《A Caged Phoenix》 The Fleet-Foot Princess: :1
Hireath (?h??ra?¦È ) noun. a nostalgic longing for a place which can never be revisited.
an awareness of the presence of absence, kindling a feeling in which pain and joy are braided too tightly to untangle
It captures a deep, bittersweet feeling of longing and nostalgia that goes beyond simply missing a place or person. It encompasses a sense of melancholy and wistfulness for a past that can¡¯t be recaptured.
*** It¡¯s her wedding day. Dressed in the finest red silk embroidered with gold thread. There¡¯s a crown heavy on her head.
It is the 24th day of the Great Heat. The last period of summer before the frost began.
The palace is made of jade, the doors painted gold and locked so tight there is no hope of getting them open.
She was born 18 eclipses before, during the first vestiges of light. An auspicious birth the monks said.
The window then, big and unguarded because who would jump from a second story into a garden filled with thorny plants and ponds?
It¡¯s her wedding day. The ceremony completed a mere two hours before.
It is the 24th day. Her wedding feast has just begun.
It is her 18th birthday and all those dreams she fostered and nurtured for 18 years have just gone up in wispy, citrus plum blossom scented smoke.
It is the first day of the rest of her life.
The first day of her imprisonment.
Meihua had not considered this outcome when she¡¯d learned of the marriage arrangement two years before. She¡¯d thought the marriage would be the start of a new life of freedom and adventure.
Of independence.
The first step to her eventual ascension.
Her mother, Kang Su, spoke of the devotion of spouses. Her best friend, Sui Jiang, of the passion of romance and the heat between two bodies. Her father, Lau Wudu, spoke of the trust between partners, the sharing of burdens.
Meihua had been terribly enchanted by the idea of it. Of someone she could truly talk to. Who would respond with more than ¡®yes, your grace¡¯, ¡®I understand, your highness¡¯, ¡®I¡¯ll have to check with Empress first, your grace¡¯, and ¡®I don¡¯t believe the Emperor would approve, Princess.¡¯
Had been so terribly excited that she¡¯d have someone who could take her beyond the seven walls that protected the Inner Palace from the Jeweled Capitol that sprawled out around it. And the country she was meant to rule beyond that.
It is her wedding day, her 18th birthday, when she learns her marriage is meant to be a cage of fine gold bars and jeweled chains.
Now its pouring ran as she runs. Forty pounds of wet silk and cotton weighing her down as she races through the Empress¡¯ Garden to the first wall. Because the other option is turning back, staying,
She has spent her entire life in this palace so far, despite numerous attempts as a child to see the world beyond. For her own safety they¡¯d all insisted. The only child of the Emperor had to be protected. In her childhood attempts, she¡¯d only ever made it as far as the Fourth Wall before being caught and returned to her tutors.
When they were very young, her new husband had even aided in her attempts. Until he¡¯d turned silent and serious in his teenage years and stopped indulging her dreams of exploration.
Li Jie had grown up in the palace with her, from ages five to fourteen, but he came from a powerful clan in the Southern Border Lands. Until they¡¯d turned twelve, and Sui Jiang had become her lady in waiting, he¡¯d been the only person in the Inner Palace close to her age.
¡°They had roles and responsibilities,¡± he repeated, never sounding very happy about it. ¡°This is what we do.¡± Parroting parents and teachers who¡¯d been raised to pass on the accepted way.
The First Wall is easy to climb. Even in rain in her wedding silks. Trees lined it to give the illusion of a forest instead of a carefully curated terrarium.
She breaks a few nails climbing, but the low branches of the plum trees haven¡¯t been trimmed yet so she makes her way to the highest branch she can quickly.
There was nothing but a patrol path between the First and Second Walls, but they were close enough that if she climbed high enough, she could jump directly to the top of the Second Wall.
The wedding feast is still going and will go until well past dawn. The court is gathered, the city is celebrating, her parents are presiding above it all, and her new husband is in love with someone else.
She tries to calm her breathing as she waits for the pared down patrol to pass. She knows from reading those books she¡¯d borrowed from the library on cultivation that controlling your breathing controlled your Qi. Meihua didn¡¯t have any Qi to speak of, but it always helped not to hyperventilate.
When she was a child and made this leap, she landed on her stomach with no issue.
As an adult, she¡¯s quite certain she cracks something. The force of it knocks the air from her lungs and all her wet silk unbalances her, sending her windmilling over the edge to land with a thud and a wheeze.
She has to lay there for just a moment to get her breath back.
She still doesn¡¯t understand why. All her life has been devoted to her studies, to learning how the empire run. To preparing to lead it.
She learned economic theory, mathematics and statistics, memorized the different judicial branches and understood the major case law of the last decade. She could point out all the major cities and important water and trade ways on a map. She knew which regions produced the best meat, who grew the most rice, who struggled to grow anything.
She memorized an empire she was never allowed to see.
The thought spurs her on and Meihua picks herself up out of the mud. The rain has been falling non-stop for hours, a bad omen that had begun at the same time as her wedding ceremony, turning the unpaved roads into muddy quagmire designed to get in her way.
The hand sewn red slippers she¡¯d been given for her wedding were ruined only a few stops in.
The Third Wall is more daunting, if only because its directly insight of the guard towers along the Fourth.
When she was younger, and smaller, she¡¯d crawled through an old drainage pipe and it¡¯s both disheartening, because that glaring security concern is still there, and heartening, because she still fits, as she crawls through it. Her hair catches a few times, leaving evidence for her pursuers to find, but as long as she doesn¡¯t stop. If she stays far enough ahead, she can be outside the Seventh Wall before they realize she¡¯s missing.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
As long as they don¡¯t catch her first.
She stops at the opening of the drainage pipe to watch the nearest guard tower, waiting for a flicker of the signal light.
The public was told the towers were all manned, but Meihua knew from eavesdropping on the guards that only the dark towers were manned. Signal fires were used to communicate between the Palace Guards which towers were unmanned, while the civilians believed they were manned.
With the celebration, most of the guards had been pulled from this side, the Eastern sector, to the main thoroughfare on the Southwestern sector. One of every tower was manned now and though the guards were supposed to rotate every hour, on a night like this, they would step foot out of their warm, dry towers without an order form their commander.
She just had to find an unmanned tower. The chill has set in by the time she caught the flicker of the signal fire in the rain, and she could crawl out, dash across the road and into the empty tower.
And then there¡¯s the Fifth Wall.
This is the farthest she¡¯s ever gotten. The storm is helping, the city will flood soon if it keeps up and she¡¯s fleeing though the wealthy Eastern Sector, where most of the occupants are at her wedding celebration instead of home to see her stealing through their streets like a thief in the shadows.
She picks up her skirts, mourns the loss of the slipper she¡¯d actually liked, and dashes through a growing lake of water in the middle of a crossway.
Everything she knows is behind her now.
Her parents are back on their thrones.
The maids and guards who have looked after her since birth are back in her home.
The tutors that have lectured her every day for years back in their classrooms.
Her best friend is back in the palace in the arms of Meihua¡¯s new husband.
Sui Jiang had been personally chosen by the Empress as her daughter¡¯s first lady in waiting. The daughter of a low-born banished concubine of a high ranked government censor, it had caused a stir initially, but Meihua had adored her. Sui Jiang had been the first female friend she¡¯d ever had and, at a few years older, had seemed worldly and mature in all things.
Meihua had hung on her every word, asked her question after question, when her first blood had come, she¡¯d gone straight to Jiang, who had talked her out of the belief that she was dying and welcomed her into womanhood.
She¡¯d confided in her about her crush on Li Jie and pointed out which guards she thought was cure that week. Meihua had no secrets from Sui Jiang, but apparently Sui Jiang had kept a rather large one from her.
