Chapter Five - I'm Alethea, you are?

The beginning of the Mo dynasty was chaotic. The emperor, Mo Han was a pawn for the empress dowager and the eight great families. He wasn't the son of the Empress dowager but managed to ascend the throne because she didn't want to lose the power she had in the court. His Empress was a spy sent by the Empress dowager's family, the Qi family. She and the Emperor played the loving couple and the father and mother of the country.

Emperor Mo Han despised his Empress so he filled his harem with beauties. One of the concubines who was of common birth bore him a son, Mo Ting around the same time the empress had her own son, Mo Li.

The Empress and the concubine went into labour at the same time but the Emperor rushed to the courtyard of the concubine. The love of the Emperor is dangerous. The love of the Emperor was to be shared equally among the ladies of the harem, not monopolized by one person.

The Empress dowager bribed a midwife who killed the concubine and declared that she died of bleeding during childbirth. Mo Han could only do so much as offering the son of the woman he loved luxury but the child who had no mother, had no say.

Over time, the Emperor loved another and forgot about him.

Years passed and Mo Ting was now a young man of thirteen. The Kingdom of Nirvana was steadily swallowing the territories of the Great Chi Empire. The Emperor and his ministers deliberated and decided to sign a peace treaty with Nirvana. They sent Mo Ting as a hostage prince to Nirvana.

As the carriage left Great Chi for Nirvana, Mo Ting swore to avenge his mother's death and take over the country.

As a prisoner of war, Mo Ting naturally received no respect from the people of Nirvana.

He endured and secretly watched the knights train, then trained by himself in his courtyard. The absence of servants which was supposed to serve as spite to him worked to his advantage.

One time, he was watching the knights train when a little girl in a worn out dress bumped into him. She was about eight, had lovely golden blonde hair and mesmerizing blue eyes.

'blue eyes are the symbol of Nirvanian royalty... Why is she dressed so shabbily?' Mo Ting wondered

The girl greeted Mo Ting in a 'lady like' manner and tripped on her own feet. Mo Ting help her gain her balance while she murmured a 'thanks' and patted her dress.

"I'm really not good at this courtesy thing" she muttered

He cocked

"Nice to meet you... I'm Alethea... You are?"

After contemplating for some time he replied in a cold voice,

"Mo Ting"

"I know! You're that boy who was abandoned by your family... I'm so sorry..." She said, pity reflecting in her eyes.

He looked at her with sarcasm in his eyes,

"You don't look much better yourself "

He didn't know what had gotten into him. He just felt the urge to take to the strange girl.

She laughed in response,

"My mother is a maid and she's dead... How well do you expect me to live?"

He looked at her bubbly appearance that contrasted the sad words that she spoke. He felt the urge to protect her.

Mo Ting patted her head to her surprise.

"I'll take care of you from now on"

Alethea looked at Mo Ting like he had lost his mind.

"You do realize you're a hostage?"

"Don't worry about that" he said patting her head again

"I'll gather enough power to conquer Mo Han "

Since that day, Alethea and Mo Ring were inseparable. He practiced martial arts and taught Alethea the customs of the Great Chi as she found it interesting. In return she taught him the Nirvanian traditions and brought him to watch the princes when they practiced. They watched in secret of course. Mo Ting saved up the little stipends the Emperor of Nirvana gave out to him monthly and established a trade in the black market. The Emperor of Nirvana liked people to think of him as generous and benevolent hence the reason Mo Ting got stipends, though the money wasn't worth much.

He bought men and trained them secretly as knights. Years passed and Mo Ting was now twenty one years old while Alethea was 16. He was on his way back from the hideout of his secret army in the dead of the night when an arrow shot past him and embedded itself into the tree behind him. The killing intent in the fired arrow was obvious. He dismounted from his horse and led the horse to hide behind the bushes.

The Crown Prince of Nirvana, Ares staggered past him, badly wounded and some assassins were hot on his chase. A plan morphed in Mo Ting's mind. He stalked after Ares, his black clothes making him blend into the darkness around them.

Mo Ting covered the mouth of Ares from behind and dragged him behind the bushes.

"Who are you?" Ares asked

"Shut up!" Mo Ting hissed

Ares' eyes widened as Mo Ting's face came in view.

'the hostage' he thought

Mo Ting's face wasn't particularly known but it was easily distinguishable. He had phoenix shaped dark eyes and an Oriental face.

"I'll help you if you agree to ally with me"

"How do I know you'll actually help me and you're not one of the assassins"

Mo Ting smirked playing with a little knife. He leaned down against the Ares who was sitting at the trunk of a tree,

"You see.... You have no choice.... It's either you agree to my conditions and I'll help you or you disagree and ..."

"What? You'll kill me?"

"No..." Mo Ting chuckled "The assassins will kill you... That's what your father will think anyways"

Ares cursed under his breath. He had already lost much blood and was beginning to feel faint.

"Please help me" he begged "I'll owe you a favor"

"I just want one thing... Aid me in taking over Great Chi"

Ares glanced at Mo Ting who looked like the King of darkness.

"Deal"

Mo Ting carried Ares who had fainted back to the hideout of his secret army and treated him.