Crowns and Roses: Kill My Husband

Chapter 3: Hide to Survive

Chapter 3: Hide to Survive

"Who are you? And why are we wearing Central Plain clothes? Where is Shin?"

She can't meet my eyes and keeps on rubbing her hands with each other. Contemplation is clearly evident on her face. What is it that is stopping her from speaking?

"Where is Shin?!" I raised my voice at her and she seemed shocked by my sudden outburst.

I rarely get mad, but she keeps stalling!

"Your Higness, Princess Sabelle, my name is Ali - one of the maids under Prince Dorji. Shin, people from Central Plain capture her." I am once again stunned by her words. Was Ali captured?

"His Highness, Prince Dorji was also captured and some of our people. Princess Sabelle, before we reached the land you bought in Central Plain, many of our people died protecting each other."

Many people had already died even before stepping from Central Plain. Some are captured and I don't know what their life would be like inside that cruel place. "How many people are still alive?"

"Mostly around 50 people, Your Higness, Princess Sabelle."

I close my eyes tightly and massage my temples. "Why are we still in Turcic?"

"Princess, the whole tribe is already burned into ashes. I don't think the Drogons will waste another time, so we decided to come back."

I exhaled sharply and asked her to help me get up to lead me outside this cave. From the cold and shock from last night's event made my knees go weak. It happened so fast as if someone had been planning to kill us all.

With the help of this maid, I can walk slowly to where the remaining members are and I could see people of different ages sitting under the shade of trees and drinking water to ease their hungriness. The elderly people are freezing with cold but I don't hear any complaints about it, the children are the one's crying for the lost of their parents and adolescence my age are trying to make ends meet from the little supply they have.

My heart aches from what I witnessed. My people are wounded. They mourned their family and loved ones. All of us lost our homes. And all of this is because of the man I am supposed to marry!

Ali assisted me to sit beside the elderly man who was resting under the shade of a tree with a newborn child in his arms shivering in cold. They extend their hands to hold mine, which I gladly accept, we need each other right now.

"Is he your grandchild?" I asked him.

He shook his head and replied with a shaking voice. "He is the child of the sister who just got married. They gave him to me when I was escaping and told me to take care of him before a Drogon soldier cut her head."

I clenched my fist in anger and bit my lip on hearing his reply. I know this child's mother. She is a great woman who always accompanies me doing charity work.

Before I could answer, a child came to me and handed me a pouch. I received it and patted his head as I smiled warmly. I opened the pouch and it contained gold and silver, enough to buy us land, clothes and food.

"Where did you get this?"

I ask the child, but he only smiles at me, and runs to his mother, who had just come back with the animals in their hands.

"Ali?" I called her and beckoned her to come near me, which she gladly obliged.

"Where did you get this money?"

"It was left by Shin and High Highness, Prince Dorji, princess."

I sigh deeply and tell my people to rest and be calm. Also, I ensure them that everything will be alright and I will inspect if there are things that we can recover from the fire.

Ali was quick enough to hold my hand and lead me back to the hall, when a man in his 40's called my name. "Your Highness, Princess Sabelle!"

I looked around and smiled at him. "Don't call me princess anymore, just call me by my name."

He seems hesitant at my request, but he nods at me and extends a muddy black cloak. I extended my hands to get it but he flinches and rubs his hands, causing a debris of mud to fall down, I just smile and accept the cloak.

I am no princess and there won't be a castle for my people. No more luxurious clothes and headdresses, so why are you shy about dirt in your hands? I also stain mine with blood and it's going to be more nasty from now on.

"I'm going to be back before the sun sets. Be mindful of your surroundings and always be careful. Ratio the food properly and don't spend all of our money."

What happens next shocks me, they all stand up and bow at me as if they are pledging their loyalty and life to me.

I looked away and turned my back on them, suppressing the tears threatening to fall in my eyes. My heart is throbbing and I have no time for crying; we need to settle in a safe place and far from here. We don't know what will happen if we stay here. It's going to be me who will lead them.

"Ali," I called her in a low, as if mumbling, voice.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Did my brother mention why he is going to war?"

"No, Your Highness."

I smirk and stop from walking. The people working under my brother are really tight-lipped about everything. How amazing Brother, even before, you are still so secretive and that you think you can do anything on your own, but you can't.

