After Losing My Memory, I Became My Rival's Palm-Sized Chirper - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: It is the Consort

Half a pillar of incense later, Yu Baixi returned to the study.

“Has everything at Mount Furong been settled?” The Celestial Emperor’s voice was devoid of joy or sorrow.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, it has all been handled. My sister will return to the Jade Capital tomorrow, and here are the evidences.”

Yu Baixi took a jade slip and several memorials, opened them to scan the contents, and then set them aside. “There is nothing else. You may withdraw.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The person opposite responded but did not leave.

General Han wore an expression of undisguised gossip: “…This official heard that Your Majesty was in seclusion for a day and had a spat with the Consort.”

“Nonsense,” Yu Baixi said.

“Yes, yes, I also heard from Fairy Shuoling that you didn’t have a spat… so was it your health…? Then why did you have to send the Consort away!…”

“Han Mo.”

“Yes.” General Han immediately shut his mouth.

The Celestial Emperor leaned his elbow on the armchair’s armrest, his slender fingertips tapping his brow. He suddenly asked out of the blue, “How long has he been in the Jade Capital?”

“Who? The Consort?” Han Mo was stunned for a moment. “…It’s been a month, hasn’t it?”

“It has been one month and five days.”

Han Mo: “…” You’ve been counting the days yourself, and yet you’re asking me!

“He needs roughly three months to recover his memories. Three months is but ninety days,” Yu Baixi suddenly added.

His voice remained emotionless. Yet, against the backdrop of the night, Han Mo actually managed to hear a sense of melancholy in it… Reflecting on His Majesty’s destiny as a “lone man,” General Han felt it was indeed a time to feel a bit melancholy…

Then he heard the Emperor say: “This Seat does not know if I can endure these remaining dozens of days.”

Han Mo: …?? Wait, Your Majesty, regarding the Consort, how can you use the word ‘endure’! Do you not desperately want him NOT to leave!!

As he said this, the Emperor’s tone grew solemn again: “He already suspects he is not pregnant, and the Universe Mirror will be appearing any day now.”

“…Are you worried the Consort will leave immediately once he learns the truth?” Han Mo breathed a sigh of relief. After all that, it turned out His Majesty was worried the Consort would leave halfway before fully recovering his memories and strength! It wasn’t that he found taking care of the Consort troublesome.

“…But given the Consort’s temper, indeed, if he truly wishes to leave, it won’t be easy to stop him.”

General Han couldn’t help but start worrying too. It wasn’t as if His Majesty could tie the Consort up and keep him under house arrest until his memories returned, right? But if they let the Consort leave now, it would indeed be dangerous…

Yu Baixi remained silent; the entire study fell quiet.

Han Mo spoke up again: “However, through the deep contact during this period, I feel the Consort is a very good person. He isn’t like the rumors of the past…”

“Mhm?” Yu Baixi interrupted him. In the flickering candlelight, the Emperor dangerously narrowed his eyes. “Deep… contact?”

“…No, no!”

Han Mo wailed in his heart. He lamented that after all these years, he still didn’t understand His Majesty’s true feelings. On the surface, he quickly changed his tune: “It’s just the time when I was on normal duty with Fairy Shuoling, attending to and accompanying the Consort!”

Seeing that the Emperor had no further objection, General Han rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and continued: “In short, I feel the Consort is a blend of strength and grace. He is actually very reasonable, easily moved to compassion, and very considerate of others…”

“What exactly are you trying to say?” the Emperor interrupted coldly.

“I’m saying… Your Majesty, why don’t you hurry up and solidify your relationship with the Consort! Anyway, the Consort is currently anxious to solidify things with you, so isn’t this killing two birds with one stone? Especially if you do this, once the Consort recovers his memories, maybe he won’t want to leave you anymore!”

Han Mo got more excited as he spoke, already envisioning a beautiful picture of imperial harmony, where his idol was willing to stay in the Jade Capital forever, and they might even truly have a little bird!

Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine. A sinister, freezing sensation crept over him like a maggot on a bone. At the same time, Han Mo saw His Majesty’s pair of grey-blue, cold, and fierce eyes.

“…My apologies, Your Majesty. This official has spoken out of turn.” Han Mo quickly lowered his head.

“He trusts this Seat so much; how could I take advantage of his predicament while he has amnesia?” Yu Baixi’s voice was stern and allowed no dispute. “Such a thing is never to be mentioned again.”

