Nao-Zai shuffled the sheets he had been poring at for as long as he did. He blinked and massaged the bridge of his nose, groaning at the blossoming strain in his eyes. When the Emperor said something about seeing the paperwork first before thanking him, Nao-Zai saw now what he meant by that.

Being the Chief Guard of a region meant being some sort of overseer over all the happenings around it. Which meant that every report, every request, and every activity was fed to his office before making their way towards the Emperor. And by then, it was already assumed whatever issue might arise was already taken care of from below.

To think he had been excited about this new job. This was no better than the accounting duty he took over for one season way back in the fortress. Not only was it menial and tedious, it was also boring. As much as Nao-Zai denied it when he's dead tired, he found himself longing for action, for something to swing a sword at. An office with stacks of parchment was leagues away from the training yard and a quill and a bottle of ink were the last things Nao-Zai could have imagined himself to wield.

He blew a breath, pushing the low table away and straightening from the cross-legged position he held for hours. It's a miracle the pins and needles hadn't made their way to his muscles too. With slumped shoulders, he made his way across the room, lumbering towards the door.

Over the course of a few days, he had learned that the venue of his office—a one-story, cubical room decorated with a roof resembling a pagoda's as some sort of a appeasement—was a well-known hang-out of various court ladies, eunuchs, and scholars during their vacant hours. That way, the shadows dancing in person-shaped blobs from the paper-thin panes of the windows were a common sight.

He usually paid it no mind, having heard talks ranging from who's secretly dating whose noble or what the Grand Queen looked like when she woke up that morning. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he gripped the door's handle and was in full commitment to swing it outside when a shrill, female voice spoke. "What? You think the Crown Prince was being strange too?"

Nao-Zai frowned but didn't move from his place, his fingers still around the door's knob. Instead, he leaned closer, straining his ear to catch the next bit of the conversation.

"Absolutely," a new voice, this one deeper but still distinctly female, replied. "I hear things from the court ladies in that cursed palace. Seems like he has started acting weirdly after he got back from the land of the gods. I wonder what's happened there."

Nao-Zai knitted his eyebrows, feeling like a complete idiot for insisting to keep eavesdropping. Dansarun? What about that? The higher-pitched voice snorted. "A lot of things, apparently," she said. "For all we know, he's planning to choose a bride."

"Aye, or to dispose of the Emperor in the poor man's sleep," a new voice dropped into the conversation. Male. Raspy. Almost like a jeering tone. Judging from the breathless gasps from the two women, this newcomer had come from nowhere. "Be careful what you spew out of your mouths. The Imperial Palace is famous for its walls having ears. You won't know who's listening."

Nao-Zai chose that moment to burst out of the office, startling the two court ladies further. One gawked at him with wide eyes like she couldn't believe someone had been inside the room all along. To prove his point, the man who recently joined chuckled. Green robes and a plain, black headdress decorated with netted oars curling from the base. A eunuch. What's someone of his status doing with a bunch of court ladies?

"Come with me," Nao-Zai jerked his chin at the court lady to his left. Her round face dusted with shimmering pink powder crumpled in fear. She glanced at the other court lady, sending pleas for help through her eyes. Her friend didn't move. Her tongue seemed to have frozen over.

As Nao-Zai walked away from his office, he eyed the flock of men and women gathered in groups of threes until fives. All of them were engaged in conversation, one way or another, only stopping when Nao-Zai whizzed past them with a quivering court lady at his heels. The overlapping voices fighting for dominance of the air stood contrary to the utter silence these people had when their masters were present. Still, Nao-Zai preferred it that way. It made everyone seem like real people other than just mere servants.

He stopped walking as soon as he and the court lady approached the lone pavilion standing on this part of Saengje. When he rested his hand on the hilt of his djeng-gi and turned, the court lady visibly flinched. Instead of the green robes most of the court ladies wore, she donned on a pale purple robe paired with a blue skirt. A junior. She's young.

"Can you tell me more about what you observed with the Crown Prince?" Nao-Zai said, keeping his tone gentle and non-confrontational. The poor girl was already scared out of her wits as it was. He figured if Kai-Se had shut himself out, it's because the prince didn't want to have anything said about him. If Nao-Zai was in Kai-Se's shoes, he'd have done that too. Whatever's going on with him, he wanted to keep it to himself. It's Nao-Zai's duty to make sure it stays that way.

Moreover, he couldn't quite explain the lingering anger and annoyance at the base of his gut. Kai-Se, planning a coup against his own father? Not a chance. The prince loved this empire so dearly he often thought of throwing all comforts aside just to serve it. He was the last person who would do something horrible, to his own family, nonetheless. He didn't deserve to have those things said about him.

