by Amber Argyle
“What time of day is it?” Lilette asked.
“Midday.” The servant clucked disapprovingly at the jade comb in Lilette’s hair, tossing it to the floor.
“That’s mine,” she protested.
“Cheap jade,” the woman responded. “Not fit for the heir’s concubine.” As the woman turned to retrieve the bathwater that had been set outside the curtain, Lilette snatched the comb. One of the wings had chipped. Her mouth in a tight line, she unpinned her brooch.
She concealed both in the blanket on the hammock. She didn’t care so much for the brooch, but perhaps she could sell it when she escaped. As for the comb, it was the last thing Salfe had given her. She would not lose it.
The woman moved like she would help Lilette wash herself. Lilette held out a forestalling hand. “I will do it myself.”
The woman nodded, but watched critically as Lilette washed the dried blood from her chest. “You only kowtow to the emperor and his heir. The imperial lords and his other sons are your equals, so you simply bow in respect, a bow they will return. All others kowtow to you.”
Lilette planned to escape before then. “How will I know the emperor?”
The woman snorted. “Emperor Nis wears the pendant, same as his son.”
Lilette nodded. “And how will I distinguish between those who bow to me and those who kowtow?” she asked, nervousness making her fingers clumsy.
The woman nodded as if pleased that Lilette had asked a sensible question. “Only the members of the royal family can wear the image of the five-clawed dragon—the Sun Dragon. You wear a four-clawed dragon. Anyone below you must kowtow.”
The woman directed Lilette to lean over the basin of water for her hair to be washed. After the woman finished washing it, she wrung it out and let it hang down Lilette’s back while combing through it. When she was finished, the woman started making elegant rolls and fans.
Pan had combed Lilette’s hair only yesterday. She had to be alive. The alternative was too heart-wrenching.
After sliding a jewel-encrusted comb into Lilette’s hair, the maid pulled out new robes of red and gold. These garments put her previous clothing to shame. They were covered in hand-dyed panels depicting golden dragons, lotus flowers, and orchid-covered hills. Lilette hated them immediately.
A white powder was brushed on her face, and her eyes lined with kohl. Her lips were stained red, her cheeks pink. Then the woman stepped back and studied her handiwork. She nodded. “It will do.”
While she opened the curtain and spoke with someone on the other side, Lilette took her comb and brooch and slid them into the pocket of her robes.
Lilette waited, her insides squirming. A moment later, the curtain was swept aside for Chen. He’d traded his soldier’s clothing for red robes just as glorious as her own, the key difference being the swords belted at his waist—weapons she wished desperately for. The serving woman immediately dropped to the ground and began to kowtow.
Lilette hesitated. It grated her to demonstrate obeisance to the man who’d taken everything from her—twice. But if Chen thought her complacent, he wouldn’t watch her as closely.
Forcing her knees to bend, she touched her forehead to the floor three times. When she had finished, she sat on her heels, waiting.
He stared at her. “Truly, you were meant to be mine.”
“Thank you, Heir.” It took everything she had to keep her face expressionless. Patience, she reminded herself. Keep him complacent until you have a chance to escape.
Chen turned away, clearly expecting her to follow him. She forced herself to do as he expected, four steps behind as was proper. He led her up the ladder to the ship’s deck. And then she caught sight of Harshen’s capital city, Rinnish.
Memories boiled up inside Lilette, completely engulfing her with the scent of burning. The choking smoke that had filled her lungs until she couldn’t breathe. Her mother’s fingers digging into her arm. Shouts and swords and blood. Running, running—always running.
Then, the city had been a burning ember against the raging night sky. Lightning had cast everything in bone-white relief, giving it the appearance of a graveyard of blood and stone. Now the city thrived with color and life. Buildings with wide porches and turned-up roofs had been rebuilt, more beautiful and grand than before.
