Chapter 19 Chapter Fourteen What the Veil Hides

The Kilun Victory was tossed and tossed by the waves, the oil lamps in the stern cabin dangling on their gimbals.Tuon sat securely in his chair as usual, and the razor in Selucia's hand slid smoothly over his scalp again and again.From the high stern window she could see the other big ships rolling over the grey-green waves, splashing white patches.The formation of hundreds of great ships stretched to the distant horizon, and they left four times that number at Tanchik.They are Rhyagal, the Homecoming, and now, at last, they have begun the Kelunnai, the Returning Crusade. An albatross soars in the sky as if following the Kilun Victory, a harbinger of victory.It's just that the bird's long, big wings are black instead of white, but the omens can't be wrong.It doesn't vary by location.The hooting of an owl at dawn must herald death, and the rain without clouds means an unexpected visitor.This is true whether in Infalaw or Norumshah.

The gentle swipe of the razor in the hands of the makeup artist across the top of her head brought her the peace of mind she needed right now.Last night, she gave the order in anger, and no order should be given in anger.She almost felt Shang Moses, as if she had lost all honor.Her balance is disturbed, and with or without Albatross, it's not good for Returning Expedition Monk Zun. Selucia wiped off the last mass of soap foam on the top of Tuon's head with a warm towel, then wiped off the water stains on the scalp with a dry towel, and finally applied a thin powder on the shaved scalp with a soft brush.When the make-up artist backed away, Tuon stood up and let the blue silk embroidered pajamas on her body slide down onto the golden blue patterned carpet, and the cool air immediately enveloped her dark skin.Among the ten maids kneeling by the wall, four stood up gracefully. They all shaved off the hair on their limbs and wore only translucent white gauze robes.Tuon bought them because they had the same outstanding looks and skills.After the long voyage from Seanchan, they have all adapted to the rough seas.Now, they quickly picked up the clothes that had been placed on the carved chest, and held them to Selucia.Selucia never allowed Darkovi to dress her, not even socks and soft shoes.

When Selucia slipped an ivory yellow floral pleated dress off Tuon's head, the hostess, who was younger than her make-up artist, couldn't help comparing the reflections of the two of them in the high mirror on the wall.Selucia's golden hair and creamy skin, combined with icy blue eyes, gave her a stately beauty.If she hadn't shaved the hair on the left side, anyone would have regarded her as a member of the King's Blood, and a high-ranking King's Blood, not just a servant.The thought surprised Tuon.Of course, any presumptuous thought would make Selucia feel deathly terror.Tuon also knew that he didn't have the noble appearance like Selucia, her eyes were too big and even a little brown.If she forgets to wear the stern mask, her heart-shaped face will look more like a naughty child.The top of her head might not even reach Selucia's eyes, and Selucia herself wasn't very tall.Tuon can ride the fiercest war horse, she is good at wrestling, and is also handy with some weapons, but intelligence is what she cares most about.Wisdom is the most powerful tool, and the tempering of this tool took most of her energy.Regardless, the wide sash of braided gold silk around her waist was enough to let others know that she wasn't a boy in a dress.Tuon had heard men whisper about Selucia's large breasts as she passed, and perhaps that had nothing to do with majesty, but it would have been nice if the breasts had been raised a little higher.

When the four Dakovi ran back to the wall and knelt down again, Selucia murmured in a playful tone: "By the light, since you were shaved the first morning, every time you have Do it. Do you think I'm going to put a little hair on the top of your head after three years?" Tuon realized that her hand was running over her scalp, and she reluctantly admitted that she was indeed looking for the remnants of short hair. "If you do," she said, too, with playful sternness, "I shall whip you for all the whips you have whipped me." Selucia looped a string of rubies around Tuon's neck and said with a smile, "If you really want to repay me in full, then I won't be able to sit still."

Tuon smiled.Selucia's mother gave Selucia as a birthday gift to Tuon. Since then, Selucia has become Tuon's nanny, and more importantly, she is Tuon's shadow. An unknown bodyguard.In the twenty-five years since Selucia's birth, she has been receiving such training—being secretly trained to be an assistant.On Tuon's sixteenth name day, when she was shaved and washed for the first time, she gave Selucia her traditional family gift, a small estate, in thanks for her care; a pardon, For her punishment; and every time Selucia punished her, she was rewarded with a bag containing a hundred throne gold coins.The blood of the king gathered together to witness the moment when she came of age, and the number of pockets of gold coins surprised them all.If they could get so many gold coins, many of them would be willing to accept these punishments themselves.Tuon was indeed very... willful as a child, and it was more than simple self-willedness.One last traditional gift: Selucia can choose what official position she will hold.When this dignified woman gave up all power and dignity, Tuon didn't know whether he or the people who watched the ceremony were more astonished.Selucia only asked to be Tuon's make-up artist and chief maid, and continue to be her shadow in the dark, Tuon was very happy for this.

