by JC Kang
Now dressed, if it could be considered dressed, she walked over to the window. She gasped. The red sun perched not far above the Shallowsea, which in turn merged into a bustling waterfront far down in the distance. The canals and streets fanned outward in a tangled web, cutting through flat white buildings cast in the setting sun’s red sheen. Without a doubt, this was Vyara City. Given the vantage point, higher than anything else, this was the Paladins’ Crystal Citadel.
Had the Paladins rescued them from the ambush? And if so, why had she awakened almost completely undressed?
Kaiya padded across the room to the heavy door and pulled it open a crack. The muffled sounds transformed into conversations in the Ayuri language; talk about the Hua wounded.
Her men, injured because she insisted on a trip that could have waited.
Without hesitation, she strode out of the room to find herself in a hallway, dimly lit through several windows by late afternoon sun. A dozen feet down the hall, a Paladin and an older Ayuri man stopped their discussion and turned to face her.
The young maid, Meixi, was sitting quietly on a wooden chair just outside the door. Her eyes widened. The girl dropped to the floor and into a bow. “Dian-xia, I’m so glad you are awake. I was so worried.” The girl stood and adjusted Kaiya’s sari. “I’m so sorry about your outer robe; it was lost in the attack. Your inner gown was filthy, stained with grass and dirt. I sent it back to the embassy.”
Grass and dirt? Kaiya cocked her head.
The Paladin approached and pressed his palms together. “Good afternoon, Your Highness. I am glad to see you awake.”
Forgetting her manners, Kaiya blurted, “How did I get here? Where are my men? How long have I been asleep?”
“About seven hours ago, your procession was ambushed. By all accounts, the elf woman Ayana Strongbow sequestered you away through time and space, reappearing almost three hours ago in the audience chamber of the Crystal Citadel. You have been asleep this whole time, unresponsive to the healer’s attempts to wake you.”
Time and space? How was that even possible?
The older man added, “We received an anonymous tip about the attack. The Paladin patrols came to your rescue, but we were too late to save all of your guards. Several were killed, and most of the rest received wounds of varying severity. Because of your status as a foreign dignitary, the Paladins took the extraordinary measure of bringing the wounded here for treatment and protection.”
Several killed! Kaiya bit her lip, feeling a pang in her chest. She pressed her hands together. “Thank you for your kind consideration. Please take me to them.”
“I will take you to the half-elf.” The Paladin gestured for her to follow.
As they walked down the hall, she asked, “Who was behind this?” As though it wasn’t evident.
“We captured several of the assailants who were put to sleep by the elf’s magic. They claimed to be hired mercenaries, but we are investigating their backgrounds.”
Kaiya had a good idea where that trail would lead. “Two of the attackers were Maduran Scorpions.”
The Paladin shrugged. “Perhaps, but witnesses did not see the telltale mask and sting. There are also some disaffected former Paladins who work as independent mercenaries.”
Kaiya fell silent, mulling over his words as they came to another door. An Ayuri woman emerged from the room just as they were about to pass, pulling up short before she ran into them.
The woman’s voice sounded too cheerful. “Your Highness! I am glad you are finally awake! Let me look at your arms.” Without waiting for permission, she took Kaiya’s wrist and unwrapped the bandages, revealing yellowing splotches. She rewrapped the gauze. “Good, good. You are healing quickly. You had no major wounds that I saw, just bruises on your arms that the liniment is taking out nicely. Are they painful at all?”
For the first time, Kaiya considered her own physical condition. Her arms did hurt a little, but the pain was a minor compared to her guards’ injuries. She shook her head.
“Good. Your other maid and the elf are inside.” The woman gestured toward the door she’d just exited. “Won’t you come in?”
Kaiya nodded.
The woman guided Kaiya into another plain room. Two beds with simple wooden frames flanked a single window. Beneath the sheets of one, Ayana slept peacefully; on the other, Jie laid with her bare shoulders and arms above the sheets. Like Kaiya, her arms were wrapped in gauze, though black splotches peeked out through the white mesh.
