The words lingered in the room.
Ruhan did not move. His face remained calm, but something shifted in his eyes. Something dark and cold.
The true Khan of Tughril had returned.
He stepped forward slowly, passing the masked man, and stopped beside the desk. He removed his outer robe and set it over the chair, casual but unmistakably in control. His gaze swept over the scrolls and maps spread across the wooden surface, taking in the details, as if assessing how much the palace had changed in his absence.
The masked man, Arkan, lowered his head. He reached up and removed the mask with both hands, placing it gently on the table before bowing deeply. The flickering light revealed exhaustion but also loyalty in his eyes.
"Did anything happen while I was gone, Arkan?" Ruhan's voice was calm, but the softness of a servant had vanished, replaced by the unyielding authority of a ruler. "Anything worth my attention?"
Arkan straightened, a hint of relief softened his features now that the act was over. "Nothing of alarm, Your Majesty. The Khatun Dowager has remained quiet, keeping mostly to her chambers. The Grand Prince has made no suspicious movements. The court… continues as usual."
Ruhan nodded slowly. "Good. That means you handled things well."
Arkan hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "However, there is some… information."
Ruhan's eyes lifted, faintly curious. "Go on." He stepped behind the desk and sat, hands resting calmly on the wood, as though the palace itself had resumed breathing under his control.
"The Chancellor," Arkan began, "has been meeting with foreigners from the West. Not in the open, but privately. Our watchers say the gatherings always happen at night, always in the same place. The meetings are discreet. We have not learned their purpose yet."
Ruhan's eyes narrowed slightly. "And you have kept my absence concealed?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. To everyone in court, you never left."
"Good," Ruhan said, feeling satisfied with Arkan's work. "You took my place and held things together. You did well, Arkan."
A trace of pride flickered across Arkan's face. He brought his hands together in a formal salute. "Serving you is an honor."
He hesitated briefly before continuing. "Still, I did not think you would go yourself. Not all the way to Hua. It was a dangerous choice. I never understood why you would go through all that trouble just to escort the Hua princess personally."
Ruhan leaned back slightly. "Because I sensed something would go wrong. I had to make sure everything went as planned."
"I heard you met some trouble on the way. Word reached the guards that your convoy was delayed in the border passes."
Ruhan gave a small chuckle. "Exactly why I went myself. If I had sent someone else, that trouble might have cost me more than time. It would have ruined everything."
Arkan gave a short nod, half in admiration, half in relief. "Then it was wise you did. The court believes you never left the capital. Your absence was never noticed."
"That is how it should be." Ruhan's tone sharpened again, returning to command. "Continue your work. Find out what the Chancellor wants from these foreigners. Be careful, and report only to me. No one else."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Arkan bowed deeply, then hesitated. "And… was the princess as you expected?"
Ruhan was quiet for a moment. His expression softened a little, as if remembering something distant. "Not in the way I expected."
Arkan watched him briefly, curious but smart enough not to ask. He bowed once more and turned to leave, still wearing the Khan's robe out of habit.
Ruhan's voice stopped him. "Arkan."
The man halted and looked back.
"You can remove the robe now," Ruhan said, eyes glancing at the robes on Arkan's body. "You have worn the title long enough."
For a moment, surprise flashed across Arkan's face, then he laughed under his breath. "Ah. Right." He unclasped the robe and folded it neatly before handing it over. "It suits you better anyway."
Their eyes met briefly. No words were needed, only that quiet exchange of loyalty, respect, and understanding that could exist only between two men who had shared the burden of a secret throne.
When Arkan left, the room fell silent again.
Ruhan's gaze turned back to the desk, scanning the neat stacks of scrolls and documents Arkan had organized. There were reports from the capital, trade records, and letters from foreign envoys. All the tedious weight of the kingdom. His eyes lingered on the pile for a moment, then he sighed and pushed them aside.
The room felt too still, a sharp contrast to the chaos at Hua and the constant tension that had followed him for days.
He stood, unfastening the last of his ornaments, setting them aside, and then crossed to the bed. The mattress dipped beneath his weight as he sat down, exhaustion creeping in at last.
He lay back, resting an arm across his forehead, and for a long moment, said nothing. Then a small, unguarded smile tugged at his lips.
The warmth of Xiao Zhi's laughter, the faint scent of wine on her breath, and the unexpected softness of her lips against his. The memory was clear now, no longer a blur from the night before. It made him chuckle.
He smiled to himself, the tension in his face finally loosening. "You little fool," he murmured, "you don't even know what you have done."
His fingers brushed lightly over his own lips, tracing where hers had been. The memory lingered longer than it should have, curling softly through his thoughts.
Ruhan closed his eyes and let the silence settle. For the first time since his return, he allowed himself to rest. Not as a Khan, not as a ruler, but as a man who, despite everything, still remembered the feeling of being kissed beneath a lantern's glow.
The night stretched on, calm and deep, as the Khan of Tughril finally allowed himself to sleep.