Flowers Bloom from Battlefield

85 Betrayal in Mountain Kingdom

"General, why are we forfeiting? Can't we just wait for reinforcement?" the commanders all feel that this is not right.

General Tou handed a written message towards them all. Their eyes widen in surprise. This is their damage during the three days battle? Are you sure that this is only from three days and not a week?

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

"No way!"

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

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

"Yes General!"

…

Capital of Mountain Kingdom

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

A few days before…

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

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

"Kuina… what are you doing here?"

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

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

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

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

"Princess Kuina, do you forget that we still have General Tou? He's a great general whose name has resounded to the whole land. With him as the leader, there is no way we could 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 Mountain Kingdom is one of the kingdoms who hold their military power as one of the top.s His father is not one to focus on the military and it's impossible to beat 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?"

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

Kuina looks towards her father and from his expression, she knows that her father didn't believe her. He always like that, why won't he listens to her even once? She's 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 cannot do anything to change her father 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 with sad tone.

"Why? Let me through. I want to meet with 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 a bit that woman usually learns. How could she use that to dodge the attack? Just as she braced herself for the pain of getting stabbed, she hears the sound of metal clashing.

Another official is holding a sword and block the knife. This official is looking highly wounded, but he still persevered.

"Princess! You have to go, now!"

Kuina feels that something is not right. She quickly runs towards the hall despite that man yelling her to leave. The scene there is something she would never forget. Some of the officials are attacking each other and on the throne is her father dying.

"Father!"

"Princess! You have to go, now!"

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

The present…

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

She wants to cry again. Why would her father choose someone like them to be his official? It's no wonder that their advices are only bringing doom towards her kingdom. What should she do now? The one who're loyal to the country is on the border and she's here alone. How can she fight them like this?