Never imagine the worst.
Lady Niari' Ru, Great-General of Ochelon
Tez' Mu rolled over as the bells rang shrilly just outside his window. As if on cue, the door to his room was pushed open and Sari entered with robes piled on his arm.
"Damn it, Sari, I'm not the groom! Why do I have to be up so early?" Tez' Mu complained into his sheets.
"You're the only man in the manor asides my lord general, ke. You'll be the one to escort her ladyship to House Yan," Sari carefully placed the robes down on the bed so they wouldn't crumple, "and also, you have guests. You asked me to deliver three invitations, remember?"
Tez' Mu got up and rubbed his crusty eyes.
"I have asked a servant to put hot water in the bath," Sari said as he sorted through the clothes in the order Tez' Mu would wear them. He folded the inner robe into a neat, small square and handed it over to his master.
"I'm sorry to say this, but hurry."
Tez' Mu grinned. His servant's words were always formal, but their bond was anything but. Since his brothers had left the mainland a few years ago, Sari had become the only one Tez' Mu could rely on in the Mu Manor. He stopped delaying and dragged himself to the bath.
When he returned a few minutes later, the white inner robe clinging damply to his skin, Sari had set out a light breakfast on the table beside the bed. The soup's fragrant steam curled in the morning air, but Tez' Mu barely spared it a glance, opting instead to chew on the bread beside it.
Time might seem to stand still here in his room, but the world outside was already chaotic. He could hear servants scurrying through the hallways with frantic preparation. The house's butler, Heng's could be heard above all, his booming voice giving instructions.
The door to the room flew open nearly rebounding from the force of its push. Heng stormed in, an almost crumpled piece of paper in his left hand, his broad frame casting a shadow over the room. His dark skin glistened with the faintest sheen of sweat on his balding forehead, a testament to the morning's exertion.
"—so many guests! And my lord general can't be the one to usher them in at the gate!—" he caught sight of Tez' Mu eating, "My ke! You're still in bed?!"
Tez' Mu rolled his eyes. He took a sip of the soup and immediately recoiled, setting it down with a grimace. He stood up and stepped forward as Sari held out a kasa, a dark brown vest coat that would sit under the tudan, a long open tunic robe. Under the tudan robe would be worn leather pants, the kasa tucked into it. As Tez' Mu did not like the way his tudan robes used to catch on things, Sari had procured for him a belt that would go around his waist and over his shoulder.
The other accessories that would complete his dressing were set on the cabinet table in the room: a spatial ring, its hidden storage perfect for stashing away flowers from the many young female admirers he was sure to attract; gloves because so many people would shake his hand as the bride's brother and escort; and anti-intoxicant pills slipped into the side pocket of his kasa because he would have to drink a lot, and ancestors flay him if he got drunk.
"Young master, you have to welcome the guests on behalf of my lord general," Heng said as Tez' Mu put his arm through the kasa. Sari dropped it over his shoulders before picking up the tudan.
Tez' My frowned, "What do you mean? I'm escorting Sister Royan'."
"Well—no one else can do it. The two young lords aren't here; it would have been my lord Riel' Mu's duty," the butler replied.
"So they're really not going to come, huh?" Tez' Mu muttered as Sari adjusted the fit of the tudan. He held out a hand, and Heng crossed the room, buttoning the kasa while holding the crumpled paper between his teeth, "I wonder what mother will think of that. Can't Chan' welcome the guests?" he wondered aloud.
Heng snorted despite himself, finishing the last button with a tug. He took the paper from between his teeth.
"Do you want our guests to flee from our gates from fright? I'm certain the young miss's methods of verifying invitations should not be discussed in broad daylight."
Tez' Mu stared at the butler. Heng quickly realized he had spoken too freely and stepped back.
"You won't have to escort my lady Royan' Mu until the ceremony begins. You certainly have enough time to welcome the guests. Please, young master," he added imploringly.
Tez' Mu nodded shortly, his thoughts elsewhere, and Heng left the room, bowing out swiftly.
"What's on your mind" Sari had finished buckling the belt and was staring at his face. Tez' Mu smiled.
"Nothing. Do I have everything I need?"
"I think so. I will be behind you at all times so if you have any request I will take it," Sari replied.
"Good. Let's welcome Raq' Mu's guests."
It was the second hour of saorxi, breakfast time. The crisp morning air carried the scent of spiced meat skewers, aged plum wine and roasted duck from the kitchens, teasing Tez' Mu's empty stomach. Beyond the manor walls, faint voices drifted in as the first guests arrived, their carriages rumbling over the stone-paved road. Tradition dictated that the earlier one arrived, the greater the honor bestowed upon the host, who, in turn, was expected to provide them with a worthy meal.
As expected, he had not spent two minutes at the gate when the first carriage rolled up, the crest of the Ji family gleaming on its lacquered black door. The horses snorted, their breath misting in the cool air as the wheels crunched over the gravel path. A footman rushed to lower the step, and Muri' Ji emerged, adjusting the embroidered cuffs of his midnight blue brocade coat. His wife climbed down after him, sweeping the Mu Manor grounds with an impressed gaze.