The court lady fiddled with her fingers, looking at the trees, the pavilion, and at anything moving other than Nao-Zai. "I heard it from one of the court ladies working in the Butterfly Palace. I work in the Ruby Palace, you see," she said. "The court lady told me something about the Crown Prince having a secret that they're not allowed to share. Their Head Lady is strict about it. They're particular about the rumors too. They seem to be concerned about that secret spreading like wildfire inside the Imperial Palace."

Nao-Zai tapped his chin, his mind already whirring. So, if Kai-Se wasn't working on the Shencai thing, then what was he doing? "One more thing," the court lady raised a finger, snapping Nao-Zai's attention back to her. "They seem to be sending for healers on a regular basis. Once every two weeks, maybe? Sometimes it's even the Court Healer."

Court Healer? Was that supposed to be the Emperor's own doctor or something? "I see," Nao-Zai moved his hand away from the hilt of his sword and ducked his head at the court lady. "Please keep this to yourself and don't spread it around. Keep quiet about this meeting as well. If this gets out, I'll know who to blame."

The court lady's throat bobbed but she pressed both hands to her stomach and bowed half-way. She was retreating, and by the time he turned and went the opposite way, she was already out of sight.

Soon, the Butterfly Palace loomed in his view. It hadn't been too long since he had come to memorize the layout of the region he was supposed to oversee. Within seconds, he was bursting through the corridors, aware of the hushed whispers and stares given to him by the palace's workers.

When he reached a cross-section, with the left fork leading to an otherwise unremarkable corridor and the right one to some dimly-lit hallway, he whipped to the green-robed court lady whom he had known to be staring at him since he arrived. "Which way to the Prince's quarters?" he asked. This time, he took no care in regulating his tone. If it came out harsh, then let it be so.

The court lady yelped before pointing a shaky finger towards the left fork. Nao-Zai stalked towards it before she could ask him anything else. His thoughts consisted only of one thread. One line to take him to what he needed to know.

With Kai-Se needing doctors that even the head healer had come, it must be something serious, right? Was that why the prince had been leaning against the balustrade the night they talked? Was that why he looked so tired and like he would pass out any time? How long has this been happening?

A ball of dread dropped in Nao-Zai's gut. The junior court lady mentioned something about coming back from Dansarun. It had been a few months. Had Kai-Se endured whatever it was all this time?

"What are you doing here?" a hostile voice stopped him in his tracks. He leveled his gaze at yet another woman. This time, a blue robe was thrown over her shoulders and arms, complimented by a dark red skirt. The Head Court Lady. "Who are you?"

"Paekdora Nao-Zai," he touched his chest with a hand and gave a small bow. "Chief Guard of the Saengje Region."

Recognition dawned on the woman's face. "What do you want?"

Nao-Zai leaned over, looking at the room she had come from. Was that Kai-Se's? "I'm looking for the Crown Prince," he said. "Is he inside?"

For a second, a cloud of terror and worry flashed across the woman's face. Then, she shook her head and inclined her head to one side. Her braided hair, a huge chunk at the base of her neck, went along with the motion. "He's in the Wind Palace, in a meeting with the MInister of Finance," she replied. "If you have something to say, you can relay it to me. I'll do my best to make sure it reaches him."

Wind Palace? Nao-Zai shook his head. "I'd rather tell him myself," he said. He still has no idea how much this woman knew. "Where in the Wind Palace is the Minister's office?"

The woman told him a series of directions. The last sentence hasn't even left her mouth but Nao-Zai was already in his brand new mission of locating Kai-Se. Whatever's happening, the prince needed help. Nao-Zai's going to do the best he could in making sure the prince got it.

Through the harsh noon sunlight, Nao-Zai ran as fast as he could, his legs thumping against grass, gravel, stone, then back to grass once more in a succession that blurred in his head. By the time he reached the wide courtyard, he wasted no time in tackling the direction that'd bring him to the palace on the right.

"Paekdora Nao-Zai, Saengje Region," he said when the blue-sleeved sentries moved to apprehend him. "Urgent business."

He didn't wait for their confused looks to subside and burst inside. Left. Right. Forward. Those were his only choices. Where's the Minister of Finance? A cloud of footsteps descended from his left. He turned to find an army of red-robed men with similar beards and taller hats curving from the corner to his left. Following in their wake was a cohort of eunuchs and other court ladies. He was about to run up to them when he saw a flicker of yellow from the corner of his eyes. That's...strange.

