pain in his chest, spreading through the whole of his body in a slow, steady ache. Even the Empress's betrayal had not affected him so.
"I have heard that you were commissioned to pour poison into the princes' drinks."
"And where, my Empress, did you hear such a thing?"
"That does not matter. I had the poison replaced with water either way. But it is true, is it not?"
"Perhaps."
The Empress seemed startled by his half answer. "Now is not the time to play coy, nephew. Answer my question so that we may decide your punishment. I wish to know why you would do such a thing when I have cared for you for so long. Seen you fed and clothed. Seen you guarded. Why would you betray me?"
It was almost a relief when he snorted in laughter at her statement. Thirteen years of being someone else, and he was Prince Chien, at last, if he could only remember who Prince Chien was supposed to be in all this madness. "Cared for me? Clothed me? Surely you must take me for some kind of fool." His aunt seemed taken aback by his laughter. "You think I would ever be grateful to the woman who killed my mother and sister? To the woman who even now sits upon a throne that was never hers?"
"You speak of treason."
"You are the one who committed treason. I speak of justice." He had nothing else. No family, no love. But this he could hold fast to. Justice would not betray him. Vengeance would keep him firm. It was his fault, his weakness, for believing he could trust the general. No one could be trusted.
"You speak of things you cannot possibly understand."
"Not understand?" Chien laughed once more. "I sat there hidden amongst my mother's things and listened as you taunted her. Listened as you told her exactly who had betrayed her. The only thing I could not bear to listen to was the end. I covered my ears to drown out the sound of my mother dying."
There was a dawning realization on his aunt's face. She seemed to know now how she had been fooled. How she had underestimated him. "You hid like a coward while your mother lay dying."
"I hid under my mother's orders." But her words stung. He had hidden, hadn't he? He could have joined her. He could have fought. He could have done anything, but he had hidden instead.
"So you came to this complicated plot. You poisoned my sons hoping what? That I might feel the same thing you did? That I might be forced to watch them die?" She stood, "Did you set them against each other as well?"
"Mother! I cannot be so easily manipulated!" Minh cried. "Tuan perhaps, but I could not be manipulated by this—" Words seemed to fail him for a moment. "This fool."
"You're the fool, Minh," Tuan raged, his hand going to his weapon. "If you continue to insult me so, I will see you dead."
"Quiet!"
"Surely you realize by now that your sons are idiots. The Dragon will not bless them. He has not blessed you."
"What are you talking about?"
"You've been sending your general to find the sword. Have you found it yet?" The Empress's eyes narrowed. "You are a false Empress."
"And you are a coward. Soon, you shall be dead." She sat down once more in her throne and he could see her trying to regain her composure. She could not see around her. Could not see the doubt that had begun to form on the faces of her soldiers. "You thought you would poison my sons and then what? Come for me in the night?"
"No, my aunt. I will come for you in the broad of daylight. I will challenge you for that throne that has never once belonged to you. And I will take your head. I will show you far more honor than you showed when you came in the night for my mother's head."
She seemed visibly shaken by his words, her hand shaking as it rose. "Pity you shall never get the chance. You will be dead before nightfall."
"Your queen is afraid. She does not wish for others to know the truth." Chien did not speak to her, but to the soldiers who surrounded the room.
"Shut up, stupid child!"
"Empress, does he speak the truth? Are you not truly blessed by the
"I have heard that you were commissioned to pour poison into the princes' drinks."
"And where, my Empress, did you hear such a thing?"
"That does not matter. I had the poison replaced with water either way. But it is true, is it not?"
"Perhaps."
The Empress seemed startled by his half answer. "Now is not the time to play coy, nephew. Answer my question so that we may decide your punishment. I wish to know why you would do such a thing when I have cared for you for so long. Seen you fed and clothed. Seen you guarded. Why would you betray me?"
It was almost a relief when he snorted in laughter at her statement. Thirteen years of being someone else, and he was Prince Chien, at last, if he could only remember who Prince Chien was supposed to be in all this madness. "Cared for me? Clothed me? Surely you must take me for some kind of fool." His aunt seemed taken aback by his laughter. "You think I would ever be grateful to the woman who killed my mother and sister? To the woman who even now sits upon a throne that was never hers?"
"You speak of treason."
"You are the one who committed treason. I speak of justice." He had nothing else. No family, no love. But this he could hold fast to. Justice would not betray him. Vengeance would keep him firm. It was his fault, his weakness, for believing he could trust the general. No one could be trusted.
"You speak of things you cannot possibly understand."
"Not understand?" Chien laughed once more. "I sat there hidden amongst my mother's things and listened as you taunted her. Listened as you told her exactly who had betrayed her. The only thing I could not bear to listen to was the end. I covered my ears to drown out the sound of my mother dying."
There was a dawning realization on his aunt's face. She seemed to know now how she had been fooled. How she had underestimated him. "You hid like a coward while your mother lay dying."
"I hid under my mother's orders." But her words stung. He had hidden, hadn't he? He could have joined her. He could have fought. He could have done anything, but he had hidden instead.
"So you came to this complicated plot. You poisoned my sons hoping what? That I might feel the same thing you did? That I might be forced to watch them die?" She stood, "Did you set them against each other as well?"
"Mother! I cannot be so easily manipulated!" Minh cried. "Tuan perhaps, but I could not be manipulated by this—" Words seemed to fail him for a moment. "This fool."
"You're the fool, Minh," Tuan raged, his hand going to his weapon. "If you continue to insult me so, I will see you dead."
"Quiet!"
"Surely you realize by now that your sons are idiots. The Dragon will not bless them. He has not blessed you."
"What are you talking about?"
"You've been sending your general to find the sword. Have you found it yet?" The Empress's eyes narrowed. "You are a false Empress."
"And you are a coward. Soon, you shall be dead." She sat down once more in her throne and he could see her trying to regain her composure. She could not see around her. Could not see the doubt that had begun to form on the faces of her soldiers. "You thought you would poison my sons and then what? Come for me in the night?"
"No, my aunt. I will come for you in the broad of daylight. I will challenge you for that throne that has never once belonged to you. And I will take your head. I will show you far more honor than you showed when you came in the night for my mother's head."
She seemed visibly shaken by his words, her hand shaking as it rose. "Pity you shall never get the chance. You will be dead before nightfall."
"Your queen is afraid. She does not wish for others to know the truth." Chien did not speak to her, but to the soldiers who surrounded the room.
"Shut up, stupid child!"
"Empress, does he speak the truth? Are you not truly blessed by the
Similar Books
