by Kylie Chan
‘Yay!’ Little Jade yelled, and ran to hug Frankie. ‘Can we still come and visit and play with you?’
Matthew burst into tears.
‘If you like,’ Frankie said, suddenly shy. ‘I’d like that. But right now, go and be with your mummies and daddies. I’m with mine, you should be with yours.’
Well done, Emma, Bo said.
He did it himself. We spoke about it earlier, but this is all him, I said. I’m not sure it’s a good idea. He’ll be in trouble with the Western King later, and he’s already in serious trouble with the Eastern King.
I hope you can defuse the situation. He’s learning a valuable lesson about helping others; don’t stop him.
I’m not. I agree with you. I’ll try to protect him.
‘We’ll bring the children —’
‘My friends,’ Frankie said.
‘We’re his friends!’ Little Jade said.
‘We’ll bring them back in a couple of days to play with you. Is that acceptable, Majesty?’ Bei said.
‘Quite acceptable,’ Frankie said, clasping his hands behind his back in the image of John. ‘Let them spend time with their parents, and then they can come back and play with me.’
‘Thank you!’ Little Jade shouted, jumping up and down. ‘Thank you, Frankie!’
She jumped around the room, and the two boys joined her. They ran in circles, screaming with delight. Little Jade hugged Frankie again, and the two boys patted him on the back.
He grinned. ‘Go on, before my mummy comes back.’
The three children raced out of the Residence and the Zhu sisters had to run to keep up.
Frankie watched them go. ‘Can I go out too? I want to go out and see more. I want to see everything.’
‘How much can you see? You should have . . .’ I tried to put it into words. ‘You should be able to see more of the world; it should all be there for you.’
‘The Palace says I’m too young to com . . . com . . .’
‘Comprehend?’
‘Yes, that. I can see little bits in my head, but I want to see more!’
‘All right, but we’ll have to arrange it with your mummy,’ I said. ‘You’ll need guards.’
‘Okay,’ he said. ‘I understand.’
I shot him a look. His face was completely blank and innocent.
* * *
It was late in the evening when the Eastern King returned, obviously exhausted.
Frankie ran to her when she entered and hugged her. ‘Hello, Mummy!’
‘My darling.’ She hugged him back. She opened her mouth, probably to discuss Simone again, then obviously changed her mind. ‘It’s very quiet. Are your friends asleep already? Where are they?’
‘Come and sit,’ Frankie said. He took her hand and guided her into the hearing room, and sat her on the couch. He sat next to her. ‘Are you hungry? I can have the Palace make you something.’
‘I don’t need to eat as much as you do, my sweet.’ She stroked his cheek. ‘I’m not angry with you. There was no need to hide in your bedroom. Can we talk about it?’
‘I want to talk about the children,’ Frankie said. ‘I love you very much, Mummy, and thank you for finding them, but I don’t want them around all the time. They’re too noisy, so I sent them home. I’ll have them here to play every couple of days, but I think they’re too young for me. Can you find me older friends?’
‘How about Simone?’ she said, full of hope.
‘No. Not her, she’s mean.’
‘I can bring Edu back from her training if you want.’
‘No, she’s too young. Can you find me some older girls to play with? I want to play with big girls.’
She hesitated, then lit up with a huge smile. ‘I know just who you need.’ She sized him up. ‘Yes. You have grown, and if you were truly one of us you’d be active already. It’s time for you to meet them.’
He hugged her. ‘Thank you, Mummy.’ He kissed her on the cheek then smiled up at her. ‘Go to bed. You look really tired.’
‘I am,’ she said. ‘And I still have some jobs to do before your father comes back tomorrow.’ She rose and hugged him again. ‘We’ll talk about Simone tomorrow as well. Goodnight, Frankie.’
‘Goodnight, Mummy.’
The King nodded to me. ‘Make sure he goes to bed early. He’s had a big day.’
‘I will, Majesty,’ I said.
She went into her room and closed the door.
I sat next to Frankie on the couch and put my arm around him. ‘That was very clever of you, Frankie. How did you know your mummy has older friends for you?’
