Temptation of the Butterfly, page 3
“The fire was real,” Fen answered. So what if it had been many, many, many years since she’d taken a lover.
“Mm-hmm,” Shen said. “Are you sure it wasn’t just a bad dream?”
Like all her brothers, Shen was handsome and refined. She loved him dearly.
“Or a very good dream?” Haun teased, lifting his brows mischievously. Fen loved it when he became playful. Often he was so serious, burdened with responsibility.
“The fire was real,” she repeated. “It had nothing to do with—”
“So you admit that you found him to be fire-worthy?” Shen asked.
“I admit nothing.” Fen tried to sound stern.
“Then possibly it was just a nightmare, Fen. It would make more sense than a vision,” Shen said.
Right now, she didn’t want to be told she was imagining things. The fire had been real. She’d experienced the heat on her skin. She’d smelled the smoke. The fear she’d felt was real. “It wasn’t a dream.”
“I’ve had dreams that felt real as I was having them,” Lian said.
“I’ve had those too, but this didn’t feel like that.” Fen frowned. Maybe she was crazy. There was no proof of what she claimed.
“Then what was it?” Haun asked.
“I’m not sure, but I was awake, and it was as real as this bed or the rug. Do you think it’s a bad omen? Am I to die by fire?” Fen shook in trepidation. After saying the words aloud, she stopped pacing and looked at Shen. Once she’d had time to think of the morning’s events, she’d grown fearful. Waking up to a flaming bedchamber couldn’t be a good thing.
Shen closed his eyes. “Not anytime soon, I don’t see.”
Fen relaxed. She’d come to Shen with this because of his power of foresight. A deep thinker, Shen well understood the paths people walked. He might not know why, but he could see where they would end up due to their actions. If he didn’t see death by flames for her, then the odds were good she wasn’t going to die in a fire. But, then what did the flames mean?
“Hmm, curious,” Shen said under his breath. His eyes were still closed.
“What?” Fen demanded. “What is curious?”
He looked at her in mischief.
“Shen.” She rushed for his bed, placing her hands on the end by his feet. “What did you see? Tell me.”
“A wedding,” he answered, grinning.
“A wedding?” Fen’s stomach tensed. “What do you mean a wedding? Whose wedding?”
His grin widened. She heard the other two chuckling behind her.
“No.” Fen shook her head. “Bu shi. No.”
“Fen—” Haun began.
“Hao le.” Fen crossed her arms before her, lifting her chin slightly. “How can you say something like that, Shen? What right have you to predict anything with such certainty? You know your powers aren’t that strong. A proper wedding takes time to plan and, well, the further ahead you see, the more indistinguishable it becomes and…you just have no right to say that to me.”
“The emperor told me,” Shen answered calmly.
“What? Our father told you as much?” Fen blinked several times, turning to look at the other two for confirmation. Both Haun and Lian nodded. “Has he arranged something? He has picked a husband for me?”
“No,” Shen sat up, looking impossible in his merriment.
“Then what are you talking about?” she demanded, not liking this game they were making of teasing her.
“He’s arranged for you to meet with potential noblemen,” Lian snorted, unable to hold back his laugh as he told her. “You’re to be courted.”
“What?” Fen couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Why would he…?”
“Mother’s afraid you’ll marry a man who isn’t…” Haun paused, looking almost embarrassed.
“Isn’t…?” she prompted.
“From here,” Shen finished, trying to be delicate.
“She’s afraid I’ll marry a foreigner like Mei and Jin, isn’t she?” Fen shook her head. “She was trying to pry the other day as to what I thought about such relationships, but I didn’t think she was seriously thinking about taking matters into her own hands.”
“You know the empress,” Haun said, by way of telling her she should have guessed their mother would resort to such measures.
“I knew she was upset about Mei having her baby in space, but this?” Fen sighed. “Why me? Why don’t one of you get married and have babies?”
Haun’s expression fell slightly.
