Chapter 247: Letter from the East

Nizam left his brother's office with an ecstatic expression. It's been well over three weeks since his last correspondence with his betrothed, the princess of the Yue Dynasty, and he couldn't have been happier.

For many a moons now, he has noticed her replies growing shorter and sadly, more formal, losing that sense familiarity they had so effortlessly had during the banquet. A symptom he thought inevitable due to the long period of separation along with the ever growing crises that have descended like locusts on her homeland.

But today was the day it would all be rectified.

Because he would finally receive her reply for the question he'd asked her in his last letter. Wherein he proposed to her the idea, if she were willing, to come to the Eclipse Empire, therein both rectifying the course of their straining relationship, while also being a powerful diplomatic tool for the Yue Dynasty, showing once more the strength of the bond between the house of the moon and the house of hell.

To Nizam, First Prince of the Eclipse Empire and my fiancée.

I sincerely hope this message finds well, and I thank you for your many wonderful letters.

I am, as always, well. Busying my time in these bleak times in the library in the mornings and the gardens in the evening, for that is all I can do these days.

Beyond that, I visit the palace's shrine whenever I can, for even if I do not bear my father's and brother's divine favour, I still hope she answer's my prayers, if only a little.

I do hope you forgive the lateness of my letters, the empire and palace have been chaotic since the wars began, with much needing to be done.

The maids and servants have felt this pressure the most since all this began, I can feel it in their eyes that never leave my side. Yet they remain true and full of conviction to their tasks. And for that I am at least thankful.

My warm regards, yours truly, Ziyi.

Nizam stared at the short and concise letter with utter disbelief.

There was no reply to any of the words he'd sent her previously. No mention of the invitation his last letter carried. Nothing.

Even if it were only for diplomatic purposes, there was no reason why she would reject his invite to such a degree as to act as though it didn't exist.

He couldn't believe it for a second. He thought there must be more, as he began to flip the paper in vain, trying to find more, only to come up empty.

He then thought that this letter must've been dispatched earlier than his last, and that it must have been delayed in arriving to him for some reason or another. But then he checked the date on the piece of parchment, and was in shock to find out that it was sent after he dispatched his, and the entrusted courier had assured him that she had received it.

'What in the name of the Gods is happening?' Nizam could feel that something was very much amiss, as he suddenly began to feel an eerie chill masked in the folds of this paper.

He then read it again and again, as though his efforts would make the contents of the latter change somehow. As though he would be able to see past some hidden veil and uncover her true words, Yet nothing was illuminated to him, even as he perused it for the twentieth time.

The only thing he did manage to do though, was become enraptured with a single line she's written.

'Why mention the states of her servants? And why write the words I can feel it in their eyes that never leave me?' He thought in brow knitting confusion.

He'd always known Ziyi to be a compassionate person, a bleeding heart one could even say. A trait many would deem harmful in their dangerous world, but it is one he'd come to greatly appreciate in her. But now it just felt odd to him.

He kept going back to her choice of words, their eyes that never leave my side. Why say it like that?

'It can't be?!' A thought came to him then, and his heart sank with it, before he was forcefully yanked from it all.

"Why the long face brother?" Cyrus' booming voice echoed around him, interrupting his previously rampant train of thoughts.

"It's nothing Cyrus." He replied, moving to fold the letter and put it in the inside pocket of his robes.

"Is that another letter from my soon to be sister in law?" Yet Cyrus' quick eyes were not to be fooled so easily, as he gave his brother a leering smile.

"Yes. Yes it is." Nizam calmly replied, utterly unaffected by his clearly teasing words.

Cyrus eyed his brother carefully then, as though inspecting for any malformities that had suddenly assailed his ordinarily bashful sibling.

"Don't you dare!" Nizam howled, his eyes glowing a threatening blue, while the small flask attached to his hip unqorked itself, allowing a slither of crystalline water to pass and coil itself protectively around him.

