One Year

Reunion

"Reward?"  The old man began to say, but before he could ask her what she wanted, Siri interrupted him.  

"I'll give Elder time to think about it."  Siri said as she reset the board again.  "Elder has not given me his name yet." 

"Please forgive me."  He said as he stood up again and bowed.  "This subject was too surprised at the moment and could not remember proper etiquette.  This subject's name is Tsuyoi."  

"Master Teacher Tsuyoi!"  Siri said excitedly as she stood up to bow to him.  

"Please don't..." Tsuyoi began to say to tell her not to bow to him.  "Your Highness."  

Siri quickly paid her respects and straightened up.  

"How can I pay my respects to Master Teach Tsuyoi!  You are my King Husband's Master Teacher."  Siri said.  "It is finally good to finally meet you, Master Teacher.  I've heard so much about you and King Husband's time with you as your disciple."  

"It is this subject's blessing to be King Ryu's Master Teacher.  At the time we did not know this would happen, but everything turned out well in the end for him."  Tsuyoi said as he smiled.  

"Yes, my King Husband has always been a very studious, ambitious and magnanimous man."  Siri said before changing the topic.  "Do you trust me, Master Teacher?"  

"Trust you?"  

"Yes, to cure you?" Siri said as she walked to the side of the pavilion to watch the koi fish gather for food as she threw some fish feed into the water.  

Tsuyoi was quiet, he didn't want to offend the Queen, but she has been the only one who said she could cure him.  She gave him hope, but he had doubts.  

"I understand."  Siri said as she quickly turned around.  "I'm young, I'm pretty, I've no experience, I'm a woman... there's a long list of reasons why I can't be able to cure you.  But before you completely disregard my offer.  Ask my King Husband, who cured him and he'll tell you everything.  When you change your mind, you know where to find me.  For my reward, I like surprises.  It'll give you time to think about what you want to give me."  

Siri stared up at the sky before turning around to Tsuyoi.  "It's getting late, I should return.  And I believe you also have business to talk to King Ryu, so I'll leave you.  I've already taken up enough of your time already.  Our games of chess was exciting.  Thank you for passing the time with me." 

Siri left without as quickly as she came with all of her maids, nurses and guards following her.  

Tsuyoi stood planted in his spot for a long time thinking about her words.  There was one sentence that kept repeating inside his mind.

"Ask my King Husband, who cured him and he'll tell you everything." 

What did she mean by who cured him?  

Tsuyoi took off from the pavilion and flew towards the King's courtyard.  He concealed his presence until the very last moment when he's right outside of Ryu's study.  

"Master!"  Ryu said as he quickly put the scroll down on the desk to stand up and bow to him.  His Master taught him everything. He was like a second father to Ryu so he held his Master Teacher in very high regard.  

"I met your Queen."  Tsuyoi said as he waved for Ryu to sit down before sitting down in the chair that was across from Ryu's desk.  "King Cai chosen well for you.  Even if it was on accident.  He probably thought he would marry you to a useless, ugly, stubborn woman, but instead she was the total opposite."  

Ryu grinned and nodded his head.  "Cai thought he married me to a chicken, but she became a phoenix instead. I was lucky."  

"Not lucky."  Tsuyoi said.  "Destined."   

"Em. I like that."  Ryu agreed. 

"The Queen asked me to ask you, who cured you from your illness." 

"My Queen Wife did."  Ryu said as he began to explain their story.  From how he doubted her at first, investigated her background over and over again, how she diagnose his illness, to providing ways to avoid the poison, to taking an arrow for him, to curing him and moderating his health until he was completely cured.  

"She said something about a reward?"  

"Ah, yes, a reward for her job well done.  A surprise gift."  Ryu said.  "Why are you asking me these questions?" 

Tsuyoi sighed heavily and stayed quiet for a long time before decided to tell him the truth. 

"There's something I have to tell you... A couple of years ago I was careless and through that carelessness, I was poisoned.  I've been trying to find a cure of the poison ever since, but haven't found any clues or anyone who could cure me. I came here today to say my last goodbyes to you and retire from the world and live the rest of my short days in solitude.  To my surprise, I meet a young lady at the Leisure Koi pavilion and we play chess for an hour and a half before she tells me she's going to cure me and for me to prepare a gift."  Tsuyoi said as he recounted his tale of meeting the Queen.  "She tells me all my poison symptoms then suddenly lets me know what poison it was that I was afflicted with and that she can cure me.  I hesitated to accept her offer and when I did, she told me to ask you about your illness."  

"I suggest Master Teacher prepare a surprise reward befitting your life's savior. Maybe you should prepare two surprise rewards, one for curing you and one for not believing her."  Ryu said as he listened.  "If she says she can cure you.  She can."  

"Then I must rely on your Highness to provide me with a room and board for the time being."  Tsuyoi said as he resigned himself to be at the Queen's mercy.  

"Whatever you need, this Disciple shall make sure your stay here is pleasant."  Ryu told him.  

"Do you think the Queen can play chess with me again?" Tsuyoi asked as his eye lit up with excitement.  His bruised ego wouldn't give up on the fact that he lost several times in a row to Queen Siri.