As they neared the steps, Muri' Ji's pace slowed. His eyes lifted to the figure standing above them—Tez' Mu, framed by the morning sun. The golden light wove through his red hair, deepening its color to carnelian. Against the soft glow of dawn, the vibrant strands shimmered like silk, a striking contrast to his dark skin. With his arms clasped behind his back, he looked every inch the young master of the manor.
Muri' Ji turned to his wife, murmuring something to her. She nodded, reaching to touch the jade pendant nestled in her hair, ensuring it sat firmly in place, before taking his offered hand. Together, they ascended the seven broad steps leading to the gate.
When they reached the top, Muri' Ji placed a hand over his chest and lowered his head. "Congratulations, young master, on today's joyous occasion." His face carried a wide grin, but his posture was formal. With a firm nod, he added, "This vassal pays his respects."
Beside him, his wife looked like she would rather bash her fair forehead against a wall than bow to her father's nephew's cousin's son. She surveyed Tez' Mu with a disgruntled expression, and grudgingly nodded her head.
Tez' Mu raised his eyebrows, but did not say anything to her. He turned instead to Muri' Ji.
"Do your people in Ji District not know who you serve?"
Sari coughed quietly. Tez' Mu glanced at him. The slight shake of his head and pressed lips said it all: Not at the gate, young master. You represent the lord general today. Just welcome the guests; don't stir conflict before they even step inside.
But Muri' Ji's interest had been piqued.
"Which untaught scoundrel offended you, young master?" he asked with a slight patronizing frown.
Tez' Mu's expression changed. His voice, when he spoke, was toneless and reserved. "I will speak to you about it later. You must be hungry. Thank you for honoring us with your presence. Please let my servant see you in."
At the edge of his vision, Sari shifted slightly—too subtle for most to notice, but Tez' Mu knew the motion well. He wasn't sure what mistake he'd made, but Sari's silent disapproval was a familiar presence.
Muri' Ji himself was stumped at the sudden change in Tez' Mu's attitude. He blinked twice before he could reply.
"You're too polite, young master! This vassal is always at your service. It is my duty to felicitate with your family on this occasion." He bowed again, inclining his head. His wife pursed her lips and stared down at the pointed tips of her platform shoes. Sari smiled, and gestured to them with his hand to enter the main courtyard, a network of purple hangings and white drapes, the colors of a marriage ceremony.
The Ji couple stepped inside, the drapes billowing gently from the wooden beams above them. The scent of warm jasmine tea and freshly steamed buns wafted towards them from a nearby pavilion, mingling with the lingering traces of morning incense. Heng appeared almost instantly, his gait hurried, as he gestured them to the shaded pavilion where breakfast awaited.
"One down. How did I do, Sari?" After seeing them disappear after the butler, Tez' Mu turned to grin at his servant. Sari opened his mouth but could not bear to correct him. Even though he did not show it, Sari knew Tez' Mu was extremely nervous. This was his first time acting on behalf of the family, in his father's name. There was a lot of pressure on him. Therefore, Sari smiled and gave his master a thumbs up.
"Oh, here's another one," three horses were harnessed to the next carriage, and before they even descended Tez' Mu could already hear the shrieks of the children in it. Shrill laughter and high-pitched shouts spilled out, piercing the quiet dignity of the morning. Something thudded against the wooden panel—perhaps a child's foot kicking in excitement. He frowned. Children could only attend a formal party after saorxi. It was rude to your hosts for you to assume they had a duty to feed your children as well.
"Which family is that?" Tez' Mu asked Sari quickly. He could count four young children, all under ten years, an older one about thirteen, and then a somber looking nanny who climbed out after them. There was no sign of their lord and lady anywhere.
"It's House Il." Sari replied, as the youngest of the children dashed up the steps, "I should think young miss invited them."
Tez' Mu groaned. So Chan' had friends her age? The littlest child had reached the top, and stared at him with big round eyes as she sucked on her index finger. The others chased after her. She shrieked as one of her brothers caught her around the middle. They both tumbled onto the concrete landing of the steps.
A brief silence, then—
"WAAAAAH!"
The girl clutched her elbow, her tiny fingers smudged with dust and a thin line of blood. Tears welled up in her wide, round eyes, her lower lip trembling violently before she let out another wail.
Tez' Mu's face was very dark already. Sari pressed his lips together to refrain from laughter. The nanny and the eldest boy had finally caught up. Glaring at the tangled heap of children of the floor and moving quickly to separate them, the nanny dusted them down quickly with a small towel she carried, then said a few words to them in the eastern kingdom's tongue.
Miyuan? Tez' Mu raised his eyebrows. He took Diplomacy and Foreign Languages as one of his subjects at the Academy and could pick out a few words from what she said. But it was weird. House Il was an Ochelon house. Why were the children speaking a language of the eastern kingdom?
The teenage boy stood to one side while all this happened, his eyes cast down, and his arms behind his back. Finally, the nanny approached Tez' Mu.
