'I will remember this kind offer. But the maharaj comes bearing many gifts and promises today; one must wonder how they are expected to return the favour?'
Kiet smiled. 'I bring with me no such expectations.'
The man right of the Emperor twitched suddenly. It was the first time he moved, Kiet realised. He had been sitting there so still, the maharaj forgot he was there at all. A young man, with something twinkling in his ear. He, too, was robed in green—not the greenish-blue of the Gyok Dynasty, but paler, like frosted winter grass.
'I was hoping, however, to be granted private audience with one of your brothers.'
Gyoseong startled. His eyes darkened. 'Yeungji-himi?'
'No, not the crown prince. My business is with your youngest brother, Hanjeon Gyoseong Haruse.'
'Haruse?' He was so startled, he even dropped the honorific. 'What can he possibly do for you?'
'I hope to find that out once I enjoy the opportunity of speaking with the hanjeon.'
The Emperor looked as though he would have preferred if Kiet had come to conspire a coup with the crown prince instead. Did he know Haruse once courted Dhvani? Did he know his youngest brother was potentially harbouring the queen-killer?
Kiet had consulted the list Khaisan gave him. The only foreign delegates to have attended Persi's tenth namesday had been members of each royal House, and of those, most had brought only their first-born sons and daughters. The only youngest son in attendance had been the prince—or hanjeon, as they called it—of the Gyok Dynasty.
The information Kiet subsequently gathered regarding Haruse corresponded to all Djuro's descriptions. He fit the age, his slew of older brothers matched, his theurgy also confirmed at second-rank. The hanjeon had even stayed the entire harvest season following Persi's namesday, just as Dhvani's secret lover had done.
Gyoseong turned, to Kiet's amusement, not at his brother, but the man on his right, whose theurgy still burned bright at his ear. What was he, an augur? A mind-reader? But Kiet had kept his jii firmly in place since he entered the audience hall, and he sensed no one approaching within a single inch of his head.
He looked askance at Akai. Surely his captain, too, would know enough to keep his mental defences high.
'My brother is a free man, maharaj,' said Gyoseong at last. 'It is not my place to keep him from speaking to whomsoever he wishes.'
You are the Emperor. It is exactly your place. 'Thank you. I shall presume that my request will reach him.'
'He knows where to find you. Even so, I cannot guarantee that he will oblige.'
So he won't come. It hardly mattered. If the hanjeon will not see him, then Kiet would have to find a way to lure him out.
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Akai was silent throughout their walk to the castle's second enclosure. Like a petulant lover, Kiet thought wryly, except without the benefits a lover entails.
'That went better than you thought it would,' he said in their native tongue. His words were effective—he knew full well Akai's opinion on the matter, and the man's frown only deepened.
'Better? No disrespect, maharaj, but you should not have been forthcoming with your intention of meeting Hanjeon Haruse.' He started ticking things off his hand. 'You've pushed him into hiding; if the rajini is here, she will quickly be gone; and the Emperor will probably send someone to kill us all in our sleeps.'
Their guide was paces ahead of them in the sugi grove, trekking along a narrow path. He occasionally looked back to check on the maharaj and his men, but was far enough to let them speak in peace. Even then Kiet kept his voice low. 'If Haruse-himi is hiding Dhvani, he'd have suspected my intentions the second he heard of my coming. I guarantee they already are setting in motion her exit out of Momuji. There is no reason to hide my intentions, in fact it was in my advantage to share them. You saw the Emperor's reaction. His brother had something to do with Dhvani's escape—of that I am certain—and the Emperor knows it.'
'But, maharaj, if they're already moving the rajini—'
'They have not.' Kiet had sent men ahead of him, of course. Well, just the one.
Sindhu had learnt of a large and sudden commission signed by Haruse himself. One that required an entire regiment of soldiers to escort out of Momuji. A comission, coincidentally, that was made immediately after Kiet's letter arrived announcing his visit.
Unfortunately for them, Kiet arrived earlier than his messenger portended. He hoped the surprise would delay Haruse's plan a few days longer.
'You remember the location I told you?' asked Kiet, his voice now a whisper. 'Send your men there and have them watch it. Day and night.'
Akai glanced back at the guards tailing them. 'Both of them? We'll have none left watching your compound.'
'Men from the ship, Akai. Have them rotate their watch—but they are to remain unseen, understood?'
'Of course, maharaj. I would also send for more to join us at Ikidojja, however. If the Emperor knows your intentions—'
'No. We shall make no move to provoke the Divine Gyok or his brother into changing their plans.'
'You are not safe here.'
'Do you know what would happen if I am to meet any kind of injury under the Emperor's watch? War. So no, we've nothing to fear from him. Judhistir would waive his legacy of peace to answer such an affront. Even Khaisan, for all his issues against me, would swim across the sea to uphold his Ametjas pride.'
'I'm sure the Emperor has enemies who would love to see him at war.'
'Now that is the most perceptive thing you've said all day.' Kiet paused to enjoy a breeze. The trees rustled above, his swiftlet sweeping through its lowest boughs. 'Though enemy is perhaps too excessive a sentiment. Rivals, I would say.'
The Refined Ginkgo clan being his strongest contender, abundant with high-ranking theurgists; a couple of whom were even terrakin, if the rumours were true. If they were able to produce just one first-ranking terrakin ... that would be the end of it for the dynasty of the Divine Gyok.
Kiet doubted the day would ever come. Forget a terrakin of first-rank theurgy, the Refined Ginkgo line was centuries diluted from royalty that they would never produce a first-ranking child at all.
The Divine Gyok, on the other hand ...
Kiet soured at the thought. There was a reason theirs was the only clan that consistently produced terrakin theurgists.
Laughter filled the air. They passed a pavilion, built amongst the trees. Young girls were giggling over their paper talismans. Children played in the grass, their mothers chatting or asleep on the platform.
'What is this place?' he asked the guide who had stopped for them to catch up.
'Only a spot for our visitors to rest, maharaj, though it is also often used as a meeting place. It's close to the north gate, you see, to the bamboo forest that separates the three enclosures.'
'You receive a lot of visitors, then?'
'Mostly those requesting audience. We aren't short of grievances, here in Momuji. Ruumoji is especially full of them.'
The children stopped to watch them pass, their mothers paused in their gossiping. A man even lowered his face in obeisance as Kiet walked by. Odd—hardly anyone should know who he was, outside Surikhand. Perhaps his yi-sang was too stately. Perhaps the man recognised the Ametjas colours he wore, or the Surikh emblem clasped upon his belt.
'How well are your people educated regarding Surikh monarchy?'
'Ah—now—that is, I suppose we're familiar enough with your history?'
'No need for alarm, dasanghwan. I'm not about to quiz you.' Kiet chuckled. When he looked back, the large-sleeved man had gone.
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↝ END CHAPTER TEN ↜
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☆ this chapter is dedicated to DenSammy; another long-time reader of A GRACE OF CROWNS! ☆
Video: Ambient Worlds
Image: ArtBreeder + digital painting of Emperor Gyoseong by yours truly
Is Kiet being paranoid, or is that guy totally suss? (↼_↼)
Fun fact of the day: Momuji Castle is, to no one's surprise, inspired by the Himeji in Hyōgo, Japan. Press "like" if you want to go there or "share" if you already have 😆
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