by Paul Heisel
"I speak only to Chang. You'll have to understand. Protocol."
Ushisu's hurt melted away and he clasped his hands together. He said after a pause, "Tell me how you two met. This is a most unexpected announcement given Chang's decree. I must say it will be a good marriage for all of Emesia. To link Safun and Emesia - we'll teach those Furawan dogs to cross our borders!"
With the utmost care, Feln glanced at Iristi to gauge her reaction to what Ushisu had just said. She didn't have a reaction. It was an unintended consequence of their proposed 'marriage', yes, it would link Safun and Emesia together. There was no wiggling out of this now, the door had slammed shut. He had to play the part. "It's a long…"
"It's really quite strange," Iristi interrupted putting her hand on Feln's leg. "As you know, I come from Hou. We are a council run city, and I'm on the council. Matsuda is my family name, and we've been involved with Hou's politics for a long time."
"I know of you," Ushisu said, "in correspondence only. We have never met. I would have remembered your beauty had we met."
Feln could see Ushisu was thinking hard. The complete truth should be avoided here, he thought. He hoped Iristi had picked up on it. Would she be nimble enough to stretch the truth? Could she use it to our advantage?
"You know, Feln arrived in Hou and saved us from a horse demon."
There was a momentary hint of recognition from Ushisu. The Chamberlain made no comment, but his eyes shifted back and forth between the two. This was making Ushisu uncomfortable, which meant he knew of the horse demon, perhaps there was more to it than just the knowledge of it.
"My uncle cared for his injuries," continued Iristi. "We were lucky the injuries weren't worse. Heaven knows what a Most Favored would do if he found out where the horse demon came from. They haven't been seen in centuries. It was terrible, just terrible the number of our citizens that were slain."
Ushisu repositioned himself, making the slightest adjustments to become more comfortable. He sipped his tea, hands steady and calm, yet his face looked as if he wished it were poison so he could be done with the conversation.
"We met at my home and struck up a friendship," she said. "Feln learned of my betrothed's assassination and took it upon himself to find out who would do such a dastardly thing to a Favored One. When he saw the decree from Chang, he said it wasn't right that I should be forced to be married to Hiru, so he decided to travel to Hiru to set things straight."
Ushisu finished his tea. The story had rattled the Chamberlain. The politician gave them a smile that must have been practiced thousands of times. "You didn't need to come all this way just to accomplish that. We're happy to have you, though, and I'm sure Chang will enjoy your company and listen to what you have to say. Tell me, why was the Most Favored of Safun in Hou?"
The question lingered for a moment. Iristi began to talk, but Feln held up his hand. She clamped her mouth shut, snapping it loudly. It was perfect for the announcement he was going to make.
"I'm considering an alliance with Hou," Feln said. "Our nuptials will confirm it."
Ushisu nodding, said, "Chang will be interested in your views on an alliance and he will most certainly agree to your marriage, bringing Emesia and Safun together. This is fantastic news."
"I didn't say I would be interested in an alliance with Emesia, just Hou." Feln crossed his arms. "The southern region." The words hammered Ushisu. It was clear Feln had struck a sensitive chord.
"Emesia has much to offer for an alliance," Ushisu spoke slowly, deliberately, "certainly more than having an alliance with an insignificant city like Hou, which is unheard of I might add. My advice to you is not to bring up this proposed alliance with Hou while you are speaking with Chang, or you may find yourself in a difficult situation. Emesia is one land, not two."
"I will speak my mind," Feln said. "When can I see Chang so we can discuss?"
"As soon as I can fit you in. Yes, as soon as possible. As I said before, he isn't in the best of health."
There was a long pause.
"When we arrived, there were the troops leaving the city. Were they heading for where Furawa had attacked?" Feln asked.
"Yes, Hiru's most trusted samurai, Watahon, leads the attack. If they come north, he will intercept them. If they go south, he will catch them. If they stay where they are, he will destroy them. Don't worry, troops have been sent and Emesia will take care of this, rest assured we'll have those Furawa dogs on the run. There is no need for you to be involved Feln, certainly we can take care of Kojo and his army. Things will be set right."