A burst of anger helps her claw her way up and over the Fifth Wall, though she rolls an ankle when she lands on the other side.
With only two left, her heartbeat kicks up. The celebrated Golden Way cultivation sect, the only one allowed to base itself in the Jeweled Capitol is at her celebration or there¡¯s no doubt she would have been found by now. Though they operated independently of any branch or body of the government, her father was still the Emperor and more than once they¡¯d been called on to find her when she¡¯d snuck out or hidden in a sulk.
One of their senior disciples had even been her tutor for a short period, teaching her the history of cultivation, the sects, and telling Meihua she didn¡¯t have the Qi to train in cultivation.
She¡¯d been heartbroken, but her mother had explained that Princesses destined to become Empresses did not become anything but Empress.
Empress Kang Su had been born to a noble clan whose blood went back to the founding of the Empire of Xi nearly 700 years prior. She knew better than anyone the roles individuals were required to fill in all walks of life, but she¡¯d never been able to give Meihua an acceptable reason why, other than that was the way.
The way was she was never seen in anything less than twenty pounds of silk and makeup and jewels. Why she spoke only to those of certain station and never showed her beloved husband, the Emperor, any affection in public.
Why Meihua had eight hours of classes a day, then training in presentation and speech and how to maintain her appearance for another four.
Why the search and then negotiation for Meihua¡¯s husband had taken years.
It had all seemed terribly noble and respectable and high vaulted until a couple hours ago.
The Sixth Wall is in front of her now. Luck is with her it seems. A servant¡¯s door is nearby and unlocked.
The reason why is quickly obvious, on the other side the sixth level has already flooded. The break between the walls is already covered in several inches of dirty water.
It soaks the hems of her silks despite her best efforts.
They cost more than most families make in a lifetime, her mother had told her repeatedly. Usually followed immediately by, don¡¯t you dare spill anything on them.
She¡¯d nearly been banned from eating at her own wedding feast, but Sui Jiang had come to her rescue and assured the Empress she would personally take responsibility for the care of her silks.
So, take that Sui Jiang, not that she could go back and tell her that, but it felt good to think of it at least.
It had taken eight experienced maids four hours to wrestle Meihua into her wedding silks and another three to do her hair and makeup. She¡¯d had guards a few steps away the entire day due to the value of her jewelry. Earrings and a circlet that had been a gift from her father, a necklace from Li Jie¡¯s family, and two rings from General Pei, one of the most senior military officials in the empire.
Her mother had tried to make her return he jewels immediately after the official ceremony, but her father had stepped in and let her keep it for the celebration.
Empress Kang Su often complained Emperor Lao Wudu was too lenient with his only child, but those few moments marked the few times Meihua could remember having fun with her parents.
The flood waters took on a sickly, rotted smell as garbage and waste floated by. Meihua crossed the street to the Seventh and final wall.
Thankfully, by virtue of being the wall seen by the citizens of the Jeweled Capitol, it boasted innumerable small windows and decorations, and it occurred to her as they caught her eye, that this was it.
The Seventh Wall. The last wall.
All she knew was behind her and all she yearned to learn in front of her.
She scratched the gemstones on her slippers and silks and tore the skin on her fingertips and palms, but she made it to the top, desperate and gasping.
She got stuck for a moment, the top layer of her wedding silks caught on a torch post, and she had to yank until it came free.
There would have been public outcry if anyone had seen her then. A young lady of the nobility, married no less, flashing her bare legs for the whole world to see, but at least she fell over the other side as soon as her silks came loose.
The flooding on the first level of the civilian portion of the city wasn¡¯t deep enough to cushion her fall and her head struck a rock concealed by the murky water. Too dazed to move, water soaked through the rest of her silks, and she nearly drowned when she tried to breathe through the pain and inhaled water.
The shock was enough to drive her to wrench herself up, chest heaving as she threw up the water and then everything she¡¯d eaten that morning before the ceremony.
It also swirled around her as she stumbled to her feet.
The nearby buildings were all dark. There¡¯d be a festival along the main street to celebrate her wedding and the rain had likely driven most people into the inns and restaurants that lined it.
And it was late, anyone who didn¡¯t care about her wedding and stayed home was likely asleep. The strict schedule she¡¯d followed in the Inner Palace would have had her in bed hours ago.
Sleep, according to her mother, was the most important ingredient in retaining a youthful appearance. Meihua had never gone a day in her life without spending eight hours of it in a bed and the exhaustion was starting to set in. On top of the nerves and hours of kneeling during the wedding, all of it together had her feeling more exhausted than she ever had before.
She spit a few times, trying to get rid of the grit washed into her mouth by the water.
She could stop here.
The farthest she¡¯d ever made it.
The civilian buildings were wood and clay, curtains hung in some windows but not in all. Shoes of all kinds were piled on stands by the doors. There were even some clothes hanging on lines that hadn¡¯t been brought in. They built on top of one another, for three to four floors all piled on top of one another, but it varied by each building she looked at. Some of them were barely standing. Some had patches made with whatever material had been on hand at the time.
The last time Meihua had cracked a teacup the entire set had been replaced before the next service.
Rain turned the streets to mud, but she could feel patches of stonework in places. It wasn¡¯t flat by any means, but it was slightly less slippery than the rest. Occasionally, debris and garbage washed past her.
Behind a blanket of rain, it was a muddled cityscape of muted browns and greys, dotted by a few hazy lights that hadn¡¯t been put out for the night. The Inner Palace was jade and gold and perfectly manicured gardens and carefully decorated rooms. Everything had its place, and nothing was merely set down for a moment.
Even though her head was throbbing, her clothes were soaked, and the chill was seeping into her bones, Meihua had never seen anything so beautiful.
She could just make out the edge of the city in the distance. The gentle slope of the hill the palace sat on continued for another fifty blocks, for a total of fifty-five between the Seventh Wall and the Outer Wall, a three-story menace lined with guard towers that controlled the four gates that allowed entry to the Jeweled City and represented the municipal boundary of the city.
What lay beyond it was a mystery. ~ tbc The Fleet-Footed Princess: :2
She¡¯d seen illustrations, read description and reports. She¡¯d memorized the layout of the city and the constellations in the night sky by the detailed maps her tutors had shown her.
She knew how to get out. The four gates opened onto the four main thoroughfares of the city, where the majority of shops, inns, and restaurants resided. This Eastern portion of the city was mostly residential neighborhoods, and the main road was lined with schools and management agencies. The Censor Bureau headquarters was there, along with the Judicial Branch¡¯s recruitment office. Meihua passed both as she hurried- slipped along.
All she had to do was get out of the city and then she would be free.
Then she could breathe and rest.
The feast would go on until dawn, maybe longer if the rain didn¡¯t let up and the wine held out. The water was getting deeper with every block, halfway up her shins now. She¡¯d given up trying to hold up the hems of her robes, there wasn¡¯t a part of her that was dry now. She could even feel mud seeping through her slippers and between her toes. It made her gag, but thankfully, she didn¡¯t have anything left to throw up.
There would be alarms soon, the great bells that hung in the watchtowers could be heard all the way in the Inner Palace on a clear afternoon. They¡¯d ring for the flooding when it rose another few inches, but Meihua had no doubt that as soon as the bells rung someone would check her room and realize she was gone.
And then she¡¯d be running from hunters and not just chains.
Punishment wouldn¡¯t be a simple lecture and confinement. There was no way she could explain her midnight flight from her own wedding feast and crossing the Seventh Wall, let alone the first six.
It was a slight to all parties, including the powerful Li clan that had shown up in force to celebrate Li Jie¡¯s wedding.
