STRANGELY ENOUGH, IN the hours that followed as Ryan was patched up and began his interrogation of the assassins, no one mentioned a word about Myrina. Asteria assured that she was safe, albeit unconscious, but no one else said anything or asked. Some, Ryan assumed, had simply been overwhelmed by the excitement of the moment. Certainly it was unusual for two assassins to grace the halls of the Mai estate. Asteria had to know that it had been a lie. The rest, he wasn't sure.

  But that particular lie of his wasn't the centrefold of his mind at that moment. He had more important things to be concerned about, such as the fact that someone had just attempted to kill him.

  "He refuses to say who hired him," Malcolm murmured. "But from what we have managed to glean, it's definitely someone in Hong Cheng. One of our own. These guys have been tailing us since we left, waiting for the perfect opportunity."

  "I always made sure to have someone else in the room," Ryan deduced. "They wouldn't have seen Myrina get in or out. That's why they chose to strike tonight, because they saw that I dismissed everyone."

  Malcolm nodded. Ryan had already informed him about Myrina's wiccai abilities—Malcolm deserved to know anyways. All things considered, he was reliable and mostly trustworthy. Loyal, too. He'd never betray him. Ryan was sure of that.

  "The question is," Ryan mused, "who in Hong Cheng would want to kill me? I have many enemies, but most of them are foreign. Unless it's someone of the old dynasty? But it's been so long since the Revolution I find it hard to believe that if they ever wanted to strike, they'd only strike now. And go for me out of all people."

  "Not remnants of the old dynasty, I'm almost certain," Malcolm said. "Asteria agreed. No. Whoever this is, I don't think we know they hate you."

  "Well, that makes things more difficult, doesn't it?"

  "Yes," Malcolm snorted. "It certainly does. "They say they're not the same people as last time, in the Eastern Palace. But at the same time... well, their pistols are different from that one, but it doesn't mean anything. And that last one was suspicious enough with how familiar the assassin was with your Palace that I don't want to take any chances."

  "Investigation has never been your strong suit," Ryan commented ruefully. "Leave it to Asteria, Malcolm. Try to placate the Mais. You and I, we're going to be the only people they truly respect."

  "Aye," Malcolm said with a mock salute. "Yes, Your Highness. I shall continue using my masculinity to intimidate and pressure her uncles into silence and forbid them from spreading the word of this incident. But why not send a message back to the Emperor and Empress, Ryan?"

  Ryan shook his head. "Without knowing any of the facts yet, I think it's better if we withhold the information. That might be useful for a scheme, if this mastermind truly is in Hong Cheng."

  "That is understandable enough, I guess," Malcolm said. "We'll see what happens."

  "Mal... have you heard anything from Naeva recently?"

  Malcolm froze. "Naeva? Why?"

  "Just curious."

  "No. Haven't heard a word. We don't regularly correspond."

  "She's your fiancee."

  "I'm aware."

  "If you're not planning on putting a knot on it, end the engagement now and let her go free."

  "We both know it doesn't work that way."

  "If you talk to Sir Li, promise him some other way to ensure the Lis remain relevant and in power, he might agree. All this talk has been as harmful to his reputation as his daughters. Some people think it's Naeva refusing to let go of this marriage and that you're the one trapped in it, when it's really the other way around."

  Malcolm winced. "I owe her brother, Ryan. He saved my life. I can't just..."

  "Clearly, you don't owe him enough. Look. The girls have been telling me this for years, but... Malcolm, you really need to make up your mind. You're ruining her life."

  "She's managing just fine. She's one of Lady Kuroki's."

  "That says nothing. Sir Li refuses to let her go on missions or do anything else the other students do, and she can't even use marriage as an option for anything because you've already had that occupied."

  "I'll figure it out."

  "You've been saying that since she was fourteen and this damned engagement was made."

  Malcolm let out a loud, tired breath. "I'll figure it out. I'll figure it out, trust me. I'll get this all sorted out. Once we go back to Hong Cheng, I'll talk to her and we'll fix all of this. One way or another."

  "Make sure of it."

  "When have I ever broken a promise?"

  "You've already broken plenty when it comes to Naeva."

  Malcolm winced. "I just... I can't see her as my wife, you know? The engagement was always meant to be a temporary measure, even back then. I didn't think I'd be trapped in it for so long."

  "Your behaviour is unacceptable. Have a few affairs. Fine. Naeva has no feelings for you, she doesn't care. But it's when your mistresses go flaunting in front of Naeva, when all your rendezvous are public knowledge, Malcolm, that it gets over the line. The way they treat her."

  "She's the daughter of a declining baronet. She'd be treated poorly either way."

