Drakkon

Drakkon 2 (Black Jade) - eleven

The late afternoon spilled honeyed rays onto the north side of the gardens, where hundreds of thousands of pink camellias clustered on bushes. It was said that Biyu's great-grandfather had them planted for his favorite concubine. She didn't know if that was true or not, or idle court gossip, but it was one of her favorite parts of the palace garden. Tall, dormant plum blossom scattered the northern gardens, as did small ponds full of colorful Koi fish. When she was younger, and Drakkon Meilin wasn't the emperor, she used to collect the fallen camellia petals in a basket and adorn her room with them. Or, if it was early spring, she used to do the same with the plum blossoms.

But things were different now.

Even as she sat in her favorite place by the pond, with the plum blossom trees and camellia bushes surrounding her, she felt anything but at ease. Lady Daiyu sat across from her at the heavy wooden table with dragon carvings on the legs. Beside her, Nikator leaned back into his seat, his bright red hair messily hanging over his forehead in wet strands and his sapphire eyes alight with mischief. Apparently, he had been sparring earlier and had taken a bath before this meeting.

Biyu didn't belong there, but she needed information, and if Liqin found out she hadn't found anything useful, who knew what she would do to her. Or to Jade.

Biyu ran her hand over her cat distractedly. Jade nuzzled against her stomach; her green eyes closed as she purred happily. "U-Um, the flowers are beautiful, aren't they?"

Nikator's sharp eyes found hers and she quickly averted her gaze from that murderous glint; it was still hard to look him in the eyes and not expect him to stab her in the gut.

"Yes, they're very beautiful," lady Daiyu mused as she stretched a hand out and cupped a camellia gently, before letting it go. "In my old village, we used to have a field of wild flowers that all the children would run to. I've always loved them."

"Do you like it here?" Biyu asked. "At the palace, I mean. I heard you were, um, a farmer's daughter. So I'm sure it must be ... different."

Lady Daiyu looked surprised at the question, but before she could answer, Nikator quipped, "Do you like it here? This used to be your home, and now you're a prisoner." There was a harsh undertone to his words.

Biyu flinched, while lady Daiyu gasped and gave Nikator a hard look before scolding him. Biyu continued petting Jade to hide the tremble in her hands. What he said was true; this palace used to be her home. These gardens used to belong to her family. She used to be a beloved princess of the empire. And now she was brought down to her knees and made a prisoner.

She couldn't leave even if she wanted to. Everything that used to belong to her, was now his—Drakkon Meilin's. And anything he allowed her to have, was because he gave it to her. Even things she used to own, were no longer hers. Even her old room she had grown up in was taken from her and given to one of the Peccata.

Biyu owned nothing, and she was truly a prisoner.

She wasn't even allowed to go anywhere without palace guards stalking her every move, their eye roving over her body. She could never breathe in peace. It was like Drakkon Meilin didn't want her to enjoy anything.

But at least right now, the guards that usually watched her weren't here—lady Daiyu had given them a break since they weren't exactly needed with Nikator around. She didn't tell lady Daiyu how much that meant to her. Biyu didn't like the way the guards watched her, like she was a treat they were waiting to eat.

"Nikator, you told me you would be polite—" lady Daiyu said.

"Yeah, but her question was a jib at you, wasn't it? Implying you used to be a farmgirl?"

"I-It's true, but I don't think she meant it that way. Her tone didn't indicate that—"

"It sounded mean to me—"

"Nikator, be nice. Please." Lady Daiyu sighed and turned to Biyu with a strained smile. Her dark brown eyes were filled with kindness. "I'm sorry about that. But to answer your question, yes, it's been difficult, but I enjoy it here. It's definitely hard not seeing my family so often, but I'm glad I have Lanfen with me. The palace is beautiful, so it's hard to complain."

Biyu nodded slowly, all too aware that Nikator was pinning her with a glare. "I understand," she said. "The palace is so beautiful that it's hard to complain about being here ..." A bitterness filled her mouth as she forced a smile. "I'm happy to hear you have your sister with you, just like I have my sister here."

Lady Daiyu's smile warmed the space between them, but Nikator rolled his eyes, clearly not believing Biyu's words. Biyu paid him no attention and instead scratched Jade under the chin, a small smile lifting her lips at how Jade leaned into her touch.

"Is it hard being a mother?" Biyu asked hesitantly.

Lady Daiyu's smile faltered and she avoided her gaze. "It's ... wonderful. Basically, a lot of sleepless nights and paranoia, but it's also very rewarding. And I'm grateful for the help the nannies give me."

Biyu got the sense that it was a rehearsed answer, but didn't question her further on the topic. She had heard from Liqin, who had heard it from the maids, that lady Daiyu was struggling with her role as a mother. Apparently, it was hard for her to give the nannies control, and so the nannies were nervous not to mess up either. But how much truth was in that, Biyu wasn't sure. She knew better than anyone else that court gossip sometimes was just that—gossip.

She could already grasp an idea of what was most important to lady Daiyu, and, simultaneously, what was her biggest weakness: family.

"Your Highness." As if on cue, one of the maidservants stepped forward and lowered her head. "There's a message for you from the nannies."

"Oh?" Lady Daiyu rose from her seat, her eyebrows puckering together. "Is Nuo alright?"

"They're saying that the princess awake and that she's hungry. They're asking if they can ask the wetnurse to feed her, or if you'd like to."

"I'll be there," lady Daiyu said, before shooting Biyu and Nikator an apologetic look. "I'll be right back; how about you both enjoy the tea and cookies for now? I think it would be good for you both to better acquaint yourselves with each other."

Biyu's heart nearly stopped at those words. She didn't want to be alone with the red-headed murderer! The whole purpose of being here was to better understand lady Daiyu and her weaknesses, not get to know Nikator.

But she didn't have time to voice her concerns, because lady Daiyu had already left the gardens with her maidservants. Now it was only Nikator and Biyu, and he was already staring at her like a wolf eyeing its prey. 

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Author's note

The next part is already up on my instagram if you want to read ahead! @authormahamfatemi

Which characters do you want to see more of?

~Maham