‘When will it no longer be a secret?’ Ting asked.
Yang smiled. ‘A clever question.’ He looked to Wei-Song for the answer, but she shook her head.
‘We know what will happen, but we have the chance to change it,’ Lis said.
‘You have found someone with visions?’ her father asked, standing quickly from the table. ‘Beware the priestess.’
‘We are aware of the risk the priestess posed, but she is gone. Replaced by one we think we can trust. Wei-Song found a child,’ Lis added.
‘She found us, but she wanted to talk with me. She knows my connection to you. She found what she saw so distressing,’ she murmured.
‘What did she tell you, exactly?’ her father asked, and Lis felt the strength behind the words. It reminded her of when she’d gotten in trouble as a child.
Wei-Song looked to Lis and waited for her approval before she answered. ‘She saw that the prince and princess are connected, that they must work together to bring magic back to the Empire.’
‘How is that possible?’ Peng interrupted.
Wei-Song scowled and continued. ‘There are secrets between them that may push them apart. If they cannot work together, the prince will rule the Empire alone, and it will be destroyed by the magic he tries to rule.’
General Long blew out a long breath. ‘You have worked together?’
Lis nodded.
‘But he no longer wants to work with you?’
‘It is hard. He discovered some truths that had been kept from him,’ Lis said quietly, glancing at Wei-Song. Her father nodded, although Ting screwed up her face in confusion. ‘He is certain he can do this on his own.’
‘We must stop him,’ Peng said.
‘How do you propose we do that?’ Lis asked, her frustrations at his outbursts causing her own harsh words. ‘Do you not think I have tried everything I can with him?’
‘Including feeding him your magic and flashing a leg?’
‘Peng!’ Ting cried. ‘Why would you say that? She is his chosen bride. She is the hidden princess. There are rules and traditions she must adhere to as she tries to help the prince. As I helped you.’
He looked down at the table then, and Lis took a deep breath.
‘You chose to send me back to him,’ she said, surprised at the calm she maintained. ‘On that return, I chose to remain here with him. This is what we have, and no matter what I want, it is my fault this has happened to him.’
‘It is destiny,’ Yang said. ‘It is how it was meant to be, and I think we have already established how the traditions have changed over time.’
Her father looked at her then.
‘We found where the hidden princesses used to train and live together. That they were all trained until the choice was made. It isn’t clear if they killed each other or were killed as they failed tests,’ Lis said.
‘Where?’ he asked.
‘In the far northern corner of the island.’
‘There is no such place.’
‘It is well hidden, for I think they were all Hidden.’
‘Hidden?’
‘The Order of Huans,’ Wei-Song said softly.
Lis’s father looked between the two of them, his hand again reaching for a sword he didn’t have, and Lis wondered why he wouldn’t have it with him. ‘You know of them.’
‘I am one of them,’ Wei-Song said.
‘As am I,’ Lis added, bowing her head and disappearing before her father.
He was on his feet in an instant. ‘Where did she go?’
‘I am right here,’ she said, reappearing. ‘It is one of the skills of the Hidden. We can hide in plain sight. It also means the hunters can’t sense us, and it has kept us safe to a degree.’
‘So the hunter I saw coming in…?’
‘Hui Te-Sze knows what I am,’ Lis said. ‘He was keen to have me killed not so long ago, but now he knows I am not a threat to him. He is starting to see that the Order of Huans might be able to help him.’
‘His face? The prince?’ he asked.
She shook her head. ‘They tried to capture some magics, to question them, but they burned their way out.’
‘You must be careful,’ her father said, stepping forward. ‘They can burn right through you.’
‘I have seen what they can do,’ she said quietly, ‘and heard. My maid, U’shi died by fire magic.’
‘Were they trying to attack you?’
‘They were planning to, but they used her to send a message. Silly girl,’ she murmured.
‘Why silly?’ Ting asked.
‘She did something she knew better than to do, and it put her in a place of danger. She always wanted what she couldn’t have.’
‘What can we do to help?’ her father asked.
‘There is nothing. A fight is coming, and I can only hope the crown prince and I are on the same side when it comes.’
‘And if you are not? How can you defend yourself from a prince with fire?’ her father asked in a hushed, frantic voice.
‘I can protect myself,’ she said.
He shook his head. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘Try to hit me,’ she said.
‘Lis,’ he scolded.
‘Try to touch me, at least,’ she said, indicating that Yang step further away. She pushed out her barrier just a little as her father stepped forward, grateful they had worked on her skill when she had the chance. He reached forward and frowned.
‘Father?’ Ting asked.
He grinned and pushed against the barrier again. ‘Come and try, Ting.’
As Ting rose slowly from her seat, Lis realised just how much extra weight she carried. She joined her father and then reached out a hand.
‘How are you doing that?’
Lis shrugged and expanded it just a little further, pushing against them. They took a step back, and Ting stumbled. Lis reached for her, but Peng was up with his arm around her before she made the distance.
‘Does he know you can do that?’ Peng asked as he helped Ting back down to the table.
Lis nodded.
‘Then he could find a way through it. He could burn his way through.’
