The Wizard and the Monk

The story started in The Queen's Lost Son and continued in From Orphan to Bodyguard, from Prince to Monk continues with this chapter.

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After leaving Chessa and Queen Jenmei Na'Omi, Crown Prince Yixing-Jiumin Jinhai arrived back in Senyon and the imperial palace of Liliakinyosa in Sendoshi. Despite the turmoil in Chessa, the return trip had been uneventful. But now he had to face the emperor and explain the failure of his mission…

Jinhai entered the court audience hall of his father, Emperor Yixing-Jiumin Jinsen of Senyon in the Hall of the Imperial Presence in the Outer Court of Liliakinyosa. The court ministers were lined up on either side according to their rank. Jinhai felt their eyes on him as he walked, trembling, to the front of the hall and knelt before the great throne.
"Welcome home, Jinhai," said his father, "I have heard some disturbing rumors that I find hard to credit. We are looking forward to hearing your report. Why is Seven not with you?"
Jinhai pressed his forehead to the ground and said, nearly weeping, "I am ashamed to show my face, my imperial father. Our mission to Chessa to further our ties to that country and to Queen Jenmei Na'Omi was... not successful. I have lost Seven. I do not know where he has gone. He...he...he left me, and it was my fault."
The Emperor was shocked to hear what the Crown Prince said. "What!? Explain yourself, Jinhai! What are you saying? Seven is gone? And what of Chessa? Are we going to war?!" Though Chessa was not as large as Senyon, it's military was regarded as being very well-trained and tough.
Jinhai heard the court ministers murmuring and muttering behind him. One of the imperial censors spoke up, "Emperor, the Censorate warned you that the Crown Prince is still too young and immature to handle the responsibility of such an important mission. Now you see the result."
The Emperor answered impatiently, "Yes, I hear you. Now keep quiet until we know more about the situation." The Imperial Censorate, the ministry charged with ensuring that the emperor upheld and obeyed the laws of Senyon, was always a thorn in his side. He continued, "Jinhai, stand up. We need a thorough and complete explanation of everything that happened in Chessdo. Do not leave out any details, and you must be truthful."
Jinhai stood to his feet and recounted everything that had happened, from their initial warm greeting by Queen Na'Omi, to finding out that Seven is actually the Queen's lost son, Prince Toma. He told of the attack on him and Seven by assassins and his subsequent conflict with the Queen, to his ill treatment of Seven after he had lost his patience. He explained how distraught Seven had been, and that Seven had disappeared without a trace in the middle of the night. He finished, "Father, Queen Na'Omi is, of course, in anguish over her only son disappearing from her again, and I am terribly, terribly sorry and saddened that my best friend and companion is gone. If there is anything to be salvaged from this, it is that, with the help of Chessa's Prime Minister Hatoyama, I was able to repair our relationship with the Queen. We are not at war with Chessa, and we still have an opportunity to improve our ties with our eastern neighbors."
Stunned, yet relieved by the Crown Prince's report, the Emperor said, "Jinhai, you were put into an extreme situation no one could have anticipated. So I must be understanding of that, but by your own admission, you did not handle it well. I am disappointed by your rashness and your lack of empathy for Seven and for Queen Na'Omi. Your mission very nearly ended in a diplomatic disaster and enmity between Chessa and Senyon for generations. This is the first time you have brought me such a troubling report of failure and misjudgment. I have no choice but to reconsider your readiness for such important missions in the future."
Jinhai heard the court ministers murmuring in agreement with his father's assessment, and in his heart, he too agreed that he had mishandled the situation. But it had all been so sudden and unexpected. He was utterly unprepared for his bodyguard and friend, the orphan, Cao Qigong - Seven - who had been with him for years, to be the long-lost Prince Toma of Chessa.
Jinhai said quietly, "Father, I have one more thing to report. As I left Chessdo, Queen Na'Omi asked me to bring Seven - Prince Toma - back to her, and I request that I be allowed to search for him and take him back to his mother."
The emperor replied, "We will consider this later, Jinhai. Given your failure on this mission, at this moment I think it is better for you to stay here in Liliakinyosa and reflect on your mistakes. We have others that can find Seven."
"Yes, father. As you command. I will take my leave," said Jinhai, downcast and disheartened. He turned and left the audience hall, heading for his quarters in the Hall of the Princes.

