After a relentless trek, Yetsune and Erya finally reach the hunting ground's perimeter.
"Down!" Erya hisses, yanking Yetsune into a crouch as soldiers come into view. "One, two, three… too many to handle quietly."
Yetsune's eyebrows arch in disbelief. "Were you considering fighting your way in?" She had assumed Erya, being the more level-headed of the two, would know better than to alert the guards when their goal is to sneak in unnoticed.
Erya clears her throat, slightly abashed. "I was merely thinking aloud. What's your suggestion, then?"
"Aren't you supposed to be the sensible one?" Yetsune huffs, still bitter from Erya's earlier reprimand.
Erya exhales deeply in exasperation. "This is no time to bicker. If Your Highness is still cross about earlier then I apologise."
Yetsune recoils slightly, surprised that Erya's caved in so easily. "I suggest we create a distraction at the main entrance." She points to the entrance where the soldiers are concentrated.
"And where would we enter if they're all gathered there?"
"There," Yetsune points to the rear of the perimeter. Though far from where the entourage should be, it's a reasonable alternative.
They continue running gingerly through the woods, wary that they may chance upon the emperor during his hunt.
"Cha!" The Emperor's voice rings out as he urges his horse forward, closing in on a fleeing deer. He readies his bow, his focus steady as he lines up the perfect shot.
The deer bounds ahead, but the Emperor patiently calculates its trajectory. Just as he prepares to loose his arrow, Yetsune and Erya burst onto the scene. They instantly squat to the ground upon spotting the mounted figure.
"Is that—" Yetsune begins, but Erya swiftly clamps a hand over her mouth.
"Shh," she warns, and Yetsune nods before Erya removes her hand.
Suddenly, a piercing whinny splits the air. The horse rears up, front hooves pawing the sky, causing the Emperor to release his arrow wildly upward. Startled, he grapples with the reins, struggling to regain control of his mount.
"Shh," she warns, and Yetsune nods before Erya removes her hand.
Suddenly, a piercing whinny splits the air. The horse rears up, front hooves pawing the sky, causing the Emperor to release his arrow upward. Startled, he grapples with the reins, struggling to regain control of his mount.
The arrow that was shot into the air suddenly plummets back towards the Emperor. Yetsune gasps as he ducks, but too late. It narrowly misses his left chest, only to find its mark on the right.
"What's happening?" Yetsune whispers, eyes wide with shock. Encountering the Emperor on the brink of death was certainly not part of their plan. She springs to her feet without a thought and runs towards the horse bolting about aimlessly
"Your Highness!" Erya cries out. Yetsune tries to leave the trail where they are hiding but Erya quickly grabs her and pulls her back down
"We have to save him," Yetsune whispers.
"You mustn't!" Erya whispers back with a grave expression. "How are you going to explain our presence to his entourage? They'll suspect us of causing this accident."
Yetsune struggles against Erya's grip. "If he dies, a successor will be crowned immediately. I'll lose my chance to return to Aisin before they discover the Crown Princess is missing. Even when I'm found, I'll forfeit my freedom without an opportunity to experience what more this world has to offer!"
"Stop!" the Emperor commands his steed, to no avail. He clutches his bleeding chest, the pain intensifying with each frantic movement.
Erya bites her lip, glancing at the Emperor teetering on the brink of being thrown. "Alright," she concedes, retrieving a small wooden cylinder from her pocket. "I'll save him. Aim this at the horse's neck when I reach it and blow."
Yetsune takes the object as Erya warns, "Be careful," before sprinting towards the rampaging horse.
The Emperor is surprised to see someone suddenly appear before the berserk horse but it is the least of his concern. He is already wearing out from the bleeding chest and the horse is strangely stronger than usual.
"Now!" Erya shouts, arms spread wide to distract the horse. Yetsune blows into the cylinder, launching a needle that pierces the horse's neck. The horse rears up, throwing the Emperor off. Erya catches him mid-air, but they tumble to the ground, rolling over.
"We did it!" Yetsune cries triumphantly, running towards them.
Erya, groaning in pain, opens her eyes to see Yetsune approaching. Then she spots the horse racing towards the princess. "Don't come over!" she screams, eyes widened in horror.
Yetsune halts, confusion etched on her face before she glances over her shoulder. Terror grips her entire body as she watches the charging horse. The thunderous sound of hooves fills the air as the horse's front legs hit Yetsune, launching her into the sky. For a heartbeat, time seems to stand still as her body arcs through the air before plummeting towards the ground.
"Yetsune!" Erya's anguished cry pierces the silence. She shoves the emperor aside and races to catch Yetsune before her body hits the ground.
Yetsune catches a blurry glimpse of the horse crumpling to the ground and a bloodied sword before darkness engulfs her. Cradling the unconscious princess against her chest, hot tears stream down Erya's face, her anguished cry drowning out the distant voices.
Regret floods her entire being. Every decision since Yetsune revealed her plan now haunts Erya. If only she had adamantly refused to accompany Yetsune on this ill-fated escapade. At the very least, she should have warned the First Princess. Yet her deepest regret stems from not forsaking the Emperor to his death.
Wiping away her tears, Erya gathers Yetsune in her arms. "I will find someone to save you," she whispers, struggling to stand when the Captain appears before them.
"Take her," the Captain commands.
A soldier forcefully wrenches Yetsune from Erya's trembling grasp, while two others restrain her. She tries to resist, but the incident has sapped her strength.
"Please, save her!" Erya pleads, her voice choked with sobs.
The Captain, who had slain the horse moments after it trampled Yetsune, examines the princess, holding two fingers to her nostrils. "She's still alive," he reveals. Erya gasps in relief, attempting to move closer, but the soldiers hold her down.
"Take her to the physician," the Captain orders. The soldier carrying Yetsune mounts his horse and rides away behind the Emperor's carriage.
The Captain returns to Erya, aiming his bloodied sword at her neck. "Who are you and how did you get in here?"
His frown tells her one wrong answer would mean death for both her and Yetsune. Swallowing hard, Erya's mind races for a plausible lie.
"We… we are b-beggars," she stutters. "We saw the blockade and thought some noble person must be hunting here, so we intended to steal their kills."
"Some noble person? Turns out there is someone in Velaris who doesn't know this is an imperial hunting ground," The Captain's remark drips with suspicion.
Erya waves her hand in pretence. "I swear we didn't do it. We saw the horse had gone mad and tried to save him but who would have thought-" her voice hitches and a sob escapes instead of words.
"Tie her down till we get to the palace," he orders the soldiers holding her down then sheathes his sword. Then he mounts his horse, riding fast to catch up with the Emperor's carriage.