He didn’t reply.
‘You did the right thing letting the other children go. I’m so proud of you,’ I said.
‘Thanks, Emma. I’m glad you’re still here, otherwise I’d be all alone.’
‘I will never leave you.’
He cuddled into me and we sat holding each other until he fell asleep in my arms. I took him into his bedroom, and slipped him out of his clothes and into his bed without him waking up.
I thought about my words as I settled to sleep in my little servant’s room. I’d said that to Simone as well, and now I had left her for Frankie. She wasn’t really jealous of him, was she?
Of course not, Aunty Emma, don’t be silly. Don’t let this situation make you doubt yourself. Be strong.
Thanks, BJ.
* * *
Something touched my face and I jerked awake, disoriented for a moment. Frankie was crouched in front of me.
‘Why aren’t you in a proper bed?’ he said.
Still half-asleep, I answered without thinking. ‘This is my bed.’
‘But there’s a big spare room where the other children were. Why . . .’ His expression cleared. ‘Oh.’
‘I’m okay, Frankie,’ I said. ‘Go back to bed.’
He crawled under the blanket next to me and I put my arm around him. ‘It’s too quiet with all my friends gone. I miss them. I’m all alone.’
‘I’m here,’ I said, holding him close.
‘I came to find you,’ he said. ‘I hoped you’d still be in the house.’ He shrugged in my arms. ‘It was too quiet.’
‘You were lonely?’ I said, my heart breaking.
‘The Palace is nice, but I needed someone to talk to.’ He leaned his head into me. ‘The Palace says you can have a bed in my room, if you like.’ He straightened. ‘Or we can make this room better for you. Tell the Palace what you want in here, and it will set the room up for you just the way you like it.’
A memory of our comfortable bedroom on the Mountain, with John in his black silk robe sitting on one of the armchairs next to the fireplace reading the student reports, made my heart ache.
‘Thank you, sweetheart, but I think you’re in enough trouble already.’
‘Okay,’ he said, and climbed out of bed. ‘I’ll tell the Palace to make it look smaller during the day. Mummy will never know.’
The room grew larger, and the furniture changed to a proper double bed and full-sized wardrobe. As the bed changed, I sank into the soft mattress, now covered in fine sheets. A silk rug appeared on the floor. Another door opened on the far side of the room.
‘That’s your bathroom,’ he said.
I got out of bed and walked in to look. The bathroom wasn’t luxurious, but it was clean and serviceable and, even better, it had a bath. I eyed the showerhead with what I hoped wasn’t too obvious avarice.
I hugged him. ‘Thank you, sweetheart.’
He hugged me back. ‘Can you come and sit with me while I fall asleep?’
‘Of course,’ I said, and allowed him to lead me back to his bedroom. The guard Dukes nodded to us as we went in. He climbed into bed and I pulled the covers over him.
‘I’m glad you have somewhere nice to sleep now.’ He snuggled down into his pillow and sighed. ‘I love you, Emma.’
I brushed my hand over his forehead. ‘I love you too.’
I went back to the kitchen when he
was asleep and stood for a long time looking at the bathroom he’d made for me. It was tempting, but I didn’t want to risk it. I didn’t know how much the King, in his role as Celestial Regent, knew about the Palace.
‘If the Celestial Regent finds out about this, Frankie will be beaten again,’ I said softly. ‘Make it disappear, please.’
The room changed back to the small bedroom and the bathroom disappeared.
‘Thank you.’
I crawled back into my small hard bed to sleep.
29
The next morning Frankie and I accompanied the King, in his male human form, to the Jade Emperor’s private administrative offices. They were in a pavilion in the northwest corner of the Palace complex, near the wall and surrounded by a carefully tended ornamental garden. I’d never been in this building before.
We went in together, and the King stopped us in the secretarial anteroom, where the desk was covered with a large pile of Imperial Edicts.
‘Frankie, sit here,’ he said, indicating the desk. ‘I’ll have someone help you to sign the Edicts, and chop them for you.’
‘He has a seal already?’ I said.