"We bring felicitations and salutations of respect from the Honored Lady of House Il." The woman's speech was thick with the rolling vowels of the eastern tongue, her voice clipped and firm. As she spoke, her chin lifted ever so slightly, her sharp gaze daring Tez' Mu to question the 'grandness' of her little charges.
Tez' Mu had not fully recovered from the shock of the spectacle, but another carriage had rolled up with a trumpet herald and he wanted to get this little swarm out of the way, "The House of Mu welcomes you," he said, "Sari."
Sari took the hint and led them in.
A deep, reverberating trumpet note suddenly rang out, cutting through the morning air, its brassy wail bouncing off the stone courtyard, making a few passing servants jolt mid-step.
Sari turned around quickly. "Young master, I think we will have to go down to welcome this party."
"Why, because of the horn?" Tez' Mu asked. He did not recognize the gold filigree insignia on the carriage door.
"That is the Alchemists Guild's representative, Marquis Huren from Calsour Empire." Sari replied. At his word, Tez' Mu immediately raised his feet as he took quick strides, crossing the wide landing and descending the steps quickly.Sari paused for a second before he followed.
Tez' Mu halted a few feet from the carriage as a squire swung open the door. A tall, light-skinned man emerged, his ornate staff catching the morning light, its polished surface inlaid with faintly glimmering runes. Tez' Mu bowed, and the man almost exclaimed.
"Absolutely not, my lord! I cannot accept it!" the marquis said at once, bowing even lower than Tez' Mu had, "it is my honor to witness the happy occasion of Lady Mu, my former fellow disciple."
"The House of Mu is equally honored by your presence," and Tez' Mu gestured towards the steps. Marquis Huren bowed again, then entered the manor with his retinue. Tez' Mu exhaled, a quiet breath that carried the weight of his lingering nerves, his shoulders loosening slightly.
"I don't understand. I'm definitely supposed to respect him," he muttered. Was all his etiquette training upside down? Sari coughed behind him.
"You're representing Lord-general Mu," he reminded.
"So what? I'm still a sapling who's not even of age. I'm sure even Father would defer to him a little. He's akin to an envoy!"
"He may be, but Lord-general Mu is like a duke, if we are going by the rank system of Calsour. For all the Marquis knows, you are the heir presumptive to the 'Mu Duchy'. He definitely has to defer to you." Sari said, then shrugged, then spoke again. "Add that to the fact that the lord general, who you are representing, is the strongest cultivator in the mainland. Even Calsour has not managed to produce more than one Martial Sage."
"Oh," Tez' Mu had no idea Raq' Mu was that revered even outside Ochelon. It made sense now, why Miyuan would want to include the Mu offspring in their royal genealogy.
"How many more now?" He asked. Sari smiled a little.
"A lot."
Tez' Mu groaned.
***
"Welcome, and thanks for your kind wishes, Lord Hei," Tez' Mu sighed, as he bowed yet another Scith judge into the manor. This was the part he had been dreading, meeting and greeting his father's peers. Contrary to his expectations, however, all the judges had been civil so far. Perhaps they were starving.
"It's General Ai," Sari turned to whisper in Tez' Mu's ear as a horse galloped up the drive. Tez' Mu did not respond. Of course he knew who it was. That smirking, sharp-faced predator haunted his worst memories. Kai' Ai had bullied Tez' Mu since childhood, during the time he was the Mu brothers' sword-master. Worse still, he was among those who had tormented Tez' Mu the most when Raq' Mu forced him to apologize to the generals.
The man swung down from his horse with an effortless grace, handing over the reins to a stable boy. He stalked up the drive, boots striking the stone with a confident, almost arrogant rhythm, as if the very ground belonged to him. He completely ignored Tez' Mu.
"The House of Mu welcomes you!" Tez' Mu called after him cynically, a hard edge to his voice. Kai' Ai paused, shook his head, and turned around.
"Tezihoyi the rascal?" His ape-like face, to Tez' Mu, was even more infuriating than he had remembered. "I didn't see you there. Are your cultivation issues now affecting your presence too?" He let out a smug chuckle.
"I think you're the blind one," Tez' Mu shot back. Kai' Ai's sneer disappeared.
"Careful, young lord," he growled, and then strode into the manor.
Tez' Mu did not realize he was clenching his fists until Sari reached out to relax them.
"Look, it's the Ru carriage," he said.
"Where?" Tez' Mu whipped his head around, all thoughts of Kai' Ai's sneer gone from his mind. Sure enough, there it was, and two young women descended from it, still chuckling to something they must have been discussing.
The taller one wore an elegant off-shoulder narkkir, the yellow fabric draping over her frame in pleated waves. Silver bracelets adorned her long, dark arms, chiming softly as she gestured—but Tez' Mu was not fooled. Her muscles tensed even as she gestured, and the hand with which she gripped the shoulder of the younger girl was that of an expert sword maiden.
But Tez' Mu did not stare at her for too long. His gaze locked onto Keiran' Ru's deep brown eyes—rich as aged wood, yet guarded. She held his stare for only a moment before looking away, gathering her narkkir around herself as she walked forward.
