by JC Kang
Opening the lacquer case and withdrawing a scroll, she approached the desk and dropped to a knee. Head bowed, she extended both arms to offer the imperial edict.
The ambassador received it with both hands, bowing. He unfurled the scroll, revealing the large, dark red mark of the Tianzi’s imperial seal. His pupils swept across the text before he passed it to Tian.
Of course, she’d already read it. Princess Kaiya would meet with First Consul Geros Bovyan of the Teleri Empire and negotiate the rebel Peng Kai-Long’s extradition. Ambassador Wu would be tasked with making all arrangements. And she’d be responsible for security.
The ambassador leaned back and sighed. “The timing is bad. The First Consul is here to bask in glory. He won’t acquiesce to the demand, let alone to a woman.”
Jie shook her head. This was the Dragon Charmer he was talking about. “Princess Kaiya is no ordinary woman. She vanquished the Last Dragon with only her voice.”
“Very well.” The ambassador didn’t sound convinced. “We will prepare for the princess’ arrival in a month. Little Jie, you have had a long journey and need some rest before you begin your duties here. Settle in, avail yourself of the bath house. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“Thank you, Godfather. I will be taking my leave, then.” Jie held a bow as she backed out of the room, with Tian not far behind.
Walking back through the halls towards Tian’s office, she hid her smile. Her first duty had been accomplished: delivering the edict. Now came the interesting part, reminding Tian how amazing she was.
Tian patted her on the head. “My little sister. All grown up. Protecting princesses.”
Curse her elvish blood: at thirty-two, she was eleven years older than Tian, yet still looked like an adolescent. She forced a coy smile. “My big brother, still hasn’t grown up, still in love with princesses.”
Where he’d normally have a quick retort, his silence and pursed lips spoke louder than words. She quickly changed the subject. “Remember how we used to play blind Hua chess, without a board?”
“Of course,” he answered, almost before she finished asking. “Do you want to play again?”
“I want you to teach me Arkothi chess.”
He nodded. “The pieces are fairly similar. The game reflects our cultures’ differing mindsets. The Arkothi play between the lines. Controlling space. We play around the space. Controlling lines.”
She laughed. “Seems simple enough. Let’s start. I learn best by immersion.”
“Very well. I will be white. Since your soul is obviously black. Queen’s pawn forward two.”
How appropriate a move. For the princess’ pawn.
CHAPTER 3:
Plant Expectations, Reap Disappointment
Standing on a balcony of the Hua embassy’s main residence, Tian gazed out across Cold Harbor. A warm, early autumn sun settled over the shallow waters, its yellow shimmer in the waves dancing among the fishing boats. In the distance, a larger, three-mast, phoenix-headed ship approached, flying the sky-blue flag of Hua. His pulse quickened.
The oars slid through the waters, rhythmically following the hollow drum beat and accompanying shouts that echoed over the bay. It would take at least another half-hour for it to navigate the deeper sections of the inlet. Smaller boats zigzagged by, coming and going from the dozens of shallow landings. Only one dock could accommodate the deep-drafted vessels, which the Hua and the Eldaeri nations alone could build.
At last! For the past several days, Tian had stolen a few minutes from his duties to come here and scan the horizon for the ship. Now it was here, his unexpected reunion with Princess Kaiya close at hand. An unlikely chance to relive, if only for a moment, childhood memories and an innocence cut short by his training at the Black Lotus Temple.
Jie’s voice from the balcony door interrupted his nostalgia. “Knight takes pawn. Check.”
“A daring move,” Tian said, turning towards his best friend. “You’re exposing your knight to danger. Though it takes pressure off your queen.”
“That’s the knight’s duty, right?” Jie emerged from the shadows. A pink ribbon held her dark brown hair in a bun. She wore a simple linen gown, pink with black floral borders, looking very much the servant.
“You’re beginning to think like a Northerner. Your move is strategically questionable, though. Hua chess and Arkothi chess share one goal. Protect your king. Capture your enemy’s. Every other piece is expendable.”