"Maybe I can pay back little by little, over sixteen years," she said, looking at herself in the mirror.She was still smiling, because she didn't want Selucia to think she was actually going to do it.Then, she changed her stern expression again.She loves Selucia because no one can take Selucia's place.She saw her mother only twice a year until she was an adult, and she was taught from the beginning of her life that her biological siblings were only competitors with her for maternal love.So far, two of them have died, and the other three have tried to assassinate her.Another brother and a sister of hers became Darkovi, and their names were placed on the list of sinners, along with the evil ones who could channel.Even now, her position is by no means safe, as long as she takes a wrong step, what awaits her may be death, or an even more terrifying end - wearing chains and being auctioned in the street market.In the light of day, when she smiles, she still looks like she's only sixteen!

Selucia chuckled softly, and took from the red lacquer hanger the bonnet of gold thread lace that Tuon often wore, with the raven and rose embroidered on the golden lace.The top of Tuon's shaved head was clearly visible between the lace patterns.Maybe she's still a ways off from Monk Moses, but either way, she has to regain her balance for Kelunnai's sake.She should probably have asked her venerable Anesser to lead a penance for her, but it was less than two years since Neferi's unexpected death, and she wasn't quite ready for Anesser, who had replaced Neferi.She felt that it could only be done by herself.Maybe she saw some kind of omen, but she just didn't realize it.Ants are not supposed to be on a boat, but some beetles are possible.

"No, Selucia," she said quietly, "a veil." Selucia's lips tightened in disapproval, but she silently put the bonnet back on the hanger.In private situations, such as now, Tuon allowed Selucia to speak freely, and Selucia knew what to say and what not to say.Tuon had only punished Selucia twice, but in the light of God, Tuon regretted these two punishments as much as Selucia.Her make-up artist covered Tuon's head with a long light veil in silence, and fixed the veil with a gold ribbon studded with rubies. Does not obscure Tuon's face.But it hides the most important stuff.

Then, Selucia put a long blue embroidered gold cloak over Tuon's shoulders, stepped back, and bowed deeply, the ends of her golden braids touching the carpet.The kneeling Dakovi also bowed their heads facing the plank of the ship.The private time was over, and Tuon left the cabin alone. In the adjoining cabin stood her six sinlords, three each to one side of the cabin, their pets kneeling before them on the broad polished planks.When the sin slave masters saw Tuon, they all straightened up, as proud as the silver lightning bolts on their red dresses, and the sin slaves in gray also stood up, showing the same pride.Except for Lydia, who was still crouched, her tear-stained face turned only to the planking.Lanelle took the red-haired slave by the hand and glared at her.

Tuon sighed, the reason why she was angry last night was caused by this slave, but she should also control her emotions.She ordered Lydia to foretell her future, and she shouldn't have ordered Lydia to be whipped just because she didn't like Lydia's prophecies. She bent down and raised Lydia's freckled face with her long, red-painted nails, causing the slave to straighten up.Lydia shuddered, and tears welled up in her eyes again, and Tuon carefully wiped the traces from her cheeks with his fingers. "Lydia is a good sinner, Lannelle, and she has Sophie's tincture for her whiplash. Lionheart to soothe her pain till the whiplash is healed. She has sweet milk pudding at every meal, until Until she gets better."