“Not you,” Fen said. “I know you can’t, but,” she pointed at Lian and Shen, “you two can take a wife.”
“Hey, we have to attend the Qi-zi ceremony every year,” Lian said by way of defense. “We see plenty of brides.”
“Oh, yeah,” Fen answered dryly. “You see them as they are led through in a line being announced. I have to entertain being courted. There is a huge difference between potential brides in a receiving line and having to put up with suitors.”
All three brothers laughed, not even pretending to feel sorry for her.
“If I refuse, will it be forced?” Fen asked. Their expressions fell. “Mother thinks by having Father force my hand, I’ll be compelled to marry a local.”
Fen took a deep breath and held it. She wasn’t sure if she was mad or annoyed, but she definitely wasn’t pleased.
“A local nobleman,” Shen corrected. “She’s got her heart set on it, something about not wanting to risk losing you.”
“Wonderful.” Fen groaned. “Mei marries and floats around space and I’m punished for it.”
“Marriages are not punishment,” Lian said, smirking.
“Ugh.” She snarled at him. They were having too much fun at her expense.
“The empress is playing the odds. She thinks the more nobles you’re forced to spend time with, the more likely you’ll be to choose one,” Haun said.
Fen sighed. “I’ll just have to figure out a way to say no without upsetting her.”
“You can’t refuse,” Haun said. “The empress wills it.”
“What do you mean I can’t? I won’t be obvious about it, but surely I can charm my way out of this mess.” Fen smiled, feeling a little better at the idea. “I can state my case and convince Father to change his mind.”
“They’ve already invited the noblemen,” Shen laughed.
“They arrive in a few days,” Lian added.
“Why do you think our empress mother ordered the new silk be brought here to the palace for us to look at? Or did we forget to mention your new gowns?” Haun grinned. “She wants you to make a good impression.”
Chapter Four
“Wode tian. This whole idea is ridiculous,” Zhang An said, floating above her great-granddaughter’s head.
Fen tried to ignore the woman, but it was hard when she kept talking so loud, pacing through the air in irritation. Since no one else could see or hear the spirit, Fen didn’t want to let on that An was there. To do so would only upset her mother. The empress and the old spirit were still not on speaking terms, and when they did speak it was only to argue. Fen may not appreciate the reason the men surrounding the large dinner table were in her home, but she still had pride in her family and her position as princess. It wasn’t the fault of the suitors that the empress wanted her to get married, and she couldn’t blame the men for accepting an invitation to the palace. Though, she would’ve appreciated them more if they ignored her. Instead, she was showered with compliments and gifts.
She sat on a cushion on the floor, next to a low, round dining table. Her parents were seated across from her, next to them were her brothers, and around the table on each side sat her suitors. The table was much larger than where the Zhang family normally sat, and being spread so far made conversation with the opposite side harder. Fen was glad, since she didn’t want her mother hearing anything she had to say to the men. She wouldn’t be outright rude, but she’d find a way to put them off.
Normally, it would have been her duty to help see to the drinks, but since there were so many, servants tended to it as they brought the food out on her mother’s favorite dining set. The serving dishes and plates had big blue swirls on the white backgrounds. Like everything in the palace, they were the finest.
“I would have told you if you were to be married,” An continued in her tirade. “Really. Who knows more about what the fates want? Me or her? I’m the one who’s dead. I’m the one who had the gift to see—not her.”
Fen glanced up at her, trying to hide the gesture behind her goblet of pu tao jiu. The spirit was dressed in the old-fashioned style from the time of her life, except for her dark locks streaked with white. Instead of pulled up into a respectful bun, they flowed around her shoulders. The long silk sleeves of her gown drifted at her sides, silently fluttering through air. Her figure was transparent, blurring slightly with each subtle movement.
An glared at the empress, floating down to lean her mouth close to Fen’s ear. “Your mother has never had foresight. I don’t know what made her think she could arrange this on her own. Look at that chunren. I forbid you from marrying him and allowing his bloodline into the family. If you do, you’ll have children as foolish as their father.”