Rinnish had grown around the circular bay, the wealthiest section on a round isthmus. On a gentle mountain at the very heart of that grandeur, the palatial compound lorded over the city. From this angle, all Lilette could see were the imposing ramparts built of yellow bricks and capped with a walkway and towers. She didn’t need to see the palace to know there was a wide porch on every level, that the walls were painted in red and gold, that the copper roof had developed a turquoise patina.
She’d lived there during the weeks of her parents’ ambassadorship. She knew the compound, knew the garden behind it nearly by heart. Just as she knew all the grandeur and beauty only served to hide the rot buried deep within.
She started from her contemplation of the city when Chen swore violently. He and Han were speaking with a man she’d never seen before.
Chen shot her an unreadable glance. Unease stirred within her. The other man bowed to Chen before leaving the ship at a trot. Chen worked his jaw before gesturing to Han. Lilette eased closer to hear what they said.
“Take her to Father’s harem. Keep it quiet.”
Han’s brow wrinkled. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
Chen’s gaze flicked to her. “Father regularly adds to his harem. No one will suspect anything. Still, keep her out of sight.” He gave a sharp command for the elite and they marched off the ship.
Lilette worked hard to keep her elation from showing. With Chen and the elite gone, she’d only have to escape Han. “Who are you hiding me from?”
Han motioned to her robe. “Take it off.”
Han’s eyes didn’t miss her palming her brooch and comb, but he didn’t say anything as she shrugged out of the robe. She sighed in relief as she shed the extra layers of clothing. It was the beginning of the hot season and the robe had been stifling. She was left standing in nothing but her sleeveless tunic, which was just as beautiful. It had panels of an island surrounded by stormy seas. No dragons.
Han handed the robe to the woman who’d helped her dress—Lilette hadn’t even noticed her waiting beside the hatch, her eyes downcast. “The plan has changed. Give me the plain one.”
Lilette groaned as another robe was brought out, this one with a hood. As the woman wrapped it around her, Lilette studied Han. He had none of the refined beauty of his brother. His features were stronger, his body all muscle, his scar pale against his dark golden skin.
“Are you done staring?” he asked coldly as he pulled the hood over her pale hair.
She slipped the comb and brooch into the pocket of her new robes. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
Han shifted to watch Chen disappear into the city. “Count yourself lucky.” He glanced around warily. “Stay close to me.”
He took her arm and walked beside her. Both actions were considered highly inappropriate—she was not his to touch, and a woman should always walk four steps behind a man.
Han guided her down the gangplank and onto the dock. They bypassed the causeway, stepped into the mud, and made their way past derelict buildings. The pungent smell coming from them was a mixture of something sour and something dead. Used to the fresh-ocean-and-jungle smell of her home, Lilette covered her nose with her sleeve and took shallow breaths.
Men emerged from the shadowy doorways, their gazes fixed on her. She instinctively shrunk back. “We’re not safe here,” she hissed at Han.
“We’re safer here than most places in the city,” he said without shifting his gaze from the men.
As if feeling his eyes on them, the men looked at Han. As one they paused before slinking back the way they’d come. Lilette glanced at Han and understood why. Those men reeked of danger and shadows, but Han wore dea
th like men wore armor.
Deciding now was not the time to escape, she moved a little closer to him. They passed a building that was clearly supposed to look glamorous, but instead looked like flashy refuse. A few scantily clad women called out lewd suggestions to Han. Lilette gaped at their audacity, which made the women cackle merrily. She faced forward and tried to ignore their leering insults. “How much longer?”
Han led her around a corner and paused to look back. “Any spies would have a hard time fitting in here.”
“Spies?” She didn’t think her situation could get any worse. Apparently she was wrong.
They finally left the derelict buildings behind. Gradually, they began to pass tightly clustered houses, most with simple beaten-dirt walls and thatched roofs.
Eventually those homes gave way to small, wooden houses with turned-up corners and battered-silk screen windows. The streets here were paved in yellow bricks so old the corners had been worn off, the centers of the bricks bulging a little under her slippered feet.