"Obey the majesty's order." Lanila replied seriously, but there was still a little smile on the corner of her mouth.All sin slave owners love Lydia, and Lannelle doesn't want to punish the sin slave. "If she gets fat, I'll let her run, Maharaja." Lydia turned her head, kissed Tuon's palm, and murmured, "Lydia's master is kind, Lydia won't get fat." Tuon continued to walk past the others, speaking to and patting each of the slave masters.The six slaves she brought were her best slaves, and they all loved her as much as she doted on them, so they all longed to be chosen by her.The round-faced, blond-haired sisters Dally and Dany needed little guidance from their Sin Master.Charau's hair had turned as gray as her eyes, but her body was still alive and well.Serla, with red ribbons in her tight black curls, was the strongest of them all, making her proud as a sin-lord.Tiny Melehn was shorter than Tuon, but of the six it was Tiny who made Tuon especially proud. While no one could object to Tuon being tested to be a Sin Master when he was about to come of age, many found it difficult to understand, and only her mother silently allowed her to do so.Of course, being a sin slave master was an unthinkable thing, but Tuon loved training sin slaves, she thought it was as much fun as training horses.She was good at both now, and Tini was her training achievement.When Tuon bought this fair-skinned little sin slave on the wharf of Shenjifa, she was already on the verge of death because of fear and fright, refusing any food or drink. Not long to live.But now, Tiny smiled and gazed at Tuon, leaning over and kissing Tuon's fingers before Tuon reached out to stroke her black hair.She, who was once skinny, now showed some plump skin. Kachona, who was holding her, didn't blame her for her transgressive behavior. On the contrary, there were a little smile lines on the stern black face of the sin slave master.She also whispered that Tiny was a good slave.There was nothing wrong with that statement, no one would believe it now that Tiny had once called herself an Aes Sedai. Before leaving, Tuon gave some instructions on the daily diet and training of the slaves. These slave masters and the other twelve slave masters who followed Tuon knew what to do, otherwise they would not be able to serve Tuon.But Tuon believes that those who own slaves must take the initiative to be responsible for their slaves.She is as familiar with the features of each of her sin slaves as she is with her own face. Outside the cabin, death guards in blood-red and black-green painted armor stood along the walls, and when Tuon's figure appeared, they immediately straightened their bodies, like two impregnable statues.Around Tuon were five hundred warriors with such stalwart faces. They all volunteered to be Tuon's guards, and they were always ready to sacrifice their lives to keep her safe.The grizzled Captain Musenger looked at Tuon's veil and ordered only two guards to follow her to the deck.On both sides of the doorway leading to the deck, Ogier gardeners in red and green uniforms were lined up. They held giant axes decorated with black silk tassels, and their eyes radiated a cold light, alerting all possible dangers.If Tuon died, they would not die with Tuon, but they would protect her at all costs.Tuon could have entrusted his life to any such pair of hands without the slightest qualm. Three large sails supported by multiple girders were hung on the three towering mainmasts of the Ji Lun Victory. The bitter cold wind inflated the sails and pushed the huge ship quickly towards the land ahead.Now Tuon could make out the hills and headlands of the black coast.The deck was full of people, all the blood of kings on this ship in their finest silks, not minding the cold wind blowing their cloaks, or the barefoot sailors running around them.Some of the nobles made an exaggerated look of ignoring the crew, as if scolding them for not bowing down to them every couple of steps.But when they saw Tuon wearing the veil, they did not kneel down, but bowed slightly to Tuon, and each one did not bend more than the others.Only the pointed-nosed Uriel knelt down on one knee.All thought Uriel was Tuon's secretary, which he was, but he was also Tuon's arm, in command of Tuon's Truthseekers.The woman named Lenti Michaela prostrated herself and kissed the deck. She stood up hastily after Uriel said something in a low voice, her face was flushed, and she kept smoothing the wrinkles on the red skirt with both hands.From Tanchik to here, Tuon had been uncertain whether to accept her allegiance, but she was as obedient as a Darkwi.For some reason, Michaela hated the Aes Sedai, she provided very valuable information, and Tuon also gave her a rich enough reward, but compared with those rewards, it seemed that what prompted Michaela to do this was only to the two. The esthete's desire for revenge. Tuon nodded to the other King's Blood, and stepped aboard the poop, with the two deathguards close behind her.The strong wind made the cloak on her shoulders seem to fly away at any moment, and pressed the veil tightly on her face, and it was about to lift the veil on top of her head after a while.That's okay, it won't fly away.Flying high over the stern was Tuon's private banner, a chariot galloped by two golden lions.Beneath the flag, six helmsmen were struggling to hold the long tiller.She certainly wouldn't be wearing the lace hat with ravens and roses, and now every sailor who saw the veil would immediately spread the word about it.The captain of the Kilun Victory is a heavyset, weather-beaten woman with white hair and startling green eyes.She bowed as Tuon's moccasins stepped onto the quarterdeck, and immediately turned her attention back to her ship. Anesser was standing by the stern rail, still in the same black silk dress.Although she wore no cloak or shawl, on the surface, the cold wind seemed to have no effect on her.She was a slender woman, tall even by men's standards, with a handsome charcoal face, but her large black eyes shone like sharp awls.She was Tuon's venerable teacher, her Wordspeaker, an appointment the Empress herself had placed upon Neferi's