Dynasty: The Glorious Strategist (Dynasty Saga Book 3) (29 page)

“It was my mother’s name,” Haru nodded looking at the door that led to the bedroom. “She needed a new one and that was the only thing I could come up with.”

“It’s pretty,” Lymee assured taking a sip from her cup. “And how is she handling all of this?” Lymee asked setting the cup back down.

Haru paused for a long moment taking a deep breath. “For now it is all still new and exciting for her,” she stated a bit pityingly. “She gets to do new things and see new people. She finds it fun pretending but she has started to ask me questions that I do not care to answer.” Haru pursed her lips together. “I am running out of things to say to her.”

“A bit of unsolicited advice from someone who knows far less than you do,” Lymee said absently stroking the fox next to her. “Don’t lie to her. Kids have a tendency of remembering the lies and broken promises.”

“And what was yours?” Haru asked.

“Santa Clause, but that’s neither here nor there,” Lymee waved her comment off. “But Syung’s identity is one of the reasons I’m here.” Lymee let out a sigh clasping her hands together as she rested them on top of the table. She really did not want to have this conversation. “I am sending Omie back to Su. She can’t stay in the Palace since she is a slave and I figured she would want to return to Hu Provence to be with her daughter anyway.” Lymee paused for a second. “I would like,” she paused, “I am ordering you and Syung to return with her to Hu Provence where you will then take Gea’s place as Rin’s military adviser and commander.”

Haru did not say anything. She looked like she had been expecting this to happen but she still did not seem all that thrilled about it.

“And what of the campaign into Mjon Dynasty?” Hru asked.

“General, sorry the Chief Military Commander Gea,” Lymee corrected, “will be leading the Su forces in conjunction with the Hong and Gon forces. The newly appointed General Shu, among others, will remain and manage the Imperial Garrison in the city.”

Haru grew quiet for a time looking down at the table in front of her with an unblinking expression. “I know my Empress does not see it this way but I cannot help but feel this is a demotion of sorts. I am a fighter. I am not suited for the bureaucratic work that would await me in Hu Province.”

“The front line is no place for a little girl,” Lymee stated her voice stern but not harsh. “And Syung cannot remain in the capital. There is simply too great of a chance that she will be recognized by someone. So if she is to leave then you must leave with her.”

“I know all of that,” Haru nodded still did not looking up to meet Lymee’s gaze.

Lymee pressed her lips together as she tried to think of some way she could reassure her. She looked down at the table and spotted the teapot and cup sitting in front of her and was struck with an idea.

“Once I asked you if you thought I would make a good ruler one day,” Lymee stated. “And you told me that if given the opportunity you would go so far as to share a Cup of Loyalty with me.” Haru looked up with a frown not sure where this had come from. “I asked Keo about it later and she told me that a Cup of Loyalty goes both ways. Not only is one person pledging their undying loyalty to the lord but the lord is also pledging their loyalty to their vassal. It isn’t a bond of friendship or of brotherhood. It is something far more and far deeper.”

Lymee held her sleeve back as she refilled her cup with tea then held it up in front of her. “Haru I sit here before you now not as your empress or even as a lord, but as your friend. I understand if you have changed your mind about what you said after all that has happened but know that no matter what I will always be there for you and I will always have your back.”

Haru was silent for a long time until finally she looked up at Lymee then glanced down at the cup that she was still holding out to her. “You’re doing it wrong,” Haru sighed closing her eyes and shaking her head.

“What?” Lymee blinked.

“I said you are doing it wrong,” Haru repeated this time a little louder. “First off, you are supposed to do it with a very special kind of rice wine. Second it’s supposed to be I who pours the cup for you and you are to drink out of my cup not yours. It supposed to be symbolic about me giving everything I have to you and you trusting me completely that you would drink from my cup. If I had wanted to it would be the easiest way poison a lord. That is why it is a sign of absolute trust.”

Lymee’s ears burned slightly as she listened to Haru chastise her, utterly motionless. She had thought she was being all cool and dramatic with her big speech and what not but she had only managed to embarrass herself.

She could actually hear Kitsune snickering under her breath as she lay curled up beside her. Never taking her eyes off of Haru, Lymee slowly moved her free hand along the floor as she reached over and bopped the fox on the nose. 

“But then that is part of your charm I suppose,” Haru sighed taking the offered cup. “The ceremony is to be done in private anyway, and it is not something one boasts about later. In truth the only people who are to ever know that it ever took place are the lord and the vassal they are sharing a cup with.”

Haru looked down at the tea in the cup for a moment sloshing it around as she spoke. Then as if she was chugging bitter medicine she downed the entire cup and slammed it down on the table.

“I will do as you ask, my Empress,” she stated looking up at Lymee.

“Thank you,” Lymee smiled. “And please. When we are alone like this just call me Lymee.”

“To call the Empress by her true name?” Haru snorted. “People would think me some sort of uncultured barbarian.”

“You mean you’re not?” Lymee smiled playfully.   

They both laughed then silence then fell over the room.

“Well,” Lymee smiled scooping Kitsune back up and placing her on her shoulders once more. “I had best be going.”

“Thank you for your visit,” Haru stated as she rose to her feet along with Lymee.

“No, thank you,” Lymee said. “This was nice. I needed this.” Lymee smiled at the woman before turning and walking back towards the door. “Oh,” she stopped mid stride and turned back around to face Haru. “Syung. She likes sweet things. And even though she is apparently tone deaf she loves to sing.”

Haru blinked a few times but bowed her head in thanks. “I will keep that in mind.”

Lymee nodded once more then left the room.

***

Lymee let out a relaxed breath as she sank deeper into the steaming hot water of the large open air bath, leaning her head back on the hard stone floor behind her. Lymee had thought that the baths back in Su had ben luxurious but this was something else entirely. It dwarfed the size of all the others and surprisingly the fact that one of the walls was actually a balcony to the outside made it seem even more relaxing as the cold night air mixed with the hot steam from the water.

