《Procession of the Shadows》


 Prologue

    In year 432, General Bei LiYing staged a successful military coup against the inept King Zhao and ascended to the throne as the fourth king of Rong. And thank the heavens for that, thought the masses, sick to death of Zhao''s deadly incompetence. Long live the new king, they cried. Their cheers then redoubled when the court astrologer declared that Bei would bring unprecedented glory to their small kingdom.


    The prediction proved true. In the eight years that followed, Bei led his troops from victory to victory, expanding Rong from an obscure principality to one of the most dominant centers of power in the region, rivaled only by the kingdoms of Jing and Wei. During that same period, Bei was also secured a line of successor as his wives successively bore him three healthy sons. Truly, a man blessed by the heavens, long live the King.


    And soon, he would have a fourth child.


    On a cold, clear evening in the eighth winter of his reign, King Bei''s favorite consort went into labor at long last after surviving several assassination attempts. At the palace, all activity ceased as people cautiously awaited the arrival of a new prince, whom the King promised to name as his true successor. The King himself paced up and down outside his consort''s chambers all night as the frail lady moaned and cried into her blood-drenched sheets. Finally, at dawn, the royal doctor bowed before the King.


    "Well, what news?"


    "Your Highness, I-I congratulate on the birth of the young . . . the young prin-princess."


    One could have heard a pin drop.


    "Princess? " the King cried. What use had he for a daughter? Why in the world did that cursed woman birth a girl, when no one else had? And he loved her so . . . He stomped out of the consort''s chambers in bitter disappointment. The lady died shortly thereafter, alone and miserable.


    The baby, however, survived.


    As it happened, one of the attending maids, Xi Xi, had just given birth to a stillborn child and took pity on the motherless newborn. She bundled the princess up and fed her some of her own milk, ensuring the child''s survival. The princess gurgled happily with a carefree, toothless grin; Xi Xi was enchanted.


    "Can''t we do something for the poor girl?" Xi Xi asked her lover, who was none other than the esteemed court astrologer.


    The astrologer looked to the stars and mused, "Perhaps."


    The wise astrologer whispered in the King''s ear that the Princess had been born at a fortuitous moment: the descent of the first frost as the north star aligned with the moon. In short, she was destined for greatness. For the sake of the country, she must be allowed to live.


    The King found it hard to believe that a girl, especially one who killed her mother at birth, could be destined for anything other than disaster. But who was he to question the unfailing foresight of the astrologer? What if she was key to bringing the country to new heights of greatness?


    "Well," suggested the astrologer, "There couldn''t be any harm in giving the girl a name and title. My lover, Xi Xi, can take care of her. Your Eminence need only wait and see what happens. She is but one more mouth to feed."


    The logic was infallible. In fact, the King did even better than that. In a temporary fit of enthusiasm (perhaps born out of guilt for the consort''s lonely death), he agreed to hold a fantastic ceremony at court to celebrate the infant''s birth.


    Thus, on an icy morning in the first month of the year, all the noblemen in the capital trekked up to the palace to see their glorious new princess. This included, of course, the Duke of Kang, Zhao KaiGe, who brought with him his young son, Zhao Yun. As a preeminent peer of the kingdom, the Duke and his son were invited to step up to the dais and observe the infant up close while she slept in her cradle.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Zhao Yun had just turned five but was precocious beyond his years. He stood on his tiptoes to peer over the cradle''s edge with his dark, intelligent eyes and remarked with a look of wonder, "What large eyes the Princess has. They''re so very pretty. Father, how should I address her?"


    The Duke and the King both chuckled, and the King replied merrily, "She was born on the dawn of the first frost, and accordingly, shall be hailed as Princess ChenShuang."


    "Shuang . . ." the little boy mused. As if hearing him, the Princess turned her head towards him and giggled.


    The Duke gave the King a shrewd smile and said, "You know, Your Highness, my Yun is not so much older than the Princess. Perhaps you might consider--"


    "Duke," interrupted the bitter Queen, who had hitherto been sitting quietly at the King''s side. "I hope you''re not suggesting a marriage already. The girl had just come out of the womb. Though I know you''re eager to restore the Zhaos back to the throne, you forget that my own son--"


    "All in good time," interrupted the King, brows furrowed. The Duke knew his chance had passed. He bowed and ushered his son away, though not before throwing a sly smile at the Queen. "Just you wait," he muttered, "Our time will come." The boy followed along docilely, pretending to hear nothing, though his eyes sparkled as he considered his father''s words.


    Seething, the Queen whispered to her husband, "I don''t know why you let that man live. He''s the old''s king own brother, for goodness'' sakes! Even if he helped you in the rebellion, you can''t expect any loyalty--"


    "--I cannot do away with him yet," was the impatient reply "Do you think I haven''t thought about it? He has too much influence among the nobles, and he controls a portion of the troops. But I''ll have him eventually. Just you wait."


    Meanwhile, observing all this from the shadows, Xi XI whispered to her lover, "Is this so wise? Should we have allowed the child to live, when you see in her future that she will contribute to the downfall of the King? Is it not better to kill her now--"


    "Well, one cannot elide fate," the astrologer replied with a careless shrug. "The King will meet his in good time."


    *


    The years paraded by one after another without pause. Rong continued expanding for some time, but then began to stagnate as the generals who ascended to power alongside Bei LiYing grew complacent. Perpetuating the age-old cycle of corruption, they harnessed their newly accumulated wealth and power to exploit the poor.


