The Wandering God

32 Bare Fangs and Brandish Claws 1/2

張牙舞爪
Zhāngyá-wǔzhǎo
Bare fangs and brandish claws.
Make threatening gestures to intimidate an enemy.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning when I returned to Wo You Nai the men were already awake and sitting in the courtyard on the terrace.

The trees that stretched up and far above the roofs of Wo You Nai were dropping their leaves. The leaves fell like great flakes of snow fluttering in the wind, but instead of white they were golden and red and orange and sun-baked brown.

The leaves reached the ground, then blew across the flagstones of the courtyard. They spun across the terrace, catching here against a chair leg, there against a balustrade, skittering in the wind like skipping children, till they at last collected together in the corner, waiting for the servants to clean them up.

I climbed the steps to the terrace. All three of the men had blankets thrown across their knees, even Kageyama who usually seemed impervious to cold. I sank into a chair beside them and held my hands to the brazier.

"My sources say that the Red Duke has not set foot outside his lands since the rebellion began," Kageyama was saying as I joined them.

"He could have done the negotiations by proxy. He did not need to meet with Xiangli in person," debated Sanli.

"You're up early," Zakhar said to me, mistakenly believing I was returning from one of my forest walks. He took the blanket from his knees and held it out to me.

Gratefully I took it, tucking it round myself. "What are you all discussing?"

Sanli frowned. "Still debating which of the kingdoms my brother has so hastily allied us with, and who will be arriving with him next week."

"The west," I said, turning my hands to face the brazier, then away, warming both sides. It had been cold this morning, when I had woken alone in Zhangyu's bed. "And it will be Baihu's daughter who comes."

"What?" said Sanli, looking at me sharply. I felt Kageyama and Zakhar's eyes find me as well. "How do you know?"

"Your nephew told me," I said, keeping my eyes on the haze of heat rising from the brazier.

Sanli snorted. "Zhangyu did? And you believed him? When did he tell you this?"

I felt his eyes notice my unbrushed hair, my day old makeup.

"Last night," I replied, a slight smile tugging my lips.

There was a moment of silence as what I meant sunk in.

"You... you did not need to sacrifice yourself for such information... we would have found out eventually..." said Sanli, voice shaky.

I laughed lightly. "Oh, your nephew is very skilled. It was no sacrifice, I can assure you."

"You..." said Sanli, and froze. In his shock, the little prince had forgotten his mask, and for once his feelings were open and raw.

I was surprised to see he looked hurt. Betrayed, even.

"How could you?!" Sanli exploded, standing, green eyes burning. "You know how I feel about him!"

I gave my best indifferent shrug. "Why should how you feel affect who I share a bed with? What are you to me?"

Sanli's face grew bitter. "I told you to go slake your lust on one of the stable hands, if you were so desperate!" The prince threw both his arms wide. Zakhar looked between us, nervously blushing.

"And I told YOU a stablehand is no substitute for a prince," I cut back. Kageyama watched Sanli and I as well, dark eyes flicking back and forth.

Sanli lowered his arms, his handsome face filled with disbelief. Then he began to laugh. "I see. This is just one big, grand game to you, isn't it? My ancestor is gone, so you'll make do with what you can. Wandering around the Green King's valley, picking and choosing who you want."