Jie bolted up, holding the sheets up around her. Her face contorted into a wince. Kaiya’s fault. “Dian-xia, I heard that you had been brought here, but they wouldn’t let me visit you. Or even tell me where you were. Where did you go? Ayana didn’t say anything, she just came in and tumbled into the bed.”
Kaiya ignored the question. “I’m so glad to see you are alive. Are you hurt badly?”
Jie shrugged, evincing another grimace. “It’s just a few scratches. I’ve been hurt worse.”
The Paladin healer’s lips squeezed tight. Her tone was stern. “You were cut across the side. Had the angle been more oblique, it might have sliced between your ribs and punctured your lung. You are either very lucky or very skilled.”
Jie pouted, mouthing skilled in the Hua tongue.
Kaiya suppressed a smile. “How long will she take to recover?”
“We have stitched the wounds and wrapped them in a liniment that will speed the healing process. If your handmaiden is strong, she should be mobile in a few days and fully recuperated in two weeks. In the meantime, she should remain on bed rest.”
Not likely. Kaiya bowed her head. “Thank you. How about my guards?”
“They are in other rooms, and I am not allowed to enter,” the woman said. “But from what I have heard, their injuries vary in severity.”
“I would like to visit them. Would you please let them know to make themselves presentable?”
The woman hesitated before nodding and leaving the room.
Kaiya turned back to Jie. Before she could even ask her question, Jie answered it: “All of the imperial guards have concussions. Chen Xin also has a broken nose, Xu Zhan a dislocated shoulder, and Zhao Yue a sprained knee. Of the twenty-four embassy guards, six were killed and another thirteen wounded, three seriously.”
Her fault. Remorse gripped her chest. Kaiya’s voice cracked. “The Paladins don’t think the Madurans are involved.”
Jie shook her head. “It was undoubtedly the Madurans. The woman I fought was the Golden Scorpion who tried to poison you. I suggest you call off your meeting with Prince Dhananad.”
“If my audience with the Paladin elders tomorrow goes well, then we will be in a very strong negotiating position with Madura. We will take extra care. I will even ask for a Paladin escort if need be.”
Jie glared at her for a second of insolence before turning to Meixi. “Can you find me some clothes? I must accompany the princess to the men’s room.”
The girl flushed. “The Paladin healer explicitly ordered us not to bring you any clothes, until your wound was better healed.”
Kaiya covered a laugh. Maybe, just maybe, the embarrassment of nakedness would keep Jie from trying to return to duties. “I am going to visit the others. If I see a healer, I will persuade them to bring you clothes.” The lie would keep the half-elf in one place, at least for a while. Kaiya spun and glided out of the room, Meixi on her heels.
Outside, the male healer waited. With him stood a young Paladin not much older than herself, and a dignified-looking older man, with a darker complexion and graying black hair and beard. His white kurta had gold embroidery not just on the neck, but along its borders as well.
The older man put his hands together. “Greetings, Your Highness. I am Devak of the Paladin Council of Elders. I was told you were awake now, and came immediately to inform you that the council wants you stay in the citadel under our protection until we learn more about who attacked you and why.”
Kaiya pressed her
palms together. “Thank you for your consideration, but I do not wish to intrude.”
He shook his head. “It is our honor to host you here. The Oracle of Ayudra sent us a message that your personal safety is of the utmost priority. There is no safer place on Tivaralan than the citadel.”
They had said the same of Ayudra. She stifled a snort. “That, I am sure. However, I can certainly tell you the identity of the likely culprit, as well as their motivations. In the meantime, I would rather return to my country’s own embassy to prepare for our audience with you tomorrow morning.”
The elder shook his head again. “Although I cannot force you to remain here, I can only hope that you see the wisdom in staying.”
His voice rippled into the space between them. Meixi and healer shuffled on their feet.
Wisdom. The word weighed on her like a dwarf anvil. “Very well. However, I must send my maid back to our compound to retrieve some things that I will need for the night. I request that you assign some of your courageous Paladins to escort her.”