    In time, the court astrologer lost favor to his younger replacement and was sent packing to his home village. Xi Xi lost her head after upsetting one of the princes. The Duke of Kang was executed for conspiring against the King in an unsuccessful coup, and his son was made a slave, the gravest insult of all.


    As for the Princess of Morning Frost, without the backing of the astrologer, she receded into relative obscurity. Inconspicuously, in her gilded cage of the great palace, she grew into a lovely maiden of nineteen.


    "It''s time, I think, that we made some use of her," declared the King who, aged and anxious, suddenly recalled the old astrologer''s fortune for his daughter. She would help revive Rong from its slump and quell the growing unrest.


    The Queen agreed eagerly, happy to see the girl go at last.


    So Princess Bei ChenShuang of Rong was married off to the younger prince of Jing to help the two kingdoms achieve a long awaited alliance.


    Her wedding procession set off on an auspicious autumn day. Along with her small entourage of guards, servants and maids, she was also accompanied by Zhao Yun, that son of the former Duke who, for some years now, had been serving as the Princess''s personal slave. Their small retinue made slow but steady progress across the snowy plains of Rong and was due to arrive in the capital of Jing in a half month''s time.


    Then, unexpectedly, the procession was attacked. Deep in the northern forests separating the two kingdoms, a band of armed and masked marauders suddenly appeared from among the trees and charged at the Princess''s carriage. Not a soul lived, it was said. Indeed, the Princess''s body could not even be found.


    King Bei flew into a wild rage.


    "It''s the Wei!" he cried. "Surely it''s the Wei. They''ve come to sabotage our alliance with the Jing. They''re frightened of that we''ll become too mighty! But now that they''ve insulted us by killing our princess, we have no choice but to declare war! We shall declare war!"


    The Queen smiled. "Indeed. And the Jing must aid us now, musn''t they? What perfect timing."


    *


    Meanwhile, on the outskirts of a village in the mountains, two youths sold to the local pawnshop what appeared to be pricey wedding robes, then disappeared without a trace . . .

 Chapter 1

    In the autumn of my eighth year, XiXi and the old astrologer once snuck me out of the palace. It must have been around the time of the grand carnival, for the city had donned a bizarre, ghoulish mask that rendered it unrecognizable and magnificent. Performers walked from roof to roof on tightropes; men ate swords and spit out fire; people danced in the streets. I was so entranced I barely allowed myself to blink. I remember the old man bought me a stick of candied hawthorne. Even now, I can sometimes still taste its cloying sweetness. My fondest memory of childhood.


    Years later, when I was still in love with Zhao Yun, I often dreamt about walking through those vibrant streets with him by my side, asking for him for that sickly sweet hawthorne . . .


    No longer. We passed the sweetseller without pause, and I could only smile at how quickly dreams change.


    There were other changes. We were no longer in the opulent capital of Rong, no longer in Rong territory even--imagine that! The city of YiHai sat on a major trade route at the border of Rong and Jing, but technically belonged to Jing. Over the years, alongside the rise of Rong, it had transformed from a nameless village to a merchant''s tax haven, being situated just far enough from the capitals of the two kingdoms to avoid financial scrutiny. That''s why I steered us here. Maybe we could escape political scrutiny as well, if we were so lucky.


    It''s strange that you know all this, Zhao Yun had remarked when we first set foot in town. But why? After all, hadn''t I spent my youth alone, buried within the hundreds of scrolls of the royal library, trying to live through the stories they told? Once, I thought could impress him with my knowledge.


    YiHai wasn''t the capital, but it was magnificent in its own way as it geared up for the mid-Autumn festival. As we wound our way around the gleaming, cobblestone roads, chased by gusts of icy wind, I still couldn''t bear to blink. My eyes, despite everything, wanted to drink in every last drop of colorful life that suffused this small town. Bitter exhilaration, to relive that distant memory.


    So we passed the sweetseller, then the rows of small stalls offering bits of this and that: cheap hair clips, paper lanterns, warm pastries. The mooncakes were particularly tempting--the whole town seemed enshrouded in their warm scent. I was briefly reminded of family, and I wondered if the old astrologer was still alive. If he still ever thought of XiXi and me. They were as much family as I had ever had, not that it mattered much. They were long gone and I had no money for mooncakes.


    Past all this, we came upon the main bazaar at the center of town. Its stalls were lined with exotic goods from the south that a band of merchants had just brought to town. There were dried apricots and jade buddhas and fragrant tea leaves and reams and reams of silk. I was seized by a sudden desire for all of it, even though I had never wanted it before.


    Zhao Yun slid his hood over his head and motioned for me to follow close. In our dark cloaks, we glided among the stalls like shadows, watchful but unnoticed.


    Yun paused his steps by the stall where an old woman ran shrewd eyes over a ream of crimson cloth as her retinue of servants watched. The merchant running the stall, a rotund, weatherbeaten man of fifty, barely registered our presence; no doubt he had sniffed out the scent of money and knew it wasn''t coming from us. He chatted the old woman up with a supplicating smile.


    Your young mistress is soon to be wed then? Whoever''s the lucky man?


    But it''s atrocious! She proposes to choose through a duel. Have you heard of such a thing?


    Ah, a duel among men? Certainly not unprecedented.