Also, possibly treason. Depending on how angry her parents and the ministers were.
But going back meant going back to a husband in love with someone else. A husband whose family was one of the most influential in the empire. The Li¡¯s oversaw the Second Imperial Army that protected the Southern Borderlands. The clan had funded her father¡¯s rebellion against her grandfather, the 56th Emperor of All Under Heaven Mao Wudu, and supplied nearly a quarter of the five hundred thousand men and horses that took part in the rebellion. The Southern Borderlands were the largest municipality in the Empire, stretching thousands of li along the Blue River and the border of the ancient Kingdom of Tinling.
Since the borderland of both kingdoms were mostly occupied by nomadic tribes that refused to accept any leadership outside of their own, they were constantly in conflict and the Li Clan and the Second Imperial Army were considered the most experienced and discipled martial force in the Empire of Xi.
The Li Clan, despite supporting Lao Wudu, rarely visited the capitol. She¡¯d only met his parents and brothers the morning of the wedding. All but his oldest brother, who¡¯d remained in the south to oversee everything while the rest were gone.
When they were young, he¡¯d been the one covering for Meihua¡¯s escapades, sharing her enthusiasm to learn about the world, but somewhere around fourteen, the happy, curious often bewildered boy she knew had turned serious and quiet, focused on duty and responsibility. He¡¯d stopped being amused by her and started to parrot the words of her parents and teachers, constantly reminding her to think of the empire, to think of the palace, to think of the people.
Her arguments about knowing nothing but the walls of the Inner Palace fell on deaf ears.
She¡¯d still been terribly fond of him. She¡¯d been sure that love could blossom in time. That they could have a marriage, a kingdom, and love, even though everyone insisted no one got it all.
Her parents had it all. They were still so terribly in love after thirty years of marriage that there were ballads about them sung in the streets. Her mother was too proper to show much affection in public, but neither had ever taken a concubine or lover outside the marriage. They had dinner together every night and her father lived in the Empress¡¯ Moon Palace instead of the separate Emperor¡¯s Sun Palace.
It drove Meihua mad when people said she couldn¡¯t have the same. When it had come time to find her a husband, the search had been long and arduous and punctuated by screaming fights when important people fell in and out of favor. It had taken three years for her mother to settle on Li Jie as an acceptable candidate and Meihua had been so relieved it was him that she hadn¡¯t put up much of a fight when her mother had allowed her very little say in any of the planning for her own wedding.
There was so much ceremony to follow, so many steps that had to completed in just the right order, people to be honored, that Meihua had really only been looking forward to the feast.
And to the wedding night.
Li Jie hadn¡¯t been interested in any aspect of the planning and had grown increasingly withdrawn in the months leading up to the wedding. She should have realized something was wrong then. She¡¯d realized he wasn¡¯t excited about the marriage, but any time she¡¯d asked, he¡¯d said that he was okay with it.
They had been friends for so long. Surely there were worse things to start a marriage from?
And then, on her wedding night, she¡¯d found him in the arms of a woman she¡¯d considered a sister.
Sui Jiang had been appointed by Kang Su as Meihua¡¯s first lady-in-waiting. Despite only being a few years older, when they¡¯d met she¡¯d seemed like an experienced world traveler. She¡¯d had hundreds of stories of the Jeweled Capitols and the cities in the South. About her childhood in her father¡¯s bookstore. He was a famous poet who¡¯d been censored and tortured by Mao Wudu for speaking out against him prior to Lao Wudu¡¯s rebellion. Sui Jiang and Li Jia had always liked talking about the stands their families had taken against Mao Wudu.
And they¡¯d loved the few times Meihua had convinced her father to share his own stories.
Almost as much as they loved each other, apparently.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
She passed the main crossroads on the Eastern Road. That put her halfway down the hill now. The rain hadn¡¯t let up, blocking the fireworks that had beeb planned for the end of the feast.
She only had another hour or so before someone would check her room so she picked up the pace as best she could.
They locked her in her room when she¡¯d founded Li Jie and Sui Jiang together.
She¡¯d gone looking for him after the ceremony, hoping to steal her first kiss before they attended the feast. She snuck down the hall to the rooms he¡¯d been given for the wedding and burst in expecting to surprise him.
She had, for sure.
But he hadn¡¯t been the only one.
Sui Jiang had been in his arms, her lip stick on his mouth.
They¡¯d looked so scared when she¡¯d flung the doors open.
And Meihua had been so stunned that she hadn¡¯t realized what was happening at first.
And then the guards had realized what happened and summoned her parents and it had all gone¡­
Well, she still couldn¡¯t make sense of how it had gone.
Li Jie had gone silent and stiff, defiant.
Sui Jiang had been in tears, frightened but unwilling to apologize.
Lao Wudu had been disappointed.
Kang Su had been annoyed.
Meihua had been the only one surprised.
¡°This is the way our marriages work,¡± Kang Su had said, ¡°It is traditional for noble men to have concubines.¡±
It had been part of the marriage negotiations apparently.
Her father had been angry that no one had warned Meihua before the actual wedding, but he¡¯d also insisted that Li Jie was allowed to keep Sui Jiang.
Pointing out again that it was common practice. Meihua¡¯s favorite general, a boisterous man who was always happy and had tutored her in military theory, had his noble wife and six concubines and the only reason he only had six was because there were seven nights in the week and any more made the math too complicated.
It had not amused Meihua, who started yelling because they¡¯d lied to her.
¡°Little sister, please-¡°
¡°Don¡¯t you dare call me that!¡±
Sui Jiang had shrunk away like a wilted flower, hands shaking as she kept trying to justify it all. ¡°We couldn¡¯t tell you. When it started, we didn¡¯t think it was going to last very long. It was just¡­friends and it became more before we¡¯d realized it.¡±
¡°So, hid it for years? I trusted you and you lied to my face.¡±
Sui Jiang had backed away then. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡±
¡°What? What don¡¯t I understand? You called me sister, is this how you treat a sister?¡±
¡°No! We didn¡¯t mean to-¡°
¡°If you didn¡¯t mean to, why were you doing it on my wedding day? You helped me put on my wedding robes.¡±
Kang Su had broken in at that point, ¡°Meihua, calm down.¡±
And Meihua had yelled at her mother for the first time her life, ¡°You! How could you not tell me? How long have you known?¡±
Her mother had slapped her then, so hard Meihua¡¯s ears had rung. ¡°Enough. You are acting like a child, not a princess. You have a role, remember that.¡±
Sui Jiang had grabbed her arm then, trying to pull her away from the Empress, but Meihua had been so angry that she¡¯d wrenched her arm away and struck Sui Jiang, sending her to the floor.
Then Li Jie had started yelling and her father and the guards had rushed in, only to be sent right back out by Kang Su.
¡°We couldn¡¯t risk telling you,¡± Sui Jiang had cried, holding her red cheek as Li Jie helped her up. ¡°We couldn¡¯t risk making you angry.¡±
¡°Why not? What did you think I would do? Send you away? You have just gone to live with Jie then.¡±
¡°We thought you would kill us.¡± Sui Jiang said quietly. ¡°You¡¯re temper¡­¡±
¡°My temper?¡± Meihua still couldn¡¯t understand how they thought her temper was so bad they¡¯d feared for their lives, but Sui Jiang had been insistent, so Meihua had turned on Li Jie. ¡°And you, why didn¡¯t you tell me? We¡¯ve known each other most of our lives. You could have just said you didn¡¯t want to marry me.¡±
¡°Neither of us have a choice in this marriage,¡± Li Jie had said.
¡°We could have refused!¡± Meihua insisted.