‘It appeared the minute he took the throne.’ The King smiled at Frankie. ‘Would you like to see your seal, Frankie?’
Frankie nodded, and the King took him into the Jade Emperor’s office. I followed. It looked like a perfectly normal office. The desk was golden-brown rosewood, satin smooth from centuries of use and care. Matching timber cabinets along the side of the room held scrolls and modern binders. A large pale rectangle on the wall showed where another artwork had been removed.
The King pointed at the seal on its ink pad on a side table. ‘That’s yours.’
The fifteen-centimetre-high square seal was made of black jade, transparent at the edges but disappearing into opaqueness at its heart. It was carved into the shape of a twining snake holding a ball in its mouth, and the scales glistened with opalescent colours. I tried to control my reaction. It was almost identical to the seal that the staff of the Northern Heavens had made for me when I was regent, but mine had been plain black.
Frankie’s eyes were wide. ‘That’s mine.’ It wasn’t a question.
‘Your assistant will do the seal for you; you just write your name on the papers, okay?’ the King said.
The door opened and a Shen entered: a dragon woman in human form. It was Toi, the Shen who had worked with the King to breed Simone’s horse Freddo as an agent for him. She smiled smugly when she saw me, then fell to one knee in front of Frankie.
‘Wen sui, wen sui, wen wen sui,’ she said.
‘Rise,’ Frankie said.
She stood, then saluted and bowed to Frankie. ‘Majesty, I am Madam Toi.’ She nodded to the Demon King. ‘Celestial Regent.’
The King gestured towards the anteroom. ‘There’s a pile of Edicts on the desk there for Frankie to sign. Show him how to do it and help him out with the chop, will you?’
She bowed to him. ‘Majesty.’ She smiled down at Frankie. ‘Come on, little Majesty, let’s practise writing your name. Won’t this be fun?’
‘What do you need me to do?’ I said.
‘Just sit in the corner and be quiet,’ the King said.
‘If I’m not needed, can I return to the Residence and tidy his toys?’ I asked, thinking I may have the chance to sneak in and collapse on one of the children’s beds to catch up on some much-needed sleep.
The King grunted. ‘You stay where I can see you. Tamed is one thing, but trusting is something else. The minute you’re out of my sight you’ll try something, and you know it.’
* * *
I was woken from a doze on the floor in the corner of the office by the King’s Number One entering in male human form.
Frankie rose to speak to him. ‘Hello, Uncle Andy.’
‘Hello, Frankie. Are you being good for your Uncle George?’
‘I am, sir.’
‘Good.’ He grinned at Toi. ‘And who are you, lovely lady?’
Toi blushed and bowed to him. ‘I am the Shen who assisted the King in creating the horses, sire.’
‘Horses, eh?’ Andy said. ‘I must come and see your animals.’
‘You are most welcome, Highness. I would love to see you mounting something of mine.’
‘I like that idea.’ Andy looked around. ‘Where’s the Celestial Regent? He summoned me.’
The office door opened to reveal the King sitting behind the Jade Emperor’s desk. ‘One.’
Andy knelt. ‘Loathsome Majesty. Celestial Regent.’ He grinned up at the King. ‘Dad.’
The King gestured to Andy. ‘In.’ He raised his head and spoke to the air. ‘Something suitable for Number One.’
Andy sat in a visitors’ chair, and a fairy appeared holding a tray containing two glasses and what looked like a carafe of blood. The door closed and I couldn’t hear what they were saying.
BJ, can you eavesdrop? He has a computer in there.
Hold on . . .
BJ was silent.
BJ?
Give me a moment.
He has a computer in there, BJ, you must be able to listen in?
I’m having trouble.
Why? You’re right next door, and it should be on the Celestial network. Is there something wrong?
This was strange. BJ shouldn’t have any issues —
Yes, let her hear, Andy said. She might work out a way to delay this. I’m not ready.
I had a moment of disorientation, probably still half-asleep. Where was I? I looked around and remembered: the King was talking to Andy and I needed BJ to eavesdrop for me.
BJ?