Cao Qigong hiked high in the mountains above Xosuyel Vold Monastery. Though it was cold, the exercise and pure, clean air helped to calm his heart and clear his mind. All that had happened in Chessa was beyond belief and had shocked him out of his normal sense of equanimity and balance. It was impossible that he was Prince Toma, the lost son of Queen Na'Omi, but he couldn't deny the facts. The Queen, Duke Togawa, and that old eunuch were convinced that he was. He had the mark of Chessan royal princes on the back of his neck. He looked like the late king of Chessa. The story of how he had been stolen away from the Queen and taken to Xosuyel Vold - it all made sense. But he was at a complete loss as to what to do about it. He needed some time and space to think in peace, to try to resolve and heal the wounds in his heart and mind.
As he ascended, it was getting colder, and the wind began to blow with some force. He spotted the entrance to a cave above him some ways on the mountainside and decided to take shelter and rest awhile there, so he hiked over the rugged terrain up to the dark cleft in the rock face. It was bigger than he expected, and there was some light coming from fissures and gaps in the rocks above him. He made his way deeper into the cave to get out of the wind, and then was startled to hear someone speak to him.
"Hello, Cao Qigong. I am pleased to meet you here." A dim purple light flared to life from a lantern hanging from the ceiling, and Seven saw an ancient Elvirim man sitting cross-legged on a very fine silk carpet arranged neatly on the floor. Though it was difficult to be certain in the lavender-hued luminance, it appeared that the old Elvirim had silvery-white skin and long, silver hair, and was dressed in garments made of woven silver silk and silver leather. Seven had never seen anything like it - even the finest of the silk gowns of the imperial consorts in Senyon were rags in comparison. Behind the old man, Seven could see that the cave widened and then went on into blackness that his eyes could not penetrate.
Startled by the sudden voice and unexpected light, Seven crouched defensively, and said with more vehemence than he intended, "Who are you!? How do you know my name?!"
The old Elvirim replied, "Ah, Cao Qigong. There is no need to be frightened. You are in no danger here. As for who I am. Who do you think I am?"
Seven replied, "I do not know you, sir. I did not expect to meet anyone here, especially not an Elvirim. But I greet you in peace. I came here only seeking shelter from the winds. I intend to leave as soon as I warm up. But may I ask again? How do you know my name?"
"Let us start with my name. I am called Xozim, and I welcome you, Cao Qigong; though, I must admit that I expected you."
'You expected me? How could you know I would come here? I didn't even know this place existed!" Seven exclaimed.
"Foresight is one of my ... gifts, I suppose one could say," Xozim replied.
"Your gifts? Like knowing my name when we've never met?" Seven asked.
"Ah, knowing your name is a trivial thing, is it not? It requires no gift, just asking the right people." Xozim said, waving his hand dismissively.
"Well. Yes. I suppose so," Seven replied. "But then, who did you ask? And how could you know I would come here? How did you know it was me?"
"Those are good questions, Cao Qigong, but not the most important ones," Xozim said.
"Not the most important...Who are you?" Seven was feeling confused and a little frightened of the old man. He hadn't met many Elvirim before, but this old one seemed different than any others he had encountered.
"Ah, yes. Now, that is an important question! But not the most important, Cao Qigong. The most important question is... who are you?"
Suddenly, Seven felt like the old Elvirim could see through him. Weakly, he replied, "What...what do you mean? I am Cao Qigong, a follower of Gasyenditha. I live at the Xosuyel Vold monastery. I was just hiking up here in the mountains for some fresh air and exercise. I was getting cold, so I came in here to get out of the wind and rest a bit."
"Is that so, Cao Qigong?" Xozim replied, pointedly. "Are you sure of that? Aren't you Seven, the loyal companion and bodyguard of Prince Jinhai? Or perhaps you are Prince Toma of Chessa? Who are you, Cao Qigong? Isn't that the most important question?"
"I...I...I don't know. I don't know. I don't know, but I am trying... I am trying to figure that out," Seven said. "But how do you know all this?"
"Ah, Cao Qigong. Cao Qigong," Xozim said, intently, "you are full of unimportant questions, because you are afraid of the most important one. Or better said, you are afraid of the answer to the most important one."
As the old Elvirim looked at him, Seven suddenly felt the weight of all that happened in Chessa, and he sank to the floor of the cave. His eyes leaked tears. "I...I don't know why I should...I don't know anything about you, but you seem to know a lot about me. I ought to be suspicious of you, but I feel like you want to help me. I don't know why. It's confusing me. I'm losing my focus and my center. I need to stop and calm down. Please, give me a moment."