“Of course. It is our honor to have you with us,” the elder said. He motioned toward the young man with him. “This is Sameer Vikram, who has just recently finished his apprenticeship and awaits his final tests. He will take you to your quarters in the guest wing tonight, and also assist you with anything you might need during your stay.” With that, he spun on his heel and strode down the corridor, disappearing around the corner.
Kaiya turned to Sameer. Handsome, with a light-brown skin tone, he had perfectly coifed long black hair and a short pointed beard. His eager expression would have put a puppy to shame.
He pressed his palms and bowed his head in salute. His voice purred, “I am at your command.”
Kaiya smiled graciously and clasped her hands together. “Thank you.” She then turned to the Paladin healer. “Before we go, I would like to visit my guards who are in your care.”
The Paladin healer motioned for her to follow and guided her down the corridor to another room.
It was significantly larger than the two other rooms Kaiya had been in, but just as plain. Two dozen cots were laid out, almost all occupied by her guards, some quietly talking among themselves. So many wounded! All her responsibility. The guilt made her head spin more than the musky smell of herbal medicines that permeated the air.
News of her arrival circulated through the room. Some soldiers jumped to their feet before sinking to one knee. Others crawled off their cots and stumbled to their knees. All were in extreme stages of undress. Poor Meixi flushed bright red and excused herself from the room. Kaiya averted her gaze.
Chen Xin, his nose covered with plaster, spoke sonorously. “Men, cover yourselves.”
Her own face must have glowed as bright red as Meixi’s. Still, the men had paid for her foolhardiness. She raised her hand. “As you were.”
Chen Xin bowed. “I was afraid you were…. We are overjoyed to see you are safe.”
“I am glad to see you are, too.” She glided over to one of the men, who struggled through his injuries to rise. Hesitating for a split-second to touch an almost-naked man, she nevertheless placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “At ease.”
“We failed to protect you,” Chen Xin said. “If it is your command, we—”
Kaiya silenced him with a shake of her head. “My dedicated guards, I want to express my gratitude for your hard work…and also to apologize. My own recklessness brought about this disaster. I promise not to risk your lives so callously in the future.”
She bowed low at the waist. It was unheard of for a member of the Imperial Family to admit fault or apologize to guards, let alone bow so low.
The men returned to their knees.
Xu Zhan looked up. “It is our honor to serve you.”
“It is our honor,” all of the men repeated in unison.
Kaiya wiped away a tear. “We will stay here overnight, under the protection of the Paladins. Rest well and await my orders.”
She turned to leave, and Chen Xin and Ma Jun quickly rose to follow her. She raised her hand again, giving them a silent order to remain. “As the Paladins told me, there is no safer place on Tivaralan. Focus your energies on recovering.”
Kaiya glided out of the door. Hiding in the threshold where no one could see her, she hung her head. All the injuries. And the dead. Hot tears slid down her cheeks.
Meixi cleared her throat.
Kaiya wiped her eyes and straightened. As unfair as it was to those who suffered for her, she couldn’t afford to dwell on it right now. With her audience before the Council of Elders, tomorrow would be an important day, one which could affect the lives of millions. She would need as much rest as the men injured in her defense.
CHAPTER 41:
Victory without Fighting
Kaiya woke to light drizzle pattering on the outer walls. The refreshing scent of spring rain wandered in through the latticed window, mingling with the aroma of fried twisted bread, rice porridge, and hot soy milk—all brought by young Meixi from the Hua embassy.
With a few hours before her appointed audience with the Paladins’ Council of Elders, Kaiya ate at a leisurely pace, mentally practicing her speech and formulating answers to the questions the elders were bound to ask. If she succeeded in winning the endorsement of the Paladins, it would go a long way to deterring the Maduran threat to her homeland.