death.May the queen live forever.This is an astonishing thing.By then Anesir's left arm had been fully trained and was ready to take Neferi's place, but the words of the Empress on the Crystal Throne were law.No one should be afraid of their Master, but Tuon did fear Anather a little.She walked up to Anesser, clung to the railing, then had to force herself to let go so she wouldn't break the painted railing.That would be a very dire omen. "It seems," Annesse said, her voice was like a nail piercing into Tuon's skull, the tall Master frowned, looking down at her, her voice was full of contempt, "you hide your face, In a way, now, you are just the Maharaja Tuon. But everyone still knows who you are, and even if they won't say it, how long do you plan to continue this farce?" Aniser plump With a sneer on her lips, she made a simple gesture of contempt with one slender hand. "I suppose it's not enough to punish this kind of idiocy with the slaver's cane, and you'd be a fool if you thought such a little thing could make your eyes look smaller. Are you angry? No one seems to know that. I can only apologize to you because I seem to have misjudged your anger." Tuon kept his hands fastened to the rail, forcing them not to tremble, and forcing a stern look on his face. "I'll keep the veil on until an omen comes that tells me it's time to take it off, Anather." Fortunately, her voice remained calm, but only better luck ensured that no one else heard it Lydia's vague prophecy.Everyone knew that the sin slave had the ability to prophesy. If other bloodlines of the king knew what she said, it would be hard for Tuon to imagine how they would discuss her fate in secret. Anather let out a rude laugh, and began to explain to Tuon at greater length how stupid she was.She was talking too much, and she didn't bother to lower her voice.Captain Tehan stared straight ahead, but her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.Tuon's cheeks grew hot, and it seemed to her that the veil was going to burn, but she listened. Many bloodlines of kings call their spokesmen Masters, but the mouthpieces of the bloodlines of kings are the sages, and the sages all know that if their master doesn't like what they say, they will be punished, even if They are called respected teachers.And the truth speaker cannot be ordered, forced, or punished. The mission of the truth speaker is to tell the naked truth, whether you want to hear it or not, the truth speaker will let you hear it.Those of the king's blood who call the Speaker a Master think that Ogwynn is a lunatic, that he was the last man to sit on the Crystal Throne, and that was thousands of years ago.After his venerable master slapped his mouth in front of all the courtiers, he still let the venerable master live, and didn't even deprive her of her title.Neither the blood of kings nor the staring-eyed Captain Tehan would understand Tuon's family traditions.The faces of the two Death Watchers, who knew Tuon's family traditions, had not changed a bit behind their visors. When Anather's tirade finally stopped, Tuon said politely, "Thank you, but I don't need penance." Once, when she had cursed Nefiri, foolishly cursing her death from falling down the stairs, she had asked her new Master to fulfill this duty for her.Cursing death is enough to keep a man in Shang Moses for months.In a sense, the penance that Annesse presided over for her was quite gentle, but Tuon still cried for several days because of it, and couldn't even wear his pajamas.However, Tuon did not refuse to accept the penance training because of this, the penance training must be severe, otherwise it would not help restore the balance.Maybe accepting penance would make her walk easier, but she didn't intend to do so because she had already made a decision.And she also had to admit that she wanted to abandon the suggestion of respecting the teacher from the very beginning, and she didn't want to hear a word from the new respecting teacher at all.Like Selucia said, she's always been stubborn.Refusing to listen to the Wordsayer was abominable, and perhaps she should take Anather's advice and restore balance.Three gray dolphins surfaced beside the boat, making continuous calls. The three dolphins only appeared once and disappeared again.It means sticking to the path you have chosen. "When we come ashore," said Tuon, "the Majesty Soloth must take command." Stand firm. "You must pay attention to her ambitions. She led the pioneers and made achievements that exceeded the Queen's expectations. May the Queen live forever. But such a great success often breeds ambitions that are equal to it." The sudden change of the topic made Aniser very unhappy. She straightened up, her lips were tightly pressed, her eyes sparkled, and she said unabashedly: "I believe Su Luosi has the greatest interest in the empire." Tuon nodded, she was not so sure of that, even she might enter the Raven Tower because of the thought. "I must get in touch with the reincarnated true dragon as soon as possible. He must kneel in front of the crystal throne before the doomsday war, otherwise everything will be irreversible." This point is clearly recorded in the true dragon's prophecy. Annesse's expression changed immediately, and she put a hand on Tuon's shoulder, almost as if Tuon were her pet.This is an overreaching behavior, but she is a respected teacher after all, and perhaps Annesse's condescending attitude is just Tuon's imagination. "You have to be careful," Aneser said with emphasis, "before he has a chance to escape, you must never let him know how dangerous you are to him." Anather said many other suggestions, but Tuon ignored them all. She had heard them a hundred times.She could vaguely see a huge harbor appearing towards the bow of the ship, Eboda, which and Tanchik would both be the starting point of Kelunnai, and the thought gave her a thrill of joy and a sense of accomplishment.Behind the veil, she was only Maharaja Tuon, no higher than many of the other King's Bloodlines.But in her heart she had always been Tuon Atham Kor Paintree, Daughter of the Nine Moon, who had come to reclaim the stolen fortune of her ancestors.