He hadn't even taken a single breath, when VinWei fell on her knees right in front of him, making him jump on his seat.
"I am so very, extremely sorry for my rudeness! We've been terribly impolite and inconsiderate! If there's anything I can do to make up for our offense," she practically begged, the words flowing urgently out of her mouth, and Snow did his best to keep his gaze downcast, wishing someone would help him out of that predicament.
"Now you're being ridiculous, Vin! Get up!" ZenTar scolded her and, like before, her tone immediately changed as she snapped back at him.
"And you're as ill-mannered as always! It's a wonder ZaiWin turned out as educated as he is, being raised by the likes of you! You're in the presence of a Tien'Elhar! You should be scrubbing the floor with your forehead!"
"I've been in the presence of your precious Tien'Elhar for the past month! And weren't you the one happily interpreting her daitai as if they were some rare painting just a moments ago?"
"And that's exactly why I'm apologizing!" she immediately countered. "At least I know how to admit my mistakes, unlike others who only know how to cowardly run away!" she sneered and ZenTar seemed momentarily speechless.
"I am truly sorry," she went on on a much softer tone, turning to Snow again. "I do tend to get a bit carried away and forget my manners, once I start talking about something I'm truly passionate about. And you!" she turned to ZaiWin with a scowl. "You should have told me who she was right from the start!"
"So that you could fill my ears about all those useless formalities and directives on how a Tien'Elhar is supposed to be treated?"
"Those useless formalities exist for a reason! All Tien'Elhar are sacred beings! We should always treat them with the utmost respect," she declared, turning her adoring eyes to Snow, and he lowered his head even more, making sure his face remained hidden. "But please don't worry. Now that you're here I'll make sure you're well cared for and that all your needs are fulfilled."
"Not going to happen," ZaiWin simply stated.
VinWei's purplish eyes turned angrily at him.
"What do you mean? Haven't you heard a word I said? It is the Temple's duty to look after all Tien'Elhar! Taking into account her age, unless you tell me she's El'Lin Wen LinWan's or El'Gin Wen GinWan's Tien'Elhar, she can only be an unregistered and unbound Tien'Elhar! Which is the reason why you smuggled her in here in the first place, and asked all those questions! Since that's the case, it is only natural that the Temple should take custody of her! We're the only ones who can care for her needs and make sure she's well protected until her first Haehir! Wouldn't you like that as well?" she softly asked Snow. "I'm sure it must have been hard, being completely alone and lost in the world. But I am certain that there's someone wonderful out there, waiting to become your Chosen One. Won't you stay with us?"
"It's no use. She won't answer you," ZaiWin replied instead of him, which earned him another disapproving glare from VinWei. "And as I've told you, not going to happen."
"And why is this your decision to make?"
"I found her. I'm responsible for her," he retorted dryly. "Besides, you say it is your duty to do this and to do that. But in reality what will happen is that you'll simply ship her off to the Palace's Temple, right?"
VinWei frowned in annoyance but didn't deny it.
"I may trust that you wouldn't do anything to harm a Celestial. But I'll be dead before I trust the Temple as a whole, much less the Palace's Temple!" he declared and her angry expression immediately softened.
"Surely you don't believe one of the Jundai would be capable of such a thing. We only hold two missions in our lives, and those are to help the people feel closer to the Heavens through their prayers, and to care for the Tien'Elhar that bless our land!"
"Not even you believe that shit."
"Sure, the Temple has its rotten apples like any other institution. But to harm a Tien'Elhar … it's a mortal sin!"
"We still don't know enough about her," ZenTar sighed. "Even though you say Tien'Elhar are holy, heaven-sent beings, we common mortals still dared compile a list of attributes a Celestial is supposed to have, and went as far as deem those writings sacred. What do you think they'll do if they find out that there's a Celestial who doesn't comply with their holy list, after they've been preaching it for hundreds of years as an unbendable truth?"
VinWei's eyes turned to Snow again and he couldn't help clench his fists beneath his cloak.
"Especially if the Tien'Elhar we're talking about is, like you said, is unregistered and unbound. Making one insignificant kid disappear is much easier than having to explain to thousands of people how the Temple and the Imperial Family have been misleading everyone since the Empire's foundation."
VinWei took a deep breath, all enthusiasm gone from her.
"I wish I could affirm with all my heart that you're wrong! That no matter what, a Tien'Elhar's life is more precious than any belief, scripture or writing."
"But you know that this entire land is full of shit, and that it will soon drown in its own filth," ZaiWin completed, using her own words, and she sighed deeply.
"And so you're trying to track down her origins? Then what?"
"It depends on what we find."
"You know that you'll hang for this, if they find out you've been hiding a Tien'Elhar when you should have delivered her to the Temple."
Snow shuddered at her words, but ZaiWin simply shrugged, apparently unconcerned.
"Even if I were to deliver her to the Temple they'd hang me anyways, just to cover it all up."
"And you're okay with this?"
Snow's heart jumped a beat when he noticed she'd spoken to him. The monster had specifically told him not to answer any of her questions, but he figured that simply nodding couldn't do any harm.
VinWei released another deep breath and finally stood up, turning to ZaiWin with a stern expression on her face, finally allowing Snow to lift his head a bit and look up at her.
"Fine. I will trust that you will do the right thing!"
A soft knock on the door interrupted their conversation and, after VinWei had granted permission, the same man from before appeared at the entrance, bowing respectfully.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but a young man claiming be one of your guests' companions is requesting to see you."
VinWei turned to the two of them with an inquisitive expression and ZenTar sighed.
"Probably my brother. I told him to meet us here once he was done with his task."
"MenMen came with you?" she asked, all excited again, and quickly turned to the man at the door. "Please bring him in!"
It didn't take long before her request was fulfilled. And the moment MenTar appeared at the door, she ran to him, hugging him just like she'd done with ZaiWin, forcing him to take a couple of steps back.
"VinWei! You should behave according to your position, you know?" he chided her, sounding more than a bit flustered, and she leaned back to look at him, a bright smile on her face.
"MenMen, you look exactly the same! And you look really good! Unlike your decrepit brother," she added with a tinge of scorn that had MenTar laughing in no time.
"I see that tongue of yours is still as sharp as ever!"
"More like poisonous," ZenTar snorted but she ignored him.
"Of course! Did you think that becoming a Jundai would change who I am?"
"Nope. I most certainly did not. Not even a hurricane could change you," MenTar replied, which clearly made her very happy, and ZaiWin cleared his throat, trying to lead the conversation back to more important matters.
"And? Has he agreed to see us?"
"He did. First thing in the morning. We were even invited to spend the night at the mansion," MenTar confirmed in a more serious tone, and VinWei looked from one to the other with an inquisitive expression.
"Who are you talking about?"
"Your father," ZenTar provided and she looked at ZaiWin for confirmation.
"I have some business to take care of, with the Nai Calzai."
"I see …" she breathed, finally releasing MenTar from her embrace. "But you must spend the night here!" ZaiWin frowned, ready to contest, but she raised one hand to stop him. "It's my one condition! If you go to the mansion now I know I'll never see you again! Every time you have one of these business meetings with father you lock yourselves inside his office for hours! And then I'm sure LanWei will monopolize the rest of your time! So tonight you're all mine!" she argued in one breath and ZaiWin released a deep sigh of resignation.
"Fine. We'll stay," he agreed, restoring VinWei's smile to her face.
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