Tejoka

Hi folks, as a bit of a bonus, I've got a family tree for you. Since it's getting pretty complicated and has recently been mentioned a few times. Obviously, this has major spoilers for the story so far!

Spoiler

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Note that not every character that appears here is actually named in the story, I just wanted to illustrate the connections.

About the current chapter, it has a bit of a cliffhanger. Consider yourself warned.

Sunrise had almost finished, and the warm colors of twilight were vanishing from the sky. It made the world seem starker and sharper, even though the view out of the window would have been called picturesque by many. I would have preferred to see telephone poles rather than just tiled roofs, though.

“Is this really necessary?” king Varis asked. “Surely there has been some mistake. Where is the proof that Jian did anything wrong?”

I turned around, facing the Velisha king fully. For a moment, I regretted that I hadn’t had him stay on his knees, since now I needed to look up a bit to make eye contact.

“A mistake?” I repeated, quietly.

King Varis bowed his head. “My lady. I did not mean to sound impertinent.”

“Your son is under investigation on suspicion of high treason, king Varis,” I said, still in a cool tone. He was definitely questioning me, wasn’t he? “That is all that is pertinent about the situation. And, fatherly concern or not, I don’t see that you have room for complaint, frankly. He has not been harmed.”

The Velisha noticeably suppressed a sigh. “Of course not, Imperial Princess.”

I didn’t think either of us was happy about this conversation, but that was on him. I certainly had things I’d rather be doing, but I couldn’t just brush him off when the Velisha king came to subtly accost me about Jian’s imprisonment. I hadn’t said much, of course. I wanted to keep Jian basically on ice.

Hopefully, most people chalked the whole thing up to the attempted coup and Mother’s departure. For those who knew about Jian’s involvement in another act of treason, they had seen no other response so far. I wanted to give them enough time to settle, let their guard down. The thought of hanging over Hajake like the sword of Damocles was a bonus.

“We’re not barbarians, Varis,” I said. “If Jian is innocent, he has nothing to fear.”

Of course, I knew he was guilty, but the principle still held. At least this conversation had made me reasonably certain that the king really didn’t know about Jian’s actions.

The Velisha king bowed his head again. “Thank you, my lady.”

“I’m afraid this is all the time I can spare you,” I said. “I have an important meeting with the Terbekteri, you understand.”

He clearly recognized the dismissal, and bowed. “I wish you luck, my lady.” He turned and left the room.

I glanced at Aston, who shut the door behind the departing vassal and raised an eyebrow.

“Let’s go,” I said. “Make sure Kajare is on the way as well, alright?”

Terki wanted this little meeting to be private, just family. Obviously, that meant I couldn’t bring any of the others, even Lei. Tenira or Yarani were out, anyway. But Aston would accompany me.

He fell into step beside me as we left the room and made our way through the building. This city hadn’t been built by the Empire or the Kingdom, but they’d appropriated the government buildings, meaning the biggest palace and other large edifices. The mansion we were currently in had been commandeered by the Imperial generals for our use, but it was small enough that it wouldn’t take long to get into the city. I’d meet Terki and his children in a similar one not far away.

The guards brought a small, open carriage for me, really more of a chariot, that moved itself down the street as they jogged to keep pace. A minute later, we reached our destination, and I stepped off and swept into the gates of another clump of marble facades, neatly trimmed greenery, and bowing servants. They opened the doors for us. Royal guards of the Terbekteri were here, as well, clearly watching us intently even as they bowed to me. I suppressed the thought that we were outnumbered.

We were led into a sitting room stuffed just a little too full of chairs and sofas, although there were only Terki, Liali, Hajake and Kajare present. They rose politely as we entered, and Liali and Kajare gave me what I thought were honest smiles. I’d hoped to see Salira here, too. Did she not make it back yet, or did they just decide not to include her? I wish I knew.

I exchanged polite greetings with all of them, but only felt glad to see Kajare. We hugged for a moment and he stayed by my side, appropriating my arm as we sat down on a couch together. Aston joined a few other guards around the edges of the room.

It helped distract me from seeing Hajake again. He was watching me carefully, his jaw clenched just a little and his expression obviously carefully controlled. I gave him a smile and relaxed into the seat with Kajare. Of course, I wanted to rip his traitorous throat out, but it wasn’t like I felt some burning need to do that right now.

“I’m glad the front could spare you, brother-in-law,” I said. “Things are going well there, I’ve heard?”

“Reasonably well,” King Terki said. “We’ve certainly spoken about the state of the war enough over the last few days. That’s not quite what I wanted this conversation to be about.”

“Then what is?” I raised an eyebrow. “What did you arrange this meeting for, Father?”

“As I said, I wanted to sort things out between yourself and Hajake, my dear.” Terki smiled wryly. “Considering some of the concerning things I’ve heard before and since my arrival here.”

