Intrigue and Courtship

“Lady Chika, I really don’t see why all this is necessary. Lord Thelian is rich and powerful. If you don’t dislike him, why not get married? Affection can always come later.” As Nalindra followed Chika towards her office, I made my way towards mine, completely unsure of what to do next. Chika expected me to court her, but I had never courted anyone in my life. I had no idea where to even start, so I sent my servants to discreetly ask Chika’s for any ideas on how she might like to be wooed.

Upon returning to my own office, I found Lord Gwendar waiting for me. This was unexpected, but not entirely surprising.

“Lord Thelian, may we speak in private?”

My servants weren’t with me anyway, so I invited him into my office and shut the door behind us. Though I was far from a warrior, if he tried to attack me, I was confident that I could fight him off.

“How rare of you to visit me personally, Lord Gwendar. You usually make me come to the temple. Is this perhaps about something you don’t want the rest of the priesthood to know?”

“I’m in no mood for games. Yes, this is a personal matter. Your Lord Father has betrayed you. His allegiance is now with that witch. She won’t just be the end of me, but of you as well, and you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself for introducing her to the emperor.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Betrayed me? I betrayed him years ago. What’s this really about?”

“My… embezzlement was part of a deal I made with your Lord Father in my earlier days in exchange for political support. He used it to blackmail me into backing you, and had the need ever arisen, he planned to hand the evidence to you in order to weaken me or the temple. Instead, he gave it to Lady Chika for her own purposes. There is no doubt in my mind that she cut a deal with him to support her in a bid for your position.”

“She did say that she wanted to be my rival, but it seems more likely to me that you’re just upset that she turned my father against you.”

Lord Gwendar fixed me with a hard stare. “We both know that your father is not the man he once was, but he has his good days. On one of those days, he grew irate with me for my attempts to manipulate him. I have no one to blame for his ire except myself. Perhaps you should speak with him, if only to learn where you currently stand.”

“That hardly matters at this point. Even if he wanted to throw his weight behind Chika, he weighs no more than a leaf. Besides, has it ever occurred to you that I might want Chika to take my position? If it turns out that she’s better suited than I am, then the entire empire benefits. There are plenty of intelligent women, and her success could lead more of them to enter civil service, forcing the men to work harder to compete. I would enjoy seeing that.”

“That’s too heretical, even for me.”

“Everything’s too heretical for the High Priest,” I joked. To my surprise, Lord Gwendar’s icy expression melted into an amicable smile.

“You’re more right than you know,” he chuckled. “The High Priest must be a stalwart guardian of temple doctrine, regardless of his own opinions. He can only push things as far as the clergy will allow. In truth, I have always recognized Lady Chika’s contributions as valuable, but my position demanded that I oppose her at every turn. Unless she can somehow convince the other priests to accept her, my successor will be even more determined to bring her down, and you as well, if you are still her ally.”

I opened my mouth to respond but caught myself just in time before divulging that she already intended to win over the other priests. Lord Gwendar could be lying in the hopes that I would reveal Chika’s plans to him. Instead, I said, “Am I to take it that you are not determined to bring me down? Although you oppose Chika, you have shielded me from criticism within the temple at my father’s behest?”

“Now you’re starting to understand.”

“Then I think, perhaps, I shall take your advice and visit him. Thank you for the suggestion, Lord Gwendar.”

⁂

“It’s about time you got here.” This gruff statement was the only greeting I received from my father after arriving at his estate. “That witch of yours visited three days ago, and you had no idea until now, did you? What have I always told you about the importance of gathering intelligence? Knowing what’s going on around you is of paramount importance if you want to survive in politics.”

“Yes, I can see that now. I was lax because I never expected her to make such a move, but I should have been more protective of you after I witnessed Lord Gwendar taking advantage of you.”

“Bah. No one takes advantage of me. I’m too crafty. I saw right through Lord Gwendar’s intentions. Lady Chika’s too.”

“Oh? And what exactly were her intentions?”

“She was sizing me up, trying to determine if I’m good enough to be her father-in-law! Me! Can you believe it? She’s got no fortune and no kin. Anyone else in her position would be honored to marry into our family, but she made me prove myself to her. She’s got a lot of gall, but she’s the smartest damn woman I’ve ever met.”

“Let me guess, she beat you in Go?” I knew my father’s weakness for that particular game. It was nearly an obsession for him, and he judged others based on how well they played.

“Repeatedly. And while we were playing, she taught me new things about astronomy, agriculture, mathematics, psychology, construction, and many other fields besides. You were right: Your children would be unstoppable. As your father, I am ordering you to marry her. We can’t afford to lose her to anyone else.”

“Well, father, I came to inform you that I asked for her hand, but she has not yet accepted. She wishes to be courted before she will agree.”

“Courted? Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ve waited a long time to pass on my expertise in this area. Why, when I was your age, I was courting no less than a dozen women. I’m a master of the art form. Come, my boy. Let’s get you fitted for a courting helmet right away.” He threw his arm around me and led me out of his estate and towards the marketplace. “Just follow my instructions, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.”