by Kylie Chan
‘Am I on the right side?’ I said under my breath.
‘Doesn’t matter at all,’ he replied in the same low tones. ‘This will dissolve into anarchy the minute all the oaths are sworn anyway.’
Everybody in the hall chanted the Imperial greeting ‘Ten thousand years’ without looking up. ‘Wan sui, wan sui, wan wan sui.’
The rustling of their robes echoed through the ballroom as they rose and silently moved to the sides of the hall.
Many round twelve-seater tables appeared, together with elegantly dressed waiters. Everybody sat and the drinks were served.
‘We don’t get anything to eat or drink until this whole insufferable charade is over,’ John said. He smiled sideways at me. ‘But it’s worth it to see the look on your face.’
‘You really are enjoying this far too much,’ I growled.
‘Oh, the fun is just beginning,’ John said, and rose. Everybody in the hall stood also. There was complete silence.
‘I have chosen Emma Donahoe to be Guardian and Regent after I have lost this form,’ John said. ‘You will serve her as you serve me. Her orders are to be obeyed as mine. And I swear…’ He took a deep breath and the silence became even thicker. ‘I swear that when I return, I will find Emma, and Raise her, and marry her, and take her to live on my Mountain. This I swear as Xuan Tian Shang Di.’ His voice became fierce. ‘She is my chosen, my promised, my Lady. Is there any dispute?’
Nobody made a sound.
‘Good. Swear allegiance to my Lady,’ John said, and sat.
‘Way to go, Ah Wu!’ Bai Hu shouted from one of the front tables, and everybody dissolved into loud applause. I even heard a couple of cheers: there appeared to be some Westerners towards the back. The guests relaxed, talking and laughing.
‘Close your mouth, Emma,’ John said without looking at me.
‘How come they’re all so thrilled?’ I said. ‘They should be horrified. I’m just a nanny.’
‘Word gets around fast,’ John said. ‘Jade’s told everybody all about you. She told her grandchildren, just like she said she would.’
‘I didn’t know she was married and had children and grandchildren,’ I said. ‘But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.’
‘Dragons don’t usually marry,’ he said with amusement. ‘They are too fickle. We reptiles are a degenerate bunch. Often the Jade Emperor is at his wits’ end at our behaviour.’
‘He’s not the only one,’ I growled softly.
He made a soft sound of amusement. ‘They’re all quite impressed, particularly that you stayed with Leo and Simone when the demons attacked the Peak apartment. They agree with Bai Hu. You really are exceptional.’
‘I don’t want them to kneel to me.’ I sighed with exasperation. ‘They’re gods, John, and I’m just an ordinary human, nothing special at all. It will kill them if they have to bow down to me.’
Bai Hu rose and came to the base of the dais. He fell to one knee and saluted us. ‘I swear allegiance to you, Lady Emma, as Regent in the absence of Lord Xuan and the minority of Princess Simone. I vow to obey you for as long as you live.’
He rose and raised his arms. ‘Look, my Lady, it didn’t kill me at all.’
Tiger hearing. I should have known.
He became more serious. ‘You’re the best one for the job, Lady Emma. Lord Xuan has chosen well. I look forward to the wedding. You will make a fine Empress of the North.’
He changed to an enormous white tiger, at least three metres long. He bowed to me in True Form, then changed back to human form.
John and I nodded back.
Bai Hu grinned, winked and returned to his table.
Qing Long rose. He wore his old-fashioned robe of turquoise silk embossed with silver scales. His long turquoise hair floated behind him as he moved.
He fell to one knee at the base of the throne without saying a word.
‘Words are not necessary from one such as he,’ John said as we both nodded back.
Qing Long took True Form and I jumped.
‘Steady, Emma,’ John said.
I gathered myself and let him know I was okay with a very slight nod.
Jade was about two metres long in dragon form. Qing Long nearly filled the hall. He was close to twenty metres long, all glittering silver and blue. His scales shifted from pure turquoise to shining silver as he moved. He raised his head and the scales rattled like steel knives. His head was the size of a pony; it nearly brushed the high ceiling. He lowered his head to see us and his eyes came to the same level as ours on the dais, still an astonishing shade of blue. His fearsome teeth were only about two metres from my head.
