Chapter 5

Feiyan woke up in the middle of the night with a parched throat. As she sat up, coughing slightly to try and relieve the pain, something shone in the air while moving towards her. Frowning and squinting to try and see better, she realised too late that she was being held hostage. The cold metal of a short blade pressed against , causing her to freeze in terror. “N-no,” she gasped, trying to pull her attacker’s arm away and attempt to alert someone. The knife only pressed closer to her skin.

“Don’t move, just do as I say,” breathed the man behind her, “Don’t even scream or you’re dead.” He forced her forward with a knife near and out of her chambers, walking to who knows where. The night air bit against her skin as she tried to keep away from the blade while in small gasps of oxygen. She shivered when a cold gust blew past her, stumbling forward in the dark as her attacker continued to push her to an unknown destination.

“Wh-where are you taking me?” she finally asked, crying out in pain when the blade pressed even closer to . There came no answer. She could feel the cold metal resting against her skin and tried to breathe as little as possible so that it wouldn’t actually slice her.

It was with relief that she finally took a deep enough breath when the man pushed her into a dark room, then tied her hands and feet together, before leaving in a hurry and locking her it the room with a definite click. She wanted to shout but she wasn’t sure who would hear her, especially since the palace looked so empty at night. There were guards but not enough to patrol everywhere at once. She’s stuck in a musty smelling room by herself.

Trying to scoot closer to the door, she accidently knocked something over listening as it clattered loudly to the floor. At least it didn’t seem to be broken, she thought, pulling her knees under her and attempting to shuffle on them to the door. “Is there anyone there?” she whispered, bumping against the door. With no reply to indicate if there was a person even there, she sighed and slumped against the wall. Hopefully, someone will find her soon.

***

Meanwhile, Yifan has returned to his own chambers having made sure that Feiyan was sleeping soundly and that the banquet had ended peacefully; everyone had been too drunk to notice him leaving and then coming back, and he quickly sent everyone to the guest chambers to rest. He poured himself a cup of warm tea, hoping it’d relax him enough so that he could sleep just as soundly himself. After the festivities of the banquet, he felt exhausted from the interactions with the two-faced ministers.

Having this quiet time to himself allowed him to think and devise a plan for the possible imminent war. He didn’t want a war, not after the one five years ago that left his father, Emperor Wu, in a state unfit for the throne – crippled and no longer strong enough to remain above the fray between the ministers, succumbing to their demands and manipulation. So he had no choice but to take over the throne for now until he is able to marry and go through the coronation ceremony with his queen. His parents had retreated to a mountainside villa away from people for them to live the rest of their lives peacefully.

His thoughts were interrupted by a series of knocks on his door, causing him to immediately stand alert. The only person who would visit him so late would be no other than his advisor, Yixing. “What is it?” He asks as soon as he had opened the door and ushered in the other man. Yifan noticed his dishevelled look and knew something couldn’t be right.

Yixing righted himself and straightened his glasses, and pulled out a small rolled up note. “This,” he simply says, handing it to the King. Yifan takes it and immediately scans over the note, brows furrowing deeper he further he read.

“Go. You know what to do,” he says sternly, “I’ll go find her.” Yixing rushes off while Yifan turns and picks up a long coat, pulling it over his own sleeping robes. Glancing around his room once more, his eyes land on the sword he keeps on his desk and goes to pick it up too, attaching it to his hip and ready to set off to his office where he’ll hopefully receive news about her soon. He wanted to go searching for her too, but that would only be reckless on his part.

Yifan sighed to himself; he had barely left that girl’s room an hour or so ago and now he has to go find her. Maybe I need to reconsider where she sleeps. I doubt that these events will hardly decrease themselves, especially with those meddling fools around. And I’m sure I have just the right person to find her too since he’s come back.

***

Feiyan tries to peek out of the gap between the doors for the nth time and wonders if anyone will find her before that man comes back for her. She taps the wood lightly with her knee, hoping someone would see the door shake and come save her. Then again, everyone is most likely asleep after the banquet and wouldn’t notice her absence until morning.

It’s so quiet outside that it’s making her nervous, her heart beat unable to slow down. She knew that life in the palace would be dangerous, she’d heard enough of it as gossip from around town but to think that she would be right in the thick of it just as the King announced her as his consort? There was obviously an insider who was leaking out information.

The footsteps slowed and she strained her ears for where the person was heading. Silence. Then a whisper. “Miss Feiyan?” came a male voice. Guessing and hoping that this was someone here to save her,