“Yes.”

Only then did the Emperor withdraw his icy gaze. He added, “This Seat has already agreed with him. Only after he recovers his memories and is still willing to marry me can we… forget it.”

Yu Baixi concluded, “During this time, I will reduce your outside assignments. Stay close to him and look after him well.”

“…Yes,” Han Mo replied.

The next day, it wasn’t until Qi Jia woke up that he learned that while he was snoring away this morning, memorials impeaching him had flown into the Nine Heavens Cloud Palace like snowflakes.

Qi Jia: “Impeaching me?”

“It’s all thanks to Immortal Huaiji!”

Shuoling was picking out an outfit for Qi Jia while reporting: “Yesterday when His Majesty was in seclusion, he heard that there was a conflict between you and His Majesty. He likely assumed you had lost your status, so this morning he brought some people and publicly spoke ill of you in the Great Hall!…”

“Oh?”

Qi Jia leaned halfway on the couch, sipping a cup of fruit tea. Hearing Shuoling’s indignant narrative, he wasn’t anxious at all. He just asked leisurely, “Immortal Huaiji has been released?”

Shuoling: “…Last time he offended you, you sentenced him to the Light Prison for self-reflection. He was released over ten days ago.”

“Oh,” Qi Jia responded softly, then asked, “So what are they impeaching me for?”

Shuoling: “The same old thing about making you Empress. they want His Majesty to think twice, saying your background is unclear, your origins unknown, and that even the Master of Fate cannot calculate your past, and so on…”

Qi Jia flicked his eyelids up, maintaining his usual tone: “Even your Master of Fate doesn’t know who I am?”

During these days, he had paraded around the Jade Capital without meeting a single acquaintance. He had wanted to visit the Master of Fate—it was said he could see the past, present, and future through celestial phenomena. However, although the Palace of Fate was in the Heaven Realm, it was not in the Jade Capital and was quite far away, so the matter had been delayed.

He didn’t expect news to arrive before he even went…

However. Qi Jia narrowed his eyes: “Is the Master of Fate truly unable to calculate it, or is he saying he doesn’t know to cooperate with Immortal Huaiji?

“From my observations lately, it feels like the Heaven Realm doesn’t value celestial readings. The post of Master of Fate seems almost ceremonial. And last time, Huaiji’s excuse for offending me was that the Master of Fate said His Majesty’s ‘Red Phoenix Star’ (marriage luck) hadn’t moved. At that time, I felt the Master of Fate was on Huaiji’s side. Could he be in collusion with Immortal Huaiji?”

“That wouldn’t be the case,” Shuoling waved her hand in explanation. “You haven’t been here long, so you don’t know. Lord Master of Fate is the most stubborn and ‘upright’ person. He never lies about what he sees or calculates, and he likely wouldn’t cooperate with someone like Immortal Huaiji.”

“Oh? Where does that reputation come from?” Qi Jia asked curiously. “Do you know him?”

“I don’t. When I was born, he was already not living in the Jade Capital. I’ve only seen him a few times at major gatherings.”

Shuoling stuck out her tongue and told Qi Jia: “The Master of Fate is a strange-tempered old man. In recent years, the Heaven Realm really hasn’t looked at celestial signs; aside from Immortal Huaiji and the Clan Elders, few people mention them. But the reason I say he’s upright is because I know of a past event…”

“What past event?”

“It’s said that long ago, the Master of Fate worked normally in the Jade Capital. Back then, the Heaven Realm placed great importance on the evolution of stars and metaphysical theories. However, the Master of Fate offended the Former Celestial Emperor because of a certain celestial omen. In the end, he was driven out of the Jade Capital by the Former Emperor. Since then, the study of celestial signs has rarely been mentioned here.”

“…What omen was so serious that the Former Emperor would essentially dismiss the Master of Fate?”

Qi Jia thought back to the many history books he had read recently; he didn’t seem to have seen this part.

Shuoling said: “…It’s said to be about His Majesty.”

“Your current Majesty? Yu Baixi?”

Shuoling nodded, then shook her head. “I don’t know the specifics. The Former Emperor kept that matter strictly sealed. And based on the timeline, His Majesty was still a dragon egg back then, and I wasn’t even born. I only know about it from accidentally seeing my father’s private notes. …Ah, Consort, let’s keep this between us. Please don’t tell His Majesty I said this!”