Fen followed her great-grandmother’s gesture as the old woman pointed at Lord He, who was seated on the other side of the table next to Emperor Zhang. The nobleman’s mouth worked in short, fast bites.
That won’t be a problem, Fen thought, trying not to laugh. And you’re just mad you didn’t think of this first. I know you’d like to see me wed, Grandmother. How many times have you wished for babies once more at the palace, so that some of the ancestors’ souls could be reborn?
“You’ve said it yourself, you don’t see everything,” Fen said under her breath, as she set down the goblet. She wished the wine was stronger. A stiff drink would have been very welcome.
“Princess?” Lord Ye Wen inquired at her side, drawing her from her thoughts.
Fen looked at him and flashed an innocent smile. Lord Ye was many years older than she was and had arrived at the palace with two of his sons, the younger, Ye Yuan, and his heir, Ye Shing. Lord Ye was a mingong, one of the highest ranking of nobles, and she wasn’t sure if he was at the palace on behalf of himself or for his sons. By the way each of them kept eyeing her, she was sure they’d welcome her choosing any from their family line. Yuan was quiet and brooding, but she’d seen the small sparkle of hope in his eyes as they were introduced. Shing was boastful and an incorrigible flirt. He laughed a lot and had a smile that was contagious. It was clear that he was used to being in the spotlight.
When Lord Ye didn’t speak, she said, “I’m told your land is very beautiful, mingong, and your home even more so.”
Taking her words as a cue, Lord Ye began telling her of his home, describing it in great detail, from the fields of hong jio ju crops to the way his main dwelling sat high over his village near the Guoh Yuan Hsi Yang Forest, overlooking the many farmers who worked his land. Halfway through, she was sure she could vividly picture every crack in every brick in every wall. The only good thing to come out of his verbal dissertation was that the conversation didn’t require much interaction on her part. It gave her time to study the other suitors.
Fen had to give her mother credit. She’d invited a wide variety of looks and personalities for her daughter to choose from. It would seem the empress was not taking chances that her plan would fail. Fen had already overheard that more nobles were to come if none of these caught her eye.
Next to Lord Ye and his sons was Tan Ho. He was the son of a noble who lived far north near the mighty Satlyun River. The Satlyun flowed north to south circumnavigating the planet, and essentially splitting the land in two. The directional flow of the water was determined by its relation to the palaces, so even with it technically flowed in the opposite direction on the other side of the globe, no one described it in such a way. The palaces were the epicenter from which all things were mapped. It separated the Zhang family’s territory of Muntong in the east and the Song’s territory, Singhai, in the west.
Thinking of the Song Dynasty, Fen glanced to the two men who had come to her from across the great river. The two empires weren’t at war, but relations had been strained ever since the drug, chandoo, had been discovered in Singhai’s Lin Yao Mines. Haun had been negotiating with Emperor Song to get permission to check the mines, but the emperor had yet to grant him entry. That hadn’t stopped Haun from sneaking in on his own to poke around, but he couldn’t say what he’d found until the emperor officially allowed him to look. They knew the drug was there, they knew it was somehow being smuggled over the Satlyun, but until the Songs allowed them to know, nothing official could be done.
Because of the delicate political state of the planet, two of the higher-ranking Singhai noblemen had been invited to the palace. The handsome yet arrogant Lord Gao, and his ancient sidekick, Lord He, who had a big hand in trade between the two empires. The Song controlled the jade mines, the main source of intergalactic trade on the planet, which helped the entire race to thrive, and the Zhang controlled elements that blessed the planet with protection from the outside world. The Zhang also had the most fertile soil, which made for agricultural goods to trade for purple jade.
Fen knew that choosing either one of them would make a good political alliance, though she hardly thought they’d make a sound marriage alliance. Both Singhai men kept to themselves, hardly speaking to her. Society and culture was different in Singhai. They were much stricter as to a woman’s place. She didn’t care how handsome Lord Gao was or how charming he might turn out to be, she was not going to choose him and live on the other side of the planet as his subservient bride. Political relations between them weren’t that bad.