    And with her. She proposes to fight them herself!


    My ears perked up. A duel? I stole a glance at the old woman''s outraged expression and was seized by the desire to ask her why. Why shouldn''t women duel? Better that than to be sold off to the highest bidder. Had I been offered the option, I would no doubt would have . . . but then, I was not offered the option.


    The old woman ordered five yards of the crimson and tossed the merchant a hefty sack of coins. His fleshy face was wreathed in smiles as he watched her dawdle away with her entourage. Immediately after, he took the coins from the sack and counted them carefully in his palm, his eyes glittering with golden greed.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    That was our chance. So blatantly immersed was he in his task that for a few moments, he barely noticed anything else. He didn''t notice, for example, Zhao Yun glide by his stall and swipe his nimble fingers across the counter, taking with them a different sack of coins that the merchant had left strewn about.


    And by the time he noticed later and raised the hew and cry, the two of us had long disappeared, dissolved into a current of townspeople that carried out us the town gates and into the safety of the forests beyond.


    *


    "Ten pieces of silver," Zhao Yun murmured thoughtfully. "That''s enough to get us somewhere."


    I didn''t look at him, in case he would catch my smile. A princess and a duke''s heir, subsisting off ten pieces of silver. Have you heard of anything more absurd? And that wasn''t the least of it. Here we were, nestled in an abandoned temple buried in a grim forest. Its creaking, wooden beams were rotting at the center, and I was thankful that they stood up at all, to shield us from the wolves and the elements. Beyond that, we had only a small fire to warm us and a few dry rolls to fill our stomachs and ten pieces of silver to tide us through until who knows when . . .


    "What are you thinking, Your Highness?" Yun tilted his head and trapped me with his steely grey eyes that slanted just slightly at the corners, like the watchful eyes of a cat. How many women had he fooled with those eyes?


    I quickly retracted my smile and shook my head, saying quietly, "You needn''t call me that anymore. I''m no longer a Princess. I''m just--"


    "Shuang."


    I froze.  How many years had it been since he''d called me that?


    He smiled nonchalantly, just a slight tilt at the corner of his thin lips, a hint of mischief in his eyes. The kind of smile that drew long looks from ladies at court. "I can call you Shuang then, can''t I?"


    Can I call you Shuang, Your Highness?  There it was again, that unwelcome echo of the past.


    I forced myself to shrug as if it hardly mattered, and whispered, "If you''d like."


    There followed a long stretch of silence in which the only thing that could be heard was the soft crackles of the fire and the aching creaks of the wood as it endured the persistent assault of the wind. I could feel him looking at me from time to time, as if confirming I was still there.


    "You don''t have to stay here with me," I said suddenly.


    "What?"


    "I mean, you have no obligation.  I can fend for myself.  I thank you for your service so far, but we''re safe now, and I . . . I can go the rest of the way myself, especially dressed as I am.  They wouldn''t be looking for a boy."


    I didn''t miss the flash of anger in his eyes, or the way his lips twisted into a cold smirk.  "Is that so?  And where do you propose to go?"


    "Far away.  The south.  I-I can read and write.  I''m sure there will be some work for me."


    "Work?" he drawled, cocking a brow in that imperious way of his.  "There will always be work for penniless, young girls, though I doubt you''ll be a scribe.  There are more lucrative trades . . . "


    "I-"


    "Don''t be a little fool," he interrupted, suddenly dropping his act of cruelty.  With a rueful smile and a gentle gaze, he said, "I''ll stay with you until the end."


    My heart skipped a beat despite myself.  Even now, he could still lie so effortlessly.


    I escaped his eyes and turned to stare at the fire, suddenly exhausted and numb. I recalled that it''s been four days since we escaped from the carnage. How did we even make it out alive? There were so many of them. Even Yun, who wielded the sword as well as the god of war, couldn''t defeat them all. And I was useless, stuck in the carriage and frozen with fright. I was so sure I would die.


    But then, Yun pulled me out--and why had he done that, I keep wondering, when he hates me so--he pulled me out and dragged me behind him in our race against time. I don''t think we''ve stopped running since. And now he says he''d stay with me until the end?  The end of what?


    A small yawn forced itself out of me and my eyelids began to droop. Shuang, I thought I heard him say. Or maybe I didn''t? He hadn''t called my name so gently in years. Anyway, I was too far gone to answer.


    When I opened my eyes again, it was morning and Zhao Yun was gone.

 Chapter 2

    I was awakened by the bright rays of mid-morning sun filtering through the holes in the ceiling and the rips in the paper windows. For a moment, I forgot where I was and merely lay still, reveling in the unexpected warmth.


    How long had it been since I''d slept through the night? Certainly not since XiXi''s death. But perhaps earlier even? Perhaps not since that snowy day two years ago, when I sat before the executioner''s platform and watched Duke¡ªdisheveled and bloodied as he was¡ªkneel before us and have his head clean sliced off. It rolled round and round on the ground, dying the snow a nauseous brown red; the Queen had smiled very coolly; Father looked exultant; I fought the urge to scream.  Then they brought up Zhao Yun, whose handsomeness was disguised by a layer of grime and whose sharp grey eyes were wild with rage and despair.  And I, who wasn''t ordinarily very brave, had abruptly stood up and cried¡ª


    But come to think of it, where was Zhao Yun?  I rolled up and stared about the quiet, sun drenched room. His small bundle of stuff had disappeared, so it appears that all he left behind was me. Stay with me until the end, he had said last night? A fleeting sadness¡ªI shall be alone after all¡ªthen a pat on the back. Good job Shuang, you were right all along not to trust him, how wise you''ve grown, etc.


