47 Bloodline Of The Wolf

The great throne hall buzzed with the lively chatter of guests. Laughter mingled with the clinking of cups as people feasted, their eyes occasionally drifting to the mesmerizing dancers swaying in the center of the room. Near the majestic throne sat Tanggolia's two princes and the two Xin brothers, their expressions a mix of amusement and political calculation.

Xin Jianping's gaze swept across the room, watching the various princesses and their entourages. He knew, with a certainty that settled deep in his gut, that Emperor Xin intended to use these marriages to solidify their borders. His mind already charted the most likely targets: Hmagol, Ofleisia, and Skouji. A bitter taste filled his mouth when he considered Hmagol—his sons stood no chance with their princesses, not after years of relentless war against Hmagol's south. No, he would ensure his sons captured the hearts of the Ofleisian and Skoujian royalty instead. Then his eyes landed on the Magoli group, huddled in a distant, forgotten corner, and a surge of cruel satisfaction warmed him. He'd envisioned this moment ever since Emperor Xin announced his birthday celebration in Jianping's own territory. This was his chance to humiliate the Magoli, to treat them as the peasants he believed them to be, banished to the farthest, least important seats.

Misheel's shoulders slumped as he surveyed their table: old, rough wood, meager wooden plates and bowls. He'd braced himself for ill-treatment upon entering Tanggolia, especially in Haishi City, but even he hadn't anticipated such a blatant, petty insult.

"Princess Ankhtsetseg, please bear with it for the time being," Misheel murmured, his voice strained with suppressed anger. "We'll only be here for fifteen days."

Ankhtsetseg's chin lifted slightly. "Minister Misheel, don't worry about me. I came prepared for the humiliation Tanggolia would heap upon us. I know this is their petty revenge for my third brother. I promised father I wouldn't let him down." Her voice, though soft, held a steely resolve.

"Try this," Chinua offered, oblivious to the simmering tension, holding out a chicken drumstick to Hye. "This is called beggar's chicken." She took a hearty bite, grease glistening at the corner of her mouth.

Ankhtsetseg turned, her gaze snapping to Chinua at the sound of her voice. When she saw the messy feast, a sigh of exasperation escaped her lips. She quickly pulled a delicate handkerchief from her sleeve and practically thrust it at Chinua.

"Wipe your mouth," Ankhtsetseg commanded, her patience wearing thin. "You need to learn how to eat properly! Do you understand why they serve us beggar's chicken?" Her voice was sharp, a reprimand thinly veiled as a question.

Chinua, however, merely chuckled. She knew the symbolism of the dish, but truly, it was delicious. "Oh, I understand," she said, wiping her mouth casually with her sleeve, a defiant glint in her eyes. "But this chicken is exceptionally delicious. If you don't believe me, just try some of your own 'beggar's chicken'!"

A frustrated gasp escaped Ankhtsetseg. She snatched back her now-useless handkerchief and jammed it back into her sleeve, her face a mask of barely controlled annoyance.

Noticing Ankhtsetseg's rising anger, Chinua wisely turned away. Perhaps out of sight, out of mind.

"Hye, do you think the ants will crawl fast enough to eat the food they collected in the queen's nest before the queen comes back?" Chinua whispered conspiratorially, her eyes twinkling.

Hye, whose gaze had been calmly surveying the meager vegetarian dishes on their table, responded with a faint, knowing smile. "If you ask me," he began, "if the ants crawl faster, they might just reach the queen's nest by midnight and even pilfer some of her food." He picked up a steamed chrysanthemum leaf, placing it carefully on the table. "Look, if the queen ant's nest is here..." He gently pushed one side of the leaf with the tip of a chopstick. "...those ants can crawl here and here." He pressed the chopsticks around the intricate lines of the leaf. "They'll escape before the queen comes back, and they'll even have time to snatch the queen's leftovers!" His smile broadened, a shared secret passing between them.

