Part 3, Chapter 31

Consequences

Ch 31

The Emperor once more sat on the breath throne in the long marble hallway, filled with the restless, shifting High Gods. Merfolk guards stood uneasily in groups along the walls, having be summoned by their prince. The hostility between the groups was palatable and from her place tucked behind her usual pillar Xun would not have been surprised to see fighting break out. Then the Emperor spoke and he seemed like some one she had never met before.

“The King of the Merfolk has broken the natural order of the world by trying to claim dominion over the land. He has been lured out of the Palace by my brother and the Heavenly Soldiers of the Palace Guard who are gravely outnumbered. The King of the Merfolk seeks to eliminate me and seal his power over the Heavenly Realm. If this happens chaos will over take the three realms. We must prevent this. At dawn tomorrow we close the trap my brother has laid and drive the invaders back to their territory to return peace to the worlds.”

The High Gods cheered and growled, their rage at being captured given a target.

“Prince Xidi of the Merfolk, attend me.” 

The hall went silent. The High Gods, some of whom had been murmuring that they should start the reclamation of their territory by killing the Merfolk still in the place, moved their hands to their weapons.

Xidi, not the kind uncle who had bounced her on his knee, but a full Merfolk prince, proud and swaggering moved to stand before the throne. He bowed once, prince to monarch, and stood calmly before his Emperor, as if he stood in front of a crowd baying for his blood every day. Xun thought about what she knew of the King of the Merfolk. Maybe Prince Xidi did and that’s why he was so calm.

The Emperor spoke again. “I name you as a General of the Heavenly Legion. Your troops to be counted as equal in status to any Heavenly Soldier of the same rank. You are assigned to guard the Palace and the City until I return from battle.”

Outrage filled the court as the High Gods rebelled against their Emperor’s order. A whip crack of power snapped above everyone in the room, forcing them to their knees. Xun and the Emperor were the only ones to remain standing.

“Prince Xidi has sworn his allegiance to me. Do you question my judgment?”

The High Gods said nothing. There was no safe reply. The silence grew heavy, crushing them down further. Eventually the Emperor released them. 

Xidi bowed, as cool as the ocean depths he had been born in, “I hear and obey,” he said, as if the entire interlude between his orders and his response had never happened. 

The Emperor nodded. “Bring me the traitor, Zao Shen,” he said.

Two Merfolk guards dragged the struggling cook before the throne. 

“Zao Shen. You drugged the High Gods, enabling their capture and endangering their existence. Why?”

Zao Shen trembled. “The King has my wife. I would do anything to keep her safe. Anything, my Emperor.”

Jianyu’s eyes went to the figure of the little maid half hidden behind one of the pillars near the rear of the hall. “Still, the betrayal of your fellow gods is a serious crime. For the next thousand years your soul will be scattered among your icons, hung in the kitchens of the mortals who honor you. Watch over them well and every year you may return to the Heavenly Realm for a single week to report on the mortals.”

Zao Shen wept.

The Emperor rose from his throne and stood before the crying man. He placed a finger between to gods eyes. Zao Shen looked at him in terror. In a voice so low only the two of them could hear Jianyu said, “I will find your wife. She will be safe in your absence.”

Zao Shen had no chance to respond before he was shattered. 

At the back of the court Xun shed silent tears for her old friend.