Jie remained silent, and Tian surreptitiously studied her empty expression. The message in her move was obvious. She was still goading him over his childhood relationship with the princess. For someone who was a decade older than him, Jie still looked and sometimes acted like a girl just into the awkward years before womanhood.
“So, what news have we gathered?” he asked.
“The Teleri First Consul has crossed over the Alto River and just passed through the marketplace by the eastern gate. His retinue includes three thousand heavy infantry, armed with spears and longswords, and two hundred heavy cavalry with sabers and spears.”
Tian tapped his chin. So many soldiers. The First Consul didn’t need that much protection in an allied nation. It was quite an investment, feeding and lodging so many men. “They can’t all be staying at the Teleri Embassy. I’ll send Old Tong to learn where the rest will be. In the meantime, let’s join the princess’ welcoming party.”
“Like that?” She laughed and pointed at his head, proffering a jade comb that appeared in her hands. “Your hair’s a tangled mess! You haven’t been sleeping well lately, have you?”
He took the comb, drawing it through his hair from crown to shoulder, noting a passing rise in the right corner of Jie’s lip. She offered him a pink ribbon, which he ignored, and instead withdrew a black tie from his dark-blue silk robes. His palms sweated. A reunion, four thousand and fifty-one days in the making, was close at hand.
She ushered him inside and through his office, tugging the wrinkles out of his robes. His white silk vest was embroidered with four-clawed, blue-and-gold dragons, a symbol of his family’s standing as Tai-Ming lords. His heart pattered. Soon. He gathered up his curved dao sword as he passed the door, and both went down to the courtyard to join the princess’ welcoming escort.
Twenty embassy guards dressed in dark blue cotton tunics and black leather breastplates assembled there, joining four horses and a stable boy. Each soldier was armed with a broadsword and a spear with red horse hairs near its head. A single sky-blue banner emblazoned with a five-clawed golden dragon, held by the lead soldier, fluttered in the light breeze.
Jie fell in behind twelve runners who carried an elaborately carved palanquin on their shoulders. Another pair of men pulled a cart with two mounted drummers on either side of a three-foot round drum. A hundred musketmen watched from the top of the white stone walls.
Ambassador Wu arrived, wearing his own formal robes and a black square hat. He mounted a horse, and Tian and two ministers bowed and followed suit. Wu’s voice, still strong despite his advancing age, carried through the courtyard. “To the docks. Our princess will be disembarking soon.”
Turning to Tian, he whispered, “Little Tian, we are entrusted with one of the Tianzi’s most treasured jewels. What movements are we seeing thus far?”
Keeping his voice low so that only Ambassador Wu could hear him, Tian said, “The kings of Lietuvi and Rotuvi arrived several days ago. They have small contingents of a few hundred each. They are staying in their own embassy compounds in the city center. The Teleri First Consul just arrived within the hour. With three thousand foot soldiers and two hundred cavalry. I have sent men to investigate.”
Wu nodded, then signaled the party to depart with a wave of his hand. They left in exacting formation, led by the four mounted officials. The palanquin went next, followed by the foot soldiers. The drummers took up the rear, setting a slow, thunderous beat as the gates swung open.
As the procession made its way
down the hill and through the market, citizens cleared the road and pointed and stared. The deliberate pace extended what would normally be a five-minute walk into a fifteen-minute parade. Other Hua residents of Iksuvius joined in, faces solemn. Tian’s heart beat twice as fast as the drum. It wouldn’t be long now.
By the time they arrived at the head of the dock, the sun cast a red glow from low on the horizon. Coming to a stop, the foot soldiers moved to secure the quay and prevent any of the gathering crowd from approaching.
The drummers slowed the beat to half-time. Tian joined the officials, dismounting from his horse and walking to the landing. The palanquin bearers followed close behind, with Jie in tow. Dockworkers bustled about, tying down moorings and extending a ramp to the second deck of the ship.
At a distance, the Golden Phoenix was impressive. Up close, it inspired awe. The figurehead resembled a regal phoenix surging forward in flight, making the ship seem in motion even when stationary. It towered above them, dwarfing all of the other nearby vessels and casting shadows across the docks. As the Tianzi’s flagship, it was the fastest ship in the fleet.