I regarded him in silence for a moment. Kajare spoke up, his voice a little tense. “What things?”

Terki barely glanced at him. “I’ve heard rumblings of accusations against your brother, of rumors that he has betrayed the alliance, or Inaris personally. That your little spat has done serious damage to our relationship.” He fixed his gaze on me. “Whoever might have spread them, those are distasteful methods to be sure.”

I blinked, and had to suppress a smile at the sheer irony. It looked like Hajake had gone on the offensive, in a rather weird way. Though I could see some of his logic. He’d biased his father so any accusations against him would be seen as distasteful personal attacks if not outright slander, conditioned Terki to defend him right off the bat. And he might have just limited some of the cards I could play. Terbekteri and outside nobles or commanders speaking against him would easily be put in the same category.

“Really?” I asked. “I have to admit I didn’t hear about any such rumors, personally. Just who did you hear speak like that, Hajake?”

He shrugged. “It’s hard to name specific names, of course. I certainly can’t point to anyone as an instigator.”

Meaning he couldn’t just come out and accuse me of it, but he kind of did already. The funny thing was that there probably weren’t many rumors like this, really. Hopefully. I’d tried to limit who got information about the whole thing. But this also introduces the idea that Hajake betrayed me. He’s definitely gambling.

“I don’t have the patience for this kind of intrigue,” I grumbled. That was probably a failing if I wanted to be a good Empress that I’d need to rectify, but not untrue. There was a reason I’d mostly left this to Tenira and then Lei.

I wish I could just quietly have him killed. Unfortunately, trying that would be too much of a risk. He was a prince, well-protected anyway, in the middle of a war, with a connection to Jideia, and knew I might try something. Ming Li was the best option, though he would be too easy to tie to me.

I’d still paid him a small fortune to keep him on retainer, with instructions to go after Hajake if I died, disappeared or was taken captive while I was here. Besides trying to find and rescue me, of course. I wish I could just tell Hajake that if I die, the Black Knife will be after him. But it’s not worth the risk and wouldn’t change his mind if it was made up.

“I have to say, I dislike these insinuations,” Kajare added, scowling at the others. “If you want to accuse my wife of something, just come out and say it. Otherwise, Hajake’s reputation problems are not our concern, are they? What even is the point of this?”

I squeezed his hand, shooting him a quick smile. It felt good to see him standing up to his family on my behalf like this.

Terki frowned at him. “We decided that it was best to get these matters out into the open and deal with them directly, to hopefully clear things up so we can all move on.”

I sighed. “Perhaps you are right. We should just address this directly.”

Clearly, our original plan was looking more and more deficient. It might be best to just forget about it and act more directly. I paused, and turned my focus inward, to where my connection to my father slumbered in the back of my mind. Am I about to make a mistake? I asked.

He didn’t answer in words, and I only got a vague feeling back. A brief sense that, if I had to put into words, might amount to ‘knock yourself out, kid’. Not entirely reassuring, but at least he didn’t seem to be concerned.

“I do, in fact, have quite serious grievances to bring against Hajake,” I said, keeping my voice and expression cool and serious. “I did not bring them up earlier, as I did not think you would believe me, Father. However, perhaps I did you a disservice.” I paused, watching Hajake subtly clench his teeth and flex his fingers. “Of course, I don’t expect you to just believe my words. I suggest that we both take vows in the Greater Spirits’ names to speak the truth about the matter. And to make extra sure there is no deception, we should take this to a temple of Rijoko, as well.”

Hajake scowled at me. “Ridiculous, but at least you finally reveal your true colors.”

“I admit, that was not what I expected,” Terki said, a deep frown settling on his face as he glanced from his son to me.

“Neither did I,” his wife put in. “However, this is clearly a serious matter, and we should treat it with due gravity.”

“You can’t seriously be taken in by this? The whole thing is ridiculous!” Hajake looked at his father.

But Terki didn’t answer as Liali laid a hand on his and raised an eyebrow. “Is there any reason not to do as the Imperial Princess wishes?”

Hajake shifted his scowl to his stepmother. “Clearly, bringing a temple of the Moon into play is unfairly favoring her position. I refuse to bow to something like that.”

“That’s because you’re working for Jideia and he and Rijoko are enemies?” I asked.

Terki let a little of his presence leak through his veil. “Being a follower of the Storm is not a crime nor a reason to cast aspersions on my son, my dear. Hajake’s point seems valid.”

I suppressed a sigh, reminding myself that of course Terki didn’t know how the situation really stood between the two Greater Spirits, or how often Jideia had tried to have me killed. At least, I didn’t think so.

“It doesn’t need to be the Moon,” Kajare put in, glancing at me and then turning an easy smile on his father. He seemed to have caught on quickly. “Why not go to a temple of the Sun? That way, neither of them is at a disadvantage. Besides, the Sun would guarantee impartiality, and since we are seeking the truth, she seems a perfect fit, anyway.”

