“The barbarian legion marched on Changan to rescue our princess,” Ling continued.
	“Shen An Lu was the one that rescued the princess.”
	The words were out of her mouth before she could rein them in. 
	Lady Ling smiled at her. “Emperor Shen,” she corrected. 
	Ailey could feel her face growing hot. No one spoke of the Emperor’s given name out loud.
	“Of course, not everyone considers saving the princess an act of heroism,” Ling said to Ryam. “In Changan they call her ‘the Pretender’, while many in the empire consider her the rightful heir.”
	Ailey tapped her chopsticks gently against the tabletop to straighten them, using the gesture to gain some pause for reflection. She wanted to simply demand Lady Ling where her loyalties lay. It was too confusing, this twisted knot of allies and enemies. 
	“This looks good,” Ryam interrupted, poking at a plate of pickled radishes and quail eggs. “Eat before it gets cold.”
	“It is already cold,” Ailey replied.
	Ling hid her laughter behind her wine cup. Ryam squeezed Ailey’s hand in warning beneath the table, but she shook free of his hold. The gesture was too personal and she was certain Ling caught a hint of it.
	“I no longer follow the politics of Changan,” Ling said dismissively. “Instead, I spend my days here, free from the cares of the world.” 
        The courtesan knew intimate details about the imperial capital. Ailey couldn’t risk slipping and revealing something dangerous. And she certainly couldn’t risk Lady Ling detaining them until Li Tao arrived.
 	She set her chopsticks down. “This girl must apologize. She is too tired from her travels to be good company.”
	 “I will send a tray to your room then. You must keep up your strength for it is a long way from home.”

•99•