Fortunately, Guangfeng had already arrived at the palace, but even if he hadn’t been the entire capital could hear the enraged roar of Yuelan’s contracted divine beast, the White Tiger Byakko. He acted quickly, turning to the nearest palace guards and barking out orders: “You, quickly go and report that the Priestess is in trouble at the empress’ palace. The rest of you, follow me to investigate the situation at the empress’ palace!”

Guangfeng didn’t wait to see if any of them had followed his orders as he turned and started running toward the empress’ palace. The guards who had been nearby did as they were commanded with one running for the emperor’s study and the other two following after the third prince.

The group of guards surrounding Guangfeng grew as he ran toward the Empress palace and gathered up any he spotted or joined with others heading in the direction of the tiger’s roar. When he arrived outside the Empress palace he found the situation a mess. The guards right outside it were barring entry from anyone else and insisting the situation was well in hand.

“Get out of my way!” Guangfeng commanded the guards as he started to push them aside.

One of the guards drew his sword and placed it at Guangfeng’s throat. “Your Highness, these are the Empress’ orders! If you disobey them then you will be accused of treason!”

“The Empress’ orders are nothing in the face of the safety of the Dragon Priestess!” Guangfeng snapped. “I heard the anger of the divine beast Byakko, now get out of my way!”

“Her Majesty believes the Emperor has been deceived. You may not enter!” The guard glared at Guangfeng.

“The emperor has arrived!” The eunuch’s cry was loud enough that everyone in the area could hear it. Most of the guards turned and bowed, but the one facing Guangfeng kept his sword out and pressed against Guangfeng.

“You dare to point a sword at a prince?!” the emperor bellowed.

“This subject does not dare!” the guard immediately lowered his sword and prostrated himself on the ground. “This subject was defending the Empress!”

“Arrest the guard! We will see for ourselves what is happening in Our empress’ palace!” The emperor nodded to Guangfeng. “Come with Us, Crown Prince.”

Guangfeng bowed. “Of course, Father Emperor.”

The emperor and his son walked past the guards and up the steps into the empress’ palace while other guards arrested the one who had drawn his sword on Guangfeng. As the royal pair entered the empress’ throne room Guangfengs hands tightened into fists and began to shake and the emperor’s expression darkened.

Yuelan was tied to a chair, her hair a mess and her shoes removed with instruments of torture placed beside her waiting for her to wake up. Leila and Willow were in much the same state. Nearby, Byakko was being pressed against a wall by guards holding spears with black, matte crystals at the ends of them. Half-laying on the dias was the empress, who wore a lazy expression. She did not stand up but waved a hand to a palace maid who was standing at an incense burner nearby. The maid added a couple more sticks of incense then bowed and left the room.

“What is the meaning of this, Empress?” the emperor snapped. “You have become so daring as to openly defy the heavens?”

The empress laughed, cold and calculating. “So what? What have the heavens ever done for me? It should have been me as the empress in the first place! This seat was always rightfully mine, but instead you ignored my father’s contributions and gave me the seat of a mere concubine instead! You doted on that woman who came from a family with no power at all and gave her the seat of empress instead! I was your first wife! I gave birth to your first child! Everything you gave to her belonged to me! Now I’m just taking it all back and ensuring that our son gets what has always been his!”

The emperor frowned. “I chose her because I loved her. And because she had no family connections she could use to sway the courts yet still earned the respect and love of the people and the members of the court. Her kindness and charity along with her intelligence and grace made her a fitting mother of the kingdom. She was more worthy than you, who spent your time scheming against others and depending on your family’s power.”

The empress picked up a peeled grape from a plate next to her and threw it at the emperor. It hit him in the face. “I received word this morning. My family’s power has fallen. It was all your fault! After all this time, now you move against me? All these years of marriage, years of safety after having that woman murdered and only now you start to act?”

“I had no evidence, but two days ago evidence was given to me that allowed me to finally take action against you. You sealed your own fate, Empress.” The emperor studied the furious woman. “You chose…” He frowned as his head started to spin. “What have you…”

Guangfeng had been surprised by the revelations. He was certain the woman they were speaking of was his mother. It was the only explanation. Now, he too was starting to feel dizzy and swayed where he stood. His eyes moved to the incense burner and he grit his teeth, then pulled the pendant from his belt that Yuelan had given him before he went to war and threw it at the burner.

Clang! The burner toppled over and hit a vase of dried flowers. The flowers caught fire. Instead of putting out the fire, the palace maids and eunuchs in the room started to panic, as did the Empress. The now broken vase was close to her carved and beautiful arhat bed that served as her throne and as she stood her sleeve brushed over the flames and caught fire as well. Her screams grew louder and she and her servants fled from the room, leaving Guangfeng and the emperor, who could no longer resist the incense, to collapse to the ground unconscious.