Xozim said, "Yes. Everyone needs a moment sometimes. Let us both take a moment, shall we?" Xozim closed his eyes and murmured something in a language that Seven didn't understand. Seven's eyes closed as well, but he didn't close them voluntarily. His mind turned inward, while his heart and breathing slowed. After a minute, or maybe it was an hour or a day, Seven felt more centered and focused than he had ever felt in his life. From far away it seemed, he heard the old Elvirim's voice ask, "What are you afraid of, Cao Qigong?" He answered, "I am afraid of losing my friendship with and disappointing Prince Jinhai, the Emperor, and Six. I am afraid of breaking Queen Na'Omi's...my mother's...heart again, but I am also afraid that I am not ready to be or maybe even not fit to be a prince of Chessa."
Xozim said, "Yes. Those are real fears, Cao Qigong. But there is something else you are afraid of, something important, yes?" Seven hesitated, then answered, "Well, yes. I... I am afraid of my affection for Princess Jinyat. I am just a commoner, a bodyguard. I am afraid that I am unworthy of her. I am afraid that she thinks I am beneath her. I am afraid her family will think I am beneath her."
Xozim said, "Do you really believe you are unworthy of her, Cao Qigong? Do you really believe she looks down on you? Search your thoughts and your mind, carefully and honestly."
Seven thought about the times he had talked with Princess Jinyat, and in his heart, he felt happiness. She had never treated him poorly or like he was beneath her. She had asked him about the teachings of the Gasyendithites and had even started to learn the techniques of Centering. Rather than looking down on him, Seven thought that maybe she admired him; though it was hard for him to admit that to himself. He said, "No. I don't think, honestly, that she looks down on me or thinks I am unworthy of her. She has always treated me as a friend and has seemed...interested...in me. As a friend!" He rushed to add.
Xozim said, "Ah, we are making progress! Do you love her, Cao Qigong?"
"I...I don't know. Love? I've never dared to think about loving her. She makes me feel happy. I care about her. I want what's best for her, always. I feel protective towards her. I consider her my friend, as much as I do Prince Jinhai. She...she...she is beautiful, and kind, and talented, and smart, and, and...well, everyone loves her," Seven said.
"And what are her flaws, Cao Qigong?" Xozim said.
Seven replied, "Flaws? Well, I think sometimes she is too impatient with her sisters. Her thinking can be rigid, and she always wants to follow the rules. She is the eldest princess, after all, and she is expected to be a role model for her sisters and for all of the girls of Senyon, and she takes that responsibility seriously, maybe too seriously. She tries to put that responsibility on Jintu and Jinsam, but they only resent it and are jealous of her. She gets angry with them, but they just aren't like her."
Xozim exclaimed, "Good!" Seven said, "Good? What's good about that?" Xozim replied, "It is good that you see her as a person, with her own flaws. As you get to know her, you will understand her better and love her more, despite her flaws. And the same will be true of her feelings for you. Do you think she would be a good match for you, Cao Qigong?"
"A good match? What are you saying? The Imperial Family will never accept her marrying a commoner bodyguard!" Seven said.
"Of course not," Xozim replied. "But would they accept her marriage to the crown prince of Chessa?"
"Crown prince of... But I am not ready to be the crown prince of Chessa! I've only met Queen Na'Omi , or uh, my mother, just a few times. I don't know how to be a prince. I don't know anything about Chessa. I...I still want to travel with Prince Jinhai as his friend and bodyguard. It's what I know how to do." But Seven had to admit to himself that thoughts of being Prince Toma and marrying Princess Jinhai had crossed his mind before. He just didn't see it as possible. But perhaps it is?
Xozim asked, "Do you think an imperial princess, especially one as well-versed in royal etiquette as Princess Jinyat, could help you become a prince? Do you think the crown prince of Chessa could be a friend of the crown prince of Senyon? Is it the intention of the Emperor to improve relations between Senyon and Chessa? Is there a better way to do that than for the crown prince of Chessa to marry the eldest imperial princess of Senyon? Do you think Queen Na'Omi will love Princess Jinyat like the noblewomen of Senyon do?"
Seven thought about all of Xozim's questions. What could he say? "I understand what you are saying, sir. But maybe Princess Jinyat doesn't want to marry me."
Xozim said, "You will never know until you ask her, yes? Go now. Someone is waiting for you. Your path forward is clear, is it not, Prince Toma?"
Seven opened his eyes. He was sitting on the floor in his quarters at Xosuyel Vold. A moment later, a monk pounded on the door. "Cao Qigong! Someone is at the front gate asking for you!"

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This story continues the adventures of Crown Prince Yixing-Jiumin Jinhai and Cao Qigong, otherwise known as "Seven," his faithful companion and bodyguard. This story directly follows the events of The Queen's Lost Son and From Orphan to Bodyguard, from Prince to Monk, and further describes the relationships of Crown Prince Jinhai, Seven, Queen Jenmei Na'Omi, Princess Yixing-Jiumin Jinyat, Amalie Nilsson, Lady Britta Nilsson, and others of the Imperial Family of the Great Sacred Empire, and the royalty of Chessa. Enjoy! More background to these stories is found in The Last Testament of Kenzo Na'Omi, King and Who is Prince Toma?. Look for more chapters soon!