33、第 33 章 What ...
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Chapter 34 — What Was Left Behind
The news reached Kharun before sunset, the messenger had barely stepped down from his horse before the entire camp knew. The Younis Khan was dead and the palace had burned. Much of the Khan's household had been lost.
And Princess Suyuan—
No one knew.
That last part was what made the silence worse.
Khasar stood outside his tent, listening without saying a word. The messenger repeated the report carefully.
"Xian soldiers were seen leaving the ruins. Their general crossed the border before dawn."
Khasar's jaw tightened. "Did they find her?"
"We don't know."
He looked toward the distant hills, he had spent days believing Suyuan was finally safe because she had left Younis.
Now he wasn't even sure she was alive. Tarkan stood several steps away, he hadn't spoken since the messenger arrived. His face had gone pale, he had grown up in Younis. He knew exactly what the Khan's palace meant. If it had truly burned as completely as the messenger claimed, there would be little left to search.
But Suyuan was supposed to have left.
She was supposed to be on the road to Kharun with them.
She was supposed to be standing here.
Instead, Yula was.
Tarkan looked toward the women's quarters.
"She must knew something."
Khasar glanced at him.
"Yula?"
"She knew something was wrong."
Khasar said nothing.
Neither man wanted to say the thought that had already entered both their minds.
What if Suyuan never intended to leave Younis alive?
---
Yula was sitting quietly when Khasar entered, her bridal ornaments had already been removed. She looked nothing like the frightened girl he had expected to find instead she was calm.
Khasar stopped several steps away. "Tell me what you know."
Yula looked up to him.
" Suyuan never tell me what she wanted to do.... But she believed me and Tarkan would be safer here than in Younis."
Khasar's expression darkened.
"And you agreed."
"Yes."
There was no hesitation in her answer.
Khasar studied her face.
Yula lowered her eyes.
Not a farewell nor an explanation, she just a door quietly left open for someone else. Yula continued, "She didn't ask me to carry her secrets. So I won't invent answers for you." Khasar looked at her for a long moment before he nodded. Yula looked toward the doorway. "But if she's alive, she'll need someone to look for her."
Khasar's eyes hardened.
"I'll find it out."
---
Tarkan was already outside when Khasar came out ,neither of them spoke.
After a while, Tarkan finally said, "If she's alive, then she's alone now."
Khasar looked toward the road leading south.
"Then we find her."
"And if she's dead?"
Khasar didn't answer.
Neither did Tarkan.
Some questions were easier left unanswered.
For now.
---
At the Xian border, life had become strangely busy. Xie Zheng spent most of his day between the command tent and the watchtowers. The map left by Princess Shuran had changed everything. Scouts were being sent along old military routes, all the supplies were being counted and orders were being prepared for the capital. A war might not come but Xie Zheng had learned not to wait for certainty before preparing for danger.
Meanwhile, Ayao had discovered something unexpected , she liked the cavalry. More specifically, she liked watching them train. She had been standing near the practice field for nearly an hour when one of the younger soldiers finally noticed her.
"You've been watching us all morning."
Ayao shrugged.
"I'm curious."
"About what?"
"How to fight."
The soldier laughed.
"You?"
Ayao gave him a flat look.
"What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing."
He immediately stopped laughing.
Ayao pointed toward a wooden practice sword.
"Can I try?"
The soldier hesitated.
"You've never trained before."
"Then teach me."
It was not graceful, her first attempt nearly sent the wooden sword flying from her hands.The soldier laughed again,
Ayao glared at him.
"Again."
She tried again and again. After so many attempt, she was still clumsy, but she had stopped losing her grip.
From across the field, another cavalryman watched with amusement. "She's stubborn."
The first soldier nodded.
"Very."
Ayao heard them. "I'm still standing."
That silenced them. For the first time since leaving Younis, Ayao had something to focus on besides worrying about Suyuan. She didn't know whether Suyuan would wake tomorrow and she didn't know what awaited them in Xian.
But if Suyuan woke up, Ayao wanted to be stronger than the girl who had always needed protecting.
She wanted to be able to protect Suyuan too.
Inside the infirmary, Suyuan remained asleep. Outside, armies prepared for a war that might come.
In Kharun, two men were beginning to search for Suyuan, they feared they might never see again.
And somewhere between all three lands, the truth about that burning night was still waiting to surface.
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第33章 第 33 章
