沉魚落雁
chényú-luòyàn
'Make fish sink and birds alight'
Beauty so great it can captivate even the birds and beasts.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Sanli and I were walking through the crowd when suddenly a bright red jellyfish like creature flounced towards us.

"Lady Yunyou! Your dress, it's so beautiful. And we match!" said Ermi.

I realized that the seamstress had indeed designed my dress to complement Ermi's. It was of a similar color scheme, but praise the gods the extravagant ruffles and other embellishments of Ermi's gown were absent in my own.

Still I frowned. I didn't dress to complement anyone.

"Would you like to join us?" Ermi asked, a desperate plea in her eyes.

I looked beyond her to where Ermi had been sitting. A dozen opulently dressed women, young and old, were sat in a loose circle on well cushioned sofas positioned around a small indoor pond. The pond was filled with what appeared to be mechanical fish charmed to life by zih.

I saw the envious glances others shot toward the group around the pond, and the way the women sat as though the world around them was unimportant, and realized these women were the top of the pack.

Hah. I was no stranger to competition, but human hierarchies had always baffled me. That such weak creatures, made special only by wealth and birth, could command the attention and envy of so many was disgusting.

Strength should be the deciding factor as to who was on top. Strength, skill, and the wit to use it.

I went to follow Ermi to the group, and Sanli let my arm slip from his. I looked back at him. "Oh no, I only brought you over to help Ermi," he said, shaking his head. "If I let those vixens get claws into me I'll never get away."

I gave him a mock look of disappointment. "Afraid of a few noble women, Lord Sanli?"

"Absolutely. There's nothing scarier in this world than unwed women and their mothers," he said with a wink. Then he bowed, motioning for me to join the group once more, before disappearing into the crowd.

I sighed disparagingly, then turned toward the group and approached, a swing in my step.

Ermi had sat down but quickly stood up again as I approached, her nervousness apparent. "Oh Lady Yunyou, here, please sit by me." She scooted over to make room for me on the white lounge she sat upon, covered with golden pillows.

I perched beside her. The eyes of the group all turned to me.

"Aren't you going to introduce your companion, Princess?" an older, matron like woman all in dark blue asked Ermi.

"Oh, oh yes of course," said Ermi. "This is my propriety instructor, Lady Yunyou."

There was a pause, and someone went so far as to draw in breath. A couple of the women tittered. I was not sure if it was my position as tutor or my unknown name they found disagreeable. When the women resumed their conversation it was as though I was not there.

"I hear he's terribly handsome, as all dragons are," said one of the women.

"I wonder what kind of qualities he looks for in a woman," another speculated.

As it went on, I determined the conversation centered around our host, and the reason behind his offering to host the Midsummer banquet. The general consensus of the group seemed to be that Guang Han had agreed to host the banquet because he was in search of a wife.

"His last wife died recently. They say he loves human women, because their frailness is beautiful to him," said one girl, sat across the pond filled with mechanical fish.

"Or he just wants to get a new wife every 50 years," said another. The group tittered again.

I had little interest in the conversation, and found my attention wandering to the pond and it's mechanical inhabitants. The fish were jeweled beauties, the sparkling zih carved into their sides adding to their allure. I watched them swim identical routes within the pond, some in circles, some in figure eights, without deviating from their decided routes at all. Without touching each other. Unnatural.

I bet the fish came from the west. Baihu loved her cold, metal creations.

"You're so quiet, Lady Yunyou."

I glanced up at the source of the voice. It was the young girl sat to my right, about my own age in appearance, dressed all in peach silks. Her hair was done up beautifully but not to the point of showiness, and her skin was pale and fresh without excessive make-up. She was a true, natural beauty, and her looks were complimented by the soft, friendly smile she wore on her face.

I disliked her instantly.

"You learn so much more by listening," I said.

Another woman spoke, patronizingly. "She's probably a little overwhelmed. I bet the poor thing isn't used to such company."

"You're right," I said. "I'm not." I had forgotten what sniping back biting vipers noble women could be.

"Do you read, Lady Yunyou?" The girl in peach asked kindly, smiling encouragingly at me.

"Not often, no."

"But you can read? That's wonderful," the girl said, her smile brightening with encouragement.

My dislike turned to hatred.

"The second prince's efforts to expand education really have had the most wonderful impact on the peasantry. Your brother is such and inspiration to the rest of us," said the woman in dark blue to Ermi. "I told my husband it's time we did more to give back."