He bowed gracefully as a dragon as we both nodded back.
He changed back to human form and stood for a while without moving. Then he fell to one knee again, saluted us, and spoke loudly and clearly. ‘My Lady Emma. I am your servant.’
John and I nodded to him again. He backed away, then returned to the table he shared with the other two Winds.
‘He does you great honour, my Lady, and I am very pleased,’ John said.
‘I’m just scared to death,’ I whispered. ‘But you were right. Truly exquisite.’
Zhu Que rose from the table and came to the bottom of the dais. She fell to one knee and saluted. ‘I vow to serve you, my Lady.’
She rose, and took True Form. She was a huge phoenix, at least three metres tall. Her feathers were mostly red, with a rainbow of iridescent colours shimmering through them. Her tail spread behind her, similar to a peacock’s, but red shot through with shining colours.
She bowed, then reached around with her beak and pulled out one of her tail feathers. A few people in the hall gasped.
She changed back to human form and walked gracefully up the stairs to the top of the dais, her red robe flowing around her. She held the feather out to me with both hands and I rose to take it. It was nearly a metre and a half long, but hardly weighed anything.
‘Thank you,’ I whispered. ‘You are incredibly beautiful.’
‘My Lady.’ She bowed, smiling, then turned and walked back down the stairs. She turned to us and bowed again, then returned to the table. She glowered at the Tiger before smiling at me.
I admired the gorgeous feather in my hand.
‘She also greatly honours you,’ John said. ‘A gift of one of her feathers is a rare thing indeed. It has miraculous powers. Look after it carefully, it is very precious.’
‘They’re showing the Tiger up,’ I whispered. ‘They’re doing their best to put his nose out of joint by outdoing him.’
‘You are very perceptive sometimes.’
Most of the remaining dignitaries that saluted me and swore allegiance were people I hardly knew. All of the Generals were there; others were staff from the Mountain. A couple were Westerners and were particularly sympathetic when they swore allegiance.
They all bowed to me in human form and in True Form, if their True Form was different.
It was appalling.
What would I tell my father and mother if they came to visit? The ring John had given me was obviously an engagement ring, even though it wasn’t a diamond. And they’d hear everybody call me Lady Emma. I was in so much trouble.
About two hours later, when everybody had sworn allegiance, John led me down off the throne and we sat at the table with the other three Winds. Everybody rose and congratulated us. Bai Hu embraced me, kissed me on the cheek, and shook John’s hand before sitting next to me.
‘Thanks for the ballroom,’ I said.
‘My pleasure. Most of the staff are tame demons. Running costs are really low.’
‘I thought that must be the case,’ I said. ‘They don’t seem at all bothered by anything.’
Bau Hu grinned. ‘I’ll trade you fifty of mine for this one,’ he said to John.
‘No deal,’ John responded, lightning-fast.
‘You don’t give up, do you?’ I said.
‘It’s not fair. I have hundreds of women, and not
a single one could possibly hold a candle to you.’
‘She can do level five energy work. She can destroy level fifteen demons with her bare hands. She has nearly completed a part-time MBA, with a High Distinction in Accounting,’ John said.
‘It’s not fair,’ Bai Hu said. ‘None of my women has anything beyond a diploma.’
‘Women like me just have too much sense to be carried away by something as despicable as you,’ I said.
‘She has a point, Ah Bai.’
‘A hundred. A hundred of mine. And ten fine Arab stallions.’
‘Still no deal,’ John said. ‘She’s mine.’
‘The hell I am,’ I said. ‘I don’t belong to you.’
John’s smile widened.
‘Twenty Arab stallions and fifteen war-trained Arab mares, some with foal at foot.’ ‘You have Arab horses?’ I said.
‘Don’t tell me she rides as well,’ Bai Hu said. ‘It’s really not fair.’
‘Lady Emma is quite a passable equestrian,’ John said.