Sorry, it took me a while but I’m in, BJ said.
‘This is the only way,’ the King said.
‘Don’t leave me alone! I can’t do it,’ Andy said.
‘Of course you can. Do as I order you — sign an oath in blood that you’ll obey Francis; and after I’m gone, you can take female form, kill Edu and marry Frankie. Be the Empress and rule everything.’ The King grunted with amusement. ‘You must be the first Number One in history who hasn’t plotted to stab me in the back, and that’s why you’ll make an excellent successor.’
‘And obey Francis?’
‘He wants the best for the entire region.’
‘He’s not from here!’ Andy dropped his voice. ‘You’re letting the Westerners conquer us again. Colonialism again. You’re helping him to build an empire. We should be autonomous.’
‘Then I won’t give you the throne of Hell. I’ll pass it to Edu.’
‘She’s just a child.’
‘At least she does as she’s told.’
‘Let me find another way. There has to be another way!’
‘There isn’t. Two Princes have tried to release him in the last three days, and I kept his location a secret. It’s only a matter of time before one of them makes it through and lets him out.’
‘Just send him to the cells on Level Nine.’
‘They’ll try to release him from there too. As long as he lives, he’s a threat. He must be eliminated.’
I realised with horror exactly what the King was planning. He knew. He knew, and he would sacrifice himself to see Xuan Wu destroyed for good. I dropped my head in my hands.
‘Are you okay, Emma?’ Frankie said. ‘Did something happen?’
I looked up and saw Toi watching me.
‘No, Frankie, everything’s fine,’ I said weakly.
* * *
When Frankie had signed all the Edicts, we returned to the Residence and sat in the courtyard on a rug next to the pond. The fish poked their eyes out of the water, watching us as we painted and cut out pictures of people doing ordinary things like shopping and sports.
The King stayed in his bedroom for two hours entertaining a series of Mothers.
I kept turning it over in my head. There had to be a way to avoid this. I didn’t know how long I had. If we were lucky, the Eastern King wouldn’t rush to sacrifice himself;
he’d wait until the Heavens were fully under his control, Frankie had married his five wives, and everything was secure. Simone was the wildcard. He couldn’t do anything until he’d brought her in as well. As long as Simone was free, I had time. I just needed to think of something.
The King came out of his bedroom in male human form, wearing a uniform similar to the Western King’s — overdone decorations and everything. He stood in the living room waiting. The Western King entered, accompanied by two of the black-armoured demons, and stopped when he saw the Eastern King. He didn’t speak, he just grabbed the Eastern King’s hand and dragged him into the bedroom.
‘Emma,’ Frankie said softly after the door had closed. ‘Be careful around Uncle George, okay?’
‘I am,’ I said.
He bent to speak conspiratorially to me. ‘Uncle George is my mummy. In a different form. Be really careful around him.’
‘I know,’ I said.
He nodded, satisfied, then pointed at the next sheet of paper. ‘What’s this little boy doing?’
‘Playing soccer. Next time we’re in the garden with the other kids, I’ll show you how to play this game. It’s really fun.’
‘I want to go shopping. It looks like fun too.’
‘As soon as Uncle George — your mummy — and Daddy come out, I’ll talk to them about it,’ I said. ‘I’d love to take you.’
‘They’ve been so busy,’ he said. ‘They haven’t had time for me.’ He didn’t look upset about it. ‘I won’t make Simone come back.’
‘Did your mummy ask you to?’
‘I won’t. I don’t care what my daddy does. I won’t.’
‘You’re doing the right thing. Don’t tell Simone to come back. I’ll protect you.’
He nudged me affectionately with his shoulder, then sat straighter to paint the soccer player.
An hour later we were reading a book together when the Kings started shouting — loudly enough for us to hear them through the bedroom door. There were bangs inside, and Frankie blanched. The splintering crashes became so loud that the house shook. They were destroying the furniture. The Eastern King had told the Western King that he was going to sacrifice himself to destroy John.
‘Come with me,’ I said, and took Frankie out of the Residence. We walked quickly down the alley to the staff garden.
