Burning Ice, Melting Heart

Chapter Five

  The Prince raced through the undergrowth, trampling ferns and flowers in his way. His eyes were fixated on the flash of blue silk a few steps in front of him.
  "Wait up!" he called, peering behind him and to either side for any pursuers. Turandot continued on firmly, neither looking back nor intending to stop. Images of the headless man engulfed her mind's eye. There was blood everywhere, in her nightmares and on that man, too. She squeezed her eyes shut.
A tree root unexpectedly protruding from below her feet ended the chase.
  "Are you hurt?" the Prince asked, helping Turandot to her feet. She flung his hand away with astonishing force.
  "Don't touch me."
  The Prince's hand hung in midair.
  "I...I'm sorry if-" he started to say.
  "You killed him." Turandot interrupted. Her voice faltered for a moment before regaining its strength.
  "You kill people."
Turandot folded her hands in front of her, as if to protect herself from impending harm.
"I'm sorry if I frightened you. I-"
Thundering footsteps and shouting penetrated the cover of leaves. The Prince stiffened, his hand on the grip of his sword.
"Princess, please stay with me. It's dangerous to be on your own."

There was no reply.

"Princess?" he tried, looking around swiftly. She was gone. The coarse voices of brutes rang out though the woods.
"Where's he gone? We've lost him!"
"Wait, there's someone over there!"
"There he is! Kill him!"
The Prince drew his sword, ready to fight. A startling tug on his cloak prompted him to turn round for a swipe.
Turandot blocked his attack with a sturdy tree branch. Still looking away, she pointed towards a small open trapdoor, cleverly disguised with a mass of rotting plant matter. The Prince lowered his sword. On the underside of the trapdoor were engraved the words "Royal Catacombs".
  "This is great. Princess, please remain in there while I-"
  Turandot snatched away his sword with one hand and his free arm with the other, dragging him underground with her. She began to run, not letting go until they were a good distance away from the entrance.

"Hey, let me go!" the Prince complained indignantly. Turandot released him, but held his sword behind her back.
  "Who are those people? Who are they? Why are you trying to kill them?" she questioned sharply. Animosity welled up in her eyes.
  "And that man...Why did you kill him? What did he do?"
  She leaned against a grime-covered wall, slowly sitting down on the dusty floor. The Prince reached for a dirty oil lamp hanging from the wall and sat down beside her.
  "What's wrong with you?" Turandot whimpered. She placed the sword between her and the Prince.
  "Those men were after us. After me."
  He edged closer to her, his voice reduced to a muted tone.
  "What I'm about to tell you must be kept secret. If anyone else knows about this, I...I will have to..."
The Prince stopped with a sigh. He rested his back against the wall, folding his arms staidly.
"You must have heard that we, the Tartars, are residing temporarily in your homeland due to our diminishing water resources. While it is the truth, it's not the only reason that we're seeking shelter from more powerful nations.
"Not too long ago, a group of rebels led by my father's brother, my uncle, launched an unexpected attack on my father, the King, with the intention of seizing the throne. It was known as the Great Rebellion. While we managed to stop them for now, their numbers are yet unknown and we fear that our tiny nation cannot withstand the pressure of a civil war.
"Thus, we have sought help from your father, the Emperor of this great land, with hopes of helping our people to recuperate and prevent any further attacks. However, it seems that the number of rebels may be far more than we imagined, some of whom may even be hired mercenaries from other countries..."
The Prince paused and looked at Turandot.
"I'm sorry for getting you and your family involved in this. I-"
"Please stop," Turandot said, cutting him off.
"I'm the one who needs to apologize. I didn't know about all the trouble you're going through, and I...The way I acted just now, and at dinner too...I...I'm sorry."
Turandot drew her knees up to her chest, holding them close to her body.
"But, how did you know that man was a rebel? I mean, all he did was make fun of you."
The Prince retrieved his sword, polishing it with the inside of his cloak before slipping it back into its scabbard.
"I've seen many such people during the Great Rebellion. Most of them have a distinct manner of speech and action that aren't too difficult to identify," he replied, chuckling to himself.
"Most of them have tattoos or wear crests featuring castles and houses. Something about wanting to settle down and be a 'proper' country rather than traveling around like we always do.
Also that man..."
The Prince paused.
"Never mind."

Turandot let out a long sigh. She picked up the oil lamp.
"We should make our way back to the north side of the palace. It should be a lot safer there, since my father and brothers are around. These tunnels run under the entire palace, so we should be able to use them to get back."