plain and the doors were crossed with thick bands of metal. Prahn, his shoulders still hunched, led us towards the buildings on the left. The Prince dropped back slightly to match his pace to mine.
'Do you think this Dragoneye text holds the mysteries of the Mirror Dragon?' he asked softly He walked so close that I could smell the spice of the storage herbs in his clothes.
'I'm not sure, Your Highness.' I angled my face to watch him. It was hard to tell where the dark brown met the black in his eyes, making his expression oddly intense. 'It is possible.
Although if it does, then it seems strange that the text has not been studied before now.'
'Not so strange,' he said. 'My father told me the vault has been sealed since the dragon was lost.'
'Then it could have some answers,' I said, my excitement growing.
'That's the Scholars' Gate, Lord Eon,' Prahn said, calling my attention to a narrow alley between the first two buildings. At the end was a solid metal gate set in the harem's outer wall. One of the large eunuch guards stood at attention, only a slight move of his head showing he had noted our passage.
'There is another gate too,' the Prince whispered. 'The Concubines' Gate. An escape route for the ladies of the harem in case of danger. Only the Imperial guards know its whereabouts. But I happen to know that women can come in that gate as well as go out.' He grinned at me. 'We should look for it.'
I felt heat rise to my face. The Prince stared at me for a moment then his own face flushed.
'I apologise, Lord Eon. Of course, you would have no interest in such things. Forgive my vulgarity.'
I nodded, keeping my face carefully averted. Part of me wanted to claim interest, wanted to lean closer and listen, but a Moon Shadow would not continue the conversation. The Prince quickened his pace, leaving me to walk by myself.
We stopped at the door in the second building. The window shutters were closed, but yellowish lamplight showed along the edges. Prahn pushed open the door and entered, beckoning us inside. I followed the Prince into an overwhelming smell of dust and camphor sweetened by the rich honey of wood wax. A large bureau stood in the centre of the room, half of it darkened with polish and glossed by the soft lamplight. On the floor beside it, a young eunuch was kowtowing to the Prince, most of his grey tunic covered by a rough smock.
A long trestle table was pushed up against the far wall and held an odd collection of silver, jewellery and porcelain. Another smocked eunuch was prostrated behind an open lacquer chest stacked with bolts of cloth. I saw red velvet, orange silk and a rich brown satin, its folds rusty with age.
'The Mirror Dragon treasure,' Prahn said, bowing to me.
All of this was mine? I turned in a circle, noting a large brass incense burner and three carved stools under the window, one of them blackened on the seat.
The Prince slid open one of the bureau doors. 'This is a handsome piece,' he said. 'How was it saved?'
'We think it was a new order that had not yet been delivered to the Mirror Dragon I [all, Your Highness,' Prahn said.
I touched the oiled wood, leaving a smear on the glowing surface.
'Lord Eon,' the Prince called from the trestle, 'look at this Dragoneye compass. It is magnificent.'
It had to be the jewelled compass that Lord Ido mentioned at the banquet. I headed to the table, brushing my fingers across the smooth blue head of a porcelain lion as I passed. It was the male of a door-guardian pair. I looked for the female, but she did not seem to have survived the fire.
The compass was extraordinary: a gold disc with a large ruby in the centre and smaller rubies around the outer edge to mark the cardinal points that formed the first circle. The other twenty-three circles were defined by rings of tiny seed pearls set so closely together that they looked like shimmering paint. I stroked the fine etchings of the animal signs in the second circle. The cardinal points and the animals were the only levels I understood, but soon I would be taught how to use the mysterious characters that ringed each of the other circles. I would learn how to use them to calculate the strongest ley lines, find pure paths of Hua and focus my power.
If I could find my dragon's name.
'Where is the Dragoneye text?' I asked, inspecting the crowded table.
Prahn nudged his foot into the eunuch kneeling beside the bureau. 'Lord Eon wishes to see the folio bound by the black pearls.'
The eunuch lifted his head. 'Forgive me, Excellent Prahn. I have not seen such a folio.'
'What? You must have seen it. Red leather, about the size of my hand, with a string of matched black pearls wrapped around it.'
'There are no folios in the collection, most honourable Teacher,' the eunuch said, crouching into a smaller target.
'Are you stupid? I saw it myself when I opened the vault,' Prahn snapped. 'Bring me the manifest from the Dragoneye Council.'
The eunuch scrabbled across the floor on his knees, picking up a scroll from a low table.
Prahn snatched it out of his hands and pulled it open, scrutinising the list.
'Well?' the Prince said.
Prahn looked up. His wide eyes seemed to hold the only colour in his face.
'But I…' He stopped. 'My lord, I cannot find any folio listed on the manifest. But I saw one. I am sure of it.'
I crossed the room in a few strides and plucked the scroll from Prahn's slack grasp. 'There is none listed?'
The Prince followed, looking over my shoulder as I read the record.
There was no folio. I let the scroll slither back up into its roll.
The Prince's hand flicked out, clipping the old man across the face. It was a light blow, more formality than punishment. Prahn took it without a sound then dropped to his knees, kowtowing to his young master.
'I am sorry, Your Highness.'
'You should be begging Lord Eon's forgiveness for your incompetence,' the Prince said coldly.
The old scholar immediately gathered himself into a hunched apology. 'My lord, please forgive an old man's faulty memory'
The Prince turned to me. 'Do you want him beaten?'
I stared at his implacable face. I thought I had seen a hint of the young ruler in the pavilion, but that was nothing compared to the young Emperor who now stood next to me. I could truly believe he was descended from dragons.
'No,' I said quickly. 'I am sure he believed there was such a folio.'
The Prince nodded. 'I think you are right. A just decision.' He looked down at Prahn. 'We shall overlook this failure, Prahn. Your service up to this point has been exemplary. Do not let it happen again.' He gripped my shoulder. 'Come, let's go and look at the swords.' I le walked out of the room.
I'rahn bowed low to me. 'Lord Eon, I apologise again. I was sure there was such a folio.'
I studied his upturned face: puzzlement and hurt pride overlaid with deep unease. Teacher Prahn was a meticulous man — it did not seem likely that he would make such a mistake.
'Tell me, where did you get the manifest?' I asked.
'Lord Ido brought it to me himself,' Prahn said.
The crackle of parchment made us both look at my hand. I had crushed the scroll. I loosened my grip, using the moment to hide my fear.
'Lord Ido?' I said, trying for a tone of polite interest, but it came out tense and tight. 'Why did he bring it?'
'It was his duty, my lord. As Council leader he opened the vault and checked the contents with me. I am sure the folio was listed. And Lord Ido saw it too.' Prahn frowned. Although I cannot remember the occasion clearly Maybe it is true, I am getting too old.'
I remembered the flick of silver in Lord Ido's eyes as he tried to charm me. Had he succeeded with Prahn, using his power to confuse the old man?
'It was just a mistake, Teacher,' I said, handing back the flattened scroll. 'There is no harm done. Let us forget it and join the Prince. We should not keep him waiting.'
Prahn nodded and bowed, eager to leave his humiliation behind.
I took one last look around the room. There was no proof that there had ever been a folio amongst the treasures — who would believe an old scholar's ageing memory against the word of the Ascendant Dragoneye? But
