PRESENT DAY

The Imperial Palace's walls might resemble the Yomaura Fortress' but upon seeing how endless they seem to stretch on both sides, Nao-Zai wasn't so sure. The moment he hopped off the carriage his uncle stuffed him in, the shadows of the walls made by the rising sun behind them drowned his own. He craned his neck just as the carriage's driver huffed and grunted in getting the single trunk Nao-Zai owned. Just how tall were these walls?

"Paekdora Nao-Zai?" a kindly voice speared through his thoughts. He looked down, leveling his gaze to a short man with a thin line of hair circling the area of his upper lip to his chin. From there, a braided twine of beard dangled with every step he took. Nao-Zai almost got dizzy by watching it sway here and there like a pendulum.

Nao-Zai bobbed his head as the man reached the spot where he stood. Like how he observed most imperial nobles and scholars do, the man tucked his hands behind him. "That's me," Nao-Zai answered. It would seem rude to leave the man hanging after asking him a question. "Sir," he added, looking to the ground. For all he knew, everyone here was pagodas higher than him.

The man threw his head back in a guffaw. "Ah, to be new and young," he shook his head, an amused smile never quite leaving his face. It reduced his eyes to mere thin lines. "Don't worry too much with the honorifics, lad. In this place, we are all equal. We all serve His Majesty and the Dynasty he has established. Come."

Nao-Zai looked back at his trunk, which the carriage driver had set on the ground before driving off. The man seemed to notice his hesitation and clapped his shoulder. "I'll have the footmen bring it to your room," he said before extending his hand forward, towards the grand, wooden gates painted green. "Shall we?"

Despite not knowing what's going to happen after he stepped through that gate, Nao-Zai stalked after the man who picked his way past the short distance between the hilltop and the gates. A huge flare of pagoda-like roofs protruded from the stretch of the walls where the gates were. From the looks of it, there seemed to be at least two floors inside before the ceiling. Against the walls' beige bricks, the slate gray shingles look almost...calming.

The man sauntered forward without stopping, forcing Nao-Zai to pick up his pace and catch up. As they got nearer, Nao-Zai glanced at the sentries posted on each side of the huge arch lining the gates. They both wore brown lamellar over their blue robes. Instead of the flaring, wide sleeves Nao-Zai had known Imperial people wore, theirs were bound close to the skin from the elbow to the wrist. Their boots also appear to be steel-tipped. The leather-bound hilts of djeng-gi swords peeked from each soldier's sides, the embellishments from the sheathes making Nao-Zai's own look like a peasant.

The man paused a few steps from the sentries, never once removing his hands from being clasped behind his back. It had only occurred to Nao-Zai that the gates still needed to open. "Djang-di, open it for me, will you?" the man said in his jolly tone, addressing the sentries in what the nobles in Dangrao call their soldiers.

Nao-Zai pursed his lips as the blue-robed soldiers jumped into action and began pulling the gates open. It's another thing to get used to in Dangrao. While all of Xuijae spoke the same language, Rangsen-sai, each province had their own little variations, sometimes enough to make a dialect out of it. Of course, the Imperial Palace should stick to Rangsen-sai for the sake of everyone, but every once in a while, some of these dialects would creep up in normal conversations. At least, if he could find someone from Izeryeo, then maybe he could switch to Izer-sai from time to time.

As soon as the looming shadow of the gate's outpost faded behind Nao-Zai and the man a few steps ahead of him, the actual sprawl of the Imperial Grounds became apparent. The man wasted no time in ogling—this was probably an everyday sight for him—but Nao-Zai stopped periodically. Sometimes, it's to admire the vast gardens and man-made lakes with pavilions beside them. Most times it was because despite being here before, the splendor never ceased to amaze him.

He had never really appreciated the spots of the roofs of smaller palaces punching through the canopies of trees and more walls. In fact, his time in the Imperial Palace before consisted only of looking at inventory logs and trying to keep Kai-Se on board with all the restrictions and protocols of the tour.

