by JC Kang
They continued back toward the harbor, their walk to the barricades taking just a few minutes. Zheng Ming sat quietly on the wall, mutually ignoring the Paladin sentries. His gaze met hers, sending her stomach into a routine of twists and tumbles that rivaled her latest dance. The girl she’d left behind in Hua decided to replace the Dragon Charmer.
He jumped down from the wall and sank to both knees, pressing his forehead to the ground. “Dian-xia, please forgive me.”
An apology. He probably didn’t even know how he’d wronged her. “Young Lord Zheng, rise.” Her voice came out as a timid squeak.
He lifted his head, his crooked grin making her heart race.
It was only when Jie poked her in the back that Kaiya realized she was playing with an errant lock of her hair. She let go of the tress and folded her arms together.
Zheng Ming climbed to his feet. “Dian-xia, allow me to explain my very late arrival.”
So he did understand at least one of his offenses. She raised an eyebrow. “In front of everyone?”
His cautious smile sent her head spinning. “It seems due penance.” Then his expression turned grave. “However, there is more pressing news I must tell you. The Tianzi fell deathly ill nine days after your secret departure from Hua. The Crown Prince, too, was bedridden. Both poisoned by Lord Peng. Prince Kai-Wu sits on the Dragon Throne for now.”
Nine days after... The pleasant dizziness disappeared. In its place, shock and confusion. Blood rushed from her head. Father, Eldest Brother almost dead. Poisoned by Cousin Peng, whom she’d trusted for so long. Perhaps he had his eye on the throne all these years. She reached out with a hand, as if it would keep her from fainting.
Jie’s firm hand pressed on the middle of her back, supporting her. Zheng Ming took a step forward to catch her arm. If she weren’t so concerned for Father’s health, she’d be embarrassed at Ming seeing her so vulnerable. She couldn’t worry about that now. She could be the Perfect Princess later, when she returned to Hua. Right now, she afforded herself a brief moment to be daughter.
“What...what happened?” The tightness of her throat clawed at her voice.
Ming held her in a sympathetic gaze. “The Tianzi’s heart weakened and his entire body swelled up.”
Wise and gentle Father, so strong when she was a child, now laid low by a traitor’s ambition. Why hadn’t she heard of this until now? Her mind tried to count the days between Father’s illness and now, yet failed to grasp any number. Even the current date escaped her. “The Golden Phoenix is the fastest ship in our fleet. It could have been here within six days. Why are you just arriving now with this news?”
He bowed. “Lord Peng’s men captured the Golden Phoenix. We thought they planned to whisk him home to Nanling. The crew refused to sail and were slain, to the man. It took us several days to recapture it, repair their sabotage, and redeploy new sailors.”
Peng again. He’d deceived her time and time again, poisoned her family, murdered so many. Maybe even had Tian banished when they were children. The man knew no limits to his evil. Her only consolation... “I trust Lord Peng was brought to justice?”
Zheng Ming sighed. “He escaped over the Rotuvi border.”
Her hands trembled as she tried to contain her anger and keep the desperation out of her voice. “We must return to Hua at once. When will the Golden Phoenix be ready to depart?”
Zheng Ming shook his head. “We took a beating in a freak storm off Haikou, which caused further delays. The captain says repairs will take a week or more.”
Kaiya looked to her handmaiden. “The Invincible was in port. Do you know where Prince Aelward is staying?”
The half-elf nodded. “Follow me.”
CHAPTER 49:
Journey’s Bounty
A cacophony of surprised gasps buzzed in Kaiya’s ears, while the colorful court robes of hereditary lords swirled before her eyes. Head spinning from the disorientation Ayana’s magic caused, she might have fainted right there in front of the kneeling ministers and nobles. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth and stemmed the rising nausea, her other hand reaching out for support.
Two images of her brother Kai-Wu, sitting around the central spot of the dais, undulated back and forth. Several imperial guards behind him drew their dao and advanced.
“Kaiya?” His voice combining incredulity and relief, both Kai-Wus lifted their hands and stayed the guards.
“Dian-xia.” A baffling chorus of voices spoke in unison. A mob of oscillating colors surrounded her.
