'I will see you tomorrow.' She did not spare another second. Eshe darted immediately up the road and whisked away, her footsteps dampened in the mist into which she disappeared.

The guard stood frozen, uncertain whom he should follow.

'Your service is no longer required.'

They all jumped at the voice. A figure rose from the compound ahead of them, emerging from the recess sheltering its front gate.

Taeichi's residence.

Sure enough it was him, three guards at his shoulder, all armed to the teeth. 'You are dismissed. I will see the damesae to the gates.'

The general's man nodded. He saluted Taeichi and spun on his heels, fading back into the street from where they came. Should he not be escorting Eshe instead? Another cry rung through the air, but none of the men before her seemed perturbed in the slightest.

Isla would rather brave mist-monsters herself than face the truth-weaver a second time. 'Thank you, ah ... my lord ... but we would hate to inconvenience you. Tam Mai and I can see ourselves out.'

'The word you are looking for is seunghwan, but you can call me Jinsei.' The guards behind him exchanged a look that made Isla flush with heat. 'And I insist. It's easy to lose oneself in this mist.'

'Is that what that sound is?' Tam Mai softened her grip. 'Someone's lost?'

Taeichi turned to listen, his eyes dark. 'I suppose so, in a way. Now come, let us see you to the gates. You—you can stay here.'

The last he said to his guards, one of whom stepped forward. 'Seunghwan, you know we can't—'

'I will not hear it. I cannot step foot across the gates, so what have you to fear? I will return before the hour is over.'

'But—'

'Must you tail me wherever I go, that I cannot even spend an intimate afternoon with a woman? Shall I also keep my chamber open when I take one to bed?'

His men had no response to that, and when Taeichi motioned for Isla and Tam Mai to walk with him, the guards did not follow. Only once the fog closed in behind them did the truth-weaver speak again.

'I must thank you. I never get a moment of peace from those sword-shiners. I hope you did not mind my brazen words too much.'

'I've heard worse.'

'They say our Surikh neighbours are more direct when it comes to affairs of passion.'

Compared to the Tsun, even the great ape are quicker to mate. 'We have fewer ... rituals, that much is true. And none of your social tact.'

'That must be liberating.'

'Only if you're a man.'

'You say so, but you travelled here from across the sea. I could never dream of such freedom myself.'

Ah. The realisation hit her with a pitying force. The guards were not there to protect him, but to watch him. And evidently the Emperor spares no man to keep his truth-weaver in place. 'Then we are both exceptional cases, seunghwan.'

'I regret to hear that.' Taeichi smiled sourly, hands behind his back as they walked on. 'In truth, I have been watching you these past few weeks. You come twice every seven days, often escorted by the general, though that lately has been decreasing. I imagine he trusts you to find your own way by now.'

'I would blush if I thought your motives were amatory.'

'Oh? You would welcome such efforts?'

'More than its alternative.' When was he going to get to his point? The uncertainty lay heavy in Isla's stomach. For weeks now she slept with the knowledge that her lie could be at any time revealed, and woke with the dread that this day could be the day.

Had she not played this game before? It had been another time, another palace, another man ... but her position was the same. Only now she had a sister to protect, and no firebug to assist her.

'It's true,' admitted Taeichi. 'I looked for a moment where finally we could speak in private. As you saw, it can be difficult to free myself of my guards' company.'

'You desire freedom, is that it?'

'Does not every creature under the sun?'

'You hope to be released from service if you perform it badly enough?'

Taeichi laughed. 'I would be released of my beating heart should my duties be any less than perfect.'

'And yet ...' Isla let the sentence hang, afraid to complete it, afraid of his response. She shook her head, deciding to approach it from another direction. 'As truth-weaver, you vouch for everyone's honesty, but who in turn vouches for yours? How does the Emperor put his trust upon one man?'

'The same way he puts his trust on his cup-tasters and plate-samplers. I am the first to face the executioner's blade should the Emperor meet any harm or betrayal. When he's feeling especially playful, he even sends false agents to test my honesty.'

There's no wonder he'd want to leave while he can. 'You're so certain I'm not one?'

'I have never been so certain of anyone in my life, until now.'

