"Princess Lu, the invitations to the princesses have been sent out. They should arrive within four days."

Lu Mei nodded her head in acknowledgement and went back to combing her hair. Once Lu Mei was finished combing her hair, she decided to go to the venue of her birthday feast. Lu Mei wanted to make sure everything was in place and as perfect as she would like it. Counting on other's wasn't really one of her fortes which is why she decided to plan her whole birthday, despite going against her father's disapproval. 

 

Once Lu Mei had made her prescence in the garden, all the servants greeted her before scattering to finish their tasks but there was one individual who continued to trail after the princess. He had a dagger tucked in his sleeve and an evil glint appeared the minute he laid his eyes on Lu Mei. He took a few wary steps towards the princess before lunging towards her back, aiming to stab her in the neck. 

 

Lu Mei had sensed the danger and had known all along that man was trailing after her which is why she didn't stop until she led him into a more secluded area of the garden. She whipped her arm around at his movements, doing an overhead block then kicking at the assailant's chest to push him backwards. He stumbled but did not fail to cut Lu Mei's blocking arm. All the servants around Lu Mei had then frantically call for guards but Lu Mei was going to finish this man before her guards get here. The two enter a sparring and Lu Mei's agility helps her win where she now has the man on his knees and his armed arm held behind his back to prevent him from attacking her again. The guards arrive and Lu Mei attempts to hand the man to the guards when he finally spoke.

 

"I may not have killed you with my own hands. But my brothers of Tataeria will do it for our kingdom and for my revenge." With that said, the man crushed his upper first molar tooth to get to the poison that was stored inside the tooth. The assailant fell to the ground with foam bubbling out of his mouth. His eyes never closed and his head was later hung in the front of the marketplace as a warning for anyone else of Tataeria who had thoughts to assassinate the princess, or the princesses that will later arrive.

 

"Go fetch all the other princesses right away.  They may be in harms way." Lu Mei ordered her servant once they were back in her room. The servant bowed, taking her orders and went on his way. Lu Mei watched him scurry off and looked towards one of the other servants that was wrapping her wound up.

 

"The war is really starting." She mumbled.

 

"Miss, the king is here." The servant stood up from her seat to bow at the king after patching Lu Mei up. Lu Mei looked towards her father and rolled her eyes. He had a frown on his face and she was honestly in no mood to argue her father about fighting off the assassin.

 

"You fought the man again."

"No father. I didn't. That's why I'm sitting here alive." The sarcasm laced with her words angered the man who turned back to head out, but not before saying a few things.

"How many times do I have to tell you to leave the fighting for the men? If you hadn't tried to act hero again, you wouldn't have gotten that cut on your arm!"

"Relax father. It's just a small cut."

"You're not always going to be so lucky." 

"This isn't about luck. It's about me being able to hold my own ground. That I can actually fight."

"Woman can't fight. Stop this foolishness or I will lock you in your room until your birthday feast."

"You can try to lock me up but you won't succeed."

"I will eventually."

"One day you will, but not today, or the next few ones after that."

The father, daughter glowered at each other until Lu Mei's father let out a sigh of defeat.

"Do what you want."

"Oh I will."