Tez' Mu inhaled deeply, steadying the slight tremor in his chest before exhaling through his nose. Don't mess this up, don't mess this up, he chanted in his mind, even as his fingers curled involuntarily at his sides. The girls were paces away now. He shuffled on the spot, breathing deeply.
"Our hearty congratulations to lady Royan' Mu," the taller woman said when they came to a halt in front of the gates, with a polite incline of her head. Tez' Mu bowed slightly.
"Thank you for honoring us with your presence," he managed a small smile in Keiran' Ru's direction. She did not return it, only nodding once and following after the older girl. The gates closed behind them.
"Who's that?" Tez' Mu growled to Sari.
"The young lady with Keiran' kel?" Sari had a trace of uncertainty in his voice. "That should be Lieutenant Sayi' Ru. She's lady Keiran's cousin, I suppose."
"You suppose?" Tez' Mu was venting on Sari now, tapping his feet impatiently. "Shouldn't you know all of them?"
It had to be because of her. Sayi' Ru was right beside Keiran', so the girl wouldn't—couldn't—acknowledge him with her cousin watching. Tez' Mu's fingers curled, heat rising in his chest.
Sari did not take offense, only stepping forward a little so Tez' Mu could see his face.
"You should talk to lady Keiran' during the ceremony. I'll help you distract the lieutenant."
Tez' Mu shrugged, working his jaw.
"Why should I talk to her? If we're betrothed then we are. Once sister Royan' is out of the manor, mother will place all her attention on me next. Before I know it, I'll be married to her."
"That is not a good idea," Sari murmured worriedly.
"Why not?" Tez' Mu was distracted, "Good, here comes the He carriage. Ancestors be dammed, I'm starving," he swore under his breath.
A squire opened the carriage door and a handsome youth stepped out. Dark-skinned and striking, Jun' He was handsome in a quiet, unassuming way—his features smooth and even, lacking the hard edges that made warriors imposing. His high forehead was framed by wispy strands of black hair, the color matching his deep eyes. Draped over his left arm was a heavy black bei robe embroidered with pale river lilies; a contrast to the deep green tunic he wore, the silk detailed with delicate patterns of silver-threaded reeds.
Tez' Mu smiled when their eyes met. He was glad Jun' He had been allowed to attend the party at all; his uncle rarely let him out of their estate, keeping him locked away under the guise of discipline. It had always been an odd sight—the gentle, cool-headed heir raised beneath the shadow of a man who commanded armies with an iron hand.
Jun' He turned back towards the carriage and stood deferentially next to the stately lord that came out after him. The man rose to his full height, his body built like a fortress, with a face hardened by years of war. His ironwood-brown hair, so dark it was nearly black, was tied back, revealing a scar slashing across his brow. There was no sign of silver at his temples, though the hard lines of his face told a tale of age. His dark gold eyes swept over the manor grounds, his mouth set in a line that had long forgotten how to soften.
Tez' Mu swallowed hard; his throat was dry, his palms damp with cold sweat. This was the highest ranked guest he would have to greet on behalf of his father so far: Lord General Jizu' He of the He fief, the fourth great general of Ochelon!
Tez' Mu felt a lot of pressure from just looking at him.
"Is it too late to send for Raq' Mu?" He muttered to Sari out of the corner of his mouth, "I don't think I can handle this!"
"Its fine, ke," Sari murmured back, "You've got this," he reached out and gave Tez' Mu a gentle nudge in his back. Tez' Mu took the hint and strode forward, pacing his breathing.
"My lord general," Tez' Mu clenched his left hand into a fist and put it over his right breast, lowering his head as he bowed formally to Jizu' He, who raised his eyebrows.
"This is Tez' Mu, uncle," Jun' He introduced him in a low voice. Jizu' He nodded, and reached out to lift Tez' Mu up, his grip closing around Tez' Mu's arm with an iron-like steadiness.
He then reached out with practiced ease, plucking the heavy robe from his nephew's arm and sweeping it over his shoulders in a single, fluid motion. Tez' Mu noticed the He fief insignia, a small red hawk circling a sword, embroidered on the chest pocket of his kasa.
"I had assumed you were older. Of age," the general said, his tone surprised, "You are the one who dueled at Mirin?"
Tez' Mu shook his head. "No, my lord. That must have been my elder brother," he replied.
"So where is he?" Jizu' He frowned, "Why are you the one here receiving me when you have an older brother?"
"Older brothers," Tez' Mu corrected, "they are two: Riel' Mu and Rian' Mu. They are not in Ochelon. They both left a while ago to roam the continent."
"Oh," Jizu' He chuckled, a dry, almost bemused sound. "That's not what you'd expect from a Mu." His lips curled, "I suppose Raq' wasn't pleased."
He wasn't, Tez' Mu wanted to say, but Jizu' He was done with the conversation. Without another word, he crossed the landing and entered the manor. His nephew hurried after him, shooting a swift, apologetic look over his shoulder. Tez' Mu suddenly pitied his friend. Even he, who was raised by one of the most fearsome men in Ochelon, felt a lot of pressure from speaking with the fourth great-general.
"You did well," Sari's voice cut through Tez' Mu's spiraling thoughts.
