Following the fall of the Chinese empire, the gods ascended into the heavens, and the Dragon Throne, which had served as the tie between the mortal and immortal worlds, sat empty for many decades. The world was far from perfect, but life continued o...
The meeting with her parents had gone pretty much as she had expected: not exactly well, but not horrible either. Jia shook her head and tried to clear her mind. She needed to be mentally put together for when she met the two other Heirs.
Jia firmly believed that first impressions were everything, but more so than that, she wanted to get a read on the other Heirs. Her father had instructed her in all the ways of the court and interactions between the nobility. Reading, manipulating, and misdirecting people were fine arts, like weaving tapestries, and her father had gone to great lengths to ensure that when the time came, she would be the one who would hold the threads. She had her plan. She would befriend the newcomers and learn their weaknesses, so that she could exploit every one of them.
Despite her need for complete focus, standing around in the palace courtyard, waiting for Captain Zhensheng and Elder Chen to arrive with their respective charges, didn't leave much room for concentration. With too many distracting thoughts at the forefront of her mind, her attention began to wander.
Hoppla! Dieses Bild entspricht nicht unseren inhaltlichen Richtlinien. Um mit dem Veröffentlichen fortfahren zu können, entferne es bitte oder lade ein anderes Bild hoch.
"You are late," her father, Shun, said disapprovingly as soon as Jia entered the house. That was very much like him. She hadn't seen him or her mother for three whole days, and yet her father's greeting still did not surprise her.
"Forgive me," Jia said, bowing her head. Even as an Heiress, she still had to honor her family above all else. "I ran into trouble on the way."
"Trouble?"
"The Mongol."
Shun grimaced. "That boy? You know that you are not to associate yourself with him."
"I know, father." Jia's mouth turned into a sneer. "Believe me when I say that it was neither intentional nor desired."
"See to it that it does not happen again," Shun said sharply. He began pacing, his footsteps heavy across the richly ornamented tiling. "If you wish to receive the Mandate of Heaven and bring the greatest of honors to our family, you must not bring more negative attention to yourself. I expect more from you. You should be better than this."
"I know, father. I am."
"Where are your guards?" Zhen, her mother asked. She was giving Jia a sympathetic look, indicating that the question was meant to draw the conversation toward a different subject. "You did not run away from them again, did you?"
"No," Jia said truthfully. "I did not run away from them."
"Then they have neglected their duties. Shun will see to replacing them," Zhen said.
Jia nodded, willing away the smile that had almost crept up her lips. "Yes. That would be wise."
"But onto more important matters," Shun said, folding his hands behind his back in a businesslike manner. If there was one thing that Shun Kwan understood, it was business. It was one of the many reasons he was considered to be one of the most prestigious nobles in the city.
