Yuze's not really proud of himself for running away from that awkward dinner.
Well, he is. Because he has to take care of himself, too, right? And he loves Chenzhou, who's the closest thing to a brother he'll ever have, and he's on his way to loving Eirian like the sister he never had, but still… He doesn't need the nightmares that dinner would definitely inspire. He's not even sure who was trying to seduce who? Chenzhou was still in love with Anna, though the longer he lived, the more Yuze expected that to end in a way he never would have before. Eirian wasn't in love with anyone, currently, but a part of him suspected she still had feelings for the man who'd betrayed her in the capital. Why else would she still be so angry about it?
Zhao Mingzhe was famously unattached, but Yuze had never managed to put his finger on why.
He'd certainly noticed Eirian, though.
But it wasn't…
It didn't seem like what Yuze remembered from those early days with Akari, when he could stop looking at the stunning healer, amazing that someone kissed by the great sun would ever think to look at someone like Yuze. It had been intoxicating to have his attention at first, and it had stayed that way until Yuze hadn't been able to return it.
And then it had just been something he owed that just kept piling up until it was too much to ever dig his way out of. And then Akari hadn't even been willing to stick around and let him try.
Yuze wasn't ever going to try again after that heartbreak.
No matter how much Fox showed up randomly in his thoughts.
Yuze was too bad at relationships to risk that again. He couldn't even tell if Chenzhou and Eirian were trying to get Mingzhe into bed or the investigation or against whatever cause her father was here to champion. Or if it was just Eirian, or just Chenzhou, or just Mingzhe. Or some awkward combination, Yuze was too inexperienced to recognize.
No matter what it was, it was too much of a headache for Yuze. He'd just wait for Chenzhou to figure it out and then get it from him, and in the meantime, he'd avoid as much of it as he could.
The halls of the main castle were mostly empty at dinner time, with everyone either eating or serving those eating, so he was surprised when he ran into Emmy a hallway away from his own office.
The young woman moved with such determination that she ran right into Yuze before he could call out, and then they did an awkward dance of catching one another before one of them went crashing to the floor.
"I'm so sor-" Emmy stopped when she realized who she'd run into. Before Yuze could speak, she seized him by the shoulders. "You! I need to talk to you."
Yuze opened his mouth to speak, but before anything came out, Emmy started pulling him toward his office.
As soon as the door shut behind them, she released him. "My apologies, Lord Rong."
Yuze sighed a deep, heartfelt thing, and mourned the loss of his quiet evening. "Spit it out."
"Last night-"
He held up a hand. "I already heard about Finn and Patrick's little stunt. Fox took care of it."
"They'll be thrilled to hear you know their names," Emmy smirked, but it disappeared quickly. "It's not about that. I followed Snake."
The beginnings of a migraine started behind Yuze's eyes. "Please stop doing that. And please stop encouraging them."
Emmy scoffed. "Oh, I didn't. They're terrible at being sneaky about anything. I heard all about the Vault."
Yuze wasn't even surprised. "I hope they didn't tell everyone."
"Oh," she blinked, surprised. "No, they just told me. They're excitable, not that stupid."
"That's a relief."
"But that's not why I need to talk to you."
"You said you followed Snake?" Yuze walked to his desk and took a seat, waving Emmy to the chair he kept for the rare guests who wanted it.
"Yes. I know it was stupid, but I was careful. She didn't see me." She fiddled with her sleeves.
"Go on then."
"After she met with the man at the pub, she went to the other residential neighborhood, the western one."
The western residential area was the home to most of the families that made up the Court of the Camelia. The most valuable homes in the entire state lined that street. "Which family?"
"The Yins. But she didn't meet with one of the main family members. I'm not sure who he was, but he was wearing the family crest the same way Finn does."
"The Yin family crest."
"Yes. I mean, I think so. I couldn't get that close, but it was definitely a family crest."
"What were they doing?"
"Just talking at first, but an hour after they met up, three more people showed up. One of them was a tribesman."
Yuze shifted in surprise. "That's impossible."
Emmy leaned forward. "He was a tribesman. I'm sure of it. He had tattoos over his eyes. I've only ever seen the Bandri tribesmen with them."
"Bandri." Yuze repeated, mind whirling. The Bandri were the largest Northern tribe in the borderlands and one of the Camelia's chief enemies. They despised everything to do with the Land of Sorrow and the Land of Song and Snow and even killed travelers from both found crossing their lands. Wealthy and more organized than most of the other tribes, they held a position of singular power among the other tribes, but few were ever willing to cross them over even the smallest matters.
Their facial tattoos were so distinctive and their pride in them so strong that it was impossible for them to hide them. Everyone knew who and where the Bandri were at all times.
How the hell had one of them gotten into the Camelia?
~ tbc