Feiwan¹Literally fei (raging / furious) + wan (fire) waved a hand, dismissing the man that had just brought him an update on the Palace’s latest guests, and angrily crumpled the letter he had been reading, before tossing it against the recently closed door of his study.

Nothing was going as it should!

He’d spent the entire previous afternoon being as pleasant as he could, trying to gently coax the Demon’s Clan CalDai into warming up to him even if just a bit, and the most he'd gotten out of it was a politically and polite smile, as the CalDai²Literally cal (bright) + dai (light). Unlike the Empires, the Dragon Clan has no royalty. They have a Leader. CalDai is a personal title (not inherited), and it refers to the youngest son of the Leader, reason why ZaiWin and the others sometimes refer to him as a prince (which he is not). turned his back on him, before he swiftly disappeared into the White Pavilion.

On the other hand, there were still no news from the wretched Lun Calzai³Literally lun (black) plus cal (bright) + zai (blade), or Blade of Light. It can be translated in common language as Black General, one of the military leaders of the Empire. Each Province has it’s own Calzai. To distinguish them they were given different colors. The Lun Calzai refers to Nox ZaiWin from Nox., he contemplated, his green eyes ablaze with contained anger as he stared at the crumpled piece of paper lying defiantly on the floor right in front of his desk.

How was that even possible? Sure, he knew the bastard could move around in a blink of an eye, easily jumping, or flying, or whatever he did, from one place to another. But that arrogant ZenTar⁴Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind). was an entirely different matter.

As per his command, the spies he had placed amongst the military detachment that had left to take the abandoned Fortress of Pon⁵Literally pon (mountain). Where Pon is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province., more than two months ago, had stayed on ZaiWin’s trail when he’d decided to send a leaderless army back to the Palace, choosing to travel to Wei instead, with just a few trusted men by his side.

Back then, amongst the many crazy rumors that had been flooded the Palace grounds, one had especially caught his attention. Something about a kid with dangerous, destructive powers, and a bright golden array. Taking into account such rumors, FeiWan had even suspected that a Tien’Elhar⁶Literally tien (Heaven) + el (supreme) + har (girl child). The Heavenly Beings also known as Celestials in the common language. might have been present at the Fortress. And yet, how could that be possible? A Tien’Elhar murdering more than one-hundred men in cold blood? Not to mention that he was sure that no Tien’Elhar would ever even step close to that wretched bastard! He had seen it with his own eyes, every time he came to the Palace. The Tien’Elhar, who were practically indifferent to everyone else except their Chosen Ones, simply abhorred his presence, as if they were in the presence of some foul, unworldly creature. And yet FeiWan was sure that something had happened. Something probably related to the rumored kid who, according to the information he received, had left the Fortress with him when, for the first time in his life, the Lun Calzai had actually dared not fulfill his duty and had simply done as he pleased.

No matter the case, the fact that Nox⁷Literally nox (night). Nox is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province. ZaiWin uses it because he is the Governor of Nox ZaiWin⁸Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos). had sent his landsmen home and the imperial soldiers back to the Palace, while he happily traveled to Wei⁹Literally wei (crystal / precious stone). Wei is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province., was undeniable.

At first FeiWan couldn’t wrap his head around why he would do such a thing. If he was on the run, wouldn’t it be smarter to return home where he had an entire army at his disposal and the means to hide or defend himself? But then, another scandalous piece of information had arrived. The Governor of the Province of Nox had delivered the government of his Province into the hands of one of the most troublesome Calzai of the Empire, the infamous Nai Calzai¹⁰Literally nai (transparent / translucent) plus cal (bright) + zai (blade), or Blade of Light. It can be translated in common language as Invisible General, one of military leaders of the Empire. Each Province has it’s own Calzai. To distinguish them they were given different colors. The Nai Calzai refers to RimMyu from Wei. of Wei, RimMyu¹¹Literally Rim (cold) + Myu (water).. After that he had quickly left Weiin¹²Literally wei (crystal / precious stone) + suffix in (center), meaning the center of the Province of Wei, in other words, Wei’s Capital. All Capitals of all Provinces are named as such. and, for all intends and purposes, had disappeared off the face of the earth.

Of course FeiWan knew more than that.

