*This song is called Dying in Battle - also from the Legend of the Ancient Sword. It couples perfect for this chapter. I suggest you play it as you read. Please...?*

What do you want from me? What could I possibly give you?

Is it love?

If that is what you’re looking for then take my sincere apologies because that’s all you can have. There’s no love from me to give…

You didn’t know if it was the alcohol but after pulling away from Luhan, you noticed tears dribbling down his eyes. “I won’t be a burden to you anymore.” He had said. “Just know that I’ve fallen hard; that won’t change.”

You didn’t tell him this but after he finished, you thought immediately, ‘you’ll get over me, one day.’

You wanted to put all this behind you and focus on the task at hand. You told him about the plot to overthrow the Capital and you could tell that Luhan was listening as best he could, but the pain in his eyes still didn’t diminish.

“I just need you to look after the Palace. Make sure that none of the guards – if they’re not on ‘our’ side – that they don’t suspect anything. I don’t want the chaos boiling from the inside out. Make sure you have evacuation routes cleared and ready just in case.”

He nodded solemnly, ready to watch as your retreating figure in finding Qi-yan. But before you could leave, he grabbed you by the arm – just as he did the first night you met and pulled you back into him, this time not just into an embrace.

You’d kissed people before and always it was for work, something your fake identity had to do. But never was it for personal gain. His lips pressed up against yours, one hand cupped along your jaw and gently pushing your chip upwards, tilting your whole body into his. His other hand pressed into the lower of your back, wrapped around your waist; your hands were pressed against his chest and you couldn’t help but just fall limp.

This wasn’t what you wanted but you’d be lying if you told him that. Luhan had always been an odd one and you knew that in some parallel universe, some strange reality, you and him were probably lovers, married with children. He held a tender spot in your heart but being a loveless husk, you didn’t know how to return his feelings without feeling obliged by your responsibility to the organisation. It just wouldn’t work.

Nevertheless, in that moment, you forget about all that – about your job, about the secrecy and suppressed desires. You couldn’t control it and without thinking, you kissed back. It was a desperate grasp at his lips by yours, pulling him to you, fingers balled into fistfuls of fabric, clutching at his collar.

You felt him suddenly recoil at your bold action but then with just as much fervour, he pressed on, bringing you closer to him. His hand s into your hair and your ornaments fell out, undoing your locks to their normal wavy state trailing down your back.

He kissed you till neither of you could breathe and still you were the one to pull away. You saw the defeat in the way he held his head, frozen in the same spot as if forlorn without yours to match against his.

“God, I love you,” His voice was broken and exasperated but he tried to make it light and joking. “This is so bad for me too.” He chuckled sadly.

You swallowed and freed yourself from his reluctant arms. “Go, I can die happy now. I do this for you.”

You were a little flustered to wonder if he meant what he said about ‘dying’ literally but didn’t think twice, speed off in the opposite direction. For the first time in your life you felt numb. It was all so quick. A kiss and then running away. You felt your body about to give in, breaking to sobs that fought its way out of your heaving chest, but contained them. This doesn’t need to be a revelation others see; you need to keep your weaknesses under control. Qi-yan doesn’t need to see the break-down of his best member – reduced to a blubbering, crying mess.

When you’ve hardened yourself in certain places, crying becomes a force fighting against your body, breaking the bravado as the tears fall – and the pain is strangely unimaginable.

You had managed to clean up your face when you reached the red light district; though the colour of your puffy eyes matched those of the scarlet lanterns which lit up the roads perfectly. No one suspected a thing, as usual and the place was bustling with people even though a rebellion was just in the throes of happening.

You walked into Aphelion, ignoring the odd stares from the male customers wondering what a female was doing in a place like this if she wasn’t a e and looked tersely around for the couple that manned the doors. You didn’t have to look very long because the man in the sunglasses grabbed you by the arm.

“Where the hell have you been?! Hwa-Wei told us you’d meet in an hour and you’re three hours late!” His voice was rushed and panicked; even though you couldn’t see his eyes behind the dark frames, you were pretty sure they’d be bulging the size of saucers.

But your first instinct wasn’t to apologize for your lateness. “Hwa-Wei…?” You racked your brain for that name but remembered none. It took a few more seconds of thinking for things to click – it must’ve been the maid and speaking of her, you hadn’t seen her since. You didn’t have time to worry though as he pulled you along with him past the darkened corridors and up to the usual room.

Ripping the doors open, Qi-yan came into view, pacing as usual. The entire room was empty except for him and his head snapped up at the sudden sound. Your pushed you in and shut the door behind you, his footsteps trailing away like horses hooves, swift and powerful.

You braced yourself for the anger that would come from him but instead received none. Instead of wasting time as to why you were so delayed, as long as you were alive and well now, that’s all the counts. His face was stern as he spoke. “I heard.”

You bit your lip.

“I’ve already sent out reinforcements to guard the city’s entrances and exits and another group to man the docks, I’ve also sought out reinforcements – but it won’t be enough. Our group of a hundred or so will simply fall to the invading thousands. We need the Imperial Militia to return and that’s our main priority at the moment. How is the palace? Do they now?”

You shook your head. “No, not yet. But I do suspect there are some traitors in the courts so I’ve left someone to keep an eye on that situation.” You thought of Luhan as a reflex but quickly pushed that thought out of your mind. “But the Princes know and two of them are riding out to retrieve the army as we speak.”

