Blood Empire

Chapter 9

The streets become darker, the people less cheerful as they watch from their windows and from front door stoops, suspicious at the people walking by.

Yuan leads them to the orphanage, where a sister stands on the stoop, her eyes scanning around in panic.

"Lee where are you?!" she calls, taking a step down as if she had only just realised the boy was missing.

"I here," The boy in Karilya's arms answers.

The woman looks over to them, her head snapping to the sound of the little boy's voice. Her eyes widen in shock as she realises just who approaches.

"Lee!" she gapes, her eyes then find the prince's face and she bows low and expresses her gratitude over and over, "thank you for finding him, my prince."

"We found him in the upper city," Karilya says with a warm smile, "he's a little shaken but he's ok, aren't you?"

"Sister Ena, can I my new friends my room?" the boy asks as the princess sets him down.

The woman gapes and sputters, not used to being around people of such high standing.

"Of, of course," she stammers, "Only if it suits their royal highnesses."

Yuan hitches the horses out front and then follows the prince and princess inside, all his senses on high alert.

The princess is not worried or concerned at all, she talks to the children who seem to gravitate towards her.

"Show the princess your respect," the sister instructs.

"Oh, they don't have to," Karilya says as they climb on her and demand her attention.

Though the children are in high spirits, Karilya can't help but feel a pang of sadness for them, they wear old clothes that barely fit and most seem much too small and skinny for their age.

"We do what we can," the sister says softly, "but we rely mostly on donations."

Without a second thought, Karilya starts handing out the expensive and luxury items that Elios had just brought her.

"You can make them clothes out of this," Karilya says, handing over the fabrics.

"Aren't you going to stop her?" Yuan asks the prince quietly, "She is giving away everything you brought."

But Elios is just amazed at the princess, so kind and gentle, even to the lowest citizens, she gives her jewellery to another sister as a crowd gathers and tells them to sell them and buy whatever the children need, toys, food or bedding.

"What is going on here?!" a sharper voice cuts through the noise and all in the building fall silent.

The crowd parts and an older woman is revealed.

"Mother May, The prince and princess found Lee," one of the sister explains, she smiles widely and holds up the fabrics in her arms, "look at what the princess has given."

The woman walks forward, leaning on a cane as her old, worn face shrivels and turns sour at the sight of the princess.

"She is Amayan," the woman sneers, "she is the reason that these children are orphans."

Silence settles as Karilya's kind face falls and her eyes widen in shock.

The children look to the princess with wide eyes filled with shock and hurt.

"Get out of my home," the mother says, standing against the princess, "we will not have a Xueangfu like you darkening our halls."

"You stand before your princess," Yuan says, drawing his blade, "You will not speak to her in such a way, or I will have your tongue."