The numbers of people steadily grew. Lilette and Han passed many carts—some pulled by a horse or ox, some by people. Finally, they turned up the market street. Merchants were thick, their booths filled with everything from food to jewelry beneath glass cases.
Most of the hawkers wore knee-length tunics with loose trousers. Their shorter hair was held back with a simple cord. Their wives or daughters wore slightly longer tunics and loose trousers as they worked the booths, wrapping the items and taking care of the customers.
Girls ran around with their hair unbound, while all the adult women had theirs tied back in simple braids or buns. As Lilette and Han moved through the street, the merchants and people grew thicker, the booths filled with more elaborate goods. Hawkers called to her, their voices blending together and breaking apart like a flock of songbirds in flight.
Lilette brushed her forefinger on the sharp edge of her chipped comb. If there was ever a perfect time to escape, it would be now, in the chaos and press of people. Without her dragon robes, she appeared to be one of the wealthier women, and hopefully that meant no one would question her.
They passed a woman reclining in a rickshaw, her hair in an elaborate style that could only be accomplished by the skilled hands of servants.
People jostled and bumped them from every side. Han still held Lilette’s arm, so she threw herself forward as if she’d tripped. Han held on, but he was slightly off balance. Cocking her knee, she kicked back at him. He twisted to avoid the blow.
With a swift jerk of her arm, she was free. She scrambled under the rickshaw and ran, dodging between people and carts. She looked back, a lock of hair sweeping across her face.
Han was a mere few steps behind her. His hand shot out. She twisted and dove beneath a cart, then came out the other side. Crouched below the masses of people, Lilette slipped under a table covered in blankets.
The merchant backed away from her, her mouth open to protest. Lilette held out her jade brooch, her thumb running regretfully across the lotus carving. The woman’s mouth snapped shut and her fingers snatched up the brooch, which immediately disappeared within the folds of her robe. She looked up, scanning the crowd. “He isn’t far. Be silent.” The woman resumed calling out to the crowds.
Lilette’s heart pounded in her chest. She held perfectly still as sweat rolled down her temples.
After a moment, the woman motioned toward the alley behind them. “Go.”
Pulling her hood low over her face, Lilette stepped into the shadows between two buildings built so close together their roofs overlapped. She forced herself not to look back, not to run. She reached the street on the other side and peered out.
She didn’t know where she was or where to go. All she knew was she had to put as much distance between herself and Han as possible. She kept walking, her head down to hide her obviously foreign features, one hand holding the hood low.
She crossed this street and came out another one, but she hadn’t taken three steps before the ground beneath her feet began to rumble. One hand out for balance, she froze at the sight of a creature as tall and wide as a house coming toward her. She gaped at the hopelessly wrinkled animal covered in black silk and gold tassels. Its nose reached to the ground, and its ears fanned out beside its head. Its sheer size caused sweat to break out across Lilette’s body.
A boy sat at the animal’s neck. Behind him, a ridiculously elaborate palanquin-like pavilion rested on its back. Inside the palanquin was a veiled woman. And surrounding both woman and creature were elite, two soldiers deep.
Remembering herself with a start, Lilette darted into the nearest alley. Just as she crossed the mouth, someone grabbed her. Han. He shoved her behind a tall cart, then pressed his body flush against hers. It was unthinkable. A small cry of protest rose from her throat, but he only covered her mouth with his hand.
“Did she see you?”
Lilette took a breath that was full of the smell of leather and steel and murmured unintelligibly beneath his fingers. He let up enough for her to speak.
“Who? What?”
“The woman in the howdah, did she see you?” Han asked.
So that’s what the palanquin was called.
In the small space between cart and wall, Lilette watched the creature lumber past in an oddly swaying gait. She let out all her breath. “I don’t know.”
He cursed, soft and low. “Why did you run?”
She went limp and boneless, feeling like all hope had been bled out of her. “How could I not?”
Han’s gaze went hard. “Do you think my life so valuable that my father wouldn’t kill me for losing you?”
