Four Ruined Realms

Mikail thinks about how Euyn didn’t tell Sora that he hunted her father during their last journey, a fact that makes him question his love for Euyn. Now, however, Mikail tells Sora that Euyn didn’t kill Chul and was actually banished from Khitan for letting him live. Sora reluctantly agrees to not kill Euyn. Mikail believes that Euyn is a changed man and, with his royal heritage, could now be king­; if they succeed in their plan to ally with Quilimar and depose Joon, Mikail hopes that Euyn will take his throne.

The ship arrives at Quu Harbor in Khitan, where everyone uses fake identification because Mikail is a spy, Sora is an indentured servant, and Aeri and Euyn are thought to be dead. Mikail plans to meet with Fallador, the exiled prince of Gaya.

When their ship lands in Quu, a port city of Khitan, they check into the Gray Shore Inn. Royo contrasts the kingdom of Khitan with Yusan, where they sailed from. The women in Khitan wear pants and weapons, which they can’t do in Yusan.

Royo is haunted by the people he has killed and by Aeri’s lies about her true identity. However, Royo also loves Aeri.

Sora asks Royo to come to a meeting, and they collect Aeri. Mikail doesn’t answer when they knock on the door of his room. Aeri picks the lock, and they discover that Mikail isn’t in his room. They gather in Euyn’s room.

Mikail leaves the inn to meet with Fallador, a fellow Gayan and the supposed prince of their kingdom. They drink to Gaya, their homeland. Fallador says that there was an assassination attempt on Quilimar a week ago by Vikal’s lieutenant. It was stopped, and the lieutenant was chopped up, starting at the feet, in a practice called lingchi.

Fallador gives Mikail, who was formerly Yusan’s spymaster, a coded letter from Zahara, Mikail’s former second-in-command and the current spymaster. The message is one word that indicates that Joon has left his palace. Mikail, wondering why Joon left, burns the letter.

As Mikail travels back to the inn, he notices that he is being followed. He fights and kills three Khitanese spies, takes their money and supplies, and then extracts their spleens, which are considered symbols of bravery, to send a message to the person who sent them.

Euyn considers telling Sora that Seok, her uncle and a powerful Yusan count, forged her father’s signature on the papers that made her an indentured servant, but he decides against it. He recalls how King Joon threatened to imprison Mikail’s father, Ailor, which upset Mikail. Secretly, Euyn plans to give the magical relic, the Golden Ring, to Joon after taking it from Quilimar.

Mikail knocks twice on Euyn’s door, a signal that it is him, and enters the room covered in blood.

Mikail says that none of the blood is his and goes to clean up and change. Aeri suggests that they order food, and Sora wonders how Aeri is such a good thief as well as a princess who betrayed her father, Joon. Sora is more forgiving of Aeri’s lies than the others because she understands that it is connected to the unequal treatment of women. Sora also worries about Tiyung in Yusan’s prison. When their food arrives, Sora, as a poison maiden (trained to assassinate with poison and thus immunized against it), checks it for poison. The food is clean, and she thinks about how lipstick is a more effective carrier for poison than food.

Mikail returns, starts eating, and mentions that he knows Aeri broke into his room. His lack of guilt about killing the spies contrasts with Sora’s internal guilt about everyone she has killed. Mikail says that he met a source, whom he refuses to name, who told him about a recent assassination attempt on Queen Quilimar. Sora is dedicated to saving Tiyung and her sister, Daysum. Mikail says that Aeri and Sora should meet with Vikal while he visits Ambassador Zeolin and that Euyn should stay hidden because he is a wanted man.

Euyn suggests that they consult the Temple of Knowledge to discover exceptions to the Rule of Distance in order to get close to Quilimar. Mikail says that the temple is under a frozen lake at the moment. (It is a god-made architecture that can magically withstand being underwater.) Euyn asks Mikail why he tried to destroy Joon’s Immortal Crown (one of the sacred relics, which makes its wearer immortal and unable to be assassinated). Mikail responds that he doesn’t think anyone should be immortal. He also points out that in the past, Euyn and his brother used their power to hunt people for sport.

