What was more perplexing to Xi Chen was the way Khenbish was acting towards the man. Khenbish bowed in a reverence that Xi Chen couldn't imagine would be possible to appear on the scrawny Northerner if it had not happened right in front of his eyes.

"Your Majesty." Khenbish greeted the young man as he bowed. The title that the Northerner used brought a frown on Xi Chen's forehead.

"Lieutenant Yun." The young man took no time to acknowledge Xi Chen. There went Xi Chen's initial plan to protect his anonymity.

Xi Chen nodded in reply. The man in front of him was familiar yet strange. He was no longer dressed in one of his easygoing hanfus. Instead, he was armed with fur-lined armor that was equipped to the nines. "Minister Sze, could you perhaps enlighten me as to what is going on?"

Khenbish quickly whipped his head to face Xi Chen. "Mind your manners! He's the grandson of the late Great Emperor Lee Gang!"

Khenbish words were like a slap of water that was colder than the winter breeze. Xi Chen's eyes widened ever so slightly but his quick wit quickly brought him back to his senses. He averted his gaze to the ground and greeted Sze Chang in the same manner that Khenbish had earlier. Baagvai also followed soon after.

"It's alright, Khenbish." Sze Chang said coolly. "Lieutenant Yun, could you enlighten me as to why you're here?"

Xi Chen straighten his tall frame and stared straight at Sze Chang unflinchingly, already ready to answer him, but Khenbish already spoke for him. "He's actually the son of Lady Khulan, our exiled priestess. He's decided to defect to our side and would be joining our cause."

Sze Chang raised an eyebrow calculatedly. "Is that so?"

"Pardon my earlier mistake, Your Majesty." Xi Chen continued smoothly. "I found out recently that my entire family was betrayed by the very country that I'm born and raised in. I hope to find something here in my mother's homeland that I couldn't find there."

Sze Chang merely kept his gaze on Xi Chen, taking his time to decide if he wanted to believe what Xi Chen was putting out. After a moment of a battle of wits, Sze Chang spoke again. "Well, I was on my way to Leader Wakhia's residence for a meal. Why don't you join us?""

"Me?" Thinking that question was for the three of them, Khenbish perked up with excitement lacing through that single word.

Sze Chang finally looked at Khenbish again as if only realizing that the man was still here. "Not you. Only Lieutenant Yun."

"Oh."

If Xi Chen didn't know better, he would've thought that Khenbish looked a little crestfallen. Khenbish continued quietly, "But I thought I should present him to Leader Wakhia myself."

"Don't worry. I will tell your half-brother that Lieutenant Yun's return to the North is all on you. I wouldn't take your thunder away."

"B-But.." Khenbish started to protest. However, he was held back by Baagvai's slight tug on his clothes. Baagvai was obviously the one who was more observant.

Khenbish was obviously conflicted but ended up looking down and bowed. "Of course, Your Majesty. Then, I'll leave him to you. I shall head back to my post with Baagvai."

"Yes. Go ahead. Make sure to double-check all of the preparations for tonight." Sze Chang instructed. Xi Chen took note of how comfortable Sze Chang was at giving instructions to the Northerner which made him conclude that this probably wasn't his first time. And the meekness of the Northerners proved Xi Chen's deduction.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Both Khenbish and Baagvai bowed and left.

And that was how Xi Chen ended up here in this extravagant room. Sze Chang had arranged for them to be transported separately to Leader Wakhia's residence and Xi Chen was ushered immediately into this room. Thus, he hadn't had any more chances to interact with Sze Chang after their initial meeting.

He knew how Ye An was worried about the soft-spoken minister. But not only was he well and healthy, but Sze Chang also seemed to be in charge here. Was he really the grandson of the late Great Emperor Lee Gang as Khenbish had mentioned earlier? Was he the one that was allegedly mentioned to the late Empress Mother in her death bed? Xi Chen tried to recall whatever he could regarding the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Even if he was the grandson of the late Great Emperor Lee Gang, what business did he have here with the Northerners? And the fact that he was treated with such high regard by a Northerner like Khenbish baffled Xi Chen too.