  "With that kind of status, she'd simply be ignored. A wallflower. What you've done to her is put her on stage, full display, practically encouraging the people underneath to throw rotten tomatoes and eggs. You're not a child, you know this."

  "It's not that bad," Malcolm frowned. "A few words here and there, that's all."

  "Is that what your mistresses tell you? Because the girls can all easily report cases of both verbal abuse and literal, physical attacks, Mal."

  "The girls always exaggerate this kind of thing. They hate me for the fact that I have mistresses in the first place."

  "Trust me, they don't care," Ryan laughed. "Especially not since they know that any affection Naeva may have ever had for you had been curbed years ago. But it's true. Naeva's dress had been torn on multiple occasions, let's just say some of your mistresses are very protective over you, Malcolm."

  "Let's stop discussing my private life."

  "It's not just your private life anymore when it's harming someone like this. The girls come over and tell me to talk to you about this every day, and I've always pushed it off because I keep telling myself Malcolm can handle this, he's just being a bit immature and rebellious, but I don't think that can just continue. Naeva is eighteen."

  "I'll fucking marry her if that's what you want."

  "That will only make things worse," Ryan said quietly, "if your behaviour doesn't change."

  Silence.

Ryan could tell his friend no longer wanted to talk about it, so he turned back towards the room where the prisoners were being held. "Think about it, Mal. Think about it."

—

  THE MAN STARED at him and said nothing. He gave no names, no clue, and the only things they'd gleaned were the belongings they'd gotten off of him. His sword was fashioned in the same way as those from the south, so Ryan could assume that he did not belong around here. A southern mercenary, most likely, who'd followed him all the way here on a mission.

  Yet his willingness to remain silent suggested some degree of loyalty to his master, though it could just be his own moral code. Some mercenaries would always refuse to give up their employer. He had no care for his female partner's health, so Ryan assumed they were simply two separate mercenaries hired for the same mission.

  That was usually a bad idea. Killers and fighters operated in different ways, and you always wanted to find people who had experience working with each other, especially on a mission such as this one. Or else, you easily failed.

  The fact that they'd trailed them for so long and infiltrated the Mai estate, and only was caught because Myrina had fortunately been there suggested skill. The fact that they could not beat Myrina easily in hand-to-hand combat, though, suggested otherwise.

  Or, at least, with the woman. The woman was not a skilled combatant. A true assassin through and through, who avoided conflict and ran when she was discovered rather than dicing her way through. The man was a fighter, and Ryan had no doubt that if the fight had carried on, they would not have stood a chance. He was no skilled fighter, and Myrina could only rely on her wiccai speed and strength to stay alive.

  Only someone with nothing to lose would choose to try and assassinate the Crown Prince. Ryan rather suspected that this man had not been paid with gold or coin, but instead forced with another matter. That also explained his silence.

  It was all very fascinating, as he attempted to patch together the conspiracy behind this particular assassination, or if it was linked to the one before. Who in the Scarlet Palace would be willing to put so much effort and energy into such a thing? Who had he mistreated recently? No names came to his mind. He hadn't offended anyone within Hong Cheng as far as he was aware. If anything, Myrina had more of a motive to kill him than anyone else.

  Not that he thought Myrina was behind this, of course. He was just saying. There didn't seem to be that many likely suspects. There were enemies hidden as allies, and Ryan always hated it when that happened.

  Why couldn't people simply sort out their distastes and dislikes on the surface, rather than hiding them around with false smiles and honeyed words? The world would be a great deal simpler.

  This was the kind of thing Irina would shake her head at.

  "He still refuses to speak," Asteria murmured. "And when he does open his mouth, it's nothing but cuss words and insults."

  "Classical," Ryan said with a sigh. "So loyal for a mercenary."

  The man showed nothing on his face. Not his first ever interrogation, probably, but Ryan intended for it to be his last. He was not going to be merciful with men who tried to kill him. That was just a one-way ticket to getting killed.

  "I suggest," Asteria said softly, "we keep these two along for the rest of the journey, however long that may be. Though I rather suspect it may be safer to shorten the journey now."

  "Yes," Ryan murmured. "But discuss that with Myrina, not with me. We can stay here for a few more days, help her achieve her purpose here, but after that I think it is safer for us to immediately return home. Perhaps we could send these two back too?"

  "I don't think we have enough guards for that."

  "Keep them here, then. Or get reinforcements."

  Ryan turned his gaze back to the man, who was inspecting him with a cool gaze. No exact emotion could be pinpointed. Blank, almost, but he could tell the mercenary was thinking. Planning, plotting perhaps.

  "You know you're not getting out of here," Ryan told him. "It's futile to try."

  Silence.

  "Who hired you? You're dead either way."

