for your battle tomorrow."
Tuan looked sullenly at Minh surrounded by courtiers. "I thought you were in league with my brother."
"Minh is far too smug. His pride will lead him to a swift defeat."
"Does he still believe he can defeat me?" Tuan scoffed.
"He has spoken of nothing but," Chien replied. "He believes you are so slow witted that you will not wake in time for your duel."
"That fool." Tuan slammed his hand into his table and the wood cracked.
"I do not believe such things, however." It was pathetic to see how Tuan's eyes lit with hope. "I much prefer to side with strength."
Tuan took the cup from his hand and stared at it for a long moment. "Why is that, cousin?"
"When the dragon ascended he mandated that the Throne of a Thousand Swords serve as his claw, delivering justice in his name. The man who sits upon that throne must be strong. Minh is a coward."
"That he is." Tuan gave him a half smile then threw the drink back with a gulp. "I will show you tomorrow cousin. You have chosen well."
Chien bowed his head in recognition and stood. "I shall leave you to your meal cousin."
Tuan did not answer, his attention returned to the bowl that had been set in front of him. Chien returned to his seat. When Minh gave him a questioning look, Chien nodded subtly. Now that one had been taken care of, he would have to deal with the other. Only by taking care of the both of them would the first phase of his revenge against his aunt be complete.
When the courtiers that had surrounded Minh thinned, Chien stood once more, taking one last drink of his own cup before he travelled to his cousin's table and knelt beside it. "Chien!" Minh scolded, 'You should not be here so openly!"
"I apologize, cousin. It was simply," he paused and shook his head, "No, perhaps you are right. Tuan's words a moment ago confused me, but you must be right." He made to stand, setting his hand down on the table to steady him.
Minh's hand slammed over his own just as he had predicted. "No, the mistake has been made. Now what did my brother say to you."
"That it was just as well that I side with him since you have no chance of victory in your duel."
Minh tried to laugh it away, but the sound came out bitter, "No chance? The fool. He will certainly see his error in the morning won't he?"
"I think so too, but what if he does—"
"He will not win this duel!" Minh interrupted sharply. Chien jumped at his sudden volume and the table shook, Minh's glass tipping over.
"Chien! You fool!" Servants swarmed in to assist them in cleaning up the mess and a new glass was quickly brought. In the ensuing chaos, Chien got his hand over the opening of the glass.
Someone grabbed him hard by his arm and the vial slipped from his fingers. There was a surge of panic, of fear, before he watched it roll neatly under the table. Only then did he look up at his captor. Bao did not appear amused. "Your Empress, it appears the prince has overindulged. If you would permit me to escort him to his room?"
Mai seemed both annoyed and grateful, "If you would please, General." Her expression made it clear that Chien would face the brunt of her anger in the morning when she was not surrounded by courtiers. "I do hope you will reflect upon your behavior in the morning nephew. It shames me to see you like this."
Chien wanted to challenge her right then, but there was a proper time for all things. He nodded and bowed his head in shame, "I apologize for my behavior, Empress."
Her expression was inscrutable. "Rest well nephew."
Bao did not give him the dignity of walking from the hall, but instead half dragged him behind him. Chien allowed it until they stepped out onto the verandah walkway into the sultry night air. Once they were away from prying eyes, Chien pulled away and Bao allowed it.
"Thank you for your assistance, General, but I can handle myself from here."
"Perhaps you could explain to me what I may have seen you pour into the prince's drink."
Chien froze. "Pardon?"
"When you knocked his cup over, you spilled something into his drink." Bao's eyes narrowed as Chien turned to face him, "I saw it."
He should have been watching more carefully. Hadn't he felt the general's eyes on him? Hadn't he recognized that intense gaze? He wanted to curse his stupidity, but he did not dare give any more away. Lie. It would just take another lie. He was good at those was he not? His greatest skill since his mother's death. "I would not dare drop something into the prince's drink." His eyes widened in innocence, a move that had fooled not only his dimwitted cousins but his aunt as well at one time or another.
"Do not play me for fool, Prince Chien." Dangerous. He had let his guard fall, let himself grow too close to Bao, and now his plan would be ruined by his own foolishness. What had he thought to himself only a few hours ago? He was too close to make such mistakes.