“A good point, Kajare.” Liali smiled at her son. “Shall we?”

Terki’s frown deepened, and he regarded us in silence for a few seconds. Finally, he gave a small nod. “Agreed. But we will keep this discreet. It is a family matter, and no one else needs to learn of it. None of us want such an open dissent within our alliance and our family to get out.”

Hajake gave a sharp nod. “Alright.”

We moved quickly after that. We left the mansion together, accompanied only by a small group of guards for each nation’s royals. Kajare stayed close to me the whole way, though from the way he looked at his mother, I suspected they were having a private conversation at the same time. She was in the seventh stage, after all. Terki didn’t seem happy, but I didn’t think he was actually talking to Hajake. The older prince just looked grumpy.

I breathed out deeply, trying to center myself. He’s a little too calm. He probably has a way out. But I don’t think things are going as he wanted them to, either. I need to keep pushing this while I can.

“Let’s take my airship,” Terki suggested. At the same moment, an airship with the flag of Terbekteri embossed in gold moved down to hover over the street, opening a ramp.

I shrugged and got in. Aston pushed his way closer to me, but I noticed he left many of my guards behind. They’d probably follow from a distance. We’d barely all entered before the vessel lifted off.

The journey only took a few minutes. I’d looked at a map of the city and knew the temple of the Sun was a little outside the city walls, on a hill where you’d get a lot of sunlight. As we disembarked, I barely glanced at the marble edifice, too focused on my qi senses. I could definitely feel some sort of presence from here, or at least anchored to this place. Taking a deep breath, I waved at Aston and moved to open the door.

Someone must have called ahead to clear the temple, since its main hall was empty. It reminded me of the temple to Rijoko I’d visited, with altars, wall hangings, and stained glass, the air carrying the faint scent of some kind of incense.

In the end, only family stood in the temple; Hajake, Kajare, his parents, and me. We walked forward slowly, everyone silent as the tension built. I glanced at a window that depicted the Sun in the company of the Moon and other Greater Spirits, then turned my attention to the altar at the front. I lit a few candles and burnt a few incense sticks as offerings, while Terki did the same. I didn’t get the feeling that my father particularly cared about me doing this, which was probably good.

On the other hand, the presence infused in or connected to this temple might have increased a little bit, though I wasn’t sure of that. I took it as evidence that the Sun was watching, and would react should anyone here commit sacrilege in her eyes.

“Alright,” I said, taking a step back. “Let’s begin, shall we?”

Terki nodded solemnly. “Do you want to take your oath first?”

I nodded, glancing around again. “In the name of my father, the Moon, and the guardian of truth and justice, the Sun, I do swear that everything I will say in this temple today will be the truth, fully and directly, as I understand it. May they strike me down should I lie.”

I felt a tiny shift as I finished the oath. For a fraction of a moment, the room seemed to spin around me as nausea set in, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

We all looked at Hajake, who scowled but repeated the oath, minus the invocation of Rijoko, of course.

We were all silent for a moment, perhaps because no one wanted to speak first. Then Terki shifted. “So, what is this about?”

I straightened my shoulders, curling my hands into fists inside my sleeves. This was it. I cleared my throat. “On the day that we launched a combined attack on the Zarian, in one of their fortresses we had just taken, Prince Hajake of Terbekteri attempted to kill me.” I saw Hajake’s jaw tighten. “He betrayed me, my nation, our alliance, and this family. He ordered other cultivators to kill my guards. He himself thrust a spear into my heart that would likely have killed me, if my father wasn’t who he is.”

There was a moment of shocked silence, or so I imagined. Liali paled just a bit, then put a hand on Kajare’s shoulder. Terki stared at us, then shook his head slowly as he turned to face Hajake. I noticed his hands clenching into fists, as well.

“This story is a little ridiculous, don’t you think?” Hajake said.

I crossed my arms. “Well, it’s easy to find out. Just answer my question honestly. Did you try to kill me, or not?”

Hajake shifted his weight, his hand wandering through where his robes might have an inner pocket. I tensed, readying myself to fight.

Then he spoke, shrugging with a slight smirk. “I did.”

Terki sighed and closed his eyes for a second, before he fixed his gaze on Hajake. “Son …” He trailed off and shook his head. Then he turned to me and bowed. “You have my deepest apologies, my dear. I know this is a grievous offense, but I will try my best to make things right.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but never got the chance.

I only had a fraction of a second of warning. While his father’s back was turned, while he was waiting to hear my answer, Hajake acted. I caught a glimpse of some shining object in his hand, probably a qi talisman of some kind.

A wave of qi ripped outward. It seemed to plunge the room into cold darkness, as if the air had turned solid around us. All sound that I could hear ceased, all motion around me stopped. Faintly, I sensed Hajake making a break for it, but my mind suddenly struggled against a morass of foreign qi trying to entangle it.