Meihui took the chalice from Keita and, clearing the laughter from her throat, asked, “So, Princess, why are you really here?”

Keita shrugged, sipped her wine. “I’m just—”

“Keita, please. It’s me. And your mother is in for the fight of her life. You’d never leave . . . unless you had to.” Meihui held her hand up, halting whatever the next set of lies Keita was going to try to tell her. “And don’t try to convince me that you’re running from your mother. You two may squabble like cats in a bag, but you’re still Rhiannon the White’s daughter.”

“I could have betrayed her.”

“Could have. Didn’t. But if you did . . . she’d have your head before you could even think to run.” Meihui smiled. “So stop trying to bullshit me, old friend.”

Keita let out a breath, placed her chalice on the floor. “I’m here to ask for the Empress’s help.”

Unable to stop herself, Meihui laughed. “Have you lost your mind? That female won’t help you.”

“She adores me! Besides, I can be very persuasive.”

“Even with your talents . . . forget it. I mean, if the Emperor were still alive, maybe. But since his death . . .” She shrugged. “She makes your mother seem like one of the nuns of the Peace and Love Temple.”

“I at least have to try.”

“And if she says no, then what?”

“Well—”

“Forget I asked,” Meihui quickly cut in. If Keita became too honest, Meihui would have to make decisions she’d prefer not to have to make.

“No matter what you do, Keita, there are some things you have to know about.”

“And what are those?”

“The Empress has been in an ongoing battle with Batu of the Dark Mountain Tribes. Batu has been raiding towns and cities that the Empress considers her own. It’s gotten ugly.”

“That’s why you were worried about Kachka and the others.”

“There may be much infighting among the tribes of all the Steppes, no matter where they’re located—even on different continents—but in the end, they are loyal to the horse gods and each other and the rest of us are decadent, weak imperialists who deserve whatever we get.”

“All that may be true but I don’t see what it has to do with me and the Empress.”

“Because while the Empress has been in an ongoing war with the Riders . . . she’s been negotiating with her brother to stop another.”

Keita sat up, her back straight. “Lord Xing?”

“He began making his move once the Emperor died. But the negotiations for a truce have been going on for months. Honestly, I don’t know what’s taking so long. I thought she would have just had him killed by now. In truth, I thought maybe that was why you were here.”