Sword of Honor

Chapter 9

It took another day camping outside between the two kingdoms; one bloomed from and the other I'm longing to return to.

Camping until one more day returning to the Jin Empire tells me my stomach churn for its worst event. I could sense something of myself getting into.

I stayed in Enchantia for two years without reporting to the Emperor that I was alive. I didn't want to return but as the soldier of the Jin Empire it's my duty.

The fire flickered illuminating it's warm colors upon my face feeling the warm during the cold night. Owls hooting and singing crickets was the harmony of the forest.

I laid my back against the thick wall of wood. Just staring at the fire before me thinking and regretting.

A carton of water surprised me as I looked up at Ling with his smile.

"Here," handing me the water can. And sat next to me.

"Thanks," drinking from the water can. Licking my lips I return to watch the dancing flames.

"Jie?" Ling called to me. "Do you regret it? Leaving Enchantia?"

"I will visit after the war is over after Khan is defeated," I replied.

"Prince Matthias offered to aid us."

"That's good," taking another jug off from the can. "Can sure sure some help in case we are out numbered."

"Yeah, he will arrived immediately once I call for him, his brothers, and men." He paused for a minute until he continued that I would not expect him to ask. "Are you okay?"

I turned to him. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Halfway through our travel, you weren't much taking an interest to what I said."

"Yes, I am," I lied.

"Then what did I talk about?" He asked, waiting for a response.

I heard steel brushed with a stone to have it shine and shaper to cut through. General Zhao didn't look up but was on his sword.

"Well...um...you talked about the daughter of an official." Quickly answering his questioned.

"What's her name?"

"Uh...Xia Fong?"

"It's Lien Fei," he said and chuckled softly. "See, you weren't paying attention."

"I'm sorry, my prince," I said frantically. "I was just in my own little world and ignoring you. I apologize."

"Don't be so apologetic, Jie Jie," he smiled. "It's probably because you were thinking of him."

I snapped my head facing the young prince. "To whom are you talking about?"

"Prince Lucas," he answered. "I see the way he looks at you while you were playing with the young prince and princess back at Enchantia. I maybe young to know but I know what love really is."

I sighed deeply, releasing amount of large air from my body.

"You love him, don't you?"

Love? I don't know what love really is until I've lost both my parents who didn't show any sympathetic love for me before sending me off to be someone's wife. Not one bit of care of what I think. But, they didn't want to defy the emperor and instead obeyed.

"Ling'er," I began. "Lucas and I aren't meant to be."

"Is it because he's a prince and your just a farm girl who turned into an soldier?"

"Not only that but because I'm not fitted to feel love." I looked once again at the dancing flames I'm front of us as imagines of my parents and I happily together with sunny bright shine of our smiles filled our love for one another. "My parents felt love for each other and showered the same affection towards me. But everything changes when my father lost his ability to walk, turn into a drunk and blame on everything. Mother felt hopeless around him yet tend to be by his side. He even scold me for wielding the Jade sword I possessed. He didn't want me to be a warrior but a wife for your brother. He wanted me to be a proper wife with riches and gold and perfect background. His love for his only daughter has turned into greed for wealth. That's when your brother saw me, smitten and asked my parents to give me away to be wife number ninety-nine."

The imagines on the flames had change to the way when Father began to scold me for learning wushu from a teacher he does not know and also told me how unfilial daughter I was not listening to him.

"I did not want to get married so soon. I wanted to explore and fight in wars." I continued. "I wanted to return the title that of my Father's name on the battlefield. Since you already know how I entered the military disguise myself as a male." I cringed, pinching my eyes tightly bring up the scene of blazing fire burning the home of the innocent and a river of blood filled with death and agony filled up disturbing imagines inside my mind. Also, the horrible scene of my parents, lying on the floor in a pool of blood, slits throats which caused them to die at the blade of Khan. "I regretted joining the army, I regretted not marrying your brother, other wise Khan would have not enter and destroyed my village."

"Jie, it's not your fault."

"It is," I almost yelled at him but he had not flinched. I stood up. "Whether or not I obeyed my parents, Khan and his men would have not killed so many people, including my parents."

I felt his hand on my forearm. "Jie, if you hadn't become a soldier for the empire, the whole village would be nothing but a desert of ashes. Don't blame yourself because you disobeyed your parents."

"I shouldn't left home to join the army! And my parents will still be alive! I should have protected them! I'm the one to blame for all the deaths of innocent lives and let Khan leave with blood in his hands." now I was really angry. I even yelled at him.

He took a stepped back until I realized I unleashed my powers. General Zhao and a couple of men were ready to pull their swords out, but Ling gestured an hand to stop them from doing so. Realizing my action, I closed my eyes tight. Turning away from him. He's scared. "I'm sorry, I'll walk around the perimeter. Go get some sleep."

A quick shifted at the bottom of my feet that turned into talons I jumped high jumping from tree to tree inhaling the cold air calming myself from this anger and guilt inside.