¡°This marriage was carefully planned and negotiated.¡± Kang Su had snapped, ¡°This marriage will hold no matter what happens.¡±
¡°Is this a joke? You think I¡¯m going to honor this marriage?¡±
¡°You will do what is expected of you. You will fulfil your role, Meihua. This marriage is for the good of the nation. You can take a lover later, once the marriage is consummated.¡± Her father had tried to be soothing, but realizing he¡¯d been in on it all too, had only made her angrier.
¡°He¡¯s never touching me!¡± She¡¯d shrieked. ¡°And she¡¯s banished from my space!¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Kang Su had rolled her eyes, ¡°We¡¯ll get you another lady-in-waiting.¡±
Sui Jiang had looked hurt by that, but a look from the Empress had kept her silent.
¡°No, I don¡¯t want another one.¡±
¡°Stop being a child.¡±
¡°No. I¡¯m not honoring this marriage. I¡¯m not taking another lady-in-waiting. If you were so worried about my temper, you should have thought about that before you all lied to me for years!¡±
Sui Jiang had reached out again, ¡°Meihua, you don¡¯t understand-¡°
¡°Stop calling me that. In fact, don¡¯t ever address me so familiarly again. Go be Jie¡¯s concubine and find someone else to stab in the back.¡±
¡°Meihua, calm down.¡±
She¡¯d never heard her father speak that loudly before.
¡°Calm- Why should I? How is any of this okay?¡± She teared up then, ¡°How could you do this?¡±
Lao Wudu had been the only one that actually looked sorry. ¡°The situation is not that simple, Meihua. We, our blood, there must be protections in place. You need a strong husband¡­just in case.¡±
¡°Just in case what? What is it you think I¡¯m going to do? All I ever wanted to do was be a good Empress. I¡¯m not greedy. I work hard. I listen and I learn what you tell me to learn. Why do you think I¡¯m so horrible?¡±
¡°We don¡¯t think you¡¯re horrible, Meihua.¡± And Lao Wudu had looked very tired and very old. ¡°It¡¯s just a precaution.¡±
Her voice had gone shrill even to her own ears, ¡°For what? You want me to live in a loveless marriage the rest of my life? To rule alone?¡±
¡°You won¡¯t be ruling alone,¡± Kang Su had far less patience than her husband.
¡°I¡¯m not sharing my rule with someone who won¡¯t even uphold marriage vows. How would someone like that ever be trustworthy?¡±
¡°This marriage is not for love, Meihua.¡±
¡°Why not? Why do I get stuck with this? You married for love!¡±
¡°I happened to love someone fitting.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll find someone fitting that will love me.¡±
¡°No,¡± Kang Su intervened glancing at the clock. ¡°Enough of this, the feast needs to start. This marriage stands, Meihua. You will fulfil your duty, and we will have no more discussion of this. After the feast you will both enter the wedding chamber and consummate the marriage. There can be no question of its legitimacy.¡±
Li Jie had looked just as pleased as Meihua at that point, but he¡¯d stayed silent.
Meihua had not, getting louder and louder the more her mother refused to listen. When her father and Sui Jiang had attempted to reach out to her, she¡¯d pushed them both away. Kang Su had eventually called the guards when Meihua had made it clear she wouldn¡¯t be playing along, and they dragged her back to room and locked the door from the outside.
¡°Once the feast is over, they will return to escort you to the wedding chamber. Use this time to reflect on your actions.¡±
Meihua hadn¡¯t actually believed they¡¯d locked the door until she¡¯d tried to open it.
And then the confusion and hurt and anger had become rage.
She¡¯d notice the beautiful vases her mother had insisted on decorating the room with and then forbidden her to touch and she¡¯d just lost it.
She¡¯d smashed each one in a fury. Then she started on anything else of value, tearing the rooms apart until there was nothing left. Not even a decorative pillow escaped her wrath.
And then she¡¯d cried.
And the only reason she¡¯d kept crying on the floor was because she¡¯d realized if she was still there when she came back, nothing would change. ~ tbc The Fleet-Footed Princess: :3
A hulking shadow appeared ahead.
The Eastern Gate.
Meihua was thoroughly soaked now, from the rain and the wastewater and her own sweat. She¡¯d only been allowed limited physical lessons, nothing near what the soldiers got and definitely nowhere near what even beginner cultivators received.
She had to get through the gate before the alarms sounded.
She didn¡¯t understand why Li Jie or Sui Jiang hadn¡¯t just told her. It was obvious from the way they¡¯d acted that they¡¯d been together for years.
Was she really that untrustworthy?
What was the point of all those years of study, of being locked up in the palace, if they were never going to let her out?
Why was she meant to be chained her entire life?
No one had answered that.
Sui Jiang had just cried that it was for her own good, for the good of the kingdom, that they could let Meihua become her grandfather.
Meihua never met her grandfather. She¡¯d been born a decade after his death and all but a few select portraits and records of him had survived the purge following his death.
Mao Wudu, the Mad Emperor, they called him. 36th Emperor of All Under Heaven. Who¡¯d killed millions of his own people through persecution and famine and greed. Who¡¯d emptied the treasury to feed his cravings and cut down anyone who looked at him the wrong way.
What was it about Meihua that made them think she was going to be just like him?
A man who wiped out entire clans and villages on a whim.
Meihua felt guilt when she accidently stepped on bugs in the gardens.
A man who had killed all sixteen of his half-siblings on his way to the throne.
Meihua had never even set foot in the interrogation pits! She¡¯d never been allowed to leave the Inner Palace and Mao Wudu had roamed the empire bring to strife to every corner.
Was Meihua really that much like him?
He¡¯d killed his own mother for interfering in his reign. As frustrated as her mother made her, Meihua had never even imagined harming her.
How could she be anything like him?
But they were all so worried. That was why she¡¯d been confined growing up, according to her father. Why there were so few children around her, according to Sui Jiang. Why everything was so regimented, Kang Su had explained.
Everything designed to ensure control.
Even Li Jie had been specifically chosen because of his family and his own strength.
Someone who could keep Meihua under control if the need arose.
The floor currents picked up as she approached the Eastern Gate, picking up speed as the ground flattened. It practically washed her out the open gate and several feet down the road before the water dispersed enough for her to regain her footing and stop.
How funny, she¡¯d gotten washed out with the trash she realized, seeing it clump into piles along the road as the water ran out. Done up in all her fancy silks for her wedding that it turned out wasn¡¯t for her at all.
Eighteen years of learning and studying and practice to protect an empire and a people who believed she was the reincarnation of a monster.
She¡¯d been so looking forward to the marriage, to her chance to rule.
To her first steps out of the palace and into the world.
They weren¡¯t supposed to be because she was fleeing the only home she¡¯d ever had and the only people she¡¯d ever known.
It was enough to make her look back.
The palace on the hill was glowing, lit from within for the celebration. Inside it was everyone Meihua had loved in her life so far. The people she¡¯d sworn to love and obey. The people who¡¯d sworn to protect and teach her.
Every single person she¡¯d ever spoken to.
Her chest became tight as she gulped in air. Did they even speak the same language outside the capitol? What did they eat? She hadn¡¯t grabbed any money in her rush to flee, she didn¡¯t even know where to get any because she¡¯d never needed it before. What the hell was she thinking, running away in the middle of the night like some criminal?Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
The palace sat on its hill, glowing like a beacon calling her back.
Back to Li Jie and Sui Jiang and their love.
To her parents, so beloved by the people and each other.
There was no space for her here, was there?
Was that she¡¯d always been so desperate to escape? Was there some part of her deep inside that had realized it before.
Would people beyond the capitol be the same? Maybe Meihua would end up just as alone out but she¡¯d also be uncomfortable and poor and miserable.
