Arkan had served Kazrail since the day the Khan took the throne. They had sworn to be brothers since their first meeting in the mountain temple. Arkan understood the young Khan as well as he understood himself. That was the reason for his loyalty; he knew the man inside and out.
But lately, he did not fully understand Kazrail.
He had started to notice this some time ago, even before Princess Lian Zhi arrived. There were things about the Khan that did not fit the man Arkan used to know. These were mostly small things that grew into a confusing picture over time.
Sometimes, the Khan seemed unfamiliar with things he should have known. He might pause before answering a question about his own past, as if he were searching for a memory instead of just remembering it. There were strange gaps in what he knew about places he had visited or people he had met.