‘The others couldn’t,’ she said quickly.
‘A couple of magics might be easy compared to the prince,’ he muttered.
‘Twenty of them certainly tried, but they were no match for our princess,’ Yang said. His light voice didn’t give away the tension Lis knew he felt. ‘She managed to save us all, not just herself.’
Peng looked back at Ting, who tried to push him away. ‘I’m fine,’ she murmured.
‘I worry,’ he said softly, and Lis felt the pang of loss at his concern for someone else.
‘About her,’ Ting whispered. ‘It will always be her.’
‘You should rest,’ Yang said.
She nodded and then flinched, clutching at her side.
Yang knelt beside her, his hand on her arm. Lis smiled at his caring nature. ‘Does it hurt often?’ he asked.
She shook her head.
As he reached out a hand, he cocked his head to the side. ‘Very healthy,’ he murmured, and Lis stepped forward.
‘Don’t tell me,’ Ting said quickly. Yang drew his hand back.
‘What don’t you want me to tell you?’ he asked gently. ‘You know more than you would say.’
Ting blew out a shaky breath. ‘So many try to guess the gender, but I don’t want him to be disappointed.’
Yang looked up at Peng, who stepped forward, but Lis’s father put a hand out to stop him.
‘There is something else,’ Yang said, looking at Lis. She had known the moment her sister had entered the palace that she was with child, but she wasn’t keen to accept it. It meant so much more now that she had something Lis did not. She had Peng, who should have been hers. Lis didn’t even know if she would end up married to the prince, let alone whether they could have children. It hadn’t been so long ago that she had considered such a thing, but now she couldn’t.<
br />
‘Magic,’ Lis whispered.
The healer nodded. ‘It is faint, but there is a sense of it.’
‘Could you take it away?’ Ting asked. ‘Could you heal the baby?’
‘There is nothing to heal.’
‘We can’t have a child with magic in this world. He wouldn’t survive beyond birth,’ Peng said, the strain and anger evident in his voice. ‘It would mean death.’
‘It might not,’ Lis said.
‘The world is changing,’ Wei-Song added.
‘Until your prince and his magic change it in his favour, and he kills you and all your kind.’
Lis stepped back at his words. Did Peng really think so little of her? What had happened to his wonder and joy at her tricks not so long ago? And he had been happy enough to eat her food.
‘This child could be something very special,’ she said, stepping up to him. ‘This child could be like me, Hidden.’
‘Even if you survive to become Empress, it will be many years before you are. What power do you expect to really have?’
‘I’m not looking for power. I’m looking to help the crown prince find equality for those with magic, like it used to be.’
‘It can never be like that,’ Peng said. ‘It should never have been like that.’
‘Would you rather see the child die?’ Ting asked amidst the murmuring.
The pause was too long before he slowly shook his head.
‘Guard,’ Lis shouted, making her sister jump. A soldier appeared in the doorway, looking a little uncertain. ‘My brother wishes to visit the temple. Would you show him the way?’
The man bowed and waited while Lis stared Peng down, and with a scowl he relented and left with the soldier.
‘I didn’t know he thought like that,’ Ting whispered.
‘Perhaps you should stay here with your sister. It will be safer for you and the child.’ Their father cleared his throat. ‘You would have the healers on hand—the best one on hand,’ he added, looking to Yang, who bowed low before him.
Chapter 28
Wei-Song wasn’t quite sure how Lis had convinced her this was a good idea. She had been too aware of the risks to even visit with her mother, and now she was dragging a pregnant woman through the unsafe streets of the Palace Isle. It certainly wasn’t safe for her to remain with Lis, and the crown prince came to mind.
What might he do? she wondered. There was a real hatred in his eyes when he looked at her, and Wei-Song wondered what could have changed his heart so quickly. Despite what he was and what Lis was, and despite him continuing to cause her pain… Wei-Song knew that he cared for Lis, that he didn’t want to hurt her.
She had told him that herself. Called him on his empty promises. And maybe there was more to it than that. Maybe he didn’t care. Maybe his concern was in keeping her hidden away until he could work out what to do with her.
Ting pulled her to a stop, and she focused on the world around her. The girl opened her mouth to say something, but Wei-Song held up a finger. Ting nodded in the direction they were headed instead.
Wei-Song tightened her grip on Ting’s hand. There seemed too many people ahead of them, as well as not enough. The usual number of visitors to the Palace Isle was never high, but there were even less people moving around the island now. She was sure the restrictions had something to do with that, but there was something else. A fear, perhaps. Yet there also appeared to be far more soldiers than Wei-Song had seen before.
Was this due to the increased threat from the magics? Or was there something else? She gave Ting a gentle tug, and they moved towards the dock. She knew the boatman would be waiting. The master had given instructions that no matter whom he carried to or from the island, he was to be ready for her.
He was just where she expected him to be. As she helped Ting climb into the boat and followed her in without releasing her hand, she saw Hui Te-Sze across the dock looking over another small boat. Without pause, the boatman raised the sail and they moved quickly into deeper water. Still holding tight to Ting, Wei-Song turned back to look over the soldiers and wondered if she would be able to return as soon as she wanted to.
