On Thin Ice (Prequel to Guild)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Yellow Snake's Path

                 Yuina began her days in Kopere with sand between her toes and secrets hidden deep within her heart. Secrets buried beneath layers of lies, a wall of guilt and regret. Ogonsekai's empress of blood and bone had built herself a fortress. A labyrinth.

A cage.

Who she'd imprisoned there, Yuina did not know.

And she tried not to care as she took her first steps into the mostly-conquered nation of Kopere and waited for the others to join her.

She didn't sense the first of their company until it was too late. Until he'd wrapped a hand around her waist and spoke with a voice that burrowed deep beneath the sand, "Have you written your parents?"

"I sent a bird last night. An hour or two before you arrived, I think."

Dai nodded so slightly that even the air forgot to part for him. "And...mine?" She turned, blinked at her husband before narrowing her eyes. "Traditionally, it's the consort that-"

"No. You just don't want to write her."

"I..." Blood rushed to his cheeks. He looked away. "How would I start?"

Dear mother, she opened her mouth to say. But like a tsunami or a gust of wind through the convoys' wing-like sails, Genji Matsumoto tore down the deck.

He tossed his braid over his armour and beamed. "With a rally, of course. All good battles begin with those."

"I don't know, Genji. Little Cub isn't quite as... inspiring as father was."

"How would you know?" Dai gritted, steering Yuina out of the way before Jia could carve a path between them.

The long sheaf of fabric Jia wore as a sash brushed her side as she slithered by. She joined Genji on the beach before them. "I can't imagine you yelling at soldiers for a good quarter-hour, Cub."

"I can," Yuina muttered, grinning when Dai shot her a look.

"My soldiers don't have quite the same talent for riling me as you do."

"I should hope not."

Genji Matsumoto clapped a hand over his mouth, but it did nothing to obscure his smirk. No. Not even the wind that shook the palm trees and stirred the cerulean waves could blow Genji's smile away.

That honour was reserved for Masaru Inoue.

Yuina's heart clenched as winter overtook the warmth of the young man's smile. It wavered, then fell like an autumn leaf from its tree. The plea in his eyes quickly hardened to steel.

Inoue gave them a wide berth as he left the Dragon's Claw, Noboru and the other two Circle Generals in tow. He saluted Dai and offered her a slight bow, but other than that, he ignored their company completely. Dai took off after him as soldiers from other ships joined them on the sand.

The empress crossed to her side, drawn to Yuina's frown like a bee to honey.

"Is his topknot too tight? Inoue's... not Dai's."

"It's the Miyuu debacle again. Apparently, Genji blood-swore he wouldn't let that slide. It would be an embarrassment to House Inoue if it got out that he actually fancies her."

"Oh. I'd wondered if it wasn't over you that they were fighting."

Amusement crept into Jia's expression. It made her eyes glow wild like Bsha Kobyla in the night. Or perhaps like a darker, crueler star- like the Daughter: a girl with an iron fan and kingsblood running down her arm.