by JC Kang
The princess scowled. “General, are you detaining me?”
“Of course not, Your Highness,” the general said. “We are merely providing protection for you. The palace is not safe right now.”
Because it was infested by Bovyans. Two hundred and thirty-seven of them, if Queen Ausra was to be believed.
The princess met Jie’s gaze with a raised eyebrow.
She shook her head. No, no way to escape. With only her knife and a dozen throwing biao, fighting the heavily armed Bovyans—even with Chen Xin and Zhao Yue’s formidable swordsmanship in support—would only delay the inevitable. For the moment, they were trapped.
CHAPTER 16:
Demands Unmet
Kaiya’s heart pounded in her ears, drowning out all other sounds. They’d been tricked into attending the summit, but why? Now they were trapped and separated from the rest of her guards. With no other recourse at the moment, she glided to the chair and perched on its edge. The Teleri general afforded her a curt nod before returning to his position by the double doors to the throne room.
Concealing her worries behind a calm façade, she sat serenely amid the two young kings’ unbridled hostility. Like two grasshoppers locked in a duel, they ignored the bird waiting to devour them both. King Evydas looked as if he were ready to leap across the room and choke his rival with his bare hands, not knowing that Teleri troops massed on their side of the Alto River, waiting for their treaty to expire. King Arvydas’ smug grin revealed that he had no idea that his own Lietuvi would soon be invaded from the south by Rotuvi and their altivorc allies.
Kaiya turned her attention to the throne room, where the First Consul sat on the king’s throne, looking down at Rotuvi’s King Gunvydas and his ambassador. He was supposed to meet with her today, not the First Consul. And yet—
The king stepped forward to perform the sword presentation ritual, an old practice that dated back to the times of the Arkothi Empire. In an act which represented allegiance and obedience, he knelt with a bowed head and offered his sword with two hands. The First Consul received it with one hand and flipped it over. When he passed it back, King Gunvydas received it again with two hands.
“The Teleri Empire recognizes your allegiance,” the First Consul said. “Our treaty shall stand for three years.”
The Rotuvi entourage in the antechamber mumbled among themselves, while Gunvydas cocked his head.
Ambassador Wu leaned over and whispered. “Usually, their treaty lasts for five years. The Teleri must assume it will take three years to conquer the other two.”
Weakened from their invasion of Lietuvi, and bankrupted by their tribute to the Teleri, Rotuvi wouldn’t stand a chance when the Bovyan pointed their spears at them. Which would put the Teleri Empire at Hua’s border. Kaiya suppressed a shudder.
The First Consul dismissed the king with a wave of his hand. “Return to your seat and wait quietly until your counterparts have likewise submitted. You will not receive the Princess of Cathay today.”
Kaiya’s palms sweat. The First Consul wanted her here, and not to negotiate for Cousin Kai-Long’s extradition.
“As the First Consul commands.” Gunvydas bowed again before turning on his heel and marching back out into the antechamber. As he passed the threshold, his perplexed expression transformed into a grin. He paused to cast a haughty glance at the other Nothori kings. His two guards assumed positions around him as he took his seat.
It was time to get some answers from Gunvydas. Kaiya started to rise.
The Teleri general spoke. “The First Consul Geros Bovyan XLIII summons King Arvydas of the Nothori Kingdom of Lietuvi.”
The young king rose to his feet and strode through the double doors. His ambassador stood and followed him.
Gunvydas could wait. Kaiya used the distraction to glide over to the chair beside King Evydas. Leaning over, she whispered in his ear. “Your nation is in grave danger, Your Highness. The Teleri will not extend your treaty. They plan to invade once it expires. We offer your wife and family refuge in our embassy.”
He turned to her, mouth agape. Without a word, he bolted up and darted out of the antechamber and into the hall. The Teleri soldiers at the door made way while his soldiers stumbled out after him. Everyone in the room exchanged confused glances.
“What did you say to him?” King Gunvydas’ eyes narrowed as he regarded her.
