Steel Blood

PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE

Change drifted in the air like incense caught in a breeze.

It caressed the back of Zhuanxu Xian’s hands, as if a silk scarf trailed across his skin. He heard it in the giggling of his many-times-over granddaughter Zhinu and her handmaids, picking out the melodic sounds from among the murmuring of the others present at court for Governor Yu’s announcement. But the lacquered banquet table beneath his fingers remained solid, as unchanging as the tropical humidity.

Yu spoke a few seats away from Xian at the head table. “—And we will welcome our visitors from Britannia with open arms and light hearts. New treaties will once again clear the trade routes in Europa that have long been denied our people, and we are honored by Emperor Zhuanxu Elai for choosing our glorious city for these talks. In turn, we shall honor the emperor by being excellent hosts and diplomats.”

Xian huffed in exasperation while polite applause rose from the assorted courtiers, officials, and useless hangers-on attending the evening’s banquet. His cousin the emperor, the older and much more renowned keeper of the family name, had chosen the city of Jiang Yi Yue in order to deny any involvement if these trade talks went to hell.

With the governor’s announcement finished, the more interesting portion of the banquet could begin. The scent of fresh curries and hot rice reached his nose, and air stirred behind him as servers brought in the evening meal.

His assistant Kyo-Young brushed the back of his right hand with her delicate fingers. “Dinner is being served. Do you have any preference, Master Xian?”

Xian released his hold on the table. “No, no,” he said. “The usual will be fine.” She directed the servers to fill his plate with his customary choices. The meal would be bereft of the salty dishes he loved, thanks to Kyo-Young’s strict adherence to his doctor’s wishes, but as always, Governor Yu would pass at least one pork roll his way. Being the favorite uncle had its benefits.

No one dared deny the governor if he chose to share a particular delicacy with his predecessor. Some days, Xian resolved to stay in his replacement’s good graces for that favor alone.

Kyo-Young pressed chopsticks into his right hand and lifted his left to the rim of his bowl. He set to eating with determination. The unlucky tablemate on his other side tonight was Minister Chang, and the two men would ignore each other the way they had for the past twenty years.

The bright tones of Zhinu and her maids rose again from their seats at one of the lower tables. “Will the wolves truly send a prince to our city?” asked a voice Xian didn’t recognize. Must be one of the newer maids hired within the past months. He hadn’t had enough time to learn each of their particular vocal ticks yet.

“Don’t refer to them as wolves,” Zhinu said. Though Granddaughter reprimanded her handmaid, Xian heard the intrigue in her voice. “And it probably won’t be a prince, since the current family is heavier on princesses. But perhaps a duke, or maybe an earl. Those are like our ministers.”

Xian frowned, then waved off Kyo-Young’s query regarding his satisfaction with dinner. Since when did Zhinu know so much about the titles of British nobility? Perhaps she had been spending too much time in the palace library again. A growing girl should be learning handicraft and courtesies, not the political systems of other empires. In fact, her interest in the trade delegation was out of character for a woman of her position. This would not do.

In predictable fashion, however, her handmaids were more interested in discussing the level of attractiveness of this potential prince or duke or earl, which turned in due course to the levels of attractiveness of the officials and ministers surrounding them in the banquet hall. Xian tuned them out.

The evening’s dining entertainment was a quiet harpist, so Xian had no trouble picking apart some of the other conversations that drifted up from the hall. All of them included some variation on speculating the makeup and nature of the visiting British delegation and whether they would be inclined to hear of this or that minister’s pet projects and work them into the trade agreements. Dull. This was why he had retired when the complications of his failing eyesight grew too onerous to manage. Politics was a younger man’s game, and Yu was still young enough to find it fascinating. His (also many-times-great) nephew had done an excellent job for the last ten years, after Xian’s physical difficulties made the job more of a chore than a challenge.

“From the governor, Master Xian.” Kyo-Young removed his empty bowl and placed a small plate in his hands. As expected, the pork roll from Yu was delicious and savory. An old man deserved his treats.

With so many people in the banquet hall for the announcement, the room grew warm and stuffy. His robes clung to his torso, and sweat ran down the back of his neck. Since his only other option was lowering himself to speaking with Minister Chang—which would not occur until Chang apologized for his inappropriate comment about Xian’s mother—it was time to retire for the evening. He pushed away the second bowl Kyo-Young tried to press into his hands when he finished Yu’s pork roll. “No, I’m done,” he said, standing before his assistant could try to help him. He was blind, not infirm.

As Kyo-Young led him from the banquet hall, Zhinu’s voice again brushed Xian’s ears. “Of course, there’s a chance one or more of the trade delegation might be a woman…. No, I read that it’s even possible for women to be werewolves instead of just men. Can you imagine?” She dissolved into giggles with her handmaids, and then Xian was out of hearing range as Kyo-Young escorted him into the gardens.

Before dismissing Kyo-Young to her own evening meal, he settled at his desk and had her fetch writing supplies. The woman had failed the examinations necessary to enter public service, but was too educated to remain in the serving class and too ugly (so Xian had heard rumored) for a good marriage match. But he needed her eyes, not political acumen or beauty.

But while he and Kyo-Young made an effective pair at managing his own affairs, Xian knew his limitations. Curbing Zhinu’s unladylike interest in the upcoming trade delegation was beyond his abilities at this time. However, he knew two people with the perfect combination of skills and experience for this task.

When Kyo-Young indicated her readiness from the other desk near him, Xian began his dictation.

Dearest Sun and Moon,

Within this package is a mercenary contract for a bodyguard detail. You have not worked in the Qin territories for many years, but I am hoping a favor for an old friend and generous compensation will prompt you to make the journey. The body in question is my granddaughter, the princess Zhuanxu Zhinu….