Didn't he say his theurgy blossomed at eight? 'When the Emperor took you under his wing,' concluded Isla.

'For which he has my eternal gratitude.' Taeichi's eyes darted to the door. He pulled a grill onto the firepit and slathered it with oil before laying it with thin-sliced ribs. The sound of sizzling drowned his words when he continued, 'I have not stepped foot outside Momuji since.'

'Surely he allows at least a visit to the people who raised you.'

Taeichi's smile did not reach his eyes. 'Of course. I visit them every night. The Emperor was kind enough to give me their urns.'

Isla's eyes widened. 'Are you saying he—'

'I say nothing. It was an unfortunate accident. An earth tremor destroyed the hokkan in which they were staying. The entire family was slain.'

'But not you.'

'I was awaiting results of my blooding at the time, and so saved from the tragedy.'

'Let me guess—everyone else from your clan believes you died with them.'

Taeichi chuckled. 'You are full of questions, Lilja-dame. Did you not learn that the curious porpoise loses its fin?'

'I believe you baited my curiosity, seunghwan.'

'As any expert hunter would.'

'So how did you come to be in the Emperor's auspicious eye? I doubt he spends his resources scouring the realm for talented young theurgists to adopt into his care.'

'The Divine Gyok always had their eyes on me.' He said this without pride or pleasure. Taeichi flipped the ribs on the grill. Oil hissed and spat. Isla strained to hear his next words, 'My great grandfather was also truth-weaver for the emperor of his time. That alone is enough to generate interest in his offspring.'

Isla's eyes narrowed. 'Truth-weaving—especially one high enough to advise an Emperor—is a rare theurgy, yet you're the second in four generations?'

'I know what you think. Though my clan is indeed one of the more selective communities, we share none of the Divine Gyok's practices. My great-grandfather married outside the clan, for one. His son—my grandfather—even wedded a wildflower. It was not until my father that he wedded a woman of the same clan.'

Taeichi took a rack of ribs off the grill and served it onto Isla's plate. His movements were always so graceful, precise. Isla felt like a street urchin dining beside him. 'So you aren't a Divine Gyok.'

He was unbothered by the question. 'I do not belong to the Gyok clan.'

His choice of words was a little too careful. It felt like an answer Isla herself might give.

'Your lies taste just like mine,' he had said. Was this what he meant?

A question formed in her mouth, but the look he gave her silenced it immediately. The door opened then with a whisper of wood. An older man entered, juggling a tray of sweets and dessert drinks. Isla shirked uncomfortably under his gaze. He watched her as he served, but it was not the threatening gaze of a wildcat sizing its prey—that she would have been able to handle, meet with a challenge of her own. His felt more appraising, critical ... like Noi watching her while she attempted to cook.

Taeichi spoke to him in Tsun, their conversation flying way beyond Isla's level. She used the moment to study the man in return. He did not dress like a guard, and he did not behave like a servant. He could not be family—foster or blood—and surely if he were a member of Taeichi's clan, he would be dining with him instead of serving.

A servant, then, of the Emperor's?

Isla dropped her gaze and scraped a piece of rib off its bone.

She did not dare bring the subject of Taeichi's lineage up afterwards, even after the man had left, nor did Taeichi try to revive their earlier discussion. He asked about Tam Mai, Isla fought the temptation to pry about Kiet, and they spent the rest of the evening speaking over harmless nothings.

When it came time for her to leave, Taeichi sent a guard to escort her to the hokkan. 'It shames me that I cannot escort you myself,' he said, sneering at the soldiers who had followed him outside his gate.

'There's really no need to trouble yourself. The mist is hardly thick enough to obstruct the path.'

'That will quickly change, and being alone in the mist is not a pleasant experience. Most of these shigōkan are empty—if you find yourself lost, nobody will be there to help.'

The mist was slowly rising, presently hovering just below their knees. It veiled the empty streets, swirled against the brick walls that stretched endlessly around them. 'I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds this place unnerving. I will accept your escort.'

'It was not always like this, I assure you. Once upon a time, Ikidojja was truly beautiful and full of life. We had the realm's greatest sculptors living behind these walls, the most talented singers, artists, poets. The playhouse would hold a performance every week's end ...'

'So what happened?'

Taeichi stepped aside as a mount was brought out from his residence, saddled and ready to go. 'Good question.' He offered a hand. Isla took it, even though she could mount a horse perfectly well on her own. 'I suppose the mist happened.'

❖ ❖ ❖

'What do you know about the Emperor's truth-weaver?'

Yui poked her head from under the bar. 'Isn't that a question the general would be better answering?'

