What if…
First of all I apologize in advance for any grammar errors. English is not my first language.
I know it might be way too soon to come up with theories but I believe Havana planned to have the sisters being chosen in the draft.
Rui and his brothers went to The Gilded Lotus with Elenara as company. Elenara is mute, her brother is blind and Aisha immediately noticed that they are not from Ziya. You know who else didn’t have Ziyan features? Ayaz. Elenara is probably around the same age as Aisha and her brother must be just a bit older, my theory is that their parents were killed during the attack against Aisha’s court and the kids were taken to the imperial city: elenara lost her tonghe, alestrio lost his sight but somehow they managed to gain the trust of the brothers.
The night before the draft Rui, his brothers and Elenara ended up in the girls home, watching the sisters perform, singing and dancing. Now, the draft is a very formal and impersonal thing. Sure, Fei-Fei’s beauty could’ve been enough to make the emperor choose her, but it wouldn’t hurt to have him sharing the same space as Fei-Fei without the young woman knowing who she was interacting with.
Then, Aisha talks about how they could be rude or impolite and Havana immediately cut her out talking about how dangerous that would be — I don’t think she was lying but even Aisha thought it was strange that Havana disagreed with her ideas so quickly. Obviously, the girls were picked and Havana was the one who came up with the idea of sending Aisha as dowry maid, she doesn’t disguise her goals, but rather explains straightaway how this would help Aisha achieve her vengeance.
Btw I’m only bringing Ayaz up because he was a little boy with confidence enough to walk to the queen and ask her about a way to preserve a flower he intended to gift her daughter. And she answered him “with a smile”. I’m drawing attention to his features because I don’t believe that Aisha ending up with One and Ai-Ling was a coincidence or mere luck. Ai-Ling came back from Xael with a kid of royal blood and although she had Ellaire’s help back in Trespia, I’m sure she needed just as much help in Ziya. Elenara and Alestrio don’t have Ziyan features either but they might’ve been part of Aisha’s court if Aisha’s mother created a place that would be safe for everyone no matter their ethnicity. Besides there’s also the fact that Elenara was particularly kind to Aisha for no reason at all (both at the boat and in the garden). This all makes me theorize that:
One of the siblings (or both) gave the brothers the idea of visiting the boat —> Rui met Fei-Fei and Yi-Yi in a non-controlled environment, a place that was more hers than his and where they were comfortable enough to show qualities they wouldn’t be able to present during the draft —> their beauties + their personalities made Rui interested enough to choose them in the draft —> Havana comes up with the idea of Aisha being sent as dowry maid to conclude their plans of killing the former Emperor
The biggest enemy of my theory is One himself hahahaah he’s far too smart to miss Havana’s schemes.