  The mercenary simply shook his head with a laugh.

  "We'll figure it out anyways," Asteria said with a sigh. "No point in this, Ryan. Just a waste of time. Wait for the woman to wake up, maybe."

  A small smile stretched on the man's face.

  They'd already dispatched Rhys and Dominic out of the estate to investigate. The two hadn't travelled with the guests in their carriages, instead having shadowed the imperial procession. They hadn't spotted anything regarding the two assassins, but then they might have simply missed it. Both Iron Wolves were on the prowl. If there was even an inch of evidence left behind, they'd find it.

  But this man didn't know that. He thought that as long as he and his partner remained quiet, nothing would be discovered. That nothing would be found out at all. He was wrong. Ryan and all his imperial guards still felt incensed over their failure to root out the attempted assassin last time, they would not be so uncareful again. Besides, this time around, they actually captured the assassins.

  Asteria and Ryan left the house where the prisoners were being kept after a few more minutes of questions with no avail, heading towards the main house where they'd called Mai Fang, Myrina's eldest uncle, for a meeting. He'd kept his word for now, remaining silent on the matter, but both of them knew that it wouldn't last for long. The news could get out sooner or later, but for now they wanted it controlled and under their power. The entirety of the estate was practically under house arrest, with no one except their own getting in or out. There hadn't been complaints yet, but there would be eventually.

  For now, though, he'd keep them placated.

  He was still their Prince. He was their future ruler. If he could not even get a few noblemen in line, how was he going to manage an entire empire?

  Mai Fang was not a man who would be considered attractive, but there was something in his ageing face that indicated some former charm. He looked more similar to Myrina than Ryan would like to admit—he rarely liked to link Myrina to any of her relatives, except for her younger brother, who he'd only seen twice.

  Despite the estate and the house they were meeting in fully belonging to Mai Fang, the man clearly looked uncomfortable as Ryan and Asteria walked in. Ryan took the central chair, with Asteria on his right. Mai Fang sat opposite her.

  "How is Lady Mai?" the man asked, the words clearly paining him. But he'd learnt quickly, and especially with Ryan having announced her as his fiancee, even he knew it was time to change the way things were done.

  "She is well," Asteria was the one who answered, since she was the one who last saw Myrina. "She is resting."

  Mai Fang was silent for a moment before he raised his head again. "I have many questions, Your Highness, Your Ladyship."

  "I'm sure you do," Ryan said in that usual cold way of his, when he was facing people he didn't particularly like or know. "I will not pretend that I am willing to answer all of them."

  "Of course not, Your Highness."

  Silence, as Mai Fang weighed his words and Ryan tilted his head, waiting, intimidating, looking down on the man.

  Asteria seemed to get impatient by it. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to know, Mr Mai? We have better things to do than sit here and stare at you all day."

  Mr Mai's eyes fluttered shut for a moment, before he reopened them and sighed. "When did this engagement happen, Your Highness? And why are we all unaware of it?"

  "It was very recent," Ryan replied, face straight. Asteria stole a glance at him, and Ryan gave her a firm nod. "We hardly even told anyone. Not even Lady Lu here was aware until earlier."

  "Of course." The man looked disappointed. Ryan couldn't for the life of him wonder why. "Has anything been made... concrete?"

  "I was not aware," Ryan said briskly, "that such a promise needed to be made concrete. This is between the two of us, and you are not her father. She is the Countess of Li Han, and she needs to answer to no one except the Imperial family."

  "I did not mean to suggest—"

  "You did."

  The tension in the room, at that moment, rose to heights it had never before. Mai Fang stared at him, and Ryan stared right back. After letting it stew for a few more seconds, he began, "I will not pretend to be ignorant of the treatment Myrina has received at your hands, and the way you have all leached off her in the past decade or so. So do not play the fool with me as well."

  "Your Highness, I dare not—"

  "Yet you have. You occupy the master's house and chambers, you are the one in control of the Mai estate's finances and properties. When this should all belong to her."

  "Well, she never wished for it."

  "Yet it was all still hers. The old Earl of Li Han named her as his heir, not you. You have trespassed above your station for far too long, Mr Mai."

  "We are both aware," Mai Fang said quietly, "that my brother did not name Zimi his heir."

  Asteria tilted his head. "Yet it is what was on his will, clear as day. Besides, as his eldest, Myrina would have gotten it one way or another."

  "My brother named his younger son the heir. And under the law, this would have been perfectly legal."

  "Your nephew wants nothing more to do with this position than your niece, Mr Mai," Ryan snorted.

  "Despite that, he is still far more capable. And he was the one my brother wanted."