Ushisu got up from his chair and tasted the red fleshed fruit from one of the trays. Feln and Iristi did the same. They then chit chatted, and after an hour, Feln realized that Ushisu was a slippery bastard, able to recover from any statement of fact and able to twist information in any direction he desired. He reminded Feln of Velinole.
Velinole was probably dead by now, thought Feln. Unless someone figured out he was missing, he would die of starvation and dehydration. He was in the lowest dungeons of Borgard castle with no way out. Feln imagined Velinole yelling for help, but no one coming. It served him right for murdering his mother. He hoped Velinole's body would rot forever.
"Why, this is a fine blade," Ushisu said, pointing to the katana.
"It is." Feln grasped the blade, stood up, and silently pulled it free of the sheath, then presented it to Ushisu with his palms. "Please, be my guest," Feln said.
Ushisu took the blade, palms up, and bowed. He grasped the long handle and made slow movements with it. Taking his time, Ushisu studied the etched decorations on the blade. The keen edge glinted. "A most wonderful blade. I'm afraid I don't know much about katanas, but I can tell exceptional quality when I see it. There is an inscription hidden in the etchings!"
"You have a keen eye," Feln said, not wanting Ushisu to suspect the blade wasn't his.
"Excuse me for a moment as I must push back my other appointments." He handed the katana back.
Feln watched as Ushisu went through the double doors. He then turned his attention to the blade and looked at the fine etchings, lines barely discernible, and stared at it. All at once the word jumped out at him. Dragonfly. Feln blinked and the word was gone.
"What does it say?" Iristi asked.
"Dragonfly. This is the Dragonfly katana. The sword has a name."
"It must be valuable. No wonder he wanted to kill us for it."
"Indeed." Feln glanced around the room, thinking the furnishing were less interesting now. It didn't matter whether or not Ushisu was stalling, it wouldn't make a difference. They wouldn't get to see Chang until Ushisu wanted them to. That meant hours, days, or weeks of waiting - who knew? "I'm growing weary of this."
#
"You fool!" Ushisu pointed a crooked finger at Heng. "Why did you let him in there with a weapon?"
"He's a Most Favored. We had to let him pass, with or without a weapon."
"You should have insisted!"
"It wouldn't have mattered," Heng said. "He challenged us to take it from him."
"You two are incompetent!"
Heng glared at Ushisu, but said nothing in his defense.
"You are relieved of your duty here and henceforth you will guard these visitors. You will walk with them wherever they go and report to me everything they say. Take your leave and return with two competent guards to watch these doors, unlike yourselves, and be ready to escort our visitors around the palace."
Heng bowed and walked away to find their replacements.
#
When Ushisu returned, Feln was inspecting the books in the corner library. There were numerous leather-bound tomes there, all new to him, all containing information he wished to read. The intrigue went so far as he considered borrowing a volume or two.
"We've enjoyed your company," Feln said, "but must take our leave. We will return to the palace tomorrow to meet with Chang."
"Nonsense!"
Feln crossed his arms and stood solidly in front
of Ushisu. "What do you mean by that?"
"You are honored guests of Chang." He bowed, as if that would make them feel more welcome. "We've arranged a room for you in the palace. You may stay here until Chang is well enough to see you. We can't have you traveling back and forth from the city. That would be too tiring! No, you must stay here with us where you can experience the wonderful hospitality of Emesia."
Feln wasn't sure if staying was a good idea. He didn't know what to expect, or what Chang or Ushisu were trying to accomplish by keeping him here. Was there another agenda, or were they just being hospitable? It did sound better than going all the way back into the city of Hiru. Feln decided he would leave it up to Iristi. "Do the comforts of this palace suit you?"
She smiled. "They do my love. Ushisu, we would be honored to stay here. Thank you for your kindness."
"We have possessions and horses stabled at the Iron Lantern," Feln said quickly. "See to it that they are brought here and cared for properly."
"Of course. Is there anything else you require?"