    The door suddenly creaked open, and there he was again, his handsome face scrubbed clean, his raven hair still damp. He laughed at me and shook his head ruefully: Still not up? We leave when you''re ready.


    Ah, so he hadn''t left just yet, I thought with a twinge of disappointment.  Well, it was only a matter of time.


    ***


    The forest, having cast off the mask of night, transformed into a sun-dappled woodland of wonder.  The leaves swirled in the crisp autumnal breeze and lay to rest at our feet, forming a shimmering carpet of gold. He walked in front, turning to me occasionally with his lips upturned at the corners, as if he were beholding a small child. He always did think me a child.


    The town was in full swing by the time we arrived.  No longer lit by lurid lanterns, it had recovered its quaint provincial charm: along the main street, a colorful produce market laid out by peasants from the hinterland, and behind that, rows of shops and restaurants overflowing with people. Here, a farmer selling eggs by the dozen, there, old ladies bargaining over sugared plums.


    We took a seat at a stall by the road and ordered two bowls of noodles.


    "You might not like it," Yun cautioned. He needn''t have worried though. I was never a picky eater, and besides, four days on the run would have starved that out of me.


    As we waited, I glanced around listlessly.  My attention was unwittingly captured by a strange sight by the town gates. Two men had just walked through, leading a pair of horses by the reins. And what magnificent horses they were! Blue-blooded akhal-teke, golden manes shimmering under the sun as they engaged in an elegant canter. A rare sights, in the capital, much less in a town like this.  They were imported from out west and only the noblest of the noblemen had a chance of owning them. My brothers had a few and, come to think of it, so did Zhao Yun. Once, even I had asked for one, so bewitched was I by their beauty and power, but that had been silly. Girls have no use for such horses, I was told.


    The men who led the horses could have been Zhao Yun, back in his prime. They were tall and regal, dressed in rich sables and ermines. When I squinted I could see  that at least one of them, the one up front, was also uncommonly handsome, with a cold solemnity that lent him an attractive, unapproachable air. Who could they be?  Certainly no peasants or townsfolk.  Perhaps military...


    My thoughts were interrupted by the server sliding a steaming bowl of noodles before me. The men and their horses were promptly forgotten¡ªnever had I been so enticed by mere beef and flour.


    When I''d taken a few bites, Zhao Yun suddenly remarked, "You were looking at them."


    I looked inquiringly at him through a bite of noodle.


    "The men at the gates. Of course, they were handsome," he suggested, a dangerous glint in his dark eyes.


    I barely managed to hold in a snort. Straight faced, I said quietly, "It''s just that I fear they might be robbed, dressed like that and with those horses."


    This being satisfactory, he turned back to pick at his own noodles.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ***


    Zhao Yun has once been praised as being the most handsome man in the kingdom.  Not having seen all the men in the kingdom, I can neither confirm nor deny.  It''s true though that he was tall in an elegant, reedy way¡ªmore so than my brothers¡ªand had those sharp, aristocratic features that drew blushes from young ladies at court.


    Like me, for example. When we first met, I had just turned fourteen and was ordered to show my face for the first time at the annual feast of the hunt.


    It was a lush summer day, the kind of day that was rare in the Rong, where eight months out of the year was frigid and snow-laden. There was a part of me that was excited to sit outside in the radiant blooming gardens under the warm sun. The greater part of me, though, was jittery and wanted nothing more than to run from the watchful eyes of the shrewd nobles and their children, from the two-faced political speech they uttered, from the undercurrent of tension that pulsed through the whole affair.


    For years, Father had clean forgotten about me. XiXi said it was great that he finally remembered and had fished me out of obscurity.


    It''s your chance, you know, she said in that matter-of-fact way of hers. You don''t want to die here, in your rooms, all alone. That would be the worst fate. Maybe someone will take an interest in you. Maybe you''ll marry well after all.


    That was her mantra in those days. If I could just marry well, find myself a high-ranked husband, everything could be salvaged. My childhood years of lonely sequestration in my gilded chambers would be all worth it. With marriage comes power.


    I wasn''t entirely sold, but I was a silly girl of fourteen and there was still that bit of hope in me.  Anyway, I subscribed from a young age to the philosophy of you go along to get along.


    The King and the Queen sat up high on a dais at the front of the gardens. Us four royal children sat in a row on one side, followed by the children of other nobles according to their rank.


    Jiang, the youngest of my three older brothers and the son of the Queen, sat to my left. For as long as I could remember, he''d hated me. I''m told it''s his mother who encourages the hate and the little tricks he plays on me, because I look like my dead mother, whom she''d never forgiven for stealing the King''s affections.


    Jiang smirked ludicrously at me throughout the feast.  He was up to something again, I thought with dread.  I just knew it.  Sometimes, I thought it''d be nice to marry off just so I can get away from him and his malicious laughter.  But what was it this time?


    Halfway through the feast, I found out.


    Out of nowhere, while I wasn''t looking, he deposited a small green snake onto my table.  I watched with growing horror as it slithered up the platters of food, leaving a trail of slime.  It stared me in the face and hissed.  I let out a sharp scream at the sight of its forked tongue.