"I didn't even say the House of Mu welcomes you," he sighed.
"You didn't have to." Sari comforted him, "Just go along with the situation. Even The Hundred Maxims of Courtly Conduct says, 'Adaptability is the heart of diplomacy'."
Tez' Mu snorted, "Oh please," He rolled his eyes—so like Sari to quote verbatim from some forgotten book of etiquette.
Hooves clattered against the stone path then, and five horses charged into view, their riders' laughter ringing through the cool morning air like a warning bell. At the front rode two figures, their red and lilac curls wind-tossed and wild, their bulky frames wrapped in fluttering traveling cloaks the same green shade of the other three. Tez' Mu froze, a sinking feeling settling in his gut at the familiar sight.
"Is it my eyes deceiving me, Sari," he said quickly, "Or are those two at the head of that party the infamous incorrigible twins?"
Sari's lips twitched. "I wouldn't dare to refer to the young lords like that but, yes, that's them for sure."
One of the riders feinted toward Tez' Mu as if to knock him over. He flinched and jumped aside, barely avoiding the stallion's shoulder. The riders burst into loud guffaws, circling him and his servant, unsheathing their swords and swinging their lances as if they had caught some helpless prey.
Tez' Mu swore.
"Easy on the profanities, youngling," the rider who'd charged him swung down from his horse and reached out, catching Tez' Mu in a choke-hold under his arm and furiously ruffling his hair.
Tez' Mu gagged, cursing a storm as he struggled against his brother's grip.
"Hey!" Another rider, identical to the first, dismounted and sauntered over, "He's been picking up bad habits from those lowborn friends of his then, you reckon?" and he gave Tez' Mu a knock on the head with the hilt of his sword.
"Let me—go—-you damn—!" With a fierce tug, Tez' Mu broke free, coughing as he braced his hands on his knees. Then, quickly, he smoothed down his hair. "I'm welcoming guests here, you know!"
"Ha! He's welcoming guests! Did you hear that, Rian'?" The first chortled.
"Sure did. Our little Tez' is all grown up now. Look at him in his tudan!" The second grinned, wagging a teasing finger in Tez' Mu's face.
Tez' Mu saw red. "Stop it! Can you both be serious for once!?"
"Who's being unserious?" The first twin, Riel' Mu snorted as he handed the reins of his horse to the bright eyed almost gushing stable boy who'd run up to him, "Take care of her well! That's a prize stallion right there."
"Yes milord!" the boy bowed and bowed again, then took off with the horse, grinning as if all his wishes had been granted.
Tez' Mu gritted his teeth. What was the big deal? The servants never treated him like that.
"Well, since you're here, you can greet the guests," he crossed his arms over his chest.
The two older Mu brothers raised their eyebrows.
"Greet the guests? Are you intoxicated, Tez'?" Riel' Mu stepped forward, and Tez' Mu instinctively took three steps back. "Are your eyes working well? Look at us! What are we?" He gestured to himself and those with him. Tez' Mu pursed his lips.
Riel' Mu glanced over his shoulder.
"What are we, men?"
"Guests!" his twin brother and the other three chorused promptly, smirking with glee.
"Heard that, little pest? We're guests! Raq' Mu's guests, no less!" He spread his arms wide, "Adventurers from the Southern Wastes come to pay their respects. Go on, greet us properly!" He chuckled.
"Enough of this," Tez' Mu scowled, "If you're not taking over, get inside and out of my sight."
"Whoa," Rian' Mu raised his eyebrows, starting forward, but Riel' Mu stopped him with a hand to his chest. Then he advanced on Tez' Mu in the blink of an eye, catching him effortlessly with one hand on the back of his neck.
Tez' Mu gulped. He hadn't even seen him move.
"When were you born, pest?" Riel' Mu growled close to Tez' Mu's ear. Tez' Mu frowned as he tried to step back, but found out, to his horror, that he had been rooted to the spot.
"Answer me!"
Not wanting to prolong the scene for fear that other guests might arrive soon, Tez' Mu sighed as he rolled his eyes, spitting through his gritted teeth, "1705!"
"That's right, you unlearned pest. I was already of age by the time that furry ass of yours was weaned. You must have grown some peacock feathers during the time your elder brother and I weren't around, stomping around with your Ke of the House of Mu title, but don't do it to my face. Got it?"
"Ugh! Fine!"
Riel' Mu sneered and gave a seemingly harmless tap to the side of Tez' Mu's face. A second later, a sharp pulse shot through his ear—it rang, then went utterly silent.
"Deal with that," Riel' Mu chuckled. Tez' Mu clenched his jaw, fisting his hand and about to bring it to crash against his brother's nose, but Riel' Mu had released him, and flitted back to his twin and his men.
"The House of Mu, men," he said with a sweep of his arms towards the manor, to the admiring tittering of the men. They laughed, nudging each other forward as stable boys led away their horses. Boots thudded up the stone steps, their chatter echoing through the grand entrance.
Tez' Mu winced, tilting his head as if he could shake the sound loose. The ringing clung stubbornly to his skull, a dull, persistent hum that refused to die. He thumped his ear in frustration just as Sari approached.
