Breaking Chains (Closed)

[SinisterSpiders]

Niu watched as Alonzo processed the change in her. His body seemed to tense, and his tone became angry and stiff as he started throwing items into his trunk. She crossed over to him, grabbing his hands and holding them still in her own as her eyes caught his.

"You need to calm down," She instructed, voice stern, "I used to believe that there was no right or wrong in this world; only different agendas. Now? Well, you have shown me that some things are purely and unequivocally wrong." Niu let his hands go. "But what you want to do, the things you are encouraging... It will not work like this. To help people you need to be alive, and right now I believe your life is very much at risk."

Niu took one of his shirts from the dresser, folding it and settling it into his trunk.

"You can not tell Prince Kuragin of this conversation. In two hours he will receive a letter from his sister, describing her predicament as I explained. You will then need to send a messenger to Li Shang's to make the necessary travel arrangements for the coach, and to alert the Prince's ship of your need to travel. At dinner you tell the Emperor your news."

Niu stood there for a moment in silence before reaching out and putting her hand on Alonzo's shoulder.

"If you do as I ask, and stay out of the Emperor's way, I promise I will get you out of here alive. I know that it is hard, but I need you to trust me," she said, eyes burning into his. She hoped he would accept her help, hoped he realised that he now held not only his fate, but her own in his hands.

 

[silvertongue217]

Alonzo looked at her for several moments before sighing and relaxing.

"Very well" He said his voice tired but without fight "I will listen"

He looked at her once more and then reached out cupping her cheek.

"Thank you for helping me with this" He told her speaking honestly before dropping his hand. He looked as if he wanted to do more but before either could say any thing he turned and moved to the door. He opened it and seconds later he was gone to follow her orders.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Niu watched the change in Alonzo, thankful that he was willing to listen to her. As he left his room she retreated herself, listing all of the tasks she had to complete in her mind. There was a lot to do, and she had to do it in a way that wouldn't draw any suspicion, but luckily she had a special trick up her sleeve that would hopefully head off any early assassination attempts.

True to Niu's word, Prince Kuragin received an urgent message two hours later. Niu wasn't there to hear or see how he reacted to the fabricated news, but she had to trust that Alonzo would play his part. From there she went about making a few small plans of her own, and then sending out some false leads before returning to her slave persona duties.

The Emperor summoned her to his rooms that afternoon before dinner. He took his usual liberties with her, and informed her that he was disappointed with her inability to find concrete material against the Prince and Maestro. She was told to come up with some damning evidence within three days or she would be punished. Niu had only failed an order like this once before, and she knew what the punishment would entail. It was something she did not intend to endure ever, ever again.

Niu was in her room putting the finishing touches on her plan when she was summoned yet again by the Emperor. He was livid at the news that Kuragin and Alonzo would be leaving so soon, and he told her that she would be expected to find evidence and go ahead with the assassination within the next twenty four hours . Niu knew that this meant she had an absolute maximum of thirty hours leeway before Master Nightshade would be called in to correct her failure.

Every moment would count.

That night Niu asked Kuragin's assigned servant to also service Alonzo. She faked sick and disappeared into her room in order to put her final plans in place.

~*~

It was well past midnight, deep into the nothing hours of the morning. When a shoji panel on the wall of Alonzo's room slid silently open. A shadow slipped into the darkness, and glided over to his bed. Not even her breathing would give her away as it was silent, measured, tactical. Then she moved fast- one hand pressing to Alonzo's mouth as the other tugged her black fabric mask down her face.

"Alonzo, it is me, Niu. You must be silent," she hissed, breaking the silence and startling the Maestro from his sleep

 

[silvertongue217]

He reacted swiftly startling and thrashing for a minute before he saw her. He frowned at her being in his room but relaxed watching her and waiting for her to move her hand away. Once she did he got up bare chested and clad only in simple linen boxers.

"I heard the emperor was livid we were leaving so" Alonzo said in a whisper as he moved to his bags "Your playing a dangerous game Niu one that could cost you your life"

He came over stopping until they were inches apart. He was still clad in only his boxers and his chest rose and fell as he locked eyes with her.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked her point blank.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Niu held her hand in place as Alonzo thrashed about. She wasn't trying to hurt him, only to muffle the sound of his struggle, but after a few moments his eyes must have adjusted to the darkness and he relaxed. She took her hand from his mouth then, watching as he got out of his bed in nothing but a pair of linen shorts. In any other situation she may have dared to assess him, to take stock of his body and appreciate it for what it was, but this was business and she had to remain on task.

