Fei Long had returned with a middle-aged man wearing an indigo robe. His headdress marked him as a government official of high rank. His severe expression marked him as one who hadn’t set out to be cordial.
Yan Ling stood. She didn’t know if the motion was suitably graceful or not. Her knees were shaking.
‘Inspector Tong.’ She bowed and sent a prayer of thanks to the Goddess of Mercy that her voice didn’t shake as well.
‘Lady Chang.’ The minister fixed his slanted gaze on her. His thick beard and stark eyes reminded her of pictures of the judge of the underworld. ‘This servant is humbled to make your acquaintance.’
Already the exchange had become confusing. Tong was her elder and of unquestionably high rank. Yet he referred to himself as if he were of lower rank. Was it because she was a lady? Being a woman never afforded her any respect in the teahouse. Or was it because she was supposed to take on the rank of princess?
Caught speechless with doubt, Yan Ling bowed again. She was doing that too much, but she couldn’t help herself. ‘Welcome, please. Won’t you have some tea?’
Thank the heavens for tea. How did people ever come together without it?
They took their places in the chairs around the low table. Fei Long sat beside her on the couch, much as he had that morning on the stone bench. He gave her a reassuring look.
‘Are you well, Lady Chang?’ Tong’s voice boomed in the parlour, entirely too loud and strident for such a casual setting. ‘You seem pale.’
‘Umm…perhaps I’ve been avoiding the sun lately. It…umm…makes me dizzy.’
Tong frowned. ‘I hope you’re well enough for the long journey.’
‘My sister is quite well,’ Fei Long cut in. ‘Though perhaps nervous. She has lived here all her life.’
‘Yes, but I’m also quite excited,’ Yan Ling chimed in, a bit too emphatically. ‘And I hear the Khitans like fair-skinned women.’
What were these words coming from her lips? Fei Long stiffened beside her, but said nothing. Dao came out with the tea tray as rehearsed. The porcelain cups rattled together as she set the tray down on the table in an echo of Yan Ling’s jostled nerves.
In her flustered state, she made another mistake, reaching out to grab the teapot. Dao’s hand collided against hers. Inspector Tong’s gaze bore down on her.
How long was this visit going to last? She was already sweating beneath the layers of gauze and silk. Yan Ling poured the tea for all of them and then sat back, her hands folded so tightly in her lap that her knuckles ached. That would keep her from doing anything else inappropriate with them.
‘First we must thank Lady Chang for her sacrifice to the empire.’
Sacrifice? She looked questioningly to Fei Long, who responded calmly. ‘Our family is happy to be able to perform such a duty.’
The minister went on. ‘The lady must know that this is a most important task we have entrusted to her.’
‘Yes. Very important, indeed.’
‘The Khitan lords have been growing more aggressive. There are rumours of a power struggle in the region. We must secure an alliance with their leader as soon as possible. Easier to send one princess than an armed legion.’
His words echoed in her ears. Aggressive. Power struggle. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. ‘A wedding is always preferable to a war,’ she said, her voice thin.
‘Inspector Tong.’ Fei Long addressed the official with a sternness that surprised and impressed her. ‘Khitan has been our ally for decades now. I don’t see why you’ve chosen to present them in this way to my sister.’
‘Lady Chang should know the reality of this alliance. A woman might become frightened if thrown into an unexpected situation.’
‘Pearl doesn’t frighten easily.’ Fei Long covered her hand with his. Whether it was an act or not, she was grateful. ‘And keeping the peace is the duty of the foreign ministry and the ambassadors.’
‘So it is,’ Tong replied coldly.
What was all this talk of strife and power struggles? Wasn’t she going to become a princess and a bride?
The minister continued with more neutral topics. The Khitan delegation was set to arrive in two months, in the middle of the summer. She would be escorted to the palace first and then she would be presented to the delegation by the Emperor himself.
‘What happens if they find out I’m not truly a princess?’
She’d said the wrong thing again. She knew it from the way Fei Long tensed beside her. Duty and humility,