"But I haven't done anything yet!" Cyrus replied indignantly.

"Yet?" Nizam repeated darkly. "After the last time you peeked into my private letters, you think I'll easily let my guard down? I can practically see the intent spelled in your eyes."

Cyrus guiltily chuckled then, his face the epitome of one being caught in the act, despite him being only guilty of thought for now. "Fine fine." He said. "I have no interest in your flirting anyway."

Yet instead of the reaction Cyrus expected, Nizam merely frowned once more, as he forced the ring of water to return to it's container.

"Brother, are you sure you're alright?" He asked, now worry lacing his every spoken word.

"Yes brother. Of course I am. Tired is all." Nizam replied, patting his brother's shoulder that was now no longer so much below his own.

He then took his leave, aimlessly wandering the palace halls, with the letter in hand, his eyes once again darting of it's surface with a near manic ferocity. That eerie feeling would not leave him. His mind could not explain it, told him that this is all a symptom of distance and stress, but his instincts and that constricting feeling in the centre of his chest screamed otherwise.

"What in the hells is...?" He began to murmur in frustration, when he was quickly interrupted by the surprised voice of none other than his mother.

"My dear? What is wrong?"

"M-Mother! What are you doing here?" He nearly yelped in surprise when he found himself a mere few steps from his mother and her entourage, and had only now noticed them.

"And is there a reason why I shouldn't be?" She asked smilingly, as she waved for her ladies in waiting to give her and her son some space.

"N-No, of course not! I-I mean... uhhh...." Nizam sighed out loud, his words had utterly failed him, and he didn't know why. He felt like a child who'd just been caught red handed.

"I was hoping to meet your brother regarding a few matters, but I see I am more needed here." She said, coming closer to her second born, so she they were now eye to eye. "What's the matter?"

"No mother, everything is as it should be." He quickly said, mustering the best smile he could manage.

"I can always tell when my children are lying to me." She replied with a loving a smile, and a playful pull of his cheek. "Come now. Tell your old mother what troubles my darling boy so. It'll make the weight lesser, I promise."

"...Fine." He muttered through slightly reddish cheeks, as he handed her the source of his current plight.

"Oh my." She said. "It seems things are not going well with you and your betrothed."

"No! I mean yes! I mean... Oh by the Gods' name, what do I mean?" He said, pinching his nose and shaking his head in exasperation. "I'm not sure how to say this mother."

"Tell me." She insisted. And he spilled all his thoughts to her without any further reservation.

"Well have you considered that she might just be under a great deal of stress from all that is currently happening in her homeland?" She said, trying to ease his mind, though her slight frown did not fully cooperate with her intentions.

"Yes." He replied. "Of course I have. But it just feels off. I can't explain it, but I just feel that something is extremely wrong."

"Well then, it seems that you and I must now have words with your brother." She said, beginning to pull him with her towards the office he'd just left.

"No. No." Nizam quickly interjected. "Brother and the council are pouring all they could into the coming southern campaign! I've been with him all day, and they literally have no more energy or time for anything else."

"I thought the empire would march no more south this year, and instead focus on properly securing our already plentiful gains from the previous war." She said, surprised by this new revelation.

"Yes that was the plan originally, but with the sudden preoccupation of every power in their own impromptu conflicts, the War Council has seen it fit to quietly redeploy some of our more available armies south. They agreed on it not three months ago now. They're planning on committing the largest host we have assembled south of the Hadrans yet. Hundreds of thousands of troops are to be sent from our core regions to reinforce the effort. And two new armies are already being formed of Murathicus warriors south of the Hadrians, who will be called the tenth and eleventh armies, respectively." He told her, though making sure to keep his voice as low as possible.

"I see." His mother replied, slightly stunned by the sheer scale of what's being described.

"We can't... I can't ask him... Not now. Not when all I have is a mere hunch." He bent his head.

"Tell me something my son." She suddenly said, quite sternly. "Do you love the eastern princess?"