Snow crunching  under my feet, I’m still questioning my purpose in this excursion. It is Prince Sehun and Lady Minah’s day to spend by the hills to watch the fresh snow still powdery, still intact in spite of the morning sun. It had snowed after dawn and the snow sticking had made for a beautiful sight to see. 

“Tell me again, why I’m here.” Exasperated I sounded blurting out the first thing in mind, forgetting my position amongst the party that also came. The guards, including Captain Lu Han looked up ready to slice my head off for being too familiar with the Prince. But with a quick “my Prince” right after the statement even if it sounded forced and a little too late, made the Crowned Prince himself laugh.

“Oh come on, Lady Hei-Ran. Don't grobble so much. It's such a beautiful day.”

    I shut him a look feeling flustered from his remark. He looks to Captain Lu Han and they exchange a knowing look that made Prince Sehun's smile wider.

   When we’ve reached the top of the hills, there had been a tent set up with chairs and servants already waiting for us, for him.

   Prince Sehun helps Lady Minah off her horse taking her hand first to his then to his lips.

"Are you ready to explore? The Diamond Hill is a magnificent sight to see. You can not miss it while you’re in the castle ground. She steps perfectly like she hadn't been on a horse all morning and gently smoothens her gown before taking his arm and wrapping it around his.

“I hope you don’t mind me bringing Captain Lu Han.”

“No not at all my Lord.” Then she looks my way, a gentle smile in her lips but I know she’s perplexed with my presence. 

“And I brought Lady Hei-Ran to keep him company. Also if you must need anything…”

Finally a question answered. She must've felt bothered by my presence as well. I was actually glad Lady Selis was right about her assumption about my position for today's excursion. Because as she says “It’s okay", her face is brighter with a smile so inviting and pure. Her beauty radiated once again and her usual smile extended truly to me. 

   I pick up the front of my skirt and trudged right behind the couple. Captain Lu Han had offered his arm as but I knew his purpose there. It is not to take care of me but of the Prince. I refused his hand and tried harder trudging along by myself. 

    I am used to terrain like this. My father and I had enjoyed visiting the North in the winter only to see such spectacular views of the mountains powdered and snow-capped just like this. It had been such a sight to see that I just had to bring Kai along.  So one time, I brought him along and oh did we have so much fun. We hunted all day not minding the snow on our feet and the cold on our cheeks. We played laying on the snow and even wrestled in the powder. We ran and ran in spite of the thick snow weighing our feet. It had been a good memory. 

    Captain Lu Han, I realize is more rigid and stern than I have imagined. From the stories Prince Sehun had told me, Captain Lu Han is playful, loud and full of life. But at this moment, my heavy black coat had more life than he. He’s offered help a few more times after, seeing my struggle with the dress as we trudged on but still I refused him. Until the moment we finally reached the place they called, the Diamond hill, named after the glistening ice and snow glazed towering trees and landscape. Prince Sehun and Lady Minah left us to ourselves and they began exploring by themselves.

“I still don’t know your place here.” Captain Lu Han said sternly.

“Same here.” I lowered my head bothered by the whole situation. I understand his position. I was another body to protect, extra baggage to worry about. But still it hurts a bit to be constantly overlooked and disregarded.

   He must’ve noticed. “I apologize, Lady Hei-Ran. It was not my place.”

“Funny, we both are so misplaced.” I smiled gently to him and he nods at my remark. 

    After some time, we found a place to rest still in view of the couple playing in the snow, marveling at the tall trees that truly did sparkle like diamonds. I’ve been here before. I’ve seen this magnificent Diamond Hill. I had been as excited to see it then with Kai and my father as Lady Minah is now.  It was beautiful then, now I just can’t seem to enjoy it. Now that I look back at the time, I can't deny ever seeing it's beauty. Maybe I had forgotten. Maybe it had been the moment that I cherished more, the company shared with my best friend that I remember more that's why I have forgotten it's beauty. But as I look at the tall glistening tree of Diamond Hill, I was struck in awe. I have been here before and I remember loving it. I remember a beautiful memory attached to it and I enjoyed it. Snow had been beautiful to me once. I had just grown up too fast, forgetting it too quickly.

