The Purple Jade Palace: The Hummingbird's Plan

Princess Estina

Over a thousand miles away, deep in the Keglar Kingdom, three people on horseback separated from their retinue. Princess Estina, poised elegantly in her saddle, watched for movement in the forest's undergrowth and surrounding tree branches. She was beautiful with high cheek bones, full lips and long black hair that cascaded down her back. Her large dark eyes darted eagerly, not out of fear but with determined purpose as she tried to find the two people she had spied earlier.

Her twin brother, Prince Alain, followed closely. In stark contrast, he was not pleasant to the eye with pock marks larger than his beady eyes and a crooked nose that took up most of his face. His thin frame caused his head to be out of proportion with the rest of his body, only emphasizing his disjointed position on the saddle. He had never learnt a graceful seat.

They were accompanied by Sir Glone, an old fool of a man who was fifty years their senior.

"When I was younger," Sir Glone began scornfully, "we would never take these imbecile mountain men and put them in our army! We'd have hunted them down and cut off their heads to put on display for everyone to see. The kingdom is getting too soft."

Princess Estina sighed. The fact that the old man wouldn't even be able to find his sword let alone wield it made his comments even more ludicrous. A mountain man would kill him in an instant.

"I'm glad that I have you to protect us," Princess Estina said. She turned to catch her brother's gaze and raised her eyebrows. "It's so wonderful to know that the royal family has placed us in such good care."

Prince Alain snorted and quickly looked the other way.

"I'll have you know that I was once as formidable..."

A ripple of blue material caught Princess Estina's eyes through the shrubs. She tugged on her reins to stop her horse, but sighed when Sir Glone continued on his way.

If she had been by herself, she would have readied her horse to bolt. It was her decision to ride this way, but a person could never be too careful. Who knew who was lurking in the forest? Her brother however, was stifling a yawn while rubbing his eyes, completely unaware to the possible danger as well. It was because of this that she squeezed her heels into her horse's sides and attempted to catch up with Sir Glone.

"Sir Glone! Take heed!" Princess Estina hissed as their horses cut through the shrubs and into an open clearing. She sat back sharply on her saddle, and gasped.

"Cover your eyes, Princess!" Sir Glone ordered.

Princess Estina didn't close her eyes. Instinct took over, and instead, she ducked, dipping her entire body down so it was in line with her horse's neck. And even if she had closed her eyes, the image of the two naked men intimately enjoying each other would have still been vibrant in her mind's eye.

A loud thud sounded behind her. One of the soldiers, the man being held from behind she believed, had grabbed his axe lying on the ground beside him and flung it blindly through the air straight at where Princess Estina's head had been. She looked over her shoulder with difficulty in her uncomfortable position. The blade sat several inches deep into the bark of the tree from the force of the man's throw. She sat back up in her saddle and glared at Sir Glone. He was responsible for this. If he had only allowed them to assess the situation first.

She glanced back at the two men as they covered their modesty with their hands and saw the realisation set in on their faces. Not that these men would know her face personally, but the large royal signet on her finger and the royal emblem on their saddle rugs was identification enough.

With a quick glance at each other, the two men reluctantly sank to their knees.

Sir Glone snickered. "Quite a predicament you've suddenly found yourself in Menelt, isn't it? An attempt on Princess Estina's life, leaving your post to behave so indecently, and the best part of all? Who am I going to tell first that Menelt, former leader of the Dratlin Clan, likes to take it in the ass from his former First Advising Chief?"