Her feet already ached, her head was throbbing, she was starting to feel hungry.
She didn¡¯t have her sleeping clothes or her soaps.
She didn¡¯t know how to cook. How did you make tea, she suddenly wondered. It was always ready when she wanted it, she¡¯d never had to make it herself.
She could go back now.
The bells were ringing, nothing more than a whisper in the storm.
She could go back and pretend she didn¡¯t make it this far.
Back to all those people that loved her and thought she was the reincarnation of the devil.
Or she could keep going and be uncomfortable and hungry and sore and free.
Free into what she doesn¡¯t know. There wouldn¡¯t be anyone who loved her there, because they were all back in the palace. There may not be any shelter or comfort. There might not even be warmth.
They might think she was evil too.
But she would be free. And if she went somewhere where it was all of those things, then she could just leave again.
Somehow, that thought is less frightening than turning around.
So, she presses on.
By dawn, she¡¯s crossed the small forest just outside the outer wall and the palace was just the size of a shack on the horizon above the treetops. Her head had stopped bleeding, thankfully, but there was still a pulsating throb that she couldn¡¯t ignore and made her vaguely nauseous. Like she did right before she threw up whatever fish she¡¯d had for dinner.
Her silks weren¡¯t dripping water anymore, but they still caried the night chill and if she stopped for too long, she started to shake.
There was a collum of smoke rising from the palace now. The emergency signal lit just an hour before dawn when they¡¯d failed to find her anywhere in the Inner Palace.
They were hunting her now. The gates to the Jeweled Capitol were likely closed and barred, guards in every tower, the rest prowling the streets.
Dread settled into her bones like frost on glass.
Eighteen years of love and shelter and she¡¯d thrown it all away in one night, because there was no going back now.
She pressed on. Tears wet her cheeks and there was no doubt her makeup was running. Her mother would have punished her for looking such a mess in public.
¡°Ow!¡± A sharp pain in her foot made her stumble. The thin fabric of her slippers was really no protection at all from the sharp rocks that littered the ground and now her foot was bleeding, but she can¡¯t stop.
She didn¡¯t bring any medical supplies anyway.
It looks like a dark day. The rain has lessened the farther she¡¯d gotten from the palace, but dark clouds are skill heavy and low. She turned north when she cleared the forest, or at least she thinks she did.
With no stars, she can¡¯t be certain, but what she remembered from the maps she¡¯d studied, dictated that turning north at the last clutch of cherry blossoms and going in a straight line would take her towards the Blooming Gorge and beyond that the mountains that made up the Spine of the World.
She¡¯s certain she¡¯d been traveling in a straight line north, but she hadn¡¯t been lucky enough to stumble across any roads or fellow travelers yet. The farmlands that made up most of the Southern and Eastern lands outside the Jeweled Capitol would be appearing soon. Meihua had studied them through a far glass more than once from the walls of the Inner Palace. Golden fields that danced hypnotically in the wind. She¡¯d wanted so terribly to run through those fields. To see what the rice felt like in her hands before it had been cooked soft.
It''s not the season now, but now that she¡¯s free, she can come back when it is.
The empty fields are easier to traverse than the forest, even if she¡¯d terribly out in the open. The ground soft under the crusty top layer, and even if she rolls her ankles a few times, she manages to cross the fields before the sun goes down.
She¡¯d never been allowed to train in martial arts despite asking. Begging. She was a princess, a noble lady, not a simpleton, according to her mother. There were more important pursuits, but she¡¯d managed to sneak a few books from the library before she¡¯d been caught. She¡¯d thought she¡¯d been able to feel her cultivation core and her qi circulating, but theory from books was not the same as learning from a skilled teacher and her ability to manipulate or use it was limited to a few outbursts that hadn¡¯t been entirely under control.
Now, she thought she could feel it again. Experience cultivators were said to be able to travel for days with only their qi, using it to fuel their bodies. Meihua was not an experienced cultivator, and her stomach was letting her know, loudly. She¡¯d never gone more than a day without eating, which was as long as her anger could outlast her hunger.
She thought she could feel it circulating under her skin, sluggish and out of sorts, but something like what she¡¯d read about in the books.
She couldn¡¯t make it do anything, had tried reaching for it, only for it to skitter away or just not do anything in response.
It was frustrating and Meihua had little energy to be patient. She could stop and try to meditate, because the palace would have sent the cultivators of the Golden Way to look for her by now.
And it was a vastly different thing to run from a cultivator than a simple guard. The Golden Way was the only cultivation sect based in the Jeweled Capitol and the strongest of the six largest sects across the Land of Song and Snow. There were hundreds of smaller sects littered across the land that were of little consequence or concern according to her father. But the Golden Way was considered the most righteous of the sects, not only did they boast the most knowledgeable masters and most promising disciples and were often asked to handle serious cultivation matters by the emperor himself. Their blue, white, and gold uniforms were recognizable across the land, and it was forbidden for any other sect to wear those colors.
They were masters of musical qi manipulation and talismans. Meihua had been tutored briefly by one of their senior disciples about the history of the sects and cultivation, but he hadn¡¯t thought Meihua had any talent for it.
She hadn¡¯t liked him much.
According to the maps she could remember, there should be a road not long after the fields, avoided by those in the capitol because it wasn¡¯t maintained but preferred by the farmers because there were no tolls.
She had a good chance of finding someone who could give her a lift.
~ tbc The Fleet-Footed Princess: :4 Her plan to catch a ride had two major hiccups. She had no money. And she looked a fright. Well, she probably looked worse than a fright with her running makeup, the blood, and ruined silks. Like some ghost bride looking for a husband to drag into the underworld. It took hours to see anyone and the first three heading in the right direction pretended they didn''t even see her. She''d spotted the Spine of the World on the distant, distant horizon as the sun rose from behind it as she followed the road. She''d only ever seen it up close in paintings, but now that she was free, maybe she would have a chance to see the towering snowcaps famed for their ferocious peaks in person. The few travelers who''d gotten close swore they pierced the clouds, told tales about waters so clear you see the bottoms of lakes hundreds of feet deep in the highest valleys. That they had snow no matter what time of year. That there were peaks no living creature had ever reached the top of. Meihua tried to imagine what they might look like and failed. The mountains she could see were green and brown and occasionally grey, but never so high you couldn''t see the spine on the horizon behind them. The highest mountains in the Land of Xi have been climbed many times, most hosted a temple or a monastery of some kind, dedicated to whatever god was believed to reside in the heart of said mountain. Meihua had opinions on gods, but she''d always been told it wasn''t the time to discuss them. Now probably wasn''t the time either. The fourth wagon had been stopped by the road for lunch, a small family with two teenage children. They''d had a fire going and everything when Meihua approached. The smell of smoke and meat had her salivating as she inched closer. Their wagon and donkey were tethered off to the side. Steam rose from a pot on the fire as the mother stirred it. The two teenagers were holding bowls and spoons and shoving one another playfully. The father was sorting through a bag of supplies. He spotted Meihua first, but he just stared. His wife spotted her next, and she screamed, which made Meihua and the two teenagers jump. "I-" "Demon!" "No, I-" "Be gone!" The first rock had gone wide, so Meihua hadn''t really realized it had happened. The second landed a few feet in front of her. "Hey! I''m not-" "Begone evil!" "Make it leave, Cheng!" "I''m not evil," Meihua howled, as the father scrambled for another rock and the teenagers ducked behind their mother, "I just want food." "Why would we feed you? We barley have food for ourselves." "Yeah, get lost, freak!" One of the teenager''s jeered. Meihua snapped, "I''m not a freak!" Pain blossomed across her jaw and she stumbled back. The taste of iron spread across her tongue. "You-" More rocks flew. Meihua ducked, scrambled backwards as the children joined their father in throwing whatever they could grab. "Please, I''m not- I''m just hungry." "Go away!" "Demon, begone!" Another rock caught her on the thigh. She turned and fled. The rock had split the skin on her chin and made her lip swell. Somehow it had left a cut inside her mouth too and she''d been spitting out blood as she''d run. They hadn''t chased her, but she''d heard the impact of rocks for a while after she''d made it out of range. Her stomach gurgled, awakened by the smell of the food she hadn''t even gotten close enough to identify. And now she was even more exhausted than before, from the adrenaline and the unexpected flight from the rocks. And the pain. They hadn''t even given her a chance to talk. Did she really look that nightmarish?Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Or had they just not wanted to share food? Did everyone treat strangers that way out here? The palace had protocols, you had to treat people you didn''t know a certain way, just in case they turned out to be someone important. That family hadn''t even let her say hello before they''d thrown the first rock. Who did that? She gently examined her chin with her fingers as she walked and tried to ignore the tears welling. It was the pain. She wasn''t used to it, so it was natural to cry. That rock had hurt. They all had. Who threw rocks at people? Was that legal? Could she report them to one of the regional officials? Should she? They didn''t look like they had much. They wouldn''t be able to pay any fine. If the father was arrested, how would they make money? Were the children old enough to work? What would people say if she put them in that position? Their Princess reporting them for not sharing food they probably couldn''t afford to share. Why did she even care? Was she even their princess anymore? Her mother''s voice echoed through her mind. How would that behavior look? You can''t forget that people are always watching. No one''s looking now, mother! It was a vicious thought, but it made her feel better. Ignoring that she was only a day ahead of the people hunting her. They were watching, but whether that interaction was big enough for them to report was iffy. Still, it was embarrassing to think about any of them seeing her running from rocks. Failing so utterly to talk to her own people. She''d spent her entire life learning to rule them, and she couldn''t even manage a single conversation. She rubbed her lips, the taste of salt and iron just reminding her of the hunger gnawing at her stomach. Rubbing the tears away only made her look worse, streaking her makeup more and adding the dirt that had accumulated on the sleeves of her robes. Gods, all of it was making her skin itch but trying to scrub it off only make it worse. She hadn''t brought any of the products the maids used to clean, treat, and protect her skin three times a day. She probably had pimples everywhere. Looking like one of those old hags in the mythology books. It was already getting dark again and there was a ginseng forest not far ahead. She remembered it from the last set of pathway maps she''d studied. Since this road didn''t have tolls and as such, wasn''t maintained by the Empire, it was difficult to traverse at night without breaking a wheel or axle. Most travelers would be bedded down by now, or in the next few minutes. There was no way she''d find a ride tonight, but there might be somewhere she could rest for a while. Maybe some fruit that was still edible among the trees. Her stomach clenched painfully. Dizzy, she swayed. Exhaustion was making her vision blur. Maybe she should sleep first? Then look for food. Her stomach growled. Or maybe she should eat first? Could she even sleep on an empty stomach? But if she slept, she wouldn''t think about being hungry. She argued with herself all the way to the forest. The great, bulbus roots of the ancient ginseng trees erupted out of the ground and left it uneven and shadowed. Smaller trees were often harvested for their roots, medicine Meihua recalled from a book, but the larger trees that had survived were off limits by the Emperor''s decree. They were the Empire of Xi''s official symbol, stitched into all their flags with glittering golden thread. A symbol of a noble line, a wise mind, and a healing heart. There was a great ginseng tree in the heart of the gardens in the Inner Palace that had been planted by the first Emperor of Xi, the first of Meihua''s blood line. A seven hundred years old it towered over everything and could be seen over the walls from outside the Inner Palace. Meihua had climbed it often as a child, but it was never close enough to help her get over the wall itself. She paused as she entered the tree line, it was heard to focus on where she was going. Even peering ahead a few feet seemed to take effort, and it took forever to climb carefully over the first few roots in her path. She lost her grip on the fifth one, sliding and landed in a heap in the space between two larger growths. The space between them was narrow, cushioned with leaves and almost comfortable. Maybe she would sleep first. She could look for food in the morning when everything had stopped hurting. She was asleep in seconds, dreams of happier days filling her mind. The early years when Li Jie was still happy in the palace and they spent more time ditching their tutors to hide out in the library and garden, playing games that made no sense to anyone else. Sui Jiang arrived not long after and would comb Meihua''s hair first thing in the morning and last thing at night, answering Meihua''s endless questions about life outside. Sui Jiang had always been so loving, so gentle and motherly in a way the Empress had never been. The first time Meihua had found blood between her legs and panicked, thinking she was dying, Sui Jiang had been the one to explain what she had to look forward too. She and the head maid had been the ones to change her sheets and show her how to fold a pad and made the only tea that made the cramps that came with it go away. She dreamed of that beautiful summer afternoon she, Li Jie, and Sui Jiang had swiped fresh-cut watermelon from the kitchen and gorged themselves next to the lotus pond as the fireflies danced in the dying light, free from all worries of station and the future. She''d never been happier than she had that night and all her attempts to recreate it had failed. She was so wrapped up in that afternoon that she didn''t wake until the moon was fully risen and daylight long gone. The chirp of crickets and shifting trees in the darkness was oddly peaceful in the face of her panic. Despite the fallen leaves, there were enough left to block out most of the moonlight. Shadows stretched across the forest floor, a sea of umber concealing all secrets. She started to pull herself out of her makeshift bed, mourning her mattress back at the palace, when suddenly, the chirping went silent. Meihua went still. Shuffling, breaking twigs- something was coming. Vegetation rustled- something big. Meihua jammed herself back down between the roots, spiraling into thoughts of murderers and ghosts and monsters. The crunch of -claws? on chilled leaves made her shake. She had no weapons. She''d never fought anything that wasn''t one of her parent''s rules. Snuffling, clawing, it was digging through the leaves, looking for something? Tracking something? Meihua? There was nowhere to run. She might be able to climb the tree but not quickly. A growl echoed through the trees. Hidden in the darkness, Meihua could only imagine what kind of creature made those sounds. Her imagination growing more terrible by degree, the longer her imagination worker. Was it a jiangshi? From the stories Li Jie had told her when they were small? Learned his older brothers who''d been trying, and succeed, in scaring him. Or a taotie, that she''d read about in a mythology book she''s stolen from the palace library? They were said to devour beautiful young maidens whole. Whatever it was, if it caught her here between these roots, there was no chance she could get away. All it had to do was stick a claw in her little hideaway, swing it around and Meihua would be ripped to shreds. ~ tbc The Fleet-Footed Princess: :5 She had to move, but she had to wait until it moved a little further away. She was sore and still tired despite however long she slept; she needed every advantage she could get and thankfully, she didn''t have to wait long. A few careful breaths later, it started to move away and Meihua took her chance. Pushing herself off the opposite root, she threw herself over the top and landed on her hands and knees. She pushed to her feet to run as it wiped around with a growl. And nearly tripped over her own feet when she caught sight of the terrible monster. It was a dog. Well, she was relatively sure it was a dog. The Inner Palace had not allowed pets beyond the fish in the ponds and the birds they couldn''t keep out of the gardens. It was small, with mated drown fur dotted with leaves and twigs. It had plenty of teeth, which it showed her without hesitation. Along with a low, whining growl that made the hair on her arms stand on end. "Go away!" She was probably only capable of bravery because of how small it was. Barely the length of her forearm and rising halfway up her shin. Meihua was tall for a woman from Xi. A few inches shy of six feet, she had two inches on her mother when Kang Su wasn''t wearing her