The Second Steward stood with his eyes closed in respect, his head bowed. He did not wish to make the atmosphere sorrowful, so with a gentle smile, he said to the Fourth Lady, "What a blessed event for the Sect today. No matter what happens, it will not diminish the leader's joy."
The Fourth Lady placed her hands on the cheeks of her two children and covered their bodies with a silk robe. She said, "Steward, please tell our leader that my children and I await him. They need names, and what could be better than a gift from their father?"
The Second Steward bent his knees slightly and said softly, "Your wish is my command, my Lady. It shall be delivered in full and without omission." From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the infants. A pair of profound eyes stared back at him. They were completely open. The Steward knew this was no accident. The room, tastefully arranged by the young Lady, now felt like a disquieting place, and the infants swaddled in crimson silk troubled the Steward's heart.
The Steward left the room and went to find the First Steward. Seated upon the Celestial Devil's bed in a lofty hall with jade pillars, the First Steward asked with concern, "How is the Lady, and why are you out of breath?"
The Second Steward, having seen his respected friend, the First Steward, spoke thus: "A great blessing for the Sect, and an even greater sorrow for the mother, has occurred. Two strong sons, and now the succession war has intensified before it has even begun."
The First Steward took a deep breath. He was old and immensely experienced, so much so that his eyes were deeply wrinkled yet shone brightly within. He said, "Such anxieties after such a blessed event show a lack of trust in the leader's power and wisdom to control order and protect us. It is not unreasonable to expect this from a steward, but for today, I shall go to the leader's mansion myself so this important news does not pass from hand to hand any further."
The First Steward paused and said, "Is there anything else about the children?" The Second Steward broke into a cold sweat and said, "Nothing beyond the news of their health and their beautiful eyes."