Xiao Jun carried Qianru on his back with Xiao Tianyao followed behind them reluctantly. Didn't know what they were thinking, but they chose to sneak into the washing area and grabbed some dress that could fit to little Qianru instead of asking for a maid servant to bring them the dress.
Obliviously they didn't think that way when the three of them went inside. Fortunately, it was lunch time, so most of the female maid servants were not there.
Xiao Jun grabbed a decent dress and gave it to Qianru while ushered her inside a bathroom to clean up herself and take a quick bath.
"I don't want to take a bath there…." Qianru objected when she watched the lousy bathroom. "This dress is not pretty too." She shoved back the dress that Xiao Jun had snatched from the washing room.
"Please, just this time." Xiao Jun gave back the dress to Qianru's hands. "You can't comeback with that look."
"Because Imperial Father will punish you." Xiao Tianyao chimed in.
The friendship of the three of them were well known in the palace, it was a common scene to see the three of them were playing together, however since Xiao Jun often made Qianru crying, their father warned him.
It wasn't a good sight to see a crown prince of the country made a ten years girl crying. However, strangely enough, almost every time Qianru was with the two of them, something miserable would happen to her, like the thing that just happened now.
It was only a small incident, but it happened so often.
Ignoring Xiao Tianyao's word, Xiao Jun pushed her inside the bathroom. Frowning and sulking, the little girl complied.
But it didn't take a minute before she went out again.
"What happen?" Xiao Jun asked impatiently, looking Qianru still didn't clean her up.
"There are two doors inside, how if somebody come in through the other door? And how you will let me know if someone approaches us?"
"Oh, right." Xiao Jun hit his forehead while Xiao Tianyao looked boringly at his brother. "It's okay. I will watch here and Tianyao will look at the other door." He suggested.
Qianru tilted her head. "And how you will let me know if someone nearby?"
"It's easy." Xiao Jun grinned, showing his bright smile. "I had learned this when I was in the Black Sword Clan. They have unique way to communicate with each other while they are…"
"Can you save the story for later?" Xiao Tianyao cut his explanation coldly.
His interjected rewarded him with a slap on the back of his hand from Xiao Jun, but the story stopped and Xiao Jun taught Xiao Tianyao how to produce that sound. An odd sound from a strange bird that The Shadow Guard from the Black Sword Clan used it for communicate with each other.
Since then, in rare occasion they would use this method as another way to communicate with each other. This was the three of them little secret.
They were so happy back then. Playing freely, teasing without restraint and smiling often. They wouldn't have thought that things that they used to share and they used to know would end up like this.
They wouldn't have known a few years later from that time, they needed to bring the worse side of them to another level, so they could survive, also with many heart- wrenching event that happened within those terrible years, that had changed the way they used to be.
However, something might not change, the boy was still the reason why the little girl was crying, but this time it was for another reason.
Qianru hoped things would get better between Xiao Jun and her now.
***
Their journey to the Kingdom of Rockstone took twenty days before they could enter the capital city.
Outside the entrance gates Prince Mo Xuan Fei with his entourage had been waiting for them. He was the first son of Mo Qian Yuan, The Emperor of Rockstone Kingdom, from a concubine.
His status wasn't high as his mother and he were not people who favored by the Emperor. With him being the person who greeted them, it was very clear that Mo Qian Yuan didn't look forward for Xiao Jun's visit.
Qianru became tense as furrow formed between her eyes.
"It's just beginning." Xiao Jun said leisurely while looking at the Prince who was sitting atop of his sturdy horse.
"Doesn't look like a good start." Qianru murmured.
"I had told you before right?" Xiao Jun patted her head.
"Well, since we are here, let's face it then."
With Qianru's statement, both of them chuckled in understanding. Everything would be fine as long as Xiao Jun was beside her, right?