Kaiya ignored the question. How easy it had been for Evydas to leave! She stood and headed toward the door. Chen Xin and Zhao Yue followed.
The Teleri guards closed ranks, forming a cordon of steel. Her own guards strode forward, hands on their swords. Brave and skilled as they were, they were hopelessly outnumbered. Chen Xin and Zhao Yue would die, and she would be no closer to escape.
Kaiya drew upon the power of her voice, singing her command. “Stand aside.” Heaviness crept into her arms and legs as her vital energy transformed into magic.
The Bovyans’ blank expressions jumbled into confusion before all six opened a path to the door.
“Men!” the general barked from behind her.
Kaiya started towards the door, her listless limbs protesting with each step. Four more Teleri swept in from the hall.
They might succumb to the power of her voice as well, but how many Bovyans stalked the palace, ready to protect her? The draining effect would leave her exhausted before they made it halfway out of the castle.
Kaiya looked toward Jie, only to find the half-elf wasn’t standing in her previous spot. Her eyes swept over the room. No sign of the Insolent Retainer. Kaiya fiddled with a lock of her hair. For now, the only recourse was to persevere. She returned to her seat.
In the throne room, King Arvydas now stood before the First Consul, bowing. When he lifted his head, he spoke in the ritualistic language of the defunct Arkothi Empire. “I, the embodiment of the Nothori Kingdom of Lietuvi, present myself to the First Consul.”
Kaiya sighed. The poor boy didn’t realize what was happening.
“King Arvydas,” Geros said, using plain Arkothi, “the last time you swore allegiance to the Empire, you were a boy of twelve, with your regent playing you as a puppet. Now, five years later, you make your own decisions. Do you understand the ramifications of today’s agreement?”
Arvydas bowed his head. “Yes, Your Eminence.”
“Very well, then.” The First Consul grinned, and returned to the old language. “It pleases the Teleri Empire to embrace the Nothori Kingdom of Lietuvi as brothers. What does Lietuvi present as goodwill to us?”
The Lietuvi ambassador stepped forward and bowed before unfurling a scroll. He began reading off a long list of gifts. With the comparable climates and geography of the Northwest, the annual tribute was similar to that of Rotuvi, though the amount was only about half. At the end, Arvydas stepped forward to perform the sword presentation ritual.
“The Teleri Empire recognizes your allegiance.” The First Consul handed the sword back to the boy king. “Our treaty shall stand for two years.”
Around her in the antechamber, the Lietuvi entourage exchanged glances and muttered their shock at the short duration of the agreement. If only they knew what was about to happen. Kaiya looked back into the throne room, where King Arvydas remained stoic.
Geros gestured him out with his hand. “Return to your seat and wait there until your counterparts have likewise submitted.”
Counterparts? There was only one, King Evydas of Iksuvi. Unless that meant—
Arvydas bowed again and returned to the antechamber. He looked around the room, pausing momentarily on Evydas’ vacant seat. He offered the princess a respectful nod.
General Marius gestured towards his men at the doors. “King Evydas should have been back by now. Do you see him in the halls?”
The soldiers shook their heads. He stepped into the throne room and approached the First Consul. Kaiya strained to hear his whisper. “King Evydas left and has not returned. How long shall we wait?”
The First Consul’s
own voice was barely audible, even to Kaiya’s ears. “Perhaps he suspects something. Send your men to find him. Drag him back here if need be. In the meantime, send the Princess of Cathay in, so that the other kings will think she is here to submit.”
Kaiya pursed her lips. So this was a game of image. Tricking her into attending the summit and make it seem as if Hua was proclaiming its loyalty.
The general strode back into the antechamber. “Princess Kaiya, the First Consul is ready to receive you.”
Kaiya stared at the wall. Let the Rotuvi and Lietuvi see she was being forced. “If the First Consul wishes to see me before our appointed date, he will have to come here.”
Two Teleri soldiers squared their shoulders and strode towards her. Chen Xin and Zhao Yue stepped forward, hands on their sword hilts. Around them, the other kings jumped to their feet while their own guards formed up around them.
