in the end. But he would suffer the very same fate of course.
"Of course it will."
"And I will not get into trouble?"
"Chien, don't ask so many questions." Minh was irritated by his doubt and doing a poor job of hiding it. "It will work out perfectly. Now enjoy your breakfast, I have things to take care of." Minh ate the last of what was left in his bowl and left. Chien did not miss the fact that two guards stepped inside at his absence.
Chien had to force the last of the food down for form's sake before asking shyly for an escort back to his room. Once he was alone, he looked back into the box. A vial of translucent green liquid sat inside of it. Minh wanted him to poison Tuan.
His method lacked honor as well, but Tuan and Minh were not his true targets for the throne. They would need to be dealt with of course. They were as wicked as their mother. Wickeder for the mere fact that they had had so much more time to grow into monsters beyond what their mother had become.
The worst part about his aunt's betrayal was that she had not always been as such. Once upon a time, his aunt had treated Chien and his sister, An like her own. She had been full of laughter and stories. The death of her husband had changed her.
The same way the death of his family had changed him.
The banquet that night would see the last part of his plans to fall into place. He could only hope the Dragon would protect him.
****
Chien watched from the verandah as the sun sank into the ground and day slid seamlessly into night. The banquet would come soon; Chien was not at all completely sure he was ready. His mind whirled with worries and doubts, and no matter how much he attempted to tell himself that he should throw them away, the action was far more difficult than the thought.
His personal guards sat before him, their backs to the wall. Chien had always assumed that the Empress had placed him there in hopes that some lucky assassin would take the bait she had so lovingly placed and do away with him. There had been no assassins, however. General Bao, despite the minister's doubt of him, took his job quite seriously.
It was how Chien had met him, patrolling along the path that led from Chien's rooms to the main hall, his dark eyes not missing a single thing. Especially not the sight of a prince busy training when all should have been asleep.
Thinking on it, he could nearly recall the sound of Bao's boots against the stone path. He was being stupid allowing himself to become distracted like that. He should have been meditating in hopes that the Dragon would help him calm his mind and find the answers. Instead he was letting his thoughts once again bring him down the dusty forbidden path.
After a few seconds though, he realized that the sound of boots upon gravel was not simply in his imagination. His eyes opened and he took in the sight of Bao, that damnable half smirk upon his face, steadily approaching him.
The man seemed so damned confident in his reception that Chien grew more determined to sit right where he was and allow Bao to come to him. If anything, Bao's smirk widened. Could he hear Chen's heart pounding even now? "Prince Chien," Bao greeted him with a bow once he drew close enough.
"General. Have you paid visits to my cousins in such a manner as well?"
Bao laughed and stood, "I would have, but I believe I made a promise to a particularly spoiled prince."
"You forget your place, General."
"I much prefer you like this." Chien's eyes widened in confusion. "In front of the Empress and the princes, you play the fool. But here in the rising dark you are filled with haughty pride. It suits you." Bao stood close enough now that he caught Chien's chin in his calloused hand.
"Is that so, General?" But Chien could not think of any witty response, not when this man's presence seemed enough to cloud his thoughts until he could not remember a whit of his master plan. All he could think of was the tragedy that would inevitably unfold when Bao
"Of course it will."
"And I will not get into trouble?"
"Chien, don't ask so many questions." Minh was irritated by his doubt and doing a poor job of hiding it. "It will work out perfectly. Now enjoy your breakfast, I have things to take care of." Minh ate the last of what was left in his bowl and left. Chien did not miss the fact that two guards stepped inside at his absence.
Chien had to force the last of the food down for form's sake before asking shyly for an escort back to his room. Once he was alone, he looked back into the box. A vial of translucent green liquid sat inside of it. Minh wanted him to poison Tuan.
His method lacked honor as well, but Tuan and Minh were not his true targets for the throne. They would need to be dealt with of course. They were as wicked as their mother. Wickeder for the mere fact that they had had so much more time to grow into monsters beyond what their mother had become.
The worst part about his aunt's betrayal was that she had not always been as such. Once upon a time, his aunt had treated Chien and his sister, An like her own. She had been full of laughter and stories. The death of her husband had changed her.
The same way the death of his family had changed him.
The banquet that night would see the last part of his plans to fall into place. He could only hope the Dragon would protect him.
****
Chien watched from the verandah as the sun sank into the ground and day slid seamlessly into night. The banquet would come soon; Chien was not at all completely sure he was ready. His mind whirled with worries and doubts, and no matter how much he attempted to tell himself that he should throw them away, the action was far more difficult than the thought.
His personal guards sat before him, their backs to the wall. Chien had always assumed that the Empress had placed him there in hopes that some lucky assassin would take the bait she had so lovingly placed and do away with him. There had been no assassins, however. General Bao, despite the minister's doubt of him, took his job quite seriously.
It was how Chien had met him, patrolling along the path that led from Chien's rooms to the main hall, his dark eyes not missing a single thing. Especially not the sight of a prince busy training when all should have been asleep.
Thinking on it, he could nearly recall the sound of Bao's boots against the stone path. He was being stupid allowing himself to become distracted like that. He should have been meditating in hopes that the Dragon would help him calm his mind and find the answers. Instead he was letting his thoughts once again bring him down the dusty forbidden path.
After a few seconds though, he realized that the sound of boots upon gravel was not simply in his imagination. His eyes opened and he took in the sight of Bao, that damnable half smirk upon his face, steadily approaching him.
The man seemed so damned confident in his reception that Chien grew more determined to sit right where he was and allow Bao to come to him. If anything, Bao's smirk widened. Could he hear Chen's heart pounding even now? "Prince Chien," Bao greeted him with a bow once he drew close enough.
"General. Have you paid visits to my cousins in such a manner as well?"
Bao laughed and stood, "I would have, but I believe I made a promise to a particularly spoiled prince."
"You forget your place, General."
"I much prefer you like this." Chien's eyes widened in confusion. "In front of the Empress and the princes, you play the fool. But here in the rising dark you are filled with haughty pride. It suits you." Bao stood close enough now that he caught Chien's chin in his calloused hand.
"Is that so, General?" But Chien could not think of any witty response, not when this man's presence seemed enough to cloud his thoughts until he could not remember a whit of his master plan. All he could think of was the tragedy that would inevitably unfold when Bao
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