“Rise,” the king commanded, sounding pleased. “We are grateful for the assistance of the Celestial Kingdom during these troubled times. The merfolk’s attacks caught us unaware as they had always lived peacefully among us before. Captain Wenzhi, your reputation has reached even our ears in the Eastern Sea and we thank the Celestial Emperor for sending us his finest warrior.”
Captain Wenzhi bowed again. “Your Majesty is kind, but I do not deserve such praise. It is my honor to serve to the best of my abilities.”
King Yanzheng stroked his beard, “Humility accompanying such talent is rare.” He gestured toward me. “Is this lady your wife?”
Strangled noises slid from my mouth as Captain Wenzhi’s ears reddened. “No, Your Majesty. This is . . . First Archer Xingyin of the Celestial Army.”
My ears pricked up at his introduction. First Archer?
The king glanced at my armor. “Ah,” he nodded, with a bemused smile. “We do not have female warriors here.”
Several courtiers tittered, some smothering their laughter behind raised sleeves. My insides churned from the unwanted scrutiny, even as my fingers curled at their disdain.
Captain Wenzhi swept a chilling gaze around the room, which silenced their mirth more effectively than a sword. “First Archer Xingyin is the highest ranked archer in our army. She will be of great assistance to this campaign.” He spoke in clipped tones. “Your Majesty, could you advise us on the situation with the merfolk?”
The king gestured to the young man beside him. “My eldest son, Prince Yanxi, will brief you.”
A tall immortal stepped forward, clad in a shimmering sky-blue robe. Tiny fish, embroidered in crimson and silver, darted from their folds. His dark brown hair was coiled up into a topknot, secured with a turquoise hairpin. This close, I sensed his aura, cool and steady, thrumming with power.
“Captain Wenzhi, First Archer Xingyin. Since the beginning of time, we have lived in harmony with the merfolk. While we, Sea Immortals, prefer to stay on both land and sea—the merfolk chose to dwell deep underwater, only surfacing on rare occasions. They revered the dragons who used to live there and desired to be close to them. The dragons were wise and gentle creatures, helping to maintain the harmony in our waters.”
His tone changed, growing taut. “When the Celestial Emperor banished the dragons from our realm, the merfolk grew restless. Over time, their dislike of land grew greater, preferring to keep solely to themselves in the depths of the ocean. Years ago, my father allowed them to choose a governor to represent them at our court. Unfortunately, Governor Renyu is dangerous, his ambitions stretching far beyond his mandate. We received reports that he had recruited a large army from among the merfolk, training them in weaponry and magic. When my father requested his presence to answer these accusations, he refused.”
I thought to myself, training an army without a mandate was treasonous indeed. And Governor Renyu’s guilt was compounded by his refusal to meet the king.
Prince Yanxi rubbed his brow, his expression darkening. “Since then, the merfolk turned outright hostile. Sea Immortals who ventured too deep into the waters were attacked. The homes closest to the shore were raided. Each time, the perpetrators fled before our soldiers could apprehend them.”
“Petty banditry is unlikely to be all the governor intends. Do you have any knowledge of his plans?” Captain Wenzhi asked.
“Recently he issued his own edict, banning all Sea Immortals from the ocean depths. A grave insult to us. We believe he wants to overthrow my father and take the throne for himself. Under Governor Renyu’s command, the merfolk army has grown strong and powerful, while I fear the reverse can be said of ours. We are a peaceful nation, unaccustomed to battle, which is why we appealed to the Celestial Kingdom for aid.”
Would we have to fight the merfolk underwater? My stomach twisted at the thought. Like many Celestials, I had not learned how to swim—what need was there when we could fly? Once, in my childhood, I had fallen into the river near my home. Cold water had pressed all around me, clogging my nose and mouth. I had flailed, kicking out—my frantic movements only dragging me deeper into the river’s embrace. It was my mother who had plunged into the water, pulling me out. She had scolded me in a trembling tone, even as her arms wrapped tight around me, the comforting beat of her heart silencing the last of my terror.
How sharp the remembered fear which pierced me now. But I pushed it aside to say, “Celestial soldiers are unused to being underwater. If there is a battle, we should try to draw the merfolk to land.”