Coming from anyone else, it might have sounded like a pass, but the way he said it cut any fancies straight from a girl's head.

A servant crossed ahead of them, whistling a tune too cheerful for the afternoon. His torch pole bobbed in the mist, leaving trails behind as he lit each street lantern he passed.

Taeichi waited for the man's song to fade. When he continued, his voice was so low Isla had to walk close just to hear him. 'You did not come here to harm the Emperor or wrest his secrets, so you make a safe horse for betting.'

I knew it. The price of his silence. 'What is it you expect me to do for you?'

'Will you at least first tell me why you hide your true name and theurgy?'

Isla looked up. He was not wearing his earring, the devious bastard. 'I don't see how that matters.'

'Hiding your theurgy suggests to me something important, even powerful. Look at me. If only I had the foresight of hiding mine, I would not be trapped here for all eternity. But what does an eight year-old child know?'

'You were an early-bloomer?'

Taeichi ignored her. 'Yours might even be something that can help me leave.'

'Seunghwan?' Tam Mai called, uncertain. 'Why don't you ... just quit?'

'My theurgy is too important for the Emperor to allow me to simply resign.'

That was probably the least of it. What kind of secrets would an Emperor's truth-weaver be privy to but those that should die along with him?

He's never going to leave this place alive. Like Eshe. Isla could not leave her behind this time. She rubbed her temples. All she wanted was to help her sister, but somehow she had ended up given far too many balls she knew how to juggle. No. I must not become distracted this time.

'Are you ill?' Taeichi stopped in his tracks. The enclosure gates lurked in the roiling fog beyond.

'I cannot help you.' Isla muttered. 'Not with my theurgy. You'll never be free of them that way. They'll hunt you to the ends of the world, and possibly me and my sister with you.'

Taeichi considered her words. Only the hissing of street lanterns filled the silence between them, until finally he let a long sigh. 'That's a shame.'

'That's it?'

'Were you expecting anger? If you're not up to the task, then you aren't up for it. No amount of persuasion will change the facts.'

'So you'll report me, now?'

'Report you? And admit my own prior falsehood? I might as well rip the heart out of my own chest. As I said, you were a safe bet. It appears I still lost nevertheless.'

He bets on a horse and doesn't even make it run. Isla was annoyed at both his easy submission and the fact he made her compare herself to a racehorse.

'The gates are ahead of you. Wait there until the mist clears before you ride through the bamboo forest. Accidents have happened in this weather.' Taeichi turned, leaving her stunned.

Anger? Isla had expected resistance, even extortion; not a half-hearted attempt of talking her into his cause. Did the man even want to escape? Had he ever even tried? 'What, you don't even have a plan to get yourself out of here?'

Her voice was too loud. Taeichi paused just before the mist swallowed him and regarded Isla with that savouring look about his face. 'Did you think I would share such delicate thoughts, when you will not even share me your name?'

'You never asked.'

'If I did, would you give it?'

Isla answered with silence.

'As I thought. You hide more than a name. The only question is from who. It certainly is not me.'

'I don't understand you. How can you scold my caution, when all you do is sit in wait for the Emperor's benevolence to end? You say you want freedom, yet so easily withdraw. You solicit aid from the first prospect you see, yet so readily accept their refusal. You are a walking contradiction; perhaps you need to determine whether you want to be cautious or daring. Your dithering will only get you caught.'

'The first?' Taeichi flinched. 'You are the only. Don't misunderstand; all I have been is cautious. It is caution that keeps me from compelling your cooperation. You think I allowed your dishonesty so you would repay me my complicity? That is only the half of it. I allowed it, damesae, because your lies taste just like mine.'

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↝ END CHAPTER NINE ↜

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☆ this chapter is dedicated to Strayer8, another long-time reader of A GRACE OF CROWNS from way back when ☆

Video: Sound Forest
Image: © Lee Su Yeon at ArtStation

So the truth-weaver shows his hands ... but what do you think he means?

Fun fact: The second enclosure is modelled after a combination of the the Ancient City of Linzi from the Kingdom of Qi, and Beijing's Forbidden City.
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