by JC Kang
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 curious 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?”
Kaiya smiled defensively. Since when did Paladins defend Madura? This young one might prove troublesome. “Only what my guards have told me about both attacks. My people have no motive to implicate the agents of Madura.”
“Nonetheless,” the youngest elder said, “it is a serious accusation to make without evidence. But please, continue.”
She lifted her chin. “With these incidents, and also its history of aggression and betrayal, we realized that Madura did not negotiate in good faith. Therefore, I have spent the past week meeting with those who might put pressure on them to curb their hostilities.”
Kaiya paused momentarily, brushing her gaze across the room to gauge the elders’ reactions as her words sank in. Behind her, murmurs of approval rippled among the dignitaries.
She turned and gestured toward the representatives as she named their countries. “The maharajas of the Ayuri nations of Vadara, Bijura, Dabura, Sanura, and Ebura have all provisionally committed to stand with Cathay. We have agreed that an attack on one is tantamount to an attack on all, and we will use all means—economic and diplomatic, military if necessary—to contain the Maduran threat. I humbly ask the Paladins, as guardians of the Ayuri Confederation, to endorse our mutual defense agreements.” She bowed her head and held it, clasping her hands together.
The youngest elder cleared his throat. “Princess Kaiya, although I see the wisdom in your actions, I wonder if you have considered this: Madura has allied itself not only with the Teleri Empire far away in the North, but more importantly the Levastyan Empire which stands at our doorstep.” He spread his arms wide. “This level of brinksmanship could very well throw Tivaralan into a chaos unheard of since the Century of War between the Ayuri and Arkothi Empires. Is that something peace-loving Cathay really wants to risk?”
Such sarcasm. Kaiya shook her head. “Of course not, Elder. The rulers of Madura may be brash, but they are not foolish. They certainly know that the Cathayi guns, Ayuri swords, and Paladin righteousness will lead to their expedient defeat, before their friends in Tilesite and Levastyas can come to their aid.”
He laughed. “Paladins are protectors, never aggressors. Our mission is to maintain the peace, not to escalate war.”
If the elder’s logic became any more circular, she would rip her hair out. Nonetheless, Kaiya raised a hand to her mouth to cover her own laugh. “Forgive my idealism, but I believe that it is merely the perceived strength in unity that will deter Madura and hold its aggression in check. Is that not a means of keeping the peace?”
He smirked. “That may be so. I certainly admire your idealism. Where was your righteous enthusiasm when Ankira fell to the Madurans?”
Elder Devak raised his hand. “Peace, Elder Mehal. I can appreciate your courage to express yourself, especially for someone so new to the council. However, the princess spe
aks wisely: it is our cloak of protection over the Ayuri Confederation that has prevented a Maduran invasion of Vadara thus far. Furthermore, it is our responsibility to keep careful watch over the Golden Scorpions, who use the powers of the bahaduur for their own personal gain instead of for the betterment of all.”
Elder Mehal pursed his lips and leaned back in his chair.
A balding elder lifted his chin toward her. “Although I admire your wisdom and poise, especially for someone so young, I must admit my disappointment.” He nodded toward the empty chair. “The Oracle suggested that you will play a very important role in the fate of this world.”
An important role in the world? The Oracle had never said such a thing. Kaiya opened her mouth, but no words came out.
“And yet,” Balding Elder continued, “you do not look beyond the borders of your own nation, to see that our world is in a state of flux. We teeter on the precipice of a new Age of Empires. It threatens to set us back three centuries, into an era of perpetual war.” He squared his jaw at her. “You come asking for protection, yet offer nothing in return.”
Kaiya gazed at the floor to emphasize her remorse, before looking up and meeting his eyes. “Cathay honors its agreements. If it is within our power—”
Elder Devak silenced her with a raise of his hand and smiled at his balding colleague. “It may be. We will retire to deliberate your request. In the meantime, I implore you to consider what Elder Kairav has said.”
The elders rose and withdrew to their meeting chambers atop the citadel. When the last one left the audience chamber, applause broke out. Several lords approached to convey their respects.
Kaiya smiled so many times, her cheeks hurt. Through it all, she dwelled on Elder Kairav’s words—what role did she have to play, beyond the protection of her own country? What would they ask in return? She glanced back at Ambassador Ling, her eyes tacitly begging him to help her withdraw from the mob of admirers.
She didn’t have to endure the adoration long. In short measure, the elders returned. The room fell into silence. Kaiya examined each of their faces as they took their seats, yet they hid their intentions better than a Golden Scorpion mask. She placed her hands together again to salute them.