The wind whistled across the dunes as the caravan made its way westward.   As the new bodyguard, Leiyu rode his horse at the front.  Behind him was a long line of horses, merchants, and their precious cargo.  Flying sand struck the veil of his weimao.  His hair was damp and sweat ran down the side of his face.  

They trekked for weeks under the oppressive sun.  Each day blended into the next, indistinguishable like the grains of sand around them.  When night fell, they took shelter at caravanserai they encountered along the way, or camped out under the stars.  The merchants told tales of their many travels between the regions and Leiyu sat at the periphery of the group, one ear taking in their stories and the other listening for threats in the distance.

One morning, things began to look more hopeful.  Beyond the mountains on the horizon was Ishkhandar, the capital of the Western Region.  It took them until midday to reach the craggy rocks that marked the end of the desert and another several hours to get through the narrow mountain pass.  Once they reached the other side, they saw a giant walled city in the distance.

***

Marble columns with fluttering banners lined the streets.  Children kicked up clouds of dust and flower petals as they played in the corridors.  Musicians tapped their drums in the corners of the plaza.  Vendors hawked their wares in the bazaars.

The scent of freshly baked flatbread wafted in the air.  There were stalls with bins of dried dates, raisins, pistachios, and walnuts.  Across the way were greengrocers with tables full of lemons, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and eggplants.  A mountain of watermelons stood in front of another stall.  Colorful patterned fabrics hung from clotheslines stretched across the alleyways.

It was late afternoon when the caravan passed through the city gates.  However, rather than going to the bazaars, they headed directly to the palace at the city’s center.

The palace walls were covered with blue and green mosaic tiles and golden swirls.  Silk sashes fluttered from the top of the tall columns that flanked the main gate.  As they passed through the gate, Leiyu took off his weimao and looked around.  Palace attendants led them to the stables where their cargo was unloaded.  Leiyu was drinking water from his flask when another attendant approached them.

“His Majesty the King wishes to personally greet you all,” he said in Sargeshi.

Leiyu’s eyes widened and he turned to the other merchants.  They looked back at him and at each other.

“Come this way,” the attendant said.

Once inside the main hallway, Leiyu stared wide-eyed at his surroundings.  In the Eastern Region, he had only seen palaces from afar and had never dreamed that he would ever set foot in one, much less in a foreign land.  The walls were covered with gold, precious stones, and colorful tiles.  The domed ceilings were decorated with ornate geometric patterns.  Slanted columns of light shone through the high windows and formed patterned shadows on the glistening marble floors.

The throne room was even more extravagant.  Silk sashes flecked with gold wrapped around marble columns.  Flower garlands lined the gilded walls, which had even more gemstones and iridescent tiles. 

Leiyu and the merchants were ushered to the center of the chamber.  Only the shuffling of feet could be heard.

“His Majesty King Xenon enters!” an attendant bellowed.

The merchants dropped to a kneeling position and Leiyu followed suit.  He lowered his head but moved his eyes upward to catch a glimpse of the entering monarch.

King Xenon entered the throne room flanked by two others.  He wore a flowing imperial purple cape, a vibrant royal blue embroidered chapan that stretched to his boots, and a vermilion sash around his waist.  He was in his early forties, but his face still retained a youthfulness tempered by the faint lines around his eyes.  His brown hair was tied up in a bun held together by a gold ring with an embedded sapphire.  Across his forehead was a gold band with a larger sapphire.

“Welcome, weary travelers!” he said in majestic-sounding Sargeshi.  “Your journey was long and arduous.  Please make yourselves at home and join us later for our banquet!”

“Many thanks, Your Majesty!” the merchants and Leiyu replied.

With his head still downward, Leiyu turned his eyes towards the two people flanking the king.  To the left of the king was a man who appeared to be in his late thirties.  He had long dark brown hair tied in the back and covered at the top with an ornate square doppi.  He also wore an embroidered chapan, although his was not as ornate as the king’s.

The one to the right of the king caught Leiyu’s attention.  This person dressed similarly to the king, albeit in lighter hues, and had long silky auburn hair piled up into a half bun held together by a flame-shaped golden ornament.  The hair ornament, forehead jewelry, earrings, and necklace were all adorned with rubies.  On the face were two peach blossom eyes with amber irises, a delicate nose, and softly curved lips.

Who is this?  Leiyu thought.  The queen?  No, she looks closer to my age.  The princess perhaps?

He was intrigued, to say the least.

***

If the palace interiors did not already impress Leiyu, the banquet certainly did.  There were plates of palov piled high with rice, meat, carrots, and onions, steaming bowls of laghman filled with hand-pulled noodles and spices, stacks of flatbread, and platters with kebabs, dumplings, and fresh fruit.

Leiyu opted for the samsa since it was easy to hold.  He bit into the flaky crust and savored the flavorful mutton filling.  Before taking another bite, he spotted a lone figure with auburn tresses sitting at a corner table, sipping from a golden goblet, lost in thought.

The princess? he thought.  

The lone figure glanced in his direction.  He averted his eyes and turned his attention back to the half-eaten samsa.

