Chapter 8

"Though top secrets were never leaked to anyone I have heard that your father met with serious circumstances and currently is missing, no one knows exactly what happened to him and if you wanted to know where is he, you should prepare yourself well before rescuing him," "How can I prepare myself and what kind of preparation?" she asked stopping him.

"If I wanted to reach my master I needed master level practice so that I could rescue him," "that means I have to prepare to reach Master Level Archery to rescue my father?" he appreciated her again and said, "You are quite intelligent and if you come to high-level Archery, your father will be proud of you as well."

She was soft and innocent, what he wanted to give her 'direction' she would find ways to live as well. If she could not save her father she would be prepared to accept the fact by then.

He doesn't want her to waste her meaningful years in this situation, he wanted her to learn through thick and thin.

He wanted to know the real circumstances, it was clear that King was hiding something grave but he don't know what was?

Her lively robustness came back when she heard that she could help her father in this way. She came to her ring with new vehemence.

Three years later she was an intermediate level, Archer Master.

She was nine years old now, and her practice was going well but she needed field practice which would improve and strengthen her also she would face the world first in this way.

But it would be difficult for her to walk in the streets.

She prepared her special black robe and leather with iron rods; she made extra leather strips to hang Reflex Bow in front of her.

She learned martial arts from Wan Hu Shang, instead of walking in the streets; she climbed on roofs to keep hidden herself from strangers.

It was a peaceful night, she was jumping up and down in the city, and she reached the market area, where all of the shops were closed.

Henna was about to leave and jump next roof when she saw, four men looking around and approaching a closed shop; it was a big jeweler shop by the sign she read.

Four men were hiding their faces with handkerchiefs and were ready to commit robbery.

She thought she should wait, she could not predict their intentions by a single glance.

They broke the iron door locks and two men stayed out to keep an eye while two went in, now it was clear, that city defense was nowhere.

She prepared and shot up arrow on at the right shoulder of one man, as it hit the shoulder, he cried with a blood-curdling scream.

Two men were inside running out with jewelry in their hands and a big pouch, she shot up two arrows within this moment consecutively, they fell with a thud one ran with fear, she let him run in fact.

She stayed there if the fourth one wanted to bring more people, they would face the same fate, they were ordinary thieves so they did not try to move with one arrow afraid that the arrow shooter would be on guard, they were right indeed.

Just before the dawn, she came from Palace back door which was not in use for many years and it was deserted too…

In the morning when the first shop owner of the market came he was stunned to see the sight, after a few minutes all shop owners were gathered there.

The owner of the shop called inner defense soon. It came that no single ring was stolen from this shop while these robbers were injured by arrows, it seemed that the person who injured them had not the intention to rob the shop.

The inner defense was point-blank on this matter, it was not the member of security who injured them. After a day of the talk, many shut their mouths and many forgot the incident, after all, it was a small matter. It became her routine to survey the city at night and practice in the ring during the day.

Only three hours sleep in the evening, she used to go when her caretaker went to sleep and came back before dawn.

The next night she went out as usual and peeped into the dark to see the surrounding.

She saw a family was about to cross the river and were constantly looking behind them.

They were seven in number, she was curious what made them fear and cross the river on such night, she looked around, they have nothing to cross the river so they were standing on the bank of the river.

Few men rushed toward them and forcefully brought them back from the riverbank.

She followed them from the rooftops.

They entered a house, they stood in the courtyard and started arguing with the old man of the family. Pushed a girl on his back like hiding her from them, the man who was arguing put a sharp cut on the chest of old man, she shoots her arrow and that man fell, she shot three more and his three fellows also fell.

The old man saw up above and saw a veiled shadow in the dim light of the moon and bowed. She stayed there for a while, the family drag those men out of their courtyard.

...............

After a month she was used to this routine she started her high-Level Archery lessons too. In this, she learned to shoot two or three arrows at once but she needed to change or modify her Reflex Bow, presently it could be shot one at a time.

She talked to Wan Hu about this.

He said he would accompany her to the shop where she bought this Reflex Bow, now they were good friends too.

The next day many chariots followed them to the market, it was evident that Prince was traveling through an extravagant chariot; the chariot itself was King's ride.

They loomed the shop, she requested the shop owner as she wanted to modify her bow he understood, and after all, it was his creation.

He gladly promised to give back subsequently a week when he would be done with the alteration, would deliver to Palace personally…

Preparations and the Event of the Queen's Birthday

Though it was not tradition because King loves his wife so much so he decided to celebrate her birthday like a royal event, as it was a grand event many respected members of the royal city were invited.

Preparations started one week.

Queen not only took interest to order a beautiful silk gown for herself but also for Henna. In this coming spring, she would be ten years old, she was happy to see her lively again.

Henna was always busy learning many things, she started to take interest in small pleasures too, her reticent nature was still there and always she would say something which Queen would praise. Henna felt gratitude for the way Queen pay attention to her like a mother.

Queen insisted and she selected a deep blue silk gown with white decorated lace strips.

King prepared for the special prediction ritual.

In this ritual, King would predict next year's happenings in her life through Oracle Bone Prediction.