'Well, my father will be pleased,' the Prince said.
He started walking again. I matched his pace, pushing through the stiffness that was fast overtaking me. He was frowning. Was my answer wrong, after all?
'I believe love and friendship are stronger,' he said abruptly. 'Do you think me weak and womanly?'
'No,' I said, startled into bluntness.
He gave me a quick, self-conscious smile. 'Sometimes I wonder if my thoughts are too much influenced by living here. With the women.'
We paused in front of the large middle gate as the porter hurried to lift the latch. Through the gilded bars I saw another courtyard, this one dominated by an elaborate pavilion set in the centre of a large pond. A wooden bridge arched over the water to a small veranda, the corners of its gold roof sweeping upwards into a carved dragon at each point. Two large folding shutters had been pulled back and showed the figure of a man watching our approach.
The porter swung the gates open, falling to his knees as we passed under the arch of the wall.
'Men also think friendship is a strong bond, Your Highness,' I said, feeling the gods' whimsy in my sudden role as authority on manliness. 'But it is not something that happens on order and the trust at its centre can take a long time to ripen.'
The Prince nodded. 'That is true.' He tilted his head and gave me a long considering look.
'Lord Eon, I will speak plainly I doubt that you or I have a long time ahead of us if things are left as they are.'
It was said in a matter-of-fact tone but I saw him swallow hard. In the last few days of whirling fear, I had thought the danger and terror was all mine. But now the truth of the situation wrapped itself around me, like a giant web binding me to the destiny of this young Prince. Every move I made would send ripples through a dynasty of Emperors. A line in one of the Dragoneye texts sprang to mind: Beware the friendship of a Prince. I was sure it was good advice.
'We may not have friendship yet, Your Highness,' I said, my heartbeat quickening at the boldness of my next words. 'But there is a bond which we can agree upon immediately'
'What is that, Lord Eon?'
An image of Dolana, her thin chest heaving with spasms, flickered through my mind.
'Mutual survival,' I said.
We looked at one another; a silent sizing up of a new ally.
Agreed,' he said, and swept his hand from forehead to heart, sealing the bargain.
The Pavilion of Earthly Enlightenment was sparsely furnished compared to the opulence of the other palace buildings. The most interesting decoration was Teacher Prahn: an old eunuch with skin so pale it showed the blue of his veins, and a shaven head topped by a scalp lock that proclaimed his devotion to the scholarly life. Apparently he lived in the pavilion, although I saw
no evidence of his tenure. He must hide his bedroll each morning in the tall bureau that stood against the wall. Or maybe he pushed together the hard cushions we were sitting on and slept under the low table.
'…and the library covers nearly every subject known to mankind. It would be my honour to show you the holdings after our lesson,' Prahn said, sweeping his arms to either side to indicate the buildings that formed the courtyard.
I nodded guiltily, aware that I had drifted into my own thoughts. 'Thank you. I would be most interested,' I said.
Outside, the intricate weavings of ensemble music drifted from somewhere in the harem complex. The ladies practising their instruments, the Prince had whispered to me when the haunting melody had started.
'We have all the works of the great philosophers,' Prahn continued, 'and our maps cover all of the known world.'
'Teacher Prahn is the keeper of the library,' the Prince said. 'He knows everything in it.'
The teacher bowed his head modestly. 'I don't know about that, Your Highness. But it is my honour to care for the collection. It is truly superb — scholars from far and wide come to study our scrolls.'
'They come into the harem?' I asked.
'Only to this courtyard,' Prahn assured me. 'There is a small gate to the east, the Scholars'
Gate, that allows entry to the library And all credentials are strictly checked.'
'The library is only open to scholars in the afternoon,' the Prince said. 'The ladies of the harem have their lessons in the morning, after me. Is that not right, Teacher?' His voice was edged with amusement.
Prahn's complexion deepened into a blotchy red. 'Correct, Your Highness.'
The Prince leaned over to me. 'My sisters give him a lot of trouble. Always asking questions and debating his answers.'
'I did not know that ladies could be educated. Like scholars,' I said, my skin prickling with the idea.
The Prince nodded vigorously. 'My father says he will not have ignorant fools for companions. And my sisters will one day marry into high positions that will require more than music and dancing. Of course, there are some who say educating women can only bring disaster.' The Prince looked slyly at Prahn. 'But what the Emperor commands must be right. Is that not so, Teacher?'
Prahn bowed from the waist. 'The Heavenly Master is as wise as he is generous.'
'I am glad to hear it,' a voice said from the doorway We all turned to see the Emperor seated in a sedan chair carried by two sturdy servants. They were flanked by the royal physician and his pair of eunuchs.
'Father!' the Prince said. 'You did not say you would come today'
The Emperor waved his hand forwards, the gold nail cover on his forefinger catching the light. The two servants carried him into the room, setting the chair gently down at the head of the table. The royal physician, this time dressed in gaudy gradations of blue, hovered beside him, ordering the eunuchs to change the position of a small stool for the royal foot.
'Enough,' the Emperor snapped. His long purple day tunic looked oversized on his shrunken frame, and the Imperial Pearl, glowing pale and pure at the base of his throat, emphasised the yellow cast of his skin. He looked even sicker than he had at the banquet.
He waved his attendants away, the physician and servants bowing and backing out of the room. The Prince dropped to his knees in front of his father. I bowed my forehead to the floor, Prahn prostrating himself beside me.
'Come now, what is the rule of the Pavilion of Earthly Enlightenment?' the Emperor chided.
'All who enter are equal in the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge,' Prince Kygo said quickly, sitting back on his heels.
'Yes, all are equal in this room. All ideas welcome,' the Emperor said. 'Rise, Lord Eon. And you too, Teacher Prahn.'
I sat up, warily watching the three men around the table. I did not understand this idea of equality. There was rank even amongst slaves; it was the nature of men.
And what is today's lesson, Teacher Prahn?' the Emperor asked.
The scholar glanced sideways at me, his face flushed. 'We are studying the advantages and disadvantages of isolationism, Your Majesty'
A most worthy topic,' the Emperor said.
Again, Prahn looked across at me, and I realised that the subject was for my benefit.
The debate began, and although I did not understand all the words or recognise the names of the philosophers, I was able to follow the gist of the arguments. The Emperor, jabbing the air with his gold forefinger, mounted a persuasive defence of his policy to open the land to foreigners for trade and political alliance. Prahn took the opposition, and I knew from Lady Dela's instruction that the isolationist beliefs he put forward echoed those of High Lord Sethon. The Prince acted as mediator, adding a sharp comment here and there that won him smiles of approval from his father and tutor. Finally, the Emperor turned to me, his worn face vibrant from the battle of wits.