TVisTV Book 4: Chapter 38 (RAW) (Patreon)

Chapter 38 - Aftermath

The ocean can teach you the same lessons as the desert.

- Unknown. 

The emergency summons arrived shortly after sunrise the next day,delivered by three officials of the Ministry of Rites, an officer of the Imperial Guard, and a fat eunuch wearing a dark red robe embroidered with golden clouds. The size delegation was intended to convey importance. Their expressions, however, conveyed barely concealed panic.

Seraphina received them in the front hall of the Spring Palace, dressed in layered ivory and crimson silk. Desdemona waited beside her in dark green. Both girls appeared rested, composed, and quietly delighted.

Meilin stood farther away, at a suitable distance. She had returned to the Spring Palace well after nightfall, escorted by two Imperial guards. She had offered no explanation for leaving with Fan, and Seraphina had not asked for one. Sometimes a person out of favor should always be given time to wonder when punishment would arrive.

The girl had slept poorly. That much was evident. Her face was pale, and there were shadows beneath her eyes. She wore simple blue robes with almost no jewelry.

The eunuch unrolled the summons. “By command of the Jade Dragon Throne, Lady Seraphina de Sariens, Lady Desdemona de Savant, and Lady Wen Meilin are to attend upon His Imperial Majesty immediately to give account of the violence occurring within the Spring Palace.”

“Immediately?” Seraphina repeated.

The fat man stiffened. “Immediately, my lady.”

“How inconsiderate. I have not yet broken my fast,” de Sariens tittered.

Desdemona concealed a laugh behind her sleeve. However, Meilin did not. Amusement would not find her for quite some time.

The eunuch looked as though he had prepared himself for resistance. “The matter is considered urgent.”

“It usually always is,” Seraphina agreed with a dramatic sigh. “Very well.”

She gestured for Miriam to bring her cloak. “Let us not keep the wheels of Imperial justice waiting. Otherwise, it tends to have a habit of grinding you down.

***

The Hall of August Governance was not the grand throne hall in which Seraphina had first been received. It was smaller, colder, and intended for actual state business rather than public spectacle.

The Emperor sat upon a raised seat beneath a carved screen of dragons and clouds. He wore dark robes rather than the ceremonial splendor of formal court, though the bead curtain of his crown still concealed part of his face.

The First Minister of the Right stood below him with several senior officials from the Ministries of War and Rites. Officers of the Imperial Guard occupied one side of the hall, while palace secretaries waited with brushes poised above paper.

Much to Seraphina’s satisfaction, Fan Xiwei stood beneath guard near the center. The Flower General had been cleaned and dressed in plain clothes. Despite the beating she had suffered at Seraphina’s hands, she appeared remarkably hale, and her dark eyes remained bright with hatred. 

The Imperial Healers must have had their hands full, the girl thought viciously to herself. 

First Prince Hantien Huan stood among the Imperial family. He had dressed formally, but there was nothing composed about the tightness around his mouth. His eyes moved first to Fan, then to Seraphina, and then toward the floor between them.

Fan saw Seraphina enter, and her body tightened with such immediate violence that two guards shifted closer.

Seraphina placed her right hand over her left before her abdomen and drew her right foot a small step behind her. With her knees gently bent, she lowered her chin and eyes, inclined herself before the Emperor, and rose again with faultless precision. Mistress Vey had drilled the motions into her until each followed the last without conscious thought. Desdemona and Meilin performed the same obeisance beside her. 

“Lady Seraphina,” Emperor Erdian began, his voice a quiet rumble, “my capital has awoken to six bodies hanging from the wall of an Imperial residence.”

“Then Tianhua is remarkably observant, Your Imperial Majesty,” she replied keeping her eyes down.

The First Minister of the Right closed his eyes briefly and shook his head..

The Emperor’s expression did not change, but the smallest movement touched one corner of his mouth. “You will answer plainly.”

“Of course.”

