CHAPTER 51: 51. SUEN AND LUEN RIVALRY

AT THE SAME TIME

EMPEROR LIANWEI’S POINT OF VIEW:

Suen stayed close to Huan for the rest of the afternoon, her small hand clutching the edge of his tunic as if afraid he might vanish if she let go. They chased each other through the flower beds, giggling so loud even Bella turned her head to look, a curious frown creasing her tiny brows.

I thought it was sweet and innocent, but then the air shifted. A ripple of murmurs passed through the guests as another figure stepped into the courtyard. A girl, maybe Huan’s age or a little older, dressed in soft jade green silk, her dark hair pinned neatly with tiny silver charms that chimed as she walked. She moved with the kind of elegance children usually don’t have unless they’ve been taught since they could crawl. And the way her sharp eyes flicked to Suen? That was unmistakable.

She didn’t smile, didn’t greet anyone at first, she looked straight at Huan.

"Huan." She said, her voice soft but carrying that strange weight of authority. "It’s been a while."

Huan blinked at her, then lit up.

"A Luen! You came!"Huan shouted.

And just like that, Suen’s hand dropped from his tunic. I could see it. the subtle shift in her posture, the way her brows knit together, her lips pressing tight. Suen might have been polite and shy most of the time, but right now she looked like she wanted to drag Huan right back to her side. The gods hovering nearby seemed amused. A Luen smiled faintly, stepping closer, and the tension between the two girls became almost comically visible. Bella gurgled against my shoulder.

"Oh, little one... your big brother’s social life is already more complicated than mine ever was."I whispered.

I’ve fought in border wars, stared down warlords twice my size, and commanded armies in the dead of winter. None of that prepared me for what I was watching now. To my left stood Suen, small and sweet looking but radiating the subtle frost of a child who suddenly doesn’t like the situation. To my right stood A Luen, equally small but with the calm, confident look of someone who has been told her whole life she will win. And in the middle? My son, holding a honey cake like it was the only treasure in the world, blissfully unaware he’d just become the center of an unspoken battle. Henry leaned toward me.

"You see this?" He murmured. "That’s a standoff if I’ve ever seen one."

"I see it." I muttered. "And I don’t like it."

A god nearby chuckled, loudly, shamelessly.

Oh, emperor, you’ll thank us later. Nothing like a bit of youthful competition to keep things interesting."He said.

I didn’t dignify that with a reply. Before I could intervene, A Luen’s parents appeared, a tall, composed man in pale jade robes and a woman with eyes like polished steel. They walked with that quiet authority that announces itself before any words are spoken. Bowing just enough to acknowledge my position, they greeted me warmly.

"It is an honor, emperor Lianwei." Her father said, voice deep and smooth. "We are the Envoy Lord and Lady of the Jade Province. This is our daughter, Luen."

I glanced at her, and yes, she looked very pleased with herself now. But then something interesting happened. The Envoy Lord turned, his gaze sliding toward Suen’s parents, who were standing just beyond the food tables. His eyes lit up with polite recognition.

"Ah." He said smoothly, walking toward them with his wife in step. "You must be the esteemed emperor and Empress of the Lei Shin Empire. I had heard your family was in attendance today."

Suen’s parents, still holding that quiet regal air, inclined their heads.

"Indeed. And you must be the Jade Envoy family. Your province is well-spoken of in our court."A man said.

A Luen’s mother smiled faintly.

"As is yours in ours. How fortunate our children meet here, in such... joyful circumstances."She said.

Joyful. Yes. That was one word for it. From where I stood, the two girls were now both within arm’s reach of Huan, each with one hand on the edge of his tunic as if subtly staking territory. My son, still oblivious, was holding his honey cake out toward Bella, who took it with a squeal and promptly tried to shove it into her mouth whole. Henry chuckled beside me.

"Kid’s got no idea what battlefield he’s on right now."He said.

I sighed.

"And may it stay that way... for a few more years at least."I said.

But the way Suen’s mother and A Luen’s father exchanged that faint, knowing look told me that the alliances being drawn today were going to last far longer than the taste of a birthday cake. If there’s one thing the gods seem to enjoy more than meddling, it’s watching me suffer through whatever chaos they’ve dropped in my lap.

My son, Huan, was now seated cross-legged on the grass with Suen on one side and A Luen on the other. Both girls were leaning in just slightly, eyes locked like two cats circling the same fish. Huan, in true six year old fashion, was completely oblivious, gnawing on a skewer of candied fruit and humming along to the musicians like the most important thing happening was how sticky his hands were getting.

"Do you want another one, Huan?" Suen asked sweetly, holding up a fresh skewer.

Before he could answer, A Luen shoved a small wooden puzzle box into his hands.