Ermi, who up until now had done her best to pipe in and offer lines of conversation, which were largely ignored, said only, "Oh, yes, he's very busy," voice filled with disappointment.

"Did you yourself attend one of the rural schools, Lady Yunyou?" asked my nemesis in peach, with all the gentleness of a saint. I wanted to take her false kindness and strangle her pretty little neck with it.

"No. I taught myself to read." Let them all gasp over that.

"Oh. But you have heard of the schools?" another asked.

"I have now."

The women gave up on me soon after that, dismissing my clipped answers as indication that I was too dull or too low bred to comprehend their talk.

I was a god once, you simpering idiots, I thought.

The conversation dragged on, tedious, about future banquets and outings, and who was marrying whom, and who would attend the wedding. Ermi spoke little and I not at all. I thought the group had forgotten us until one lady enquired as to whether the Second Prince would be joining them.

"Your brother is ever so handsome," cooed one of the younger girls.

"And so capable and accomplished!" said another. Ermi gave a strange laugh. Or maybe a grimace.

"How lucky you were to attend him, if only briefly," said the girl in peach silks to me. "I would love to ask him his opinion on my family's own efforts to start a village school."

I grunted.

"Do you think you'll be lucky enough to attend him at any other events?" She questioned innocently. I knew what she was implying. That I was a common flower, brought only to turn heads, and easily replaceable.

"Who knows?" I ground out.

As if summoned by talk of him, I suddenly heard Zhangyu's voice behind us.

"Ermi, how many times do I have to tell you. Green. We wear green." Ermi and I both turned to where her brother was standing behind us.

"Ah. Yes brother," said Ermi, blushing as red as her dress.

"There is nothing wrong with wearing another gods color," I said, surprised that I felt the need to defend the girl. She was clearly already uncomfortable enough. She didn't need her brother further adding to that.

"Prince Zhangyu! What a joy it is to see your visage!" cried the old woman in dark blue. Out of all the women there, she seemed the most excited to see Zhangyu. I suspected she had a daughter of marriageable age.

"Lady Wang," said Zhangyu, giving a small stiff bow in the old woman's direction. He nodded to the other ladies. "What beauty we have here. Unfortunately, I can not stay to enjoy it." He turned to me. "Lady Yunyou and I must meet with our host."

I could almost feel the envy and hatred brush against my skin as I stood and made my way around the lounge, to rest my hand on Zhangyu's arm.

"Excuse us," said Zhangyu, and swiftly retreated, leaving his poor sister to the vixens.

I glanced back at the group, once. "Who was the older woman, all in blue?"

"Ah, one of the many daughters of the Wang family," said Zhangyu. The 'Wang' family was the name by which the Dashu, or Great Rat Clan, was more commonly called. Famed for their intelligence and cunning, it was said that the Dashu Clan owned half the empire, and had more wealth than the gods combined.

"My Uncle Xiangli's wife also bears the Wang name. She's adopted, of course, as is the woman you just met." I had already guessed as much. As mu'ren and humans could not have children, and thus produce heirs, it was common practice for the Great Mu'ren clans to adopt human children into their houses and raise them as their own. These human children, raised to be loyal to the mu'ren clan they served, were then used to form marriage alliances with powerful human families.

I imagined the Lu family would be the most powerful of those human families. No wonder Lady Wang had been so eager to see Zhangyu.

"And what of the other girl, the one dressed in peach silks?"

Zhangyu frowned while he thought. "Ah, her. I believe she is the youngest daughter of the Fa family." I had no idea who the Fa family was, nor did I care to find out.

"She's very pretty," I said, watching the prince carefully.

"Lucky her, because her family is very poor," said Zhangyu. I laughed, enjoying the look of disinterest on the prince's face.

"You are rather cynical, aren't you, my Prince?" I said, watching him out of the corner of my eye.

He smiled faintly, to belie the harshness of his next words. "And you are rather bold, to talk to a prince that way."

*~*~*~*~*~*

I followed Zhangyu through the crowds of people to the edge of a hall. Several servants were waiting there to lead us through the never ending hallways of the dragon's estate, past rooms filled with trophies and show pieces and centuries of memorabilia. Dalong were known hoarders.

As we went I caught glimpses of the sky through windows and doorways leading to balconies. It was fading from orange to navy blue, and a few brave stars had started to come out already. Yet still the light lingered, the way it does on summer nights.

"Is it wise, meeting a dragon without any guard?" I asked quietly. Dalong were known for their vengeful tempers and unpredictable natures. I should know. Within the Circle this Guang Han would be confined to a human form, but still would be many times stronger than a normal human.

