Do you know how hard it is sitting and watching a really good duel? It's sooo hard! You've got to have laser focus and you need to manage to stay in your seat even though you're so into it that you're swinging and swaying and gesturing for a move and trying for a parry and thinking about what openings there might be! And if your little butt leaps out of the seat and maybe you swing your arms in a cutting gesture that very nearly takes the wide-brimmed straw sun hat right off the head of the poor traveler sitting next to you as you let out a "woooo!" well, hopefully you can be forgiven because they understand just how hard it is to sit there. 

Chen's watching this duel like a hawk. Eyes darting back and forth to the combatants. They're not evenly matched, but they are evenly paired, if that makes sense? Like, if Chen sat down to explain it to you, it's like, this is a duel where it's obvious who's got the sword winning happening, but the conversation of the fight is extremely close, edge of your seat tension. And not just like the words part of the conversation (that too though, Chen tenses when Yue brings up her parents, but of course she does need to think about them). But like, the flow of the fight. It's a conversation about how Yue's coming along, and how Rose wants to present herself, and how Yue pulls Rose into letting herself go, and how Rose shows off those thick, sweaty, gleaming muscles (Chen swoons a little, who wouldn't, come on). 

For a minute it's really going Rose's way. You can see her playing with Yue, stringing her along, matching the pace, speeding up the pace, really giving the crowd her show as the powerful and controlled handmaiden. But then, Yue lands the killing blow...emotionally! And Rose is stammering and thinking and you can see how she lets herself go. Chen's watching the moves, watching Rose forget herself and be more free and a part of her brain is thinking about what to call Yue's secret technique as Rose starts stammering and moves with her snake instincts, grace and flow and beauty unleashed for everyone to devour with their eyes (and for Chen to devour later with other body parts). It's so good, it's incredible. Yue's caught and pinned and reduced to meeps and squirms of the best sort and she looks like she's having the best time. And on top of that, the whole time, Chen is thinking to herself what name she might give Yue's secret technique. It needs to be cool, but also Yue style (Yue style, Chen has decided, is two parts sunshine, one part floof, one part frizz, and five parts goofy earnest joy). 

So, when Rose makes her big presentation, the first thing out of Chen's mouth is "Secret Technique: Irresistible Emotional Support Giggle Questions!" and then she blushes and giggles herself because that part of her brain was running so far ahead of everything else happening that there was no catching it. Again, being a good spectator is really hard!

She looks down, smooths out her dress, and meets Rose's eyes again. "That's, uh, Yue's technique name, I think. What it should be. As for my offering, well." And here she grins, Yue. The most wicked princess grin you've ever seen out of Chen, who reaches out and up up up on her tipptytoes (despite Rose bowing) to give Rose a good girl pat on the head. "Well, my sweet handmaiden, I think Yue is already spoken for, so I command you to make a present of her to Hyra. I'm confident..." here she only slips slightly as she thinks of her parents, though it's not because of you Rose, don't think that for a second, "I'm confident that word of this duel and the rumors of our plans will be a better gift for my mothers than any present we could offer up to them. But as for this little gift, well she needs to be a proper present, she's not nearly well-prepared enough for presentation to her lady. I'm going to need you to prepare her as...hmm yeah I like your dancing girl suggestion, Petal. Good girl!" and she gives Rose another pat. "Yes, prepare our prize as a proper dancing girl, with wolf accessories given who you're giving her to and then present her as a gift from the Princess Chen and her loyal handmaiden to Hyra of the Wolves to do with as she pleases." And Chen is trying to look just a little imperious, but she's grinning soooo wide. She's just gonna have to own that, the only way she can manage is to lean into her fun. 

Good luck you two, she can't wait to see how you end up.