"You know better than to get on the wrong side of the young lords," he said, taking Tez' Mu hand away from his ear and putting his own hand over it. His hand glowed for a moment before the light extinguished. Air immediately blew into Tez' Mu's ear, and he had to clamp his hand over it again.
"I thought they weren't coming. Why didn't they just stay away?"
Sari shrugged. He tapped Tez' Mu and gestured to the driveway.
"Young miss Kel' Ruan," he said. Tez' Mu turned around.
Kel' Ruan strolled up the driveway, her arm linked with that of a tall, willowy woman whose violet hair spilled like silk over her shoulders. Their tailored wudan robes draped elegantly over them, the open collars revealing diamond and silver necklaces glinting against their throats. Kel' Ruan's hair was swept up by a delicate circlet, and her smile was wide—too wide.
Tez' Mu blinked. He had never seen her dressed up like this before. Hadn't even thought her capable of it.
"Do I have you spellbound, young lord?" Kel' Ruan teased, flashing white teeth.
Heat crept up Tez' Mu's neck. He swallowed, flicking his gaze toward his tutor, Sal' Ruan, whose lips were pressed into a thin, unimpressed line.
"I would say so." Sal' Ruan exhaled, shaking her head. "I guess the money spent on the clothes wasn't a waste," Sal' Ruan muttered, "But it will be stiff competition for you, Kel', against that Ru princess."
"I don't give up easily, elder sister," Kel' Ruan winked. Tez' Mu nearly tripped. Ancestors above, she was shameless!
He hurried to regain his composure. "Welcome to the Mu Manor, Tutor Sal' Ruan."
Sal' Ruan merely nodded. "Surely, you don't expect me to bow to you, Tez' Mu?"
"What—?! No, no!" He stammered.
"Good. Come, Kel'. The food will almost be devoured," Sal' Ruan tugged her sister's arm.
"I'll stay with Tez'. You go on, elder sister."
Sal' Ruan sighed and shook her head. "Don't blame me if you starve later." As she walked inside, Kel' Ruan turned back from her and spun in place, letting her sleeves billow.
"You're really pretty," Tez' Mu admitted.
Kel' Ruan beamed. "I know! Elder Sis wasn't too happy I made her cough up so much money for the dress, but it was worth it—just to see that look on your face."
Tez' Mu exhaled. "You really didn't have to." He found himself pitying Sal' Ruan. Chan' Mu was a pain, but he couldn't imagine having Kel' Ruan for a sister.
Kel' Ruan suddenly stopped twirling. "Tez'," she said, stepping closer, her voice quieter. "I mean it, though. I want to marry you. I want to be Third Young Lady Mu."
Tez' Mu rolled his eyes, groaning. "Come on, Kel'! Not this again! I'm betrothed for ancestors' sakes."
"But you don't like her. Neither does she."
"I—!"
"You like her?" Kel' Ruan raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Tez' Mu's face heated. "Yes. Yes I do."
Kel' Ruan giggled. "Well, she doesn't like you. I know it. I've overheard her telling her friends at the Academy. Besides, marrying Keiran' Ru isn't a great idea. She's inheriting. You'd be the Ru's son in law. A glorified consort-husband."
She shuddered as if that was the worst fate imaginable.
Tez' Mu pressed his lips together. That was his dream life.
"Enough about the marriage talk, Kel' Ruan!" he snapped, flustered, "None of it is happening soon, anyway! We're all not even of age!"
"That's right, but it's only a few years away." She grinned. "Besides, today is a wedding day. On wedding days, people talk about other wedding days. The celebration must continue."
Tez' Mu pinched the bridge of his nose. "Go inside, Kel' Ruan."
"I will soon. I'm hungry."
"I am starving," he replied.
"You haven't had anything to eat?"
"No."
Sari glanced up at his master with an aggrieved expression. "I made you breakfast, ke." he said, his tone cutting, "You wouldn't drink the soup."
"Why should I drink soup when there are fat, juicy pheasant thighs to be had?"
"You didn't tell me that's what you wanted."
The sun had now climbed higher. Sari wiped the gathering sweat off Tez' Mu's brow.
"Shall we go in? I think everyone's arrived," Kel' Ruan asked, gazing down the empty driveway. Tez' Mu grunted an affirmative response, and turned his back.
"Wait, someone's coming," Kel' Ruan whispered.
A brown horse rode up.
Raq' Mu dismounted.
Sari rushed forward, taking the reins. "My lord general."
Tez' Mu's back straightened. "Lord father."
Kel' Ruan curtsied. "My thorka."
Raq' Mu's expression was terrible. His face was drawn into a tense furious glare, and around him cultivation energy rippled as if he was barely suppressing an outburst.
Tez' Mu shivered. He had never seen his father this furious.
"Enter the manor!" Raq' Mu barked, not sparing them a glance as he stalked up the steps, his footfalls loud and fast.
Kel' Ruan glanced at Tez' Mu. "What's happening? Why is your father so angry?"
Tez' Mu swallowed, his face pale. "I don't know."
