Çuiren saw the Prince kneel from where she had stopped right in front of the entrance. She had seen the stares some of these men gave the Prince. They looked nothing like gentle heirs, like the Prince himself seemed like he may be, but rather as cold as his hands.
“Be at ease, U’il, and good morning to you too, child. You may sit so we can handle this affair swiftly.”
The Prince bowed. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
U’il-šanad turned, and his eyes met hers. He smiled slightly before lifting his arm to cover half of his face, and his gaze shifted to his seat.
“We are certain that you have heard of the unfaithful maiden. We wish to discuss with each of you to make a decisionwhat to do with her.”
One of the Blood Princes stood up and bowed slightly to the Emperor. “Imperial Father, may I be so impolite to ask why discuss this with us? Is it not the property of the Crown Prince?”
U’il-šanad lifted his sleeve and chuckled soundlessly. But it didn’t go unnoticed.
“What is it?” the Blood Prince asked sharply.
Lowering his arm, U’il-šanad looked wronged. “Elder brother, what do you mean? I am but shocked to hear you say this?”
“What are you trying to say?”
U’il-šanad looked at the Emperor who nodded and he stood up to speak. He took some time, however, looking like he needed to think a lot.
“Perhaps it is not my place to ask Elder Brother, but do you wish for the ministers to discuss what to do with a servant or a slave? I would doubt so, as your divine little brother believes this is a personal affair.” He paused to think once more. “Am I wrong to assume you are unaware that Çuiren-fa is not His Highness the Crown Prince’s property quite yet?”
This caught the interest of a Prince seated next to U’il-šanad. “Yet?”
“Yes, is that not so, elder brother?” U’il-šanad turned to the Crown Prince who only nodded after a few moments has passed.
“She is a girl chosen for me as part of me future addition within the next couple of years.”
U’il-šanad tapped his bottom lip before his thoughtful expression turned to a mischievous smile. “Foolish as I may be, I think I understand as much that, as this is a matter within one of the Imperial Estates, it should be up to Father Emperor to determine how to handle this matter. Father Emperor is benevolent and wise and gives us the opportunity to consider this matter ourselves as inhabitants of the Palace of Peace and Hope.”
He turned to look at the men closer to the entrance.
“This affair is thus not for my uncles to concern themselves with. It is such a vulgar one, and I rather hope none of you have heard of it, as you fortunately live in each of your own estates.” He looked in the other direction, meeting the eyes of another Blood Prince. “Eldest brother, too, should feel free to disregard this affair.”
Turning back to the Emperor, he saw him nod.
“U’il is quite right. Our brothers need not participate in this affair. If they have advice, then it up to them to share it, but they need not have an opinion on the matter.”
“Father Emperor is indeed bless by Nükiž to be a wise ruler,” U’il-šanad said with a bow, then continued, “As this is elder brother the Crown Prince’s future property, it is up to my elder brother to make the choice not to keep her, but it is for Father Emperor to choose what to do. We are to one day advice our elder brother of internal and external affairs of both palaces and the world, and this—” U’il-šanad lifted his sleeve and covered his mouth. “—is an opportunity Father Emperor wants us to take.”
He sat down and the older Prince looked up at the Emperor.
“U’il has been taught well. Offer his tutor a handsome reward.”
A servant dressed in black robes and silver bowed and then left to have the reward arranged immediately.
“We shall let you speak freely,” the Emperor said and motioned to the Crown Prince, who nodded in acknowledgement. He then looked to his personal body guard who stood next to him.
“While I am certain Your Highnesses and Your Majesty all know the situation clearly,” the guard began and looked around, “let me share what we have gathered. I apologise in advance if I am too vulgar. It is shameful to speak of this matter in front of Your Majesty the Emperor, yet it has been tasked to me and I only do as ordered.”
The guard bowed to the Emperor who just motioned for him to continue.
“Since some days — we believe it’s seven or eight now — word among the servants is that a serving girl has,” the guard cough and his confident voice sounded embarrassed when he continued, “a serving girl has lost her innocence.”
U’il-šanad raised his arm, hiding entirely behind it, very inappropriately smiling widely.
“It appears the man is someone highly esteemed and honoured, and as such no one dares to say his name, or they do not know who. They know the slave girl goes by the name Çuiren. This slave is a young woman who is to serve His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince. After much investigation, we believe it to be one of the ministers or teachers who have visited the Palace of Peace and Hope to instruct the Crown Prince’s people, and who was seduced by the vile thing, unknowing it was a serving girl for His Imperial Highness.”
Eyes all had moved to the Crown Prince seated across from U’il-šanad as the guard spoke. U’il-šanad blanked a few times.
“Eldest brother, what do you wish to do with her?” he asked in a small voice, still hiding behind the sleeve.
The Crown Prince had complex feelings, seeing his youngest imperial cousin seeming to be genuinely embarrassedabout the entire thing. He had thought his cousin had been joking, yet it seemed he had been wrong.
“Let’s keep this discussion short,” he said after some thought. He looked around meaningfully. “Let’s execute her.”
U’il-šanad abruptly stood up, startling them all. A few guards had instinctively mover their hands to their sabres, then realised it was the Prince.
“How ruthless! Have you heard what the girl has to say? It could be another girl was jealous, and spread vile rumours, could it not? You saw her yourself, standing outside. She is a beautiful girl; who would not be jealous?”
The Princes looked at each other and then U’il-šanad. The Emperor wore a strange expression and the servants and guards tried to discretely look at him. He, a Prince, couldn’t possibly feel jealous of her appearance, could he?
What’s more, though true that U’il-šanad lacked many things — including most of what one would desire and expect in an heir — a beautiful appearance was not one of them. Some would consider him a much too thin, yet, even without the desired rich fullness, U’il-šanad could wear his good looks with as much ease as the rest of them wore inner robes.
A strange silence fell in the hall as they all looked at him. U’il-šanad made a silent gasp before sitting down, lowering his head, holding up his sleeve to cover the lower half of his face.
He lowered his eyelids slowly, looking elegant and refined, and said no more.
The Crown Prince coughed. “Anyone else have something to say?”
A Prince a few years older than U’il-šanad looked at him a few times, then stood up. “We could at least listen to her, since she’s already here, Your Highness.”
There were sounds of mumbled agreement all around.
“Bring the slave girl!” the Emperor ordered.
Çuiren walked in, still wearing the overcoat U’il-šanad had put on her. Without his permission, she dared not to take it off.
Seeing it, the Crown Prince trembled from fury until he recognised it as U’il-šanad’s and the anger dissipated. Even if the Prince felt jealousy, he remained kind from the looks of it.
He opened his mouth to speak.