   Lady Minah had her arms wrapped tight around Prince Sehun. He was saying something animatedly and the priceless reaction of the lady in his arms makes for a perfect picture. I began thinking about myself as that girl in his arms. Not so much as the Crowned Prince's wife but just as an elegant woman with stature like Lady Minah. And I almost teared because I've never even thought about it until I came to be a participant, until I met Prince Sehun. I have never thought about being womanly. Vanity had never been part of my lifestyle at all since I can remember. I had never wanted to be beautiful or right for someone until I had arrived in the Daughter's mansion. And now the job has taken over my whole being. I wake up wanting to be the pretty, wanting so much to stand out, to be noticed. I check my actions through the entire day all so that I can be right and I can be at least suitable. I copied Lady Minah to survive though nowadays, I had copied her every move to fit in. All because, I wanted the Prince to notice me even for just a moment. It was insane. The thoughts that had surrounded my being now. I have looked forward to meal times, and even the mandatory getting to know the Prince after dinner time and found myself wanting to approach him. But it had stayed an idea. I was to blend in with my surrounding and find the one right for him as I had promised to help him do and now I regret it.

    Prince Sehun reaches up to touch Lady Minah's face brushing off a snowflake on her cheek and I just had to tear myself away form the scene. I catch Captain Lu Han watching me as I turn my head from watching the couple. 

“Tell me, Lady Hei-Ran. Why do you not try?” There was something in his voice that tells me it wasn’t Captain Lu Han asking at the moment but Lu Han, Prince Sehun’s best friend. 

“Try to what? Oh the hills. I’ve been here before with my family.”

“You’ve been in the North before?” There’s much interest in his voice and I noticed a slight turn of his body to acknowledge me. 

“Yes, I have. My father took his time to acquaint me with cultures of our land. We constantly moved not for any particular reason but to experience the surrounding kingdoms and meet new people. My father loved to travel.”

"He must be a privileged man."

"Oh no Captain. You know well he wasn't. He was a priest and we got by through provisions from our sponsors."

"I see."  He narrowed his eyes a bit as if in thought but he let it go right away as soon as we heard laughing from the couple.

“How well do you know Lady Minah?” He started to speak again.

“Not well. But with my class and stature, she had been the only one to acknowledge me for my personality than my ranking.” When I didn’t get a remark, I continued by describing her. I figured, that since this is the Prince’s right hand man, it wouldn’t hurt if I pitch Minah to him as well. 

“She’s very smart, cultured with the kingdoms. She speaks at most five dialects and of our kingdom and—“

“How do you know this?”

“I heard her once during lessons. She was quite the linguist. Intonation and accent, she’s pulled off at the very most five of the eight dialects.”

“You sound well cultured yourself. How many of those eight dialect do you know?” Unconsciously, Captain Lu Han is now fully turned facing me.

“All of them including three from the neighboring kingdoms.”

    He tilts his head a bit to inspect my face and I’ve become very conscious because of his action. 

“Vpechatl ya yushchitz”

“Vpach ibayutz” I say right back at him with ease and perfection.

   And it instantly made him crack a smile. 

“Your accent is spot on. I mean perfect.” I complimented.

“You were ‘spot on’ as well.” He tried the casual words in his lips and it made him smile some more. Youthful, taking away almost ten years from his age with the way it brightened his face and lightened his spirits.

   Until…

“Ahhhh!!” Lady Minah screams out of nowhere and we both stood up in alert. She was on the ground as the Prince hovered to protect her. Captain Lu Han was already running when I decided to tie the bottom of my dress to stop it from dragging. I ran along side the Captain while he covered the Crowned Prince. I shot a look at the Prince and I saw his eyes trailing the pathway behind us. He narrowed his eyes as if he trying to catch a glimpse of something.

    I surveyed the trail kicking myself for not doing so when we first got here. I knew how to deal with situations like these and somehow the dress and the fancy hair-do made me almost forget my sharpened abilities. I wanted to tear the skirt off with how much it weighed me down. I didn’t fail to survey everything else now as I trudged my way to my party. Trying to see if anything is amiss.  I found an arrow on the ground by the Prince’s foot. He was the target. And the shooter was from the trail. I hurried faster still cursing the damned dress. Until, I found a ridge behind them and I suddenly had an idea. I went straight to the arrow on the floor and began to tug and cover Lady Minah. 

“Captain Lu Han!” I gestured to the ridge. It would be a good temporary cover for now. One steep hill to get to us instead of blindly being surrounded. It was our only hope.

“Run with the Prince and I will take care of Lady Minah.”

   Then just as I pushed him along, Another arrow came flying striking Captain Lu Han’s shoulder hard and deep.

“Ugh!” He yelped.

“Damn it!" I look back and realized only a single arrow not many, not subsequent. No more incoming.

"Go already.” I yelled on the top of my lungs.

    Suddenly I heard clanking of swords on the bottom of the hill and I knew that the guards had been attacked somehow. All we should do is take cover for now and hide to protect the Crowned Prince and his Queen-to-be.