But despite all of that Lymee still could not shake of the feeling of melancholy that hung over her head. Her talk with Haru had helped but now that she was alone once more the feeling had crept back in. It was her own fault really. She was the one who had insisted on being alone. Lymee did not even have Kitsune to keep her company. Kitsune detested getting her fur wet so regardless of the form she took she always avoided the baths.

“You are supposed to wash yourself off before you get into the baths, my Empress. Now you will have your makeup mixed in with the bathwater.”

Lymee nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the woman’s voice behind her. She mentally kicked herself for ever sitting with her back to the door and getting so lost in thought that she did not even hear someone enter.

Lymee sent waves of water out from her as she turned to face whomever it was that had snuck up on her. Lymee froze as she saw the young woman kneeling down behind her with a simple towel wrapped around her otherwise naked chest. Her long black hair was tied up in the back, like Lymee’s, to prevent it from getting wet.

“Yunna,” Lymee gasped upon seeing her servant. “Yunna!” she called out again lunging forward and wrapping her arms around the woman’s neck splashing water on her as she did so. “What took you so long? I have been so lost without you. And I mean actually lost. This place is huge.”

Yunna did not move as Lymee lunged for her instead accepting the embrace and lightly returning it resting her cheek gently on Lymee’s shoulder.

Pulling back Yunna took Lymee by the hands. “Come on,” she ordered supporting Lymee as she helped her climb out of the bath. She led Lymee to the washing area and filled one of the large wooden buckets with warm water.

Lymee did not resist sitting down on the stool as the hot water splashed against her back. Yunna sat on her legs beside Lymee and took a wash rag and started rubbing the makeup off of Lymee’s face almost like she was a small child.

Though Lymee was sure she was grinning like one. Lymee closed her eyes allowing Yunna to wash her off not saying a word. When she had first arrived in this world she would have kicked and screamed if someone had treated her in such a way but now she just enjoyed the attention. The entire time Yunna worked Lymee never took her eyes off the woman.

“All done,” Yunna said leaning back placing her hands on her knees.

“Thank you,” Lymee smiled. “Now,” she said getting to her feet. “Your turn.” She reached down and grabbed Yunna’s hand.

“Empress,” she sighed in protest but she did not resist as she stood up and sat on the stool where Lymee had been sitting.

“Don’t call me Empress,” Lymee ordered as she filled up the wooden bucket with hot water.

“And here I was proud of myself for not calling you, my lord,” Yunna smiled. Lymee tipped the bucket and poured the water on Yunna’s back causing her tense up.

“To hot?” Lymee asked peeking around Yunna’s shoulder to see her face.

“To fast,” she said. “You are supposed to be more even.”

“Sorry,” Lymee said as she grabbed a clean rag and dipped it in the soapy water.

“It’s alright,” Yunna shook her head. “It just takes practice.”

Lymee could not help herself and pressed her chest to Yunna’s back resting her cheek on her back shoulder. “So much has happened,” Lymee whispered.

“Then tell me everything,” she smiled turning her head to look back at Lymee.

“And then the next morning after drinking myself into a stupor I decided to become the Empress,” Lymee finished sinking deeper into the hot water. Yunna sat a few feet away from Lymee her towel now folded up behind her as she sat across from Lymee.

   Yunna only sat and listened the entire time not saying a single word only nodding her head showing that she was following along with everything. Lymee had glossed over some of the finer details like how she had convinced Lord Niimu to help build the fox statue or how exactly Lymee had defeated the sorceress and what happened to the Empress after. Instead choosing to stick to the lie that she had told many times before that killing the sorceress had in turn killed the Empress. Yunna seemed to buy it like everyone else if not a little more hesitantly than most did.

“And now you’re the Empress?” Yunna shrugged holding back a laugh.

“And now I’m the Empress,” Lymee nodded grinning like a fool. “If you had told me three years ago that I would one day become an Empress I would have laughed in your face and called you a liar.” Lymee let out a breath her shoulders sinking a little.

“I always had a feeling that it would turn out this way,” Yunna stated looking out at the night sky. “I may not have known the how or the when but I always knew that you were destined for greatness.”

“Being great and being the Empress are not always the same thing,” Lymee pointed out.

“That may be true,” Yunna nodded. Then she slowly turned her head looking at Lymee as she flashed her a smile. “Even so, I am still not surprised. Though to go from a woman with no title or noble linage to the Empress in less than three years,” she shook her head in amazement. “That is something else.”

“Maybe the fastest rise to power ever,” Lymee nodded. “But I suppose I would rather it happen while I am still young so I have the time to actually do something with my reign rather than spending my twilight years regretting about how little time I have to do anything.”

“Do you think that this sorceress is, or was, somehow connected to the Sorceress you met in Gon Dynasty this last summer?” Yunna asked.

Lymee shook her head. “She told me that they were not affiliated with one another. She also said that the woman that I fought was not from this kingdom and had altered her appearance and she might had done so to others.”

“You spoke to the Sorceress?” Yunna frowned.

“I didn’t exactly beat the evil Sorceress alone,” Lymee admitted. And it was true, and it was even true to say that she had won thanks to the Sorceress’ power given that Kitsune was her familiar.

“Ah,” Yunna nodded filling in the rest for herself. “So then it’s possible that spies from the other kingdoms are here now.”

“That is a possibility,” Lymee nodded. “And not just in our kingdom but in all of them. If what this woman said about her master was true then they are trying to take over not only this kingdom but all of them.” Lymee let out a sigh as she shook her head. “Remember when our biggest problems was finding an inn that we thought wouldn’t try to rob us in the night.”