He turned to the manor's entrance.
"Let's go in."
Several tables had been set up for the guests in the main courtyard, and most of them were full with low conversations and polite laughter ringing out frequently from each. The higher-ranked nobles were dining in more private pavilions or in gazebos, while others were cloistered in Raq' Mu's main hall, its doors wide open. A few dancers performed for these nobles in the hall, accompanied by soft music from pipes and flutes. The party would not proceed beyond this point until the couple were wed and the bride escorted to her new home. Only then would the real festivities begin. Wine had not even been served yet.
Raq' Mu burst into the main hall, startling everyone. Behind him trailed a bewildered Tez' Mu, Kel' Ruan and Sari. The guests rose and began congratulating the bride's father, approaching him one by one to offer their well-wishes. But Raq' Mu did not stop moving.
"Heng!" He called the butler loudly, "Get Essa-kest' Mu, now!" He strode across the room and through the archway that led to his study. Heng took off. The guests were stunned, and promptly fell to whispering among themselves. Riel' Mu and his brother rose from a table on the far left and quickly followed their father into the study. Tez' Mu hesitated, but his curiosity got the better of him.
"Stay here," he said to Sari.
"Yes, ke," Sari responded, equally concerned about the lord general's abrupt behavior.
Essa-kest' Mu swept into the main hall, nodding to a few greetings before quickly made for the arch. Tez' Mu followed her.
Inside the study, a fuming Raq' Mu paced the floor. Tez' Mu's eyes grew wide. He had never seen his father lose his composure like this before—Raq' Mu was the epitome of calm even in the fiercest of circumstances.
"Riel'! Rian'!" Essa-kest' Mu exclaimed, surprised to see her older sons, "You came, after all!"
"Yes, mother," Riel' Mu inclined his head.
"We couldn't have missed Royan's big day," Rian' Mu added. His brother sniggered.
"She wouldn't let us hear the end of it," he then turned to his father, "What's the matter, lord father?"
"Close the door," Raq' Mu said. Tez' Mu being closest, shut it.
"He's dead!" Raq' Mu exclaimed, startling all of them. His wife was the first to react.
"Who? Who is dead?"
"Dor' Yan!" Raq' Mu hissed the name. The shock was immediate. Essa-kest' Mu cried out, a sharp short sound. Her sons froze.
Raq' Mu's face was grim. "Kan' Un sent news that there was no activity at the Yan manor early this morning. Nothing at all. So I hurried over to check if there was any problem. And I found them—" Raq' Mu clapped his hand to his mouth, "Everyone in the manor, Essa'! Slaughtered!"
"What—!" Essa-kest' Mu reeled. "How—?!" She seemed unable to form a complete sentence.
Riel' Mu and Rian' Mu gripped the weapons at their waists involuntarily, their faces ashen.
"Who did this, lord father?" Rian' Mu asked, his voice raw with rage, "Is this an attack on our family targeting the Yans because of our alliance with them?"
"I—I have no idea," Raq' Mu admitted, placing both hands on his long table. His chest heaved as he sighed. "I found Dor' Yan in the front courtyard, savaged. We must act quickly. I shall send someone to—" he paused, his face hardening, "—clean up the place."
Essa-kest' Mu's hands flew to her face, "What shall happen to Royan'?" she murmured, her voice shaking, her body cold all over "What shall we tell Royan'?! Why today, of all days? Why Dor' Yan?"
"I do not know, I do not know, Essa'!" Raq' Mu shook his head, his jaw tense. He turned to his eldest son, "Riel', I will depend on you now. Take some men and head quickly to the Yan Manor. Clear up the place and prepare Dor' Yan's body for burial."
"Burial?" Essa-kest' Mu cut in, aghast, "Shall today become a burial then, my lord?"
"Peace," Raq' Mu raised his hand, "Riel', you have you orders."
"Yes, lord father," Riel' Mu nodded grimly and exited the room immediately.
"Rian', order Heng to take down the hangings."
"My lord!" Essa-kest' Mu lurched forward, "We cannot! We cannot do that!"
"So what do we do, Essa-kest' Mu?" Raq' Mu shouted. Tez' Mu flinched. "He is dead, Essa'!" Raq' Mu said, raising his hands, "They are all dead—servants, squires, stable boys, guards, Dor' Yan! Everyone in the Yan Manor has been slaughtered!"
Essa-kest' Mu heaved, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to process the news. Suddenly, she turned around and rushed out of the room.
"She will bring the news to Royan'," Raq' Mu said grimly, "Rian', you have received my order. There shall be no wedding today no more. The groom is dead. I shall address the guests." He walked out from behind the table, heading towards the door. Rian' Mu followed him.
Tez' Mu, still in shock, trailed behind them like a puppet, his mind numb. He did not know what to think. He did not want to think. Unconsciously, he found himself rushing towards the west side of the manor, where his mother and sisters' chambers were. He wove through the crowd of chattering ladies and servants, finally reaching the Royan's door.
Without hesitating, he pushed it open.