Six other suitors sat at the table, all sons or nephews of noblemen, most set to inherit the title themselves. Deng Li was a gentleman from the village of Changshangu. Ruan Ping’s family came from the far south and Fei Bin, Chu Dun, Mou Tian, and Chi Tan all hailed from various villages west of the Zhang palace. Since the palace was the center of the territory, maps of the planet were judged from its location. So Muntong territory was considered the east, even if one was to travel straight east to the other side of the planet to technically be on the west side of the Satlyun river.
“This one looks like he was dragged under a cart at birth,” An said, floating behind Fei Bin’s head. The man was a little gawky but had been kind to her. Fen tried not to listen. The spirit floated behind Chu Dun. “And this one drinks too much. He’s sneaked five cups of wine when he thought no one was looking. And this one, what did you call him? Mou Tian?”
Fen lifted her goblet to drink.
“I caught him pleasuring himself before dinner,” An declared. “Though I must say, he was rather well endowed. If you take any of them, Fen, I vote for him.”
Fen wasn’t expecting her great-grandmother’s comment and coughed, spewing liquor over Lord Ye’s plate. The noble jumped back in surprise.
Fen covered her mouth, mortified by what she’d done.
“What?” An asked. Fen glanced at her amused great-grandmother’s pale face. Why had An been in the guest chambers? The spirit knew she was supposed to give everyone privacy. Though, somehow, it wasn’t surprising. She shivered, knowing she’d be paranoid when she went to get undressed that night.
Fen blinked, drawing her thoughts back to the table. Little dots of liquid spotted the table before her from where she’d spit, and everyone was looking at her in expectation.
Not knowing how else to handle the embarrassing situation, she did the only thing a princess could in such a circumstance. She pretended like her behavior was normal and looked at her suitors as if they were the silly ones for even daring to give her questioning looks. “Pl—”
“Ah, now that is a real man,” An broke in once more, making it hard for Fen to concentrate. “I changed my mind, Fen. You should take that one. There is a man who will bring strong stock back to the Zhang line. Just looking at him is enough to make fresh blood rush through my ghostly veins.”
“Who?” Fen asked automatically. Her eyes traveled to where her great-grandmother indicated.
Aaron.
Her breath caught in her throat to see the man from her bedchamber from a few days before. He was fully dressed in dark brown, his tunic sashed with a thick white strip around his waist. Instantly, her heart quickened and she took a deep breath. He was with one of the palace servants. She wasn’t sure what they were doing, but they both studied the wall.
She’d seen him a few times in the last couple of days, and she was sure he saw her, but he never approached, and she was never given an excuse to stop him. But, when he looked at her, his dark eyes glancing ever briefly in her direction, she felt it all the way to her toes.
For the first time in a long time, she wanted to take a lover. Aaron was on the same level as a servant. She shouldn’t even be thinking about him.
Fen had never been with a common man before, often forced to choose from the higher ranks due to her place in society. What would it be like to have a healthy, strong working man in her bed? Aaron was so virile, so handsome. It made her body ache just thinking of it.
Such things shouldn’t be done, not even considered. The forbidden only added to her desire for him. Or maybe it was being faced with the prospect of marriage. Maybe that is why she desperately wanted to seduce the man to her bed, because he wasn’t an option when it came to picking a husband.
“Princess?” Lord Ye asked, his voice strained. Fen drew her gaze back to the noble, doing her best to calm the lust in her veins. Lord Ye was a stark contrast to Aaron. Her suitors were gentlemen, raised in wealth and power. Aaron was strangely vibrant in comparison.
Empress Zhang frowned, her eyes narrowing in severe displeasure. Fen hadn’t seen her mother that upset since she was a child and had used the empress’ face powder as pretend magic dust over the royal garden.
“Who,” Fen repeated carefully, adding, “would like to escort me on a walk through the gardens?”
