Hi. I'm back. The chapter is very short, but I hope you'll enjoy it. Please, tell me what you think. Any suggestion is welcome.
Chu sneaked inside, careful not to be seen. She didn't want to create any problem to prince Yu. First, she had to prove her true intensions to him. Then, they would decide together what they should do. She'd left Yuwen Yu and Yue Qi with He Xian and his people. They were like her. They had no home, no families, no friends. They'd wandered from one place to another, looked upon, chased away and betrayed by those they should be protected. They'd made a mistake, indeed, but they'd leant their lesson by now. They only had each other.
Prince Yu was in the town so she had to wait hidden in his room. Chu had been raised to be a spy, however, sneaking to the chambers of a friend didn't seemed a good thing to do. She wondered if he would still be able to consider her a friend after everything that had happened.
For prince Yu, finding Chu in his chambers was quite a big surprise. At first he didn't know how to react. Despite everything, he couldn't fight against her. In his mind she was still the girl he'd met years ago, the girl with who he'd used to joke and speak. However, he'd never expected she'd left Yan Xun.
Chu Qiao told him everything she'd been through since the attack at the frozen lake. She knew that it would put him into a difficult situation as she was an enemy of Wei, but he was her only hope.
"I won't stay long" She promised. "but Yuwen and Yue Qi are badly hurt and I fear I can't protect them anymore. I just need to contact some people and then I would leave." She didn't want to tell her about her plan of making him the ruler of Yanbei, yet. At first she needed to gain his trust as well as his people's. They would have time later. "Meng seems a very nice person." Chu tried to change the topic, hoping to make up for the things they'd lost.
"My home is always yours, Chu. I know you have a good heart. I don't know what had happened between you and Yan Xun to make you leave him, but I can tell he was lucky to have you."
"I've thought I could make him go back being the one I'd met back in Northern Wei, but it seems that his hatred had destroyed everything that was lovely inside of him. I've thought I still had power over him, but I was powerless. In his path to revenge I also became a pawn without my consent. Yuwen was right I've raised him into a wolf, but I've never thought that this wolf would ruin everything in his path. I only wanted him to survive. I only wanted to leave the town. I was sick of the plots, of the nobles and of the injustice of the powerful one. I was sick of being powerless. But I shouldn't bother you with all those. It's not your fault. All those are the results of my decisions." It was good to have someone to open her heart to. She'd never done that before, but her life had changed so much in just a few years.
"I never cared for those plots and injustices. Now I see how shallow I was. Yan Xun was my friend and yet my father ruined him. You haven't turned him into a wolf. My father did. You just give him a reason to survive. It's a pity he used you support for the wrong end. However, you can't control everything. I fear I can't be of much help to you, much as I want. We are all caught into a war none could escape. Soon, Yan Xun's and my brother's troops will meet on the battlefield and I fear what will happen to all those people. You weren't the only one that has changed, Chu. I've also learnt to care about people, to listen to their problems. This war is a disaster for everyone. Even if my brother were to win, the town would have to suffer. But I can't do anything."
"Unless you take the throne yourself." She wasn't meant to tell that now, but she thought she might never find a better occasion.
"I'm a pity person. I could hardly weald a sword. How could I ever rule over a country? I not even have an army. I…."
"I will help you win one. Believe me, you are what those people need. Your brother's war skills won't make him a better king than you. Don't worry, now. I have a plan, but I will need some time. However, don't ask me what I intend to do with Yan Xun. I don't want to fight against him, but I love Yanbei too much to let it suffer. Am I too proud thinking that I will find a solution?"
"You wouldn't be you if you were to think differently."
They spoke about a lot of things including Chun. The princes had returned to her brother as she had nowhere to go. Chu knew that the princess would be a problem and she was aware that prince Yu thought that way too. However, as long she would have the prince's support she might succeed in maintaining the peace for a while at least. Chu hoped that for her brother Chun would be willing to work with her.
As she'd expected Chun wasn't willing to let go and she kept making her lots of troubles. Nevertheless, Chun was herself an enemy of Wei and so she couldn't do much to take her revenge on Chu. All the princess was left with were rude words, but as her behavior hurt her brother more than it hurt Chu, she learnt to control herself while there was someone else around. She only attacked Chu when they were alone. Chu as well had learnt to tolerate Chun. The old Chu Qiao would have never accepted to be treated like that, but at that moment she needed as many allies as she could and having the princess as her enemy wasn't in her advantage. As a result she gave her best to make amends and become friends. But this wasn't the only reason Chu had decided to be friendly with the princess. Deep down Chu Qioa understood her. She had, as well, lost her mother. She was, as well, alive due to the sacrifices of the people that loved her and that added a lot of burden that Chu had to learn to live with, but it gave her a reason to fight, too. Because of that, her life had become more precious to give up on it. Chu was, as well, of noble blood, but because of her numerous enemies she had live in the shadow for now. And she missed the worriless days as much as Chun must have missed hers.
Hard as her life had become, she had a shelter now and her friends could finally have something to eat. Mr Wu had already answered her letter and he'd promised to send Viper to her as soon as possible. He waited them to his house after Yuwen would have been recovered. However, his wounds were still bad and so were Yue Qi's. Chu couldn't help feeling guilty that they'd fallen for Yan Xun's trap.