Chapter 1
Commoner Li Lian
Princess Le-anne
The palace
Is there anything in your life that you have ever taken for granted? Was it something that you didn't know you cared for until you were at the brink of losing it? These were the questions that were about to cross Li Lian's mind on this fateful night.
Li Lian couldn't catch her breath as she wrestled with the chains. She was on her third trial of having the locks broken. Here she was in front of the steel gates that would set the Furia prisoners free, yet she was there to set the people of Huticah free. It didn't make sense to her either.
She wanted to run to the next dungeon cell and have her Huticah people go. But yet, she couldn't have her feet run there. The whimpering of pain that came from the Furian prisoners was making her lose her sanity. She couldn't bear to have them locked up there any moment longer. It was like the pain of these people was hers too.
"Please, please set us free!" They all lowly mumbled, looking at her with hope. "Oh, our savior has come." The place was dark, so she relied on the guard who held the lamp for her. He was part of the rescuing team she came with.
"Your Highness, sorry to intrude, but we are opening the wrong gate. The people in this dungeon cell are from Furia." He tried to gently correct her.
"I know." General Feng told her time and time again before they left that she must open the back gate for the Huticah people. "I figured we could rescue them both."
"But Your Highness, time is not on our side. The Nevorian reinforcements will be here at any moment, and in that case, our military won't be able to hold them back."
"Will you keep it quiet? You are distracting me."
She was almost there. One, two, three, and she did it! The lock opened. Quickly, she untangled the chains and opened the gate.
"We are free!"
"Thank you for having us free. Furia women are mighty." She is not from Furia, though.
"Our queen came to our rescue."
What were they saying? She was no queen of theirs. "If you don't want to find yourself back inside, you'd better start running," she smiled shyly. Some bundled her into a hug, excited to have their freedom back.
She quickly picked up her tools and ran over to the back, the escorting guard right behind. Inside the back dungeon cell were about twenty prisoners; the Furian prisoners were far fewer. This place reeked of human waste compared to the other. Nevoria hated Huticah more than Furia, thus they were probably not allowed to relieve themselves outside their dungeon cell. Imagine having to sleep and eat by your waste. They were locked up to rot.
'Yuwen Hong, you are really the devil, aren't you?' These people did nothing to him, and he had them live such inhuman lives.
"About time someone shows up," one of the people behind bars grumbled. Difference between the Huticah people and Furians? Gratitude. The latter were not self-entitled idiots.
"Look at that! The Furians have been set free! Get the traitors!" Someone yelled from the dungeon entrance. The situation was not as favorable anymore; the reinforcements had arrived.
"Yes, General! Get the traitors!" The military servicemen shouted in unison. Right after, feet shuffled in their direction.
Think fast Li Lian, run or keep trying to rescue these ungrateful idiots.
Snap! Someone twisted the neck of the guard who held the lamp for her. The glass-sheltered lamp crashed on the concrete floor. She was in the process of looking up when she was snatched from behind. The person lifted her and tossed her onto some broad, strong shoulders, still holding her tight. Her face began to gallop as the kidnapper ran.
Whoever it was, he had picked the wrong person. She indiscreetly slid her hand to her waist, reaching for her concealed sharp knife. The man carrying her, jumped and landed untidily, making her head collide with a wall.
"Ouch!" Arg, where was he taking her? Did he realise that he almost knocked her out?
He took snaking paths, sharp turns, and meandered by the walls. Concrete floor became dusty roads, then stony paths. The full moon helped her make that out, at least. It was a little cold outside because it recently rained.
She was disoriented but still determined. If she took out her knife and stabbed him, she could make it alive at the agreed meeting place with General Feng.
When he slowed his pace down, she started to make out the strong minty scent surrounding him. It was coated with the musky ylang ylang that tantalised her senses, and without doubt, she was convinced about the identity of the person carrying her. Now this had her think twice about stabbing him.
Li Lian was contemplating whether she could live with being the murderer of the person she once proposed to marry, when he threw her to the ground. The low-cut grass provided a safe landing for her buttocks. Checking around, she recognised the imperial garden.
"I used to come here to think about you," the person who got her out had his back to her. His voice was raspy, nevertheless sexy as she remembered.
Yuwen Hong. Bai Shen Hong. Emperor Huizhong.
It was last month that she last saw him, yet he was still fit. The outline of his body was etched in her mind; could she forget him? But why was she thinking like this? She must have read too many of those romance books.
She got up, unsheathing the sword that was slung on her back. With this man, that small knife was not good enough. Weapons upfront first, and they could talk after.
"What are you doing here Elora?" He ignored the sword pointing at him. It didn't faze him a bit.
Something wasn't right. "Why did you rescue me from your men?"
"Because it makes no difference who catches you first, me or them, your destination is going to be the same."
We shall see about that. She would rather die than be Nevoria's prisoner again. It was not like this was her first time fighting for freedom.
"Answer me. Why did you come here with those low lives I just killed? Don't tell me you are from Huticah, too? " There was a hint of panic in his voice.
'Yes, Yuwen Hong. You fell for a girl whose father murdered your father.'
"I came with no one. I'm the definition of independence."
"Yet you set the Furians free?" He took a step toward her. The sword nudged his chest. "Queen Elora sent you?"
Her hand was shaking. She knew how to kill, though she hadn't murdered any person yet, she knew how to kill. This was reassurance for her unsure mind.
"No one sent me." The less she said, the more questions she could get away with, unanswered.
"If you came here carelessly thinking that you would get away easily because of how I feel... how I felt for you, you are highly mistaken."
"Why would I think that? I am a woman capable of saving myself." Her hand almost buckled, making her sentence a joke. She was in big trouble.
He grinned, chuckling. "At least one of your many lies is telling."
Li Lian was in the midst of accumulating a response when he swiftly reached behind, and as a reflex, without thinking afar she shoved the sword into him. His head was looking down to where he was taking out something, and at the jarring pain, he acutely snapped back at her.
She will never forget the emotions that crossed his face when he looked up at her. Surprise, shock, betrayal, and hurt. Immense hurt.
"I really hate you, but I would never... I would never... intreat you like this," he choked on blood, his knees wobbling.
"Yuwen Hong?"
His feet lost power and he fell to the ground.
She watched in terror, blood gushing from his stomach wound. "Yuwen Hong, no... no!" She couldn't quite make out whether his eyes were still open. She went to the ground and shook him abruptly. "Yuwen Hong?"
He coughed, a pained wet cough. "This... this is yours." He held up her pendant.
Li Lian felt her ears heat up. It was like someone had just pulled a rug from beneath her feet. His intentions had never been close to hurting her. He wanted to return what belonged to her, yet she pierced him with a sword for it.
He was losing more strength, because his held up hand fell like a carcass, letting go of her pendant.
"No stay with me... Yuwen Hong. Stay with me."
She looked around. What was she to do with him? "Someone help!" She screamed into the air in frustration and pulled him to her. "You can't do this to me... no... you can't..."
Li Lian sobbed hard, fat tears sliding down her cheeks. "Don't do this to me. I didn't know. Don't do this to me...."
She fumbled for his garments, trying to stop the insistent blood with no avail. "Stay with me... please, don't leave me. Please... " At this point, he was unresponsive. She fanned her finger in front of his nose, no breathing. She felt his neck for a pulse, it was faint. It can't be. It has to be a dream. Everything was happening so fast. Yuwen Hong can't be leaving her. Didn't he say he loved her? She put her head on his chest. No heartbeat.
Yuwen Hong was gone.
S.V