    The feast came to a standstill, all eyes on me.  Jiang was snickering softly; Father looked enraged; and everyone else wore sly grins of amusement.  So that''s the Princess, they must have thought.  What an uncouth child.  An embarrassment.


    Then suddenly, just as the snake raised itself to my face, a hand shot out from my right and grab the snake by its neck, pulling it back.  Suppressing a gasp, I turned gingerly and saw a languid youth take up his meat knife and slice the snake''s head off.


    He smiled at me, his cat like eyes curving into magnetic crescents, his hand still holding the wriggling body of the reptile, which he soon tossed aside with a careless flick of his wrist.  "It''s all right now, Your Highness," he said, his gentle voice soothing as a cup of warm tea.


    There followed a torrent of whispers, and to my infinite gratitude, Jiang ceased his infernal laughter.


    "Thank you," I had whispered with a deep blush, barely able to look at him.


    His eyes twinkled.  "It''s my honor."


    ***


    The whole thing was cringeworthy now that I think about it.


    We spent the afternoon meandering through the shops, picking up some heavy boots, a thicker cloak for me, and some dry provisions for the road.  No one recognized us, thankfully, though one of the shopkeepers did mention that a few days ago, imperial guards had barged in the city looking for a girl with large eyes and long hair in wedding robes.


    "You two young men wouldn''t have seen her on the road, would you?" he asked.  Yun and I shared a look and shook our heads.


    Everywhere we went, the women fawned over Yun and largely ignored me, his unimpressive younger "brother."  This seemed to cheer him up immensely and, by the time evening descended, he was all smiles again.


    "So tomorrow, we can depart at dawn for Chen An.  From there, it''ll only be a few leagues from Shan Yu, which is strictly Wei territory.  They won''t find us there."


    I crinkled my nose in thought, musing softly,  "I''m not so sure.  We know it''s the Queen, but perhaps she blamed the attack on the Wei?  Father''s wanted to send troops there for awhile--"


    "Aren''t you clever," he interrupted, amused. "It''s a waste that the King doesn''t take you as an adviser."


    Don''t I know it.


    "So perhaps," I continued, "it''s better if we--"


    "Wait," Zhao Yun said, stopping abruptly.  "Someone''s following us."


    My heart constricted and I looked around nervously at the busy little street with meandering townspeople.  Nothing seemed amiss, though now everyone appeared suspicious.


    "Look," his eyes alert, "I''ll distract them and lead them away.  You keep walking, back to the temple.  You''ll be safe there."


    "What, by myself? I can''t--what if--"


    "You''ll be fine," he said with a quick pat on my shoulder.  "I''ll come find you."


    Then he darted away into a side alley like a flash of lightening and faded into the night.  I stood motionless for a few minutes, staring after him.  Nothing in the little street appeared different, no one else had moved at all.  Only he was gone.


    Was there really someone following us, I began to wonder, or had Zhao Yun lied to steal away for a few moments?  And if so, why . . . ?

 Chapter 3

    Shortly after Yun''s departure, the heavens began to shed drops of icy rain, rain that soaked straight though my new heavy cloak and chilled me to the core. Cold and paranoid, I ducked into a narrow side street that I calculated would lead me straight to the town''s exit while avoiding its larger crowds.  A miscalculation as it turned out, by any measure.


    The street, which was already relatively empty, cleared completely of people as the rain raged stronger. I was left to run by myself to the pitter patter of heaven''s tears.


    Suddenly, I halted.


    Chancing to look up, I realized with a start that I wasn''t alone as I had thought. Several steps ahead there stood a tall, lone figure under a large umbrella. Half-blinded by the relentless downpour, I was just able to make out dark robes embroidered with gold thread.


    Gold thread . . . my heart sank. Who but a royal would dare wear gold? They''ve found me after all. The wedding will proceed, or I''ll be taken back to that hell, or I''ll be put to death.


    Then again, I thought with a flutter of hope, perhaps he hadn''t spotted me. He, whoever he may be, stood with his back towards me, as if waiting for something or someone. I made an about-face, planning to slink back the way I came.


    Too late. Coming up from behind was another group of men, their footsteps previously masked by the rain. I counted five at least, and in a moment they would catch up to me. Already I heard one cry, Stop right there! You''re outnumbered.


    I hesitated¡ªforward or back? dead ends both ways¡ªthen made a split second decision. Just as the man with the gold threaded robe turned to face me, I leapt up to him and thrust my dagger against his throat, knocking his umbrella from his hand.


    "Don''t move," I whispered, fear quelling the tremor in my voice, lending me strength. "Call off your men, and I''ll let you go."


    My hostage tensed, but when he looked down at me, he appeared faintly surprised.  It was a feeling I shared, for I realized that I recognized him. Wasn''t he precisely the man from this morning, the man with the magnificent horse?  Could this man be associated with the Queen, I wondered, when I had never before set eyes on him in the capital. We stared at each other in silence while we tread the momentary impasse.


    "Who are you?" he finally asked in a low, commanding voice.


    Shouldn''t that be my question? But this calmed me a fraction:  if he didn''t know who I was, then he couldn''t be after me.  Continuing to fake my bravado, I growled, "You don''t need to know.  Look, just call off your henchmen, and I''ll let you go on your way."


