Batsaikhan gripped the wheels of his chair, the wood groaning beneath his fingers. He didn't deny the charge; denial was useless. Instead, a single, bitter laugh escaped him.
"Treason?" Batsaikhan's voice, though strained, cracked the silence. He raised a hand, stopping the approaching guards, his face a mask of cold realization. "You speak of treason, Minister, yet you bring no specific charge against me."
The hair on Bastsaikhan's body stood on end. The night wind was not as chilling as the cold sweat that was running down his back. He fixed his gaze on Gegeen, his eyes burning with accusation.
"I have served the Dragon Throne faithfully. My crime is not treachery to Hmagol, but being a political inconvenience to some serving in the royal court," Batsaikhan declared, his voice hard and clear. "My loyalty has never left beyond the border of Hmagol, so to be framed for treason, please provide me with the evidence."
He knew in that moment he was utterly powerless. He was not even sure what state the palace was in. He knew in his heart that something terrible must have happened to King Batukhan for such an accusation to be framed against both him and Chinua. Thinking about his parents, his heart sank; he had no idea if his message had reached his father or if his father had already been isolated, especially given the King's declining health.
Gegeen's smile widened, an infuriating gesture of superior knowledge. He made no move to rush the guards, instead savoring the theatrical weight of the moment and Bastsaikhan's desperate demand for proof.
"Evidence, Your Highness? Do you truly think the King would send me all the way to Pojin merely on a flimsy rumor?" Gegeen smoothly retorted, his tone dripping with false reverence. "I am merely a loyal servant of the Dragon Throne, Crown Prince, and I follow the King's written word, nothing more."
Gegeen took a slow, deliberate step closer, his voice dropping to a theatrical whisper that still carried clearly in the night air. His innocent facade held firm, but his smile was chillingly devoid of genuine concern.
"Your Highness, I understand as you say, that Your Highness loyal is confined to Hmagol Kingdom. But the charges leveled against you and the Eastern General are of a specific, devastating nature. The charge is collusion with our enemy, General Chong of Neu-Li City. It is alleged that you and the Eastern General, the fourth princess, are part of a plot to support Chong's rebellion, split the military resource, and allow the Ginmiao forces to use our resources to aid the enemy city," Gegeen said innocently.
Gegeen offered a sigh, feigning regret. "Your Highness, the timing of your transfer to the Eastern Military camp, coinciding with the Eastern General's sudden, unsanctioned move to aid Zoaging City—this forms the core of the evidence. I assure you; this decision was made with a heavy heart in the Royal Court. But orders are orders." He made a sweeping gesture toward the waiting guards. "The Palace's state is one of absolute certainty, Crown Prince. This is also a hard decision that His Majesty had to make during this time when his health is not well."
"I understand," Batsaikhan said quietly, his voice hollowed by dread. "Please allow me half an hour to give my order for Xen to care for my fiancé before we take off."
"As Your Highness wishes," Gegeen responded, his smile now openly wicked, though his voice remained politely distant. "But please don't take too long, and do not take my action here to heart, as I am merely following the law as it is written."
"I know, Minister Gegeen," Bastsaikhan said turning to look at the guards.
Gegeen smiled thinly and said, "We will wait for you outside the door, and when you are ready, please let us know."
"Thank you," Bastsaikhan said.
Gegeen knew he must yield and grant Bastsaikhan this moment to give his final order to Xen; for him, this was not an act of kindness, but a necessary escape route should Gerel's plan somehow fail. He waved his hands, and the twenty guards and he left the room as Xen entered.
Xen turned and looked at the door, which was deliberately left open, and saw that Gegeen and the twenty guards had turned their backs on the two.
"Xen," Bastsaikhan said, reaching inside his robe and pulling out a letter that Chinua had left for him before she went to aid Batzorig in Nue-Li City. His eyes met Xen's, and Xen began reading the contents of the letter. "Please take good care of Yargui during my time of absence. I know that there must be some misunderstanding, so I am heading back to Ntsua-Ntu to clear my name. You do not need to follow me, but you are to stay here and take care of Yargui for me."
Xen finished reading the letter, took the paper, and quickly stuffed it inside his mouth, nodding to Bastsaikhan, and chewing and swallowing the letter. The action was one of absolute loyalty and discretion—destroying evidence of communication to protect both Chinua and Bastsaikhan.
"I will do my utmost to care for the Princess Consort," Xen said.
"Minister Gegeen, I am ready," Bastsaikhan called out. He watched Gegeen and the twenty imperial guards return to the room.
