Morning - Part 1

Leiyu blinked his eyes a few times and saw the sun filtering through the clouds. He quickly sat up and took stock of his surroundings. He was still on the divan that he had lain down on last night. The tabletop fire had already been extinguished, and ashes filled the bowl-like container that had held the flame. A gentle lavender-scented breeze embraced his face and played with the strands of his hair. Tree branches swayed above him and dropped flower petals on his cloak.

He looked left and right. Did the prince just leave him here in the garden? Were the guards going to take him away once he tried to exit? What about the merchants? Were they looking for him?

His thoughts were interrupted by the gentle strum of a stringed instrument. He got up and walked around the manicured rows of flowers and trees. The music became louder as he approached one of the corners of the garden. He stopped when he saw the person he was looking for.

Prince Thallios sat cross-legged beneath the dangling feathery pink flowers of a tamarisk tree. His eyes were downcast, and he was strumming an instrument that reminded Leiyu of a similar one he had seen back in the Eastern Region. Leiyu stood still as the prince continued playing. When the song was over, the prince looked up at him and smiled.

Leiyu kneeled and lowered his head. “Your Highness.”

“Good morning,” the prince said. “Did you sleep well?”

Leiyu blushed. “Apologies, Your Highness. I was not intending to fall asleep.”

“It’s all right. You must have been exhausted from your journey.” The prince strummed the instrument again.

“What is that instrument called, Your Highness? You play it very well.”

The prince laid his delicate fingers on the strings to stop the vibration. “Oh this? It’s called a barbat.”

“It reminds me of the pipa from where I come from. The sound is slightly different, but it has a similar shape.”

“Oh, interesting. I’d like to hear that someday.” The prince uncrossed his legs and stood up, holding the barbat at his side. His eyes scanned the garden and then settled on Leiyu. “Leiyu, could I ask you for a favor?”

Leiyu raised an eyebrow. A favor? Was this going to be a good or bad thing? “Yes, Your Highness?”

The prince hesitated before speaking again. “Could you spar with me?”

Both of Leiyu’s eyebrows went up, and his eyes widened. “Spar, Your Highness?”

The prince’s cheeks flushed a bit. “Yes, it does seem like a strange request, doesn’t it? It’s just that after hearing your stories, I was curious about your sword fighting skills. I sometimes practice with the palace sword master, but I would like to try sparring with someone new.”

Leiyu regarded the prince’s petite frame. But was it really that unusual to ask to spar? He himself had sparred many times with his fellow disciples when he was growing up. And someday, the prince would become king, and he would need many skills to rule a kingdom. Still, he had some doubts.

“Are you sure, Your Highness?” Leiyu looked toward the doors of the rooftop garden. “What about the guards?” They’ll execute me for sure if they saw me sparring with you.

The prince laughed. “Oh, right, I forgot about them. Don’t worry, I’ll just let them know that it’s a friendly spar.” Leiyu gave him a very concerned look. “There are some wooden practice swords stored in one of the courtyards. We could use those. Then there’s less risk of injury.”

Leiyu was not sure whether the prince was truly that naive or just reckless. “Your Highness, even if your practice swords are not sharp, you could still get hurt.”

The prince pursed his lips in a pout. “Ah, we could just practice casually then.”

Leiyu sighed. He wanted to remain on the prince’s good side, at least until he and the merchants left the palace. “As you wish, Your Highness.” The prince beamed.

***

It turned out the rooftop garden had a secret exit hidden behind some trees, so Prince Thallios and Leiyu were able to bypass the guards, who were probably still stationed outside the main doors. The prince led Leiyu down a cramped spiral staircase that was dimly lit by narrow windows and wall torches. The air had a musty smell, and Leiyu thought he heard dripping water.

“The palace is full of secret passages,” the prince said. “Since I cannot go outside, I spent a lot of time exploring every hidden corridor and tunnel. I’m not sure if I’ll ever discover all of them.” He put his hand on the stone wall to steady himself. “It’s also a way to take a break from the guards.”