"I am armed," Zhangyu replied, softly so the servants leading us could not hear. I eyed once more the muscular set of his shoulders and his confident posture, and realized the military uniform he wore wasn't just for show. He had extensive training.

"Also, Lord Kageyama will meet us there," finished Zhangyu, as if to end the subject. I wanted to say that the odds of a fox and a human against a dragon were hardly good, but kept my comments to myself.

The servants led on through the estate, until we found ourselves climbing a stair that spiraled up around the walls of a tower. Hanging in the middle of the spiral were long silver chains stretching from the top of the tower to the floor far below. Affixed to the silver chains were countless glass balls with glowing insects inside, that fluttered lazily around their globular domains. They hung in the tower like stars captured out of the sky, tethered here for the dragon's pleasure.

At last at the top of the stairs, we reached a long marble hall, at the end of which I could see Kageyama standing waiting for us beside a set of impressive double doors.

"The delegation from Wa is already inside," Kageyama said quietly when we reached him and Zhangyu had dismissed the servants who had led us here. Kageyama stood, stiff and straight, arms behind his back like a soldier. I could sense his unease.

"Anyone you know?" questioned Zhangyu.

Kageyama's frown deepened. "Yes. Kawashima Oouchi. One of the heads of the Kawashima Family. He's here as envoy for the Yama-no-umi."

I spoke some of the language of the Eastern Isles, and my mind translated the title Kageyama had just said. Yama-no-umi, or 'The Mountain's Sea'. I remembered this was a title reserved for the head of Wa's navy.

Zhangyu frowned. "Do you think they want to make the dragon a counter offer?"

Kageyama nodded. "I'm certain of it."

As the two men discussed politics in low voices my attention drifted to the huge double doors. Made of carved wood, the doors swarmed with curling dragons. I frowned, realizing the carving was depicting a scene of battle, no doubt from the wars that had decimated our kind and reduced us to a mere handful of our previous number.

As I watched, the doors cracked open with an aching creak and a servant appeared. "If it pleases my Lords, you can wait inside where it is more comfortable. Lord Guang will be with you shortly."

Zhangyu turned to me. "Lady Yunyou, I must ask that you speak only when spoken to. The proceedings ahead of us are extremely sensitive, and open to vast diplomatic interpretation."

A fancy way of saying men talking. That's all that would happen in this room. But I just smiled and said "Of course my prince." Kageyama glowered at me from behind Zhangyu's shoulder. I grinned in return.

We fell into place beside Zhangyu, Kageyama on his right side, I on the left. I felt the shift in the air as both doors creaked open and we entered the room beyond.

Right away I saw that the room was one of the highest in the estate. Open archways along the south and west sides of the room looked out across the roofs of the estate and then to the sea and the city beyond that. I could see the city of Zhanghai, lights starting to flicker to life as the twilight deepened.

The room was large, and decorated similarly to the great hall below, with couches loaded with pillows placed strategically around decorative ponds and interspersed with potted plants, that gave the room a garden like feel. To one side was a raised dais, also covered with cushions, and with a low table and arm rest. Beside the arm rest a pipe rested on a brass tray. It seemed our host smoked.

Above us hung more of the glass balls, filled with fluttering, glowing moths. The glass amplified their light, and with each beat of their wings rainbow spots danced across the floor. I knew such a creature existed in the deserts west of the Inner Kingdom, near Baihu's domain, but I could not help but wonder whether just like the fish and the birds below, these too were fake.

I hoped they were. Otherwise, what a sad existence, beating out your life in a small, glass prison for the pleasure of others.

On one of the low sofas sat a man, dressed in the court robes of Wa, white with red accents. Kawashima Oouchi, no doubt. Beside him stood another man, also dressed in court dress, but I could tell from his diminutive posture he was probably a servant or translator of somesort.

My attention was immediately captivated by the huge beast of a man standing behind them. He was fully outfitted in the light leather and lacquer armor Wa was famous for, painted a deep black with red accents. I thought of Zakhar, and I realized this man was larger than even my giant bearded friend. As we approached my eyes were drawn to the mask that covered the lower parts of the giant man's face. It was made of lacquered wood, carved into the shape of a grinning demon's mouth, superimposed over the wearer's own mouth. The mask was clearly intended to conceal the wearer's identity and also to protect the lower jaw and neck, but judging by the detail and ferociousness of the mask a third intended effect was to strike fear into an enemy.