ridiculous heels. The tiny dog barked at her in response. Apparently Meihua wasn''t tall enough to scare a hellhound. That had to be what it was. Why else would it be all the way out here alone? She''d read stories about the beasts that served the ghost kings and tore apart the poor souls that tried to escape them. Or hunted down the one''s who''d angered the gods. They were frequently used interchangeable with the Thrall in popular fiction. The rotted beasts that broke free of the Underworld at different points in history and ravaged the world until they were stopped. There were entire volumes of epic poems and fantastical tales of wandering warriors and cultivators taking on the random Thrall that escaped through tears in the veil between worlds. There were even one or two about great armies who''d joined forces to defeat massive armies of the Thrall that had nearly overrun the world at different times. They claimed to be real, but it had been so long since the last one that few people believed it anymore, but Meihua had carefully collected as many of them as she could. Spending her nights reading the stories of the first Llewellyn Fawr, the wizard Malbec, and the lightning made flesh, Saar Nuri. She''d even devoured the convoluted, contradictory stories about Dafydd the Destroyer. The Defender sent to protect the world who''d tried to destroy it instead. He was the reason every Defender since had been hunted down and killed before they could reach puberty. There weren''t any more now. The last suspected Defender had been killed two hundred years before Meihua had been born, across the land in the great White City. The King in White had sent announcements across Byd Seren to celebrate the death of the Defender. The Last Song of Tsu Lin, her favorite epic poem, was the story of the tragic fall of the last Prince of the Tinling Dynasty who had died attempting to defeat Dafydd and was still one of the most popular circulars in the Empire. It had been one of the first books unrelated to her studies that she''d been allowed to read. Well, not completely unrelated. Whether or not Tsu Lin himself was real, the Tinling Dyansty was famous for its extensive royal families and their violent infighting. The story coincided with the actual end of the Dynasty the same year Dafydd had been defeated and killed by the latter-to-be-revealed tyrant Renault in the lands west of the Spine of the World. Meihua had always wondered what had made Dafydd so different from the Defenders that came before. How had the oldest spell in existence chosen so wrong? Why was she thinking about this when there was a tiny hellhound ready to eat her the moment she was too slow. It snarled at her then and Meihua shrieked and stumbled back. "Why do you have so many teeth? Stay back! Back!" It practically vibrated across the ground as it snarled and snapped. Tiny little teeth gleaming in the darkness. She grabbed the nearest weapon, a handful of leaves and dirt, and flung it at the creature. It snapped at her as the debris flew, but when it actually pelted the little thing in the face it whimpered and swiped fruitless at its eyes. Run! She screamed at herself, elated at her small victory. But she didn''t. She was free now. She''d been running for two days now, nonstop, but now she didn''t. She''d seen the Spine of the World on the distant, distant horizon when she''d crossed the rice fields that morning. The beast whimpered, shaking its head, futilely trying to dislodge the dirt in its eyes. She took a cautious step back, but the beast was so small. Whimpering and shaking like a leaf in the wind. It sounded hurt and it howled when it stumbled and smacked its head on a large root. Meihua winced, her own head throbbing in sympathy. The poor thing couldn''t see where it was going because of the dirt she''d thrown at it, so really it was hurt fault it smacked its head. Meihua glanced around, but the shadows gave nothing away. The beast collapsed and didn''t get back up, just whined piteously until Meihua finally couldn''t take it anymore and took a cautious step closer. It stiffed when it heard her step. She took another and it tried to scuttle backwards, bumping into the root again. Meihua took another step closer, just to wipe the dirt out of its eyes and then she''d run while it was recovering. It was a good plan. The faint smell of ammonia floated up. "Oh, you poor thing. I didn''t mean to-" She didn''t mean to what? She''d nearly peed herself when it had down up. The only reason she hadn''t was because she hadn''t had anything to drink since she''d fled the palace and there wasn''t anything to pee out! The little thing stopped trying to get up. In fact, it seemed to give up on everything, like all its motivation and hunger disappeared in one go and it was left a pile of skin and bones and nothing else. Its breathing was labored, slow like it took effort just to do that. Meihua inched closer and reached out, screwing up her courage to tentatively brush her fingers over the little thing''s fur. It let out a terrible moan and quivered under her fingers. It was in pain, Meihua realized. Surprised at her own ability to recognize its suffering and suddenly sympathetic instead of afraid. "I''m sorry, I don''t have anything, Xiasha." And she didn''t. All she had were the robes on her back that were starting to come undone at the edges. Typically, silks of this caliber spent most of their lives in cedar chests or wrapped in wax paper. Either way, they were only worn on a few special occasions. After a few days of running, Meihua''s were ruined beyond saving. The little thing, Xiasha, whimpered again and clawed at the ground, but failed to move itself at all. Had she done that much damage? All she''d done was throw a little dirt at it. There was no blood, but Meihua knew her limited experience didn''t lend itself to this situation. What if there were injuries she couldn''t see? There was no blood she could see. No cuts or scrapes. There was fluid gathered around its eyes, foamy spittle at the edges of its mouth. There were internal injuries that there was no way to identify from the outside, Meihua had read about them in the war chronicles she''d studied. Injuries from large magical blasts that left no damage on the outside but took their victims unfailingly. Meihua had never wanted to hurt someone like that. "I''m sorry, Xisha." She took off her outer robe, not that it was worth much at this point, and laid it over the small creature. It could still offer some warmth at least.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With so little moonlight to illuminate it, the ginseng copse was dark, marred with endless shadow and the echoing sounds of the creatures that lived among them. Xiasha had sounded so big in those shadows, but seeing it now Meihua felt like a bit of a fool. It probably needed food? Meihua definitely did, now that the danger was passed her stomach was reminding her of that full force. And she''d have to start moving again soon. A mere forest would not stop the cultivators of the Golden Way. It wouldn''t even stop the simple soldiers her parents would send. They''d simply burn it down. But Meihua might be able to find a few ginseng berries before then. Typically, the trees sprouted fruit all through autumn, but there were years recorded in the records that they''d held first well into the first weeks of the cold, or even early during the last period of the great heat. She was too tired, and it was too dark to try and grab anything from the branches, so she felt around on her hands and knees until she found a few clumps of berries that had fallen. She popped one into her mouth and immediate spat it, and the dirt it was covered in, back out. "Idiot," she muttered to herself as she wiped off the next one on her slightly less dirty underrobe. Without dirt the berries didn''t have much flavor, just a slight burst of tartness that faded quickly. After a few minutes of gathering as many as she could, when she wasn''t doubled over from the kind of cramps she got in her stomach when she ate fish or seafood, she figured they were safe enough. She had to follow the little dog''s whimpers to make her way back in the darkness. "Okay Xiasha, I''m here." She poked it a couple of times to make sure it wasn''t going to suddenly spring up and attack her, but it didn''t even more this time. She pressed one of the berries to its mouth, shrieking in surprise when a rough, wet tongue swept over her fingers. Its stubby tail began to wag as it struggled to chew the small berry, but it finally managed and immediately stuck its nose in her hand to find more. Meihua fed it as many as she could find, swallowing a handful herself, before she finally exhausted the small cove and then had to start making their way further into the forest and farther from the road. Not that there''d been any traffic in the time she''d been awake. Ginseng trees were known to grow best in hot humid environments and were most commonly found in the south. ¡­.. Which meant Meihua had taken a significantly wrong turn somewhere but was a little further from the Jeweled Capitol than she thought. Positives and negatives, she mused, too exhausted to be upset. There was no point in waiting for another ride then, she didn''t want to head further south to the borderlands Li Jie''s family