The Wandering God

13 ... Only to Find What You Seek Without Effort 2/2

"Worried about poison?" I asked, smiling wider.

He returned my smile. "The heat rather. How can you drink hot tea on a day like this?"

"It's not so bad, really," I said, turning to the window. A breeze from the sea entered the room, and the stones of the walls were cool. I turned back toward the Prince. "I come from the south." And I had, long ago.

I waited for him to ask me more, but he did not. The silence stretched between us like space, broken only by the rising steam. "Don't you have something you want to ask me?" I prompted.

I meant his letter. I never got to answer you that night, when you asked me what question I wanted to ask The Sixth God. The question I want to ask is "Which story is true?" He had written that to me, knowing, I assumed, that I would have the answer to that question, the story being my own.

"Ask the question you want to ask," I prompted again.

Sanli folded his hands and looked at them, then looked up at me. "Why are you here?"

I raised my eyebrows. "That's what you want to ask?"

"I wrote in my letter that if you were ever in need to come to me and I would help you. I'm assuming that's why you're here, in Zhanghai." Sanli leaned back, looking at me innocently. "So, Lady Four Strings... what can I help you with?"

"It's Lady Yunyou now," I said, folding my arms with a frustrated sigh. He was the one supposed to be asking for MY help. Why was he pretending not to know who I was? Unless he really hadn't guessed? I was sure though... the way he had looked at me earlier...

I rapped my fingers on the table, something I often did when thinking or irritated. Why was he pretending not to know? What did he gain? What was his plan?

Tch. Fine. Sanli wanted to pretend he still knew nothing about me, I would play along. I spread my arms. "What I want... truthfully, my Prince, until I met you and your friends in Nan'ye I was leading a very dull existence. So I guess, what I want is to be... entertained."

It was Sanli's turn to think. He stroked his chin, where several days worth of stubble was starting to show. If he wasn't careful he was going to start looking as careless as Kageyama.

"How about this," Sanli began after thinking it through, spreading his hands on the table with his proposal."You continue in your role as Ermi's..."

"Propriety instructor," I prompted, sipping my tea.

Sanli snorted in a most unprince like way. "Yes, that. However, in the meantime, you'll be making sure that all those weaseling suitors who keep hovering around her don't get too close, and if any of them are too persistent, you report to me."

"Oh? What if their intentions are sincere?"

Sanli laughed. "Trust me, they're not. They're after her name and dowry."

I inclined my head in agreement. He was probably right.

"In addition..." Sanli began. Then stopped.

"What?" I asked, tantalized.

"No...it will be too dangerous."

"I never turn down a challenge," I said. My words from the bar, when we had first met, and he had challenged me to our musical race. Sanli recognized them, grinning.

"Then I won't offer you the challenge this time, and save you from yourself." I was about to protest, my curiosity aroused, but Sanli continued with his offer. "If you can help Ermi remain unattached all summer, until we return to Linjing in the fall, I'll give you a permanent place on my staff."