"Yes. We also need a blue silk dress for Iristi. It was lost in the Furawa attack. She can help the seamstress with the design. No expense is to be spared."
"We shall see to it. There are many talented seamstresses in Hiru who have sewn the finest gowns ever to touch a woman's skin."
"Very well. Now show us our room. We would like to rest, it has been a long time since we have had…peace. And we will have peace, won't we?"
"Of course."
#
As soon as he was inside the guest room, Feln removed his outer fashionable clothing and hung them on a peg in a wardrobe that was carved in relief with ornate roses. He felt more comfortable now that the bothersome things were off. Iristi collapsed on the bed as if exhausted. The last of the servants rushed out, their arms full of sacks, bags, clothes, and other items.
"Ushisu wasn't amused," Iristi said. "But I admit, it was a request worthy of a Most Favored. You're doing well. Switching rooms." She laughed.
"You think I'd actually take the room he gave me? Not a chance. The room they were going to give us would have been spied upon. It's probably reserved for that purpose."
"What about the guards who follow us now? We need to be careful what we say."
"They'll report anything we say, true, but we can use this to our advantage. Misinformation is just as good as information."
"We could be here for a while, you know. You may meet with Chang tomorrow, or it may be next week, or next month. The only people more difficult to see than a Most Favored are the Warlord of Pyndira and the Emperor. But you must keep pushing…"
As he listened to Iristi explain more about protocol, he thought that something else was going on. He couldn't determine what it was, but he was sure it was a mistake the Chamberlain had made. Ushisu had made a slip of the tongue, but Feln couldn't remember what it was. What was he missing?
Feln took stock of the room, finding the lavishness embarrassing for a monk from Waskhal. It was a massive suite, larger than ten normal rooms. To his left was a separate room with a bed, decorated in reds and purple satin, a place for personal servants or children. Overstuffed chairs surrounded a small cherry wood table. To his right was a nook that looked to be an area where they could eat. Feln wondered, did they deliver food to the palace guests? Or were there banquets? Both probably. The largest part of the suite was the master bedroom, in the center, with a large soft bed. It swallowed Iristi with its size. Gold satin decorated with red embroidery was the main material used for the bedcovers. The wardrobe was hand-carved out of a dark hardwood and was big enough for three or four people to stand in. Tapestries and paintings, similar to what he had seen in the palace, decorated the walls. The floor beneath is feet was a dark wood, polished with wax. He did not see one nail, and he wondered, how had they attached it to the floor? It didn't creak or squeak either.
"What do we do now?" Feln asked.
"Haven't you been listening to me?"
"Sorry, I'm distracted. This room…I have never seen anything so lavish."
"I'll give you a distraction," Iristi said. She positioned herself on the bed and propped her head up with her elbow, her curves no longer hidden by the bed. "Do I have your attention now?"
Feln frowned. It was bad enough that she kept referring to him as 'my love.' "I'm listening."
"We'll have to wait for our audience with Chang, that's all we can do. Each day, you should demand to see him. I think they may delay until they can figure out why you are really here. I'm sure you caused a stir."
"Ushisu is stalling despite his enthusiasm to help?"
"Yes," she answered. "There is no political advantage to making you wait, as it would make a Most Favored upset. You have been far too patient."
"Is that a criticism?"
"No, I'm just telling you any other Most Favored would have demanded to see Chang. Immediately."
"They're being cautious because we've come at an inopportune time. I have a feeling that Ushisu knows about the horse demon. They're stalling because they're worried about what I might do, but I don't know what that is. This calls for caution on our part as well and I will heed your advice, whatever it is."
"Tomorrow evening we should demand to see Chang. Don't take no for an answer. Keep demanding."
"Why tomorrow evening?" he asked. "Why not first thing tomorrow morning?"
Iristi sat up and adjusted her dress, smoothing the fabric over her hips and thighs. "Because we'll be so busy tomorrow they'll hope we'll put off our meeting with Chang an additional day or two by our own decision. Tomorrow evening will be the earliest you can see Chang."
"Are you suggesting I should just walk through the palace until I find him?"
"Who's going to stop you? You're a Most Favored! It will get their attention."
