Chapter 11: The Moon Reports to the Emperor

Wenxuan woke with a heavy arm across his ribs and the general looking at him.

The general had been looking for some time.

He lay on his side with his head on his bent elbow.

The dawn light lay along the scars on his shoulder, and he did not look away.

"Good morning," Wenxuan said. His voice was a ruin.

"Good morning."

"You are staring."

"Yes." The red came up from the collarbone, slowly, and he let it.

"I was told to look at you while you talked. You are not talking. I am practicing."

Wenxuan laughed into the pillow and found that everything in him ached in a pleasant, specific way.

He reached up and put a hand to the scar on the jaw.

The general turned his face into the palm and kissed it.

It was a small thing, and it was the most intimate thing that had happened in the whole night.

"Rule two," Wenxuan said at last. "I believe we are in breach."

"Which part?"

"Touching only for an audience," said Wenxuan.

"There is no audience."

"There is always an audience. The moon reports to the Emperor."

The general considered this with the gravity of a man receiving a field report.

"Then I will give the moon something to write," he said, and rolled him over.

They were late to breakfast.

Steward Dai was waiting at the table, in the grey coat, with a face arranged for any possible news.

He saw Wenxuan walk in, and the general behind him, and the way the general held the chair.

He put his sleeve to his eyes and said nothing at all.

"Dai," said Wenxuan.

"Young Master. I made the soy milk myself."

"Thank you."

"With a little honey." Dai wiped his nose. "The cook says to tell you the rest of the buns are warm."

Lieutenant Cui came in with a message from the garrison, saw them both, and stopped dead in the doorway.

"Marshal," he said, in a strangled voice.

"Cui."

"Will you be wanting the east yard drill, or..." said Cui.

"No."

"Ah. Right." Cui bowed. He bowed again to Wenxuan.

He backed out, and could be heard in the passage telling forty men that they had all won and that someone was to bring the plum wine.

Wenxuan put a bun on the general's plate.

Under the table, a large warm hand found his knee and stayed there.

He ate three bites of the egg dish and could not have said what it was.

"There is a thing I want to do today," he said, when the dish was empty. "Come with me."

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