From Wei the Lun Calzai had traveled to Sur¹³Literally sur (plain). Where Sur is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province., and FeiWan had wondered if he had decided to finally make his way to Wen, and present himself before the El’Dur¹⁴Literally el (supreme) + dur (ruler). Name given to the Emperor as was his obligation. Maybe granting RimMyu sovereign rights over his Province was the only thing he had intended to do? Why he would do such a thing, though, he could not guess. But then, suddenly, they had all disappeared again!, leaving his spies stranded in some small, forsaken border village.

Of course he hadn’t been the only one going suddenly blind, which had led to RimMyu being politely invited to enter the Palace for a personal audience with the El’Dur. Which the arrogant man had also politely refused, arguing that now was hardly the right time, since he was now in charge of two Provinces and had to make sure all his people were well clothed and fed, ready to face the upcoming winter. That he would dare refuse an imperial invitation only went to show how pretentious he was and, at the same time, was self-assured he felt of his current position, be it political or military.

And now, after so long, he finally had a genuine source of information right within hands’ reach. Not only that, unlike the other vultures circling around, he had the advantage that he had actually known the man from before. And yet all he had managed to get were those aloof nods and icy smiles. It was beyond enraging and, in a way, humiliating!

Straightening his back, he took a deep breath, returning his regal, unfazed expression to his face. He would try again today. And the following day. And every day until he got a satisfying answer to what had really happened in that fortress!

Unlike his older brother, FeiWan did not believe that leaving the Lun Calzai to his own devices was such a good idea. CalWan¹⁵Literally cal (bright) + wan (fire) seemed to be under the impression that the wretched bastard was just an insignificant pawn, broken into being an obedient dog of the Empire. He despised him as much as the Tien’Elhar did, apparently unable to conceive that such an insignificant bastard could ever be anything more than that. But that was hardly what FeiWan saw, every time he watched Nox ZaiWin kneel in front of the imperial dais, his head submissively low, his gaze respectful downcast. Where his brother saw an inconsequential servant of the crown, he saw a dark, feral beast buying his time, waiting for the right moment to attack and slaughter them all.

Standing up, he raised his head and clenched his fists. He had to know what had happened in that Fortress! He had to know why the bastard had suddenly deviated from his usual, submissive pattern. Above all he had to know if that kid was really as powerful as they said, if he was a threat he had to take into consideration. Some said that he was of the Demon Clan and, if so, he had to know why his CalDai had purposely left him behind, what that meant exactly. Nox was one of Wen’s northern provinces, which meant it was geographically glued to the Heavenly Mountains, where the Demon Clan lived. If they had forged some kind of alliance, FeiWan had to know, as soon as possible!

A soft knock on the door made him sigh. They had the worst timing, he thought, ordering them to come in.

“El’Gin¹⁶Literally el (supreme) + gin (gold). Name given to the male children of the Emperor. Could be translated into prince in the common language., the honorable Janwan¹⁷Literally jan (flower) + wan (fire). Could be translated as Concubine. is he …”

The man speaking and respectfully bowing in front of him was rudely shoved to one side, as a tall, beautiful woman haughtily stepped into his study. Not knowing what to do, if he should continue with his announcement or not, the man fearfully glanced up at her, only to receive a cold glare in return.

FeiWan sighed again.

“You may leave,” he told the man, who looked up at him with a grateful expression, before he quickly backed away towards the door.

“Mother. To what do I owe the honor of your visit?” he asked politely, lightly bowing his head, but she didn’t answer him right away, taking the time to take a wide look around the room, the slight curl of her beautiful lips telling him that she was not pleased with what she saw.

Taller than most women, Hen¹⁸Literally hen (heal). Where Hen is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province. KimLay¹⁹Literally Kim (perfume / scent) + Lay (seed). was the perfect embodiment of everything regal and elegant. Her long pale-blond hair was always impeccably braided in the most intricate ways, fastened to her head with gold hairpins and fiery crystal flowers, allowing one to see the elegant column of her pearly neck. Unlike the other Janwan, who normally wore the colors of their Clans, KimLay always wore red and gold, the colors of the Empire, openly announcing her position as one of the El’Dur’s chosen for anyone to see, her sophisticated gowns, made of the best fabrics and jewels, outshining even the El’Dai²⁰Literally el (supreme) + dai (light). Name given to the Empress’s gowns. As if that were not enough, even though she was now past her forties, she was still stunningly beautiful, not a trace of her real age visible on her porcelain face, where a pair of majestic green eyes, proof of the imperial blood flowing through her veins, gleamed astutely.