“Don’t worry.” Qi Jia tried on a hair ribbon Shuoling brought over. The young man in the mirror was tall and elegant, like the moon in the sky, yet his features were excessively brilliant, making him strikingly eye-catching.

He smiled, and the beautiful youth in the mirror smiled back.

“What we say stays between us and no one else.”

Shuoling smiled too. She felt very close to Qi Jia and decided not to hide anything from him. “Looking at what has happened over the years, I suspect the Master of Fate might have calculated that His Majesty is an ‘Evil Celestial Emperor’ who ends slaughter with slaughter, and thus didn’t want the Former Emperor to pass the throne to him? After all, before His Majesty, every Emperor was known for benevolence… Mainly, I once accidentally heard that over the years, some people suggested inviting the Master of Fate back, but it wasn’t that His Majesty wouldn’t allow it—it’s that the Master of Fate himself refuses to return.”

“Yu Baixi asks him to return, and he won’t? …Fine, your Heaven Realm certainly has a lot of drama,” Qi Jia said.

He then murmured to himself, “He doesn’t even like your Emperor, so he’ll like me even less. It seems even if I visit, it’ll be useless… Right, that Immortal Huaiji impeached me in the Great Hall today. What did Yu Baixi say?”

“Yu… His Majesty said nothing.” Shuoling almost got led astray by the Consort’s casual naming, but she corrected herself in time. Smiling, she added:

“Well, what could His Majesty say? So what if the Master of Fate can’t see your past? It’s not like His Majesty doesn’t know! There is no couple in this world more intimately connected than His Majesty and the Consort…”

Shuoling was all smiles, her face full of gossip: “Even I didn’t know—when I left yesterday, you were clearly resting in Weiyang Palace. How is it that you woke up in Hongmeng Palace this morning?”

“Don’t even mention it.” It was fine if no one mentioned it, but once they did, Qi Jia was ready to explode. “Thinking about it makes my waist sore.”

He looked at the tiny bed deep within the chambers and felt full of resentment… I told him that bed was unsleepable! Even with only one bird on it, it wasn’t crowded, but he still found it hard!

Even worse—there was more than one thing making him “fat-ly” angry—

Yu Baixi had actually confiscated that great nourishing pill he had painstakingly refined using over two hundred kinds of heavenly treasures! He had clearly left it on the writing desk before sleeping yesterday. Today, it was gone. No one can enter Hongmeng Palace without a summons; who else could it be but that Big Scumbag Dragon!!

Qi Jia’s resentment was written all over his face, and he reached out to rub his waist.

Heaven knows what Shuoling was thinking, but she bowed her head to hide the faint blush on her face, more smiles spilling from her lips. “The Consort and His Majesty are like newly-weds, deeply in love. Immortal Huaiji naturally won’t be able to drive a wedge between you. Besides, there’s my father and the others!”

“The Grand Secretary?”

“Yes! Don’t worry, Consort. My father and the others absolutely support you!”

Shuoling laughed even more at this point. “This is actually quite funny. In the past, it was my father arguing with General Han about the Emperor’s marriage. Now, it’s my father and General Han together, arguing with others for the sake of your marriage to His Majesty!”

Qi Jia: “So you’re saying…”

Shuoling: “My father and General Han have ‘turned enemies into friends’!”

Qi Jia: “…That truly is an unexpected development… Congratulations. But General Han is back?”

“Yes, and General Han’s elder sister is back too.” Shuoling suddenly lowered her voice. “Vermillion Bird General Han Huangyu. She is a commander whose strength is second only to His Majesty.”

Qi Jia had vaguely heard of her, as her title was indeed legendary. The story most praised by the world was how, ten thousand years ago during the Great Heaven-Demon War, she led from the front, protecting the common people with her life and nearly perishing. Yet she turned disaster into a blessing, completed her Nirvana, fully awakened her Phoenix bloodline, and became the only Fire Phoenix in the Four Realms.

Currently, General Huangyu guarded Fen City at the intersection of the Ninth Heaven, the Demon, and the Devil realms. For ten thousand years, Fen City had been as solid as gold thanks to her protection.

“Oh, and one more thing! In the past when my father and the others argued, His Majesty would just watch from above and let them fight.”