As we approached, the giant man's golden eyes sparkled above his mask. They were firmly fixed on Kageyama.

My eyes returned to the man who had been sitting on the sofa, but who had risen as our group approached. Kawashima Oouchi, who Kageyama had named outside. I knew he must be mu'ren, as only mu'ren were allowed to hold any kind of political power in Wa, but I was surprised. Mu'ren were usually known for their beauty in their human form, and this man was the opposite of anything that could be called beautiful. He was short and rotund, his features wrinkled and unremarkable. Two glinting stones peeked from the slits of his eyes, and his cheeks were red, veins standing out on them as they would on any human drunk.

The man was also bald on top, in an almost a perfect circle. The light from the globes above reflected off of his round pate like light on water.

A kappa.

"Kageyama... it's been what, centuries? I should have known you'd be here, in service to the kirin's family," the kappa called Kawashima said in the language of Wa. He smiled at Kageyama. It was not a nice smile. "I bet you had a lot to talk about, both having thrown it all away for a human woman. So many fools in this world."

Kageyama's eyes flicked to the ceiling as if he would find patience there. He took a long breath in, and let it out again, before replying. "So good to see you again, Kawashima."

"And who is this? One of the kirin's fawns?"

It was good Zhangyu could not understand what was being said. I had never been one to follow the complicated protocols and manners dictated by society, but even I was irked at the kappa's rudeness. The first words out of his mouth should have been to greet Zhangyu.

"This is his royal highness, Second Prince of the Green Kingdom, Lu Zhangyu", Kageyama introduced, voice stiff with anger.

Kawashima laughed, his large belly shaking beneath his court robes. "He's scarce what, a decade old? How these people can call mere infants royalty is absurd."

"You should watch what you say," snapped Kageyama.

"I am two decades and half, Lord Kawashima," said Zhangyu pleasantly, perfectly, in the language of the Eastern Isles.

It seemed Zhangyu could understand what was being said after all. I wondered if my face was as surprised as the kappa's.

Before the conversation could continue two servants entered, positioning themselves on either side of the dais. "Master Guang Han greets Second Prince Lu Zhangyu and Lord Kawashima," one of the servants proclaimed. A sudden gust of wind came up off the ocean, whipping around the columns of the doorways with a soft sigh and setting the fronds of the potted plants to whispering, as if the sea itself were announcing his presence.

And then the dragon himself entered.

The first thing I noticed was that the man wore no shoes. His bare feet made soft sounds on the marble floor as he made his way towards the dais. The next thing was that his hair, dark brown and wild, ran all the way down his back to his waist, longer than even my own hair. It was spikey, and called to mind the spines that he no doubt bore along his back in his true form.

Next I noticed his clothing. He was dressed in loose silk pajamas, not at all appropriate for receiving company, let alone royalty. I noticed they were creased in places, as though he had just risen from bed to meet us. The silk was deep red, the color of dried blood, and dragons were stitched in looping swirls across the material.

And finally, having taken in the rest of him, I looked at his face.

Handsome, angular, with the haphazard stubble of a beard that would have made Kageyama proud. A single eye ran over those assembled before him as he mounted the steps to the dais. The eye was bright, and too reddish brown to be human. The other eye was covered with a black leather patch that looped around the man's head, restraining somewhat his wild mane of hair.

As he settled on the dais, bright white teeth flashed in a smile as dangerous as it was captivating.

The man was as handsome as the women of Zhanghai had speculated. And more. But it was not his looks that caused my heart to stutter to a stop in my chest when I saw his face.

I knew this man.

When I had been sitting with Ermi and the noble women earlier, watching the fish, I had been dimly aware of a conversation some of the women to my right were having, about how our host had lost his eye.

"My cousin has seen him, when her husband hired one of Lord Guang Han's ships to take their goods south. She said he's very handsome, even with the eyepatch," spoke one woman, fluttering her fan.

"Or perhaps because of the eyepatch," said another. The women giggled.

"I wonder how he lost it?" speculated a third.

"I heard that it was ripped out by Garuda, cousin of the Red Duke, during a dispute over trade routes in the south sea."

"Well I heard he gave it in trade to a witch, in exchange for the witch curing his first wife of illness and granting them a few more years together." The women cooed at the romanticness of the second story.

I knew now that story was a lie. Just as I knew the story about his eye being ripped out by Garuda was a lie. How did I know?

Because I was the one who ripped out Guang Han's left eye.

*~*~*~*~*~*

❤️ Art by cupidities !