    Captain Lu Han and Prince Sehun led the way while I kept nudging the Lady to hurry up. I would’ve carried her on my shoulder knowing fully well I could do it if it weren’t for my damned heavy dress.

    We could still hear the clanking of swords from a distant when we arrived on the ridge. 

    All I can think about at that moment is how much I wished I had my trousers and at least a weapon to protect us. I had wished Kai was there too, for surely he would know what to do. Prince Sehun is looking around at a dead end, the mountain wall on our side and nothing more.

“You brought us to be sitting ducks just waiting to be served. We could’ve fought back.” The Prince had started to yell in my face. 

“I couldn’t risk it, my Prince. There was one sword, one guard, and although I can fight, this dress is damning me to the grave. I couldn’t risk you getting hurt. At least here they only have one steep narrow hill to get to us and we can thin them out before they all get up here.”

“Well the Captain is hurt.” He says pointedly and I look at the First Guard now and it's true. The arrow is stuck deep into his shoulder with blood spilling everywhere. He’s wincing in pain and its more than the expression I've ever seen him show any of us.

"You failed to think—“ The Prince began to say again. But I couldn't just let us be surrounded in the open with no cover. 

“I stand by my decision, my Prince.” I hissed at him from the top of my lungs. I pushed pass him and lowered myself to assess Captain Lu Han. 

“Pull it.” suddenly Captain Lu Han had mumble in a strain interrupting us both.

   I look at it and though the arrow did not go through his back, it's wedged pretty deep. “I can’t—“

“Please.” He gasped as another wave of pain had hit him. 

“Without hesitation. Pull it like your life depended on it. It’s more dangerous to slowly do it and break it or splinter it. Just pull it straight.”

     I remembered Kai instructing me when I suddenly received an arrow from one of his woman’s attachment. The woman’s boyfriend found them by the creek kissing and all hell broke loose. Suddenly we, the two of us were running for our lives and I was hit in the leg. That was once a upon a time. I could’ve just ended our relationship there since he’s always the source of all my problems but I just couldn’t. At least there was something good that came out of it. I learned how to deal with a wound received from an arrow. 

    I tore two strips from my skirt and then offered one for him to stifle his scream which he looked twice before obeying and another ready to wrap on his wound. I gripped the arrow tight and exhaled with determination. I didn’t even count. I just yanked it out without hesitation. Captain Lu Han brave as he is realized what the extra cloth was for when it had served its use and had successfully stifled his sound. I quickly wrapped and tied the wound with the strip of cloth and tore a longer piece tying its ends as a cradle for his injured arm. 

   Blood everywhere on my dress and on my hands. I look to myself and realized my vanity had gone down the drain in mere minutes. 

    Park Minah could be heard crying in the background, she looked pale from all the blood and the sight of a wounded guard. I turn around and I could see the worry in the Prince’s face who still stands right behind me. He looked like a child helpless in front of his hurt friend. 

“He’ll be okay. It’s not deep, my Prince.” I stood up and offered him comfort, clapping him on the shoulder as he usual does to me. 

“He will be fine. I promise. I know you’re worried for him but instead please tend to your lady.” I whispered before passing him. He looks back to see Minah on the floor in distress. 

“She needs you right now.”

“She’s not hurt. I just checked.” He took one step closer to Lu Han.

“It doesn’t matter. She’s still a lady and she looks very shaken up right now. Please offer some comfort.” I leaned in more to hide our conversation.

"I don't know how." He finally confessed looking at me as sullen and helpless as a child.

I sighed. A wave of sorrow and envy hitting all of a sudden. It's not under my provision to be taken care of. It is not my right to ask for some consideration. But I wished someone had been worry for me as well.

“Sit next to her and offer an embrace. Then..” I look away “Then just be with her. She needs you right now. I will take care of Captain Lu Han.”

   And he looks at me tenderly before he offered his most sincere gratitude.

"It's a promise." I added.

“Thank you.”

   I just nodded and he was off carefully enacting everything I told him to do. 