ruled. She had no money, and her robes were of no value. She might be able to sell her jewelry, but it was likely too expensive for any traveler to afford. She was more likely get robbed than to be able to sell any of it. The cultivators of the Golden Way had no doubt alerted the other sects throughout Xi and possibly the neighboring kingdoms. She needed to keep going and find somewhere to change her clothes and maybe hide her jewelry? And food. Gods, what she wouldn''t give for a thick cut of steak. Or a roast chicken. Whole. She could eat a whole roast chicken at this point, and she wouldn''t even care that it wasn''t ladylike or polite. She crawled along, following the fallen berries. The little dog, some strength apparently recovered, followed along. Meihua''s only blessing now was her weak spiritual core. The weaker it was, the harder it was for the cultivators to track her. It had disappointed her terribly as a child. At least it was useful now. She turned to the little dog, sitting patiently at her side. Xiasha had gotten more than an arm''s length away from her since it had started following her. It had oddly blue eyes, dotted with spots of brown, that looked from her hands to her face and back. No doubt hoping for more food, but the berries were getting scarer. "Guess there''s no point in waiting, eh Xiasha?" Its stubby tail wagged madly whenever she talked to it. "I hope you like walking." The berries hadn''t been enough, but they had helped. The hunger pains were slightly less now, though they had seemed to remind her stomach how big it was and how much of it was still empty. So, they started walking. It took half a day to make their way out of the ginseng copse and if it was that large, it should have been on a map¡­ Too bad she hadn''t thought to grab one on her way out. Once she found somewhere to sell her jewelry and get clothes and food and then figured out where she was going to go and what she was going to do, she was going to write a book of what not to do when fleeing everything you knew for a better life. Every once and a while they stumbled on a plant Meihua knew for sure was edible, she had a decent memory and her desire to travel had led to a lot of questions about different plants, all answered by a surprisingly patient head gardener. Granted, he''d only answered them after Meihua had sworn never to touch his precious plants again. He''d lectured her almost as often as her mother. "Wonder what he thinks of me now? She muttered and held out a leaf she remembered being good for tea. Xiasha sniffed it, then curled its lip and turned its head away. "Really? This is tea," She stuck in Xiasha''s face again, but got the same reaction. Studying the leaf, she sighed and then tossed it aside. "Apparently not." They kept walking. Once or twice, the little thing would disappear into the underbrush and return with a half-rotten piece of fruit. Meihua was hungry enough to eat what she could, ignoring the sickly-sweet taste. A few times she thought about turning around, but each time that though was followed by the memory of Li Jie and Sui Jiang in one another''s arms. Of her mother''s disappointed frown and her father''s apologetic one as they sentenced her to a marriage of chains. The realization that she would never be free always stopped her from turning back. In her more charitable moments, of which there were admittedly few, she told herself she was happy for them. For Li Jie and Sui Jiang, anyway. They could be together now, without having to pretend or hide. Had their families known of their relationship? Did the guards? Was Meihua the only one who hadn''t known? "Stop." She said it so firmly, she actually stopped walking and Xiasha followed suit. "Stop thinking about them. Stop thinking about what happened." She took a deep breath and marched forward, Xiasha barked in support and followed. By the time darkness fell, Meihua and the little dog had reached a small clearing divided by a gentle stream. Xiasha scampered to the water and started to drink and Meihua followed suit, though it took her a few tries to figure out the best way to cup her hands to a worthwhile mouthful. She hadn''t realized how thirsty she was until the first swallowed proved to be so painful, like shards of ice in her throat, that she gasped, accidently inhaled more, and fell into the creek trying to get her breath back. Xiasha barked in alarm and plunged into the water, licking her face as she gasped for air. After a few moments, she managed to breath normally again and crawled out of the water. Once it was clear she wasn''t going to die, Xiasha went back to drinking. Meihua did the same and drank until her stomach hurt. Then she waited a bit and drank some more and silently berated herself for not thinking of grabbing something to carry water when she''d left the palace. Something to add to the book she''d write after she did everything else. She was so wrapped in her thoughts that she didn''t notice Xiasha turn to an overgrown patch of vegetation in the trees. The little dog''s ears perked up while Meihua was trying to scrub some of the dirt off her face. She looked up when Xiasha started growling. The bushes started to shake and Meihua belated realized that the forest had fallen silent and dark. Clouds obscured the sky above. She tried to shush the dog, "Xiasha, stop! You might get its attention!" She tried pulling the little dog back, but Xiasha seemed to be putting its entire self into its display of strength and managed to wiggle out of her hands. "Xiasha! What are you doing?" A branch broke and Meihua froze. There was something in the bushes. "Xiasha, let''s go." She snatched up the little dog and dashed across the creek. She glanced back to see the bushes shift violently and started to run, following the creek into the trees on the opposite side of the clearing. It was further from the road Meihua had been trying to follow, but anytime she slowed down she heard something behind them and Xiasha started snarling, so she kept running and soon there was no point in going anyway but forward. All forests ended eventually; she could figure out where they were once they were safe. The ginseng trees gave way to evergreens, who''s needles could be boiled to make tea but were also sharp enough to cut through the fragile slippers she wore. Her feet, swollen and bruised already, started to bleed as the ground turned hard and flat. After a while, she couldn''t even feel them anymore. She wasn''t sure how far they''d run or for how long. Once Xiahsa had been silent for some time, she slowed and then stopped. Which turned out to be a mistake. As soon as she stopped moving, the numbness in her feet was replaced with pain. Throbbing, aching pain and she collapsed in a heap, unable to stand anymore. "Ow, ow, ow," she set Xisha down to examine her feet. They''d swelled up so much they were busting out of her slippers, but she couldn''t take them off, could she? Running around barefoot seemed worse than thin slippers with a bunch of holes. And she discovered a moment later, her feet were so swollen she couldn''t even get them off, anyway. "Whatever, I''ll just take them off when the swelling goes down." She muttered and turned to Xiasha, only to find the dog gone. "Xiasha?" She looked around, but there was no sign of it. "Xiasha? Where''d you go?" She tried to stand but the moment she put weight on her feet, pain shot up her legs and she collapsed. "Ow, ow, ow." The exhaustion roared back into existence. Her shoulders slumped and she leaned back against a tree to catch her breath. Where had Xiasha gone? Her limbs started to feel heavy, she could barely lift her legs to move into a more comfortable position and away from the rock digging into her butt. Suddenly, she was terribly hot and thirsty, sweat soaking her silks. Why had she run away from the water? She should have followed the creek. ¡­. But wouldn''t an animal do that too? But she didn''t know it was an animal. It could have been a human. It could, she realized, heart seizing in her chest, have been one of those hunting her. Which meant she couldn''t rest, they were too close, she had to start moving. Expect no amount of thinking at them would make her limbs move. Night was falling again and the chill returned to the air. A breeze swept through the trees and Meihua shivered. "Xiasha?" Where had it gone? She needed to keep moving as soon as her energy came back, but she didn''t want to leave the little dog behind. What if whatever that was caught it? Or a bigger dog? Its ribs had been sticking out worse than Meihua''s. "Xiasha, we need go. Come back!" Her voice echoed through the trees, but nothing answered. The trees shifted, in the shadows they almost looked like figures moving through the forest. Could you be so tired you started to dream while you were awake? Had Meihua fallen asleep and not realized it? ¡­was she dead? No, she was just tired. Everything was fine. She tried calling the little dog again, "Xiasha, come back!" How far could it have gotten? The shadows were growing deeper as she watched. What if Xiasha had gotten lost? Maybe it was hiding, waiting for Meihua to come find it? Was it hurt again? In danger? Meihua look her legs and willed them to move, but she didn''t get so much as a twitch. She fell asleep as she glared at her swollen feet. ~ tbc