Bab 85: Betrayal in Mountain Kingdom

"General, why are we forfeiting? Can't we just wait for reinforcements?" the commanders all felt that this was not right.

General Tou handed a written message to them. Their eyes widened in surprise. This was the damage sustained during the three-day battle? Are you sure that this is only from three days and not a week?

"You see, their fighting prowess is stronger than ours. Continue fighting and we might lose all of our forces here with their side only incurring minimal damage. Also, the capital is in turmoil. Have you seen the messages sent from there?"

"No way!"

"General, let's return to the capital!"

General Tou shook his head. "I can't return now, but all of you have to go back. She needs your help."

"Yes General!"

…

Capital of Mountain Kingdom

Kuina is hiding inside a dark cave, crying. How could it possibly end like this? Why would they betray the kingdom?

A few days before…

Kuina was walking towards the castle. She wanted to persuade her father to change his opinion once again. Looking at the spacious hall, she noticed that many of the officials are there, discussing about the war as some of them planned the strategies. She thought that what they were doing was utterly useless. The battle prowess of the Mountain Kingdom has been depleting.

Her father was sitting on his throne as usual. He listened to the advice from the advisor and the other officials. No matter how many times Kuina rebutted, he never listened. But she would never give up on her father.

"Kuina… what are you doing here?"

"Father, I want to talk to you," Kuina answered.

The emperor, her father, wore a tired face. He had heard Kuina say the same things over and over again. He does love his daughter, but he doesn't have time to listen to her nonsense.

"Kuina, father has told you that the only way for this kingdom to thrive again is to collaborate with the other three kingdoms to strike the Ming Kingdom. Just imagine what we will achieve from winning the war."

"But father, the battle prowess of the Mountain Kingdom is no longer the same as the past. There is no way we can contend against the army of the Ming Kingdom."

"Princess Kuina, do you forget that we still have General Tou? He's a great general whose name has resounded throughout the whole land. With him as the leader, there is no way we would lose the battle."

Kuina stared at that man, the advisor, with gloom. How could an advisor be like this, hadn't he noticed that the ability of their men is no longer the same? This is not the past where the Mountain Kingdom is one of the kingdoms who holds their military power as one of the top. His father was not one who would focus on the military and it's impossible to beat the Ming Kingdom with just these.

"One person is not enough, you need capable soldiers too," Kuina said again.

"You're just a girl, Princess Kuina. What makes you think that you can grasp the situation better than us? The military advisor and other officials?"

Kuina felt truly helpless. Why was she born as a woman? She couldn't help her brother in the past and now she couldn't even protect her people from going to the war and fighting to their death. Why was she so powerless?

Kuina looked at her father and from his expression, she knew that her father didn't believe her. He was always like that, why won't he listen to her even once? She was not a kid who doesn't know anything anymore. She had grown up.

"Kuina, return to your room."

"But Father…"

"Kuina," the emperor said it in a more powerful tone. "Return to your room."

"Yes, Father."

Kuina couldn't do anything to change her father's decision. Even though she goes there every day, there is nothing she could do.

The day before…

"Princess, you're here again? You shouldn't have come," one of the officials said in a sad tone.

"Why? Let me through. I want to meet my father!" Kuina said with anger. Why would this official suddenly block her way?

"Princess, I'm sorry."

Kuina saw that man pull out a knife and lunge towards her. Kuina doesn't know any martial arts. She only learned the basics that women usually learned. How could she use that to dodge the attack? Just as she braced herself for the pain of getting stabbed, she heard the sound of metal clashing.

Another official was holding a sword and blocking the knife. This official looked severely wounded, but he still persevered.

"Princess! You have to go, now!"

Kuina felt that something was not right. She quickly ran towards the hall despite that man yelling for her to leave. The scene inside was something she would never forget. Some of the officials were attacking each other and on the throne was her father, breathing his last breath.

"Father!"

"Princess! You have to go, now!"

She no longer remembered how, but she continued to run further and further away from the palace. Since she often sneaked out, she remembered the way out as clear as day. With that, her body moved on its own, bringing her far away from that place.

The present…

Kuina was sitting on top of a stone inside a secret cave. This was one of her hiding places when she didn't want to do something that her father imposed on her. She was scared. Just the day before, she was still with her father, nagging him to change his decision on the war. Now, she realized that the officials around her father were all foxes. They were waiting to snatch the throne away from him.

She wanted to cry again. Why would her father choose people like them to be his officials? No wonder their pieces of advice were only bringing doom towards her kingdom. What should she do now? The ones who are loyal to the country was on the border and she was here alone. How can she fight them like this?