With a few blinks, the ringing in her ears subsided and the images around her came into focus. Instead of a mob, four ranks of seated men held low bows in a semicircle around her. They raised their heads in a wave rippling out from the inside ring. Over half the lords of Peng’s Nanling Province were absent.
As she suspected, there was only one Kai-Wu, and he wore a broad smile which didn’t match the Tianzi’s dignified yellow robes. “Kaiya, you appeared...quite suddenly.”
She nodded toward Lord Zheng Han, Ming’s father. “Young Lord Zheng told me of the situation, and I came as soon as possible.”
Which was quite fast. She bowed toward Ayana. The old elf, after a ten-minute song which sounded like angels singing, had transported the two of them through the ethers back to Hua. It worked out much better than the weeklong sea journey she’d asked of Prince Aelward.
Kai-Wu sighed. “The Tianzi and Crown Prince are both on their death beds. Doctor Wu is with them, delaying the inevitable.”
The lords’ expressions betrayed loyalties and ambitions. All had kowtowed before Father, sworn oaths when he was in his prime. Kai-Wu, while liked by all, did little to inspire confidence. Would they swear fealty to him?
Expansionist Lord Lin of Linshan pursed his lips. The people of his rugged forest province were well known for an independent streak. Lord Liang of Yutou, friends with the snake Peng, smirked, perhaps counting the hours. Hua was about to throw itself into civil war.
Kaiya bowed, showing deference to Second Brother as she would the Tianzi. “With your leave, I would like to visit Father.”
“Of course, of course. They are in the solarium.” Kai-Wu made to stand, stopping when she gave a slight shake of her head. His place was here, in front of the hereditary lords.
She turned around, heads again bowing low. Pages slid the doors open and she glided through and strode toward the residential wing of the castle. Two imperial guards fell in behind her, along with Ayana.
They passed through Jade Gate and onto the covered bridge separating the castle from the residence. Halfway over the bridge, Ayana’s pace slowed. “What magic is this? I have never seen wards so powerful.”
Kaiya smiled, but preferred to keep the secrets of the castle to herself. She walked through the gate and continued into the residence.
Just outside the archway to the solarium, the usual guardians of the sleeping quarters’ wing greeted her. Eight imperial guard sentries stepped to the side, allowing the old nun to approach with light bauble lamp raised.
Her wrinkled features creased further in surprise. “Dian-xia.” She then switched to the secret imperial language. “How old was the Founder when he arrived in Hua from Heaven’s Gate?”
“Forty-nine. He came from Great Peace Island, not Heaven’s Gate.”
The nun nodded. “Where was the portal on Great Peace Island?”
“Original Mastery Temple.”
“What was his castle’s name on Great Peace Island?”
“Pacified Lands Castle.”
The gatekeeper switched back to the Hua tongue. “Welcome home, Dian-xia. I apologize for my impertinence, but your friend may not accompany you into the solarium.” Her narrowed eyes showed no sign of apology.
The imperial guards stepped forward, barring Ayana.
Kaiya frowned. “Lady Ayana has helped me on numerous occasions. I—”
“It is all right, Kaiya,” Ayana said. “I must be returning to Prince Aelward...just have someone g
et me outside of this magic bubble, and I will be on my way.”
“Then thank you for all of your help and guidance.” Kaiya bowed at the waist to express her gratitude. She straightened only when Ayana made her way back through the residence with an imperial guard escort.
Kaiya studied the archway. How would Father, already ravaged by age and the burdens of rule, look now? And Eldest Brother Kai-Guo, just twenty-five...could she cope with seeing him near death? She took a deep breath and strode in.
Sunlight streamed in from the half-dome of glass, bathing the room in brightness. Despite shining on the dark-tiled floor, the sun couldn’t warm the cold presence of impending death.
Xiulan, leaning at Kai-Guo’s bedside, and Yanli, standing behind her, both gawked at her.
“Kaiya,” Xiulan said, while Yanli beckoned her.
Beyond them, Eldest Brother laid motionless, his chest struggling with labored breaths. His ashen pallor stood in contrast to his usually healthy complexion. Kaiya’s heavy heart weighed her steps, and she couldn’t will her feet to move.
