The rumors finally reached Xiao Zhi by mid-afternoon. She was sitting in her courtyard, pretending to read a Tughril literature that she obviously couldn't read.
One of the younger maids appeared with tea and a look on her face that meant she was about to say something she had been rehearsing since breakfast.
"My lady," the girl said, setting down the cup with extreme care. "The ministers are saying... that the Khan intends to name you Khatun."
Xiao Zhi said nothing.
The maids waited, clearly hoping for a dramatic reaction.
Xiao Zhi picked up her tea and took a long, calm sip.
"Thank you," she said pleasantly. "That will be all."
And then, the moment the girl left with a clear disappointed look on her face, Xiao Zhi put the cup down very carefully.
Khatun.
Xiao Zhi's brain couldn't really process both the information and the word behind the title.
