The Celestial Empress’s lips were pursed like she had bitten into an unripe kumquat. While Liwei’s eyes blazed so bright, I found it hard to look away. Behind me, whispers drifted in the air, my name repeated in hushed tones. I was not alone in wondering why I had been summoned today.
The Celestial Emperor spoke then. “First Archer, you have performed a great service to our kingdom. Our son would have perished without your aid, and he spoke at length of your deeds. Princess Fengmei has also expressed her gratitude for your rescue of her. We commend your courage and valor, and we thank you for your protection of our son and his betrothed.”
I smiled tightly as I bowed in acknowledgment. Such gracious praise from the Celestial Emperor was rarer than the moon eclipsing the sun. Yet despite his words, his face remained cold and expressionless. If he was relieved by his son’s escape or affected by Lady Hualing’s death, I saw no trace of it.
“First Archer Xingyin, hear my command.”
How strange it was to hear my name spoken by the emperor. My body tensed as silence shrouded the court like a blanket of snow. Something clinked, gasps swelling through the air. I looked up to find the Celestial Emperor had stretched his hand out to me, an oblong piece of blood-red jade resting upon his palm.
“I grant you the Crimson Lion Talisman.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “Ask a favor for yourself and we will grant it, as long as it’s in our power to do so.”
An attendant rushed up to him, bearing a black lacquered tray. The emperor placed the talisman upon it, the attendant now advancing toward me with measured steps, stopping before me to offer up the tray. My hands were stiff as I took the jade, staring at it numbly. A lion was carved in its center, its bulbous eyes and curling mane chiseled with exquisite detail. From its base, hung a thick tassel of gold silk.
The emperor’s voice rumbled through the chamber, yet I only caught snatches of what he said. My heart slammed until I thought it might burst forth. Had I heard him correctly? Was this really the Crimson Lion Talisman? He spoke so coolly, as though what he offered was just a common parcel of land or a chest of gold. As though this was not the fulfillment of my greatest dream, which I had all but given up on!
Glancing up, I found the emperor staring at me expectantly. Did he expect joyous weeping, or proclamations of eternal gratitude? Certainly not this yawning silence, my sudden trepidation robbing me of voice. I had only one wish . . . and it was not one which would please him.
“Do you need time to think this through?” A sharpness jutted through his tone—impatience, perhaps. Or was it a warning not to overstep myself?
Fear assailed me that I might lose this chance. The words surged up my throat, flying out in a strangled gasp, “My mother!”
A hush swept across the crowd. I drew a shaking breath, trying to steady my jangled nerves. “My wish is for Your Celestial Majesty to free my mother.” I spoke slower this time, as clearly as I could.
The empress’s eyes curved as a predator’s claws. “Your mother? Who might that be?”
The malice in her tone gave me pause. My wish would undoubtedly incite their fury. Their Celestial Majesties would hate to appear the fool, deceived by the powerless Moon Goddess for all these years. What if I revealed all, only to have them deny my request and inflict greater punishment upon her?
I dropped to my knees again, bending my head. “Your Celestial Majesty, my mother did not ask this of me. This is all my own doing. I humbly ask for your assurance that she will not be punished for my actions, or for anything I reveal today.”
“How dare you make demands of us!” the empress hissed.
The air thickened with a sudden chill. If I were a common petitioner, the emperor might have sentenced me to imprisonment—or worse—for my temerity. Yet the jade clutched in my fist reminded me that I had earned the right to speak today through my blood, sweat, and tears.
“Very well,” the emperor said in an icy tone. “You have my word that your mother will be safe. However, you yourself will have no such protection should we discover that you have offended us in any way. You will answer for your own actions.”
His threat sapped my courage. An urge to slink away gripped me, to slip into the shadows and be forgotten. Though we were parted, my mother and I were safe for now. Unharmed. Was I greedy, reaching for more than I should? But I recalled what Wenzhi had whispered to me once, when I first stood here facing the jade thrones as I did today.
When the battle lines are drawn, advance with a clear mind.