“Tell this court what occurred,” the most powerful man in the land ordered, resting his head on his hand.

Seraphina lifted her head. “General Fan Xiwei entered the Spring Palace with six armed followers. She accused me of attempting to steal the affection of the First Prince and demanded that I refuse any further private audience with him.”

A quiet movement passed through the hall, titters and gossip began, growing in volume. The blonde girl saw Huan’s jaw tighten, and delighted in it.

Hastily, Xiwei spoke at once. “That is not all—”

The Emperor raised one hand and the room slowly stilled.

Fan fell silent, though not gracefully.

Seraphina continued. “When I declined to surrender control of my own affairs, General Fan challenged me to combat. Lady Wen attempted to prevent the matter from escalating and persuaded both of us to fight unarmed, without magic, hidden weapons, or the intervention of our households.”

“So far,” remarked the Emperor, “for the better part, the accounts agree.”

Fan stared at her, a look so hot it seemed to burn the air between them.

Seraphina allowed the silence to stretch before continuing. “We fought. General Fan proved considerably more capable than her manners had led me to expect. During the contest, however, she invoked certain witchcraft and magic in direct violation of our agreement. She cheated.”

The hall changed as several ministers turned toward Fan. The officers of the Ministry of War exchanged glances. This was the first time they had heard of this.

Fan’s eyes bulged. “You lying—”

“General,” the Emperor warned.

“The spirit of the White Tiger is not sorcery!” Fan shouted. “It is not a spell! It is a part of me since the stars—”

Satisfied her opponent had fallen into her trap, Seraphina looked toward the throne and cut her off. “How fortunate that General Fan has immediately confirmed invoking it.”

“I confirmed nothing! It is part of me!” the desperate woman protested.

“An invisible supernatural force dramatically increased her speed, power, and endurance,” Seraphina explained pleasantly. “Perhaps the Empire possesses a more elegant word for that than magic.”

The First Minister of the Right turned toward Fan. “Did you invoke this… White Tiger during a contest in which supernatural assistance had been forbidden?”

Fan’s mouth opened, then closed, and her breathing grew heavier. “It answers me in battle,” she responded, her eyes growing wild. “I did not cast a spell.”

“That was not the question,” Seraphina observed.

Fan turned upon her. “You used your witch’s Sight! Everyone knows she is that woman’s daughter!”

A few heads moved toward Seraphina. It seemed that Anaselena was famous even here.

She allowed surprise to touch her features. “My witch’s Sight?”

“You moved before I struck. You knew what I would do,” accused the disgraced general

Seraphina sighed dramatically for everyone to see. “I am delighted to learn that fighting competently is now proof of witchcraft.”

“You used magic!” came the repeated accusation.

“Then let us call a Truthsayer.”

The words fell through the hall. 

Grasping the moment, Seraphina turned toward the Emperor with an expression of open sincerity. “Let one be brought before the court. General Fan may state beneath the Truthsayer’s art that she invoked no supernatural power during our duel. I will submit to the same inquiry.”

It was a dangerous bluff, but only if anyone allowed her opponent to choose the questions. A carefully worded truth remained true regardless of everything concealed around it.

Seraphina could truthfully state that Fan’s companions had died after Fan’s defeat, that they had been armed, that her household had acted upon her command, and that she had believed them dangerous. She could also truthfully state that Hana had intercepted a killing blow intended for her.

No one needed to ask why.

Fan understood the trap, though she lacked the calm to explain it. “You dare speak of truth?” she shouted. “You murdered them! You ordered your men to kill mine while they stood still!”

Seraphina took half a step back, as though alarmed by the outburst. And Fan, well, she saw the movement and became still more enraged.

“She is doing it now!” the general shouted. “Look at her! She is making herself appear frightened!”

“I do not need to make myself appear anything,” Seraphina said quietly. “You are threatening a foreign guest before the Emperor.”

Fan surged forward, but the guards caught her before she crossed more than a pace. She fought them, screaming Seraphina’s name as the hall descended into outraged whispers.

