Liqin is the Kou Empire's darling princess, a genius general groomed for battle. She's set to be Kou's next ruler. That is, until the Emperor reveals a little brother she never knew she had.
Liqin is cast aside now that there's a prince in the pict...
Liqin yanked her blade from the Liang soldier's stomach, relishing the feel of hot blood spray on her face. A droplet landed on the corner of her mouth, and she licked it away.
She already sensed another sword swinging down upon her back. It whistled as it cut through the air. Twisting, Liqin dove beneath the oncoming man and drove her weapon into his chest and yanked sideways, cleaving him in half.
Sweat dripped from her brow, sliding down her cheek, mixing with the blood. All Liqin could hear was the pounding in her hears and the screams of the wounded and dying. It was a sound she was used to, one that was constantly in her life.
Her small lithe body weaved in and out through the armies, easily dodging any stray strokes. Liqin finally broke free from the battle and darted to a tall, proud tree. If she didn't make this quick, she would lose more men. Sheathing her sword, Liqin gripped the rough bark and hauled herself up.
The branches were her steps, the tree her staircase to victory. She settled atop the highest branch that could hold her weight and unslung her bow from her back. Knocking an arrow, she pulled back her arm, the string becoming taut.
Liqin took a deep breath and brought the end of the arrow by her cheek. Her eyes roved the mass of bodies and steel for her target. The harsh wind blew again, sending wisps of midnight hair to dance in her face.
There.
A man in muddy bronze armor sitting safely behind a wall of cavalry, shouting directions and waving a sword clumsily. "What a fool," Liqin muttered.
She let the arrow fly.
The tree she perched in was at least three-hundred fifty yards away from the Liang commander, but the arrow was straight and true. Surprised and outraged shouts rose from the enemy as the commander slid off his horse, its reins still tangled around him.
He still had a look of annoyance, mouth frozen mid-speech by the arrow's shaft protruding from his forehead. Liqin smiled and made her way to the ground. Her boots sent up a cloud of dust as she landed.
It didn't take long for the Kou army to realize that Liang's commander was dead. A new wave of courage surged, and with frenzied yells, Liqin's reinvigorated men pushed forward, cutting down anyone who stood in their paths.
A set of footsteps crunched behind her. Without turning around, Liqin commented, "You'd be dead by now, Jin, had it not been me you were following."
Her childhood friend's low laugh rumbled from the shadows. "It's because it's you that I dare to crunch leaves, princess."
"Hm." Liqin slung her bow across her shoulders.
Before she could feel the number of arrows left in her quiver, Jin informed, "Four more arrows."
Liqin let her hand drop, her attention fixated on the fighting. "You know me so well. Anyway, here I'm not 'princess'. You may walk beside me."
A moment later, Jin came up and fell into stride with her. He was dressed for combat, armor clanking as he walked, a sword at his hip. His hair was in the traditional high ponytail, its tip swaying as he swaggered.
Jin took a swig from a water skin. "How much longer do you reckon this will last?"
"Not long," said Liqin.
A horn sounded, and cries of "Retreat!" rang out. The Liang soldiers scrambled backward, thrusting up shields as the Kou archers launched volleys of arrows. Some of Liqin's men broke formation to chase them down.
"Stand down!" barked Liqin, her voice carrying over the fray. "That's enough. Today's victory is already ours. No need to expend energy just to chase a few stray rabbits."
"You heard the General!" Lieutenant Xifang called, riding up on his mount. "We've finished our job here. Return to your tents, and we ride home tomorrow at first light!"
Cries of assent rose from the crowd as it began to dissipate. Liqin gave a nod to Xifang. "Thank you for leading in my brief absence."
His teeth gleamed in the moonlight. "An absence well spent. Get some rest, and I'll see you at dinner." Xifang eyed Jin with distaste. "Princess, I highly suggest for you to sleep in a tent by yourself. You are a woman, after all. There's no telling what this barbarianwill do to you."
Liqin scoffed, one hand already at the tent flap. "I am a soldier, and I shall live like one as long as I'm at war. And Jin has been with me since we were small. He is no barbarian. You are simply prejudiced, Lieutenant." She emphasized his rank, reminding him again her own status. He paused and bowed.
"This humble servant has forgotten his place." Still bowing, he retreated at her hand's dismissal.
The air inside the tent was hot and stuffy, so Liqin left the flap open. She wouldn't be changing any. Jin, however, had no qualms about stripping off his armor. He swore loudly when his ponytail got caught beneath the metal plates.
"Here, let me." Liqin gently extracted the silky strands from the armor. Jin winced.
"Ouch! Thank you." He dumped the metal pile into the corner with a clank, leaving him in trousers and a black undershirt. Liqin only took off the bulkiest parts of her attire until it was just a layer of chainmail over her body. She rolled her shoulders and neck, working out the knots in the muscle.
"I'm ruining your image, aren't I?" asked Jin as he wiped his sword clean. "Don't keep me around."
"Are you crazy?" Liqin thumped him on the head like how she'd done for years. But now, she needed to reach up on her tiptoes to reach him. "There's nobody in this camp I trust more than you. And you don't really look like a barbarian anyway."
He looked at her sadly. "I do though." In the torchlight, Jin's olive skin glowed- too tan to be from Kou. His hair was the right shade, but the bright blue eyes were what drew attention to him.
Liqin stepped outside to breathe in the fresh air. "Ignore the idiots. After all, I'm all you need."
Jin grinned. "Yes, Your Highness."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
well, I think we're off to a good start here. I tried giving more information indirectly (like not actually saying it), but idk if it worked. anyway, let me know what you guys think! btw, this world isn't really set anywhere, more like a world of my own making, but i'll mainly be using Chinese names.
Do note that the term "barbarian" was typically used for any foreigner that people in east Asia were not familiar with.
