10
1504 Words
The Incident
The evening sky gradually darkened as the carriage carrying Princess Meiling and Jing made its way back toward the palace.
Inside, the two girls sat together while their maids and attendants accompanied them.
The gifts they had purchased rested safely beside them.
Meiling happily held the wrapped jade pendant in her lap.
"I can't wait to see Seventh Brother's face when he opens it."
Jing hugged her own gift carefully.
The blue kite was simple compared to the treasures sold throughout the city, but she hoped the prince would like it.
"Do you think he'll really like it?" she asked.
"Of course!" Meiling replied confidently. "I would."
Jing smiled.
The carriage continued through the crowded streets.
As the city slowly gave way to quieter roads, the girls began talking about various things.
Meiling eagerly shared stories about her brothers.
"The Crown Prince is always busy."
"The Second Brother is scary when he's angry."
"He isn't scary," Jing said.
Meiling blinked.
"That's because you've never seen him angry."
The attendants laughed softly.
Soon the conversation shifted to Jing's life before arriving in Xuanhe.
Naturally, she remembered very little.
Most of her memories were of traveling with Yuri.
Sleeping beneath the stars.
Crossing villages.
Listening to Yuri's stories by the campfire.
To Jing, those memories felt normal.
The carriage suddenly slowed.
Outside, the sound of horses snorting echoed through the evening air.
The girls looked toward the window.
A moment later, the driver called out.
"Your Highness."
"What is it?" Meiling asked.
"There appears to be a blockage ahead."
"A blockage?"
The driver nodded.
"Several wagons seem to have become stuck across the road. We won't be able to pass through."
One of the guards frowned.
"Can it be cleared?"
"Not quickly," the driver replied.
"If we wait, we may arrive at the palace very late."
The guards exchanged glances.
Meiling leaned out slightly.
"Then what should we do?"
"There is another route through the eastern road," the driver answered.
"It is longer but should bring us back to the palace."
Meiling nodded immediately.
"That's fine."
The driver bowed from his seat.
"As Your Highness commands."
The carriage turned away from the main road and headed toward the alternate route.
Inside, neither child thought much of it.
To them, it was merely a small inconvenience.
The guards remained alert but saw nothing unusual.
What none of them knew was that the blockage ahead had never been an accident.
The overturned wagons.
The broken wheels.
The merchants arguing loudly in the road.
Every detail had been carefully arranged.
It was a trap.
And the moment the carriage changed direction, hidden figures watching from the shadows quietly signaled to one another.
"The bait has taken the eastern road."
A dark figure mounted a horse.
"Inform the others."
Within moments, several riders disappeared into the gathering darkness.
Far ahead, the lonely eastern road wound through a stretch of woodland between the city and the palace.
By the time the carriage entered it, the last rays of sunlight had vanished beyond the horizon.
Princess Meiling continued chatting happily.
Jing gazed out the window at the darkening trees.
Neither girl realized that danger was slowly closing in around them.
And with every turn of the carriage wheels, they were being led further away from the palace and the city.
At first, nothing seemed unusual.
The horses maintained a steady pace while the wheels rolled smoothly over the dirt road.
Inside the carriage, Meiling continued chatting excitedly while Jing listened and occasionally peeked through the window.
However, as time passed, the scenery began to change.
The road grew narrower.
The trees became denser.
The sounds of the city had long since faded away.
One of the guards riding alongside the carriage frowned.
"This doesn't seem right."
Another guard looked around uneasily.
"We should have reached the outer palace road by now."
The captain's expression darkened.
Ahead of them, steep cliffs rose on both sides of the path, forming the entrance to a shadowy valley.
No official road to the palace passed through such a place.
Immediately, he shouted,
"Stop the carriage!"
The driver pulled the reins sharply.
The horses came to an abrupt halt.
Inside, the sudden movement threw everyone forward.
"Ah!"
Princess Meiling slipped from her seat and landed on the floor of the carriage.
Jing quickly grabbed the side of the carriage to steady herself.
The maids rushed forward.
"Your Highness!"
"Are you hurt?"
Meiling rubbed her forehead.
"I'm fine."
Outside, voices could be heard.
The guards sounded tense.
Jing looked toward the door.