She donned the multiple layers of a Hua court robe with Meixi’s assistance, and wrapped the broad sash around her waist. The maid arranged her hair with fine jade pins, while Kaiya preened in a full-length mirror so that everything down to the last eyelash was perfect.
When at last a page summoned her to the main audience chamber, she was fully prepared. Rumiya’s fake lotus jewel caught her attention, beckoning from its place on a table. Its audible hum, louder than ever, assailed her mental armor. She afforded it a last glance and left it there.
Ambassador Ling joined her outside the door. She glided through the Crystal Citadel’s white marble hallways, admiring the breathtaking beauty of the carved columns, painted ceilings, and elaborate scrollwork.
At last, she came to a pair of doors made of the same light-blue metal as the Paladin’s naga and Golden Scorpion’s mask. With a deep breath, she composed her expression into one of serenity, to hide her nervousness.
A collective gasp from the numerous Paladin masters and Ayuri lords greeted her on the other side. Several craned their necks to get a better view.
Yet if they were admiring her beauty, Kaiya couldn’t help but marvel at the grand chamber. White marble floors, streaked with pale blue imperfections, stretched the length and width of the enormous room, with smooth columns vaulting toward the ceiling. A dome soared high above, its colors swirling like a soap bubble. How small she was compared to this.
The room emitted a faint, pulsing hum. Could anyone else hear it? Kaiya’s heartbeat echoed its call, sending a cool sensation through her body.
She made her way through the crowd to the front of the room. Thirteen chairs faced her, arranged in a semi-circle on a dais. All but the center were occupied by middle-aged and older men. Most had long, narrow beards and fine mustaches, and each wore a white kurta with a gold embroidered collar and border, denoting their status as an elder.
She nodded toward Elder Devak, whom she’d met the day before.
A page announced her in a clear, resonant voice, carried by the perfect acoustics of the hall. “Princess Kaiya Wang, representing the Empire of Cathay.”
Kaiya brought her hands together and bowed her head in typical Ayuri fashion. The elders did so in return.
One with a split beard spoke. “Greetings, Princess Kaiya. We are honored to have you as our guest today. I believe it is the first time that a representative of your nation has spoken before the council.”
The resonance of the hall magnified her voice. “Thank you for your generous hospitality, and for granting me this opportunity to speak.”
Elder Split-Beard favored her with a c
urious expression. “The Oracle of Ayudra sent word that you would seek audience with us and recommended that we listen. Yet, as is his wont, he did not explain your business. Your activity in the city hints at a request. Please, speak.”
She swept a demure smile over the assembled elders, satisfied they all seemed sufficiently captivated and speechless. When she began her long-rehearsed speech, each syllable echoed back to her as music. “I come to you on behalf of my father, Emperor Wang Zhishen, who has ruled Cathay for three decades of unprecedented tranquility, stability, and prosperity. We are a peace-loving nation, one which respects its neighbors and builds lasting friendships through mutually-beneficial trade.”
Several of the elders nodded, while whispers tittered through the chamber.
Kaiya shook her head in choreographed sadness. “Yet there are those who seek to subjugate our people and plunder our wealth. They threaten us unprovoked, rattling their sabers at our borders. While our Great Wall and guns will surely repel an invasion, my ancestor once said, vanquishing an enemy without fighting is the pinnacle of skill. We do not wish to needlessly draw blood, even from those who seek to spill ours.”
She peeked up through her lashes. Was the preamble working? Hua had committed unconscionable actions in the name of free trade and the Mandate of Heaven. Surely they knew that. One elder stroked his beard; another’s brow crinkled.
She kept her voice level, letting the acoustics magnify it. “It is for this reason that I have come to Vyara City: to negotiate directly with one of the aggressors, Madura. Yet our overtures for peace were met first with an attempt to poison me, and later an ambush on my entourage.”
Murmurs passed among the assembled guests, many bobbing their heads. Madura’s historical aggression toward its neighbors, though held in check since its occupation of Ankira, had earned it enough mistrust.
The youngest elder raised an eyebrow. “Those are serious charges. Do you have proof?”