Chapter 5 - Despair becomes Hope

"Repent and tell your secrets, otherwise be like the lying prince." declared white monks as they travel through the streets of the capital. The people have heard what happened and felt guilt for keeping secrets. Others felt dread and despair, the former prince somehow became their hope and was now dead after rescuing the princess.

Lord Tyron looked from the window of the palace, watching the people and the monks pass through the streets. "Thank you for coming to hear me." thanked Empress Wēi.

"It's not like I had anywhere to go now." stated the boy standing in front of them. His cloak and cowl were up as he carried a Wyvern around his hip.

"I'll have you know, I've dropped all the former prince's family sentences. I would like you to join me and become one of my strategists. I've heard you were good at strategy." said Empress Wēi.

"I'm touched, but I refused." stated the boy.

"Will you be going somewhere else then?" asked Lord Tyron, turning around to look at him.

"With our reason to fight dead, I've lost the motivation for men to fight. I'll go somewhere where I can be more powerful than here." stated the boy.

"My mother offered you a key position that you'll be great at. Why leave?" stated Princess Zhen, she was feeling pain since watching Zhōng die in front of her three weeks prior. Around her hip, she carried her Roktavor and the Ninja Sword like Zhōng did, it was a reminder to her that she couldn't save him.

"Because I will not bow my head to someone my brother trusted to be his heir. Especially since all that was promised to him was promised to me first. If anything, I should be getting everything." stated Zhēngfú. He turned and left the room as the guards opened and closed the doors behind them.

"Hard to believe that's my nephew." stated Lord Tyron as he shook his head and went back to looking out the window.

"I can see the resemblance." commented Empress Wēi as she turned her chair around to look out the window as well.

"Where did you bury him, again?" asked Princess Zhen, looking down at her hands.

"I've buried him in the ruins of Daiichi City, it was said that the last of Daiichi's line will be buried with the first." replied Lord Tyron watching outside of the window.

"How's your niece holding? It must be hard for her." asked Empress Wēi as they watch the monks trying to drag someone out of its home. They couldn't do anything, if they tried, more men will be killed. The guards couldn't seem to beat them even with the advantage, they had someone to deal with the guards.

"She's okay, like the rest of us, it's hard for her to accept that he won't come back. I have someone that Zhōng trusted in the black market protecting her right now along with my sister." replied Lord Tyron.

"Will that be enough to stop them from going after her?" asked Princess Zhen, he looked for more of them in the streets as they continued to watch the window.

"From what I've been told, they are only here." replied Lord Tyron.

"But why here only?" asked Empress Wēi.

"With all due respect, your majesty, I think the answer is right in front of you. They're after…" began Lord Tyron as he turned and paused. Empress Wēi and Princess Zhen were curious why before turning around and standing up in shock. Standing by a bookshelf nearby, was a boy. His hair was dark blond and disorganized, his eyes were blue and shined as he looked through a book, his cloak covered his body but a blue and silver pommel stuck out of the crack. He looked up and gesture for them to continue and went back to the book before realizing they were surprised. "It can't be," muttered Lord Tyron.

"Uh, I assume I'm not supposed to hear this," stated Zhōng as he put the book back and began to step away. "I'm just going to go back, just pretend you never saw me."

"Wait, Zhōng! Don't touch that watch." stated Lord Tyron as Zhōng was about to turn it.

"I believe my name is Truman, my lord." said Zhōng looking at the empress and the princess but they didn't seem surprised.

"They know Zhōng, your present self told them." explained Lord Tyron.

"So where is me?" asked Zhōng, taking his hand off the watch.

Lord Tyron ponder what to say, he couldn't say the truth otherwise it would tell Zhōng about his death. "I've sent you on a mission. Since you can be safe in other empires, we figure you can retrieve goods that we need." quickly replied Empress Wēi.

"I don't consider you to be a liar, your majesty. Cause you clearly suck at it." stated Zhōng, seeing right through the lie.

"It's the truth, she needed goods, I needed you to pick up a specific type of wood." added Lord Tyron. Zhōng looked at him, it was hard to tell if he was lying.

"Very well it explains why the shock faces considering I'm supposed to be in the Viking Empire." said Zhōng.

"Before we tell you more, could you tell me what was the last major thing that happen to you?" asked Lord Tyron.

"Well, we just got back home from Zhēn Lǐ, it was after I had to protect the princess. I remember packing and mapping my route to find those who were preparing for a rebellion. I don't know why, but I was curious how much I will find. Knowing this watch can time travel, I tinker with it and it brought me here just as the princess asked if it will be enough to stop them." answered Zhōng.

"That was last year," stated Princess Zhen, remembering the memory.

"Zhōng, can you wait outside real quick?" asked Lord Tyron, an idea pop into his head. Zhōng nodded and headed towards the door. "And throw your hood up, I'll come and get you when we're done."

"As you wish, uncle." replied Zhōng, he throw his hood up and became a stranger as he opened the door and shut it.

"What are you thinking?" asked Empress Wēi.

"Zhōng doesn't know he's dead, I want to keep it that way." whispered Lord Tyron.

"But why not send him back to his time?" asked Princess Zhen.

