For the next week, Yixing was on edge around Prince Galdan. While Princess Feiyan was completely charmed by the young prince, Yixing could not help but continue to be suspicious. It wasn’t the first time the princess had taken a liking to visiting royalty, but something about this prince just kept bothering Yixing. As if he could sense Yixing’s suspicions, Prince Galdan was the epitome of the perfect prince, leaving no room for Yixing to exploit any weaknesses. Yixing was not one to give up easily however; to protect the princess, he was willing to do anything. It seemed like the heavens were on his side though. One night, as Yixing returned from delivering something to Yifan in the royal armory, he spotted Prince Galdan on the path ahead of him. The foreign prince seemed to be in a hurry, his footsteps rushed as he hurried along the path in search of someone. Yixing frowned as he observed the prince.

Where could he be going in a rush at this time of night?

His suspicions rising again, Yixing quickly leapt up onto the tall walls bordering the path, grateful that Princess Feiyan had sent him to a hidden martial arts master in the mountains to learn as a child. Yixing’s footsteps were silent as he followed the prince from up above, his gaze narrowing as the prince finally turned down a narrow hallway. Prince Galdan looked around carefully before continuing on his path and stopped near the end of the path. He turned towards the shadows and bowed politely.

“Master.” A female voice spoke in response to the greeting.

“You are late.” The voice was too hushed for Yixing to place who it was, but he stepped forward carefully to listen to what the secret conversation was about.

“My apologies.” Prince Galdan said, “I had to make sure no one saw me coming.”

“How is the plan moving along?” The woman asked, “I am certain the princess has taken a liking to you already.” Prince Galdan nodded.

“Yes.” He agreed, “Princess Rongxian likes me very much. I believe if I ask to marry her now, she will certainly agree.”

“Oh?” The woman’s voice sounded amused, “You sound very certain of yourself.” Prince Galdan nodded.

“The princess is innocent and easy to manipulate.” He said, “It is not difficult to get close to her heart, as long as I play the game right.” The woman laughed softly.

“Indeed, she is quite innocent.” She agreed, “But whether she agrees to marry you or not, don’t forget what you need to do.” A smirk twitched at the corner of Prince Galdan’s lips.

“Of course, Master.” He said, “I will certainly make sure the union between Xinjiang and Qing will never occur.” Yixing’s eyes widened as he listened.

Don’t tell me, they are planning to kill the princess?

“What did you do with the prince’s body?” The woman asked, “I hope you took care of matters properly.” Prince Galdan bowed.

“Of course, Master.” He said, “Prince Galdan was dead before he even left Xinjiang territory. His body has been buried in a pit in the forest along with his men. No one will ever find him.” Yixing felt his heart leap into his throat as his grip around his sword tightened.

He is not Prince Galdan!

Yixing’s heart pounded in his chest as he turned and silently fled from the scene. He knew very well that no one would believe him based on his word alone. After all, it would sound ridiculous; a visiting prince was a fake? Who would dare to kill a visiting foreign envoy to the Qing palace? Yixing’s status in the palace was not yet high enough that he could openly make such a strong claim based on his own testimony alone. No, he would have to do some more probing to find stronger proof.

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The more Yixing looked into Prince Galdan, the more he realized that his concerns were not entirely unfounded. While most visiting royalty was served by Qing servants or their own that they brought with them, Prince Galdan seemed to prefer to keep to himself. In fact, none of the maids assigned to the prince had ever helped him bathe, dress, or bring him food. The only people he let inside his inner chambers was a few men that he had brought with him. One thing in particular was odd as well: while he was a secretive man, Prince Galdan was particularly strict about having his sleeves covering his hands and arms. Once, a maid had tried to help him dress and went for the sleeves first, and had almost been killed on the spot. That could only mean one thing: the prince had something to hide. While he chalked it up to cultural practices, Yixing knew better than to explain such a big reaction through culture. Not only that, he often called in some of his men and shut the doors behind him, and no one knew what went on behind those closed doors. While Yixing was well aware that some members of the upper class could be secretive, the secrecy paired with the conversation he had overheard was setting off alarms in his head. Still, Yixing knew it was not enough. He would have to see something physical to confirm his suspicions, and he knew exactly where to start. And a few days later, the heavens presented him with the perfect chance. The prince and Princess Feiyan were once again together, standing in the shade of the cherry tree in her palace as they chatted. Yixing stood a safe few feet away, far away enough to be polite, but close enough to jump in if anything went wrong. He had also placed himself at the perfect distance to hear them speak. An odd feeling clenched around Yixing’s chest as he watched Prince Galdan take Princess Feiyan’s hands and smile at her.

“Princess Feiyan.” He said softly, “I must admit, after spending a short time with you, I simply cannot keep myself away from you. I always think about you, day and night, and I want to be with you all the time. Princess, will you be my consort and return to Xinjiang with me?” The princess’s cheeks flushed pink in the morning sun, and she ducked her head shyly at what he had said.