The Emperor struck the arm of his seat. “Enough!” he declared, and the word cracked through the chamber.

Fan ceased struggling, even as Seraphina lowered her eyes, concealing her delight.

The woman was being wonderfully cooperative.

Emperor Erdian looked testily from Fan to Seraphina. “And after the duel?”

“I defeated General Fan,” Seraphina answered. “Afterward, her followers moved against me. My Knights intervened. The exchange was brief and final.”

“They did no such thing!” Fan protested.

The Emperor’s gaze silenced her this time and Seraphina continued. “General Fan then threatened to kill me before palace guards and servants. Since the Spring Palace guard had failed to prevent the original challenge or the resulting violence, I ordered the witnesses secured and statements taken before fear, loyalty, or political pressure could alter their memories.”

The captain of the Spring Palace guard was present along one wall. He looked as though he wished to become part of it.

“And the bodies?” asked the Minister of Rites, looking faintly sick. “You hung them upon the wall.”

“I ensured that evidence central to an attempted assassination could not disappear into the custody of those personally loyal to the accused,” she answered behind a sleeve.

The Minister of War bristled. “Those men were decorated soldiers of the Empire.”

“Perhaps, but their previous service makes their final choice only regrettable, not impossible,” she countered adroitly.

“They never attacked you!” Fan spluttered.

Seraphina looked toward the Emperor. “I remain willing to receive a Truthsayer.”

That silenced several ministers at once. A liar did not ordinarily demand supernatural examination before the Jade Dragon Throne. At least, not unless she was very good at lying.

The Emperor leaned back. “Lady Desdemona de Savant of Aranthia, if you please.”

Desdemona stepped forward. “Your Imperial Majesty.”

“You witnessed the entire affair?”

“I did.”

“Then, please, give us your account.”

Desdemona’s expression became grave. It was an excellent performance. The slight tremble of her hands was particularly convincing.

“General Fan arrived in anger and demanded that Lady Seraphina cease meeting the First Prince. Lady Seraphina refused. General Fan challenged her. Lady Wen persuaded them to fight without weapons,” de Savant stated.

She glanced toward Fan, then lowered her eyes as though frightened by the memory. “During the duel, something changed around General Fan. I could not see it clearly, Your Imperial Majesty, but her strength and speed increased beyond what they had been.”

Fan shook her head in disbelief.

“And, it seems that the Lady de Sariens looks for the better part almost untouched despite the puissant nature of her opponent. What say you to this?” added Erdian, almost in passing.

“A testament to her skill, or perhaps to the lack of the general’s, Your Imperial Majesty. I do not know much about such matters,” she responded demurely.

The Emperor waved for her to continue.

Desdemona nodded and proceeded with her account. “When General Fan was defeated, her followers moved forward. One reached for a blade. Another attempted to pass the Carcaronne Knights. Sir Frest ordered them to stop, but they did not.”

Every word was delivered clearly, calmly, and with just enough sorrow. “My lady’s household acted to protect her. Afterward, General Fan threatened Lady Seraphina’s life repeatedly.”

“That is a lie,” Fan whispered.

Desdemona looked toward her with wounded dignity. “I understand you are grieving, General.”

Fan made a sound of pure fury. It took all of Seraphina’s self-control to stop herself laugh

The Emperor turned to Meilin. “Lady Wen.”

The dark-haired girl stepped forward slowly. Hesitantly. As if she were concealing a crime. Seraphina watched her, for this was probably the moment upon which the girl had spent the entire night tormenting herself.

“Your Imperial Majesty,” Meilin responded, bowing.

“You were present?” Erdian inquired, sitting forward.

“Yes,” she stuttered.

“And, you attempted to prevent the duel?” he asked, steepling his fingers.

“Yes.”

“Then, tell us what you witnessed,” he ordered, eyes focused completely on her.

Now, Seraphina though, let us see what kind of person you are, Meilin.