Bai Hu looked at me with admiration. ‘I would be honoured if you would permit me to give you an outstanding war-trained Arab mare, my Lady.’
I glanced at John, thrilled. He smiled indulgently at me. ‘If it pleases you, my Lady, I could think of no better gift.’
‘I will bring a selection with me,’ Bai Hu said. ‘I will bring some to your house on the hill, and you can choose one, then we’ll arrange for it to be stabled with Dark Star.’
‘Will the Jockey Club let me do that?’ I said. ‘Those stables are only for ex-racehorses.’
‘They’ll do what I tell them,’ John said evenly.
I had a sudden wonderful idea. ‘Could you bring a pony for Simone? I know she’d love a well-trained pony of her own. In fact, you don’t need to worry about a horse for me, just bring a sweet pony for Simone.’
‘Two hundred women, twenty-five fine war-trained Arab mares, twenty warm-blood warhorses, and my best thoroughbred racing stallion.’
‘That’s a good deal, John, you should think about it.’
‘It’ll be an anticlimax returning to training after that,’ I said as John drove us back up the hill.
‘Things have changed now, Emma,’ he said.
I sighed and sagged into my seat. ‘I just want to sleep.’ I checked my watch: 3 a.m.
‘Me too.’
We drove in companionable silence for a while. It felt good.
‘Bai Hu will bring the horses in three days.’ He winced. ‘No, that’s the day after tomorrow now. In the afternoon.’
‘That was all for real?’
‘Of course it was. I think it’s a terrific idea.’
‘I don’t really have time to go out riding, John. I’m flat out caring for Simone.’
‘If you can’t ride the horse then Bai Hu can provide someone to ride it for you. And we can hire someone to care for Simone if you like. You are no longer the nanny; you are Lady of the House of Chen.’
‘No way I am! Not until I have that shell of yours safely tied up and nailed down, and a wedding band on your scaly little claw.’
He roared with laughter.
‘What?’
‘It’s not that little. And sometimes it’s a flipper.’ ‘Whatever. Nobody else cares for Simone. It’s either you, me or Leo. I wouldn’t trust anybody else with her.’ ‘As you please. But you are my partner now.’ ‘I wish.’
Some of my feelings came out in my voice, and he changed the subject; probably a good idea in such a small space.
‘Any suggestions on punishment for Jade?’
‘Yeah. I’ve been thinking about that. She feels tremendously guilty, John, she really didn’t think. Don’t be too hard on her.’
‘I won’t be. Because you will be the one to punish her.’
‘Oh, thank you very much. What is this: good god, bad god?’
‘Precisely. You want to send her back to the Jade Emperor?’
‘Back to the Jade Emperor?’
‘The Celestial has been exceptionally generous in providing her and Gold to help me in my current situation.’
‘Don’t throw her out,’ I said. ‘She loves us both. She’s a dear friend.’
‘Okay, then you’ll need to think of something suitable to allow her to work off the guilt. Shame her slightly, Emma, but not too much. Probably something along the lines of unpleasant physical labour—she’s not used to that, she regards it as beneath her.’
‘Washing windows?’
‘Perfect.’ He smiled slightly. ‘In True Form.’ ‘Oh, now that’s mean. She can clean out the gutters as well.’
‘Perfect! She’ll have to get her precious golden claws dirty.’
We laughed together.
‘And no conjuring rain to make the job easier,’ I said, still laughing.
‘By the Heavens, you are wonderful, Emma. I do love you,’ he said, and froze.
He quickly pulled the car to the side of the road, opened the door and threw himself out.
I rested my head on the dashboard, full of joy and anguish. ‘We are both such idiots!’
It took him a long time to regain control. I moved to the back seat of the car. We didn’t speak to each other at all the rest of the way back up the hill.
Dawn was painting the sky a dusky pink as we arrived at the front of the house.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Both of us wandered out very late the next morning and met in the kitchen. He looked as exhausted as I felt. We both wore ratty clothes and both stopped to tie our hair back.