Isla looked around the room. Not to search for the general, but to ensure no one had followed—particularly that suspicious looking man who had barged in on her dinner. She would not be able to tell even if one did; all the other patrons were dressed in soldier garbs, they were impossible to differentiate. 'How has Tam Mai been, by the way?'

The moment more guards started streaming in, Tam Mai had retreated to their rooms. At least she was able to spend longer time unsupervised.

'We spent the day making seaweed rice-rolls. She's very good at decorating them.'

'No problems, then?'

'None at all! Tamma-uchi even made friends with a soldier before his friends came and frightened her away.'

'Did she, now?' Isla frowned into the crowd behind her, as though she would recognise this soldier if she saw his face. Maybe Tamma will paint his face ...

'But the truth-weaver.' Yui resurfaced from the floor, bottlenecks clamped between her fingers. She arranged the bottles, poured them deftly into small cups, and slid each drink along the bar as she talked. 'I've only seen him a few times, during temple festivals. He looks intimidating, that's all I know.'

'He isn't as mean as he looks.' Isla stole a glass of rice wine before Yui slid it to her next customer. Why was she even defending him?

Yui grinned knowingly. 'Oh? Is that how it is?'

'No! I was only wondering—' What was she wondering? Whether she could trust him? Whether or not she should help? Despite her instincts, she wanted to do more for Taeichi. She felt as though their fates were bound, somehow—and not in the sickly way of lovers, but like a kindred spirit. And if not her, was there someone else who might be able to help him? 'What do you know of his clan?'

'He comes from good stock, if that's the real question.' Yui giggled. 'But to be honest, not much is known about him. He is the Emperor's truth-weaver, so his background is kept secret to prevent any kind of extortion. Rumour is he's a Refined Ginkgo or an Eternal Durumi—one of those noble clans—but from which exact relation or where, I think not just anybody would know.'

'I heard his great-grandfather was also a truth-weaver.'

'Not much was known about him, either.' Yui shrugged. 'Our history books don't say much about our truth-weavers.'

'Do you have many clans in Tsunai?'

'Tennu's blessings, countless of them! Some span hundreds of thousands of families, others might only consist of a few hundred. Older clans are more respected and established, but new clans sprout every now and again. Some newer merchant clans, especially of foreign unions, but mostly a Dancing Nettle or a Tumbling Soapwort ... you know, just another wildflower.'

'Another what?' Isla had heard that term earlier. Did Taeichi not say his grandfather had wedded a wildflower? She thought he had referred to an actual clan, but the way Yui said it—

'Another wildflower. It is what we call the baseborn clans ... you know, because there are so many of us everywhere.'

A baseborn.

That's it, isn't it?

The reason why his story felt so similar to hers. He said his great-grandfather married outside his clan—the same great-grandfather who served as Imperial Truth-Weaver. Being close to the royal family, it was not unlikely that he had wedded a Divine Gyok.

Then their son married a baseborn, and two generations later came Taeichi—all ripe with theurgy when his grandparents were only ever supposed to spawn a barren generation.

That's why the Emperor keeps him hidden and secluded. Being his truth-weaver has nothing to do with it—it only saved him from a quick, quiet execution.

Loud voices interrupted her ominous thoughts. Soldiers crowded the bar around her; young and full of drink. Yui cast an apologetic smile before entertaining their advances.

Here, as well?

Were Amarin's snakes spread throughout the entire Eastern Isles? Was there no place, no safety, no rest for people like Isla? Like her sister?

Would Tam Mai, too, spend the rest of her life running and hiding?

Isla almost envied Taeichi. He at least did not need to hide his true name and power. He at least did not have to spend his entire life looking behind his shoulder, waiting for a knife in the dark. Unless the Emperor suddenly decides he no longer has need of a truth-weaver.

Ifrit's breath, this is what he meant. He had helped her; granted her and Tam Mai access, permitted her blatant lies, all out of this sense of kinship she, too, now felt. And she would shrug hers off and leave him to his fate.

❖

↝ END CHAPTER THIRTEEN ↜

❖

☆ this chapter is dedicated to asht_bae ☆

Video: Chetta Monster
Image: Photomanipulation + digital painting of Yui by yours truly

So Isla's finally figured out what's up with Taeichi ... but now that she knows, do you think she'd help him out after all?

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter! I've now posted about 60% of what I have written in my offline copy. I like to keep my manuscript ahead by at least 10 chapters, so updates will taper down until I get ahead of schedule again.
In the meantime, I'm working on another Q&A section, so if you have any questions—whether they be about the story, my writing process, or me in general—drop them at an inline comment here, and I'll answer them in the Bonus Chapter!