"Or you could play with this! My father brought it all the way from the Jade Province."Luen said.

Huan blinked at them both, candied fruit still in his mouth.

"...Can I have both?"He asked.

The girls both paused, clearly not expecting that answer. Suen recovered first.

"Of course!"She said.

A Luen frowned faintly but then nodded.

"Yes... of course."Luen said.

And then my son, the boy who could charm generals and terrify palace cooks, cheerfully shoved the skewer into Bella’s hands and started trying to open the puzzle box, which he immediately dropped into the grass and forgot about because there was now a butterfly in the courtyard. Henry was standing beside me again, arms crossed, expression halfway between amusement and pity.

"He’s six." Henry muttered. "They’re playing politics. He’s chasing bugs."

"Yes." I sighed. "Exactly how I’d like it to stay."

But of course, the gods wouldn’t let it stay that way. One of them, the loud one who finds my discomfort hilarious, spoke right into my ear.

"Ohhh, this is precious. Look at the girls. Every time he looks at one, the other adjusts her hair or sits up straighter. Pure rivalry, emperor. Just like the old court days."Zeyrith said.

I muttered something unprintable under my breath, but the god just laughed harder. The real dagger came when Suen’s mother leaned toward A Luen’s father and said, in a tone just low enough for me to hear.

"Perhaps they’ll all become close friends. Childhood bonds, after all, are the strongest."He said.

"Yes." A Luen’s father agreed smoothly. "But some bonds... become stronger than others."

I looked back toward my son just in time to see him proudly present the butterfly he’d caught, holding it gently in both hands to Bella. Bella squealed and clapped, immediately letting it go. The girls both pouted. If there’s a word for wanting to laugh and scream at the same time, I was living it.

"How exactly... did Huan even meet them before today?"I asked.

Before Henry could guess, Mei Shen appeared at my side, Bella balanced on her hip and an expression that was trying not to laugh at me.

"Oh, that." She said casually. "They met in the mountains. A while back, before you found us again. Both their families got lost up there."

I blinked.

"Both... families? At the same time?"I asked.

She nodded like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Yes. We were trying to avoid a rockslide, and it turns out Suen’s carriage had broken a wheel on one trail, while A Luen’s family was stuck on the other side. We all ended up taking shelter near the same stream for a couple of days."Mei explained.

I stared at her.

"So you’re telling me my son... made friends with both of them... before I even knew they existed?"I asked.

"Yes." Mei Shen said simply. Then she smirked. "And judging from the way they’re looking at each other right now, I think they remember it a little differently than Huan does."

I glanced back at the table. Sure enough, Huan was too busy licking frosting off his fingers to notice that both girls were now vying for the ’honor’ of giving him the next bite. The gods, of course, were loving this.

"Oh, emperor." One of them snickered in my ear. "This is going to be so much fun for us to watch."

I groaned and reached for the nearest cup of wine. I had the feeling I was going to need it. The cake was mostly gone, crumbs scattered like little battle remains, and Huan had frosting on his cheek like war paint. Suen and A Luen were still... circling each other. Not literally, but the way they kept leaning in from opposite sides of him made me think of two cats pretending they weren’t about to fight. Then Huan, my diplomatic prodigy, solved the situation entirely by scooping Bella into his lap.

"Here, Bella! You get the next piece! You’re the best little sister!"Huan shouted.

Suen froze, fork halfway to his mouth. A Luen’s smile tightened. And Huan? Completely oblivious. He held the fork out to Bella, who grabbed it with both hands and happily smeared frosting all over herself, Huan cheering like she’d just won a tournament. That’s when a familiar, deep laugh rolled through the courtyard like a clap of thunder.

I turned toward the gates and there he was, Zeyrith , leaning casually against the stone archway, arms crossed, golden eyes bright with mischief. He didn’t even bother to hide his grin.

"Oh, Lianwei." He teased, strolling in like he owned the place. "You’ve been worrying about alliances, politics, the fate of empires... and your son’s biggest priority is feeding cake to his baby sister."

I narrowed my eyes.

"What are you doing here, Zeyrith’?"I asked.

He smirked.

"Entertainment." Then he glanced at the table and actually snorted. "Two heirs of powerful families trying to win him over, and he looks at them like they’re competing for the honor of carrying his sword to the playground. Beautiful."

Suen’s parents were shifting uncomfortably. A Luen’s parents were pretending to be fascinated by the floral arrangements. Zeyrith’s just leaned down next to me, voice low.

"I can’t wait to see their faces when they realize he’ll probably grow up more protective of that little sister than any future bride. The boy’s got his priorities straight."Zeyrith said.

I rubbed my temple.

"Please don’t encourage him."I asked.

Too late, Zeyrith’s gave Huan a wink, and my son beamed like he’d just been knighted.