Ah Yat had made some vegetarian noodles and presented them to us triumphantly, pushing us into the dining room out of the way. She could see that we’d had a great time.
‘Where’s Leo?’ John said.
‘Outside with Simone, sir. They have spent the whole morning together.’ ‘Good.’
We tucked into the noodles without needing to say a word to each other.
Ms Kwan appeared on the other side of the table.
‘Ah Yat!’ John shouted. ‘Another teacup!’
His voice became softer as he spoke to Ms Kwan. He used his chopsticks to point at the noodles. ‘Would you like some, Mercy?’
‘No, thank you, Ah Wu. But you two eat. I can see you had a tiring evening.’
Ah Yat brought another teacup and John filled it for Kwan Yin. She smiled sadly. ‘Have you spoken to the Jade Emperor recently, Ah Wu?’
John shook his head. Then he put his chopsticks down and placed his hands on either side of the bowl of noodles. ‘Oh, shit.’
‘Ah Wu, really! You have been around that Tiger altogether too much!’
He picked his chopsticks up again. ‘Tell us the worst.’
‘What, John?’
‘Emma. Dear Emma.’ Ms Kwan sighed. ‘Let me tell you a story.’
John opened his mouth but she waved him down. ‘Let me, Ah Wu.
‘Once there was a very foolish Shen who fell in love with a human woman. He married her, and had a child with her. He gave up his duties and dominion to be with her. It was a scandal throughout the Celestial. He was warned by the mighty Jade Emperor that such a dereliction of his duty was not acceptable.’
‘I told the Jade Emperor where to go.’ John’s eyes sparkled over the noodles. ‘You should have seen his face. He nearly had me executed on the spot.’
‘The Jade Emperor decided that if the Shen was in love to such a degree—if it made him insane enough to show such open defiance—then Heaven should not stand in the way.’
‘I still can’t believe I got away with it. Nobody in the history of the world has ever done such a thing. Nobody, I think, ever will.’
‘His Celestial Majesty gave the Shen permission to spend a human lifetime with the woman.’
John dug his chopsticks into the noodles. ‘And there were quite a few noses out of joint.’
‘A great many of his advisors wanted the Shen thrown from Heaven.’
‘There are always people who want me th
rown from Heaven. I am what I am. But I am also a good General and the best Heavenly Administrator. No one can fault my performance. The Northern Heavens are the best run of all.’
‘The Shen returned to his wife and child. The wife was killed by a demon. The Shen was given permission to stay with the child.’
‘Good thing, too,’ he said through the noodles. ‘I would have stayed with her anyway, regardless of orders.’
‘You are absolutely incorrigible,’ she said.
‘That’s why you like me.’
‘And that’s why I love him.’
‘You, Emma, are just as bad.’ Her voice softened. ‘And now he has done this.’
I understood. My Regency. His oath to me.
‘You are in very serious trouble, aren’t you?’ I said to him.
‘I don’t think even he realises the depth of the trouble he’s in,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘Tell me the worst.’
‘You are in danger of being demoted, Ah Wu. You may lose the Northern Heavens.’
‘Good,’ he said crisply. ‘The Northern Heavens are a hell of a lot of work and take up far too much of my time. If I didn’t have to do that, I could spend more time with my family.’ He smiled at me.
‘You may lose your Mountain, dear heart.’
His smile disappeared.
I knew how much his Mountain meant to him. It was a part of him. The damage caused by the demons still tortured him.
‘Can he take it all back, Ms Kwan?’
They both stared at me.
‘Don’t you want to marry me and live on my Mountain, Emma? Why didn’t you say so?’
I tapped his arm with the ends of my chopsticks. ‘Of course I do, don’t be ridiculous. But I don’t want you to lose your Mountain for me.’
John and Ms Kwan looked at each other, then back to me.
‘Don’t sacrifice your Mountain for me. I can’t bear the thought of you losing what you love. If you can take your oath back, then you should.’
I turned to Ms Kwan. ‘Please, tell the Jade Emperor that this was all a big mistake. He’ll forget about me and return to his duties. If it costs him this much suffering, then it’s not worth it.’