***

After the banquet, Leiyu decided to explore.  There were guards posted everywhere, but they stood as still as statues and did not object to him wandering around.  He wandered down the many outdoor corridors, marveling at the marble pillars with floral carvings at the base and top.  The corridors opened up to the palace gardens.  The fragrance from the flower blossoms mixed with the cool evening air.  Petals and leaves were strewn about the grounds.  He walked through the garden until he came across a small bridge gently arched over a softly murmuring stream.   As he walked onto the bridge, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

Coming from the other side of the bridge was a familiar figure with flowing auburn hair and lilac-colored robes, flanked by two palace guards wielding spears with curved blades.  They paused when they saw him.

Oh, it’s the princess.  Leiyu knelt.  “My lady...” he said in Sargeshi.

The auburn-tressed figure gasped and the guards gripped their weapons tightly.  Sensing the tension, Leiyu’s heart began to palpitate.  Did he say something wrong?  Was addressing the princess directly too forward?

The auburn-tressed one laughed softly.  The sound was like gentle music.  Leiyu cautiously looked up, still confused.  After the laughter died down, the other person spoke in regally-intoned Sargeshi.  “I am…Prince Thallios!”

Prince Thallios?  Leiyu’s face turned red and he dropped to the ground in a deep kowtow, prostrating with his head against the cold surface of the bridge.  “Please forgive me, Your Highness!”

Prince Thallios raised his eyebrows and looked at him.  The corners of his mouth turned upwards into a smile.  “Do not worry, it is a common mistake.”

Leiyu lifted his head cautiously.  The guards glared at him like they wanted to skewer him with their spears, and he shuddered.  Prince Thallios turned to the guards and calmed them down with a gentle wave of his hand.

“You may stand.”

Leiyu slowly got up.  He kept his eyes pointed downward.

“What is your name?”

“Your Highness, this humble one is named Leiyu.”

“Lei…yu…” the prince repeated his name slowly, intrigued by the unfamiliar sounds and the changing tones of each syllable.  “Interesting…Well Leiyu, I was on my way to the rooftop garden.  Would you like to join me?”

Leiyu’s eyes widened.  After embarrassing himself in front of the prince and the guards, he had not expected this.  Not wanting to offend the prince any further, he responded, “Sure…if that is what Your Highness wishes…”

The prince smiled.   “The view from there is spectacular.”

***

Leiyu thought that whoever designed the palace interiors must have been fond of labyrinths.  They went through countless corridors and flights of stairs.  He trailed after Prince Thallios and the two guards, looking down whenever one of the guards turned around to eye him suspiciously.  He figured he could easily fight off the guards if they attacked him, but he did not want to misuse his powers and become branded as an enemy.

After they scaled one more flight of stairs, Prince Thallios stopped at a pair of golden doors with inlaid gemstones and swirling etchings.  He laid his hand upon the cool metal and pushed forward.  The door creaked open and the group entered the rooftop gardens.  Once Leiyu was inside, he was struck by the scent of lavender.  They were surrounded by numerous rows of manicured trees and flowers.

“Guards, you may be dismissed,” Prince Thallios said.  The guards’ eyes widened.

One of the guards eyed Leiyu.  “Your Highness?  This stranger…”

“I’ll be fine.  You can stand outside the doors and I will call if I need you.”

The two guards looked at each other.  They slowly exited and the doors creaked shut.  Prince Thallios exhaled slowly and strolled over to the parapet.  Leiyu slowly followed him.

The prince sighed.  “I know the guards are doing their duty, but I prefer not to have them hovering around me all the time.  Especially here.”  He turned to Leiyu.  “This is the highest point in the palace.  You can see the whole city from here.”

Leiyu gazed outwards.  Lights twinkled across the expanse of the city, as if they were the reflections of the stars.  He could see the faint outlines of the densely packed dwellings and patches of brightness in the streets, which he assumed were from the bazaar.  In the distance were the silhouettes of the city walls.

“Wow, it’s…” Leiyu turned to his left and looked at the prince’s smiling face.  “Beautiful…”

***

King Xenon was walking down the corridor when the man with the square doppi caught up with him.

“Your Majesty, did you not attend the banquet?” he asked in the king’s native Heliglossan.

“I do not care much for these things anymore.  It is for the others.  The palace is only open to the public during this time of the year.”

“I saw His Highness the Crown Prince there, although I am not sure how long he stayed.  Actually, I am surprised he joined us earlier.  It has been a while since you two spoke.”

The king sighed.  “I encountered him in the courtyard and told him he should come to greet our visitors.”

“That was surprising as well, Your Majesty.  We do not normally give merchants such formal greetings in the throne room.”

“The attendants said they were from the Eastern Region.”

“Oh…I see…is that why you wanted His Highness to join?”

***

Far from the opulent palace and the festive bazaars of the capital, dark columns of smoke billowed skyward, illuminated by the orange glow of raging fires.  A horde of cloaked figures with tasseled helmets and masks that only revealed their eyes surged through the streets of Umaraq, throwing torches in all directions.  Buildings crackled and burned amidst a cacophony of clanging swords and whinnying horses as the local soldiers tried to defend their city.  Arrows tore through the air, puncturing shields and causing screams as they pierced through armor.

A lone horseman broke away from the chaos.  His steed galloped into the night, heading northward toward Ishkhandar.