FEotRS Chapter 8 – Conquest

When Luo Zhirou awoke, everything was dark. She could feel that she was laying on some soft furs and cushions, her hands bound tightly behind her back. 

She dared not move, out of fear of alerting the others to the fact that she had awakened, and she waited for her eyes to be able to see what was surrounding her. 

When they did, she realized that she was on top of a bed in a luxurious carriage. She was alone within the carriage, but her body was exhausted after expending all her energy, and her hands were bound, so she had a hard time sitting up. 

When she finally sat up, she found that her feet had also been tied up, her eyes darkening.

Her ears picked up on the sound that came from outside of the carriage. Although it was the middle of the night, she could still hear cheerful conversation and laughter. It seemed that whoever they were, they were having a good time. 

She gritted her teeth in anger and helplessness. She was not happy with the situation she was in now, but she was not going to just give up. She looked around the carriage for something sharp she could use to cut the rope used to bind her hands and feet, but it seemed as if they had expected this; everything sharp had been taken away from her.

Contemplating, she looked at her feet. Inside her boot was a small knife that had not been taken away. They had likely not found it when they bound her, but to get it out would be difficult as the rope was tied on top of it.

Still, it was her only hope right now, so she began trying to get it out of her shoes. Her gestures were calm and collected, but her eyes were showing a bit of ruthlessness and hatred. 

If she had been stronger, she would never have been caught like this. If she was stronger, she could kill them all! But she was not strong enough!

“Stupid Big Brother Jin,” she muttered. She did not doubt that if she had followed him, then she would have been so strong that she could’ve killed all of them by now, but he had let her down. He had made her wait for nearly ten years.

Finally, Luo Zhirou managed to get the knife out of the boot after trying for as long as it took two incense sticks to burn. 

She quickly cut the rope that was holding her hands, after which she removed the rope on her feet. 

Massaging her aching wrists and ankles, she slowly rose to her feet. The sun was starting to rise on the horizon, the dawn was shining in on the caravan she was now part of, and she knew that this was her best chance. 

If it were in the middle of the night, then the ones taking the watch would be vigilant, but now it was almost day. They would be tired and less alert. 

Using this opportunity, she tried exiting the carriage she was in, but the moment she opened the door, her eyes darkened. 

There was not only a watchman for the camp; the Crown Prince had placed three men outside the carriage to watch over her. 

The moment she opened the door, they looked at her in shock, cold sweat starting to trickle from their bodies. 

Originally they had said that this woman was not going to be able to escape so placing so many guards around her was too much, but now they were happy. If they had lost her, they would never be able to survive. 

Luo Zhirou was bound once more and gently placed on the bed once more before someone went to wake the Crown Prince and inform him of her attempted escape. 

Not long after, the Crown Prince appeared in Luo Zhirou’s carriage, his lips curled into a smile when he saw her unable to escape. 

“Little kitten, I am not a good-tempered person,” he said gently as he leaned forward. “Although your defiance is very fresh and quite attractive, don’t test my patience.”

Luo Zhirou was glaring at him, but she said nothing. Seeing that she was ignoring him, he said nothing more, just patted her cheek. “Behave, we will arrive in the Imperial Capital within a week. Then I will prepare a wedding for you that will make any woman jealous.”

Hearing this, the mercenaries were dumbfounded. Although the rumors about the Crown Prince were positive, these mercenaries knew that he was ruthless and heartless. The woman had already tried to escape, but instead of punishing her, he promised her a lavish wedding ceremony? 

Wasn’t he just taking her as a concubine? Why would she need a grand wedding? She could not turn into the Crown Princess, could she? Her background was unknown!

Although the Crown Prince had warned her, Luo Zhirou never gave up on escaping. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince was quite smart and was aware of how to deal with her most efficiently. 

The only thing her escape attempts did was cause the Crown Prince to think her endearing while Luo Zhirou was furious. 

Soon they had arrived at the Imperial Capital where they were greeted with a massive crowd of people waving their hands and calling their blessings to the Crown Prince, wishing him a life of prosperity and luck in his future endeavors. It was like a hero returning from the battlefield.

Luo Zhirou hid in the carriage; her eyes were burning with hatred and unwillingness. She was preparing her next step and what to do. 

When they arrived at the palace, she was locked up in a room within the Crown Prince’s palace. It was high up, and there was no way of escaping it. 

At the same time, the Crown Prince returned to his royal father to tell him about his conquest this time, and to ask for permission to marry.