Had they really gotten this fortunate turn of luck to bestow its graciousness upon them? A hidden ship on the other side of the peninsula—right there all along?

The Knight Commander of the Winged Blades was just waiting for something to go wrong. She glanced about into the forest. The foothills lowered her visibility to see far off. She had sent scouts, but they couldn’t always be relied upon.

“Settle down.” the mage told her, walking beside Liandra. He had caught up with them after leaving her at the harbor.

She jerked her face toward the man. He was breathing hard, not looking at her. “Don’t tell me to settle down. The Emperor has just died under my watch. I’m taking no chances.”

“I’ve already been to and from the ship,” Lawrence said. “There’s been no sign of the enemy anywhere in the area—much less on her decks.”

“Still…”

Liandra turned to regard the column. Prince Masaru had been placed up front and surrounded by two of her knights, and behind came the princess, also surrounded by imperial soldiers and her other two knights.

In case of attack, she had them separated, rather than providing two targets in close proximity to one another. As it stood now, only Masaru knew of the emperor’s death, while the princess was currently unaware.

Liandra wanted to snarl, to cut some enemy to pieces. If that damned assassin came at them again, he wouldn’t be able to jump into their ranks and kill them both at the same time.

“I’ve never seen a hurg so dangerous in all my life,” she muttered. “The prince can barely walk. I don’t know how he survived when his father did not. The princess was just over the hill. She still doesn’t know…”

“Neither have I,” he said, obviously in answer to her comment about the hurg. “He almost killed me coming to the temple, but Sakura saved my life.” He glanced back. “I feel bad for the Princess.”

“So do I. Who is Sakura?”

“My—“ He paused for a moment, then seemed to change what he wanted to say. “She’s someone important to me.”

A lover, perhaps? Is that what all your running about is for?”

“I see. How did she save you?” she asked the question without looking at him. She wouldn’t be distracted now of all times, when they were nearly out of this place—away from danger.

“She has healing magic,” the mage said. “That hurg assassin nearly broke my skull, but she healed me.”

“That ‘hurg assassin’ is called Urhaggha, a known killer on some parts of the world. You’re lucky to be alive.”

“I know.”

Why he was let into the palace, I don’t know, she thought. Such foolishness and ineptitude.

“How is it that the knowledge of this ship’s location became known to you, mage?”

“It belongs to her troupe,” he said. “Sakura’s. She’s called the Akaima Dancing Fan.”

“This friend of yours is one of the Dancing Fans?”

“Yes.”

“I’m surprised you have such interesting friends,” Liandra said.

The mage smirked. “You have no idea, knight.”

“Well then”—something cracked in the trees above the hill to their right. She turned her head to her right, peered out into the forest.

“What is it?”

“Something is wrong.” She felt it coming.

“Look out!”

Like the wind, the hurg assassin shot out from the trees in an arc that would land him directly atop Prince Masaru.

Liandra jumped and intercepted the hurg in mid-air.

Her vision shook and she grunted when she landed on her back. The clanging of armor and weapons being drawn amidst shouts of alarm erupted about her.

He kicked me in mid-air?

Liandra groaned again. Something exploded. Soldiers shouted and cried furiously with the intent to kill.

When she fully came to, she took the offered hand and was helped up by the mage, who kept his eyes trained on the hills ahead while the grass there crackled and burned, but not much, since it was wet. His arms were lit with glowing marks.

Men were scrambling everywhere. Especially at their front while lines of men came back to surround the princess. She started to make her way to the prince. “What happened?”

“Masaru,” the mage said.

“The prince?”

“He’s dead.”

“What?!”

“You were unconscious for several moments.”

Her mouth wide open, Liandra didn’t know how to respond.

How can this be? I’ve failed?