The Luxury of Vengeance

to the place his sword should have been. Minh stood behind him, a curious look on his face, "Cousin? How lucky!" His nose curled, "But why are you so filthy? And why are you in this," he paused, looking around the grove of trees before shivering slightly, "ghastly place."

  Ghastly. His cousin had no appreciation for the sacred grove. The Empire would be lost if one of them ascended to the throne. "I got lost." And there had been the voice. Whatever presence had been here a short time ago had vanished into the wind once more. The false Empress? Someone else who wished to rise against her?

  Minh frowned at his statement. "Well, it's no matter. I need a moment to speak with you. Outside of here." There seemed to be something about the grove that truly disturbed him. He stepped outside of the edge of the grove and gestured Chien closer.

  With a sigh, Chien stepped outside of the grove as well before answering, "If you might give me a moment to make myself more appropriate then." They both looked down at Chien's drab attire. Dust clung to the sleeves and Chien prayed Minh would not ask.

  "No, no time. Time is wasting cousin." He pulled on Chien's arm until Chien relented with a sweet smile. In his mind though he could not figure what Minh might need him for. For the most part, his cousins preferred to ignore his existence until it was useful to them. Which meant Minh wanted something.

  "How might I help you cousin?" The faster he could get it out of Minh, the faster he could return to his rooms to continue his plotting in peace.

  "In a moment. I wish to speak with you about something." The closer they grew to Minh's rooms the more worried Chien grew. He could defend himself, Minh was hardly a martial genius after all, but this would certainly accelerate his plans if Minh decided to try something and take him out of any chance of succeeding the Empress. "Have you eaten your first meal?"

  Not that Chien had a chance of succeeding the Empress without drastic measures. She had done everything she could to destroy his chances to his throne, including spreading rumors that he was not his father's legitimate child, but the child of a palace guard whom scarcely anyone could remember.

  "I have not." Minh pulled him into his private rooms and gave the servants quick orders. When one, a young woman, gave him a baffled look, he shouted his directions once more. She looked around, frightened, until Chien subtly tilted his head toward the door and she ran gratefully toward it.

  "I swear the servants grow stupider each day."

  In truth, since the Empress had begun stretching her territory, the Empire contained a number of provinces that did not speak the palace's tongue. "I suppose."

  "Sit. Sit." Chien sat at the table, making his movements clumsy and nervous while his mind tried to dissect all possible reasons Minh would need his assistance. "Sit Chien!" Minh ordered when Chien took too long getting settled.

  "I'm sorry cousin."

  "No, no, it's fine. I've likely made you nervous." He seemed proud of himself as he cleared his throat. "You see, I need your help."

  "Why would you need my help, Cousin? You're quite smart." Minh prided his intellect above everything. His mother had ensured that he was raised by only the best of tutors, sending any she found subpar to death. When it became clear that he had surpassed the teachers, she had given him the task of spreading education to all the provinces.

  Minh had quickly found that he was far better suited for lording his knowledge over others than organizing any others into a cohesive plan. Within a year, the plans for a system of education had quickly fallen through in favor of Minh's forming a small class within the palace to teach only those who curried his favor first.

  As always, Minh fell victim to a bit of flattery. "Why yes, of course. But even a smart man knows when to accept help. And you will help me won't you?"

  Chien nodded eagerly.

  "Excellent! I'm sure you have heard of my duel with Tuan."

  "I have." Chien was beginning to form a suspicion of what this was truly about. Could Mai's son really have so little honor left? "Tuan does not think you will come out the victor."

  "Yes well, he is sorely mistaken. But this is where I need your help cousin. I have heard rumors that Tuan is attempting to circumvent the honorable restrictions of our duel."

  "That's terrible! We could go and speak to the Empress together!"

  "Oh no, I cannot do that. I cannot take control of this empire with anything less than the people's complete faith in my abilities. We must beat him at his own game."

  Minh sounded so very proud of himself, and Chien wanted to sigh because he had already figured the point of this exercise. "How might we do that cousin?"