With a few nimble steps, he crept forward. The yellow disappeared somewhere to his right. Was there a corridor there? He dashed towards it. When he came to the bend, he saw a figure stumble forward, using the wall to keep himself upright. That could only be...

"Kai-Se!" he called. Never mind it that people could probably hear him. He lurched towards the prince who had pushed off the wall and staggered away. Where was he going and where was this corridor leading to? It didn't take long for him to catch up. Kai-Se wasn't even making enough progress.

He snatched the prince's arm just as his legs gave way. His robes sprawled on the floor as Nao-Zai felt Kai-Se's body fall limp. "Kai-Se," he called again. The prince didn't turn his head. Didn't even bother pushing the messy strands of limp hair falling all over his face.

"Let me go," Kai-Se whispered, loud enough for Nao-Zai to hear. When he started clawing at Nao-Zai's hand, Nao-Zai only held tighter. "Let me go," Kai-Se said once more. This time, his tone fell into a desperate plea.

"Stay still so I can help you," Nao-Zai hissed through gritted teeth. He wrestled with the prince like he was a rowdy goat rather than the Emperor's heir. His eyes darted around the corridor, searching for an alcove or an empty room. They settled on a pair of ornate doors at the end of the hall. Now, to get Kai-Se there...

The prince never stopped squirming, his fingers attempting to claw against Nao-Zai's skin. Thankfully for Nao-Zai, he had spent countless hours strangling trainees who had more experience in combat and in getting out of a headlock than Kai-Se. Soon, he threw the prince's arm over his shoulder and half-dragged, half-carried him to their hidden salvation. With a quick glance behind him, he found no one in the hallway with them. No one had followed Kai-Se on the way in. No one Nao-Zai had to eliminate.

Kai-Se was muttering something under his breath, his words slurring. Nao-Zai caught snippets talking about cliffs, darkness, and ice people tearing the palace down. With a grunt, he hauled Kai-Se into the ornate room and slammed the door shut. Just then, the prince shoved him with such sudden force he loosened his grip for a second as his back slammed against the panes. Now, without something pulling him upright, Kai-Se crumpled to the floor.

Then, gagging sounds gurgled from the prince. Nao-Zai grabbed the first thing he closed his hand around and dropped into Kai-Se's side. Within seconds, the prince was gripping the sides of a wide, porcelain pot with his too-pale knuckles, retching his guts out. His wild mane of unkempt hair sprawled in a tangled mess around his face and neck, having gotten longer from the last time Nao-Zai had seen him.

Any ideas on how to help Kai-Se flew out of Nao-Zai's head. As the prince heaved and hacked, Nao-Zai knelt by his side like a useless moron. Should he pat Kai-Se's back? Move his hair out of the way? Call for a healer?

His indecision was soon answered when Kai-Se lost his grip on the vase and plopped to the floor for real. This time, he didn't move anymore. "Kai-Se?" Nao-Zai said as he reached out and shook the prince's shoulders. Why were his hands shaking so much? "Hey."

As a response, Kai-Se curled into a fetal position and groaned. Nao-Zai's gut twinged with it. He nudged the prince so as to have him lay on his back and the sight terrified him to some extent. Blood dripped down Kai-Se's nostrils and from the side of his mouth. One of his hands clawed against his robes, as if he wanted to pull something out of his chest. His breaths were labored, almost fading into a faint hiss. His eyelids fluttered, showing how he was drifting in and out of consciousness.

How long had he been like this? Was no one around to help him all this time? What was Nao-Zai supposed to do? He was a soldier, for the Spirits' sake! He had seen countless people with life flashing in front of their eyes. He had set bones back in order, stitched people up without opiates. But why...

Why was he so scared now to the point where his mind was blanking out on what to do?

He clenched his jaw. Kai-Se needed his help. Certainly there was someone who knew how to help him better? Someone...

An idea leaped into his mind in a dim spark. The head court lady. She looked like she knew what was going on. She had to, or that would make Kai-Se the cleverest con in this empire for having stayed hidden this long and...being like that.

So, his eyes roamed around the room, passing by collections of vases and random knick knacks before coming to rest on a low table bearing a sheaf of paper and a bottle of ink with a quill sticking out of it. He padded over to it and began writing.

Then, he looked back to find Kai-Se still incapacitated and unmoving. Nao-Zai pursed his lips and finished his quick correspondence. The sooner they get the prince to his room, the better. That was, if he could figure out how to stop his shaking hand enough to write in a legible script first.