"Play you for fool, General, who would do such a thing?" Chien paused beside the pond and crouched to watch the goldfish play, trying to give himself a chance to pull himself and his story together.
"Why do you do this, Chien?" Bao sounded exasperated. Good. At least he was not alone in it for once. "Why do you play the easily distracted dunce?"
"Easily distracted?" Chien watched as the goldfish darted within the pool, lazy splotches of color. "You do not think a pond is suitable for my attentions?"
"They're goldfish."
"Maybe." He could not continue to engage in this conversation, not when there was a risk that he would give away more. Bao was surprisingly astute, and Chien could feel his control over this situation slipping from his fingers more and more as he stood, "If you are quite finished—"
"I'm not."
In his head, Chien cursed. "I have no interest in answering your accusations."
"I could bring them before the Empress instead."
Chien paused then slowly turned to face Bao. It was not worth it to feel betrayed. Not worth it to examine that pain in his chest. "You may feel free to report to the Empress anything you like." He'd known this. Gone into this situation with his eyes wide open. Bao's loyalties would always lie with the Empress first. This was why he'd tried so hard to remind himself not to get too close.
When you allowed people close, their inevitable betrayal only hurt so much more. And in the palace, betrayal was inevitable.
Bao was yet one more thing it seemed she'd stolen from him before he'd ever had a chance to truly appreciate it.
"Chien, if you could simply explain it to me I could—"
"And do not refer to me so familiarly." Distance. Distance was important. Because there was only one thing that mattered, really.
He watched his words take effect on Bao, his face became colder, his mouth set in a hard line. Had Chien truly done that to him? The lives he'd taken in the search for vengeance and here was the one battle he regretted winning. "Of course, Prince."
Chien did not have much to say in answer to that, instead turning to walk toward his rooms on the far side of the palace. Bao fell into quiet step behind him.
It had not been his fault, he rationalized. Bao had been the one to bring up the Empress's name. To believe that invoking her name would somehow spill all of Chien's secrets.
"There was a time when you might have told me you loved me." The words sounded unspeakably intimate.
"Words that lovers whisper in the dark of night," Chien whispered back, "fade like shadows in the day."
Bao cursed and grabbed hold once more of Chien's arm to pull him around. Chien's mouth opened to make it clear how little he appreciated being yanked around as such but the intensity of Bao's gaze took his words away. Not for the first time, Chien wondered what Bao saw when he looked at him. Was he the dunce prince he pretended to be? Did Bao see him as the capable man he wanted to be? Or was it some terrifying between? Had he somehow managed to delve beneath everything Chien pretended to be and broke through to the truth beneath.
The truth was that he had never been fooled really, not completely. Not enough for
Chien's comfort. It would have been smarter to be done with it now. To kill him and ensure that no one knew of his plan. He was so close, he could surely do that couldn't he? Bao stood so close. It would have been so easy to grab his weapon and be done with him at last
He was weak, hardly deserving of the throne himself. His father would have done whatever was necessary. His mother would not have allowed anything to stand in her way. And as their child sworn to uphold their honor, he could not do the simple task of stopping this man before he brought years of planning down around Chien's head. Bao had asked to help him. The damn man would prove the beginning of his end.
"Do not feed me proverbs." Chien far preferred him like this. Eyes flashing and cheeks mottled red with anger. "Do not lie to me." Words that lovers whispered. Chien had meant every one of them each and every time he had spoken it and still it had not done him a bit of good. He'd chosen a man he could not keep. When Bao kissed him, he did not bother to pretend he did not want exactly that. His hands pulled free from Bao's grip to sink into the dark silk of his hair. He could feel Bao's finding their way beneath the layers of his robe.
Chien pulled back before Bao could find skin. Before his clever tongue and cleverer hands made Chien forget why this could not be allowed. Bao leaned in for another kiss and Chien avoided him. Finally their foreheads rest together. "How can I protect you when you will not tell me the truth?"
"I have never needed you to protect me." Bao was sworn to protect one. The woman Chien was sworn to kill.