"Let me tell you a story, Ali. Thousands and thousands of years ago, there were two friends who unified the nation by arranging their son and daughter for marriage. By doing that, they share resources and their military power becomes twice as powerful as before. In only the span of two years, they ended a ten-year war and the married couple also bore a son who eventually became the future emperor of this country. As the congratulatory banquet is happening in Central Plain, suddenly the body of the woman is spotted floating in the sacred lake of Goddess Kilua in the garden. Who do you think that woman is?" I ended my story while looking at her straight in the eyes and gripping her hands.

"I don't know, Your Highness." She replied, stuttering.

I smiled and continued walking. You don't need to know who that is, because no one really wants to know and she only becomes a myth. The woman crying in the garden of the harem.

As Ali and I walk, my heart races from what I am seeing. This place is impossible to recover; they made sure that houses are burned to ashes but the walls of the main hall are still intact. The once happy places are now full of sorrow; the bodies of the dead are still lying on the ground. People who were smilling at me yesterday are now cold corpses.

My knees fell weakened and I almost dropped to the ground. If Ali wasn't here with me I might cry like a child right now, the tears that I kept suppressing gushed down from my eyes like waterfalls. Anger, hurt and disappointment fill my heart as I scream, gripping the ground.

"Your Highness," Ali called, with a worriedness in her voice. "let me do it Your Highness. You can stay somewhere safe and I will come back as soon as I get what we need."

I bit my lip and replied, "No, I will accompany you."

She wanted to disagree but didn't reply but helped me walk.

"Ali, you can leave now and inform them to pack and buy a boat that could accommodate all of us. Use the money that Shin and my brother left. From the looks of it, we aren't going to survive in this place." I instructed her with authority in my voice.

"But Your Highness, Princess Sabelle, I can't leave you here alone. I promise the prince to keep you safe."

I looked at her and said, "This is an order, Ali."

She stays silent before telling me to keep safe and she will be back as soon as possible.

I nodded in response and let her leave before observing if I could still get any decent things to bring once we journeyed through the east.

I visit every house and the main hall to get some clothes and fabrics that can help us as we navigate the boat. I don't know how long we are going to hide like a mouse, but I need to be prepared in case we have to stay out longer. I am busy picking up clothes and some plates on the ground when I feel the ground shaking. Horses!

I gather all the things I collected using the clothes and run behind the wall of the main hall to hide from possible visitors.

My guess isn't wrong when I see the Drogon armies coming this way, led by General Putin, who is still wearing a cloak to hide his face, but that scar will never fail me to recognize him, even if he is half a kilometer away from me.

I remain silent and pull the hood of my cloak to hide my face from them, and pray that Ali will keep the remaining people of our tribe and herself, safe.

"Scatter and find the princess". General Putin ordered his men to leave.

He is really determined to kill my family! I have to get back to my people as soon as I can before they find them. But, how long will this wall help me hide?

I can only rely on the sound of their feet and breath, and I can hear them slowly coming into my place. My heart races from fear and anxiety as I move backward from the sound.

They are approximately half a meter away from me. What should I do?

I can feel my heart beating so fast and my breath becomes heavy, my shivering hands are not helping with the heavy fabric I'm holding.

Suddenly, the sound of shoes stepping on the grass stopped, directly from where I was standing, so I looked at my side to see a familiar face. He is one of the guests at the festival. Is he part of the Drogon army now?

He smiles at me and bows in Turcic's way. I nodded in response when he drew his sword and pointed it at me. Am I going to die at the hands of my people? How ironic!

Instead of taking my life, he threw his sword at the person beside me. His blood splatter covered half of my face. Due to shock, I didn't respond at all and stood there shocked. Then, he grabbed my wrist and escorted me into a safe place. Why is he betraying Central Plain?

"Your Highness, Princess Sabelle, if I die today, then let it be for our tribe." He said while wiping the blood from my face. My tears started to fall once again, but seemed to disappear from my mouth.

Still in a state of shock, I felt a hand in my arm and guided me to run farther from him. I look back to see if he's fine, only to witness one of my people being beheaded for betraying.

"Your Highness! All of our people boarded the ship. We need to get there as soon as possible or we will be killed."

Right, I still have other people who protect me.

Those who fought and sacrificed their lives, you will all be remembered.

We did sail the boat even before the Drogons reached us.

I don't know what awaits us, but I will never back down. I will wage a war on the Central Plain for murduring hundreds of Turcic Tribes. I will never forgive this! I will get it and avenge my people. Lois.

"Where are we going, Your Highness?"

Ali asks, still catching her breath. Right, where are we going?

I looked at the clear river waves and sighed.

There is only 1 place for us to stay, but it is also dangerous for my people, but they won't be as dangerous from the hands of Drogons.

"Chukuo."