Tian slowed his breath to calm his excitement. The drummers on deck sped up to double-time, and those on shore responded to match the pace. Members of the imperial guard, in their sky-blue silk tunics and immaculately polished steel breastplates, appeared on the deck. They lined up eight in a row on either side of the ramp.
General Zheng Jiawei, Tian’s cousin and commander of the imperial guard, stepped to the head. Dropping to one knee, fist to the ground, he announced, “Princess Wang Kaiya from the Empire of Hua.”
The drummers on shore and on deck ceased simultaneously. With a jangle of armor, the other imperial guards sank to their right knee, heads bowed, right fists touching the ground. All the Hua people on the dock and shore followed suit, a wave of color rippling down the procession.
Tian stole a glance up. A single figure stepped onto the ramp and billowed down at a deliberate pace. Here she was. His stomach leapt into his throat. He quickly lowered his head. The soft rustling of her heavy linen gown approached. A single red brocade slipper covering a delicate foot came to a stop just in front of him.
“Rise.” Just one single word. It was resonant and melodious, so unlike the voice from his childhood. Tian looked up, avoiding direct eye contact as protocol demanded.
He suppressed a gasp. Even in the waning light, it was clear the stories were true: the gangly child he knew a lifetime ago had blossomed into an unparalleled beauty. Her waist-length hair, braided into a single queue, hung over her shoulder. Large, doe-like eyes accentuated her high-bridged nose, the perfect curve of her lips, and her pearly complexion.
Ambassador Wu labored to his feet, maintaining a bow, and spoke: “Welcome to Iksuvius, Dian-xia. I am Wu Liming, the Tianzi’s representative in the Northwest. I yield that honor to you.” He motioned to the officials as he introduced them, and as she nodded to recognize each one, they bowed deeply in response. “Lastly, this is Zheng Tian, Chief of Information.”
The princess tilted her head at a slight angle, revealing the elegant line of her neck. Looking up at him through her lashes, she smiled with a radiance that brightened the afternoon shadows. She spoke in a gentle, yet clear and mellifluous voice, which a nightingale would envy. “It has been many years since we last met, Young Lord Zheng. You have grown into a fine gentleman. I trust you have been doing well.”
Tian’s voice caught in his throat. “I am, um, honored. That you…remember me. Dian-xia.” Somewhere behind him, Jie was undoubtedly laughing at his expense.
She tilted her head. “I do not forget my friends.”
Warmth rose to his face, and he cast his gaze at her feet. Hopefully the late sun would prevent her from seeing him blush.
Luckily, Ambassador Wu relieved his awkward moment. “We should get back to the compound before the sun sets. Perhaps you can reacquaint yourselves over the princess’ week-long stay.” He motioned the palanquin bearers over.
A handmaiden shuffled forward, knelt, and opened the palanquin door. Nearby, Jie’s lips quivered in a half-laugh.
“I shall ride a horse.” The princess waved the handmaiden away. “It is not often that I leave Hua, and I will see this foreign city.”
The officials looked at one another in confusion. For a member of the Imperial Family to ride exposed in a foreign country was unheard of. Jie stared at the sky.
Someone had to say something. Tian cleared his throat. “Dian-xia. That is not wise. We must ensure your safety. The locals have never seen one of your stature. Our enemies’ agents may be among the crowds.”
“Nevertheless, I will ride.” The last three words trilled like a song.
Her voice washed over Tian like a wave. All his misgivings now seemed inane, and he found himself compelled to obey. Around him, the ambassador, all of the officials, and even the imperial guards nodded. Jie sucked her lower lip, perhaps too concerned with protocols to entertain the princess’ completely reasonable command. Nonetheless, she kept silent.
As an embassy soldier went for a horse, General Zheng sidled up to Tian. “It was like this on the entire journey. She insisted on doing everything her way. Kicking the captain out of his quarters on the poop deck so she could move in. Constantly getting in the way of sailors on deck. She is so headstrong, and nobody can defy her.”
