where the thorns grow

CHAPTER SIX,

CHAPTER SIX | WHERE THE THORNS GROW

  JUSTINE LAN TILTED her head and sighed. Besides her, Rhys picked up a blooming flower, twirling around slightly before dropping it back to its original position. The general murmured, "Hao jiu mei zhe me you xian le." It has been so long since we have had free time.

  "Zhe duan shi jian mang li mang wai de, mei ban fa," Rhys immediately replied. We've had so much to do in the past while. Justine nodded in agreement. Justine had only come back from the last visible embers of the war around two weeks ago, and Irina had had her swamped with work since then. The two were not the closest, but they were the most similar, Rhys liked to think. Both of them were warriors, survivors in this world that beat them down. Justine had been an orphan off the streets Irina had met during the rebellion itself, more than a decade ago.

   Justine said, "Such an envious life, you know, the only problem in your life being what colour gown you must wear tonight and what jewellery goes best with it," she smiled wryly, "meanwhile we're out here doing Hongyun knows what."

   Myrina, who stood at the other side of the path, scowled slightly. "Do not blaspheme, Justine."

  Suitably chastised or so she seemed, Justine dipped her head sheepishly and apologised. Rhys suppressed a silent sigh. Myrina, who was usually quiet except around people she liked, continued, "Well, we've all been busy preparing for Irina's engagement. So many people are coming, the Scarlet Palace will be so very loud." She wouldn't like that. Myrina thrived in the peace and quiet, when she'd be left alone. But as Irina's top lady-in-waiting she rarely had that these days.

  "Well," Rhys murmured, "at least you two would be able to avoid some of the crowds if you really wanted to. I'm being thrust headfirst into attention."

  Myrina shuddered in response. Justine huffed out a small bit of laughter, "Quite the celebrity you are, Briar."

  She pursed her lips. "Unfortunately."

  With an unbelievably small amount of sincerity Justine followed up with, "It's the truth."

  Rhys, without hesitation, replied, "I hate you."

  Both other girls started snorting with laughter. When Myrina cracked a smile, you knew it was funny, but Rhys did not feel funny. She felt quite indignant and offended really.

  Justine shrugged. "You don't hate us. If you did you wouldn't be here right now. Ni a, tai gang zhi le." Too honest. If only Justine knew that Rhys was lying about everything. Would she think she was too transparent then? Because Justine was loyal down to every core in her bones. Without Irina and the Saian imperial family's help, she'd be just one of the orphans on the streets, starving from meal to meal. Instead she was a general in the Saian army, powerful beyond anyone's imaginations, the best friend of the princess of Sai, and a future queen.

  Yes, Justine had the nicer end of the package, all things considered. At least, Rhys was assuming she wasn't hiding some massive secret about her past—which also was fairly murky—that could change her own life and destroy everything she had ever built.

  She was just assuming that. You could never be quite sure in a place like this, full of mysterious talent and strange people.

  "Tai gang zhi ni de pi." Rhys shook her head. "I'm getting attacked at all angles, si mian mai fu, Justine, don't use your military tactics against me. It's a waste of your brainpower and wholly necessary."

  "Oh," Justine said with one brow raised, "you think I can rope Myrina into helping me with my military tactics?'

  Myrina pursed her lips. "I'm not a pacifist, Justine."