Unaware of the twist of fate soon to befall upon her brother, Swallow, or rather, Li Aya, continues practising archery under Cassadre's watchful eye. Finally came the day that she graduated to using a specially designed, slim bow favoured by noblewomen. Though it was not dense like the proper bows used in the army, at least it was a real bow.
Cassadre and Pin observe her fondly from the sidelines, their expressions akin to parents watching a newborn take her first steps.
Her first arrow fell a few feet away from the target. She was sure that she would hit bullseye on her second try, but an unexpected shift in wind strength causes the arrow to whizz past the targets altogether.
Suddenly, a shrill scream resounds through the court. From where they were standing, they could see a senior Eunuch rushing to help a lady dressed in heavy skirts back to her feet. Once the lady was standing again, the Eunuch spins around dramatically, stomping over to them.
His painted face is tinged red with anger.
"Who shot this arrow?!" He demands in a high pitched, nasal tone.
Cassadre and Pin both rush forward in front of Aya, replying in unison. "It was me."
Cassa glares angrily at Pin. If eyes could shoot daggers, Pin would probably be dead by now. Pin looks back at her sheepishly.
Eunuch Bai purses his lips. "A mere servant dares lie to my face?"
He lifts his hand, serving a swift slap to Cassadre's face. The stinging force of the slap causes her head to turn to one side, angry red marks appearing on her milky skin.
"Do you know who I am?" the Eunuch asks, his nose lifted so high that he may as well have had his head in the clouds.
Suddenly, there was another loud, resounding slap. Eunuch Bai falls to the ground, clutching his cheek dramatically.
Aya dusts the white powder from her uplifted hand casually. "I don't care who you are," she warns, stepping closer to the Eunuch. "But a mere servant shouldn't be meddling in the affairs of masters."
The Eunuch's mouth hangs open in an "O" shape . "You- who are you?"
"Prince Yi Xuan's bride." Aya replies calmly, looking down upon him. "Li Aya."
A peal of bell-like laughter rings out across the court.
"It's the Royal Consort..." Cassadre whispers against Aya's ear before dropping to her knees.
"Eunuch Bai, don't you find the ground cold?" Consort Wren calls out airily. "Why do you make such a fuss?"
She treads lightly towards them, her hips swaying.
"Surely that arrow wasn't meant for me," She comments sweetly, stopping in front of Aya.
Her dense black fringe is trimmed in a straight line above perfectly groomed brows, and her raven black hair had at least five flower decorations of all sizes weaved into the loops, braids and swirls. Her purple dress was cut in such a manner that it revealed too much skin. Of course, no one but the Emperor dared to look too closely.
Pin knelt with his head bowed and Cassadre's palms were pressed against the ground.
"...Li Aya," Consort Wren smiles, bright red lips parting to reveal a row of pearly white teeth. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Aya is taken aback by the unexpected welcome.
Consort Wren steps forward, patting her arm fondly. "How is General Li these days? It's been a while since he was sent to the Northern barracks."
Sweat trickles down Aya's back. If Consort Wren knew General Li personally, she could get into trouble. She had to be extra careful with how she answered.
She dips into a small curtsy, her gaze lowered, "My Father is well, Royal Consort."
"Really?" The Consort's long, curved nails are painted with intricate blue and black designs, digging painfully into Aya's arm. "But what of his injured knee?"
"His knee-" Before Aya could finish her sentence, she was pulled aside.
Yi Xuan stands next to her, dressed in a fitted navy Hanfu with a black leather trim.
"Consort," he acknowledges. "My father is looking for you."
Consort Wren smiles graciously. "Is he now?"
Yi Xuan nods. "He's waiting in the royal gardens."
She studies him for a moment before taking his word for it. Before she leaves, Consort Wren tosses a sultry look over her shoulder.
"You should keep a close eye on your little bride," she warns. "You never know, she might just... fly away."
The Prince clenches his jaw, tightening his grip on Aya's wrist as the Royal Consort takes her leave.
His anger was barely observable in the curtness of his words, the rigid straightness of his back and the increasing force of his fingers on Aya's wrist. Though benign, it lent a sharp edge to his voice.
"Do you have a death wish?"
Aya looks up at him, her eyes capturing the blackness of his pupils. Yi Xuan saw his own image reflected there, a striking contrast to the soft brown hues surrounding it.
"No." She replies.
Aya lowers her head, hiding her expression and the thoughts swirling through her mind.
She thought of the days spent on the streets, begging for scraps of food. She thought of her brother, who always put his family first. And finally, she thought of her piteous, bedridden mother who was by now long gone.
She wouldn't live like that.
"No," she repeats with a slight tremor to her voice. "I'll do anything to survive."
Yi Xuan studies the young girl in front of him. In his eyes, she showed her weaknesses too freely, cried too easily and trusted too quickly. Weakness was the one thing he could never show. In the palace, weakness was a tool used for manipulation. People who were weak were easily coerced, and often turned into scapegoats or stepping stones for others.