Aeri quickly leaves the room, and Sora thinks that Aeri would be a better ruler than the men.

Tiyung has lost track of time in prison, which is under a lake that is filled with iku (giant underwater creatures). There are no bells marking the hours, and meals are served at random times. He only eats bread and water because he discovered that the main dishes are infested with bugs. While he is longing for ink, paper, and books, Hana, a poison maiden who became the spymaster under the name Zahara, enters with a lantern.

Aeri retreats to her room, upset at Euyn’s remarks about hunting people for sport because her father knew that Prince Omin, his son and Aeri and Euyn’s brother, was hurting girls and didn’t stop him. Sora comes to Aeri’s room, and Aeri apologizes for lying about being a princess. She says that she isn’t like the rest of her family, and Sora agrees. Sora admits that she wanted to steal Joon’s crown to save her sister, Daysum, who may be dying. Sora also says that Aeri should take the throne, but Aeri notes that Yusan doesn’t have queens.

Most people believe that Aeri was killed by Omin at 12 years old. He charmed her mother and moved in with them. When her mother was out one night, Omin attacked Aeri, and Aeri killed him. She has nightmares about Omin’s death and the accidental deaths of their three servants in the fire she started.

Aeri doesn’t tell Sora that she stole the Sands of Time from Omin when she killed him. Using it to stop time aged her from 12 to 16, so she didn’t visit her mother, who died a year ago. Aeri cries over the fact that none of her family mourns her, and Sora comforts her.

Royo thinks about Omin hurting Aeri and grips his steak knife angrily. Mikail says that he’s going to visit Ambassador Zeolin, a supposed ally of Quilimar who told the spies that Mikail was in town.

Euyn asks Royo about Royo’s dead girlfriend, Lora, and Royo thinks about how Bay Chin lied about Lora’s death. Royo explains that he didn’t kill Lora, but some gang members did because Royo killed one of them. Euyn clarifies that Bay Chin is the head of the gangs, and Royo vows to kill Bay Chin. Before Mikail goes to visit Zeolin, Euyn tells him not to kill the ambassador.

Mikail holds Zeolin by his wrist, dangling him out of his high mountain window. Zeolin agrees to give Mikail the information he wants. Mikail’s grip slips as Zeolin struggles, and he grabs Zeolin’s shoulders to drag him inside. As Zeolin cries, Mikail stabs the desk with his dagger and throws Zeolin’s medal of valor out the window. Zeolin reveals that General Salosa of Yusan wanted Mikail and Queen Quilimar dead, and Mikail realizes that King Joon was behind the attempted assassination of Quilimar. Zeolin admits that he helped Salosa in order to become the Count of Tamneki.

After Mikail stabs the desk near Zeolin’s hand, Zeolin says that Joon left his palace, corroborating Zahara’s message. Zeolin says that Vikal, and perhaps Quilimar, will be at the banquet the following day. He also tells Mikail that Seok is in Khitan, which Mikail decides not to tell Sora.

Zeolin also reveals that a priest from the Temple of Knowledge was killed and that Quilimar put out a large bounty for the killer. This makes Mikail think that she was behind the killing, but he doesn’t say this. Instead, he says that Zeolin must reserve two spots at the banquet.

Tiyung is shocked to see Hana, who will only answer to the name Zahara now; he thought that she was killed two years earlier. Hana explains that Tiyung’s cell is the nicest one in the prison—it used to be Euyn’s. Tiyung admits that he doesn’t deserve kindness because he hurt Sora. Zahara almost attacks Tiyung, and he realizes that she and Sora were in a relationship. Zahara gives Tiyung a letter and her lantern and then leaves.

Sora prepares for the banquet, including putting on poisoned lipstick. The previous night, Mikail explained that he, Royo, and Euyn will go to the Temple of Knowledge under Lake Cerome, while she and Aeri will go to the banquet celebrating the monsoon season. At the event, Sora and Aeri see some women wearing suits instead of dresses. The banquet is in the armory, which is covered in gold weapons and objects that were created by someone wielding the Golden Ring.