Kaiya raised her hand to stay the guards, and rose from her chair. As long as she got her message across, nobody needed to die. She glided into the throne room, Ambassador Wu stumbling behind her.
The room jutted out from the rear of the palace, and was well lit by windows that overlooked the bay to the west and the Alto River to the east. More light streamed in from the skylights, illuminating faded tapestries on the walls. She continued down a rich burgundy carpet that stretched down the center of the room, ending at Iksuvi’s throne.
There First Consul Geros sat, his leer on her bosom.
She tightened her outer gown over her shoulders and met his gaze.
He was flanked on his left by a scribe, and on his right by his ambassador. A dozen armed guards in black-and-gold Teleri uniforms stood on either side, while another two stood by the entrance.
And somewhere in the room, there was an impossibly slow breath mingled in among all the others.
Jie’s.
Kaiya smiled. She had extra protection.
The heavy blockwood doors closed behind her, muffling her guards’ protests in the antechamber. She looked up.
The First Consul watched like a bird of prey, all the more disconcerting for his mismatched eyes. “Princess Kaiya, thank you for visiting. You are certainly much more pleasant on the eyes than those boring kings who came before you.” He laughed before clearing his throat. “Today, for the first time, I am extending the Teleri Empire’s cloak of protection over Cathay. What does Cathay offer in return?”
Kaiya smiled, even as she eyed the First Consul’s pin. It would protect him from the power of her voice, as it had twice last night. That left only her wits and charm to extricate herself and her countrymen from the situation. “Most gracious First Consul, on behalf of the Heavenly Empire of Cathay, I thank you for your generous offer.”
He started to open his mouth, but she raised a hand to stop him. “However, we owe allegiance only to the Sun God, Yang-Di, to whom my Father the Tianzi is but a faithful servant. Yang-Di’s Jade Palace may be far away in the reaches of the Western Sea, yet that is where we deliver all of our tribute.”
His grin melted. “I—”
She held up a hand again. “Under his watchful eye, we have remained at peace with our neighbors since the War of the Ancient Gods ended a thousand years ago. While Teleri protection comes at a steep price, our Great Wall and rifles are economical.”
Geros gritted his teeth. “Your defiance comes as no surprise. However, this chance will only be offered once. I advise you to give it some thought, since walls and rifles may not deter all of your enemies.”
The enemies the Teleri sent. She smiled innocently. Let him think she misunderstood his threat. “Up to now, they have effectively deterred your friends in Rotuvi and Madura, who make noises at our borders. I believe if we can arrange a treaty of non-aggression, we can ensure lasting peace that will benefit all.”
The First Consul crossed his arms over his chest. “I am afraid that the Directori would not approve of anything short of recognizing your country as a protectorate. However, in the interest of peace, I will use what little influence I have to persuade Rotuvi and Madura not to trouble you for a while. However, I do have a price for this.”
Ambassador Wu stepped forward and opened his mouth, but the First Consul silenced him with a glare. “I do not ask much. Just one of your renowned dances that so enchanted Prince Dhanannad in Vyara City.”
Kaiya’s skin prickled at the name. The way Prince Dhanannad’s eyes had roved over her still felt like a violation, half a year after the fact. She forced a reply. “Such a magnanimous gesture. Very well then. A dance, tomorrow afternoon, since your summit was moved to today.”
“My guards will escort you to my embassy to stay the night.” Geros’ lips twitched into a slight smile. “For your protection, of course.”
The audacity! Kaiya veiled her protest with an innocuous smile. “I would prefer to prepare for tomorrow in the familiarity and comfort of my own embassy.”
The First Consul’s grin broadened. “Since we simple Bovyans cannot master the delicate refinement with which you speak, I shall be blunt. I need an assurance you will actually come tomorrow.”
Finally, the demand clearly stated. Yet why did he want to see a dance? With her focus locked on the First Consul, she used a tone of command. “Ambassador Wu, the plaque of the Tianzi’s office.”
A gasp preceded his words, which he spoke in the Hua tongue. “Dian-xia, if you give him the plaque, you cannot back out. It, like the Broken Sword, is the embodiment of the Tianzi.”
