I stared at Eric as these questions swam in my mind. He folded his arms and said, “Lingsha, what are your thoughts? Between this letter and the way your brother acted today.”
“I…don’t get it. Oh, no. But my brother does love a good fight, see. He’s really good at making his opponents mad and beating them into submission. So maybe he wants to make you mad, Eric. He might be plotting something, see?”
There was a troubled look in Lingsha’s eyes as she answered. And as somebody who knew the imperial prince inside and out, her words were quite convincing. But if she was right, then this mystery was making even less sense.
Wait a minute, what about that moment…
“Miss Lin, Prince Liu said something to you in Renese when you first saw him. What did he say?”
“He said something to me? Ohh, yes! Yes, he did. He said he was taking me back home.”
Eric and I gasped in unison. If that was his objective…then we were in big trouble.
“In that case, he’s aiming to cause even more chaos than we realized,” Johann said.
“Yes, seriously… What in the world is Miss Lin’s brother thinking?”
Johann and I exchanged glances. The air in the room was starting to feel quite heavy.
He replied yes to the wedding invitation, then he came to take Lingsha home with him. When you added in the nonsensical things he said, and the way he had just broken into the palace…my mind had already exceeded its processing capabilities.
“If Fang Liu’s true objective is to start a war…then we’re in big trouble,” Johann grumbled, his countenance somber. “The Ren Empire is a vast country—four times the landmass of Elshaid. If we go to war, Elshaid will be at a disadvantage both in military might and in wealth.”
That came as no surprise. The Ren Empire far surpassed Elshaid in military force alone. I doubted he thought that war would break out tomorrow, but it was important to consider the worst-case scenario. After all, he had already made his first move, and we had no idea what his intentions were.
“Elshaid’s internal conflict came to a stop only recently. We’d like to avoid war at any cost,” I said.
“Yeah. Fang Liu is here as an envoy—we should approach him from that perspective for now. According to Lingsha, he doesn’t necessarily want war.”
“Yes, which means our diplomatic approach with him is going to be all the more crucial,” I replied.
Eric and I nodded to each other in agreement.
What would Prince Liu’s next move be? The thought was a little terrifying. I needed to steel myself, so that no matter what the reckless prince told me, I wouldn’t do anything rash.
“And to your point, Leia, I want you in those diplomatic meetings,” Eric said, his eyes grave. “What do you say?”
I wasn’t expecting such a question, so I didn’t know what to say. “Do you really think I would be useful in such discussions? I have no experience in diplomacy whatsoever…”
“Oh, you can leave the diplomacy to Johann and myself. Besides, this wasn’t our original plan all along. I was going to run the talks with Dale, since he’s the most knowledgeable in the affairs of the Ren Empire. But as you just made contact with him earlier, Leia, your testimony might become crucial.”
To dispel my worries, Eric smiled gently at me.
Okay, if all I need to do is give my testimony when Eric or Dale asks for it…
I gave a nervous but firm nod in reply.
I need to be his rock.
“I will do everything I can for you.”
“Good. I appreciate that.”
And thus, Eric and I decided to take the diplomatic approach with Prince Liu. If Liu attempted to harm Eric, I would dust off my bodyguard skills and leap to the defense. This time, I would not suffer such humiliation.
“Now hold up! If you’re talking with Liu, you need a Lingsha with you, oh yes!”
Lingsha jumped up and announced her desire to join in. It was understandable, since this was her brother we were dealing with. If I were in her shoes, I would have done the same. I knew from experience that families could do that to a person.
With everything that happened with Jill lingering in my mind, I glanced at Eric.
“Sorry, Lingsha, but you’ll have to sit this one out. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you and Liu to see each other for a while.”
“Why not?! Nobody knows what’s on his mind better than me—nobody!” Lingsha raised her voice in protest. The image she projected was a far cry from the bubbly girl I usually saw.
Noticing this, Johann came to the rescue. “Lady Lin…please, take a breath.” He rested his hands on her shoulders. “His Highness surely has his reasons.”
“But…”
“And we’re doing this for your sake, Lady Lin. If you meet directly with Fang Liu when we still don’t know his true objectives, you might get hurt. None of us wants that.”
“Well…if you say so, Johann… Okay. I’ll stay out.”
Johann somehow managed to convince Lingsha—well, more like forced her to sit on her hands.
Fang Liu—he really is an enigma. Why is he acting so brazenly? And what is his true objective…?
I considered Prince Liu. That stubborn smirk on his face, like he was always ready to pick a fight with somebody and win. Berklein and Algrene were secretive with their treachery as they worked from the shadows, but this guy acted boldly, out in the open. That was the one major difference he had from our previous foes.
And what was his aim? I had no idea but I did have an ominous feeling about the near future.
“Johann, I doubt he’ll try to break in again, but increase the guards, just in case.”
“Right away, Your Highness,” Johann replied promptly. His gaze was as harsh as ever.
“Now, Leia, Lingsha, sorry to have kept you both up so late. Rest up tonight. And Leia, if Fang Liu shows up again, take care of him.”
“Will do. Goodnight.”
“We certainly earned a good night, yes.”
We bowed and departed for our rooms. Johann and Eric showed no signs of leaving the study.
Things are going to get chaotic again. But I should just focus on being there for Eric.
He was counting on me, so I had to rise to the challenge. There were so many unknowns about Liu, but I would just have to do my best.
✦ ✦ ✦
A few days after that fraught night, Prince Liu officially arrived in Elshaid as an envoy from the Ren Empire. This time, he was accompanied by bodyguards, as one should.
His official reason for visiting was to attend our wedding, but the ceremony was a long way off. It was obvious to anybody that he was there far too early, even as a foreign envoy.
“Thank you for coming all this way. I am Eric Elshaid, crown prince of Elshaid. I extend a warm welcome to you, Prince Fang Liu of the Ren Empire.”
“Well, well, Crown Prince Eric. Thanks for the personal meet-and-greet. Oh! And congrats on the wedding! The emperor says hi, by the way.”
Prince Liu spoke just as unceremoniously today as he did that night. Eric smiled coolly and let it slide. I thought he was being awfully chummy with the crown prince of a kingdom—it made me wonder if he really was trying to anger Eric on purpose to start a fight.
“Thank you for the blessing. I am a little surprised that you would arrive so soon, but you have my thanks for being here.”
“Well, you’ve taken great care of my baby sister. It’s only natural that I’d want to drop everything and come over when you invited me. Put ’er there, buddy!”
While Eric radiated tension, Liu casually slipped out his hand for Eric to shake, to which Eric obliged, but there was no smile on his face.
He mentioned Lingsha. Is that really his aim then? Taking her back home?
Uncertainty hung in the air. As I stood there, my heart racing, another voice chimed in.
“Master Liu, don’t you think your language is discourteous? You are addressing the crown prince of Elshaid.”
“Aw, Tailong, you’re such a killjoy. Elshaidian’s a tricky language—I can’t help it. Crown Prince Eric…this is Koh Tailong, assistant to the prime minister, and my watchdog.”
“‘Watchdog’ is a bit harsh. The prime minister merely arranged for me to be your aide on this trip.”