VinWei¹Literally vin (hard) + wei (crystal) sighed and leaned her head on one hand.

“The poor kid looked kind of overwhelmed. Maybe we shouldn’t have discussed these kinds of things in front of him.”

“He’ll be fine,” ZaiWin²Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos). countered, seeming uncaring. “He is stronger and more obstinate than he looks.”

“Still. We can’t forget that he has spent his entire life locked away, completely disconnected from the rest of the world. There are bound to be a lot of things he doesn't know, a lot more he cannot understand,” VinWei insisted and ZaiWin sighed.

“I will talk to him tomorrow. See if he has any questions.”

VinWei nodded, apparently happy enough with that.

“Are we really going through with this?” ZenTar³Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind) asked, obviously still harboring a lot of doubts, and VinWei shrugged.

“It is the only solution I could come up with. If you have any other ideas, please, I’m all ears.”

ZenTar pointedly ignored her sarcasm and turned exclusively to ZaiWin.

“So killing him is completely out of the question,” he simply declared, leaving a shocked expression on VinWei’s face. But ZaiWin didn’t even blink, all too accustomed to ZenTar’s clear, abrupt and straightforward ways.

“It is,” he simply replied, earning a nod of approval from VinWei’s part.

“And you’re not going to change your mind, later on,” ZenTar pressed on, making VinWei frown in clear annoyance, although she chose to stay out of their conversation.

“I will not.”

“What if they manage to force you to choose between him and your people?”

ZaiWin clenched his jaw at that, but still forced himself to answer, the words rasping against his throat.

“I will give up my position. Nominate a new Governor and hope for the best.”

ZenTar’s green eyes widened in disbelief. Since the time they had started living in Nox, since the moment he had somehow managed to breathe new life into the listless body of a six-year-old child, the Province Nox⁴Literally nox (night). Where Nox is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province. had been the center of ZaiWin’s life, the fuel that kept him going, the reason why he got up every morning. Ending the wars, putting a stop on famine, making sure the people had enough to eat, that they had the chance to build a life of their own. These had been his sole purposes in life. And ZenTar had been able to understand that. What ZaiWin could never have, what he could not heal in himself, he had tried to give all that to those more unfortunate than him. And now he was sitting there, looking him straight in the eye, and telling him that he was willing to let go of all that, all for the sake of a mere boy he had never wanted to have by his side in the first place.

“If our plan works out there will never be a need to make such a choice,” VinWei thought it better to add, trying to ease the sudden tension that had filled the air. “Quite the opposite. It will only reaffirm his position as Nox’s Governor.”

Yeah, as if that would ever happen!, ZenTar cursed in his thoughts. VinWei was smart, brave, kind and he even trusted her good intentions. But she did not know the half of it. And so he simply ignored her, even though he knew that doing so would only piss her off.

“Why?” he asked ZaiWin instead, frowning at his own inability to understand his protégé’s line of thought.

Was he really so smitten with the boy that he’d become unable to think things clearly? If that was the case, he was definitely going to take that brat away, and lock him up where no one will ever find him again! Even if he had to personally spend the rest of his life watching over his prison cell. Even if ZaiWin would hate his guts until the day he died!

“Though I know that you would never ask this of me, I would do the same for you,” ZaiWin simply replied and ZenTar couldn’t help blink in disbelief.

What?!

Sure, theirs had never been an overly cuddly or warm relationship. Not that he hadn’t want to cuddle and spoil the cute little boy ZaiWin had been. But he had hardened his heart, and repeatedly reminded himself that he had to raise a child able to fend for himself. Able to survive in a world where the top of the top would always want him dead. Still, that had never meant that ZenTar was blind or unfeeling towards the way ZaiWin behaved with him. After all, it was almost impossible not to develop some kind of feelings for the man who had raised one since childhood. ZenTar knew this. Accepted this. Even found it kind of healthy. ZaiWin was hard enough, dark enough, cold enough as it was. That he could harbor some warm feelings like gratitude, respect, even a bit of love in his heart, actually made ZenTar feel relieved. It made him feel that he hadn’t completely damaged him, after all. And maybe that child’s mother might be able to forgive him for the terrible things he’d put her little boy through.

So, that ZaiWin might feel this way about him, that he might treasure ZenTar's life like that, though surprising, after thinking it through for a bit, wasn’t all that strange.