    Brief confusion flashed across his handsome faces. He replied dryly, "They''re not with me."


    "What?"


    "They''re local thieves after my money.  They''ve stalked me all day, so I led them here to teach them a lesson. I gather now that you''re not with them. Look, if you let me go now, you''re free to go.  They don''t want anything to do with you."


    But they were already upon us, cornering us in a small semi circle. I saw at once that the man spoke the truth. These men who surrounded us--boys, really--were nothing more than village brutes, common to all small towns. They couldn''t have had anything to do the elegant man I held at knife point, whose robes were made of silk.


    Their leader, a fat youth of about 20, waddled up to us with a sly smile and said to me, "Little boy, I don''t know where you came from, but this man''s ours. We''ve had our eye on him all day. Finder''s keepers. Besides, he isn''t worth much all on his own. We''re holding onto him until his friend at the inn hands over the ransom. You give him over now and we won''t harm you."


    Ironically, the more he elaborated, the more relieved I felt. They weren''t after me!  All they wanted was money, and not even my money at that.  I was safe. I almost laughed.


    But now, as my mind cleared from the fog of anxiety, I began to wonder if it was so wise to hand my captive over without much of a fight.  Would these simple bandits actually let me go, or would they kill me to shut me up? From their dark, sinister expressions, the latter was not out of the question.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    I turned to my prisoner and whispered, "Just trust me."


    His face, which never lost its solemnity, nevertheless betrayed a glimmer of amusement.


    The thief grew impatient and whined: "Well, are you handing him over or not?"


    I cleared my throat. "Yes, of course sir. I hardly dare compete with you. I''ll hand it over at once. But look, here I''ve got him at knifepoint; that''s why he isn''t moving. If I just let him go, surely he''ll draw his sword and slaughter me; indeed, perhaps even slaughter you!"


    The fleshy youth eyed me suspiciously. "Well, then what do you propose, boy?"


    "You come here and I''ll hand you my dagger. Then you''ll have him without any trouble and I''ll be on my way."


    He hesitated, peering at the sword that hung at the man''s waist.  His underlings, however, were easily convinced and they cried for him to proceed. The boy''s right, they called out.  Why risk the captive''s escape?  Besides, what can this little pipsqueak do even if he were lying?  We''d crush him!


    Persuaded by his comrades, the leader crept forward and reached for my dagger. "You''re right boy," he slurred, "Now hand over that dagger.  That''s right, in my hand here¡ª"


    I obeyed, plunging the dagger into his outstretched palm, eliciting a piercing scream.  While he was crippled by the pain, I plucked the blade back out and held it at his neck, restraining his useless hands behind his back in an iron grasp.


    Thank goodness Yun had taught me a few moves back in the day.


    I turned to his dumbfounded gang and shouted, "If you don''t want him to die, you''d best leave us now.  That''s right, scatter, or else I''ll kill him!"


    The boys looked at each other in bewilderment.  Two even made to step forward, no doubt thinking they could overpower tiny me.  But they hesitated at the last minute, in part due to the pleading whimpers of their leader and in part, no doubt, due to the fact that the dark robed man now stood free and had unsheathed his sharp sword a few inches.  Its metal glinted in the moonlight like a menace.


    All right, all right, they said, slowly backing away.  Just don''t hurt him.  A strange brotherhood of small town thieves, more noble than all those hollow alliances of aristocrats.  They scattered in the wind.


    After they had gone for a few minutes, a whine: "You can let me go now, can''t you?"


    I considered my prisoner contemplatively.  Soaked and bloody, crippled in one hand, he certainly seemed harmless.  But just as a precaution...I thrust the dagger in his right shoulder and twisted.  Another scream.  He won''t be able to use that arm for a good few weeks.  Sobbing into the folds of his flesh, he crawled away into the maze of shadows.


    Heaving a small sigh of relief, I too hurried to leave.  The episode had delayed my return to the temple by a good half hour, and as the adrenaline seeped out of my body, I was filled with a deep, cold exhaustion.


    But before I had walked two steps, I was detained by a strong grasp.  The man in the gold threaded robe stared down at me with furrowed brows.  "You didn''t have to cripple his arm," he accused quietly. Somehow, though he was as soaked as I, he lost none of his regal authority.


    I tried to wrench my arm free, to no avail, though in the process, my hair tie finally gave way and my long, soaked strands fell wildly around my face. "He was going to kidnap you and kill me," I cried through clattering teeth, strangely near tears. I just wanted to go home, to my little sanctuary in the forest, so why couldn''t he understand: "Just let me go, won''t you? He''ll be fine in a month or so."


    I saw his eyes widen, then soften.  "You''re a gi¡ª"


    A sharp sword swung between us, forcing him to let go of me.  He avoided the piercing blade with an elegant half turn.  Not everyone would have been able to avoid that lightening quick slice; here was a skilled fighter.  Yet he had allowed me to hold him at dagger point without protest . . .


    I, on the other hand, was immediately captured.


    "Yun," I whispered, following into a familiar embrace.


    With me in his arms, Zhao Yun jumped safely to a low roof on one the side of the street.  The worry in his pretty grey eyes was unmistakeable. What happened, are you hurt, who''s this man, he asked all in a jumble.  Too tired to respond, I merely shook my head, trembling from the cold.


    Meanwhile, the man with the gold-threaded robe stared up at us and demanded, "Who are you? Name yourselves."


