Dynasty: The Glorious Strategist (Dynasty Saga Book 3) (5 page)

Unable to contain her laughter Ling started to flail around in Shan’s arms laughing, begging Lymee to stop.

“You have done it, my lord,” Shan said feigning surprise. “She’s alive!” Shan lowered the squirming girl to the ground and as soon as her feet touched the ground Ling and Oun were off running once more.

“Where do they get all that energy?” Lymee gazed in wonder as the two girls ran around laughing and playing together. “’Cause I could certainly use some.”

“I think we always have the same amount of energy our whole lives,” Shan explained as she watched the two girls. “It is just that as we get older our bodies are get bigger and thus it takes more energy to do anything. But when we are young and small like that the energy is practically overflowing.”

“I think it’s all the sweets you keep feeding them,” Lymee stated.

“Or that,” Shan agreed.

“Would you care to join us?” Lymee asked gesturing to the cloth that Rin was still sitting on.

“My lord,” Shan bowed her head not making eye contact. “A slave such as myself would only spoil the air around you.”

Before the words were even fully out of her mouth Lymee raised her hand and gave the hardest flick to the forehead that she could muster. Shan let out a slight yelp as she looked up in confusion. She nearly froze when she saw the very serious expression on Lymee’s face.

“I would be honored, my lord.” Shan’s mouth smiled but her eyes did not.

“That’s better,” Lymee huffed storming back to the blanket and plopping herself down. As she did so she reached out a hand and wrapped it around Rin drawing her in close. Rin did not resist instead she placed a balancing hand on Lymee’s back.

Shan was much slower in her walk across and she took forever to sit down constantly looking every which way as she did so. Shan exchanged glances with Rin as she sat down almost like she was apologizing for her presence. Lymee could not see what kind of look Rin gave back but Lymee squeezed Rin’s shoulder all the same. Then Lymee looked up at Yunna and Bai.

“Why don’t you two join us as well,” Lymee waved them over with her free hand.

Bai’s eyes widened in what could almost be described as abject horror but Yunna only bowed her head respectfully and started making her way towards them.

“My lord,” Rin whispered. Not in a demeaning or belittling way but more as a warning.

“It’s alright,” Lymee assured, hugging her tighter as she flashed her a smile. “One of the advantages of being on top of the pyramid is that there is no one above to yell at you.”

“It is not for you that I am worried for,” Rin whispered.

Lymee frowned looking down at her. She thought about saying something but her thoughts were interrupted by Yunna and Bai slowly sitting down on the blanket across from Shan. Yunna sat the closest to the slave as where Bai seemed to be putting as much distance as she could from both Shan and the two nobles.

“See?” Lymee smiled. “The world didn’t end. The earth kept on turning.”

As soon the words were out of her mouth a voice called out to them. Lymee turned and saw Jiang making her way across the gardens at a very brisk walk. How someone her age still managed to move with such fervor was a mystery to Lymee but she hoped that she would be able to do the same when she was old and grey.

“What is it?” Lymee asked debating on whether she should stand up to meet the woman or not.

“A messenger eagle from Su Palace just arrived,” Jian bowed her head holding up the small metal cylinder.

Lymee swallowed as she stood up and took the cylinder, the rest of them standing up as well. On the front was Alia’s seal as well and Lymee’s name scrawled across it. It was a message meant only for her. This could mean only one thing.

She hastily opened the container and pulled out the message inside then unrolled it. She then held it up so she could read it. She grimaced in anger as she looked at the symbols on the page.

“Thank you Official Jiang. You may go,” Lymee said nodding at the woman.

Jiang politely bowed her head taking a few steps back before turning and walking away.

“What is it?” Rin asked noticing the expression on Lymee’s face.

“I don’t know,” Lymee admitted. “It’s written in Mura and I don’t recognize any of the characters.” Lymee handed the parchment to Rin silently asking her to do what Lymee could not.

While Lymee had been learning how to read and write in their language there were several different forms of their writing. There was Kinju which was considered the peasants language. It was basic letter symbols that when put together formed words. Then there was Mura the nobles’ language that had a different character for every single word. Meaning that learning the words was more a test in memorization. Something Lymee had always been terrible at.

Understanding Lymee’s shame Rin took the letter giving Lymee a comforting look before she started to read it out loud.

“Lord Lymee Sun of the Su family. The wondrous Heavenly Fox, Gift from The Heavens,” Rin read.

“Skip,” Lymee sighed having no patience for such stupid formalities. She was growing inpatient. She had dreaded this day ever since she returned from her wanderings. The day she would be told that Alia had finally succumb to her paralyzing illness.

Rin looked up from the message at Lymee with a rather annoyed look but she obliged. “You are hereby summoned back to Su Palace at once.” Rin lowered the paper. “It goes on for a little bit longer addressing some other formalities.”

“Thank you,” Lymee smiled taking the paper back and examining the bottom. Sure enough, Alia’s seal was stamped there. Something only Alia herself should be able to do. But Lymee knew that Alia also trusted Keo with her seal from time to time. That meant this summons could in fact have been sent by either one of them. While Lymee doubted that Keo would do so without Alia’s permission or knowledge, if Alia had in fact taken a turn for the worse then…

Lymee took a breath clearing her mind of such thoughts. Fretting over it now did her no good.

“Then I had best be heading off then,” Lymee stated, opening her eyes once more. “Shan, go ready a carriage for me.”

“As you say, my lord,” Shan bowed her head in acknowledgement then darted off. Lymee would rather just take a horse. It would have been faster but she could only imagine the fit that the others would throw if the heir to the family rode into the Palace in common clothing while riding a horse.

“Yunna,” Lymee turned to her servant. “Go inform Voss and Yoni that the three of you will be departing shortly and for them to make ready as well.”

