As a priestess, I was taught by my father not to involve myself in politics. The disagreement lay between the Sian kingand the Wen governor, whereas our job was to keep our heads down and let the flow of the universe right disturbances in its own time.
But as someone who’d lost her mother to the king’s selfish negligence, I couldn’t help but support Wen’s discontent.
At least, that was how I used to feel.
Now, having seen how Chunhua had been punished for failing to birth a son, one who could grow to fight for the military, I knew that even the Wen government wasn’t infallible when it came to the collateral costs of war.
“What’s happening here?” Ren asked, loud enough to be heard over the crowd.
Before I could respond, a bystander answered, “They say the king’s seal, the one that determines his heir, has been lost!”
Lost?That didn’t bode well for the growing tension between Sian and Wen.
“This is the perfect opportunity for Wen to strike, while Sian is panicking over their old-fashionedtraditions!”
“But I also heard that the second prince has gone missing,” said another, drawn by the undercurrent of gossip. “The Sian officials dare to allege that the governor of Wen is responsible.”
“What nonsense! With war imminent, they’re just looking for a reason to attack us first.”
Forgoing courtesy, I grabbed Ren by the arm and pulled him away from the chattering townsfolk, shoving through any opening that caught my eye. I didn’t dare look at his face, preferring to remain ignorant. Whether he was angry or hurt, it wasn’t my responsibility.
When I finally had enough space to spread out both arms, I considered my surroundings and realized, much to my annoyance, that we were a street off from the apothecary’s. But therewas no way in heaven I’d brave that mob again. We’d have to take the longer way around to the other side.
“They think I’ve been kidnapped,” Ren said as we strode down the street.
I glanced at him, noting the flyer in his hand. Someone in the crowd must’ve shoved it toward him in passing. As expected, the bold calligraphy called for brave and able sons to enlist in the governor’s army against the tyrant king.
“Yes,” I said impassively. “And they’re not too far from the truth.”
“Is it possible the Wen governor is the one who knows my identity?”
“I have no idea. And it’s dangerous to make assumptions without evidence. For now, we should focus on replenishing your qi and returning to Sian.”
When he didn’t reply immediately, I thought the conversation ended. But then he said, “Do you think my father will truly go to war over this?”
“I wouldn’t put it past a man like your father.” I caught his grimace and experienced a twinge of guilt. Resentful as I was toward the king, and as complicated as his relationship was with his sons, the man was still Ren’s father. More gently, I said, “Your disappearance is only an excuse. Wen and Sian will eventually go to war whether you’re missing or not. There are other stakes at play.”
“What stakes?”
“As if you don’t already know.” I rolled my eyes, walking around a cart of honeydew.
“Do you mean the fainting fever?” said Ren. “Because Wen believes that independence from Sian will somehow protect them from future epidemics?”
“It’s not just about epidemics, Your Highness.” I turned left into an alleyway that cut through to the neighboring street. The conversation—and the fact that it even needed to be had—was beginning to grate on me. “How can someone so close to the Sian government be so ignorant?”
“I may have lived in the palace, but I wasn’t privy to every political matter.”
An edge crept into my voice. “You mean you didn’t want to know. Because you wanted to be ‘free from the pressures of ruling.’”
He scoffed. “You say that as if ruling is easy. Desirable, even. But you’ve no idea what it’s like to live the life of a king’s son. The insurmountable burdens inherited at birth.”
“That’s no excuse for being ignorant of issues in your own kingdom.”
“So tell me what I’m so ignorant of!”
His irritation, bubbling over the edge, crashed into my own. I stopped in my tracks and spun around to face him.
“You really want my answer?” I snapped, stomping on the line between prince and priestess. The alley’s cold gray walls seemed to lean in, suffocating me. “Just think of what happened with Liu Chunhua.”
