Rong Yuze grew up poor.
So poor that his parents were attempting to sell him for food when they ran into his Master, and he'd bought Yuze instead.
Years later, when his Master had made a na for himself, they'd co back. Yuze had thought they were returning for him, but they'd only demanded more money and not even asked to see him.
The disappointnt from that day had colored every day since and Yuze hated it, even though he hadn't managed to outgrow it yet. He hadn't spoken to his parents since, had turned them away anyti they'd shown up at his Master's residence after that.
Once his Master had died, Yuze had sold his residence and moved into the main castle of the Calia, where he was closer at hand to help Chenzhou and run the intelligence branch. It had been years since he'd last heard anything about them, and he had no interest in finding out if they were even still alive.
A lack of loving parents had been one of the things that had bonded Chenzhou and Yuze when they were young. Even though they'd lost those parents in different ways, they'd understood the gaping hole in their lives.
Because of it, Chenzhou had clung to the few adults in his life: Marian and her husband and two of the Generals who had ntored him in his teen years. When he t Anna, Chenzhou clung to the hope that they could create their own little family, but each year that went by without Anna becoming pregnant chipped away at what little hope Chenzhou had left.
Yuze knew that his best friend had all but given up hope completely as his health continued to decline, and Yuze's inability to fix it for Chenzhou broke his heart. He would be a great father, far better than Yuze would have ever been. Thankfully, his parents had dispelled any desire Yuze had for children of his own.
He knew Chenzhou was still holding out hope that Yuze would sire a child he could declare his heir, but since Yuze had figured out as a teenager that he preferred the male form to the female one….
Well, there was a reason Chenzhou had resorted to buying a wife from the capital.
It was sad to think that the illustrious Ye family was going to end in his lifeti. His Master had always said, "All things end, but from all endings co beginnings." He thought it was comforting, but for Yuze, who got twitchy when people ignored the rules or things veered wildly off course, it was anything but. He much preferred the comfort of what he knew to the mystery of the unknown.
The unknown was dangerous.
The unknown was filled with threats and monsters and all manner of things that hurt the things Yuze cared about.
Ironically, his fear of the unknown was what made him so good at his job. There was no mystery in the Calia that Yuze couldn't solve with a little bit of ti and effort and that ability had made him the best spy in the Empire.
The tribes in the borderland, who barely had functioning governnts, only practiced the barest of intelligence gathering operations. Their spies were easily found, though Yuze preferred to monitor and control what they reported instead of capturing and executing them outright. It kept him several steps ahead of their enemies, and in the last few years, he'd started stretching his reach towards the capital.
What he gathered about Eirian before her arrival was only basic information. Chenzhou had dismissed quite a bit of gossip about her, and her closeness to the throne had kept her out of his reach in the capital.
Sohow, she was everything he'd expected and nothing like he'd expected at the sa ti. She certainly seed capricious and spoiled. She wore unnecessarily expensive robes and jewels that belonged in lock boxes, not out in public. She was sohow respectful and above everyone else all at once.
Marian was intrigued by her.
Anna was scared.
The rest of the court insisted they were reserving judgnt, but Yuze knew there were at least a few old-fashioned minds that had already decided they didn't like the flamboyant socialite.
Yuze couldn't care less if she ran around in silk and gems. If she made everyone bow to her whenever she walked by. His interest was in the rumors of her strength.
Of the magic two of his sources insisted she displayed that Chenzhou and Marian had already confird they'd seen glimpses of it.
Magic was rare among humans, and most of those who showed any sign of it were quickly spirited away to the City of Illumination, ho of the House of Wizards. They claid dominion over anyone who bore magic, and there were few kingdoms that wanted to risk angering them by refusing to let them take soone.
It would be interesting to find out how Eirian had escaped their grip if she had been so careless in displaying her magic.
He sent sparrows for Snake and Fox. Two of his best agents, they would be able to keep an eye on Eirian without her noticing.
He sent another sparrow to the Grand Master of the library, requesting the Blood Records. The Land of Sorrow was more western in its thinking about bloodlines. They changed frequently, and there was much less focus on keeping them pure than the population of the Land of Song and Snow and the other Eastern lands.
The Calia benefited from her position on the border of both; detailed records of the families that had resided within her walls since the beginning were kept.
The downside was that they changed and intermingled just as frequently as they did in the other Western lands, so there was a truly staggering amount of Blood Records to go through.
The Grand Master of the library's response was less than polite, but it did make Yuze smirk.
~ tbc
Reviews
All reviews (0)