The doors to the Royal Court of Han swung open. On the throne sat King Han Sui Yin, one leg crossed over the other. His golden crown gleamed in the sunlight, and his ornate royal robes captivated onlookers. Ministers lined the court pillars, bowing in deference. Yet, the dark aura surrounding the king sent chills down their spines.
Minister Sho Lin stepped forward with the first message of the day. "All hail His Majesty!"
"My king, according to our spies, the rebels are planning another attack."
The king listened silently, his piercing blue eyes fixed on the minister.
The royal advisor leaned forward. "Is it them?"
"We lack concrete proof, but my intuition says it's still them." Sho Lin replied.
"Fine," the king murmured.
The advisor pondered for a while before giving any orders to the minister.
"My King, the number of bounty hunter attacks is also increasing"
"Bounty hunters?"
The king remained silent, his gaze piercing into the minister's eyes, overwhelming him with terror. The king's glare resembled that of a snow lion poised to strike.
When the king finally spoke, his words carried weight, so much so that the pressure in the room made the ministers nauseous. The atmosphere grew heavier with every question about the bounty hunters and the rebellion.
"Is the princess behind the rebellion?"
The minister hesitated—the king already knew. The people behind the Han rebellion were the princesses. The king already knew—the rebellion was led by the exiled princesses. The United Rebels of Han aimed to free the state from Qin's control. Qin had unified China, but now most states had broken away. Han was the last, still under its rule.
Qin enforced territorial autonomy. Each of the states that it seizes will be a state under Qin leadership; there will be individual kings for these states, but the central command and rule would be at the imperial capital of Qin, Xianyang. King Sui urges Han to be under the Qin leadership for a better economy and leadership. The Han people and rebels consider this a violation of their sovereignty and traditions.
The previous ruler of Han, Han Sui Yan— father of the princesses and Yin's uncle, was murdered one night, and Yin seized the throne. He ignored the real predecessors and obtained all of it for pleasure. He never hesitated to exile the princesses.
*** ***
Far away, another thread of fate unravelled. On Han's outskirts lay the Ni Rong village, home to the Ni Rong tribe. The Ni Rongs had ties to the Han kings. An ancient pact between the second Han King and the second Ni Rong chief vowed mutual protection in times of war. But during the Qin invasion, Han betrayed that bond. Yin seized power by killing his uncle.
All the women in the village had gathered, the young fifteen-year-old girls who always loved to discuss their future. Inside a hut, all of them sat in a circle and amidst them sat a girl with pale white and glowing skin. She had sharp and captivating eyes that resembled the purple mountain lilies. Her arms were delicate, her presence as graceful as a rose, and her aroma mesmerised anyone. While others sat casually, she knelt with refined grace, palms resting on her knees. Thus, all of them started the usual talk.
"Everyone, we are only 15, but it's time to think about our future!"
All the Ni Rong girls agreed to it. They nodded and also raised their hands. She smiled when she heard that.
"Lia, what about you?" Lia smiled thoughtfully.
"We should think carefully—our future is ours to shape."
All of them discussed again and started with the hottest topic.
"The number of bounty hunters is increasing as ever"
"I also think why they do these jobs for Qin! Are we their slaves!"
"But all the bounty hunters are not the same"
"Lia...?"
Her strong declaration made all others stop the wild talks. Lia recalled the moment when her mother taught her something very precious. Her sister and she stood before their mother. The queen of Han, who was said to be one of the boldest women, with a wisdom that made her angelic. She was not always a royal, she belonged to Ni Rong. Her quotes echoed in her mind.
"From mercenaries to kings, there is much to learn from them."
This quote made her stand up for the bounty hunters, telling the true nature of people.
"Don't judge everyone through the same window."
She stood up and told all the other girls. Her ideology regarding humans defied the core belief that if one belongs to a common group that is bad, then he is naturally bad. Her words were like those of a prophet who turned a revolutionary. Her boldness in questioning core beliefs often made others seek her opinion. Her mind, which equally saw all humans, made everyone imitate her.
"Okay...Okay, we understood"
"Lia, although you can't see, God has given something more powerful to you...", quoted Godong while she smiled.
"Everyone, it's time to go to your huts!"
Godong's mother appeared and told everyone to return to their huts. Godong and Lia walked out of the hut together.
"Lia, will I ever be as intelligent as you?"
She laughed, but not mockingly, rather with the warmth that reflected her belief in individuality.
"Godong, you are better as you are"
"Eh? That is not an answer"
"Anyway, let's meet tomorrow"
"Yeah!"
She walked along that road and reached the other side of the village. She stood right in front of her hut. Her sister was not back yet, so she decided to cook the food and entered the hut.
SFX: GRAB
"You're the princess, aren't you?"
A man dressed in black loomed in the dark, his face hidden, only his eyes visible—eyes filled with vile intent. Terror surged through her.
"Answer me!"
"Get off me, som..."
A hand clamped over her mouth, the other clawing at the dress.
SFX: RIP!
"No, this can't be..."
"Leave me.."
She bit his hand and broke free, dashing out the door. Clutching her torn clothes, she ran with all her might. She covered her body with her hands and continued to run. The assassins pursued her on their horses. She ran as fast as she could, and her heart started to beat more vigorously. She couldn't breathe, but to protect her dignity, she ran; it was all dark.
"Oh gods...please...save me"
She only had this thought, to save her. A prayer to all the Gods who looked over her. A prayer to the heavens. Hoping that the heavens would hear her sincere prayer.
From the back, another horse approached the assassins. It was dark and they couldn't see anything. A figure with two swords rode that horse; they only heard a single sound.
"Sakuramistuki"
SFX: NEIGH!!
In an instant, the figure leapt from his horse with a frontflip and slashed off an assassin's head. Blood sprayed and painted the horse red.
"Ao!"
He threw his other sword, which pierced a man's gut and exited through the other side. He plunged there and pulled it out. Slashing another man in that action, and the head of a horse. The only one left was their leader.
"Who the hell is that?"
The leader shouted, demanding answers. But there was no answer. Only a dark figure standing on a horse. The leader saw something on his head; it was a headband. The clouds parted, revealing the moon. Its light gleamed upon the headband tied around the warrior's forehead, etched with the words "A Thousand Victories."
"I have seen that..."
He instantly recognised that headband. Before he could even think, he heard the last voice of his life.
"Ao"
A blue sword shot through the darkness, piercing his throat right through the centre and exiting through the other side. His body shivered, something flew out of his neck, and it was warm. As it flowed, his body started to grow cold. In a moment, it was all darkness, and he fell.
Lia couldn't hear the voice of anyone; every assassin lay slain. Only one man stood before her. He was tall and didn't have any body armour, she could feel that. Her eyeballs started to move randomly due to the cold. The snow began to fall. In the moonlight, came walking Wan Heian; she could understand that he was not an assassin; his touch proved that he was a warrior. Her knees gave up, precisely at the moment she started to fall, he appeared right beside her and held her body with his warm hands. He wrapped his coat around her fragile body.
She sat in front of him on the horse, riding through the snowy plain under the golden moonlight. The cold wind made her shiver, and the man held her tightly, and his warmth relieved her. Her cheeks flushed. A strange, unfamiliar warmth stirred inside her. As the snow fell, she saw a vision—not of winter, but of sakura trees blooming. A spring had come, quietly, within her heart.