“It sounds like she gave you quite a headache,” Tian whispered back.
“Now your headache, too, Cousin.” General Zheng swallowed a laugh, motioning to one of the imperial guards to accompany the horse. “Zhao Yue, come!”
With his triangular face, Zhao Yue looked familiar. Of course; he’d been at Wailian Castle two years ago. Now he knelt, and the princess used his knee as a footstool to mount the horse. The Nothori on the shore pointed and laughed at this humiliation, too ignorant to know that any of the Hua would consider it an honor.
Tian took the reins to guide the horse, but the princess pulled them away. The procession, now joined by a hundred of the imperial guards and three handmaidens at the rear, began their return to the compound. Though it was almost dusk, the Nothori commoners clogged the streets, jostling to catch a glimpse of the Cathayi princess. Excited shouts and chatter erupted as she passed.
Tian scanned the crowds for potential threats. Why had he ever conceded into letting her ride high on a horse, exposed to danger? This was such a bad idea.
Maybe he had little to worry about. The imperial guards radiated an aura of awe. Commoners, and even Iksuvi soldiers, shrank back as the procession passed. When they reached the compound, the gates opened.
Once inside, a stable boy took the reins of the princess’ horse and guided the mount towards the mansion. She looked back and flashed Tian a demure smile as she rode off.
Tian’s mouth gaped. Was the pounding in his ears the echo of the drum, or his own heart?
“Queen takes knight,” Jie muttered under her breath.
He turned to glare at her, and caught sight of a large Hua youth watching from between two buildings across the street. As their gazes connected, the boy darted back into the dark shadows of the alley.
It was not someone he recognized, and he knew almost every one of his countrymen living in the city. And his size…it was reminiscent of the boys who’d assassinated Old Lord Peng two years ago.
CHAPTER 4:
Heart of a Princess
Kaiya suppressed a laugh. Zheng Tian, with his mouth agape, oblivious to onlookers, stirred nostalgic feelings of their carefree childhood. Despite what Jie had said about him being a deadly swordsman and incomparable spy, he seemed just as innocent as he was ten years ago. She rubbed the river pebble he’d given her back then as a token of his affection. After all that had happened in the past two and a half years, it was nice to remember the idealistic girl she’d once been.
His bewildered expression vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
She would have traded an armful of jade bangles to see that look
again, to remember a life before court intrigue, putting down rebellions, and singing to dragons. Before being manipulated by both Avarax and Cousin Kai-Long. If only she could be that girl again. Heavens, there was that ugly bitterness invading her thoughts again.
She gazed at Tian. If anyone could restore her faith in humanity, and reassure her of her worth, it would be him.
The moment passed, and Kaiya composed her countenance to one of regal aloofness. She slid off the horse near the steps of the main residence. Solid ground. Open space. Fighting to keep her legs from unsightly wobbling, she looked up at the building. It was quaint, almost reminiscent of a Hua noble’s villa with its steeply-pitched tiled eaves.
The ambassador bowed low. “We attempted to recreate the architecture from back home, but I am afraid all the stone gives it a cold appearance.”
The steward, bowed on one knee at the entrance, echoed the ambassador’s apologetic tone. “We have reserved the entire south wing of the second floor for your use. I am so sorry we cannot do better.”
The kneeling Mistress of Chambers was equally contrite. “We have tried to train the servants in proper court etiquette, but I am afraid it will never meet the standard you are used to.”
As if to emphasize the point, a porter bearing one of her ornately-carved rosewood boxes nearly ran into her. He sank to his knees, forehead touching the ground, almost dropping the box in his haste. Other servants followed suit, bowing abjectly.
She fought off the impulse to reassure the porter, since such displays would only embarrass him more.
Everyone was making such a big deal out of trivial matters. No, it was enough just to escape the stifling cabin that had been her home for a week at sea, to be out of the narrow confines of the ship.
“We have prepared a bath for you.” Bowing, the Mistress of Chambers invited Kaiya inside with an open hand. “I will take you there while the servants bring your train to your suite.”