    "No one you need to know," Zhao Yun replied coldly.  "Forget this ever happened.  It''s for the best."  Before the man could say anything more, Zhao Yun had already begun a quick sprint across the rooftops and we soon left the man behind, along with my nightmarish encounter in the dark alley.


    When I looked back once more, I saw the man staring after us with his serious, solemn gaze.  I was struck by the thought that here was a relentless man, that he always finds the answers he wants.


    Time would prove me right.


    ***


    Back at the temple, I shed my wet cloak and baked myself by the small fire that Yun built, refusing to respond to his myriad questions except to say I was fine.


    "Did you find out who was following us?" I asked suddenly, breaking the silence.


    He looked taken aback, surprised I had even remembered.  Evading my eyes, he said, "I was mistaken.  There was no one."


    I hummed in feigned nonchalance, the wheels in my head beginning to turn.  I felt, surely, that he was hiding something.

 Chapter 4

    We continued our journey the next morning, when the bright sun erased the vestiges of last night''s storm.  The only hints that remained were the droplets of water on golden leaves and my splitting headache and dripping nose.  Perhaps we should wait, suggested Yun, but I protested.  We must hurry on if we were to ever get away, away, far away.


    As planned, we took a circuitous route around town to avoid traffic, but somehow, the traffic came to us any way.  Hordes of peasants flooded the dirt road that meandered through the forest fringe.  Our progress was painfully slow and finally came to a stop before the gates of a large estate, where the crowds were so dense that we simply couldn''t move.


    Elegant brows knitting together, Yun turned to a nearby farmer to inquire, "What accounts for these crowds today?"  The farmer looked surprised and was quick point out we must be from out of town.  "Everyone here knows that Governor Liu, that man over there"--he points us toward the bearded old man watching the crowds from a raised dais built just outside the heavy vermillion gates --"is searching for a son in law.  Whoever beats his daughter in a duel, and of course, all other contestants, can win her hand in marriage."


    Yun nodded disinterestedly (Foolish games of the provincials, he murmured under his breath) and continued his search for a nook or crevice among the bodies that could facilitate our escape. But I no longer wanted to leave so quickly.  Wasn''t this precisely the duel that had piqued my interest, when I''d heard the chat between the old maidservant and the merchant?  I wondered what this girl was like, she who had a hand in her own fate, unlike us common women.


    There she was.  The Lius had erected a makeshift dueling ring by the dais, four pillars connected by rope.  She stood at its center, at the center of our collective gazes.


    But how was it that she looked nothing as I imagined?  Porcelain skin, flushed cheeks, and a delicate willowy figure that seemed to sway in the autumnal breeze.  Her cherubic face wore a small smile that was equal parts cheeky and shy, the kind of perfect smile that tickled men''s fancies.  Pale pastel peony, pleasantly pretty.  Could she truly wield the long, thin sword she held in slender fingers?


    She could.  The first contender was sent flying from the ring with a light slash of her blade and strong kick to his chest.  The crowds ooh-ed and aah-ed, voicing my own, silent astonishment.  She curtsied demurely, enticing more moths to the flame: surely, her first victory a fluke!


    It was not.  The following contenders--simple village lads or wealthy sons of merchants or esteemed heirs to local officials--were disposed in quick succession: a high kick here, a sword to the throat there.  Even Yun began to watch with interest, his cat-like eyes shimmering with amusement as bodies flew from the ring like crumpled sheets of paper.


    "Anyone else?"  cried a haughty servant.  Silence, save for the whispers of the onlookers.  And it was barely past noon.


    "What happens if no one wins her?" I asked curiously.


    The old peasant from before snorted and replied with a shake of his head, "It''s all a show, that''s clear now.  The girl''s been trained by a martial arts master.  The young men here aren''t her match.  Master Liu is showing her off and will then marry her to a noble.  A woman must marry, after all."


    That seemed nonsensical.  No self-respecting noble would take her now, with this kind of reputation . . .  There was a glimmer of mischief in her pretty face as she peered around, waiting for other contenders.  Perhaps she had known all along.  Once she defeated the village lads, she''d be all but ineligible for marriage.  And there was her foolish old father, beholding her with pride.


    "Anyway, if you stay until the end, boy, there will surely be a banquet."


    "No one else?  Then I declare my mistress--"


    "I challenge the girl!"


    A collective gasp from the audience.


    The cry had come from a giant of a man, his large body undulating with excess flesh and barely covered by threadbare, dusty robes.  He himself looked as if he hadn''t washed for days, his thinning hair plastered to his misshapen skull by built-up grease.  Even our dainty, polite mistress grimaced and took an unwilling step back.


    "The village bully," whispered the peasant to us.  "His name is Wang Da and he''s terrorized the streets for years now.  He usually scuttles away in daylight like a cockroach.  Fancy seeing him here.  I guess the Old Governor did say anyone could . . ."


    Cheering on the bully was a familiar group of little village brutes, one still sporting a dislocated shoulder. . . Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I won''t have you sullying my daughter!" cried the apoplectic father from his raised seat.  His servants fluttered about him helplessly.


    "You going back on your word, old Liu?  You said anyone could participate!  You gave your word!" responded Wang Da, exposing a mouthful of rotting, yellow teeth that appeared particularly grotesque against the dappled sunlight.  The old man sputtered angrily, torn between love for his daughter and pride.  (Why always pride?)