Sitting in a chair beside Father’s bed, Doctor Wu held one of the Tianzi’s limp wrists in her weathered hands, taking his pulse. She turned her head, her blue eyes delving deep into Kaiya’s. “You have returned. Your journey bore fruit.”
Indeed, if only Doctor Wu knew the whole story. She would undoubtedly appreciate hearing how her lessons helped vanquish the dragon. But now wasn’t the time to tell the tale.
Doctor Wu smiled, the creases on the side of her eyes radiating out. “Come, child, bid your father and brother farewell.”
Bid them farewell...it was that bad. Kaiya choked back a tear and stumbled forward. She fell to her knees by Father’s frail form. Once, he’d been young and robust. Carried her on his back and threw her up in the air and caught her. But now...when she took his free hand in her own, the cold almost caused her to drop it.
“Sing to them. Let your voice escort them into the next life.” Doctor Wu placed a surprisingly soft hand on her shoulder.
Warmth radiated into her from the doctor’s hand, giving her courage. Kaiya started humming a lullaby, one Father had once sung to her. Slow and comforting, the words all but forgotten.
The Tianzi’s eyebrows fluttered, their arrhythmic pulses threatening the harmony of her hum. His frail and stuttering heartbeat protested, jerking feebly at her melody. Behind her, Eldest Brother’s faint and wobbling breaths magnified the amplitude of Father’s imbalances.
“The combination of toxins,” Doctor Wu said. “It breaks the natural resonance of their bodies, weakens them.”
Perhaps it was no different than the vibrations of Avarax’s gemstone. Maybe she could influence their health and the toxins as well. Guanyin’s Eye had already receded, however, and there was no army of Paladins, no priestesses, no elf wizard, no Lotus Crystal to lend her strength.
No. The power of two dying men did not begin to compare to a mighty dragon.
Kaiya rose from her kneel and gripped the solarium floor with her toes. With a deep breath, she cleared out all the other sounds besides her own hum, and the reply of her father’s and brother’s life forces. In the distance, the pulses of the Temple of Heaven reached even here. Doctor Wu, too, still projected immense power through the palm on Kaiya’s shoulder. At her sides, Xiulan and Yanli breathed in harmony with each other. Her Ayudra ring. Kaiya might be able to borrow all of these, using her body as a conduit.
Continuing the lullaby, she raised her voice, accepting the irregular vibrations from Eldest Brother and Father’s life forces, and harmonically nudging them closer to their correct course with musical notes.
Father’s resonance was weak. Too weak. The toxins in both pushed back. It wasn’t working. Despair threatened to overtake her, and she stuttered on her words.
No, she couldn’t give up. A poison was nothing compared to a dragon gemstone.
She let the toxin move her, pulling its vibrations to her instead of pushing them within Father and Eldest Brother’s bodies. Their healthy energies filled in the space between the venom’s wave pattern.
Behind her, Eldest Brother stirred. When she turned, his eyes were open and color was returning to his face. He propped himself up on his elbows and spoke, voice rasping. “Kaiya. You are home.”
Continuing her hum, Kaiya nodded at him and shifted her attention to Father. The frequency of his vibrations remained feeble and irregular, though improved from when she’d started the song. Her energy, on the other hand, began to flag. Listless and heavy, her arms and legs protested the effort, and her concentration waned. She wouldn’t be able to keep it up much longer.
“Dian-xia,” Doctor Wu said. “Enough. This is far beyond the scope of musical power. Any more and it could cripple the power of your voice. It might even kill you.”
Kaiya forced her voice louder. Just a little more, for Father, for the nation that might very well tear itself apart if he died today. All on her shoulders. She was alone.
No. Not alone.
Maintaining the melody, she sang to her sisters-in-law. “Eldest Sister, write...the words for health, power, and harmony. Second Sister, perform a tea ceremony.”
Xiulan and Yanli exchanged dubious glances.
“Do it.” Doctor Wu nodded toward her brush and prescription paper.
Xiulan took the brush and wrote the character for power.
The authoritative strokes of her hand invigorated Kaiya, sending a surge through her body. Her flagging energy provided one last push in her voice.
The Tianzi’s eyes flew open and drifted onto her. A wan smile formed on his face. “My daughter. I did not expect to see you again in this life.”