Ankhtsetseg's head snapped up at the sound of Hye's "ridiculous children's tale." Her voice tightened with disdain. "As a friend of the princess, you should teach her how to behave more like a princess. You cannot fill Chinua's head with ridiculous children's stories!"

Hye merely picked up the chrysanthemum leaf, popped it into his mouth, and chewed thoughtfully. He didn't even spare Ankhtsetseg a glance. "I don't think my story is ridiculous," he said, his voice flat. "Only the true blood of an Alpha Wolf can understand my ridiculous tale."

"You are a peasant! How dare you use that tone of voice to Her Highness!" Yagaan spat, her teeth gritted, her face flushed with indignation.

Ankhtsetseg, recognizing the growing tension, quickly intervened. "Yagaan, not here. We are still at a banquet," she hissed, desperate to prevent further damage to their kingdom's already tarnished image.

"Yes, Your Highness," Yagaan mumbled, her head bowed, her eyes darting away in frustrated obedience.

Across the hall, Zhiyuan rose, a smirk playing on his lips, and strode towards Misheel. "I've heard that the people of Hmagol are all great archers," he announced, his gaze sweeping over Chinua and Ankhtsetseg with a challenging glint. "I wonder if the princesses are also good archers."

A soldier, as if on cue, quickly stepped forward, presenting a bow and two arrows. Zhiyuan, with a flourish, snatched the bow and arrows with his right hand, grabbed an apple from a nearby table with his left, and flung it into the air. He closed his eyes, and with a soft thwip, released an arrow that struck the apple squarely in the middle. The apple, impaled, then slammed into the pillar to the left of Jianping's throne. With a self-satisfied grin, he handed the bow and the remaining arrow to Ankhtsetseg.

He said with a smile, "Princess, please show us your bow and arrow skills."

Ankhtsetseg's smile was practiced and polite, though her eyes held a hint of irritation. "My lord, women of Hmagol only practice needlework. We do not use bows and arrows, nor swords and spears."

Zhiyuan's frown deepened, his disappointment evident. "I had originally hoped that your nation would send a prince. I truly wished to take him out for hunting. There are many wild beasts roaming Haishi City."

"I sincerely apologize, perhaps next time," Ankhtsetseg replied, her tone still meticulously courteous.

"A thousand words of praise do not match the true picture," Zhiyuan scoffed, his gaze dismissive.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Chinua reached out and took the bow and arrow from Zhiyuan. "I just started learning bow and arrow," she said, a disarming smile on her face. "Do you want me to try it? But I'm a novice, and my skill isn't high. My arrow could land anywhere in this banquet hall." Her eyes met Zhiyuan's. "Do you still want me to shoot this arrow?"

Zhiyuan, confident in his assessment of her, grinned. "Go ahead. If your arrow hits the same apple on that pillar, I will give you ten chests of gold coins and three thousand horses." He was certain she'd either miss or refuse.

"What if I don't hit the same apple and accidentally cause someone to die or be injured?" Chinua asked, her voice tinged with a feigned concern.

"I will take full responsibility!" Zhiyuan declared, puffing out his chest. He knew she wouldn't dare. This hall was filled with royalty.

"You over there!" Chinua exclaimed, pointing dramatically at Geming. "Sorry, I forgot your name. You're our witness!"

Geming, intrigued, nodded slowly to Chinua.

Chinua deliberately fixed the arrow on the bowstring, then carefully aimed at the apple on the pillar. "Oh, I forgot," she murmured, a sly glint in her eyes. "You closed your eyes when you released the bowstring." With that, she closed her eyes. The arrow, a blur of motion, streaked over Jianping's head, pierced cleanly through the golden tiger head adorning Jianping's throne, and finally thudded into the back wall.

A collective gasp rippled through the stunned hall.

"How dare you attempt to assassinate my father!" Zhiyuan shrieked, his face pale with shock and fury.

Chinua opened her eyes, her expression utterly innocent. "My lord, I told you I'm a novice, but you insisted on seeing my poor skills. You can't blame me."

