The Last Dahlia

048

Ru Fei nodded in agreement. "If they had killed the princess, we would already know. Knowing the princess is dead would shatter the confidence of our army," he said. So far, they had not heard anything from the Dahai camp since the ceasefire. No news was good news.

Shoya looked up, watching as the sun slipped behind the mountains and dusk set in. "I'll sneak into the Dahai camp tonight and see if I can locate her. If they've taken her then she must be there."

"I'll go with you," Baixun said.

"No. You need to stay here with the army in case they launch another attack."

Thanks to the lead-tipped weapons, Baixun's army had not suffered substantial losses. However, their supply of arrows had almost been depleted and there would be an even tougher fight coming up, if the reinforcements did not arrive soon. The last thing the army needed was for their commander-in-chief to leave the camp at this juncture.

"What if it's another trap? They must expect that we'll try to search the Dahai camp for the princess's whereabouts," Ru Fei said.

"Even if it's a trap, I have to go." He owed her that much.

And if she didn't make it, then he would not live either.

#

The first thing Yuehwa noticed when she regained consciousness was the sickly sweet smell that tickled her nose. It hung thick in the air, making her feel as if she had been doused in a pot of honey and jujubes.

"You're awake," a melodic voice floated into her ears.

"Where am I?" she croaked. Her throat felt parched and her head was splitting.

She was lying beneath the white canopy of a tent, on a thick bed of layered rugs. There was only one other person with her—the woman who had spoken—sitting by a circular tea table with a porcelain tea cup in her hand.

The woman was beautiful. Extremely beautiful, with silky hair the shade of midnight pinned to the back of her head with ruby-encrused hairpins, and skin that almost seemed to glow. Upon her shoulders hung a luxurious fur coat of flaming red, that made it look like she was being embraced by fire. Despite her beauty, there was something about her that made Yuehwa uncomfortable. Something that made her want to claw back that façade to see what was hiding behind it.

"The Dahai military encampment of course. Where else would you be, darling?" the lady replied with a tinkling laugh. It sounded almost mocking.

"The Dahai camp... Why can't I remember? Who are you? And who am I?"

Something about those words sounded familiar, but her mind simply could not recall the memory.

"The physicians said that you might find some difficulty remembering things when you woke, poor child. I am your father's concubine, Lady Kang, and you, my dear, are Naying, Princess of Dahai." The woman set down her tea cup and walked over to Yuehwa, settling herself down beside the latter. She raised one hand and gently stroked Yuehwa's cheek with her cold fingers. "It's okay. You're safe now. They can't hurt you anymore."

Naying? A princess?

She tried to search her mind for something—anything—but it was futile reaching into the haze.

"Hurt me? Who?"

"Your father's enemies." A soft sigh escaped from the woman's dark red lips. With the tip of her index finger, she lifted Yuehwa's chin. "Come, let me show you."

#

The king's tent was dimly lit by only a few measly candles in their bronze candle stand. Shadows danced eerily against the white walls, and the same unbearably sweet stench filled the interior. Yuehwa followed Lady Kang to the king's bedside, her gaze settling upon the frail figure lying there.