Gegeen walked to the screen divider, grabbed the thick fur cloak, and handed it to Batsaikhan. "Now, Crown Prince, we have a long journey ahead. The carriage awaits." Gegeen snapped his fingers sharply. "Imperial Guards! Escort His Highness to the carriage. His Highness is not a prisoner yet, so treat him with the respect due to a member of the Royal Family, until his treason is confirmed by the court."
The twenty imperial guards moved forward immediately, their heavy steps crushing the stillness of the night. They quickly secured Batsaikhan and pushed him towards the carriage waiting just outside the perimeter of the military camp. The carriage quickly pulled away, its wheels muffled by the dirt road, carrying the Crown Prince into the dark of the night and toward Ntsua-Ntu.
Xen watched helplessly as the imperial guards pushed Batsaikhan onto the carriage, and the carriage slowly drove away. He continued standing and watched until he could no longer see the distant lanterns of the imperial guards.
After standing for a long time, his fingers beginning to turn numb due to the cold, he heard the sounds of a horse galloping rapidly towards him. He waited until a black horse rushed in and stopped abruptly before him, the rider dismounting swiftly.
"Captain Jeet?" Xen said in surprise.
"Where is Crown Prince Batsaikhan?" Jeet demanded, his voice strained and breath ragged from the hurried ride.
"He was taken away shortly just before you arrived," Xen said, still shocked by the sudden turn of events.
Jeet sighed, heavy with the realization that he was too late. "I was too late," Jeet repeated, his voice filled with despair. He had clearly rushed here attempting to intervene. "Help me send a message to the other team leaders that we are to meet in the meeting hall in an hour. I am heading to Salran Hill to meet with Chief Behrouz."
Xen nodded at Jeet and ran back inside the military garrison to carry out the urgent order, while Jeet whipped his horse and rushed up the right flank of the Eastern Military Camp, heading towards Salran Hill.
Jeet's horse rushed through the night, up the winding path of Salran Hill, and stopped abruptly directly in front of Behrouz's home. Jeet dismounted and walked inside uninvited, the urgency of his presence disrupting the quiet domestic scene. He found Behrouz and his family were still having dinner.
From where he was sitting, Behrouz knew the moment he saw Jeet walking towards him that something crucial must have happened to Chinua. He understood this because before Chinua and her soldiers had left for the Neu-Li expedition, Hye had come to him with a grim request:
If one day, one of Chinua's captains showed up, that would be the day that captain was there to claim the promise that Behrouz had made with Hye—the promise for helping him strengthen Salran Hill. Whatever the request was, Behrouz could not refuse.
Behrouz slowly put down his spoon, his attention now entirely focused on Jeet, anticipating the disaster that was about to shatter his peaceful evening.
Behrouz stood up from his dinner table, his bearing immediately shifting from grandfather to chief. "This way." He looked at his wife and grandchildren. "You continue your dinner."
Jeet followed Behrouz into a small, sparsely furnished room. Behrouz turned, his eyes searching. "Something happened to Chinua, right?"
Jeet nodded, his expression grim.
"What happened to Chinua?" Behrouz demanded, his voice dropping low.
"Chinua was charged with treason, and she and Hye are now heading to Ntsua-Ntu for the crime," Jeet explained.
"Nonsense!" Behrouz's angry voice echoed inside the small room. "Chinua is the last person who would do such a thing. This... is outrageous, and I don't believe it one bit." He slammed his hand hard on the top surface of the small table. He breathed slowly, letting the anger subside, then looked back at Jeet. "What is it that Hye wants me to do?"
"He wants you to bring your bandits and meet with Zhi's army outside of Ntsua-Ntu," Jeet said, his voice deep and serious. "Hye predicted that Prince Dzhambul is making a move to get rid of Chinua and the Crown Prince once and for all. They claimed that Chinua had committed treason for aiding the Ginmiao. Just now, the Crown Prince has been taken away by imperial guards. This is a civil war that we will not be able to avoid."
"A civil war," Behrouz muttered, his jaw dropping. He shook his head sadly. "This has gone way beyond a small rivalry between siblings; it has officially turned into a civil war."
"I was sent here to prevent the Crown Prince from returning to Ntsua-Ntu, but I was late," Jeet confessed. "And now Prince Dzhambul has the upper advantage as he has both Chinua and the Crown Prince as his prisoners."
"What is Hye's plan?" Behrouz asked, his eyes suddenly lighting up with intense focus.
"An all-four attack on Ntsua-Ntu to convince the King to withdraw the charge against Chinua or get rid of Prince Dzhambul and his associates once and for all."
The left corner of Behrouz's lips curved up into a wide, dangerous smile. He slowly cracked his knuckles, the sound sharp in the small room, and said with genuine anticipation, "I can't believe that at this age, I would still have the opportunity to fight once more."