“I...I would have to ask my royal father.” She mumbled, a shy giggle escaping her lips. Yixing’s grip tightened around his sword, and it took all of his self control to keep himself from verbally rebuking the fake prince for being so forward. While he knew the prince was a fake, no one else did; to avoid startling the snake in the grass, Yixing had to tread carefully. Still, it irritated him to hear the fake prince call Princess Feiyan her more familiar name rather than her royally given name, Rongxian.

“Prince Galdan.” He interjected as he took a step forward, “If you intend to marry My Lady, may I make a request?” Princess Feiyan looked up at Yixing, a warning look entering her eyes, but Yixing simply smiled at her reassuringly. The fake prince looked at him, his expression both interested and amused.

“Go ahead.” He replied after a few moments. Yixing smiled politely.

“The princess has been protected and spoiled for her entire life.” He said, “If you are going to be her husband, you must be able to protect her well. I would like to challenge you to a duel, in order to see if you are suitable.”

“Yixing!” Princess Feiyan protested, but the fake prince smiled and held up a hand.

“Do not protest yet, Princess.” He said, “Your bodyguard has a good point.” Prince Galdan smiled at  Yixing.

“I will take you up on that offer.” He said, “When would you like to hold the duel?” Yixing placed his sword on the ground next to him slowly.

“Right now!” He replied before lunging at Prince Galdan. He heard Princess Feiyan cry out in surprise as the prince barely managed to parry the blow, but Yixing was too intent on his goal to pay attention. The prince was a surprisingly good fighter; no matter how Yixing attacked, he found a way to parry him every time. Prince Galdan’s movements were fast, crisp, and sharp, and soon Yixing found that he could barely keep up with the speed of the returned blows. That mattered little to Yixing though; he had only one goal, and he was not going to stop until he reached it. If the fake prince had something to hide on his arms, then he would have to see what that was. It was the only way to keep Princess Feiyan safe. At last, Yixing managed to snag the edge of Prince Galdan’s sleeve. He quickly flicked a dagger from inside his own sleeve and cut swiftly through the soft fabric. The prince’s eyes widened as he quickly clapped a hand over the cut, but he did not move fast enough to keep Yixing from seeing part of a black swirling tattoo crisscrossing over his arm.

What is that?

Before Yixing could figure out where he had seen a similar image before, something struck him on the chest and sent him tumbling onto the ground, the breath knocked out of his lungs.

“Yixing! That’s enough!” He heard the princess cry out in a panic, and a few seconds later, she was by his side.

“Are you okay?” Princess Feiyan asked. Yixing pushed himself to his feet and smiled reassuringly at his master between coughs.

“I’ll be okay.” He replied breathlessly. Princess Feiyan glared at the prince.

“I believe the agreement was to duel, not to injure my bodyguard!” She snapped angrily, “All he did was cut your sleeve!” Prince Galdan looked taken aback for a moment before he bowed.

“I apologize, Your Highness.” He said, “I just…” Princess Feiyan turned away from him in a huff before taking ahold of Yixing’s sleeve.

“Come on Yixing, let’s go.” She declared.Yixing dipped his head and followed obediently behind the princess. As they walked towards the princess’s chambers however, he could feel the glare of Prince Galdan’s gaze on his back, and suddenly he felt like something was going to go very, very wrong.

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Feiyan

Feiyan huffed in irritation as she shut the doors to her innermost chambers behind her and turned to look at Yixing.

“Sit down.” She ordered. He frowned slightly at the order.

“My Lady, that is not very proper.” He protested, but Feiyan gave him a light shove towards the tea table in the middle of the room.

“Sit down!” She ordered again, firmer this time. Yixing hesitated for another moment before sitting down as he was told. Feiyan sighed as she put her hands on her hips and looked down at her bodyguard.

“Does it hurt?” She asked, her voice gentler this time. While the duel between the two men had been interesting at first, Feiyan had felt her heart leap into her chest as Yixing had been knocked down, and her feet had begun moving before she could even think twice. Yixing’s gaze was gentle as he looked up at her.

“I’m fine, My Lady, really.” He said, “He did not hit very hard.” Feiyan sighed as she looked at him for a long moment. Yixing’s cheeks were a little pale, and he was breathing a little harder than usual, but besides that, he looked fine. He had been walking easily and wasn’t struggling to speak; it seemed like the young man would be fine.

“What happened?” She asked, “You are not that easily struck down, even by someone as well trained as a prince.” Yixing’s gaze grew grave as he was silent for a long moment before speaking.

“My Lady, I am about to make a very absurd sounding statement.” He said, “I hope you will listen to what I have to say.” Feiyan raised an eyebrow curiously and motioned for him to continue. Yixing took a deep breath before speaking.

“I believe Prince Galdan is a fake. He killed the real prince in order to impersonate him and come to kill you.” He said. Feiyan’s eyes widened in surprise and she staggered slightly as she reeled from the statement. An assassin? It was not unheard of, but it seemed ridiculously unlikely. Why would someone go through all that effort to kill one princess?