Her eyes heavy with tears she refused to let fall, she met his gaze. “You don’t care if Chen forces me to be one of his concubines. Why should I care if the emperor kills you?”
Han worked his jaw before pulling a knife from an ankle sheath. She braced herself, but he only cut the bottom of his silk tunic and proceeded to bind her wrists. Her hands immediately went numb. She refused to let the discomfort show.
He made no apology, nor did he loosen the bands. “Don’t try that again.” He took hold of her arm, stepped to the end of the alley, and peered out.
Lilette eased forward and watched the creature’s hind parts and a branch of a tail grow smaller. “What was that?”
Han’s expression was grim. “An elephant.”
She wet her lips. “Is it dangerous?”
“A bull elephant is. That one is female. They’re fairly passive.”
“Then why are you afraid of it?”
Han eyed her, his expression unreadable. “It’s not the elephant that’s the problem—it’s the woman riding it. And it’s not me who should be afraid.”
“I never stopped being afraid,” she whispered.
He let out a frustrated growl. “Being one of his concubines is an honor. He is your heir.”
“He is my shackles.” Lilette considered running again.
Han’s grip tightened on her. “Don’t. When you can’t win, you retreat.”
She looked into his eyes that were so dark they were almost black. “I have no retreat.”
“Then you take your surrender like a man.”
Lilette gave him a level stare. “But I’m a woman.” And we only let you think we’ve surrendered before we gut you, she added silently.
He grunted. “I’ll bind your feet and carry you over my shoulder if I have to.” With his hand locked around her arm, Han tugged her forward. “Come on.” He looked around as if gathering his bearings before starting down another alley. She had to trot to keep up with him.
The road slanted upward. They left the crowded, noisy streets below and passed numerous walled compounds with winged entrances and imposing gates, behind which she caught glimpses of grand houses and gardens. The tantalizing scent of food and growing things wafted toward her.
She was strong and healthy from hours spent working with Fa on their fishing boat, but she was still brea
thing hard when the enormous gates of the palace came into view. Instead of heading for them, Han pulled her into a noodle house. He gave a familiar nod to the owner and started up the stairs. At the top, they crossed the room to a veranda covered with tables and chairs. Jade columns supported the roof. Han wove among the scattering of people eating a late midday meal. A few shot Lilette curious glances—she was obviously not of their race and her hands were bound, but none moved to interfere. Not when her captor was an elite, and she was just another worthless woman.
Along one side, they came to an enclosure with wines along one wall, ceramic pots of herbs along another, and a large brazier filled with teapots—it was some kind of drink station. The servant at the brazier nodded to Han as if they knew each other.
Han produced his knife and cut the bindings around Lilette’s wrists. “Don’t let her past you,” he said to the man, who raised an eyebrow before his gaze settled on her.
Han stepped onto the railing, gripped the edge of the roof, and hauled himself up. She leaned over the railing and gaped up at him. He extended his hand. “I need to see what’s going on past the gates, and I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
She glanced back at the server for help. He only moved to block the exit, his arms over his chest. Not seeing another option, she hoisted herself up to stand on the rail. Han gripped her wrist and pulled her up beside him. One hand on the slanting clay tiles, he climbed to the roof ridge. “Watch yourself.”
Trying to ignore the two-story drop, Lilette crawled after him on hands and feet, the grit from the roof tiles sticking to her damp palms. Han crouched behind the roof ridge, which was carved to resemble a scroll, and peered at whatever lay beyond. After hesitating a moment, she eased up beside him. The ramparts loomed before her, a whole two stories taller than the building she sat upon. The gates faced south, toward the ocean. As she watched, they opened to admit the elephant and the elite, giving her a partial view of what lay beyond.
The palace stood in the center of an enormous courtyard, a pair of sun dragons flanking the wide front steps. Lilette’s gaze strayed to the green peeking out behind the palace—the gardens. She and Han had played there for many hours as children.