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
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
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