  Minh began to answer him, but the door slid open and their breakfast was served. The food was warm and fragrant, and Chien's stomach reminded him of how long he had been awake without eating. When all the bowls had been set out, Minh dismissed them with a nod of his head and began to eat. His eating was a sign that Chien could begin as well. There would come a day when Chien would not be lower in rank than anybody. Then he would be able to eat his damned food as he pleased.

  "Now, cousin, the best way to deal with my dear brother I think would be with a little extract from this plant I have grown quite familiar with."

  "Poison?" Minh wanted him to poison Tuan so that he could get rid of his brother and blame someone else for the catastrophe at the same time. It was a cold blooded and calculated move. A move worthy of his mother.

  "Not poison. I hardly want to see my brother dead." The way he stated that made it hard for Chien to believe. "It will just paralyze him a bit. He'll fall over, I'll win, and we're all happier."

  "But won't he know?"

  Minh waved the question aside as he picked up another of the bowls, "I love my dear brother, but Tuan is not exactly bright. He would have the empire constantly at war over nothing." And wasn't that the truth. Though Chien pondered if Minh would be much better. Hardly. Men who thought themselves great leaders rarely were in practice. "What this Empire truly needs is something willing to bring the provinces together. I have plans my dear cousin. Education, industry. Plans that would never see fruition under Tuan's rule."

  "Industry?"

  "Have you not heard? They have begun to see the most interesting applications of science in the territories outside of the empire. Imagine our strength if we could bring those devices to the empire. Our enemies would cower before us." Chien had heard tales of the war machines developed outside of the Empire. Heard tales of the devastation they had wrought. And Minh hoped to bring those vicious machines to the Empire? "It would prove an effective way to secure my dominance over the distant territories and stop these ridiculous revolutions." As if sensing that he had lost Chien somewhere along the way, he added, "And if he were to take rule, I'm sure he would make life very hard for you."

  Chien frowned, "It is true. Tuan does not care for me as you do, Cousin, but I do not wish to make the Empress angry."

  "She will not be angry. She will never know. That is the best part!"

  "She'll never know?"

  "Of course not. I'll never tell her and you won't either. It'll be our secret."

  "I do wish to help you, Cousin." Chien stated reluctantly. "And if it shall be a secret."

  "Excellent." Minh stood and walked to his chest, reaching deep inside of it to retrieve a box. "Just pour this into his drink tonight just after Mother begins her speech and everything shall be taken care of."

  "A few drops?"

  "The whole thing." Chien glanced upward while he spoke and saw the disturbingly cheerful grin that crossed his cousin's face. He recognized the smell of this particular vial. This was not about disabling Tuan in the least. Minh hoped to kill his brother in an exceedingly painful manner.

  "And this will help?" At the very least, Minh would get what he wanted in the end. But he would suffer the very same fate of course.

  "Of course it will."

  "And I will not get into trouble?"

  "Chien, don't ask so many questions." Minh was irritated by his doubt and doing a
poor job of hiding it. "It will work out perfectly. Now enjoy your breakfast, I have things to take care of." Minh ate the last of what was left in his bowl and left. Chien did not miss the fact that two guards stepped inside at his absence.

  Chien had to force the last of the food down for form's sake before asking shyly for an escort back to his room. Once he was alone, he looked back into the box. A vial of translucent green liquid sat inside of it. Minh wanted him to poison Tuan.

  His method lacked honor as well, but Tuan and Minh were not his true targets for the throne. They would need to be dealt with of course. They were as wicked as their mother. Wickeder for the mere fact that they had had so much more time to grow into monsters beyond what their mother had become.

  The worst part about his aunt's betrayal was that she had not always been as such. Once upon a time, his aunt had treated Chien and his sister, An like her own. She had been full of laughter and stories. The death of her husband had changed her.

  The same way the death of his family had changed him.

  The banquet that night would see the last part of his plans to fall into place. He could only hope the Dragon would protect him.

  Chien watched from the verandah as the sun sank into the ground and day slid seamlessly into night. The banquet would come soon; Chien was not at all completely sure he was ready. His mind whirled with worries and doubts, and no matter how much he attempted to tell himself that he should throw