Qi-yan nodded and looked back down in thought.

“Are they guarded?”

“No, but they are more than apt to look after themselves.”

He scoffed. “Let’s hope so.”

Kris’s eyes burned in the night as he pulled on the reins and came to a halt, hidden behind trees before a clearing. Lay’s stallion also stopped short and the jingling of the saddle and stirrups were deafening.

“Brother, what is it? Why’d you stop-”

“Hush.” Kris silenced as he got off his horse, eyes never once leaving the group in the clearing.

There, a fired burned and tents were clustered like sprouted mushrooms along the valley floors. He calculated roughly how long it would take to pack them all away and return to the city. It was Tao’s army alright. In the middle, where the fire burned the brightest Kris could see the red patterned tent that stood out from the rest. Tao would be there. It was only a hundred metres away or so but every cell in Kris body was telling him to stay hidden in the forest.

“Brother, what are we doing here?! We have to get Tao!” The panic in Lay’s voice rang loud and true despite his hushed tone.

“What if there are traitors there? What if Lord Sun-ye sent a few of his rogues into the camp to make sure things went their way. If we just stormed in, they’d run off and tell him the news. And what about Xiumin? We still don’t know if he’s ‘away’ with Sunye or not and if he’s okay.” Kris’ voice was equally defensive and the two could barely see each other in the dark.

But in the dampened flickering light radiating from the camp, a bright row of sparkling teeth slowly revealed themselves in Lay’s smirk. “I’ve got an idea…”

“Fire! Fire!” Tao’s head snapped up from his strategy scrolls and instinctively he grabbed his sword and walked out of his tent, a frown on his stern face.

It took all the strength in his men to trek so far out from the city and all night long they had been guarding nothing. This whole plot was pointless and it made him restless to the core. But orders were orders and he had no choice but to obey. And to think that the camp had just settled down when this had to happen. What imbecile would be stupid enough to play with fire?

“What is this.” He turned to the guard who manned the night watch and the man answered with just as much conviction.

“It was just a small flame near the clearing but the men have it under control.”

Lay’s bright eyes twinkled as he explained his plan. “If we start a fire away from camp, the men will flock over and no one will be minding the tents. The perfect distraction. Then we can go get Tao.”

Tao nodded. “I don’t want so much as a hair out of its place tonight. Do you understand?”

“Yes your majesty. Understood.” He then rushed off to his post.

Tao exhaled deeply and stepped back into his own tent; his grip on the sword loosening from nonchalance. But it wasn’t relaxing so easily because two figures appeared hidden in the dark where the candles couldn’t reach and his clutch held steadfast as he swiftly pointed the sword in the intruders’ direction.

“Who dares go there?! Show yourselves!”

A familiar chuckled erupted from the two as they stepped forward. “Didn’t know you’d miss us this much, Tao.” Lay’s smiling demeanour revealed itself from the shadows, standing next to a stern faced Kris.

A wave of relief washed over Tao as he sheathed his sword, smiling now too. “My god, what are you two doing here?”

Binary opposite to Lay’s light-hearted demeanor (obviously a high that comes with setting things on fire), Kris’s face was sombre. “Tao, we don’t have time to explain. The capital’s in danger and the empire is being overthrown. Lord Sunye is behind it and he ordered you out here so that the city becomes unprotected and open to invasion. You need to get your men back to the palace right now.”

Tao’s face was blank for a few seconds as he comprehended the information. “What.”

“You heard me. Get your men back to the capital right now.”

“But it’s midnight, the men are tired,” Tao was almost finding excuses because he just couldn’t believe that all of this was true. He tried to clear his head.

“The foreigners will be attacking in the early hours of the morning. If you leave now, you can make it in time.”

The youngest looked to Lay, “When did you find out about this?”

“Just a few hours ago. We have to hurry.”

Tao nodded his head and began to pack his things, strapping various weapons onto himself. “What about you two, what are you going to do now?”

Kris answered tersely, “Find the bastard.”

Tao stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow. “Lord Sunye is an old cunning fox. Do you even know where he is?”

Lay smiled again. “It’s all in the plan brother. All in the plan.”  

With an honourable wishing of luck and a bittersweet departure, Lay and Kris exited the tent as they had come and hid back into the clearing, waiting for their signal.

Tao ordered the man to leave their tents, to grab only their weapons, to finish what food and water there was because they would need the energy. The men were confused at first but when he explained the situation, their loyalties were stronger than ever. Those with horses rode on their stallions and those without marched on back to their homes. They walked with direction, with conviction and the knowledge that they would be the key to a future for the people.

All. But one. If you didn’t look close enough, you could’ve missed him in the commotion. Whilst Tao was delivering his speech to his troop of 5000, this one man looked flustered and shaken with fright. He was the first to break from formation, to disregard his post and run into the trees.

The traitor.

Kris’s eyes were intent on Lay as he explained his strategy. “When Tao announces that the men will be moving back to the city, one – just one will flee in the opposite direction. He will break from the group, steal a horse and gallop into the shadows. He will be our guide to Sunye. He will take us there and we just follow.”

  -- Kris!!!! Gorgeous, no? (Not mine; credit given where due)

~

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed it! I know it's a bit late...