Lady Yang had been having a good morning.
Aside from Hikari off trying to woo Zhao Mingzhe. She still wasn't giving that great odds, but it seemed harmless enough to let him try at this point.
Even if Mingzhe decided to tell everyone everything Hikari said, her son was foolishly sentimental; he was one voice against a hundred.
And his reputation was in the sewer. Anything he said would be doubted.
And yet somehow, he was still ruining her morning.
She'd even taken her tea out in the garden to enjoy the crisp morning in peaceful solitude. Something she rarely allowed herself.
And Zhao Mingzhe ruined it.
He deserved it.
The Honorable House of Soliel announces the official engagement and future marriage of Eric Soliel, the Sun King of Sorrow, Protector of the Land and the People, to her ladyship, Lady Yunli of the noble house of Zhao of the red flower estate, the Camelia. The ceremony will take place on the first day of the Long Frost, followed by the immediate coronation of the Queen.
If you have received this letter, you are cordially invited to attend. Please send word of your attendance.
A Zhao was going to be Queen of Sorrow.
The one position higher than the command of the Camelia.
Zhao Yunli was a quiet slip of a woman, barely worth notice.
How had the Zhao's gotten her in front of the King, let alone convinced him she was worth marrying?
Being Queen of a land like Sorrow was no easy feat. The Dowager Queen had been besieged on all sides since the day her own marriage was announced nearly forty years ago. People wanting favor, wanting riches and power, revenge, or the staggering number of people who wanted her position, with or without any real knowledge of what it entailed.
The Zhao daughter looked like a mild breeze would snap her in half, nevermind the force of high society in the capital.
Could she even have children? She was several years past the age at which all of Lady Yang's children had married. She'd quietly thought there was something wrong with the girl, especially since she'd turned out that way despite who her mother was.
Lady Zhao was the only true rival Lady Yang had, but she was so far behind in the game now that even she stood no chance.
She stared at the stunning invitation. It was addressed to the head of the family. Not even Lady Yang herself, which stung and suggested Lady Zhao had nothing to do with the wedding planning herself.
But then how did-
Oh.
Princess Soliel.
Lady Yang sat back in her chair, thoughts snapping into place. Princess Soliel had clearly made the arrangement.
And Lady Yang had missed it. That was what Yunli was doing in the capital. Bile rose in her throat. She felt like an idiot for missing something that was so obvious in hindsight.
And what was worse, she had been outmaneuvered by someone who didn't even realize she was moving against them.
She had to find a way to negate the influence, and she only had thirty days to do it. The moment Yunli legally became Queen, she'd be able to reach out and pull her brother to safety, which would collapse their strongest arrow against Chenzhou.
Without Mingzhe's failure and the favoritism Chenzhou showed him despite it, it would take years to whittle away the last of his power base. Even longer with Princess Soliel building her own in the meantime.
All the work her ancestors had put in would- well, it wouldn't be negated entirely, but it would just put it off again, and once momentum was lost, it was twice as hard to get it back again.
She was so close to seeing it happen in her lifetime, she wasn't going to lose it now.
She picked up the small silver bell on the edge of the tray and rang it.
A moment later, the head bulter appeared. "Yes, ma'am?"
"Summon my children. Tell them I need to speak with them immediately."
***
Chenzhou was still nursing his guilt over snapping at Eirian that morning as he made his way to the dining room for lunch.
He'd wanted to call her back and apologize, but he knew she didn't take it personally. She'd probably forgotten all about it as soon as she was out of his office.
He'd never say she was completely without fault; he loved her a little too much for that, but he did appreciate that she wasn't the type of person to hold grudges over little things. Rock knew that Chenzhou was figuring things out every day; he made plenty of mistakes on his own. If Eirian held every little thing against him, he wouldn't last a day.
He was disappointed to find the dining room empty, though. He'd gotten used to having Eirian or Mingzhe around for meals and the rest of the time. He was trying to respect Mingzhe's space, since he and Eirian were trying not to pressure him about anything. Both of them were hoping he'd come around and confide in them when he was ready.
He resigned himself to a quick, lonely meal- maybe he'd just eat lunch in his office from now on, but Henri entered as the kitchenmaids were setting out plates.
He didn't look happy, but he accepted Chenzhou's offer to join him.
"What's wrong?"
Henri pursed his lips, accepting a plate of beef and vegetables before the kitchenmaids left. "Have you heard anything about the communications?"
Chenzhou shook his head. "I shouldn't either."
"I know. I was just hoping you had."
Worry grew in Chenzhou. "Why?"
Henri managed to swallow a mouthful, but it tasted like sawdust. "I think someone intercepted my letter."
Chenzhou put his fork down with enough force that the sound echoed in the empty room. "What?"
"It should have made its way to Princess Soliel by now. Or Lord Rong. There's no reason for a delay." Henri pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "If someone was able to intercept it so fast, then we have vastly underestimated the reach of this conspiracy."
The communication systems of the Camelia were extremely secure due to the inherent importance of the information they contained. Sparrows were protected by one of the oldest magical spells on the Rock that had never been successfully cracked. There were human messengers, typically just regular soldiers, at the Camelia. If Henri's letter had been stolen, it was likely when it was with one of them, but that meant there was an extremely limited window of time.
~ tbc