    The girl''s eyes narrowed. She declared in a melodic, sing-song voice, "Not to worry, Father, I can handle him."


    The battle was inauspicious from the start.  She was quick on her feet, this one.  She scurried around him like a wingless fairy, landing cuts here and there.   But when you had as much flesh as this giant, what''s a few shallow cuts, a few spurts of blood?  He had that in abundance.  When she finally tired herself out, he grabbed her by her long ponytail and yanked it hard, then slammed her on the ground.  I inhaled sharply as her sword clattered uselessly to her side and her porcelain skin turned blue and purple.  The brute laughed heartily at her hateful, fearful glance and grabbed her by the throat.


    "Does anyone else dare challenge?" cried the Wang Da as the girl gurgled in his grasp.  He smirked particularly at the girl''s old man.  Will you go back on your word after all, the brute seemed to suggest with a raised brow?  The old man watched in silent horror, seemingly having forgotten that his daughter should come before pride, that he couldn''t possibly let his precious pearl be wed to this unwashed tramp, no matter what he had once said or not said . . .


    There stretched a long painful second of silence, before someone yelled, "Let her go!"


    All eyes turned to me.  Ah, had I been the one to scream that?  My bad.


    What do you think you''re doing, hissed Yun.  Come back here.  But it was too late, a path parted between me and the dueling ring, and I felt that I had no choice but to go forward.  As I made my way towards center stage, I saw from the corner of my eye the man with the gold-threaded robe.  This annoyed me, for surely he could have jumped out to the rescue instead.


    The girl, who was now crumpled on the ground, peered at me between her dry-heaves.  Perhaps she wished for a different savior, someone sturdier and stronger.  Alas, the saviors in this world and few and far between.  Save yourself.


    "You''re sure you want do this, pipsqueak?"


    Cold sweat gathered at my brows.  I emphatically did not want to do this.  But there was something particularly gruesome, unforgiving, about a battered woman.  All she wanted was to escape a loveless marriage.  Why should she have to suffer so for such a small wish?


    Off-stage: "Bro, he''s the one!  The pipsqueak who tore my arm!"


    The giant growled his obligatory ah, you, I shall avenge my brother, feel my wrath etc., then charged at me.  I dodged his blows as best I could.


    I learned to fight, somewhat, one cold winter when my brother Jiang grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and tossed me harshly before the Queen.  They had taught me cavorting with Yun in the library, though it was all very innocent at the time.  We merely wished to discuss history.


    "You dare converse with strange men?" the Queen had asked coyly, smiling at the blood that seeped from my scraped knees.  "And the Duke''s son, no less.  What secrets do you share?"


    I knew no secrets.  She knew I knew no secrets.  No one talked to me at all, except my own few servants.  That didn''t stop her from beating me within an inch of my life.  Yun visited me while I languished in bed with a high fever.  He gave me a few gentle pats on the hand and said, "What shall we do with you?  I''d better teach you how to fight back."


    After the beating though, I was weak for a long time and didn''t learn much except for how to dodge and run.


    But you could only run for so long before life caught up.  Wang Da punched me squarely in the stomach, causing me to double over in pain.


    "This is what interfering little pipsqueaks get," he growled with a ferocious grin, readying himself for the final blow.  I shut my eyes in resignation.  Did I hear someone call my name?


    A dull thud, but the blow never landed.  "Now sir," said a smooth, unfamiliar voice.  "How about I take this boy''s place?  The two of us are more evenly matched, no?"


    My eyes fluttered open and I saw standing before me the companion of the man in the gold-threaded robes.  This young man, who wore the same rich furs as the day before, was pleasantly good looking but had an off-putting foppish air about him.  After dodging a spit in the face from Wang Da, he turned and gave me a wink.  "I''ve got this--"


    "Watch out!" I cried, for Wang Da had already sprung.


    The young man fought masterfully, his footwork quick as lightening and his punches strong and accurate.  Meanwhile, a pair of strong arms hauled me off the ring and I found myself staring into a familiar face full of exasperation.  "How do you always land yourself in so much trouble when you''re so small?" asked the man in the gold-threaded robe (though today he wore blue cotton).  I was in too much pain to deal with him (though I allowed myself to lean very slightly on his arm) and I focused my attention on the battle.


    It wasn''t much of a match. Pow-pow-pow, thud.  The giant was down!  Would anyone else care to challenge--no?  The match was over, a husband had been found!  Old Governor Liu prayed to the heavens.  Drinks and food for everyone, this way please!  General pandemonium.


    At some point, Yun finally hopped over the crowds and made his way to my side.  He grabbed me roughly from the man in the gold-threaded robes and held me close.  The sudden movement exacerbated my wooziness and I had no choice but to collapse against him.  "Who are you?" he asked the man coldly.  The man shrugged, "You wouldn''t tell me."  Tit for tat.


    Thankfully, before the situation could heat up, old Mr. Liu came by himself and fretted over me with tears in his eyes.  "Boy, it''s all thanks to you that my daughter was saved!  Your courage is most-most-praiseworthy.  You must come in so we can treat your wounds and feed you dinner!  You will be our esteemed guest.  Your friends too.  Come, come!"


    Thus we were ushered through the heavy vermillion gates, the silent battle between Yun and the strange man at a momentary standstill, and I on the verge of fainting.