It was not every day one could acquire a blessing from the Emperor, and Yui did not hide her excitement at the prospect. For that reason alone Isla suffered the queue into the Spring Hall.

"Cheer up, Eldest. He'll be in there, too." Tam Mai's voice slithered into Isla's head.

Stop that.

"Mind-speaking, or speaking about him?"

Both.

Tam Mai giggled, took a bite of her skewered fish cake. The line moved four paces forward. At least the Spring Hall was high enough they had an unobstructed view of the grounds. Vendors pulling sugar into silky-smooth rolls of thousand-thread candy, children fishing at the koi stalls. Isla watched the temple gates, but saw no sign of Eshe. 'She's really late.'

'Good thing we have time to wait.' Yui grinned.

'She could have at least sent a messenger ahead to let us know.'

She gave the temple grounds one last sweep. Over by the gardens, women in persimmon shrine robes danced to the accompaniment of two kokyū players. The air resonated with their rich highs and woody lows.

Isla sighted him across the dancers.

He sat on a raised platform set between the fringetrees, absently playing with his paper fan. Isla saw now why Yui had called him intimidating. Irritation dripped from his face, though to her its source was clear. Even alone in a public sphere his guards still tailed him. They stood bracketing his platform, watching not the show, but the truth-weaver in his seat.

The line was moving at a snail pace, Eshe was missing, and Isla did not particularly want to face the Emperor anyway. 'Tam Mai, stay here with Yui-dae.'

'Are you going to wait for Eshe at the gate?'

'I'm just taking a quick look around. I won't be long.'

'It'd be rude to just hop back in front of the line!'

'Then I'll wait for you by the door while you go inside, all right?'

Yui caught Isla's look and squeezed Tam Mai into silence. 'Tamma-uchi had better finish that fish cake, or they won't let any of us in!'

Isla nodded her thanks and hurried down the temple steps.

The truth-weaver was so surprised to see her, he dropped his fan and rose from his excruciatingly low seat. His guards moved in to stop her at first, but exchanged a tired glance upon recognising her face. They did not even bother to check her, this time. If they had, they would have found the dagger behind her jin-sang.

'Damesae.' Taeichi helped her up the platform, eyeing his guards. 'Have you come to watch the dance with me?'

'You looked like you could use the company. This is quite a large platform for one man to sit alone.'

'The Empress will not be attending this year's festival, nor her children. They did not even bother setting a seat for them this year.' Taeichi waved at his lonely chair. 'We only have one, but it is long enough for two. Though I can stand if you prefer.'

'Of course not. Your men already seem to think we're having a love affair, anyway.'

Taeichi cocked his head, as though the thought only then occurred to him. 'Does that bother you?'

'Whatever keeps them off my back.' Isla shrugged. She maintained as much composure as she could when they sat, so close their knees touched. 'It should not be too difficult to lose them in the crowds.'

'If I but only could. Unluckily for me, it would be discourteous; blasphemous, even, to leave the royal dais completely empty. I may not be royalborn, but I am the Emperor's right-hand adviser, and apparently the only representative available.'

'I heard the Empress had some urgent business to attend to, but I thought one of her children at least would come to an event as important as this.'

'The children are her urgent business. They will not be coming anywhere today,' muttered Taeichi darkly.

'What do you mean?'

Taeichi thought for a while. 'The mind-healer. She is a friend of yours. Suffice to say, after today, her services may no longer be required.'

His voice was even, which only alarmed Isla more. 'What are they planning to do with her?'

'With Obou-nue? Nothing, as far as I know. But you did not come here to talk of the Emperor's children or their warden. So tell me. What truly brings you to my platform?'

The guards were too far, the music too loud, for anyone to overhear. 'I'll tell you as soon as your earring stops twinkling.'

'An interesting way to announce your imminent falsehoods.'

'If I am to tell you, I need to be able to trust you. Why should I, when you don't even trust me?'

'Have I not kept your secret, Lilja-dame, against my own best interests?' Even so, he let his theurgy die. The glimmer in his ear faded.