  "It is not what the will said," Asteria chided. "I do not know what the old lord may have said to you, but whatever it was, clearly he had changed his mind by the time his will was written. Myrina is the countess, fair and square."

  "The will was changed. I saw it hours before my brother's death, Your Ladyship, yet when it was announced a few days later its contents had been changed."

  "Much can be altered in a few hours." Asteria raised her head, but both she and Ryan knew the truth. And Mai Fang could guess at it as well, Ryan presumed. Irina had changed the will. How, he did not know. But his cousin had seen the chance and grasped it, placing someone she deeply trusted and thought could be useful into a position she neither wanted nor enjoyed. It was a choice Ryan still could not tell was right or not.

  Mai Fang did not look convinced. But he knew he could not argue this point. It was useless: the will said Myrina's name, clear as day. Even if he wanted to say that it had been altered, he had no proof.

  "She is not suitable for the position."

  Ryan raised a brow. "She is one of my highest-ranking advisors, the Princess's lady-in-waiting and the eldest daughter of the late Earl. What makes her unsuitable?"

  "She is soft. Easily swayed."

  "She has displayed neither of those qualities in the many years I've known her," Asteria murmured. "Sometimes she is the most stubborn person I know. The Crown Prince can attest to that."

  "I know her—"

  "You have not spoken to her properly," Ryan said softly, though every word sounded like a warning and there was no warmth in his tone, "for many, many years. You do not know her at all, Mai Fang."

  "What will be done, then, Your Highness?" Mai Fang challenged. "Will you kick us all out on her behalf? It will only destroy her reputation, and heaven knows it is already marred as it is. She will be given the trait of being unfilial and unrespectful to her elders."

  Asteria let out a laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. She was a diplomat, and she was most at ease in this kind of situation: confrontations, having to outwit her opponent with nothing but words and her own cunning and ice-cold intelligence. Ryan did not have to join in. Asteria could have easily handled this entire situation herself, truth be told.

  "Elders only have to be respected when they are virtuous," Asteria shot out. "You and your family have done nothing but leech off what is hers for the past decade, ever since the late Earl died. Do you truly want us to take out the ledgers? To announce to the world all the money that should have gone into the Mai family coffers, but instead was filtered into yours? If you are willing to cooperate now, we will not announce it and leave your reputation and the rest of your life intact. If you do not, well... We have far more important things to be doing than handling your family affairs, so we will have to take the easiest way out of this."

  "Myrina is my fiancee and one of my best advisors," Ryan growled. "I will not stand by this kind of mistreatment towards her any longer."

  "You were all fine with it for years." Mai Fang's eyes were narrowed, and on the surface he had still not backed down. But all three of them knew that he was cornered. Myrina, he could use these tactics against. Not Ryan. Not Asteria. He was already calculating his way out, Ryan could sense it. He was already counting the money he'd stolen over the years, wondering how long it would last him and scheming the best deal he could take to get out of this.

  Most likely, they'd let him. That was what Myrina would choose as well, if she was in this room right now. They were still her relatives. It would not do for her to completely cut them off financially. She'd have to make sure they still lived, and lived well in the eyes of the public. How they fared in private did not matter. That would be her own private revenge. But she was not here right now, and they would not decide it for her. This was her vengeance, and she should be taking it. They were just paving the way, lessening her load.

  "Things change," Asteria replied mildly, tilting her head with a small smile.

  "Lady Mai knows nothing of this estate, of the properties, of our coffers or the townspeople and villagers in Li Han. She will only make a mess of it," Mai Fang warned. "I have been operating this area for years. I know it like the back of my hand. The people will not be pleased."

  "I don't think the people particularly care," Ryan said, "as long as they are well-fed and treated properly. Both of which we could ensure. I do not think there would be any revolts or complaints coming our way any time soon, Mr Mai. You can give up on complaining regarding that. It is useless and futile and a waste of time and breath."

  Mai Fang raised his chin, his last bit of dignity left within him. "I will discuss it with the rest of the family."

  Asteria let out a mocking laugh. "Oh by all means, do. It will not change anything, of course, but you ought to try anyway. Please, Mr Mai. Discuss with your family."

  By the time Ryan dismissed him, Mai Fang's face was stony without an inch of any smugness or joy. He was angry, of course he was, but he dared not show it. Ryan and Asteria exchanged a look, before both let out a burst of laughter.

  Myrina could have been able to handle this long ago. They were not necessary at all. She'd just never properly come back and tried, that was all. Oh well, considering the way she'd saved him twice already, this was what he owed her. More than this, probably.

  He'd deal with the engagement later. For now, it was an excellent way of pushing away any future bride searches and focusing on the truly important matter: the assassin.

  They'd wasted enough time on other things. It was time to get back into the chase.