Shuoling held a jade crown to the side of the Consort’s head to measure it. “But this time, after they finished arguing, His Majesty suddenly attacked and directly issued a punishment for Immortal Huaiji.”

“What?” Qi Jia was looking in the mirror to see if the crown fit. Hearing this, he looked at Shuoling. “How was he punished?”

“…I’ve only heard the general idea. It seems someone initially reported him to His Majesty? Saying Immortal Huaiji was conspiring with the Demon Tribe at Mount Furong to rebel. His Majesty revealed this directly at the court meeting today, then ordered people to take Immortal Huaiji back to the Light Prison to await investigation.”

“Shuoling.”

Qi Jia looked at her with a smile. “Your information is quite well-informed.”

With the Consort’s smile being so bright, Shuoling immediately felt a bit shy. “To serve the Consort, I must naturally grasp all sorts of intelligence in a timely manner.”

Qi Jia continued to smile. “But shouldn’t the order of this report put the most urgent matters first?”

“Ah?” A look of slight panic appeared on Shuoling’s face. “I thought you didn’t care about Immortal Huaiji…”

“I don’t care about him.” Qi Jia grew slightly serious. “But how could he suddenly collude with the Demon Realm? Wasn’t he very afraid of Yu Baixi before, and thus very well-behaved? These two times he targeted me, it was only because he wanted his son to be Crown Prince. I’ve only been here for how long? If he really rebelled because of this, wouldn’t he be far too impatient?”

Shuoling was stunned by his words. “You don’t suspect… that His Majesty intentionally…” Shuoling made a throat-slitting gesture.

“Whether he did or not, I’ll know once I go take a look.”

Qi Jia stood up. Seeing Shuoling’s panicked and fearful expression, knowing she was still sometimes very afraid of Yu Baixi, he smiled again to comfort her. “Don’t worry, I still trust your Emperor. Rather than Huaiji truly rebelling, I believe your Emperor wouldn’t act recklessly.”

“Oh, oh.” Shuoling breathed a sigh of relief, then instinctively raised the jade crown in her hand. “Then this…”

“Put it on,” Qi Jia said.

“Alright!” Shuoling became happy again. While dressing the Consort, she complained: “Previously you didn’t like wearing these kinds of hair accessories, leaving my styling skills with nowhere to be used. My hands have been itching!”

“…A while ago, I thought your Emperor only liked fluffy things.” Qi Jia said, “To please him, I mostly appeared in bird form and didn’t bother with these outfits.”

“Oh.” Shuoling responded, not taking it to heart—previously, you clearly complained that these hair crowns were too heavy! And you didn’t wear those pretty clothes any less; you practically wanted to change two sets a day…

“Now, however, I don’t know what exactly he likes?” Qi Jia blinked at the mirror, his expression bewildered.

Shuoling said without hesitation, “Does that even need to be said? As long as it’s you, His Majesty likes it!”

“That’s not necessarily true.” Qi Jia disagreed, feeling that his suffering was truly hard to voice.

For instance, Shuoling thought his stay at Hongmeng Palace last night meant the Emperor and Empress were as close as glue, but she didn’t know that Yu Baixi didn’t return to the sleeping chambers at all last night!

Ultimately, Qi Jia said nothing. Instead, he was amused by Fairy Shuoling’s innocent look and happy expression.

Usually, after the court meeting, the Celestial Emperor would return to the study in Hongmeng Palace to handle affairs. However, likely because Qi Jia had slept in Hongmeng Palace and usually woke up late, Yu Baixi did not return there today. Instead, he went to Zhourong Hall, which also served as an Emperor’s study.

Qi Jia found out the specific location of Zhourong Hall and flapped his wings to fly out of Hongmeng Palace. He had things on his mind, so he didn’t fly fast. He suddenly stopped near Zhourong Hall—he heard people discussing something. It was related to him.

“If you ask me, Yu Huaiji is truly a failure! He actually insisted the relationship between His Majesty and the Consort is fake? …I just ran into General Han’s subordinates. Right now, they are following His Majesty’s orders, arranging for people to change the bed in Hongmeng Palace’s sleeping chambers! …They’re changing it to a huge bed!”

…? Yu Baixi ordered the bed changed?