But the way he’d said those words … More than that, the way he had looked at him when he’d said those words, his blue eyes uncommonly clear of any shadows or doubts, was what had really taken him by surprise. And not only because ZaiWin had clearly placed him, who had known him since the day he was born, and some kid, he had only met a couple of months ago, on the same plane. It wasn’t that he was smitten with the boy, ZenTar realized, or that he was linked to him in some mystical way. At least it wasn't just that. As he'd suspected, something had radically changed in the few days they'd been apart. And whatever had happened, ZaiWin now actually and truly felt he owed something he could never repay to that kid. The same way he felt about ZenTar, who had left his family behind so he could raise him. Which meant there was something ZaiWin was not telling him. Something he did not want to tell him, he immediately read on his face.

Taking a deep breath, ZenTar finally averted his gaze.

How in the world had he gotten stuck with such a complicated brat! Couldn’t he have grown-up to be just like any other silly, youngmen? Then again, he knew he couldn’t. He was more than lucky that the small half-dead child he had carried in his arms all those years ago had actually survived this far, had actually became this strong and reliable. He was truly counting his blessings.

“Fine. We’ll try VinWei’s way,” he conceded. What else could he do? Abandon him now, when he needed him the most? That was out of the question! If the Province of Nox had been the child’s life-fuel, the child himself had been ZenTar’s only reason to go on. And he would do whatever it took to make sure ZaiWin was able to tread his chosen path, even if that meant killing a few thousand people on the way there. “So, what’s first?”

“I will reach out to my father and ask him to invite the elders like we’ve discussed. You're certain that Zai⁵Literally zai (blade). Zai is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province. will answer positively to our invitation,” VinWei wanted to make sure and ZenTar nodded.

“I will send a message of my own. Since it’s only Temple business, and not actually anything politically related, there won’t be a problem.”

Because that’s what ZenTar's father had made sure to leave completely clarified, the moment he had informed them of his decision to leave his Clan. His would be a lonely path. He would never be able to count on his family for any help or support ever again. He would be just like any other person, from any other Province. If he had any official business with Zai or any proposal to present, then they would hear him out and ponder whether such matters were beneficial or not, to the Zai Clan. Outside official matters, all contact would be cut off. Even the men Zai had lent for their last mission to the Fortress, they had been there mostly to watch their performance on the El’Dur’s behalf. And, of course, because theirs had clearly been a mission with a high probability of success, Zai had also taken the opportunity to raise their reputation as one of the strongest Provinces of Wen⁶Literally 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.

They would not help him, even if ZenTar were to kneel down and beg. In that aspect, Wei⁷Literally wei (crystal / precious stone). Wei is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province. was more likely to lend them a helping hand. But Zai would have no problems sending their Jundai to attend a Jundai meeting in Wei. Military focused as they were, the Zai Clan had no love and very little appreciation for everything Temple-related.

“So we will call on Zai, Men, Ren and Hen,” VinWei summarized. “In truth we only need one more Judai’El to come.”

“I know that the other Provinces don’t have anyone that can be considered an elder amongst the Jundai. But won’t Hao and Tei find it strange that they’re not invited?” ZenTar asked.

VinWei pursed her lips for a moment and ended up sighing.

“Fine. We will invited them as well. Though I’d be much more at ease if they never showed up. It will be like opening the doors of your home to a bunch of thieves!” she grunted.

“Tei probably won't attend,” ZaiWin offered with a serious expression. “They are trying their best to hide something far more dangerous than we are. They will stay put, trying to keep their heads down, glad that someone else is driving the world’s attention away from them.”

“You still think their land is infested with feimao?” ZenTar asked and ZaiWin gave him a cold glare.

“I don’t think. I am sure. But that’s not what they’re trying to hide. What’s causing that unbalance is the real prize.”

ZenTar sighed.

“My father also suspects something. He refuses to discuss such things with me,” VinWei confessed, clearly annoyed. “But I could see it in his eyes, when I personally told him what we had seen. Maybe you could get him to open up a little?” she asked ZaiWin, who replied with a pained grimace.

“So we invite all these important Temple people. Then what?” ZenTar asked, leading the conversation back to its main topic, and VinWei smiled.