“This place is as depressing as always,” she finally stated like she always did, every time she visited his study, the curl on her carefully painted lips more visible now.

FeiWan did not bother to answer that. Doing so would mean that he would have to listen to her lecture him on how an El’Gin’s quarters should look like for the next hour or so. And he had other, more important matters to attend to. Since he was clearly unwilling to indulge her, her sharp green eyes landed on the crumpled paper resting on the floor, next to her feet.

“Still no news, I see.”

He sighed, already knowing what would follow.

“That’s why I always tell you that you’re too soft with your men! Look at how incompetent they are. Unable to follow a bastard and a kid!”

Of course he could tell her that he had hardly been the only one to lose their trace, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything, except infuriating her even more. He had long learned that the strategy of trying to compare himself with others that did worse, or at least as poorly as him, as a means to appease her, never worked to his advantage. As far as Hen KimLay was concerned, she couldn’t care less about those beneath them. The only thing that mattered was that they stood above everyone else.

Releasing a disappointed sigh, Hen KimLay raised her head again, looking as regal and as cold as a real queen.

“I hear that you are to pay a visit to the honorable CalDai again, this afternoon?” she wondered, even though she clearly already knew the answer, and FeiWan nodded.

“We have arranged to meet today.” More like he had one-sidedly decided that they would meet, but that he would never tell her.

KimLay nodded in approval.

“Back then, when your father decided to send you to that forsaken land, I was extremely against it. Such a faraway place. And you were just a teenage boy. No one would have known the better, should some unforeseen disaster have befallen you. Who would have ever thought that, all these years later, such a thing would actually play to our advantage? However, FeiWan, do not take your blessings for granted. I have also heard that the El’Gin Wen²¹Literally wen (sun). Name of one of the three Empires, Wen, Ran and Sen. (Sun, Moon and Star). Also used as surname by the members of the Imperial Family with ascending rights to the throne CalWan has invited the CalDai to share an evening meal in their Golden Forest Pavilion.”

FeiWan frowned at that. He hadn’t heard anything about other invitations having been sent to the White Pavilion.

KimLay’s eyes gleamed proudly. Once more she had shown him that she was still better than him at navigating the Palace’s web of intrigues, and that she was still invaluable to assure his present and future position. Still …

“CalWan …?” he couldn’t help repeat, having some trouble believing it.

His libertine, arrogant, aloof brother rarely openly showed any interest in Palace politics. Known for indulging himself in the company of elegant and beautiful women and men alike, he would only step out of his Golden Forest Pavilion to occasionally address some of his Province’s affairs, since Won's current Governor was well known for his incompetence.

“Don’t you mean Dailar²²Literally dai (light) + lar (lady). Could be translated as Queen. Won²³Literally won (wood). Won is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province. LinDou²⁴Literally lim (silver) + dou (tree).?”

KimLay immediately gave him a critical look.

“I mean exactly what I said. Apparently the El’Lin²⁵Literally el (supreme) + lin (silver). Name given to the female children of the Emperor. Could be translated into princess in the common language. Wen NimRen²⁶Literally nim (gentle) + ren (river) is to be present as well.”

FeiWan’s frown deepened at that. NimRen as well? The shy, timid NimRen that would do her best to keep as far away from any public events?

“Is this about the arranged marriage?” he suddenly asked and KimLay averted her gaze, her displeasure only seen in the cold gleam of her eyes.

“That much has not reached my ears, yet.”

FeiWan gritted his teeth, his thoughts spiraling.

Back then, when word of the kidnapping of a group of people from the Demon Clan, amongst which was their honorable CalDai, had reached the Palace, the El’Dur had quickly sent a message to the Heavenly Mountains, assuring their Council of Elders that he would retrieve their people without fail, and offering his older daughter in marriage as compensation, should his efforts show to be in vain. He had immediately called for the Lun Calzai, the Empire’s faithful dog, to solve this matter like he always did. But, unexpectedly, even though Wen CalWan had never stepped foot in a real battle, he had bravely petitioned the El’Dur to be sent to the Fortress instead. By Imperial decree, the success of the mission was closely related to the welfare of his younger sister, after all, and FeiWan had always known that CalWan surprisingly doted on the frail NimRen a lot. And so he hadn’t thought anything much of it. However, that didn’t mean that he liked the prospect of CalWan establishing a close connection with the Demon Clan. Who could ever guess what would happen should he actually succeed in saving them? And so, for the first time in his life, he had bit his tongue had actually spoken up for the bastard Calzai, using the best arguments he could come up with to convince their father that CalWan, inexperienced as he was, would only be needlessly putting his life in danger. Which could be easily avoided, since they had such a useful dog at their command. A dog that could clearly take care of the matter in much less time and with much more proficiency. With that, he had successfully kept CalWan away from the Demon Clan, or so he had thought.

