PART 1 - THE DOWNFALL OF A PRINCE
CH.1: JIE XIANG
The townsfolk gathered around the young man in white robes; a traveller who exchanged faraway tales for a warm meal and a place to stay the night. He sat on the ground next to a flickering fire, its flames casting shadows on the hollows of his face. A cold breeze stirred the night as he spoke with a gentle voice, "Let me tell you a story…"
*
Long ago, the Kingdom of Chuan Xia had lived years of prosperity and glory before its peace was to be destroyed. The coming of age Ceremony of Crown Prince Jie Xiang marked the beginning of a new and dark era for the Kingdom of the Air Realm. Prince Jie Xiang had turned seventeen and as tradition dictated, he would leave the Imperial Palace on a golden stallion, riding through the streets amidst the cheering crowd of citizens until reaching the highest point of the city, where he would walk alone across the Ascension Bridge before being crowned.
Chuan Xia, 'The Valley of Rosy Clouds', was the northern Air Realm; an Imperial city built on the hillside of a mountain, with buildings located higher and higher upwards towards The Heavens, its tallest of structures piercing the clouds. The mountain forestry was covered in mist and steep cliffs lined every path; a fall only the 'Heir of Air' would survive. The Ascension Bridge located in the top far east side crossed an abysm of darkness that legend said, led to the depths of the Netherworld. And so, the crossing of the bridge symbolized Heaven's agreement, promising an auspicious future for the Kingdom. Although centuries had passed without there being one, it was said that the true 'Heir of the Air Realm', that controlled wind and light, would be awakened during this crossing and clouds would disperse as light poured down like rain from the sky.
The day of the Ceremony arose to a blinding sun as preparations began early in the morning; outside the Palace, streets were being decorated with thousands of flowers lining the path for Prince Jie Xiang to walk through and flags of the brightest colours were being held up. It had been a long time since the last celebration and the citizens had been eagerly waiting for this day to come. Jie Xiang was strolling down the Imperial Hall when a scolding voice called from behind, "Your Majesty! I've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been? You surely know what an important day today is…, don't tell me you have forgotten…" The truth is, he had, his mind always wandering far away from the Palace walls. He mentally reprimanded himself for worrying the Royal Advisor as he turned around to face his angered expression. "… I'm sorry, Master Guang Zhi." he tried, offering a slight smile. Guang Zhi's eyes widened before letting out an exasperated sigh. He had been by the Prince's side since he was a child as his instructor and was one of the few who really knew him; beneath that princely aura there was a boy who dreamt of freedom. Even though he had always been a diligent disciple in every matter concerning the ruling of Chuan Xia, from learning the political aspects to becoming the most adept at training with the sword surpassing his Master's expectations, his interests lay elsewhere. There wasn't a day Guang Zhi didn't find the Prince at the Royal Library, immersed in a pile of dusty old books that told of faraway lands. "All right, all right…" Guang Zhi conceded, shaking his head, "Now come with me, Your Majesty, you must get ready! And where is Prince Zhong Hei? Oh no, we are running very late!"
By the time the parade was about to start, Prince Zhong Hei was nowhere to be found. A palace worker told Guang Zhi that he had lost sight of him right after getting the Prince ready in his royal attire. He should have long ago left with the Emperor and the Queen in their carriage. But the Ceremony couldn't be held any longer; the sun had reached its highest peak in the sky. It would have to start without him, Guang Zhi resolved, praying to The Heavens for a miracle. He turned to the guards giving the order to open the Palace gates.
The enormous red doors at the entrance began to slowly open. The people in the streets held their breath. Moments later, a magnificent black stallion emerged from within, covered in glimmering golden pieces of battle armor; and riding on it, Crown Prince Jie Xiang. The crowd roared with cries of excitement, sending their praises of devotion to His Highness along the way, pushing each other to be as close to him as possible, hoping to catch a better glimpse of the ethereal figure. Prince Jie Xiang was dressed in long, white ceremonial robes made from the finest silk embroidered with gold, a cape draping behind him. His silver hair flowed gently down his back, intertwining with intricate golden pieces of stars falling from a delicate tiara crowning his head. He wore a stoic expression on his face; porcelain skin, white like snow and sharp features contrasting with the kindness in his light blue eyes. He looked Heavenly.
The parade had reached the middle of a broad street lined with people on either side when, all of a sudden, a shape emerged from the crowd on the right, grabbing Jie Xiang's long cape, "PRINCE JIE XIANG! I BEG OF YOU, MOTHER IS VERY ILL AND SHE NEEDS TO BE SEEN BY AN IMPERIAL DOCTOR! PLEASE BROTHER… JIE XIANG…" The guards had already surrounded the trembling figure and were about to punish whoever it was that had dared to touch the Prince, but Jie Xiang quickly gestured for them to stop. He dismounted from his horse and placed his hands on the sobbing boy's shoulders; he looked disheveled, wearing ragged clothes, probably no more than ten years of age. "What is your name, little one?" Jie Xiang asked. "Yu Yun… Y-Your Majesty…" replied the child shaking. Jie Xiang noticed that he was still holding on to his cape with a firm grip. He calmly said, "Tell me Yu Yun, why did you call me 'brother'? Am I not your Prince?" At that very moment, a girl rushed out of the crowd, pulling Yu Yun from behind and breaking his hold on Jie Xiang. She kept her gaze to the ground whilst apologizing on her little brother's behalf, but the boy looked like he wanted to say something. "Your Majesty" insisted his sister, "Please don't listen to his words, he is feverish and doesn't know what he is saying. I apologize again for everything." Bowing deeply, she grabbed the boy's hand, forcefully pulling him away; but Yu Yun kept gazing intently at Jie Xiang, so he asked the girl to stop in her tracks, to which she looked alarmed. Jie Xiang bent in front of the boy, waiting patiently for him to muster up the courage to speak. Finally, he muttered in a thin voice only Jie Xiang could hear, "Mother took you to the Palace when you were a newborn child." After a pause, he continued, the next few words forever ingrained in Jie Xiang's mind, "You are one of us." A cold shiver run down his spine. Yu Yun's tiny body collapsed in his arms as he fainted. Jie Xiang thought about what the boy had said and it made no sense at all. How could he, the Crown Prince of Chuan Xia, have a humble origin? He touched Yu Yun's forehead and felt it burning; the poor thing had probably been delusional with fever. He couldn't let this distract him from the important Ceremony that lay ahead and decided to ask Master Guang Zhi about it later on; the wise man would have a reasonable explanation that would ease his worries. The crowd around them was growing impatient, so Jie Xiang lifted the boy in his arms and placed him and his sister on top of his own horse, giving the guards orders for them to be immediately taken to palace grounds to be examined by the doctors. He also made sure they would find their mother too, recalling the boy's pleading words. The horses left in a hurry leaving clouds of dust behind. The Prince turned around and continued walking down his path, the crowd slowly forgetting the incident. But Jie Xiang wouldn't forget; and he couldn't ignore the seed of doubt that had started to grow inside of him.