Page 66 of For Ever More

“We have unexpected guests. Lady Shufang thought you should hear their news.” The general’s eyes flick to the entrance of the hall. “Don’t draw attention to yourselves.”

The hateful scent of iron floods the chamber, my stomach churning as several soldiers enter. My blood runs cold at the sight of their glittering armor, the pale tassels on their spears. A stout man in a purple robe appears, his face obscured by a black hat set with a metal disc. His head is lowered to Lady Shufang, but as he straightens, a gasp locks in my throat.

Chief Attendant Mai.

The one who betrayed Prince Zixin in the Palace of Nine Hills. The prince shifts back until the shadow of a pillar falls across his face, concealing his presence—as Jin, Shenming, and I prudently fold ourselves deeper into the crowd, wary of recognition.

The chief attendant bows. “Her Majesty Queen Chunlei, the Great Monarch of the Iron Mountains, offers her greetings to Lady Shufang, Esteemed Ruler of the Pearl Ocean. We bring a gift of immense worth.” His greasy tone is both obsequious and self-important.

A guard steps forward, holding out a long item wrapped in silk. General Suilan accepts it, unraveling the cloth to reveal a sword in an iron scabbard with a hilt of sapphires. As the general unsheathes the blade, it glitters as bright as those of the soldiers in the Palace of Nine Hills.

Lady Shufang’s fingers toy with the thick gold chain around her neck. “What does Her Majesty desire of me by offering this gift?”

“A renewal of friendship between our kingdoms.”

“Is that all?” Lady Shufang’s laugh settles between warmth and disbelief. “Yet our kingdoms are still ‘friends,’ are we not? At least I believed we were until we received the audacious demand for my starfire, while instructing us to swear fealty to the Iron Mountains.”

“A necessary precaution to guard against rashness,” the chief attendant says. Has he heard rumors of Lady Shufang’s ‘guest’? “I was already on my way here to assure Your Ladyship of our intentions. Queen Chunlei seeks to bring peace to our realm, and wants to ensure the kingdoms are united—”

“Under her rule?” Lady Shufang interjects with false sweetness.

“In friendship,” the chief attendant corrects her, though no one believes him, not even himself. “Queen Chunlei hopes Her Ladyship will return her generosity with a suitable gift. Her Majesty is a collector of starfire, a treasured heirloom of the Iron Mountains.”

I suppress a protest, my gaze flying to the prince. His face is concealed by the shadows, standing as still as one of the pillars here, as though carved from ice.

“We cherish our starfire too,” Lady Shufang replies. “One wonders to what end your queen is so intent on gathering the pieces?”

As her question hangs in the air, a white-haired minister of the Pearl Ocean moves forward. “Your queen claims to offer friendship, but such demands are an insult.” His voice quivers with outrage. “The Pearl Ocean has never sworn fealty to the Iron Mountains before—why now?”

Amid the courtiers’ nods and furious whispers, Lady Shufang raises her hand for calm. “We appreciate the gift from Queen Chunlei as a valued token of our bond. In return, we offer Her Majesty one of the rarest jewels of our realm.” She pauses, the chief attendant’s face taut with anticipation, then she adds, “An Ice Pearl.”

Relief floods me, while the chief attendant looks like he’s swallowed a stone. “Her Majesty has no need of other jewels. Only the starfi—”

“This is just as beautiful,” Lady Shufang interrupts. “Her Majesty cannot choose the gift she desires, when I was not consulted on your offering of the sword.”

An attendant approaches bearing a pearl the size of my fist, its radiance as luminous as starfire. Jin’s mouth slants into a smile. “It’s like they chose this to taunt the queen, mimicking the gift she demanded—the one they’re denying her,” he whispers to me. “An insult, whether intended or not.”

The chief attendant’s face clouds. “Her Ladyship should take care. While Queen Chunlei values friendship, defiance will be swiftly crushed.”

“As her husband, General Xilu, rampages through the villages of the Amber Forest? Silencing those who protest the high taxes to the Iron Mountains?” Lady Shufang replies icily. “Fortunately, our warriors are well equipped to protect our people from all threats.”

Tension coils in the hall. Lady Shufang is a skilled politician, knowing when to smile and when to respond with force. The chief attendant’s face is stamped with arrogance and fury, the mask of subservience discarded. Prince Zixin moves into the light then, standing by Lady Shufang’s throne. A current ripples through the room, the Iron Mountains soldiers shuffling with unease. The chief attendant’s eyes squeeze tight, his mouth gaping.

“Your Highness, I did not expect to see you,” he manages at last.

“Evidently not, Chief Attendant Mai—since you tried to have me killed,” the prince replies with seeming calm, yet wrath churns beneath.

Lady Shufang leans toward him. “I was informed the chief advisor of the Iron Mountains requested an audience today. Not the chief attendant.”

Chief Attendant Mai’s gaze slides from the prince back to Lady Shufang, assessing their relationship. “In appreciation of my loyalty, Her Majesty has elevated my rank.”

The prince’s voice is silken with threat. “You certainly proved your worth by poisoning and betraying me.”

The chief advisor straightens his robe. “Your Highness, I acted upon the instructions of the rightful ruler of the Iron Mountains.”

“How can my sister be the rightful ruler when my father named me the heir?” Prince Zixin’s voice rises. “She betrayed our father and me in this gross usurpation of my throne.”

Lady Shufang touches the prince’s arm in silent support, or in warning. His lips press shut as he reins in his temper, something he rarely did in his own court.