“Do you think they want to go forth with the marriage, even though the kidnapping situation was solved?” he asked his mother. “I thought they were against it.”

“So it seemed. But who knows what goes on other people’s head. In the last couple of years Wen CalWan has clearly been losing favor within the court as a possible successor to the throne. Maybe what started as an offense, when the El’Dur arbitrarily decided to pawn Wen NimRen away as collateral, has now transformed into an opportunity to regain part of that favor. We all know how the Demon Clan is generally frowned upon but, at the same time, feared by most. Even the El’Dur went out of his way to make sure Wen did not offend them. An alliance of blood with them would most certainly play in their favor.”

FeiWan frowned, clenching his fists, simmering in anger. Why could nothing go according to plan?

“So you better move fast, dearest son. And claim your position as the bridge between Wen and the Demon Clan before they can,” she stated the obvious. “On that notice, I brought you this mixture of rare herbs, so you can serve them to the CalDai on today’s meeting,” KimLay announced, crossing the room to place a small, silver box on his desk. “Since they too are known for their knowledge in herbs, I am certain he will enjoy them,” she declared and her green gaze coldly swept over him, studying him from head to toe.

“I see that you took care to dress up for the occasion.”

FeiWan slightly blushed at that, recalling how he’d pestered his servants to take extra care when braiding and knotting his hair that morning. KimLay’s eyes, however, remained as dispassionate as always. She may as well have been inspecting a new horse she intended to buy.

“Isn’t HenWan²⁷Literally hen (heal / medicine) + wan (fire). Name of FeiWan’s Celestial. with you?”

Any warmth that might have seeped into FeiWan’s heart immediately disappeared at that.

“She has been staying in the Temple, this last few days.” Because he had sent her there. Which KimLay clearly knew.

“You should not attend official meetings without her by your side,” she openly criticized him, as she had done many times before. “She is proof of your heritage and right to inherit the throne.”

And, as far as she was concerned, that was all Tien’Elhar were. A symbol of power, of superiority, something to rub on other people’s faces. But to FeiWan they were more than that. They were also a silent menace, their golden eyes following his every move, they silent ways leaving him wondering what they were thinking, what they had heard. He most definitely did not need to carry one of them around, wherever he went. As long as HenWan was healthy and safe, that was all he needed to know. Better keep her at the Temple, where he knew no harm would befall her. She also didn’t seem to mind it, simply nodding obediently every time he sent her away.

“I am sure the CalDai would enjoy seeing one from up close, since the Demon Clan is not blessed with Tien’Elhar.”

Knowing the CalDai the way he did, he highly doubted CalRimRan²⁸Literally cal (bright) + rim (cold) + ran (moon) would pay attention to such a thing. In fact, HenWan’s subservient attitude was more likely to piss him off, which, of course, the honorable ClaDai would never allow to show on his face. No. It was much safer to leave HenWan exactly where she was.

“Maybe next time,” he simply shrugged it away, and grabbed the silver box that KimLay had placed on his desk. “Thank you for taking the time to mix these herbs,” he told her, trying to quickly appease his mother’s angry frown. “I am sure the CalDai will appreciate them.”

Sighing, KimLay quickly pulled herself together, slightly tilting her chin upward.

“I will be waiting to know how your meeting goes.”

“Of course, mother.” FeiWan politely bowed his head and the soft, ruffling sound of her gown told him that she was finally leaving.

Silvareiel

Hen KimLay is very, very hard to deal with. ? Don't know if you remember, but she was the one who dragged ZaiWin all the way to the White Pavilion because he got into a fight with FeiWan when they were kids. Because of her, our ZaiWin had to kneel in front of FeiWan's Red Rose Pavilion for an entire morning. He was only five at the time.? Though I guess that being a concubine inside a court like this can't be easy either ... Well, she is a strong woman, trying her best to protect her status and her son's position ... ?