Qi Jia blinked his bird eyes in confusion. …Yesterday, that man had looked cold and said they wouldn’t change the bed, acting as if there was absolutely no room for negotiation. Today, he directly arranged for people to change it…

Qi Jia was startled, but then he suddenly felt in a very good mood. In a single breath, it became wonderful!

So he listened more carefully to the conversation of that group:

“I say, even if Huaiji hadn’t targeted the Empress in the hall today, he wouldn’t have escaped this fate. Colluding with the Demon Tribe to rebel is a capital crime!”

“But how could the Immortal collude with the Demon Tribe? …If this can’t be explained clearly, then the Young Lord will suffer too!”

“But that evidence is real and solid… Sigh! Though it’s not entirely unexplainable, His Majesty has always been cold and thin-blooded, never tolerating a grain of sand in his eyes. Now that there’s an Empress and a Dragon Heir, I’m afraid he won’t even look kindly on the Young Lord anymore!…”

“What’s the use of saying this? We should hurry and persuade the Young Lord to come back! At this juncture, we must protect the Young Lord first. We must not let him go plead for mercy for the Immortal and anger His Majesty!”

“Right, right. His Majesty isn’t someone who cares about family ties! Will he stop investigating just because the Young Lord kneels? It would only have the opposite effect! Forget being uncle and nephew, even… sigh, don’t say it, can’t say it.”

These people flew hurriedly toward Zhourong Hall. Perhaps because they were too anxious, they didn’t notice a pale yellow little bird near them.

Qi Jia recognized them; among them were the Clan Elders who had followed Yu Huaiji to pick a fight with him last time. It seemed these people didn’t think highly of Immortal Huaiji, but they cared deeply about the “Young Lord”—Huaiji’s descendant who had just reached three thousand years old, the only currently outstanding one, and the most likely successor to the throne.

His round bird body suspended in the air, Qi Jia continued to flap his small wings forward, indifferent to whether they noticed him.

Zhourong Hall was an independent palace. As the primary workplace for successive Emperors, looking down from the air, it was actually a water pavilion surrounded by corridors. Inside were craggy rocks, winding galleries, pavilions, and ancient towering trees—far more lively and beautiful than the vast but lonely Hongmeng Palace.

Just as he was about to fly into Zhourong Hall, Qi Jia noticed someone who looked like a youth kneeling outside the hall gates, silently looking forward, his back as straight as a pine tree.

Qi Jia flew into Zhourong Hall without any obstruction. The youth clearly saw him; his eyebrows twitched slightly, but he remained silent and kneeling.

As for those Clan Elders and officials who were gossiping on the way, they arrived a step later than Qi Jia. Seeing a bird fly directly into Zhourong Hall while their Young Lord was still kneeling outside, an official from Huaiji’s manor said indignantly, “Why can he enter Zhourong Hall directly?!”

His voice wasn’t low, originally intended as a question for the iron-faced Celestial Generals guarding the door who had blocked the Young Lord. But the Clan Elder beside him pulled him back first, his expression wary and his tone stern: “Open your eyes and look closely—that is the Empress Consort!”

Just as the voice fell, the pale yellow bird flew straight back out. Approaching them, he shook his body and transformed into a handsome young man in brocade white robes.

He landed in front of the youth. His appearance startled the kneeling youth, who slowly looked up and bumped into a pair of beautiful but sharp eyes.

…The youth froze again.

Today, Qi Jia wore elegant white robes with gold thread patterns, a jade crown on his head. His face was like powdered jade, his beauty almost bewitching, yet his aura was stern and his spirit dignified.

He looked down at the youth whose appearance was thirty percent similar to Yu Baixi and said slowly, “Do you know who I am?”

The youth’s pupils dilated again, the question in his eyes deep.

Qi Jia didn’t wait for an answer, saying directly: “I heard you were in seclusion previously, so we haven’t met. …By seniority, I should be your future Uncle-in-Law. But you can call me ‘Consort’ like the others.”

Youth: “…”

Of course he knew who this person was. He had heard about him for days… But what he heard was how this person suddenly appeared in the Heaven Realm, how he clung to the Emperor, and how he used the Dragon Heir in his belly to be lazy, gluttonous, and tyrannical…

Of course, he didn’t entirely believe the words of those around him. He had also heard people outside say that the high officials of the Heaven Realm liked this person very much and supported him as Empress… All sorts of rumors existed.