Kaiya gasped out the last note. The weight bearing down on her shoulders pushed her toward the floor. With supreme effort, she forced herself to remain standing.
Xiulan grasped her elbow, providing support, while Yanli brought a chair.
“Although he is still weak, he will live.” Doctor Wu released Father’s wrist and turned around to take Elder Brother’s pulse.
The Tianzi pushed himself up into a seated position and beckoned a page. His voice still sounded weak. “Summon Kai-Wu, the Tai-Ming, the Yu-Ming, and the inner ministers. I will receive them here now.”
The page dropped to his knees, then stood and hurried out of the room.
Doctor Wu finally came and took Kaiya’s wrist in her hands. Her lips pursed as she held Kaiya’s gaze with a stern glare. “Silly girl. Almost killed yourself, only to delay the inevitable.”
The inevitable? Kaiya’s heart tightened in her chest. “They will still die?”
Doctor Wu’s expression softened into a grin. “Everyone dies. From the instant you leave your mother’s womb, you are beginning to die. Yes, child, everyone dies.”
“Even you?” Kaiya flashed a coy smile.
Doctor Wu harrumphed and stood. “Huang-Shang, I am going to prepare another herbal medicine for you. Do not exert yourself.” She pushed her way through the stream of hereditary lords, brushing them aside like an autumn breeze through leaves.
To think a doctor could command the Son of Heaven...
All the lords, starting with the Tai-Ming, dropped to a knee as they approached the Tianzi’s bed. Soon, they crowded the solarium.
The Tianzi cleared his throat and spoke with a stronger voice. “Great lords of Hua. The nation prospers, yet we are not at peace. A rebel, one who once sat among you, hides on the other side of the Great Wall while his province descends into chaos. I command you each to provide soldiers to assist the imperial army in its pacification.”
The lords all answered in rote unison. “Yes, Huang-Shang!”
Such resolve, such obedience! A tingle of excitement surged up Kaiya’s spine. Even so, the idea of potential hostility was disheartening.
“In the meantime, I command you to concentrate your efforts into maintaining stability in your own provinces to ensure they do not follow Nanling into insurgency.”
“Yes
, Huang-Shang!”
Father lifted the Founder’s Broken Sword. “Peng Kai-Long, once my treasured nephew, must be brought to justice, to be made example of lest others follow his lead. Now, reaffirm your oaths of loyalty to the empire.”
“I swear!” All repeated.
The chorus of voices reverberated in the room. Kaiya smiled. For now, the hereditary lords would hold the line. Now if only something as simple as a vow could secure the return of Cousin Peng. Who could convince the Kingdom of Rotuvi to extradite him?
Father’s eyes fell on her.
EPILOGUE:
All Good Things
The sounds of Sun-Moon Lake lapping up against the castle walls comforted Kaiya with their familiarity. She sat atop the ramparts, letting her feet dangle over the edge as she listened to the waters’ song.
Whereas none of her personal imperial guards would dare protest, her current detail of dour men virtually ordered her to come down before night made it too dark to see.
Convincing them otherwise gave her more opportunities to practice the power of her voice.
She needed the quiet time to contemplate what had unfolded, and her unlikely and mostly unwanted place in this world.
In the two weeks since her return, the Tianzi and Eldest Brother had continued to improve, with Doctor Wu’s constant ministrations.
Court life resumed as usual. Her sisters-in-law welcomed her home with open arms.
Yet nothing was the same.
The hesitant girl who left Huajing had returned a confident young woman, scarred by betrayal and wiser because of it. Court gossip seemed trivial compared to the story of facing down a dragon.
The only ones who could understand that—Jie, and her guards Li Wei, Zhao Yue, Chen Xin, Ma Jun, and Xu Zhan—all remained behind in Ayudra until the Golden Phoenix could bring them home.
Zheng Ming—the one she most wanted to hear her story—was likewise stranded with the others.
Kaiya reached into her sash and withdrew Tian’s pebble. As always, the cool smoothness reminded her of a carefree childhood, one that she could never relive. She started to cast the stone into the lake, sending it back to whence it came, but pulled her arm up short. With a sigh, she returned it to its place at her side. Some ideals were worth holding on to.