As if she didn’t know. “There is no other way. My virtue, your life, and Chen Xin and Zhao Yue’s lives depend on it.” She switched back to Arkothi, motioning him forward without ever looking back. “The plaque, Ambassador.”
She extended both arms toward the ambassador, never breaking eye contact with Geros. The reassuringly cool jade met her hands, and she closed her fingers around it. She pressed her forehead to the surface, and then extended it towards the First Consul. “This plaque represents the Tianzi himself. My own word of honor should be sufficient, but this surpasses even that.”
The First Consul glanced towards one of the tapestries, and Kaiya followed his gaze, listening. There was the extra breath from before. Geros nodded ever so slightly and his attention returned to her. Who was hiding there?
Not Jie.
“I accept this as a token of your word.” He reached with one hand to take the plaque.
Kaiya did not let go. “First Consul, please receive it with two hands.”
His smile twisted into a smirk, and he pulled a little harder. She stumbled a few steps forward. Her heart lurched. His manipulations and contempt for her, she could endure for the sake of her retainers’ lives; but disparaging the embodiment of the Tianzi was insufferable.
He laughed and took it in two hands. No matter how important the symbol, a wave of relief washed over her as she released it.
With a last glance at the tapestry, she bowed her head. “Tomorrow morning, I will send word of the time and place for our meeting.”
The doors flung open, revealing King Evydas. Sweat glistened on his forehead, and his fair face looked even paler than usual. His hands tightened into fists. One step behind him, his foreign minister gripped a sheathed sword in trembling hands. A wall of Iksuvi guards held the outnumbered Bovyans at bay in the antechamber beyond.
What was he planning? Kaiya dug her nails into her hands.
Around her, the Teleri reached for their swords and started forward, but Geros raised his hand. The synchronized clop of boots echoed in the hall as his soldiers snapped to attention.
“King Evydas,” the First Consul snarled. “You are late.”
The young king strode forward, pausing at Kaiya’s side. “It was a pleasure to have met you, Princess of Cathay.” He then leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Please make sure my family is protected.”
Her eyes widened. He didn’t intend to leave the throne room alive. She grabbed ahold of his arm, just as he took another step. Value your life, she mo
uthed.
He offered a wry smile before continuing towards the First Consul.
Ambassador Wu tugged at her sleeve. Audacious. Urgent. At the throne room entrance, the imperial guards clenched their jaws.
She frowned and furrowed her brows to let her will be known. They would stay. Ambassador Wu loosened his grip and she turned to watch First Consul Geros and King Evydas.
The king stood several feet away from the First Consul, his posture stiff and dignified. He reached back with his left hand. After a second, he made an emphatic gesture.
The foreign minister, trembling and sweating, tottered forward and placed the sword in his king’s hands.
Evydas held the weapon on either side of the sheath and lifted it. “This sword, Tamskelti, was forged by dwarven smiths in antiquity, and holds an edge imbued with elven magic so that they could oppose the armies of the ancient Orc Gods. My forefathers used it to protect our people against the expansion of the Arkothi Empire. Iksuvi will terminate our alliance with the Teleri Empire, and I present this sword as prescribed by ancient rituals.”
Before he could take a step forward, the First Consul halted him with a raised hand. “By tradition, you must present the sword with the hilt on your left.”
King Evydas froze for a second. Then, with a brusque nod, he flipped Tamskelti over, strode forward and extended it towards the First Consul. As Geros reached to take the weapon, the king switched his grip and whipped it out with his left hand. The edges of the intricately etched blade glowed a luminous blue, and its hum resonated in Kaiya’s core.
The sword swished toward the First Consul’s midsection. Evading the attack, Geros ripped the grey metal pin from his shirt with a rasp. Evydas transitioned into a stab toward his chest. The Bovyan twisted away and used his pin to slap the blade with a muted clang.
A minute pulse of energy rippled out from the impact, percolating through Kaiya. The luminous glow of the blade went dull. Evydas gasped.