Chenzhou and Henri had sorted through every piece of correspondence they had, separating out anything they had found that illustrated the movements of Mingzhe's forces and Beng Shai's. It was not so insignificant a stack, and writing a short report for Eirian to read about what they had found. The timeline alone left no doubt that someone inside the Camelia had alerted Beng Shai to the soldier's position. And probably the window between reports that had allowed the ambush to go unnoticed for so long.
Henri had signed his name to the report, so it didn't look like Chenzhou was just trying to find a way to protect Mingzhe.
"How bad is it getting?" Chenzhou asked him, once they'd finally finished, and Henri was pulling on his cloak and gloves.
Lord Colfax had looked at him, eyes sad, and shook his head. "There is talk of breaking family alliances."
Chenzhou's heart fell. The family alliances within the Camelia were the unofficial binding that kept the Crimson Army together. If they disappeared, there was nothing besides Chenzhou's order to keep them all together, and it wouldn't take long for people to start to resent him for having to give those orders. It wasn't hard to see how it could all collapse into civil war.
"That seems extreme." Chenzhou groaned, rubbing his face with his hands to try to generate some kind of idea.
Henri's smile was a bitter thing. "You are being too obvious in your favor."
Chenzhou flinched. "I can't help it. I don't-"
"I know. But Lord Zhao would have become an enemy to many the moment he had that favor to begin with. The ambush just gives them another reason to hate him. Together, it is enough to get them talking." He fastened his cloak, and the golden horse that was the emblem of the Colfax family gleamed. "May I give you a piece of advice, Lord Ye?"
"Of course," Chenzhou said without hesitation.
"It is a terrible thing, but you are going to have to decide if it's worth it to protect him no matter what happens or if it's better for you both to step back."
"Step back? We just figured out how we felt about one another." It had taken work to get there. Courage to admit they all felt something for one another. It felt like happiness was just on the horizon. To give it up now…the idea made something in Chenzhou's chest clench and twist painfully.
Would they have to give up love before they'd even had a chance to live with it?
What kind of life was that?
How was that fair?
A sympathetic expression came over Henri's face as he pulled on his gloves. "It is unfortunate, but life is that way sometimes. It does as it pleases, and no amount of begging will change that. You got lucky with Eirian, but it seems that luck may end with her."
Chenzhou wanted to argue, but none of this was Henri's fault. He was simply trying to help Chenzhou.
"Lord Zhao may be safer separated from you and Lady Ye." Henri pointed, though he seemed pained by it. "Perhaps your decision should be less about what you will lose and more about what you will gain? Lord Zhao could have a long, happy life without you."
He wasn't wrong. That was the worst thing, Chenzhou thought. Love seemed all-consuming; it made you desperate to stay ensconced in its warmth. To the point that it was difficult…no, terrifying to imagine giving it up. But the simple truth was that you could go on after it had left. Even if Chenzhou and Eirian and Mingzhe had to separate, they were all still young and healthy, which was more than some had; they could all go on to have successful lives. Mingzhe could marry someone and have his own family. Chenzhou and Eirian could continue their marriage; it wasn't like they were unhappy together. Not anymore. They could all be friends.
That was better than Mingzhe dying because they all refused to give up what had grown between them?
Was letting him go the noble thing to do?
Or was it just giving in to pressure? The court was trying to exert some of the influence they feared they were losing? If they would just give it some time, they'd see that Mingzhe being involved with Chenhzou and Eirian didn't change anything for the rest of them. Having a happy lord could only make things better for them.
There was still a chance Eirian would discover the true source of the ambush. If Mingzhe was cleared of that, then any legitimate grounds to target him would be gone. Things would be easier than…wouldn't they?
Henri gave him an apologetic look as he took the report and headed to the door. They'd agreed that he would submit the report through his channels. More distance from Chenzhou. "Have a good night, Lord Ye."
"Goodnight, Lord Colfax."
Chenzhou couldn't help but continue to ruminate on the subject after Henri left. Henri had always been pragmatic. Chenzhou appreciated that about him.
He was also, Chenzhou remembered suddenly, not in the happiest marriage. There had been a girl when he was younger, when they'd both been in training, who he'd loved passionately. Chenzhou remembered hearing his uncle discuss it with his fellow regent. Henri had wanted to run away with her, but his Aunt, who had forbidden the relationship, had fallen ill, and in the end, Henri had chosen to help his family instead of leaving. He'd ended up helping lead the family while his Aunt had eventually died of her illness. Henri had rather famously not attended her during her final moments despite her request, and Chenzhou knew it was because he'd carried anger over the loss of his love due to her actions. He'd always figured it must have been a great love for Henri to carry such anger, enough that no one in his family had been able to convince him to see her before her death, despite being her favorite for most of his life.
Chenzhou didn't know what had happened to the girl Henri had loved, but a few years ago, he'd finally married in a simple ceremony to a Valient cousin. The wedding had seemed happy enough, but Chenzhou had always gotten the impression no one on either side was completely happy with it, and there were still no children to show for the union.
Chenzhou had feared that was what his marriage to Eirian would be like; he'd even taken comfort in the idea that he wouldn't have to suffer it long before things had changed.
There did not seem to be any sign that Henri's was improving in a similar manner.
~ tbc