A small smile played on Nao-Zai's lips as the memory of him finding the prince annoying for the first time sparked in his mind. It seemed like a long time ago. It almost seemed surreal that now...he was going to work inside the place Kai-Se was for as long as the Emperor hadn't disposed of him.

This time around, instead of veering left at the spot where the lesser walls curved around a wide, manicured courtyard, the man—Nao-Zai had come to think of him as the guide—plowed forward. Nao-Zai swallowed against the growing lump in his throat as he followed, keeping his eyes on the red pillars barring the inner walls of the palaces flanking the biggest one at the end of the courtyard.

The man waited for Nao-Zai to catch up before gesturing to the palace to his left. "This is the Earth Palace, where the women of the Inner Court are found. This is where the Queen, the Dowager Queen, the Grand Queen, the Princess, and the Imperial Consorts are."

Nao-Zai could feel an oncoming frown that came with his confusion. Of course, he was aware there were a ton of Queens but he didn't imagine they'd need a whole palace to house all of them.

"And to the right is the Wind Palace," the guide continued, directing Nao-Zai's attention with a gesture. Nao-Zai noted that the two palaces were almost identical, down to the number of red lanterns dangling from the stilts. "Complimenting the graceful nature of the earth is the harsh and sometimes gentle blowing of the wind. This is where the highest advisers, eunuchs, and scholars are."

Before Nao-Zai could open his mouth to ask if Kai-Se was there, the man whished to the largest palace of the three, the one stretching across the space between the two lesser palaces. "And up ahead is the Jade Palace, the ever-strong stone of our Dynasty," he said. With a quick wink in Nao-Zai's direction, he continued. "That's where we're going. To meet with His Majesty."

"Is that where the Crown Prince was?" Nao-Zai asked as he fell into step with the guide. "If the Imperial Emperor is there, surely his heir was too, right?"

Without losing the wide smile on his face, the guide tucked his hands from his back and inside his wide sleeves. "I assume you are familiar with the proper protocols in meeting with His Imperial Majesty?" he said, completely pretending he hadn't heard Nao-Zai's question. "Since you're a junior djang-di, you'd have to drop to your knees and bow with your head over your hands upon entry. Once you've worked your way up, you'd be fine to greet the Emperor with just a bow of the head."

Nao-Zai frowned at the guide's blatant attempt to ignore his question. Still, he followed the man past the wide courtyard, their boots scratching against the polished stones. Once they reached the wide stairs stretching for as long as the palace itself, Nao-Zai noticed more sentries posted in regular intervals. This time, their robes were red. So...was there a distinction, even between the guards?

The man strode ahead and the soldiers didn't move to apprehend him. Nao-Zai followed, noticing how rigid the sentries' stance were. It's a miracle none of them ever collapsed out of exhaustion from holding their bodies up and not relaxing their muscles. It was something Nao-Zai always told his trainees. Perhaps Imperial soldiers were a different breed, entirely?

They burst out of the initial facade, a roofed walkway flanked with even more gardens greeting them. Even if it branched out to the right and left, the man kept his pace forward, towards an ornate set of doors. There was no one walking about, the silence unnerving Nao-Zai for quite a while. The flash of color from the trees with faded pink and purple leaves whizzed through his periphery, giving him some sort of solace, at the least.

When they reached the ornate doors, the man braced his hand against them before glancing over his shoulder at Nao-Zai. "Remember: bow like you would at a can-sen temple."

Nao-Zai nodded. The man pushed the doors open, giving way to the widest throne room Nao-Zai had ever seen. Brown pillars jutted from the polished wooden floorboards, going all the way up to support the elaborate ceiling filled with murals of the well-known spirits and beasts from mythology. Then, his eyes fell towards the red throne slotted atop a raised dais accessible by short steps on both sides. Seated on it was none other than the Emperor, himself.

The man brought Nao-Zai closer, then as he instructed, dropped to his knees. Nao-Zai had no choice but to follow, letting his kneecaps ground against the glinting floorboards. He crossed his hands and touched his forehead to his knuckles.

"Paekdora Nao-Zai of the Izeryeo Yomaura-Xianzhu Clan," a stern but somehow gentle voice bled through his ears. "Stand."