Leiyu brushed away a stray spiderweb string that graced his face. “Do you ever get lost, Your Highness?”

“Many times, but eventually I find a way out. There’s no point in building an escape route if you cannot actually escape.” The prince turned around to flash Leiyu a smile. Leiyu felt his heart lurch.

They finally made their way to the bottom of the stairwell, and the prince pressed against a door. The sunlight nearly blinded them as they stepped out into a courtyard. There was a gust of wind. Leaves and flower petals fluttered from the trees and landed on the cobblestone. The prince walked into a storage shed next to the wall and returned with two wooden swords. He handed one of them to Leiyu.

The prince then took off his cape and laid it on a bench next to the shed. Leiyu noticed an ornate curved dagger dangling from the sash around the prince’s slender waist. The scabbard was decorated with gold swirls, and the cross-guard had an embedded gemstone. Two tassels hung from the pommel.

The prince walked a few paces away and held his wooden sword up. “Ready?” he asked.

Leiyu held his wooden sword at shoulder length, pointing the wooden tip toward the prince. He extended the index and middle finger of his free hand in the sword fingers position. The prince gave him an odd look.

This stance is just for show, Leiyu thought, bemused. I’ll go easy on him. He had no intention of making the first move. If the prince had never left the palace before, then it was doubtful he had any real fighting experience. Plus, he looked rather delicate. Leiyu did not want to injure him in any way.

The prince shifted his feet over the spattering of blossoms on the cobblestone. He gripped the hilt of the sword and charged at Leiyu. Leiyu stood still, waiting for the prince to get closer. As the prince swung at him, Leiyu crossed his sword in front of himself to block the incoming wooden blade. The hilt of Leiyu’s sword rattled.

Hmm, not bad, Leiyu thought. Perhaps he had underestimated the prince.

Prince Thallios’ eyebrows furrowed, and he gritted his teeth. His amber eyes had an unexpected intensity as he pushed against Leiyu’s blade. Leiyu kept his sword steady and his boots planted on the cobblestone. They were at a standstill, blade against blade, splinters forming in the wood, neither one yielding.

Leiyu broke the stalemate by jumping backwards. The prince got startled and shuffled his feet to keep his balance. Leiyu landed on the ground a few paces away. The prince narrowed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He tightened his grip on the hilt and ran towards Leiyu.

He does not seem to have much strategy, Leiyu thought. I’ll just humor him until he gets tired. Leiyu leapt straight up right before the prince swung his sword again.

The prince gasped and looked upward. His eyes widened when he saw Leiyu flip in mid-air. Leiyu descended in a graceful arc and landed ten paces away. The prince frowned, and his expression became as cold as ice. He gripped the wooden hilt and charged towards Leiyu again.

Leiyu held his sword at the ready again. Perhaps this constant dodging is irritating the prince, he thought. I’ll just stay put and spar with him for real.

As the prince approached and raised his sword, his eyes turned golden yellow and glowed like burning embers.

Leiyu gasped. A deathly chill ran down his spine. He was so distracted by the prince’s eyes that he only held up his sword at the last minute to block the attack. The strike was so powerful that he was thrown backwards. His back slammed against a wall, and bones rattled. His lungs felt like they were being cut off from the air, and his vision blurred. He slid down the wall and slumped over.

“Leiyu!” the prince cried as he tossed his sword to the side.

Leiyu’s head drooped over his chest, and his breathing was ragged. His head was still spinning, but he could hear the prince running towards him.

The prince crouched down before Leiyu and began to reach for him, but hesitated. “Leiyu, are you hurt?”

Leiyu looked up slowly. He saw that the prince’s eyes had returned to their normal color.

“I’m sorry!” the prince said in a trembling voice. “I’m so sorry.” His amber eyes glistened.

Although Leiyu’s body was still tingling from the impact, the sight of the prince on the verge of tears stirred something deep within his core. “It’s all right, Your Highness, I’m not injured. I’m just…very surprised.”