After all, the Heaven Realm had been silent for ten thousand years; it was normal for discussions to surround a suddenly appearing prospective Empress. But no matter what, the youth never imagined… an ordinary parrot spirit could be so steady, dignified, and exceptional in aura.

Yu Dezhao first instinctively looked at the youth’s lower abdomen, but ultimately, his entire field of vision was occupied by the other’s magnificent presence.

He thought for a moment, bowed his head, and called out: “Uncle-in-Law.”

Qi Jia nodded and said, “Stand up.”

However, Young Lord Dezhao didn’t move.

Qi Jia wasn’t surprised. He just raised his eyebrows slightly, looking down at the kneeling youth, and asked slowly: “Is the Young Lord kneeling here, insisting on seeing His Majesty, to explain the situation to protect yourself, or do you intend to plead for mercy for your father, Immortal Huaiji?”

Inside Zhourong Hall, a female general in fire-red armor looked majestic and heroic. She was detailing the events of the mission to Mount Furong in the Demon Realm to the Emperor.

At the end, General Huangyu said, “Now that the Universe Mirror is about to emerge, there must be no mistakes. Locking Immortal Huaiji in the Heavy Prison to await judgment is the best choice. …However, Young Lord Dezhao is currently kneeling outside, asking to see Your Majesty. I believe it is inappropriate.”

“More than inappropriate!” Before the Emperor could react, Han Mo, who had been standing to the side, suddenly jumped out. “The high officials are still discussing his father’s matter. For the Young Lord to be kneeling outside like this, what does it look like! Your Majesty, perhaps this official should go…”

“You are a close official of His Majesty; your appearance is equivalent to speaking for him,” the female general interrupted coldly.

“Oh, sister! Then what do you suggest? Though you aren’t often in the Jade Capital, you know how it is—those clan elders are best at making things difficult for His Majesty using any excuse. Yet they are elders; one cannot touch them or speak harshly to them…”

At the thought of those clan elders who preached righteousness and filial piety but were hypocritical, Han Mo’s teeth itched with anger. “The Young Lord kneeling outside—who knows who instructed him! Right now, Immortal Huaiji hasn’t been sentenced. If His Majesty sees the Young Lord now, people will say he’s showing favoritism, and the dignity of the Heaven Realm will be shaken. But if His Majesty doesn’t see him, hoho, then he’ll be called cold-blooded and unfeeling…”

“Reporting to Your Majesty.” Before General Han could finish, a Celestial General guarding outside came in to report: “Young Lord Dezhao has stood up and left on his own. Seeing this, the Clan Elders also…”

“Huh? He left? Just left on his own?” Han Mo, interrupted mid-sentence, turned around in shock.

“…It was the Consort.” The Celestial General hurriedly said, “The Consort arrived and said a few words to the Young Lord outside. Then the Young Lord left.”

“The Consort is here?” Han Mo was stunned for a second, then immediately reacted, punching his own palm in excitement. “As expected of the Consort!”

He then looked at the red-armored general beside him, his eyes shining: “Sister, you haven’t seen with your own eyes what the Consort looks like without a mask or illusion, right? I’m telling you, the Consort is not only elegant beyond compare, his looks are truly top-tier handsome!…”

The female general in crimson armor stood tall. Hearing her brother’s animated description, she remained as steady as a mountain. Only, as she instinctively adjusted her battle armor and the leather straps at her waist, a look of slight anticipation appeared in her expression.

But her focus was different from Han Mo’s. The heroic female general murmured to herself instinctively: “…The Consort is also protecting His Majesty.”

“Where is he?” The Emperor above suddenly asked.

Ever since hearing that it was the little fat bird who persuaded Dezhao to leave, Yu Baixi had remained silent, his long lashes lowered to hide his thoughts, his meaning unclear. But presumably, the other party came to Zhourong Hall to find him, yet now only the Celestial General appeared and not the bird… thus the question.

“The Young Lord left, and the Clan Elders also wanted to go. But the Consort suddenly called out to several of them, not allowing them to leave…”

The Celestial General glanced at the Emperor on the throne. Recalling the Consort’s manner—smiling yet carrying an undeniable authority that allowed no refusal—when he stopped the Clan Elders, his voice couldn’t help but tremble:

“The Consort said, if Your Majesty asks for him, to say he is currently ‘chatting’ with the Clan Elders.”