“Then we present them a newfound Tien’Elhar⁸Literally tien (Heaven) + el (supreme) + har (girl child). The Heavenly Beings also known as Celestials in the common language. and his Chosen One.”

“And that will not get them both immediately executed how?” ZenTar insisted, folding his arms, and she gave him a critical expression.

“Because we will present them a perfect, amazing, breathtaking Tien’Elhar. Which brings us to our most pertinent point. Snow. Unlike what we were talking before, I actually think that people will easily get over the whole thing, about him not having golden hair and golden eyes. If he had black hair, or if it were a dark shade, it would probably pose a problem. But his hair color is as nonhuman as the Tien’Elhar’s golden.”

“They will think he belongs to the Demon Clan, like our men thought, back at the Fortress,” ZenTar countered.

“Even if they do. He will be immediately seen as someone different, not common at all, not noble blood either. That will give them pause. And it will give us time to show them that he is actually a Tien’Elhar. Once they see one of his golden arrays there won’t be any doubts left. The fact that he is a boy, however, might actually pose a grave problem. And so I suggest we hide that from them, for the time being.”

“You intend to dress him up as a girl?!” ZenTar demanded in disbelief and VinWei shrugged.

“No. I intend to dress him up as a Tien’Elhar.”

“No one will ever buy it! He is clearly a boy!” ZenTar countered and she raised a superior brow at that.

“You’re underestimating me again. Didn’t I successfully turn this one into a beautiful, sexy seductress?” she asked pointing a pale finger at ZaiWin. “Snow is much cutter than he was back then!”

“And we all saw how well that went! All he had to do was open his mouth, and everyone knew on the spot that they had been duped!”

“A problem we will not have with Snow, since he hardly says a word,” VinWei countered, leaving ZenTar without arguments. “And besides, we have more than enough time to train him. To make him a Tien’Elhar no one will be able to point a finger at, much less criticize. They all assume Tien’Elhar are girls, so no one is actually going to check on that. Besides, it would be just too disrespectful! So, as long as he behaves in a proper manner and successfully enchants those around him, we should be fine.”

“And once he enters the Palace? Because we all know that, even if this ceremony of yours goes well and they’re officially recognized, they will still be called to the Palace, if nothing else so that they may receive the El’Dur’s blessings as customary,” ZenTar pointed out and VinWei looked a bit paler at the reminder.

“Even at the Palace, no one is going to have him undress just to check his gender. By then we will have performed so many Celestial miracles in all the Provinces on our way there that he’ll be globally known and recognized as the newest Tien’Elhar. So they won’t dare harm him, just like that. We will only have to worry about the Tien’Elhar’s attendants, and so I will do my best to remain by his side.”

“You?!” ZenTar asked in disbelief, an expression perfectly mimicked by ZaiWin who, up till then, had been silently listening to their conversation.

“That’s right. I will enter the Palace as well. I will present myself as the one who has closely looked after the new Tien’Elhar. And since he will be obviously presented as one that has been lost all this time, I will point out the need to keep me by his side, as a tutor as well as a kind of intermediary of sorts, between him and the strange world around him.”

“And if that doesn’t work? If they refuse you?”

VinWei pursed her lips and couldn’t answer.

“Let’s worry about that when the time comes,” ZaiWin declared, to ZenTar’s outrage.

“Are you serious?”

“None of this might actually work, to begin with. Let’s focus and worry about one thing at a time. There’s no use trying to foresee how things will turn out so far into the future. You’ve told me that yourself,” he calmly replied and ZenTar frowned. He really was having a hard time dealing with that absurd plan.

“I will talk with Snow in the morning,” ZaiWin said to VinWei. “I know he will not like it, being told he’ll have to more or less pretend that he’s a girl. But I will try and make him understand.”

“Actually, there’s another, much more important thing you have to talk with him about,” she said, nervously twisting her delicate fingers, which was never a good sign. “Before the ceremony can take place, the Jundai'El⁹Literally jun (work / worker) + dai (light) + el (supreme). Or Supreme Workers of Light. Name given to the elder /higher priests and priestesses of the Temple that will preside the ceremony will have to test him, the same tests they present to all the Tien’Elhar, when they first arrive at the Temple,” she told him, sounding almost as if she was begging to be forgiven, and ZaiWin frowned, already guessing where she was going with that. “We have to be sure that he can pass them. All of them.”

Including the purity test.