Royan' Mu was seated on a wide sofa without armrests, fully dressed in her wedding wudan, the rhinestones glued to the silver colored fabric glinting in the soft light seeping through the high windows. Her densely braided hair was held up with two carved hairpins, and golden bangles adorned her long dark arms.
She was playing listlessly with a small red pouch. At the sound of the door opening, she raised her head.
"Tez'," she beamed, "is it time to escort me already?"
Tez' Mu froze.
He was surprised he made it here before his mother.
Looking at her beautiful face, her eager smile, her twinkling eyes, her elegant dress, he gulped. Oh no, oh no, what will happen now?
"What's wrong?" Royan' Mu grinned, throwing the pouch aside and placing her hands in her lap, "Did you just come to see me? It's not yet time is it? I haven't heard the bells."
Tez' Mu remained mute. He did not know what to say. He did not know why he was here. Why is mother not here yet, he almost cursed. He could not just leave the room now.
Royan' Mu sighed as she shifted on the sofa.
"Hah. I'm going to miss living here. I know I can come visit anytime I feel like; just look how often mother visits the Kest Manor; but it won't be the same," she looked around the room fondly, "I've had all of my things moved to the Yan Manor, but it still like my room. I'll miss it."
Tez' Mu glanced around the room wordlessly. It was bare; even the bed had been moved. Only the empty wardrobe and the sofa Royan' Mu was sitting on remained.
"Tez'," Royan' Mu had her eyebrows raised now, "What is going on?"
"Nothing," Tez' Mu managed to say, his throat dry, "Mother is on her way."
"What is mother coming to do? She just left. Heng came to call her. He said Father wanted her. Did Her Majesty come?" She chuckled, "That's the only thing he would need Mother for today; to greet her."
"No." Tez' Mu was swearing in his mind now. He wanted to leave so badly. He couldn't imagine his sister's face in a few moments when…He shivered.
"Of course not," Royan' Mu chuckled, not noticing his discomfort, "But the palace should send a representative, though, for Father's sake if not anything else." She suddenly frowned up at Tez' Mu, "Wait...you're not hiding here from Keiran' Ru, are you?"
"No." Tez' Mu was unsure why his sister would think that.
"Oh, Tez'. I know. There's no need to—" the door was pushed open and Tez' Mu heaved a sigh of relief. But it wasn't his mother.
It was Nuren, Royan' Mu's servant.
"My lady!" She screeched, "My lady!—oh no!" She rushed forward and fell to her knees at Royan' Mu's feet, sobbing hysterically.
"What's wrong? What is it?" Startled, Royan' Mu quickly raised her up, "Talk to me, Nuren! What happened?"
But Nuren could not talk. She was choking on her tears, shaking her head from side to side, consumed in grief. Essa-kest' Mu entered at that moment. Glancing down at the sobbing maid, she paled.
"Royan'—?" Essa-kest' Mu crossed the room and immediately threw her arms around her daughter, "Something dreadful has happened, Royan'. I need you to be strong. Eima, take Nuren out," she said to her own maid, who hurried forward quickly and dragged Nuren out of the room.
Royan' Mu had gone pale.
"What happened, mother?" Her voice came out strained. Essa-kest' Mu said nothing, only rubbing her shoulders with her face contorted in pain.
Royan' Mu shuddered, seeing her mother's expression. "Did something happen? Did something happen to Dor' Yan?"
"Royan', listen to me. You have to be strong—"
But Royan' Mu was not going to listen. She snapped her finger and a teleportation scroll appeared in her hand summoned from her spatial ring. She tore it in two even as everyone in the room screamed in shock.
***
A courtyard, empty.
An ornate fountain stood in the middle, its centerpiece a lynx frozen mid-snarl, shooting jets of water out of its hollow eyes. Rows of potted plants and flowers lined the concrete edges, but the most astonishing detail was the scarlet trail of blood leading away from the fountain.
A body sprawled face down, half concealed beneath the delicate boughs of a cherry blossom tree. Petals drifted lazily from above, settling on man's matted hair, also tangled with leaves and twigs.
He was unmoving, quite still, his limbs splayed in unnatural angles.
Beside the fountain, Royan' Mu appeared abruptly, throwing aside two pieces of a scroll. She raised her head and sniffed, then noticed the blood.
"Ah—!" She hitched her elaborate skirts up and sprinted to the body, turning it over as she dropped to her knees. The man's face was a ruin of torn flesh and shattered bone.
A strangled gasp escaped her throat.
Royan' Mu started to shake, clutching the man's chest, frantically searching for signs of life. But there was none. A dry trail of blood was on the side of his mouth. His eyes were open, glassy orbs without life.
"Dor' Yan!" she screamed, her voice so full of anguish it startled the birds resting on the cherry tree into flight.
"Help!" She shouted towards surrounding buildings, cradling his bloodied head to her bosom, not minding the blood or the dirt. But it was pointless. There was no one to help.
They were all lying dead wherever they had fallen.
The lynx fountain wept its endless stream, the cherry blossoms continued their gentle fall, and the woman knelt in the blood-soaked earth, her screams unanswered, her world unraveling.
The House of Yan had been annihilated, and with it, the last vestiges of hope and a new beginning.