Prince Khane returned to the fisherman's humble abode, his eyes weary from the search for their youngest daughter. But to his surprise, she was already back home, hiding in the house that night. The family's faces lit up with gratitude as they thanked him for his safe return.
Prince Khane shared stories of the wonderful experiences that had unfolded during his search, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and relief.
A day passed, and Prince Khane found himself at the bustling market, selling fresh fishes brought by the fisherman. His hands moved deftly as he cut fish for a customer, the sound of the knife slicing through the air.
Just then, Arnin appeared, his straw hat and grey robes a stark contrast to the vibrant market scene.
"Who is this?" Arnin said with a knowing smile, his eyes twinkling as he stopped in front of the stall.
Prince Khane wrapped the fish in paper, handed it to the customer with a warm smile, and collected the bronze pieces.
As the customer walked away, Arnin's expression turned serious. "You didn't care to look for your master after that night. You must think I'm insignificant.
Let me tell you, this unfilial disciple. You were supposed to look for me throughout the corners of Tamil state and you didn't.
Don't you want to practice martial arts again. Hurry up, pack up, lets move" Arnin said, his voice firm but laced with a hint of disappointment, as he adjusted his robes and looked away.
Prince Khane looked at Arnin's worn-out robes and raised an eyebrow. "Pack up to where? If I follow you, I'll definitely starve to death. When was the last time you ate? Come, let me buy you a bun."
Arnin's eyes widened in surprise, and he pointed at Prince Khane, his voice laced with indignation. "This... how can you judge me by my appearance? Who knows, I could be a prince in hiding!"
Prince Khane chuckled, unmoved by Arnin's protest. "Even if you're a prince in hiding, I'm not following a poor prince anywhere. When I'm ready to travel, I'll go on my own. Who knows, I might meet greater talents as I travel."
************************************
A carriage was passing through the roads of the market, and someone looked through the window when they she passed Arnin and prince khane.
It was Khillian. She opened her mouth to call Arnin and Prince Khane, but she closed it back and just watched them as the carriage passed by.
The aged official seated across from her noticed her fascination and asked, his voice low and gravelly, "Your Highness, do you know them?"
Princess Khillian's gaze lingered on the pair before she turned back to the official as she remembered that night "Some people I met during that night," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "
They may not be strong enough now, but I sense a potential within them, a spark that could ignite into greatness.
I hope they will stand with us, not the usurpers who currently occupy the throne.
Their names are etched in my memory, and when the time comes to reclaim our rightful place, I will seek them out."
The official's eyes clouded with concern, his wrinkled face a map of worries. "It was still a perilous move to confront those demons, Your Highness," he cautioned.
"What if the others hadn't been there to aid you, and you had fallen? All would have been lost. Your parents are gone, and your brother's might be dead."
*******
The official was the royal advisor for the former emperor and still the present royal advisor for the current emperor.
During the rebellion, he chose not to flee with the emperor, despite his loyalty, due to his large family and the danger it would pose to them. Nevertheless, his dedication to the true royal line remained unwavering.
After Prince Khane was secretly taken away by Scholar Elyon, the other family members attempted to escape to the neighboring country.
However, the empress couldn't bear to leave her son behind but she had to ,for him to be safe.
She looked at her daughter and instructed her trusted head maid to take her daughter to a secure location, disguising the princess in slave clothing to avoid detection.
As they journeyed , they never reached the kingdom's border. The rebels had anticipated their escape route and planted soldiers to intercept them.
The family members who attempted to escape were brutally slaughtered, left to be devoured by vultures. The palace maid managed to flee with the princess, but she struggled to care for herself and the young girl.
In a desperate move, she returned to the capital when the princess was ten years old, seeking out the left chancellor, now the royal advisor to the current emperor.
To conceal the princess's identity, the maid shaved her head, and dressed her in boy's clothing and to conceal her own identity,she disfigured her face with a knife.
Fortunately, the left chancellor remained loyal and took the princess under his protection.
To avoid raising suspicion with his family, he placed her in the care of his sister, the owner of a brothel.
He instructed that the princess was not to be sold into prostitution but instead was to learn to play the lute, performing for patrons with her face concealed when she came of age.
The princess grew up in this unlikely environment.
******
Princess Khillian's lips curled into a wry smile. "I was supposed to be guarded by those guards, but when the demon appeared, they hid in fear. It was almost... comical. I, the princess, protecting them instead."
The official's expression turned quizzical. "You didn't find it unsettling, Your Highness?"
Princess Khillian's smile grew wider. "Oh, I did. But also... amusing. The absurdity of it all. And I refuse to believe my brother is dead. I sense he's still out there, somewhere."
"Let's hope so," the official replied.
Princess Khillin's thought and said "And what of Nameless? Will he join me in my quest for justice, or has he succumbed to the allure of power and pledged his allegiance to the usurpers?"
The official's expression turned enigmatic. "Let us hope for the best, Your Highness. The threads of fate are complex.
We shall know when we meet him in Bacain."
As the carriage wheels creaked and groaned, and slowly pulled away from the Tamil state.
************************************
"Let's seek out a wise old martial artist I know," Arnin suggested.
Prince Khane hesitated. "Won't he demand payment? I'd rather not owe anyone. Besides, didn't Phera say this is something I need to fix myself?"
Arnin's eyes flashed with frustration as he clenched his jaw. "You're still listening to that naive Phase 4 girl? What does she know of the world?"
Just then, a procession of imperial horses and riders emerged from the market road, sending the crowd into a panic. People scrambled to kneel and kowtow as the horses passed by, avoiding eye contact.
Arnin looked around and wondered what was happening.He has never met prince eyrin but when he saw prince Eyrin attire,he knew he was a royal and followed suit.
"Khailian, kneel and kowtow!" Arnin whispered urgently in panic.
"Why?" Prince Khane asked, his voice laced with defiance.
"Because....."
Arnin's response was cut short as the imperial horses came to a halt in front of their stall. Prince Khane's gaze rose to meet the rider on the second horse,it was prince Eyrin .And their eyes locked in a tense stare.
Prince Eyrin's expression was one of haughty disdain, wondering who this insolent commoner was and what possessed him to disregard royal protocol. Prince Khane, on the other hand, was oblivious to the prince's identity, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
"Do you not know that you are to kowtow, or do you seek death?" Prince Eyrin demanded, his voice dripping with aristocratic arrogance.
"Who are you that I should kowtow to?" Prince Khane retorted, his tone firm and unyielding, his eyes never leaving Prince Eyrin's face.