   It looked very genuine in his part to care for Lady Minah. And why shouldn't he? She might just as well be the next Queen. He needs her as much as she needs him. I picked up the arrows and stood guard by the only opening in the clearing of the ridge. I am not a lady participant at this moment. I am the only chance of the Crowned Prince and his Queen to be and I'd be damn if I let anything bad happen to them.  I tore and ripped away the length of my dress and tossed it to the side. If in the very case, we were attacked, I had gathered rocks and a long staff that I began to sharpen and prepare as a weapon. It is not tea time with the participants. There are no lessons to be retained here or manners to be observed. This is the woods and I am the most suitable to stand guard at this moment. Just until...I looked at the Captain Lu Han and then I picked up the arrows that I pulled from his shoulder and the one that barely missed the Prince and inspected the arrow from the broadhead to the fletching. The shaft’s spine is remarkable itself, it barely bends when compressed yet I can tell it’s made from bamboo, wood only found on the west famous for being most pliable. The fletching is well picked, very light and helical, definitely made for hunting not target shooting.  It was a great wonder to see this kind of arrow combination. Helical fletching and fixed broadhead guiding a pliable shaft. It couldn’t have been effective with it being a contradiction. But bamboo. The West. My father and I had been to the West and all I can remember are these humongous animals that are black and white eating these kind of tree, bamboo. I remembered wondering how it had gotten that big from just eating the leaves. I for one can’t be sustained with just plants. But bamboos. The West. What does the Kingdom of Chengdu have to do with Ardea? Why of all things attack the Crowned Prince?

   Lady Minah was asleep in the shoulders of the Prince. The sun was setting and there were no words from the guards in our party. We decided to stay put until they found us or until we were sure nobody was around. The ridge was high enough for horses to climb and clear enough to see for miles if there were any threat incoming. It had been a good idea but with one sword, Prince Sehun was right to scold me for picking the place. It had no cover to hide only that it'll be harder or slower to reach us.  I run my fingers on the arrow that struck the Captain and I was still baffled. Something is not adding up here. 

“You know who did this.” Captain Lu Han suddenly approached me from behind.

   I pressed my lips. Not wanting to alarm him with a mere guess. I kept silent.

“You’re not sure.” He urged some more. He sits beside me settling very close but still I was not sure and I could not be wrong about this. “Let me hear your take anyway.”

  He finally turns me to him and I had no choice but to respond. I handed him the arrow. And he inspects it as well.

“The shaft is made of bamboo. A very pliable but very strong wood. Wood like this is only found…” I began to say.

   He looks to me now awaiting my answer.

“Only found in the west. Very unique choice for a spine. I guess it’s countered by the helical fletching. It’s light and it’s sure to guide the arrow straight on and strong, good for hunting or war.” I finally added.

    Captain Lu Han looks at the arrow again and I take my time to chance a look at the couple still sitting on the floor. Lady Minah had fallen a sleep in the Prince’s arms and I wanted to look away if not for The Prince’s eyes catching my gaze.

   Suddenly my ears perked and I realized it’s gotten silent. Too silent that I somehow can here scrunching snow approaching us.

“Someone’s coming” I said in a whisper but Captain Lu Han was one step ahead of me. He had his sword unsheathed and he’s now walking towards the opening. He looks at me and I stalk the other side of the opening holding tight to the staff I made, my only weapon now. I held out three fingers letting him know how many people I hear approaching. When the footsteps were starting to head our way, he gestured and counted down 3, 2, and then we both jumped grabbing hold of the men approaching and swiftly unarming them. It turned out to be our guards.

“Good job, Lady Hei-Ran. If not for your current position being of more vital importance, I would take you under my wing and designate a position for you, as my right hand man.” Captain Lu Han acknowledged.

   I just nodded. Not sure if I should bow or curtsy in this manner. This kind of situation is not taught in training. He is after all only a First Guard and my lessons had only provided me with necessities for interactions with the royals.

“The five men who attacked your highness’s party have already been captured and sent to the castle for questioning. You need not worry. The ride will be safe.” One of the guards have reported to Captain Lu Han.

   My jaws clenched. Still unable to believe that something like this can be traced back to the Kingdom of Chengdu. Something is amiss. I mean with three men surrounding the party how come, only two arrows were fired.

“What’s wrong, my lady?” Captain Lu Han turns to me again.

   I shake my head in uncertainty. “I don’t know, Captain, but something is not right. I’ve been to Chengdu before and heard nothing but great things about their King. I don’t understand why they would come and attack the Prince today.” I look back at Prince Sehun who is helping Lady Minah to the carriage now and I just couldn’t set aside the two arrows.

“And two arrows. Two. Five people, two arrows. They could’ve attacked with full force and killed him right away. But they didn’t. They only sent two arrows. Why?” I didn't understand. Something was really wrong about the whole situation.

a/n: Yes action and a lil adventure. Yes she was a third wheel
or probably brought because Prince Sehun wanted his closes
to be with him in his very momentous date with Lady Minah.
It was after all his first official outdoor excursion/date.

Thank you very much for reading. I know right now it looks all
jumbled up especially with the revelation of the Prince's true
feelings towards her asking her for help to find a queen. But I
hope you keep reading about the life of Lady Hei-Ran. Thanks for
reading again.