Drakkon

Drakkon 2 (Black Jade) - eight

I was stuck in a depressing haze, thinking about what Yanlin had said to me, her words hauntingly repeating over and over again. I will become the emperor's wife. You are only an accessory, while I'm a necessity. My hands clenched together on my sides. What if Meilin did take her as a wife, despite telling me he wouldn't take another wife or concubine?

"Lady Daiyu!"

The familiar voice ripped me from my thoughts and I paused in the middle of the palace hallway. My maidservants followed my gaze as I glanced over my shoulder. Nikator waved at the end of the hallway and zoomed towards me, his blue eyes bright and his vibrant red hair pulled back loosely. He wore a relaxed dark-blue cross-collared tunic with pants to match and black laced boots.

"Nikator," I said, smiling as he reached me. He had been gone the past month for a mission Bohai had assigned him; he had gone somewhere down south, but I didn't know any details other than that. Now that he was back, only Atreus and Minos were missing in the palace. They were gone on two separate assignments, according to Meilin. I hadn't pressed for details, but something to do with the rebel cause, which still wasn't extinguished despite General Keung's death. "I didn't realize you came back from your prior assignment."

Nikator kept up at my pace and returned my grin. "Yeah, I just got back this morning actually! Bohai really did send me to the worst assignment ever. But now that I'm back, I'm feeling a lot better. How's everything been? How's Nuo?"

"Nuo is great," I said. I didn't want to confide in him about Yanlin, her threat, or the how Meilin and I were growing distant the past few weeks, so I plastered a smile on my face that I hoped he'd believe. "I'm doing well. I'm on my way to have tea with Princess Liqin and Princess Biyu."

Nikator's lips dragged into a scowl and he crossed his arms behind his head casually. "Yeah, I heard about that. That's actually why I'm here."

"Hm?"

"Lady Daiyu ... It's not a good idea to hang out with those two princesses."

I paused and stared at him for a moment, noticing that even my maidservants were bobbing their heads silently in agreement. My eyebrows pulled together and I thought back to the two princesses; they hadn't seemed like bad people at all. "I understand they're the previous emperor's daughters, but they're sweet and I feel bad for them. They're prisoners here, Nikator, they can't do anything. Doesn't that make you feel for them?"

"No way," he said instantly. "They're trouble, that's what they are."

"Nikator, I know you don't like Yat-sen or Daewon either, but they're not bad people."

"See, lady Daiyu, I knew you would say that," he said with a loud sigh as we rounded the corner of the hallway. "But you've got to believe me when I say that not everyone thinks like you and thinks the best of everyone. The palace is a pretty scary place where everyone is looking out for themselves and trying to steal as much power as they can. Those princesses were raised here, they know exactly what they're doing when they talk to you. I bet they've got all this planned out and they want to use you for something."

I laughed softly. The notion sounded ridiculous; what power did I have that they could use? "What would they use me for?"

"You're the empress," he said as if it meant something. "Maybe they'll ask for favors. I don't know."

"I appreciate your concerns, Nikator," I said. "I'll be fine, though—"

"I'll join you," he said. "If you don't mind."