“Zhang Yixing.” She said after steadying herself, “Do you realize what you are saying? Why would someone want to kill me?” Yixing sighed and nodded.

“I actually suspected it a while ago, because I overheard him speaking with a hidden woman about how he had killed the real visiting prince and would make sure the union between Qing and Xinjiang never happened.” He replied, “I didn’t want to startle you on mere speculation, but the more I searched, the more suspicious this Prince Galdan seems to be. He very clearly has something to hide, and when I cut open his sleeve earlier, I saw a black tattoo over his skin. While the Xinjiang people are a more nomadic tribe, they are not known for tattooing themselves, except for bandits.” Feiyan felt go dry as she realized she had almost fallen for an assassin after her own life. The man had been so charming, and full of stories and knowledge that she had been easily lead astray by his sweet words.

Aisin-Goro Rongxian, you idiot!

“Do you still remember what the tattoo looked like?” She asked. Yixing nodded, and Feiyan nodded determinedly.

“Let’s go to the library.” She said, “I’m certain that one of the books there will have something on where this fake prince is from.” Feiyan turned to head for the door, but Yixing’s voice stopped her.

“My Lady.” He said hesitantly. Feiyan turned to look at him and saw a curious expression on his face.

“My Lady, you believe what I am saying?” He asked, looking surprised. Feiyan laughed softly.

“Zhang Yixing, if it was anyone else, I would have dismissed it as an absurd lie.” She replied, “But if it is coming from your mouth, I will certainly believe it. We grew up together, and I’ve spent more of my days with you than with my own father. I know you very well. I know you certainly will not lie to me.” Yixing’s eyes widened as her words before a warm smile settled over his handsome face.

“I am honored, My Lady.” He replied softly. Feiyan grinned and turned towards the door.

“Now come, let’s figure out where this assassin is from.”

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As it turned out, Feiyan was right; the library did have the answers they were looking for. After a few hours of searching, Feiyan and Yixing concluded that the swirling emblem Yixing had seen was the symbol of a Ming rebel group that had appeared back when Emperor Kangxi’s father, Emperor Shunzhi was on the throne. The rebel group had been composed of remnants of the previous dynasty, but it had been thought that the rebels had been destroyed. With the appearance of this assassin, it seemed like the previous emperor could not have been more wrong.

“My father will never believe us if I just told him right now.” Feiyan mused as they left the library, “Now that you’ve seen his tattoo, I’m sure that fake prince will take steps to cover it up.” Yixing bit his lip.

“My Lady.” He said, stepping in front of her, “I would like to have your permission to stay in the chambers next to yours for the next few days.” Feiyan stared at him in surprise at the sudden request. Yixing had his own room in her palace, but it was slightly removed from her innermost chambers for decorum’s sake. After all, Yixing was her bodyguard, but he was still a man.

“Why are you suddenly asking for that?” She asked. Yixing’s expression was serious.

“Now that I have seen his tattoo, and we know for sure that he is from a Ming rebellion group, I am certain the fake prince will not wait until you leave for your marriage to attempt to kill you.” He replied, “That will be true even if the emperor immediately approves the marriage. I do not know when he will strike, but it is possible he will try to attack you while you are sleeping. If I am in the room next to you, it will be easier for me to protect you.” Feiyan thought over his request for a few moments. She had to admit that Yixing had a point. If an assassin wanted to take her life, he would likely strike when she was most vulnerable, which would be while she was sleeping. One strike to the neck would be all it took to kill her. The best way to prevent that from happening was for Yixing to be as close to her as possible.

“Can you hear me even from the next room over?” Feiyan asked, “The walls are fairly soundproof.” Yixing laughed softly at her question.

“If it is your voice, My Lady, then I will certainly hear it.” He replied. And so, it was settled. Yixing quickly moved into the room next to Feiyan’s, and he had a trapwire set up so that anyone attempting to sneak up on the sleeping princess would immediately cause one of the porcelain vases near the wall to crash loudly onto the ground. And a few nights later, Yixing’s concerns turned out to be correct.

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A few nights later, Feiyan was jolted from her sleep by the sound of porcelain crashing against the ground. Her eyes flew open and quickly focused on a dark clothed figure that leapt onto the bed and pressed a strong arm against her, holding her in place. Feiyan’s survival instincts quickly kicked in as the silver sheen of a knife shimmered in the darkness above her, and she kicked the man in the shins, which sent him tumbling away. She took the opportunity to roll off the bed and run for the door, but was quickly dragged backwards by a strong hand grasping her ankle. Feiyan was sent tumbling to the ground with a loud thud, pain shooting up her arm as she was dragged backwards against the ground. A scream tore from as she was shoved against the wooden surface of the side of her bed, a single name erupting from her lips into the darkness of her room.

“Yixing!”

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Author's note: I promise Feiyan will not be a damsel in distress heroine!