"The warmest greetings from the Hyou clan." said a silver haired girl with steel blue eyes. Her sharp features were softened with her smile. She was the spitting image of her father, Lord Riou Hyou.
"We welcome you to Kiyou city, my lady." said Ryuuki from his throne
"Gifts from the Hyou clan, indigo duck eggs for prosperity and wealth and monkey headed mushrooms for virility." said the lady as she gestured for her handmaiden to present the gifts to the emperor
"We gladly accept these gifts. Thank you." said Ryuuki, the handmaiden gave the gift filled chest to one of the emperor's subordinates.
"May your reign be a long and prosperous one. Happy new year your majesty." said the lady, bowing her head and walking a few steps back then walking back to her seat.
"Happy new year." replied Ryuuki
The rest of the greetings were made and received by the emperor within the week culminating into a banquet hosted by the emperor in honor of the new year. After the banquet, the handmaiden was brushing the lady's hair when another handmaiden called from the outside saying that the emperor was there. She began dressing but kept her hair down, not bothering to fix it. She made her way to her receiving room and bowed when she saw the emperor.
"Your majesty. You have honored me in coming to my home. I am sorry, I am not able to receive you more properly." she said with her head down. Ryuuki came closer, held her by the shoulders brought her up to look him eye to eye.
"It has been a long time, Jia. How have you been, cousin?" asked Ryuuki with a sweet smile on his face.
"I have been well, your majesty."
"Jia, I told you, in private you can call me by my real name."
"Very well, cousin." she said with a laugh. He smiled at this and looked at her, at 24 she was still as beautiful as he had remembered her to be.
"What brings you here Ryuuki?" asked Jia
"There are some things I wanted to talk to you with in private." said Ryuuki
"This is in private?" she asked, gesturing at the two men flanking Ryuuki, "Nevermind, what do you mean to ask?"
"You have always given me truthful and honest advice, and I need that now."
"Of course." said Jia, serving the tea as all four of them sat around the table.
"As emperor, I need to secure the dynasty-"
"Is this about Shuurei?" asked Jia, knowing full well what the answer would be
"Yes. Should I wait?"
"Do you love her?" asked Jia
"Yes."
"Then wait for her." said Jia as she sipped her tea
"You have no worries about the dynasty?" clarified Ryuuki
"No." she said, closing her eyes and taking in the smell of the chrysanthemum tea
"Why?" he asked in confusion, everyone else seemed to think it was a pressing matter to produce heirs to the throne
"Are you planning to start a war anytime soon?"
"No!" said Ryuuki adamantly
"Then there's no need. You're young. You have many years ahead of you to make children." said Jia, "if that is your only problem, then I don't see a problem."
"Shuurei..." he said
"Right. Well have you grown tired of waiting for her?"
"No. I'm just scared that at the end of this, all she will see of me is that I am the emperor."
"Oh you're so foolish little cousin." said Jia, tapping him on the forehead as in reprimanding him
"I am not foolish, Jia." he said with a pout
"Well, don't worry then. You're worrying over nothing. I'm sure Shuurei loves you. Afterall, what's not to love?" she said with a smile.
"Jia!" said Ryuuki, blushing at the attention. Shuuei smiled and Kouyuu blushed and got agitated at the candid statement
"So you don't think she'll forget me? That she'll forget that I'm Ryuuki and only treat me as emperor. Everybody is starting to, I feel." he said, looking at his tea which had already gone cold in his tea cup.
"Ryuuki!" she said, waving her hand, the teacup Ryuuki was holding flew out of his hand and smashed against the wall. At this, Shuuei drew his sword but he was too late because with a flick of her hand he and Kouyuu couldn't move.
"Jia! Stop it! Don't do that to them. They don't understand it." said Ryuuki. Jia looked at Ryuuki then to Shuuei and Kouyuu and said, "if you try doing anything like that again, I will kill you with your own sword. I won't ever think of harming my beloved cousin. So calm yourself." with another flick, they were able to move again as a servant cleaned up the mess.
"Ryuuki, there comes a time when we must grow up, luckily for you you dont have to do that just yet. You can still surround yourself with friends and people you trust," She looked at Shuuei then said, "and have no shadow of a doubt over their loyalty."
"I know that things will become difficult because you have these burdens you will carry that you know no one else but you can bear. I know that. I won't say that people will keep seeing you as Ryuuki, some won't. Some will simply remember you as the emperor and that's okay. Because you know that the people who love you and protect you still know you as Ryuuki." she said, looking at him from her seat at the table with Ryuuki sitting right across from her.
"It will be hard but you want for this country to succeed, yes?" she asked. Ryuuki nodded.
"Then at times there are things worth sacrificing like people knowing you as you. As long as the people you love know you and love you. They will never forget that you are Ryuuki first and emperor second." said Jia.
"But Shuurei."
"It will be the same for Shuurei. Don't you think, after everything, she deserves to be known as more than just Shuurei, the princess of the Hong Clan? For her, it will be a great and welcome experience to be known as a governor and so much more. She was able to do something. Rather than just be a consort, where she will simply be an ornament. Do you want to make Shuurei an ornament Ryuuki?"
