The Last Dahlia

004

A couple of days later, three young "men" disembarked from a rickety merchant ship, stepping foot onto the sturdy boardwalk of Dahai's main pier. One of them, the smallest of the trio, was bright-eyed and eager as "he" scanned the new surroundings; the next looked entirely unimpressed, though a hint of a smile played upon his lips; last but not least, the tallest of them was sulking as he stepped ashore, having suffered at the hands of the other two along the way.

Maroo would likely never forget the experience of hanging off the side of the ship, staring face down at the deep blue sea that could have become his watery grave. Even though a compassionate sailor hauled him up merely an hour later, it had already been traumatising enough to leave a permanent scar in his memory. Since then, he kept his mouth tightly zipped, being clever enough to have learnt his lesson.

Thankfully for him, there were no more scares for the rest of the journey and he had survived in one piece. Yuhwa reckoned that was what was most important for him—staying alive so that he would be able to serve by his prince's side once more.

She caught Maroo looking around at the other ships docked along the pier, probably searching for the crown prince's ship. His face fell when he realised that the ship was nowhere to be seen. "What if something happened to the ship along the way? Maybe the assassins found their way on board the royal ship as well?" he mumbled, hands wrenching anxiously at his garment.

"If your crown prince is so almighty, surely he'll be able to dispatch a couple of assassins with ease." Yuehwa snorted. "Those people they sent to kill you were hardly worth an ounce of my effort."

"You're not even worthy of being compared with my prince's little finger!"

Turning around to face him, Yuehwa grabbed him by the collar and gave him a good shake. "Excuse me? I don't think I heard you quite well."

Gulping, Maroo frantically shook his head, denying that he ever said anything.

"Where are you headed now?" Shoya asked.

"Me?" Yuehwa let go of Maroo, turning to look at her other companion. Shrugging her shoulders, she replied, "Don't know. Explore the city I suppose? The annual sparring championships doesn't begin for another week. Plenty of time to eat good food before then."

The port of Dahai was bustling with activity, with ships busy unloading their passengers and cargo onto the docks. There were merchants shouting instructions to deck hands, nobles from the five kingdoms dressed in all manners of expensive silks, children running around playing hide-and-seek among the crowd. There was something different to be seen around every corner and Yuehwa simply could not wait to see more.

Exchanging a glance with her feathered friend, she began marching down the boardwalk towards the city, tossing the other two behind.

Dahai was vastly different from the other cities she had come across. As an island kingdom, it served as the port of call between the other four kingdoms and the lands beyond. As a result, the architecture and culture of the kingdom was an eclectic mosaic that reflected the influences of those who passed through its shores.

As she walked down the street, Yuehwa was enthralled by the numerous small stalls she saw along the way, each selling unique trinkets and snacks that she had never seen before on the mainland.

"Could I get one of those please?" she said gleefully as she pointed to what looked to be tiny octopuses strung on wooden skewers, roasting cheerily over charcoal.

"Gross... What is that?" a voice echoed from behind her.

Turning around in surprise, she found Maroo peering over her shoulder, a look of disgust etched on his face as he studied the mini octopuses. "You're still here? Why are you following me around?" she said with a frown.