Feln shrugged his shoulders. He had other ideas about sneaking around the palace. "I guess we'll find out."
#
After resting in their room briefly, they spent the remainder of the day exploring the palace with the two guards following them. Heng and Avy were their names, Heng being the more senior of the two. Avy wasn't talkative, but Heng indulged them, answering their questions. They found out that Chang had already sent a team of advisors to Daiwer-dar to speak with the Emperor about Furawa's aggression, this latest foray into Emesia had been painful for Chang. The city decimated in the attack was his boyhood home, rumors were that the estate tended by distant cousins had been destroyed along with the habitants. Now it made sense to Feln, it wasn't a strategic or random attack, it was Furawa sending a message to get Chang's attention.
During the tour, Feln made mental maps of the huge palace so he could better explore it later. The upper two levels were inaccessible except for two stairways, as far as he could tell, both were constantly guarded. That's where Chang was. The next two levels were living areas, still a hundred feet high up as Feln discovered from looking over their balcony, where visitors, dignitaries, and family members could stay. These areas were unguarded, except for the two guards assigned to them. There were staircases in each corner that stopped and didn't go up to Chang's levels, a central staircase that went up and down the entire height of the palace and into the basement levels below. There were numerous offices for the administration of the province, as well as a large open hall with high ceilings for banquets. When they visited the hall they found it being prepared for a dinner that evening. The kitchen was enormous and filled with cooks and servers, all dressed in functional light blue uniforms and aprons. Animals roasted on spits, pots simmered with fish and fowl, and ovens baked hearty breads.
The day ended and they returned to their room. The entire palace had been explored except for the basement areas that contained the furnaces for the winter, the barracks for the guards, and storage. Shortly after they had returned, a man arrived and summoned them to dinner in the great hall. Feln scowled at the notion of dressing up again and he refused to wear the rich clothing they had purchased ear
lier. Iristi argued with him over it, and he explained to her that he was content to wear his simple robes and fighting clothes because that was who he was. If they didn't like it, they could excuse him. Contrary to Feln, Iristi put on one of the yellow silk dresses they had purchased. It wasn't cut perfectly for Iristi, but it fit well enough.
Two unremarkable soldiers had replaced Heng and Avy as guards, and the forgettable two escorted them to the main hall. Even before they entered they could hear the celebration, music, laughter, and the din of hundreds of conversations. The doors opened, revealing that the large square room had transformed into a decorated dining hall. Paintings, scrolls, and pieces of sculpture had been brought in and lined the perimeter walls. Tables, spread out evenly across the room, were decorated with yellow lilies in white vases. The tablecloths were the whitest Feln had ever seen. Men and women, nobles and visitors, chatted in groups and drank out of metal goblets. In the center of the room was a large open area where performers juggled balls and other objects, garnering applause and laughter.
Servants ushered them to a table and left them there while the two guards waited outside. Other servants brought goblets and red wine. They sat down and noted the nobles nearby gave Feln odd expressions, presumably for his common dress. The remainder ignored Feln, not interested in him at all preferring to gaze at the alluring Iristi. It wasn't long before they were invited to join a group of merchants and nobles, who were content to talk about the dreaded Furawa invasion and the speculation that a full scale war was imminent, and what it meant to their profits. The consensus was that war was good for business, except when the war killed customers of course. Feln remained silent throughout the conversations, taking no position on any statements made. When they asked his opinion, he spoke to them in general terms or deflected the issue by talking about another related subject.
Iristi was far more eloquent, social, and engaging than he, so after a time, Feln left her alone and drifted away, returning to an empty table. There he sat down, took a deep breath, and decided he was going to find where Chang was. He wasn't going to wait until tomorrow. He was going to do it tonight. He spent time investigating where Chang would be, talking with the blue uniformed servants and the performers about the whereabouts of the Most Favored of Emesia. Most questions went unanswered, others simply didn't give him the information he needed - where was Chang and when was he last seen? With no more than his previous notion of Chang's location of being upstairs, Feln decided he would have to search the palace, starting at the top.