Ambassador Zeolin approaches and introduces himself to them. Aeri and Sora introduce themselves with the fake names that Mikail gave them: Narissa and Yunga, respectively. Sora flatters Zeolin, who enjoys it. He points out Vikal in the crowd, and Aeri asks him to introduce them. Vikal greets them politely but excuses herself quickly. Dinner is served, and Sora pretends to be interested in Zeolin, who is talking about himself.

After dinner, there is dancing to live music. Sora can see Quilimar in the distance but has no way of approaching. Zeolin asks Sora to dance and sexually propositions her, but she responds ambiguously.

Seok cuts into their dance, and Sora pretends not to recognize him in front of Zeolin. When they dance away, Sora demands to know where her sister, Daysum, is. Seok reveals that Daysum was sold as an indentured servant to the brothels. He claims that it is Sora’s fault for leaving. She wants to kiss him with her poisoned lipstick, but instead, she threatens Tiyung, Seok’s son, who is in prison, and walks away.

Tiyung reads the letter that Zahara gave him, which is from Sora to Seok. It indicates that Tiyung is in prison and that Sora plans to kill King Joon in the next month. Tiyung loves Sora and worries that she loves Zahara instead of him. He realizes that Seok never got this letter and that Zahara gave it to him to win his trust. Tiyung enjoys the light until the lantern burns out.

Mikail, Royo, and Euyn obtain a sled and califers, which are “a cross between caribou and horses” (83). Then, they head to Lake Cerome. Euyn thinks about Queen Quilimar’s ruthlessness, including attempting to kill King Joon for marrying her off to the King of Khitan (Quilimar is Joon’s sister and is originally from Yusan). Royo complains about the cold, and Mikail suggests that Royo take the first sleeping shift. Mikail doesn’t speak, but the moon is bright enough for Euyn to gaze at his lover.

Euyn hypothesizes that Quilimar is the one who ordered the priest, called a Yoksa, to be killed. Mikail thinks that it might be Joon or that Joon is working with Quilimar. Euyn explains that the two rulers hate each other and that Joon wants to collect all the relics of the Dragon Lord. He has the Flaming Sword, which was stolen from Gaya, and the Immortal Crown, and he has tried to steal the Water Scepter from the Wei realm but has failed thus far. Euyn explains that a king who has all the relics will turn into a Dragon Lord and acquire god-like powers.

Euyn knows that Joon will use those powers to destroy the realm of Wei. Mikail notes that this is genocide, and Euyn argues that it is conquering an enemy. Mikail gets upset that Euyn is defending a genocide, but Euyn thinks back on the history of Weians slaughtering Yusanians and doesn’t understand why Mikail is upset.

Aeri is annoyed by Zeolin. When the dancing starts, she wishes that Royo were there to dance with her, but she knows that he is angry with her. She overhears other guests talking about Quilimar helping the poor after killing her husband. The guests also discuss Seok, and Aeri notices that he is dancing with Sora. After Sora walks three steps away from Seok, she collapses, and Aeri catches her. Seok tells the guards that Sora is an assassin, which causes a panic. Aeri tries to get Sora to run, but she is unable to move.

Aeri uses the Sands of Time to stop time and haul Sora outside on a food cart. Using the relic exhausts and ages Aeri. She commandeers a carriage for them. Sora wakes up, thanks Aeri, and starts crying.

When Royo wakes up, it’s Euyn’s turn to sleep. Royo has trouble seeing through the snow, so they use a compass to find their way. Mikail reveals that he found a key under Zeolin’s medal of valor on his desk, but he isn’t sure what it opens. Royo wonders if it opens the door to the Temple of Knowledge, but Mikail thinks it’s too convenient and that they may be walking into Zeolin’s trap. Royo wants to return to protect Aeri, but just then, they see four zaybears, which are a cross between wolves and bears, near their sled.