A Royal Engagement

Shattered

(QING)

Tianmo Desert, Hebei. 9 am

Baozang screaming alerted us that all is not good in the trailer. We all turn our heads towards it and my eyes widened when the door opened and someone pushed Chong off the trailer then fired a gun at him.

"Chong!" Lao shouted as we run but the one who pushed Chong closed the door again and the trailer suddenly moved and drove away. With Dayu and Baozang still inside.

"Chong!" We reached Chong and saw blood on his temple. Lao immediately took off his jacker to press it on the wound on Chong's head.

"Follow that trailer!" I shouted as people scrambled all around us. That trailer held my fiance and sister. What is happening?

A security car from the Palace drove away to follow the trailer. Lao and I with the help of the other staffs helped Chong so we can put him on another car that will take him to the nearest hospital.

After that, Lao and I run to get into anotber car and we ordered the driver to follow the trailer. Lao took out his phone to call our security and communication team on the Palace.

"The trailer! The trailer! Search it on every available CCTV feed on this area! Search it! Quickly!" Lao is shouting at the person on the other line.

"Dayu and Baozang are there!" I said as Lao ended the call. "Lao?!"

"Calm down! They couldn't have gone that far. We are following now Qing and..." his phone rang. Lao answered it immediately. He paled a little. "It's the King," he passed me the phone.

I swallowed hard before speaking, "Father..."

"What happened?!" My father shouted from the other line. "Baozang? Dayu?"

I felt a lump as big as a boulder in my throat and I cannot speak. "F-father..."

"Wang Qing!" The King shouted again. "Gather your senses and talk to me! Where is your sister?! Where is Dayu?!"

I took another deep breath, "In the trailer," I said as tears filled my eyes. I passed the phone to Lao.

"Your Majesty," Lao spoke on the phone, a little shaken. "We are in pursuit, Uncle..." he is now talking to Mr.Shouwei. "Blocked all the news? No one should know? Okay...Uncle. Please can you talk to the photographer and his team? Qing...needs me..."

I close my eyes as Lao ended the call. Dread in his eyes. This is a disaster.

No! This is not a disaster. This is a nightmare. My sister and Dayu, both taken.

This is my worst nightmare, happening right now...

                        -------@------

(LAO)

Qing is beyond shock. He is paralyzed. As he sat beside me in the car and as we chase that trailer, Qing had stopped moving after talking to his father. The only indication that he is alive is him breathing heavily. And blinking rapidly like a confused child.

I am not far from him. I feel like my body is going numb. Knowing that Baozang and Dayu are both in danger. Bad enough that it was only Dayu back then, now...they had taken both the Princess and the Consort.

What nerve?

"He will want ransom, right?" Qing said in a small scared tone. "He will want money, right? I can give him money. I can give him anything..."