As if gripped by a magical order, Nao-Zai shot to his feet and let his hands rest on his sides. He always didn't know what to do with them so he resorted to his training. It hasn't failed him once. "Your Majesty," he greeted.

"As for you," the Emperor turned his attention to the guide still prostrated on the floor. "You are dismissed."

The guide shot to his feet and ducked his head at least three times at the Emperor before striding out of the throne hall. Within a few seconds, it was only him and the highest authority in all of Xuijae who remained in the vast and otherwise empty throne hall. Shouldn't the advisors, whether they be dressed in yellow, green, or blue robes, be here with them? Wasn't that all conventions go? Moreover, there were clearly empty spots, smaller thrones, from the Emperor's sides. Shouldn't Kai-Se and the Queen be on those?

"How was your journey?" came the Emperor's question.

Nao-Zai felt like staring and blinking at the Emperor like an idiot. Did the King just ask him how his journey was? Yeah. He did. "It went well, Your Majesty," he said.

The Emperor hummed, his eyes resembling Kai-Se's so much it pained Nao-Zai to look at them. "Are you briefed about your duties?" he asked.

This time, Nao-Zai truly blinked. Was he supposed to? "No, Your Majesty," he said. "My uncle only told me yesterday and sent me on the way. All I know is that I'm going to be an Imperial Guard."

A small hint of a smile pulled on the Emperor's lips. "You'll be doing more than an Imperial Guard's duty, djang-di," he said. Nao-Zai noted how his hands never did stray from being rested on the knees of his crossed legs. "You'll be the Chief Guard of the Saengje Region."

"What?" Nao-Zai blurted before he could think twice. A Chief Guard? When he just got here? Also, what's a Sangje Region? Were there more Imperial Palaces elsewhere?

If the Emperor was offended by Nao-Zai's somewhat pointed question, he didn't show it. "Are you familiar with the Imperial Regions?" he asked.

Shame curled in Nao-Zais gut. He should have studied up instead of standing in here like a moron. "No, Your Majesty," was all he answered.

The Emperor bobbed his head, his facial expression telling Nao-Zai he expected to explain everything anyway. "The Imperial Palace is divided into four regions to represent the four provinces of Xuijae. Saengje refers to the region that consists of the Spirit Palace, the Ruby Palace, and the Butterfly Palace. Everything else, you'd figure out the more time you spend here."

That's a lot of palaces. The man hadn't even toured him there. If memory serves, the palace he spent his while during the preparation for the tour was called the Blossom Palace...or something. It was only a few months ago and already the memories were hazy.

"If I may ask, Your Majesty," Nao-Zai started, risking his neck and limbs just by opening his mouth. He glanced at the Emperor who gestured at him to continue. "Why would you appoint someone of my standing, someone who didn't grow up inside the Imperial Palace, to a position as prestigious as a Chief Guard?"

What, even, was a Chief Guard? Some sort of a general?

"Insurance," came the Emperor's answer. Nao-Zai's head snapped up to find some sort of storm brewing in the Emperor's shrouded eyes. Insurance? That's the same thing his uncle said to him. Was it a coincidence or was it hinting at something more?

"I need reliable allies now, more than ever," the Emperor continued. "Someone who rescued the Crown Prince from Dansarun and fought to bring him back in one piece counts as an ally, right?"

Nao-Zai didn't have an answer to that. He hasn't even touched the chests the Empire had added over his regular pay. "What of the Crown Prince, Your Majesty?" he found himself asking. Why did he even care at this point? Perhaps Kai-Se had already moved on and forgotten him.

A cloud fell over the Emperor's face, making it harder to read. Was there something wrong? "He's in the middle of an assignment," he said. Nao-Zai narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. Was he lying? "It was quite a big one."

Bigger than the Shencai rehabilitation? Nao-Zai had exchanged correspondences with Gang Sen and Pik Shaek and both of them confirmed there was no presence of Xuijae dignitaries anywhere within their borders. Word from around the fortress told him the Imperial Palace was working on developing trade relations with the territory of beings as soon as they could get their industries together. It would be a big win for Xuijae to forge that relationship since Dansarun was almost reduced to nothing.