“Of course, my lord.” Yunna gave an even deeper bow than Shan had, before she walked off in search for Yoni and Voss.

“Any idea what is going on?” Rin asked moving in close to Lymee but stopping just before their bodies touched.

“I can’t say for certain,” though she was still certain she knew.

Alia had been fighting a strange sickness for over two years now that was slowly paralyzing her body from the feet up. Its origin was unknown but they knew it had something to do with her use of her spirit powers and they suspected it was hereditary.

In order to hide her paralysis Alia had locked herself in her study. The only people that were ever allowed to see her were Lymee and her two lovers Keo, who was her personal servant and adviser, and Sai her top general.

Alia should still have at least six more months left before her sickness progressed far enough that it would start to affect her organs and eventually kill her. But when Lymee had been poisoned by Shan’s arrow five months back, Alia had used a lot of her spirit to heal her thus accelerating the progression of her sickness to untold lengths. It was possible that it was progressing faster than they had originally thought.

“Then I suppose this might be the last time any of us see you for a while,” Rin stated. Her voice was flat trying to hide the sadness she must have felt.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Lymee promised reaching out and cupping the woman’s cheek with her hand. Leaning forward she pressed her forehead to Rin’s, closing her eyes as she held her there.

“I know my love,” Rin smiled also closing her eyes.

Lymee knew what words Rin really wanted to hear in this moment. And the words almost came out of Lymee’s mouth but they caught in her throat preventing her from saying anything.

Accepting that Lymee was not going to say anything else Rin moved herself in closer wrapping her arms around Lymee’s waist and held her tight. Lymee did not know for how long they stayed like that but eventually Shan returned telling them that the carriage was ready. So Lymee said one last goodbye to Rin before slipping out of their embrace and walked away.

It would be years before Lymee ever saw Rin again.

***                      

“My lord, do you have any idea what this is about?” Voss asked his body swaying with the rocking of the carriage.

“Can’t say for certain,” Lymee said her eyes closed as her head rested on Yunna’s lap. She was laying on the seat of the carriage her knees bent slightly not quite able to stretch all the way out. Yunna was casually running her fingers through Lymee’s long hair and occasionally braiding it or doing some other thing as she played with it. Kitsune was comfortably curled up on Lymee’s chest sound asleep. Lymee lightly petting her fur.

“But you do have an idea,” Yoni pressed. Yoni was sitting next to her brother across the carriage from Lymee and Yunna. Both of them were glaring at Lymee but she paid them no mind keeping her eyes closed.

“I have lots of ideas,” Lymee replied. “Like the idea of splicing plants, particularly with apple trees. They don’t work so well in terms of reproduction, I don’t think, but they might do us a lot of good in terms of food harvest.”  

“Would this by chance have anything to do with the reason we left Su Province?” Voss asked resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. He seemed unfazed by Lymee’s deflection.

Dang. Lymee thought. They were getting better at ignoring her diversions. There was a time they would be chewing on that kind of comment for hours.

“I left Su to be with Rin,” Lymee said never bothering to open her eyes.

“No,” Yoni dragged out the word. “I believe our lord went to Hu to be with Rin but I do not think that was the reason she left Su Palace.”

Lymee stiffened slightly at her words. Yunna noticed Lymee’s movement and stopped her stroking of Lymee’s hair. “You guys sure are nosey about this,” Lymee stated, casually reaching up and touching Yunna’s hand signaling for her to continue.

“I believe it was you, my lord, who continually tells us to be vocal about any concerns we may have,” Voss reminded.

“Especially where you are concerned,” Yoni added. “And let’s face it, you have been acting differently ever since we came back from your wanderings.” Yoni frowned as she thought it over. “No. You have been acting different ever since you met back up with us in Gon Dynasty after you left us to attend your birthday celebration.”

“She’s right,” Voss agreed seeming to have just realized that himself.

“I was almost killed.” Lymee held up two fingers. “Twice. Three times if we count the arrow, the poison and the bandits that I met on the road. Any near death experience is bound to have its effects.”

“That is exactly what I thought at the time,” Yoni nodded. “But the more I think about it the less that seems the actual cause. You were in such a hurry to return to Su Province after you found us but in less than a week after our arrival you left to go to Hu Province.”

“I found your behavior rather strange as well,” Yunna said speaking up for the first time. “Especially given your relationship with Lord Hanna. But even during the short duration that we were there you hardly spent any time with her.”

“Is it true that she is going mad like her mother?” Voss asked a look of worry and fear flashing across his face. That rumor had become the common assumption that most people had. After all, Alia’s mother had done much the same thing before she had died. Locking herself in her room allowing no one to see her.

Until all of this had started with Alia, even she had thought her mother simply had gone crazy one day and ruined her health because of it. Now it was assumed that the same thing that was happening to Alia had also happened to her mother and their reasoning for hiding themselves away were probably same as well. 

For a lord to appear weak in front of their subjects was the worst thing to do. It was apparently better to appear mad but powerful than frail but sane. Lymee did not pretend to understand it all and her concerns on the matter had been flatly dismissed.

“Well let’s make it a mental exercise,” Lymee suggested cupping Kitsune close to her as she sat up and kicked her feet over the edge so she was facing the two. Their looks of concern was very apparent. Not that she blamed them. She could only imagine the look she had been wearing as they got inside the carriage before they left. “What are some possible theories that you may have?”

The two siblings looked at each other as if conferring with each other telepathically. They very well might have been for all Lymee knew. It was sometimes scary how those two always seemed to know what the other was thinking. And she had no idea what all the capabilities of Yoni’s spirit magic were. Now that she thought about it she had no idea if Voss had any spirit ability as well. As far as she could tell he had never used any, but given Lymee’s limited knowledge on the subject, that did not mean anything.