"I advise you not to wander." He warns darkly, dropping Aya's wrist as though it burnt him. "Within these walls, the living can disappear without a trace, and the dead will come back to haunt you. Don't let yourself turn into one of them. "
He steps away from her, increasing the distance between them.
"The Royal Consort isn't someone you can afford to offend."
Pin holds his breath as the Prince makes motion to leave. Honestly, his legs were growing numb from maintaining the same position for such a long time. Cassadre did not move an inch from her fully bowed position on the ground.
Pin's sigh of relief catches awkwardly in his throat as the Prince stops, running his eye over the both of them.
"Cassadre, I believe I ordered you to look after the Princess." He takes a moment to contemplate his next words. "I may have become too lenient of late. Remain here until I return from court."
He then turns towards Pin. "And you- as punishment for not reporting back her movements, you can spend the rest of the day washing chamber pots."
Pin's face turns green at the order. He stands up dejectedly, almost jumping from the pins and needles travelling up his leg. He shuffles towards the back of the palace with drooping shoulders.
Yi Xuan turns his back to Aya, his robe fluttering in the breeze.
"My patience is waning, Li Aya." He pauses. "Do not test it."
With that, he was off, a myriad of servants hurrying after him.
The entrance to the main court of the palace was manned by armoured guards. Two gigantic wooden doors were painted bright red and had copper bolts sticking out of them. A white stone path leads onto a wide staircase. Numerous dragons were etched on the central part of the path, leading all the way to the top of the staircase where a grand, temple-like structure loomed over its surroundings. As the Prince approaches, servants part into two neat rows and stand shoulder to shoulder on the packed dirt area of the courtyard, their heads bowed respectfully. Only the Emperor and his family could use the main path, and even then, the Emperor was the only one who could tread upon the back of his dragon ancestors.
Yi Xuan made his way along the smooth area of the path. His hair was done up in a neat topknot, secured by a navy ribbon with deep sapphire gems encrusted on it. As he neared the entrance, peals of bell-like laughter emanated from the imperial court. Even here, where advisors and officials presented scrolls and detailed clauses that could affect the entire nation, the Emperor could be seen dallying around with his numerous Concubines. These days, he held Consort Wren in favour, and even allowed her to sit next to the throne, where in tradition, only the Empress was allowed to sit. In this instance though, the Consort was standing over the amassed court. She bends down, whispering in the Emperor's ear as the twelfth Prince's tall figure appears in the doorway.
From initial appearance, Yi Xuan didn't look to be the type of person who could slice through enemies with a sword. But five years ago, he had been in the thick of battle between Elan and Han. Consort Wren often wandered at the truth of this, as the battles did not leave a single scar on his face. His skin was smooth as jade and flawless; his eyes glittered like cold onyx stones. She remembered the day when messengers from the border bore the happy news of his death, only to be disproved as he rode back into the imperial city, his shattered armour caked with dirt, blood and sweat. From the hundred thousand men who fought in the war, a single battalion marched behind him. The battered tiger crest flag rested on their backs as they moved forward as one. When they finally reached the palace gates, the twelfth Prince held consciousness long enough to announce Han's victory before his exhausted steed inhaled its last dying breath and toppled, foamy blood spilling from its metal bit and seeping crimson into the packed earth.
Imperial doctors worked on the Prince for three days straight before they finally declared his life to be out of danger.
Yi Xuan walks up next to the Crown Prince and the rest of his remaining brothers.
"Fu Huang (my father), there's been news from the Northern border."
Stepping forward, he presents the bamboo scroll with both hands held above his head.
The old Emperor tears his gaze away from the pretty, made up face of Consort Wren for long enough to frown down at his twelfth son.
"Why must you always be so serious, Yi Xuan? Here, have a drink first."
The court remains silent as a servant brings out a cup of rice wine on a silver platter. No one dared speak against this ridiculous act.
Years ago, before the Emperor started indulging Consort Wren, he was at least wary of the force of GuangPing Wang Fu, the old Empress' mother clan. However, after the death of her sons, the old Empress rescinded the phoenix coronet and retreated to QingFo nunnery, vowing to spend the remainder of her years watching over green lanterns and praying to Buddha. After this, the Empress' father, who continued to hold the high rank position of Statesman, no longer dared to speak out against the Emperor. These days, he preferred to maintain the middle ground of neither supporting nor condoning Emperor Yi's decisions.
In addition, since the passing of the Jade Concubine, LinAn Hou Fu, which was once revered for their long legacy of fighting for and expanding Han's territory, had all but retreated to Bailong Shan district in the South, leaving a menial presence in court. Wren, her father Official Liu and General Li formed the final sphere of influence, wielding the most amount of power at present. While Emperor Yi had planned for this alliance to be broken due to the marriage of Li Aya to the unfavored twelfth Prince, in the background, it held strong.