Northerners were usually indifferent to the royalty of their neighboring country. At best, they would acknowledge their presence and nothing more, much like how Chieftain Burat was when he was still alive. Khenbish's initial reaction to Xi Chen at the medicine room days ago was a closer representation of the general public from the North towards their neighboring country. To put it bluntly, most Northerners had never treated them like they were equal, much less anything special.

As his thoughts were still stuck in a muddled mess, there was a knock on the door followed by a servant opening the door. The servant only gestured for Xi Chen to follow him and so he did.

When he was escorted to his room a while ago, Xi Chen noticed the blocks of ice that was all over the residence. Except for the individual buildings that appeared to be fortified version of the camps that he had seen when he first entered the North, everything else was made out of blocks of ice. This included the corridor that he was currently walking on. It was lined with ice at the bottom of his feet but it wasn't as slippery as he thought it would be because of the patterns that were scored over the smooth surface. There was also a roof over the corridor that was made out of ice. It was probably just to keep the snow away since the mellow sun shone right through it. Despite the situation he was in, Xi Chen couldn't help but to admire the ingenuity of the construction that utilized the element that complimented the weather here.

Xi Chen's appreciation of the beautiful construction was cut off abruptly when the servant stopped in front of him and gestured for him to enter the tent that they had arrived at.

Xi Chen nodded his thanks to the servant and took a shallow breath before he stepped into the tent.

Leader Wakhia was already seated inside with Sze Chang on his left and Prince Adlai on his right. All three men sat cross-legged at a beautifully-crafted low table. Leader Wakhia and Sze Chang were in a robust conversation that halted when they saw Xi Chen enter.

Xi Chen's eyes went straight to Prince Adlai. Xi Chen was usually the tallest and biggest man wherever he went but when he met Prince Adlai, he found someone who was close to his own size for the first time. However, the way that the Northern royalty was currently carrying himself made him smaller than Xi Chen remembered him to be. The soft skin beneath his eyes was paper-thin and dark with shadows. Besides that, Xi Chen also noticed that he seemed to have lost some weight.

"Ah! My nephew has returned!" Leader Wakhia's booming voice managed to echo in the soft-walled tent which brought Xi Chen's focus to him as he sat across the middle-aged man.

"His Majesty was just filling me in about your story." Leader Wakhia continued. "What a day to be reunited with family!"

"Indeed. What a day." Sze Chang agreed as Xi Chen felt his knowing eyes on him.

Xi Chen merely made a small smile and nodded. "Agreed."

"Who knew Khulan had birthed a son after exiling? But I couldn't ignore your build. And those eyes!" Leader Wakhia exclaimed. "Those are undoubtedly your-"

"My mother's eyes? Yes, I've heard." Xi Chen cut through Leader Wakhia conversationally.

"Oh? By who?" Leader Wakhia asked curiously.

"Oh. Um. Khenbish."

"Ah, of course. My useless half-brother." Leader Wakhia said. Xi Chen couldn't help but notice the disdain he had when he mentioned Khenbish. It was a stark contrast to the idolizing way that Khenbish referred to the leader. "Well, I guess he finally did one thing right by bringing you back. I heard that he was hiding during the battle. If he came back alone, I would have chopped his head off myself."

Leader Wakhia ended his statement with a hearty laugh. Xi Chen would've thought that the last statement was only a figurative saying, especially when the Northern leader laughed it off as he was saying it. But then, he noticed a slight movement from Prince Adlai as Leader Wakhia was speaking. The flinch was barely noticeable but it was there. That was all Xi Chen needed to know that Leader Wakhia meant each and every word that he had just said.

"Anyways. I think that you've met your cousin, my other nephew, Prince Adlai? Are you both close?" Leader Wakhia asked Xi Chen.

For some reason, Prince Adlai hurriedly answered for Xi Chen. "No, not at all. We've only met briefly a couple of times."

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