Isla kept her eyes on his. She was no truth-weaver; she only had her own intuition to guide her. 'I know what you are, why the Emperor keeps you here, as good as a prisoner. You're descended of a royal- and baseborn union, aren't you? Your great-grandfather wedded a Divine Gyok.'

Taeichi's smile never wavered. 'I cannot comment on the matter of my lineage.'

'You spoke so freely of it before.'

'I said only that he married outside his clan. Further than that, I am at no liberty to discuss, though you are free to draw your own conclusions.'

'You asked me to help you get out of here, yet you don't even trust me enough to share your past.'

'You don't understand.' Taeichi sighed and turned his gaze upon the dancers. 'Trust has naught to do with it. Please, do not make me speak of things beyond my—' He stopped, his hand curling into a fist around the cushions. 'One does not need to watch a candle burn to know that it has been lit.'

Isla drew back, studying Taeichi's face. If she only had Tam Mai's theurgy, perhaps she could read his answers upon it. 'I see.'

'I have discouraged you. Is my silence not enough of an answer?'

Isla sniffed. 'I never thought there would be another like my sister and I. Someone who shared our fate. Now that I've found one, I thought we might be able to help each other, but ... I'm beginning to think you belong here. You will never survive out there, guided by fear.'

Taeichi's laughter matched the intensity of the kokyū. 'You think I am a coward? Incompetent? If you expect freeing me would free yourself, that somehow we might escape our prison together, then save yourself the trouble. There is no other fate for us than hiding. Did you think I was the only other like you? That there are not hundreds, thousands of us murdered or imprisoned all across the Great Ters Altum?'

'Taeichi-seung—'

'I tell you, damesae, there is not a kingdom in any corner of the world where we will be safe; where factions do not exist, dedicated to keeping our sacrilegious blood secret.'

'Taeichi!'

He was too shocked to answer, but Isla had no time to apologise. Red seeped through the fabric of his yi-sang, blossoming across his chest even while he spoke.

'You're bleeding!' Before she knew what she was doing, Isla pulled his yi-sang open. Shards fell onto the cushions.

'Ah.' Taeichi pulled a chain around his neck. Upon it hung the remnants of a glass pendant, its surface dripping red. 'It looks like you lit me, after all.'

'What?' Isla ran a finger across his chest. The blood was fresh, but there was no cut. 'I don't under—'

'You must leave.' Taeichi tied his yi-sang tight, covered the stain with his robe. 'They must not know it was you who broke my blood-oath.'

'Your what?'

'We do not have much time.' Taeichi leaned back in his seat, as though nothing had happened. 'The Emperor will know soon enough that my oath is broken, but he will not know what secret it is I revealed, nor to whom.'

Isla's stomach sank. 'An oath? But—no. You revealed nothing!'

'Like us.' Taeichi's smile was resigned. He shook his head at his own mistake. 'There is no other fate for us. Indeed, I am like you. Now you must go.'

'Wait!' Isla grasped his arm as the truth-weaver waved for one of his guards to escort her away. 'Come with me! If your oath is broken—'

'You know that is impossible.'

'I can help you!'

'Not now.' Taeichi pulled her off his wrist. 'My guards have seen you too often. I must first draw the Emperor's suspicion elsewhere.'

His guard was approaching. Isla had no option but to rise. But if not now, then when? The Emperor will have him in his dungeons before the next sun rises.

'Your sister needs you, Lilja.'

My sister.

Isla turned to leave, then paused. 'It's Isla.'

'What?'

'My name. It's Isla.'

  
❖ ❖ ❖

☆ this chapter is dedicated to sagerosemaryandtime ☆

Video: Sound Earth. ASMR
Image: Original photographers unknown

Things are coming to a head, now. But with Taeichi's oath broken, was it a good idea to reveal her true name to him?

Hello all and welcome back! Yes, three updates in three weeks -- don't get used to it, though. After this chapter concludes, I'll be off on hiatus for another month since I'll be abroad without access to my laptop, and then it's back to updates every second week after that.
In the meantime, early access chapters are still scheduled for every two weeks on Patreon, so if you enjoy my work and would like to read ahead, please consider becoming a patron!