"No. That's why I never forced her to marry me."
"Good. Then you're making yourself someone who loves her and respects her not just because she is a woman capable of bearing children and furthering the lineage. You respect her as she is. As Shuurei. You will be the one person aside from her family she can call home. And when the time comes when she would want a family, then she will gladly be your family. And she will be the one making that choice for herself. I promise Ryuuki. Looking at the two of you, I know that your story has not yet ended with you as emperor and she as an official."
"Jia, are you sure Shuurei will love me?" asked Ryuuki
"Oh Ryuuki..." she said then slapped him lightly at the cheek, "have you not been listening to me?" she asked Ryuuki with a smile, her hand glowed as she pressed it to his cheek
Shuuei tried to grab for his sword but Jia immediately froze them again.
"Seriously! Who is this man? He's getting on my nerves." she said waving her hand as the sword was drawn from it's sheath. Shuuei's eyes grew large.
"Jia! Don't!" yelled Ryuuki, at this Seiran burst into the room wondering what the commotion was about
"Seiran." recognizing the man by the door, Jia closed her hands to fists with the sword dropping and Shuuei and Kouyuu unfrozen again.
"My lady." said Seiran with a bow
"I'm not your lady." said Jia coldly, her warm demeanor immediately disappearing, "Leave us." she said, at this the handmaidens left the room. Seiran walked closer to her. She was ready to freeze him in his steps but she couldn't.
"Not any closer Seien." he stopped when she said the name he had long abandoned
"Did you think that I would forget you? In any case, I think Ryuuki is an excellent emperor, I'm glad he was the one who sat on the throne." she said
"That is something you and I agree upon." he said with complete genuity in his voice
"Good." she said, turning around and ringing the bell. A handmaiden rushed in collected the tea as another laid out a freshly brewed pot.
"Please, take a seat. All of you. I would love to get to know you all. Well, I already know Ryuuki and Seien but you two, who are you?" asked Jia
"You have Ryuuki's irises. Hm. You are trusted. Don't break that trust. It's hard to remedy." said Jia, as she poured a cup for Seiran and Ryuuki.
"Well, who are you? I'd like to know the people who visit me at my residence." she said with a smile
"I am Kouyuu Li. I am the assistant minister for the Department of Civil Affairs."
"He's one of my trusted advisers." said Ryuuki, which Kouyuu received with a smile
"And you are?" she said, looking at Shuuei's direction
"The one you have been toying with." he said angrily
"Shuuei!" said Ryuuki, trying to stop anything more from happening.
"I have little patience for people who don't heed my word. Now who are you and why are you here with my little cousin."
"I am 17, Jia." said Ryuuki as he blew on his tea before taking a sip.
"I am Shuuei Ran. But I think you already know that."
"Of course I do. I just wanted to know whether you would tell me the truth." she said with a smile.
"He is General Ran, I trust him as much as I trust Seiran with my life." said Ryuuki
"Well, you must be something then." she said with a smile and without a hint of sarcasm.
"I am." said Shuuei with a smile, he had started calming down after the entire incident
"You're funny. I like you!" she said. The entire mood had lightened up after her talk with Ryuuki. It seemed like Ryuuki was far more settled and the others had been less guarded. They proceeded to talk amicably about Ryuuki and his reign and his plans for the future and him fretting over Shuurei. Her cold appearance was the complete opposite of her warm demeanor which was shown only to trusted friends and family.
"Thank you for accommodating me, Jia." said Ryuuki as he stepped outside of the residence, and into the courtyard, where his carriage had been waiting for him.
"I would do it for my emperor." she said at this Ryuuki had a disheartened face, "Oh come on! I was only joking. I would do that for the emperor on a good day. I would do it for my littlest cousin on the worst day of the worst year of my life. I would do anything for you." she said, taking his face and giving him a kiss on each cheek.
"Thank you Jia." said Seiran, bowing down to her. She looked at him, and lifted his face to meet her gaze.
"You're welcome, Seien." she said, giving him a kiss on each cheek which he blushed at, "I forgive you." she whispered. At this he just nodded and stood behind Ryuuki.
"Thank you lady Jia." said Kouyuu. She acknowledged him with a nod.
"Thank you lady Jia." said Shuuei. She also nodded at him
"Where is my kiss?" asked Shuuei
"You are rather presumptuous." she said with a smile, "We have only just met. I won't kiss you yet."
"Then we must meet again." said Shuuei with a smile.
"That we must." she said with a nod and bade farewell to them as they left the gate.
"You really can't help yourself can you?" asked Kouyuu when they were in the carriage. Before Shuuei can answer Ryuuki spoke up,
"Don't fall in love with my cousin Shuuei." said Ryuuki as he looked him directly at the eye
"Why not?"
"Just don't." said Ryuuki
"I have no intention of falling in love with your cousin." said Shuuei.