"Cause they don't know either. Your majesty, they are here for you. The more people they drag away, the more the people will do anything to keep their secrets safe. We need secrets, some things are too painful to tell or too intense to tell right now." explained Lord Tyron. "The only way to stop this is for you to leave."

"Cause then they'll be going after you." stated Empress Wēi, following Lord Tyron's logic.

"And I would put my chances of survival with Zhōng in the unknown than the known and desperate people." declared Lord Tyron.

"You sure we can trust him?" asked Empress Wēi.

"As long as he doesn't know his inevitable, he can be our best chance." replied Lord Tyron.

"But what about the Ninja Sword?" asked Princess Zhen.

Lord Tyron looked down at her hip, the Ninja Sword was right behind her Roktavor. The black sword was obvious but he had an idea. "You're going to need to hope that he doesn't look at it. If he does, tell him an excuse of why you have." explained Lord Tyron.

"But won't he question her?" asked Empress Wēi, remembering that Zhōng saw right through hers just a moment ago.

"You got to be confident, you can't have fear or hope dance in your eyes. Be confident and determined and it will be hard for him to know." replied Lord Tyron.

"I think I can do that." decided Princess Zhen.

"Good," stated Lord Tyron, he went to the door and opened it. "You can come back in now."

Zhōng turned his head, he was leaning on the wall outside. Under his cowl, he looked at his uncle with interest and curiosity. "What's the mission?" he asked.

"In a year, you'll be gone while white monks invade the capital. What they want is the princess, if they get her, there's no telling what they'll do to her." explained Lord Tyron.

"Pretty much, be her bodyguard to prevent them from getting her." summarized Zhōng.

"You're going to have to leave here and take her with you. But no one must know you are here as well, don't stop at any shops before you leave to get a few more things. You'll have to travel light." added Lord Tyron.

"Well that's going to make it difficult, I'm going to need some things and she needs to wear something not as rich." stated Zhōng, pointing at Princess Zhen's dress.

"We'll get them before you go, name them." demanded Empress Wēi.

A couple of hours later, Zhōng had his things and Princess Zhen wore a commoner's dress as they left the palace. The streets were crowded with people and monks as the princess stayed close to him. Zhōng's eyes were moving and his ears were active as he avoided the monks and weave through people. He stopped in front of a clothing store and read the sign. "I thought your uncle told you not to stop?" stated Princess Zhen, her cloak covered her blades and her hood was up to cover her hair.

"Well, I'm not having you travel in that," stated Zhōng as he entered the shop with the princess following.

"Hello there, what can I do for you two?" asked the tailor.

"I need an adventure dress that goes down to her midcalf." said Zhōng.

"Of course sir, I'll need to measure her and have both of your names." stated the tailor.

Zhōng wasted no time and piled bags of loose change on a countertop between them and the tailor. "How about you measure and forget the names, we need it now." offered Zhōng.

The tailor ponder looking at the pile of bags, he looked at the boy who looked like someone to not make mad. "Right this way, miss." he said, guiding Princess Zhen to the back.

After an hour of leaning on a wall, listening to the tailor working, Princess Zhen came back wearing a midcalf adventure dress. Her cloak was on, hiding her swords as she twirled in her new dress. She wore new boots to handle running and climbing on uneven terrain as her hair flew with her motions. "Thank you for a fast request." thanked Zhōng.

"You're welcome, I hope you two will have a grand adventure." replied the tailor. They left the shop with their hoods up and walked the streets again.

"How did you get all that money?" asked Princess Zhen a little further down.

"The way I'm doing right now," stated Zhōng as he jingle a bag at her. "Pickpocketing was my last resort to get money." They left the eastern gate, unnoticed, and traveled east through the mountains.

Later that night, Zhōng built a fire as they ate dried-out bread that should last them for three days. Zhōng's hood was still up as he tended the fire, he was focused and looked prepared. Princess Zhen ate her bread quietly watching him work when a bird chirped, frightening her. "I'm going to need your skirt." stated Zhōng after watching her jump.

"What? Why do you want it?" asked Princess Zhen, she just got it and clung to it for the secret underneath the dress.

"If you want to move without having something in your way, I'm going to need to trim it." explained Zhōng.

Princess Zhen wasn't sure at first, but after pondering, she stood up and turned her back as she pulled her skirt down. She stepped out of it and wrapped her cloak around her body before turning back around, and giving the skirt to him. Zhōng pulled out his sewing kit and cut carefully into the dress. His hands glided smoothly as he picture what the product will now look like. "Thank you," whispered Princess Zhen.

"You stitch my arm, it's the least I can do." replied Zhōng, continuing to cut a big hole in the front.

"Why didn't you ask the tailor to do this?" asked Princess Zhen.

"He'll tailor you a different dress and it would take longer than it took. And the stitching to this part won't last." explained Zhōng, taking a needle and thread and started to do the stitching. Princess Zhen was going to say something before Zhōng asked, "Was you receiving the Ninja Sword my only way to live and continued to serve you?"

Princess Zhen gathered her thoughts, she knew he'll ask and was deciding how to answer his question. "I think if I tell you, you'll perhaps know too much." she stated.

Zhōng nodded as he ponder on the information, he continued to work in silence as neither asked the other a question. "I don't know why my uncle is afraid for me to find out, but if they came while I was gone, then something has happened that is linked to me." stated Zhōng as he looked over his work.