A simple tale

13. Missing In Action

Ai Jei's PIV
I had been running through the woods for what seemed like hours. Xi...Xi where are you?
"A......Ai......Jei", came a croaking voice, almost too faint to hear. My head whipped around and I caught a glimpse of white hair -out of place in the rich undergrowth.
I rushed over to my fiancée."Xi...Xi wake up!" "Don't leave me!"I yelled, kneeling next to him and placing his head on my lap. "No...no this is not happening. I can't lose another one. Please don't die. Don't abandon me like all the others I cared for. Please. I'm begging you,"I whispered, tears forming in my eyes.
Xi raised his head slowly and grinned at me." Did you like the performance?" I was shocked that he dared to scare me like that. How could he?! I drew back my hand and slapped him. Quickly I stood up, dropping his head from my lap.
"I hope you die for real!" I shouted at him, pissed off that he dared to pull this stunt. I turned around.
"Ai Jei.....Ai Jei." I ignored him. "Little one.."
"You have no right to use terms of endearment." I snapped at him, momentarily losing my cool. I was about to say more to the ungrateful wretch when the smell of smoke entered my nostrils.
"Xi", I whispered," I think the forest is on fire."
He gave me a knowing look and we scampered up a tree to get a better look. Sure enough the rest of the forest looked like the waiting halls of purgatory, blazing, destroying the beautiful landscape. However there was no more time to lament this loss as the fire rapidly approached, the dry bark giving it the perfect tinder.
"Lets go" I said, feeling the heat on my bare skin. We elegantly leaped from tree to tree until we reached a cliff. The forest on one side of us, the cliff going upwards, left us with no choices. When we thought the situation could no longer get any worse a poisonous fog wafted into the clearing. Now we are screwed.
"Xi eat this!" I said giving him some herbs from the porch I had grabbed from the table before I left. I stuffed a few into my mouth and tried to figure out how to get out of this predicament.
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Fei Xuan POV
They're dead. Both of them. My master and mistress are dead. That is what everyone in the palace is saying. My mistress has a good head on her shoulders, she should have figured out a solution. It has been 3 days. The king and all of us subjects are heart broken. Only the queen is smiling gleefully. I will get my revenge on her. On all of those who plotted to kill my master and mistress. They will die.
I looked over my shoulder at Huang and he nodded as if he could read my thoughts. He is in on it we will make them suffer.

Huang POV
Currently I'm not mourning because the stupid bodyguard next to me is so oblivious. He isn't thinking any of that and I can't read his mind. He. Is. Saying. It. Out. Loud!