Ishkhandar - Part 4

After Leiyu had gone through and sampled a little of every dish at the banquet and stashed some of the less perishable items in his sleeve, he rejoined Chen Yun and the others in their corner.

”Ah, you’re back,” Chen Yun said. “I’m pretty stuffed, and Fusheng is more wasted than a drunken martial arts master. We need to get him back to the guest quarters.”

“Heeey, Thundercloud,” Liang Fusheng said with slurred speech and foul breath. Leiyu sighed. He and Chen Yun each took one of Liang Fusheng’s arms and supported him as they walked toward the exit. Wang Yihui trailed behind them and plucked a cluster of grapes as they passed by a table.

“Um, how do we find our way back?” Chen Yun asked as they stepped into the hallway. “This palace is so confusing.”

As if summoned, an attendant appeared at their side. “Come this way, good sirs.”

They made many left and right turns before they reached the guest quarters. Leiyu and Chen Yun set Liang Fusheng down on a bedroll and draped the blanket over him.

Chen Yun yawned. “It’s been such a long tiring day. Looking forward to sleeping.” He saw Leiyu walk towards the door. “Leiyu? You’re still going out? Shouldn’t you be the most tired out of all of us?”

“Need some fresh air,” Leiyu replied. “Also want to get a closer look at the gardens. Should be okay if they said the palace was open to the public.”

“Meditation?” Chen Yun asked. Leiyu nodded. “Okay, don’t stay out too late. There’s guards everywhere and they probably wouldn’t want to find you asleep outside. We don’t want to get kicked out after less than a day.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Leiyu said. “I’ll just be out for a bit.”

Leiyu went down the hallway and walked around until he found a door. He pushed on it and felt the cool air caress his face. A long corridor with marble columns stretched before him. Guards were posted every few columns, but they did not move when he walked past. They were practically statues.

The corridor led to one of the gardens. Tamarisk trees with feathery clusters of pink flowers dotted the landscape. Meandering man-made brooks bubbled, creating a soothing soporific sound as the water flowed over polished stones. A gently arching stone bridge stretched over the water. Leiyu walked towards it.

He stepped on the first tile of the bridge and put his hand on the curved railing. A breeze blew, and stray flower petals floated down towards him, landing on the shoulders of his cloak. His eyes grew heavy. Something about this garden was very calming. He decided he would stay a moment longer before heading back. Perhaps he would have more pleasant dreams tonight. His eyes began to close.

A sudden shuffling sound jolted him back to the present, and he opened his eyes. Someone was walking on the bridge from the other side. Another guest of the palace coming to enjoy the tranquil garden? He straightened his back and stepped away from the railing. Three people came into his view. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar figure with auburn hair flanked by two palace guards carrying spears with crescent blades.

Oh, it’s the princess, he thought. How odd that he kept encountering her. Three times within the same day. She paused in the middle of the bridge and strained her eyes to look at him. He dropped to one knee and placed his hand over his heart. Thinking it best to be courteous, he lowered his head and murmured in Sargeshi, “My lady.”

The princess gasped and tensed up. The guards tightened their grips on their spears.

Did I say something wrong? Leiyu thought. His heart began to palpitate.

Slowly, the princess relaxed her shoulders. She began to laugh softly. It sounded melodious. After a moment, she calmed down and flashed a mischievous grin. She opened her mouth to speak and out came regal-sounding Sargeshi.

“I am…Prince Thallios.”

Leiyu’s face heated up like a burning coal. Prince…Thallios? His skin erupted in goosebumps under his robes. Not knowing what else to do, he threw himself into a deep kowtow on the cold stone tiles. “Please, forgive me, Your Highness!” Fate was so fickle and cruel. He, who had journeyed so far and defeated the elements, was now going to be punished for offending foreign royalty. Should he fight the guards if they moved in to detain him, or would that just make things worse? Would the merchants be affected by this?

The prince stared at him for a long, awkward moment, then smiled gently. “Do not worry, it is a common mistake.”

Leiyu lifted his head slightly. The prince looked calm, but the guards looked like they wanted to skewer him with their crescent blades. He gulped.

The prince waved his hand to signal the guards to stand down. They looked at him, confused, but complied. The prince then addressed Leiyu. “You may stand.”

Leiyu slowly got to his feet, although he kept his gaze pointed toward the floor.

“What is your name?” the prince asked.

Leiyu was surprised. Why did the prince want to know his name? And how should he speak to the prince without offending him further? He remembered the street storytellers from Yunshan and their tales of palace nobles and their servants. How did one address someone of much higher social status, and how could he translate it into Sargeshi?

“Your Highness,” Leiyu replied softly. “This humble one is named Leiyu.”

The prince’s eyes lit up. “Lei…yu?” He pronounced it carefully, trying to get the wavering tones of the Dongyu language right. He beamed as if the sounds amused him. “Interesting. Well, Leiyu, I was on my way to the rooftop garden. Would you like to join me?”

Leiyu stared at the prince, dumbfounded. The guards had a similar expression on their faces. They whispered to the prince in a language Leiyu could not understand. The prince shook his head, as if insisting that he had not misspoken.

Invited to a garden instead of being hauled off to the dungeon? Leiyu thought. Fate was indeed unfathomable. Was this a serious request or just a cruel joke before the blade was ready to fall? Still, he did not want to offend the prince by refusing. “If that is what Your Highness wishes.”

The prince smiled warmly. “The view from there is spectacular.”