Yi Xuan clenches his jaw, holding the scroll in one hand and reaching for the cup in the other, downing the clear liquid in one go.
The Emperor laughs heartily, "That's my son!"
The Prince places the cup back on the platter. "Fu Huang-"
"Tsk, can't you see I have more... pressing matters at hand?" Emperor Yi lectures. As though to complement his question, Consort Wren falls bonelessly into his lap, her slender arm snaking around his neck. Since the morning, she had changed into an even more revealing outfit that clung to her well developed figure like a second skin.
Crown Prince Yi Zhu steps forward to stand next to Yi Xuan. He smirks, voicing loudly, "I'm not sure how our twelfth brother happens to know of military news before anyone else in the court... even before Fu Huang himself?" His round cheeks wobble with indignation as he points a finger accusingly at Yi Xuan. "It seems being the previous owner of the tiger seal certainly has its uses..."
Yi Xuan smiles calmly back at him, unfazed by his childish jibe. "You all know that I recently wed Li Aya, so it's not strange for me to receive a letter from General Li." He comments lazily, his long fingers toying with the string that held the bamboo pieces together. "It just so happens in this letter, he made mention of the tension building at the border."
The Emperor waves a hand disinterestedly. "Those barbarians don't bear a threat to us."
"Your Majesty," Consort Wren whispers, her eyelashes fluttering. "They certainly are barbaric. One almost shot me with an arrow this morning."
"What? Elanians should all be wretched slaves by now! Or are you saying that there's a rebel running free within my palace?"
The Consort lifts a pale hand to her mouth, as though realising that she said the wrong thing.
"Who dare house a rebel?" The Emperor rages. "I'll have their heads!"
The Prince's eyes narrow at Wren, his free hand moving to rest on his belt. His An Qi (hidden weapon) was artfully concealed under it.
Consort Wren giggles, her fingertips dotting along the Emperor's arm like small, persistent raindrops. "Please forgive me, your majesty." She shoots a look at Yi Xuan from under her eyelashes. "I was only jesting. I wanted to be sure that you would protect me should such a situation arise..."
"Nonsense! Of course I would, my little pet. So long as I am the Emperor, no one will be able to touch you."
"You're right. How silly of me to voice such nonsense! If the great Emperor Yi can't ensure my safety, who can?"
Consort Wren's eyes shine as she gazes adoringly at the Emperor.
Emperor Yi nods his head, the beads from his headdress clinking against each other. He turns his attention back to the court.
"Those Elanian savages are like fleas attempting to ride the back of beasts."
"But if a flea were to crawl into the ear of the beast then perhaps... the tides would change." Yi Xuan points out.
The Emperor grudgingly shifts his position on the throne to a more formal posture.
"You, bring the scroll to me." He nods towards an Eunuch.
Eunuch Bai steps down, practically snatching the bamboo scroll from Yi Xuan's hands.
Emperor Yi looks over the Xing Shu (running script) calligraphy. It was often said that you could tell one's personality from his writing. There were even scholars who specialised in reading and writing for a living, much like the way fortune tellers could read palms to predict one's future. The Prince's script had bold strokes, hooks and lines fitting of his personality.
The Emperor's face reddens as he skims the sentences, finally throwing the bamboo scroll angrily into the crowd below him. It knocks one unfortunate advisor's hat crooked before clattering loudly onto the floor.
"How dare they!" He shouts, pacing around the elevated stage.
The imperial advisors and officials drop all to their knees, chanting in unison, "Your majesty, please appease your anger and take care of your body!"
Once the Emperor had calmed down, he motioned for Yi Xuan to step closer. "I trust that General Li has sent some soldiers to test the waters?"
"Yes, but those soldiers will become sacrifices unless we send backup."
"Then let them!" The Emperor settles back onto his golden throne. "If Elan wants to break the peace treaty from their end, it will give us a chance to wipe them out fully this time."
"Are you saying... we won't send any more troops up North?" Yi Xuan asks incredulously. "Fu Huang!"
"Those soldiers should be proud! Should they be so useless as to die, their deaths will still be remembered as a sacrifice for the greater good of their country!"
"But what of the citizens who always bear the consequences of war? Please think twice about this-"
"You are overstepping your boundaries, Yi Xuan." Emperor Yi's voice shakes with rage, ringing out across the hall. "You should remember that I am the Emperor! If you say another word, I will have you imprisoned, even if you are my son!"
The Emperor stands. "Tui Chao (retreat from court)," he commands, flicking his long sleeve angrily before heading out.
The masses fall to their knees once again, their foreheads pressed against the cold ground.
"Long live our Emperor," they chant in unison.
Yi Xuan's fist is clenched so tightly that his knuckles glare white.
_(:3」∠)_
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