Chasing Sya

Making Moves

“Has your wife been kidnapped?” King Diwah asked as his eyebrow raised up.  “I hear that there is no one who can compare to her beauty.  I also hear that you let her leave your courtyard everyday.  Did someone see your beautiful wife and decided to kidnap her themselves?  Did you not put enough guards to protect her?”

King Diwah lectured Ju Long as if he was still a young child who lost his toy.  But Ju Long stayed still and held out the Tiger Seal towards the King.  

“It is not just anyone who has my wife.”  Ju Long told the King.  “It is her Father.”  

“Her Father? Why would he take her back, unless he was not happy with the marriage.”  King Diwah got mad for Ju Long.

How dare some nobody not be happy with a son-in-law like Duke Ju Long.  His accomplishments, his bloodline, his handsome looks and manners are the best in all of the royal and noble class.  He was the first choice for many mothers who wanted their daughters to marry.  

“Her Father is not someone we can easily offend.”  Ju Long told him.  

“I am the King!  And you are a Duke of this Meya Country! Who is this man that he thinks he can easily offend us!”  King Diwah got himself into a tizzy.  

Ju Long cleared his throat then said the two words that could make anyone stop talking.  

“Demon Master.”   

King Diwah coughed after he heard those words.  He waved a maid to pour a cup of tea for him to drink.  After he took a sipped, he coughed again to clear his troat.  

“Haha, Duke Ju Long, I thought I heard you wrong.  Her Father is who?”  

“Demon Master.”  Ju Long said as he looked up at the King.  “That is why I present to you this Tiger Seal.  I must bring back my wife and I don’t what will happen.  So I must give this Tiger Seal back to you, please accept my resignation as your loyal General.”   

King Diwah looked at the kneeling man before looking away.  He signaled the Eunuch that was standing by Ju Long side to take it and bring it to him.  

“Ju Long.”  King Diwah said as he traced the Tiger Seal.   “How long have we’ve known each other?”  

“Since we were still boys getting taught by our Master Teacher.”  Ju Long said as he  looked down to the ground again.  

“And when I became King, you were the only one who I can only trust, whole heartedly.  When you got married, I wanted to come, but…”  

“I know.”  Ju Long quickly said dropping honorifics and began speaking to King Diwah as if he was a peer .  “Because of your position, you couldn’t come and celebrate with me.  I know.  I haven’t had the opportunity to bring her inside of the palace to introduce her to you, you would have liked her.”  

King Diwah sighed heavily.  The whole country’s welfare is on his shoulders.  Ju Long helped him a lot, making sure the boarders were safe and training men into soldiers.  Ju Long never asked anything in return for his hard work and accomplishments.  The only thing he asked for in all the years Ju Long served him, was to stay in the city so he could plan his Grandfather’s 90th birthday celebration.  

The Trial By Fire Tournament was coming up in 6 months.  At the end of the Trial, Ju Long was scheduled to go back to the borders with 40,000 men, when he won the tournament.  

“If I remember correctly,”  King Diwah said as he held onto the Tiger Seal. “It was my Honorable King Father who gave you this Seal when you were 14 years old.”  

“Yes, Your Majesty.”  

“He was so proud of you that day.  He liked you a lot, you know that?”  

“Yes, Your Majesty.”  

“He once told me, that there are many people in the world who will say sweet words to make you believe them, then stab you in the back when you’re not looking.  Then there are a small handful, who will serve you loyally to their dying breaths.”  King Diwah said.  “When my Honorable King Father made us studying partners, I knew the moment I met you, that you were the second type of person that my Honorable King Father told me about.”  

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your high praise.”  

“To keep those loyal to you, you have to help them when they ask for help.”  King Diwah said as he nodded for the Eunuch to help Ju Long stand up.  “I will keep this Tiger Seal for safe keeping until you return with your wife, Lady Wei.  How can I, this King, go against the decisions and good wishes of my Honorable King Father?”