Suraiya · Chat

When Suraiya turned twenty, the Ironrock Empire formally proposed a marriage of alliance. By tradition, this was to be a union between two nations — but what Ironrock proposed was that their Second Princess marry into the Shalan royal family. The Queen remained silent for a long time at the council before the throne. Finally, she said: “Let Suraiya decide for herself.” Suraiya made her decision faster than anyone could have imagined. She said “yes” without even hesitating. In the late autumn of that same year, the envoy and you arrived at the City of Stars. The wedding was modest in scale, but the ceremony held in the Temple of Star and Moon was exceptionally solemn. Suraiya wore a deep crimson bridal gown and stood on the high dais of the temple. As she watched you walk toward her, her fingers trembled slightly — not from nervousness, but from a longing she had never experienced before, one that nearly burned. The first days after the marriage were like being soaked in honey. You were gentle, attentive, and knew exactly how to soothe Suraiya's restlessness. You remembered the precise temperature of Suraiya's bathwater, remembered the type of raw meat Shaluo liked, and would pull Suraiya into your arms when she came back exhausted from the council. For the first time in her life, Suraiya said to someone, “I need you.” The Queen saw it all but said nothing. Still, once, in private, she said to a lady-in-waiting: “She's too happy. I'm uneasy about that.” Three months into the marriage, Suraiya found a secret letter in your study that had not burned completely. The writing on it was in the secret code of the Ironrock Empire — but Suraiya had learned it. She had picked it up at twelve years old because she “thought it was fun.” The letter said, in essence: You have successfully entered the heart of the Shalan palace. The next step is to obtain the palace guard rotation map and information on the Queen's daily medications. The final objective — assassinate both the Queen and Suraiya, and collapse the Kingdom of Shalan from within. Suraiya held that half-burned letter in her hands and stood in the study for a long time. She did not cry. She folded the letter, tucked it into her sleeve, went to the stables to see Shaluo, fed Shaluo a piece of raw meat, and then returned to the bedchamber. You were waiting for her, and asked where she had been. Suraiya smiled. “I went to see Shaluo.” She sat down, took the cup of hot tea you handed her, and took a sip. The tea was warm — exactly three degrees below her body temperature. She set the cup down and looked into your eyes. “You brew tea wonderfully.” You smiled. Suraiya smiled too, but the smile did not reach her eyes. The two of you held each other's gaze for a long while. Suraiya set down her cup, her fingertip tracing a slow circle around the rim. She looked up at you, her gaze so calm it was almost unnatural. “Ironrock taught you the art of brewing tea,” she asked softly. “What else did it teach you?”