They sailed in silence, still hidden, to the island school, where she was met again by Master Yangshing as they climbed from the boat. She bowed before him but said nothing as she followed him inside, leading the princess’s sister by the arm.
‘Rest,’ she said, showing Ting into a room. ‘I will return with tea.’
She slid the door closed behind her and turned to Yangshing.
‘What is this?’ he asked.
‘The princess wants her and her child kept safe. The war we feared is coming. The crown prince won’t work with her.’
‘Do you think anything could bring them together?’
Wei-Song shook her head. The flames had leapt dangerously in his eyes when he had confronted the general. ‘I think it is too late. He has allowed the magics to roam the streets. They killed Minister Xi in broad daylight. It was only when the other hunter was nearby that the magic was discovered.’
‘Can you trust Hui Te-Sze?’
‘I don’t know,’ she admitted, pulling the older man away from the door.
‘The princess trusts him?’
‘She does, but I think she is clutching at people to trust. She is scared of what is to come.’
‘Did you learn more of the hidden princesses?’
She nodded. ‘Let us sit, and I will tell you as much as I can before I need to return.’
‘You aren’t staying?’
‘I am needed on the Palace Isle.’
‘I don’t want you caught in the fighting. What can you do?’
‘I can try to keep them from killing each other.’
He raised his eyebrows and, with a small smile, walked with her towards his own room.
The child pushed the door open and stared at the woman sleeping in the little room. She had been waiting days for her to arrive. Another one who thought she could change things. She would only put more distance between the prince and princess when they needed to be working together.
‘Hello?’ the woman asked in a sleepy voice.
‘Why are you not at home with your husband?’
‘He isn’t able to provide for me at the moment,’ the woman said, rolling towards her.
‘Your sister shouldn’t have sent you here,’ the girl said. ‘It puts us all in danger and will not help your child.’
‘What do you know of my child?’ Her hand moved protectively over her stomach as she sat up.
‘You need to leave,’ the little girl said.
The woman shook her head.
‘I am sorry,’ the girl continued, ‘but your child will die. It is better that she dies on your island rather than mine.’
The screaming was unexpected. When Wei-Song appeared in the room, she threw herself at the woman. They wanted the girl’s knowledge, wanted to know what she saw, yet they didn’t want the truth of it.
‘There is a chance,’ she said, hiding her face in Wei-Song’s skirt.
‘Ting, please,’ Wei-Song said as the other woman continued to carry on.
‘You are not your sister,’ the girl said quickly. ‘You can do nothing to change the fates.’
‘She said the baby would die,’ the woman blubbed.
Wei-Song knelt before the child, her hands on her shoulders. ‘What did you see?’
‘The prince is willing to risk it all, including the princess. If this child is born here, she will bring the wrath of the prince on us. If she is born on her island, we will remain hidden for another generation.’
Wei-Song looked at the woman.
‘You can’t send me away,’ she murmured.
‘You told her the baby would die?’ Wei-Song asked.
The girl nodded. It would take the mother with her, but she didn’t share that. No healer could stop what was to come. ‘If the child is born here, the princess will not help us. If the child is born on her island, there
is a chance.’
‘Peng?’ the woman asked.
‘He will not hurt you,’ the child said. He had already killed her by planting the child in her belly. It was his loss of the princess that had caused his heart to harden, even though he knew he could never have her. She sighed. She wished she didn’t know so much of the wishes and thoughts of others. But it was the prince the princess should be thinking of. ‘If only she could love him,’ she mused. ‘If she could see what he is, what he means to her, there may be a chance.’
‘Peng?’ the woman asked again, rubbing the back of her hand across her cheek.
‘The emperor,’ the child said, rubbing at her eyes. ‘I want to sleep,’ she said, taking Wei-Song’s hand. ‘She needs to leave now.’
Wei-Song watched the small boat sail out into the ocean. Yangshing had used his skill to take Ting’s memory of the island away, and Wei-Song wondered if Lis would forgive her. She headed back inside and stood over the sleeping child, always restless. She murmured in her sleep. Wei-Song wondered if there was ever a time the girl wasn’t plagued with visions, and if there was some way to help her.
As Wei-Song tried to sneak from the room, the child sat up. ‘She will die,’ she said. ‘The sister—the child will take her on her way to the gods. If she died here, the princess would blame us.’
‘She would understand.’
‘No, she would not. She would channel her hatred towards the prince instead of working with him, and we would all die.’
‘Did you just learn this?’
The girl shook her head. ‘I have known for days that this was coming. I could only hope I would have the chance to set it right.’
‘Will her family stay away?’
‘Wu Peng will take up the sword against her. She represents all that he has lost. And she will lose more than she knew she could. As will you.’
Chapter 29
Lis sat at the table and watched Wei-Song eat her cakes. ‘Tell me again what she said,’ she demanded.
Yang paced behind her, clearly unnerved, but his movement annoyed her. She glared at him.
Wei-Song put the cake down. Lis was sure something else had happened that she wasn’t saying. But her focus needed to be on the prince.
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