Chapter 15

He watched as she paid her respects. She greeted the various family members that had only been titled with first names, putting their family name would only cause trouble. When she got to her father's grave, she fell and began to talk to him. She told him of all the things she had been doing, of all the various things she had learned. She even mentioned the Prince and the promise they made to each other. She never mentioned Xiang gege, though. She kept that part of her life deep in her heart. He was a memory that was only hers.

Prince Yi Feng laid on the grass a few meters from the grave. He listened to her whispers, feeling soothed by the sound of her soft voice. The sun was gently shining between the branches of the forest, allowing just enough heat to penetrate through. A slight wind brought the fresh scent of the woodland, making everything feel calm and serene.

When Liang Lia Jiao had talked to her family for as long as she dared, she turned towards the Prince and saw him resting. She could tell by his breathing that he wasn't asleep, but she didn't think it was right to bother him even if it was just relaxing. She moved towards a trunk of a tree and rested her head against it. The horse noticed her and walked in her direction. Animals had always had an affinity towards her. She didn't know why they liked her, but she loved them too.

The horse snorted a few times before putting its large head towards hers. She looked up at its big brown eyes and warmed towards it. Though she had never had any real interactions with horses outside of carriage rides, she always thought they were beautiful and majestic creatures. She gently stroked around its nose. The horse nudged her arm, she stood up so she could pet him more thoroughly. She leaned her head against its neck and scratched and stroked whispering soft words of comfort near its ears. The horse responded with soft grunts and huffing sounds, nibbling her hair every once and a while with its lips.

When Prince Yi Feng opened his eyes, the horse had already reached Liang Lia Jiao. There was a moment where he thought she would jump on it and ride away. His horse never allowed anyone other than him to control it, so the idea had humored him. When he saw how affectionate his horse was towards her, he was surprised. This horse was a warhorse, it'd been explicitly trained for battle. It knew only him as it's Master, so seeing it so friendly with this woman was strange. He gazed on while she nestled her head against its neck, whispering to it. Prince Yi Feng could admit that she looked stunning at that moment. He was certain he'd never seen anything so ethereal before.

Liang Lia Jiao felt his eyes on her and lifted her head to glance at him. He had a complex look in his eyes.

"Prince…" a timid man's voice said eagerly. "We have a message from the city."

Lia Jiao looked at the man. She recognized him. He was one of the Princes guards. A short while later, two more men came out and kneeled in front of the Prince. He had a awkward expression. Prince Yi Feng's hand gripped tightly at his side, and he turned towards the man who spoke.

"What did she say?" He asked roughly.

"It's too early to enter the city," he answered with a humble voice, his head lowered, daring not to look at him.

Prince Yi Feng kicked his foot out, slamming it against the kneeling man. His eyes scary and filled with fire. His jaw was tight as he looked at the other two men kneeling in front of him.

Lia Jiao suddenly felt a thrill run through her body. The feeling of being watched by a predator. She didn't think about it and sprang into action. Her hands were on the sword of the kicked man before anyone had time to react. They quickly drew their own swords, ready to attack her. She flew into the air and crashed against the sword of a veiled man. He was caught off guard, giving her an advantage. She wasn't very strong, but she was fast. The sword was a lot heavier than she was used to, but she had built up endurance over the years, and it was still manageable.

The guards realizing that Liang Lia Jiao wasn't the threat surrounded the Second Prince just as a group of thirty to forty men covered in black sprang from the forest. They had been incredibly stealthy.

Lia Jiao kicked against the masked man and landed smoothly in front of the Prince who was mildly impressed by her quick reaction. He stood calmly, surrounded by his men and Liang Lia Jiao. There wasn't the slightest hint of fear in his eyes.

"Who sent you?" He asked in an almost bored tone.

"It doesn't matter who sent us, it only matters that today you die," the first masked man said with a dark laugh.

Liang Lia Jiao was actually a little scared. She lived alone for a long time and was used to wielding a sword, but she never killed anyone. In fact, the only person she had ever actually fought against was Xiang gege, and she always knew that she was safe with him. The idea of killing someone made her feel uneasy. She was also still in pain, her wounds were still fresh, only starting to scab.

She kept her eyes trained on the assassins in front of her. She was behind the Prince, the others were in front, and at his sides.

"Look at this crazy wild girl," one of the men said, laughing. "She's got a nice face, keep her alive. She can serve us later." He said the words in a gross way that made Liang Lia Jiao uncomfortable even though she wasn't sure what he meant.

"Work for you?" She spat out, "I only serve the Prince!"