Hye, ever the sharp mind, rose smoothly to his feet. "This cannot be considered an assassination," he stated calmly, his voice cutting through the stunned silence. "Everyone sitting here, including Lord Xin, heard the conversation between the two of you." He looked pointedly at Geming. "Even the prince of Tanggolia is a witness." He turned his back to Zhiyuan for a moment, then spun back, meeting Zhiyuan's furious gaze head-on. "Oh, by the way, you said it yourself, if something happens, you will bear all the consequences. So, if you call this arrow an attempt to assassinate, does that mean you are trying to assassinate your own father?"

Jianping, his face a mask of composure despite the arrow lodged terrifyingly close to his throne, quickly stood. "Zhiyuan, you should choose a more experienced person next time, so that such an accident will never happen again." He walked down the steps, addressing the stunned assembly. "Everyone, please forget about this. Come on... come on... don't ruin this happy occasion."

Zhiyuan seethed, glaring at Chinua and Hye, before reluctantly stalking back to his seat, humiliation burning his cheeks.

After the banquet, Jianping, Xiyan, and Zhiyuan gathered in Jianping's study. Xiyan watched Zhiyuan from across the room, a hint of disdain in his eyes. Jianping, meanwhile, was sifting through the gifts, his brow furrowing as he noticed Ofleisia Kingdom had brought more than anyone else, even personal gifts for him.

Jianping looked at his two sons. "If Geming or Zhiming choose Princess Pua, you must choose Prince Koa." He fixed his gaze on Zhiyuan. "Do you understand?"

Zhiyuan balked. "Father, why me? I know Geming or Zhiming will probably choose Pua. How can I marry the prince?"

"Is there any problem with Prince Koa?" Jianping's voice was sharp. "Or do you want to choose one of the two princesses of Hmagol?"

"I would rather become a monk than marry a Magoli," Zhiyuan muttered, his voice dripping with contempt.

Xiyan calmly set down his book, his eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded the arrogant Zhiyuan. "Next time, do not pick a fight with the Magoli," he advised, then picked up his teacup and sipped thoughtfully.

Zhiyuan sneered. "If I had known she had such poor skill, I would have made a bet with her."

Jianping and Xiyan exchanged a knowing glance, shaking their heads. Xiyan finally asked, "Don't you understand her intention?"

Zhiyuan turned his elder brother genuinely puzzled. "What is the intention of the ugly princess?"

"Never judge a book by its cover," Xiyan stated, his voice grave. "Today's incident is the best example of this."

"I don't see any similarity," Zhiyuan grumbled, his eyes still clouded with confusion.

"You really don't understand?" Xiyan pressed, a hint of exasperation in his tone.

Zhiyuan popped a biscuit into his mouth, chewing as he slowly shook his head.

Xiyan sighed. "Speaking of the ugly princess holding the bow in her hand... it's impossible for her to miss the apple on the pillar. Her arrow sent a very clear message."

Zhiyuan choked on his biscuit, coughing violently. "Can you see all this from that arrow?" he spluttered, wide-eyed.

"Her arrow went straight to father's head, but instead, it hit the tiger's head," Xiyan explained, his gaze piercing. "She warned us." He stared intently at Zhiyuan. "This ugly princess is quite interesting. Therefore, do not mess with the bloodline of the Alpha wolf of Hmagol during their stay."

In the dusty old house behind the guest room, Hye slowly sipped a cup of tea, watching Chinua calmly eat pumpkin seeds. Just before midnight, the quiet was broken by the rhythmic tramp of many feet as guards swarmed into the guest room area.

Chinua rose, walked to the window, and peered out, her eyes scanning the increased guard presence around their small courtyard. She closed the window and turned, a triumphant smile playing on her lips, to face Hye, who remained seated at the table.

"Looks like the queen took the bait," she said, her voice filled with satisfaction.

Hye raised his head, a wry smile mirroring hers. "You really know how to attract attention," he agreed. "And your message was so clear, how could the queen ant not fall for it?"