What could Kai-Se be involved in that proved to be a bigger issue than that? As far as Nao-Zai was concerned, building an empire out of the ashes was a pain in the rear.

Then again, that was the least of Nao-Zai's concerns. The Emperor didn't seem inclined to change his decision on appointing him to whatever a Chief Guard so he'd better start and learn all he could in how to do this new job. He ducked his head at the Emperor in acknowledgment. "Am I expected to start working today?" he asked.

"Take the day off to sort out your affairs," the Emperor answered. "I will have the Generals brief you about your duties tomorrow, at the crack of dawn. I also expect you to attend a conference with the Ministers later in the day. If you need a guide, I'll be happy to send the scholar to get you once more."

That man was a scholar? Huh. "That would be much appreciated," Nao-Zai ducked his head again. "My humblest gratitude for giving me this position, Your Majesty."

Almost with an amused tone, the Emperor said, "Thank me when you've gotten a glimpse of the paperwork," he said. "Dismissed."

With one last bow, Nao-Zai strode out of the room. Taking the same path he took in going in, he caught the guide idling at the lip of the stairs in front of the Jade Palace. An obvious spooked expression twisted the man's features as he stared at the ceiling, the pillars, and at the sentries posted around him.

"You don't hear that?" The guide raised an eyebrow towards Nao-Zai's direction when he joined the man on the stairs. "There's that sound of tinkling bells again."

Nao-Zai creased his eyebrows and ducked past the line of lanterns hanging from the stilts. He craned his neck to the sky. Nothing but the unobstructed blue greeted him. There were no bells ringing. When he strained his ears, he heard nothing of the sort.

Maybe the guide had eaten something terrible at breakfast and started imagining things? "There's nothing in there," Nao-Zai strode past the scholar and tackled the stairs leading to the courtyard. Now, it was the man's turn to catch up to him.

"You don't understand," the guide rambled as they retraced their steps out of the courtyard. Now, Nao-Zai had no idea where they were going. In turn, they paused by one of the lakes between the entrance and the three palaces behind them. "The servants, the court ladies, even some of the eunuchs I talked to said the same thing."

Nao-Zai faced the scholar. "What thing?"

"They all heard bells tinkling at random times of the day. Some heard it during the morning, like I did earlier. Others in the afternoon or even in the middle of the night," the man replied. He, then, dropped his tone and leaned towards Nao-Zai like he was sharing a forbidden secret. "And I've seen it myself. I went to investigate something a court lady from the Butterfly Palace told me. Something about plates clattering, whispering through the walls, and library doors opening and closing at night. And guess what?"

"What?" Nao-Zai prodded. He hated being baited like this.

"It's all true!" The man's voice resembled a quiet hiss, eyeing a crowd of onlookers that weren't there. It was just them in the vast, green landscape. "I tell you, djang-di. The ground quaked and porcelain slipped off their shelves. This...this strange murmuring filled the rooms. The lanterns snuffed out. And what's more..."

Nao-Zai resisted rolling his eyes.

The man continued even without Nao-Zai's prodding. "The library doors were open but there was no light inside," he said. "So, I did the smartest thing to do. I ran."

He shivered and rubbed his arms. "I'm never going back there," he said. "The rumors are true. The Butterfly Palace is cursed. Cursed by the ancient spirits.

And now, the Emperor has just assigned Nao-Zai over it. Could this be connected? One thing was for sure, though. He had to see for himself. He had the whole day off, right? Might as well start looking into this now before it gets too much of a headache.

So, he patted the scholar's shoulder and smiled the best grin he could. "Take me to the Butterfly Palace," he said. Before the scholar could refuse and mutter a bunch of nonsense excuses, Nao-Zai made sure to tighten his hold on the man's shoulder. "I was just appointed as the Chief Guard of the Saengje Region. You don't have the right to refuse. It's an order."

He must have gotten the hierarchy right because the scholar ducked his head in respect, saying, "Right. Of course. This way."

And just like that, Paekdora Nao-Zai was already working. On his first day.