"What happened?"
One of the maids carefully stepped outside.
A moment later, her face turned pale.
The guards had gathered together, scanning the surrounding area.
The captain's hand rested firmly on the hilt of his sword.
"Where is the driver?" he demanded.
Silence.
Everyone froze.
The driver's seat was empty.
The carriage driver had vanished.
"He was here moments ago," one guard said.
Another searched the nearby road.
"He's gone."
A chill swept through the group.
Meiling stepped out of the carriage, with Jing following closely behind.
Dark cliffs towered above them.
The valley stretched ahead like a giant shadow swallowing the last traces of daylight.
Even the forest seemed unnaturally quiet.
"What do you mean he's gone?" Meiling asked.
The guards exchanged uneasy glances.
Finally, the captain knelt before her.
"Your Highness..."
His voice was grim.
"I believe we have been deceived."
Jing blinked.
"Deceived?"
The captain nodded.
"The driver deliberately led us away from the palace."
The little girl's eyes widened.
"We're lost?"
"I'm afraid so."
The maids immediately drew the two children closer.
Several guards unsheathed their swords while others moved to secure the area.
The driver's disappearance could not be a coincidence.
Someone had planned this.
Someone had wanted them far away from the main road.
A cold wind swept through the valley.
Even Princess Meiling, usually fearless, felt a shiver run down her spine.
The excitement of the afternoon vanished.
The birthday gifts they had carefully chosen suddenly seemed unimportant.
For the first time that evening, both girls realized something was terribly wrong.
No one moved.
The guards remained alert, their hands firmly gripping their weapons.
Then—
A sharp whistle echoed from above.
Everyone looked up.
"What was that?" Meiling whispered.
Before anyone could answer, dark figures suddenly descended from the cliffs.
Ropes unfurled from the rocks overhead as masked men slid down with practiced speed.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
Within moments, armed men landed on the valley floor and surrounded the carriage from both sides.
Then the sound of galloping hooves echoed through the valley.
More masked figures appeared from the shadows ahead and behind them, mounted on horses.
In seconds, the road was completely blocked.
The carriage was trapped.
The guards immediately formed a protective circle around Princess Meiling and Jing.
The captain's face darkened.
This was no ordinary bandit attack.
It had been planned from the beginning.
The maids immediately pulled Princess Meiling and Jing behind them.
The guards drew their swords.
Steel flashed beneath the fading light.
"Protect the Princess!"
The captain stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
The masked riders gave no answer.
Instead, one man rode his horse forward.
His face was hidden behind a black mask, leaving only his cold eyes visible.
He surveyed the group before speaking.
"We have no interest in unnecessary bloodshed."
His voice echoed through the valley.
The guards tightened their formation.
The captain's expression hardened.
"State your purpose."
The masked man pointed directly toward Princess Meiling.
"We only want the Eighth Princess."
Everyone froze.
Even Meiling's face turned pale.
The masked rider continued calmly.
"Hand her over, and we will allow the rest of you to leave."
The valley fell silent.
Jing looked up at Meiling in confusion.
The princess instinctively grabbed her hand.
The captain stepped protectively in front of them.
"You dare threaten a member of the Imperial Family?"
The masked man laughed softly.
"I am offering you mercy."
Several more riders shifted forward, their weapons visible beneath their cloaks.
The guards quickly realized they were heavily outnumbered.
Yet none of them retreated.
The captain slowly drew his sword.
The sound of steel leaving its sheath echoed through the valley.
"I swore to protect Her Highness with my life."
The other guards followed suit.
One by one, swords emerged from their scabbards.
"If you wish to take the princess," the captain declared,
"You will have to step over our bodies first."
The masked rider's eyes narrowed.
For a moment, neither side moved.
The valley seemed to hold its breath.
Behind the guards, Jing clutched the package containing the blue kite.
Her heart beat rapidly.
She did not fully understand what was happening.
But she knew one thing.
These men were dangerous.
And for the first time since arriving in Xuanhe Kingdom, she felt truly afraid.
The masked rider slowly raised his hand.
Around him, dozens of weapons were drawn.
Then he gave a single order.
"Take the princess."
At once, the valley erupted into chaos.
- Writer
