Lotus and Lily exchanged looks of confusion.
“I’ll be blunt,” I said. “Can I trust you?”
“Of course, my lady!” Lotus replied indignantly. Lily nodded, though I noticed a flicker of guilt pass through her eyes.
“I’m sure others have tried to buy your loyalties, given how close you are to me,” I said, eyeing Lotus to see her reaction. Hers was the more expressive face, and sure enough, she blinked in response, glancing away from me. “But I can offer more than gold.”
“We would never—” Lotus sputtered.
“What can you offer?” asked Lily quietly.
I smiled. “Freedom.”
Lily’s eyes darkened. “There is no freedom under a system such as ours.”
Taken aback, I said nothing for a second, realizing the assumptions I’d made based solely on her status.
“You’re right,” I said, recovering, “which is why I want to change the system. You’ve heard the rumors of succession. You know that Sky is the strongest heir. He will be named next in line, and I with him.” I leaned forward. “You want to bet on the winning team.”
Lily smiled, revealing a gap-toothed grin that reminded me momentarily of my sister. “I’ll help you,” she said, “if you teach me how to fight.”
Again, I was caught off guard. I had mistaken her reticence for docility, but now I saw it was anything but.
“Not this again,” groaned Lotus. “We’ve talked about this, Lily.”
Lily ignored her. “Please,” she said to me. “I must learn how to fight.”
My throat tightened at the earnest hope in her eyes. Other, kinder people would certainly agree. Xiuying would accept in a heartbeat, and would urge me to do the same. And yet I had enough on my plate with Sky’s bid for the throne. If we were caught, I could be jailed once more. In the dungeons, I would be wholly powerless.
I could never let myself be that powerless again.
“I’m sorry, Lily,” I said. “It’s too risky right now.”
Her shoulders sagged with disappointment.
“But I can arm you,” I continued, though I didn’t yet know how. Lily’s frown deepened—again, that strange flicker of guilt. “Just give me time.”
“What do you need?” Lily asked.
“I need to secure the throne.”
“There are seven princes,” saidLotus, in her best imitation of a schoolteacher’s voice. “The eldest, Prince Keyan, is the crown prince.”
“What’s he like?”
“Dutiful,” said Lotus. “He obeys his father’s every command.”
“He tries to be fair,” added Lily. “Though he lets himself be pushed around by his wife.”
“Princess Yifeng,” I said knowingly.
Lotus nodded. “I’d be careful around her. Theirs is a loveless marriage, yet she has him wrapped around her thumb.”
“The other princesses seem scared of her,” I remarked, thinking of Princess Ruihua.
Lotus nodded. “When Princess Aixia got pregnant before her, rumor has it she made her miscarry.”
I grimaced, not wanting the details. “Who’s next?”
