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“What is troubling you?” I asked.

“I have wanted to be king ever since my brother began tormenting me and those I cared for. Each insult, every injury drove me to seek my father’s favor, through any means necessary.”

He spoke so rarely of his past—once before, when I had first learned of his treachery. I had not wanted to hear him then; nothing could have excused his actions. This time, I listened without acrimony or anger—for the first time in a long while, without seeking lies in each word.

“My father was neither doting nor kind, but he was more ambitious than cruel—always pushing us to better ourselves. Partly because he remembered what it was like when we were weak and downtrodden, the outcasts of the Immortal Realm.” Shadows darkened his eyes. “And now, he is dead and I wear the crown. There is no triumph in this. Even though it might have been inevitable, I never wanted to wade through my family’s blood for the throne.”

“Nothing can change that,” I said quietly. “You will be a good king.” These were no empty words of solace. The Celestial soldiers had revered, respected, and loved him. A rare combination that few rulers could attain.

He paused. “There is another reason I came. Somehow, news got out about my brother’s and father’s deaths. Wugang has demanded that we surrender your mother. If we comply, he will leave us in peace. If not—he has threatened swift retaliation.”

“What will you do?” What could he do? A monarch’s responsibility was to their kingdom. Wenzhi had always made clear where his priorities lay, and what was I to him? Not even a false bride anymore.

“My advisors want to concede. Before, Wugang’s eyes were turned elsewhere. He would not have attacked us while more attractive prospects lay before him for the taking, while he believed we might ally with him. But that has changed.”

“Will you surrender us?” I did not think he meant to betray us—but that he could not harbor us, that we could no longer count on his aid.

“It is what my father would have done. We are unprepared. An attack now would be catastrophic. We should buy time so we can stand against him another day.”

A hollow gaped in my chest, though I should not have expected more. But I would try to reason with him as I would have done with another. “You were never one for a quick victory at the expense of the greater scheme. Yielding to Wugang is not the answer.”

“You mistake my meaning,” he said at once. “It was what I was advised to do, what my father would have done—but not what I will do. Surrendering your mother would merely offer a temporary reprieve, for it would make Wugang invincible. He will sweep through the Immortal Realm like a pestilent plague, and when it is barren, he will devour us then. He might be an ally at present, but he is undoubtedly our future foe. My father realized this too—which is why he preferred to aid us, though he would also have dealt with Wugang to further his own ends.”

His gaze held mine. “Yet that is not the only reason. I confess, you are a strong inducement to think of another plan.”

I steeled myself against letting my heart soften. “This can be an opportunity. We might be able to use this to our advantage.”

He nodded reluctantly, for he had thought of this too. “I do not want this. It will be dangerous.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “But less so than letting Wugang rampage unhindered.” Still, it was too soon. I was not ready … if I would ever be.

“It’s the best way. I can’t appear in some inexplicable coincidence; Wugang would suspect a ruse at once.” I spoke quickly before terror stifled my words. “Do what they expect of you, what any cautious ruler would when faced with this threat. Surrender my mother. Except it will be me in her stead. Let Wugang think he has us where he wants us, that victory is in his grasp. It will lull him into a false sense of security and—”

“You will make him pay,” Wenzhi finished my sentence for me, his expression grim. “Except Wugang will not accept our acquiescence easily. He believes that I—unlike my father or brother—would be loath to accept an alliance with him. He knows that I would never surrender the Moon Goddess willingly, for no other reason than the fact she is your mother.”

I remembered what Wugang had said to us before, the knowing looks he had cast at Wenzhi and me. “This will not work if Wugang has a flicker of suspicion, if he tests my disguise. What if you refuse his terms? Have one of your courtiers offer the information to Wugang in exchange for a reward. I could allow myself to be captured, let him bring me to the laurel.”

“An illusion, mirroring what he expects.” He nodded. “That could work. Either way, we must prepare our forces to stand against him—in part to fit our ploy, in part for defense. I believe he is set on attacking us. Too many of his soldiers have gathered along the border for this to be a simple excursion.”

He spoke the truth, yet the thought of battle turned my stomach. “That would be prudent. It would also distract Wugang and divide his forces, to keep his mind occupied so he doesn’t question or examine anything too closely. He will be impatient to harvest the seeds to seal his victory, and therein lies his weakness.” I frowned as another worry struck me. “How will you withstand his army? You will need allies.”

“We will send word to the other kingdoms. However, we have been isolated for so long, I doubt any will heed our call.”

“A common enemy turns adversaries into allies.” Just as I was protecting the same soldiers I had fought against before.

Who else might we count on? The dragons were no tools of war yet could be invaluable for defense. Their support might swing the Eastern Sea to our side, though their court was deep in mourning. The Southern Sea had declared their allegiance when they attempted to capture us to win Wugang’s favor. We had no contact with the Western and Northern Sea, and there was no time to cultivate relations with them. The Phoenix Kingdom had always been a firm ally of the Celestial Kingdom—yet it remained to be seen if their loyalty lay with the ruling family or the kingdom itself. If they joined Wugang, it would be a grave blow.

“I will send word to Prince Yanxi, and Liwei to his mother. Perhaps she can sway Queen Fengjin,” I said.

He rose to his feet and inclined his head. “Thank you. I apologize for disturbing your rest. Let me bring you back.” As his gaze met mine, a sigh slid from him. “I promised myself I would say nothing; you have made your choice. But I will never be free of you. Perhaps that is my penance.”

“I do not wish that.” I pushed myself up to stand beside him, ignoring the pulse of hurt within me. “We are friends, after all. Those who want the best for each other.”

“Friends?” he repeated, after a moment’s pause. “Yes, I would welcome your friendship. I would welcome any part of yourself that you choose to give me.”

Before I could respond, he drew me into his arms—his skin, usually so cool, burning me. I did not protest, closing my eyes, inhaling the crisp scent that rolled off his skin. And when his arms loosened, there was a prickling in my eyes which I blinked away, a part of me mourning the end of something precious … that never truly had a chance to begin.

Clouds hung low in the skies from the immortals riding through the heavens. A storm beckoned on the horizon, not of wind or rain but brewed with bloodshed and betrayal, thick with ancient grudges. The Celestial Kingdom had been overthrown by one of mortal heritage, and the Cloud Wall was defending those who had cast it from its borders. The Four Seas were divided once more; old alliances broken, and new ones forged in the span of days. It was like the world had been turned over and shaken for good measure. The Immortal Realm might never go back to what it once was, and I did not realize how much I regretted this until faced with its loss.