which to be crystal clear, she is not wearing right now) she isn’t particularly strong or memorable in her choice of dress. She’s a short little princess who dresses in cute and sometimes bold colors and styles that change depending on where she’s staying. She hasn’t even worn her distinctive long scarf in months! That isn’t to say she was against looking pretty (and she certainly enjoyed special clothes quite a lot) but just that her personal style wasn’t especially [b]unique[/b] and she’d always aimed to stand out for her skills and her movements more than her looks.

But, people do recognize her! Maybe it’s because word spread of their group exploits at the Sky Castle and the duel with Keron and Jessic? Or their confrontation with Qiu even if it wasn’t a winning one? Or maybe they just know her better than she had realized. Or maybe…

“Um…i-is it true that your new handmaiden picks you up and carries your around on her shoulders all the time?” Asked a brave girl who had stepped forward despite the timidity in her voice and who seemed to have a glow of iron about her? And Chen had to nod and blush in front of several onlookers gathered around an old-fashioned covered wooden wagon because of course that was something Rose had done in every town they’d entered since coming down from the Sky Castle. In fact, she’d made quite the point of parading her Princess about for all to see. A gentleman wearing an old-fashioned style suit with the most silly accent chimed in that he’d heard it too, and suddenly there was a small crowd surrounding Chen as she sat on the end of the wagon all coming up and asking her all about her new handmaid and what they did together, and what different ways Chen liked being carried around! She really couldn’t do anything but squirm in place on her perch, blushing and nodding, as the crowd was having the best of times speculating how she’d found the new handmaiden with a relationship like this. 

It was about when the crowd was on their third round of ideas, this one being that Rose had been assigned by Keron as Chen’s minder to kidnap her again if she ever spoke ill of the Sky Castle, that a few different voices started coming up. One tall woman with blue skin and long white hair falling over a spear strapped to her back walked up near Chen and put a gentle hand on her leg as she asked quietly: “I heard you actually fought Qiu once and you’re going to try again.” Another woman with a mystical air about her, dressed in a scarlet evening gown like she was ready for a ball came up among the crowd too and stood in front of Chen as she added, “I heard you fought Princess Qiu because she tried to recruit you and you refused.” Another, a young man wearing a suit and a snow leopard print hoodie and tail, stepped in front of them like a barker and added “I heard Princess Chen was supposed to have the winning dance in Qiu’s contest last season, but she revoked it after they fought and she wouldn’t dance with [i]anyone[/i]!” He grins a feral grin and turns to give Chen a kiss on the back of her hand as the rumors start spreading through the audience that somehow Chen is taking a stand against Qiu, that there’s going to be a big showdown or a grudge map, or maybe some kind of group fight, or even a boss gauntlet for Qiu to take on to wear her down, with Chen and her new entourage near the end of it. 

Chen finds herself the center of attention of the crowd, blushing scarlet in equal parts taking in praise and wishing she could sink into the ground and disappear forever as rumors swirl. At least until Yue, the most beautiful and perfect salvation in girl form to have ever existed, taps Rose’s blade with her own and Rose responds with her own blade leaping out to become a Ysian scimitar (which would also have made Chen blush if she weren’t in it so bad already!) to signal that a duel will be happening. 

Which, well, everybody knows that a duel is the most important thing for everybody’s attention to be on compared to anything else. So Chen has the honor and privilege of being allowed to catch her breath and have a little space as the crowd (and Chen!) all turn their attention to Rose and Yue. In fact, helping the rumors not even the slightest, Chen gives a squeak and a little clap of joy when she sees Rose rise to the challenge. This is going to be so good, she’s already got a huge grin on her face and she’s forgetting her embarrassment, mostly. She can’t wait to watch!

[I rolled a 13 on Don’t you Know Who I Am? I’m applying it to several individuals within the group speaking with her, which I hope is okay. I am also, after all this time, invoking the Chosen’s Destiny with Arch-nemesis as Chen’s return and rumors about her are painting her in that role and bringing her destiny closer, probably soon reaching her parents and/or Qiu.]