The Untamed Princess

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Promising Introduction

Weisheng woke just after dawn to find Ming Yue fast asleep in the same position she had been in when he closed his eyes.  If anything, he had moved a little closer to her until she was tucked tightly against him, and his arm was now circled fully around her waist, trapping her in place.

He removed his hand and shuffled back slowly.  Having lost her support, Ming Yue rolled onto her back, but continued to sleep soundly.  Now able to see her face properly, Weisheng allowed himself a few moments to appreciate it.

He was beyond fortunate, he thought, that this astonishing young woman had chosen to open her heart to him and was now sleeping so peacefully in his presence.

Weisheng rose from the bed and walked towards the bowl of water on a nearby table.  He splashed his face a few times, then reached for a cloth.  Turning around, he was surprised to see that the serene moment had passed.  Ming Yue had woken up and was now pulling on her boots.

"You can't go yet," he said.  "The guards shouldn't see you leaving my tent this early in the morning." 

Ming Yue shot him a quick smile.

"Don't worry, they won't," she reassured him, then gestured behind her.

Looking at the back of the tent, Weisheng saw a large slash in the fabric of the structure.  The one physical reminder of the attempt on his life two nights previously.  It had been only hastily patched up, and a strong tug on the material would leave plenty of room for a person to fit through.

Weisheng smiled ruefully.

"I suppose I can't argue with that," he said. 

With another smile, Ming Yue jumped up from the bed, and disappeared from view within seconds.  Weisheng just shrugged.  He had ceased being surprised by anything the young woman did.

After only a few short moments, Luo Jian appeared at the tent's entrance.  The prince sighed heavily.  It was almost as if the man had a sixth sense about these things.

***

Just a couple of hours later, the Jin delegation set off for home.  Ming Yue's eyes narrowed as she tried to keep them fixed on the caravan of people disappearing into the distance.  By now, they had just crossed over the border and were on familiar soil.

She turned to look back at the flurry of activity behind her as her temporary home was being gradually disassembled, and realised that she was now the only person still stood just outside the camp entrance.

It did not take long to make out the familiar figures of Weisheng and Luo Jian talking with some royal guards close to what remained of the prince's tent.

Not for the first time, she wondered if even she believed the reasons she had given Wang Wei for staying in Han, and whether her real motivation in returning to the foreign capital was something altogether more personal.

Taking a deep breath, she made her way back inside, heading towards Eunuch Wang, who was frantically beckoning her over as he pored over the various boxes full of documents.