She was about to tell him that life itself was a dangerous game, but then he asked her a question. It was a good one.

Why was she doing this?

It was something she herself hadn't even begun to fully understand.

"Because there are greater things at play than my life," she whispered back, her voice barely above a breath. "Because you and the Prince need to survive. Because I think you are the beacon that will show my people that there is more to life than slavery. That they can be free."

She looked over at his bags, not knowing if he had finished packing.

"I need you to go in and get the Prince," She directed in a sharp whisper. "Wake him and tell him not to make noise. Take whatever he can easily carry. If he hasn't packed then just bring money, it is all we will really need. We leave tonight. We leave right now."

Niu walked over to the armoire in the corner of the room and opened it up. She reached into it until her hands pressed against the backboard. With a gentle push and a shove it slid into a recessed panel of the wall, revealing a secret doorway between the Prince and the Maestro's room. She stood back, motioning for Alonzo to go through.

"Hurry, we don't have a moment to waste."

 

[silvertongue217]

Alonzo sighed looking at her once more.

"Very well" He moved towards the secret door way clambering in easily. He dissapeared for several moments before he finally came back with a bleary eyed but ready prince.

"Ah so you are the one helping us" Prince Kurigan said looking at her "I am sure alonzo has not said it but we thank you it is no doubt hard going against your masters wishes"

"Where will you go?" Alonzo suddenly asked moving to take her hand "He will find out you did this.. .he will kill you!"

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Niu could hear all the shuffling about in the next room and she cringed, knowing just how careful they had to be. Nevertheless the Prince and Alonzo soon returned. The Prince thanked her, which was lovely but premature.

"You can thank me when you are safe back in your own country," she said. Although she knew that Master Nightshade may even follow them there, there was less of a chance.

Niu turned to Alonzo after he took her hand and she gave his a gentle squeeze. "I am coming with you, at least until you get to safety. You need someone who knows the countryside and the way the Emperor's assassins work. Now, put these on, we have need to move." Niu shrugged her bag off her back and reached in, withdrawing two sets of plain male servants garb. She had even gone to the trouble to get ones that would fit each man.properly, ensuring that they would not look suspicious. She turned their back so they could change.

 

[silvertongue217]

Alonzo took them and tossed his to Kurigan. He grabbed her arm pulling her slightly away and dropping his voice.

"Why are you only coming part of the way with us?" He asked her concern as he stripped out of his shirt "You know your welcome to come with us correct?" He asked her dropping his pants and pulling on the robes.

He did all this in front of her and with no qualms.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Niu allowed Alonzo to pull her away and kept her eyes trained respectfully on his face as he dressed. Her heart beat a little faster at his offer for Niu to accompany them, but she couldn't accept or refuse it at this stage, not with things still so uncertain.

"Thank you Maestro," Niu said with a genuine smile and a nod, and she then secured her pack on her back and waited until the two men were ready.

"Now I can't stress enough how important silence is to us this night. If we get stopped by one of my people, servant or otherwise, you two are to keep your heads down and only speak if you are spoken to. If you must give an answer, we are heading out in a hurry to deliver an urgent missive for the king. You two were told to accompany me for safety's sake. Do you understand?"

Niu waited for confirmation before she slipped into the servant's passage and gestured for the Prince and his Maestro to follow. They then wound their way through the passages of the palace, stopping some times when Niu sensed other servants crossing their path, and diverting around some spots to avoid guards. As they walked, there would be no doubt in either Kuragin or Alonzo's mind that Niu had done this before, and they would never even hear her footsteps as she stealthed her way through the night.

 

[silvertongue217]

"Understood" They both said wisely choosing to understand the importance of what she was doing. Her words and her advice would be imperative to them surviving this ordeal. For the first time Alonzo cursed at the fact that he had told the Prince to leave his guard back home. Of course at the time the Emperor had been on friendly terms with the Prince and there was no hint that they would be unsafe.

How foolish they had been

Of course with more soldiers and guards it would have been impossible to sneak out of the palace. They had the advantage in her and the fact there were only two of them. They managed to make it through the passages seeing the secret side of the emperors palace. A maze of servants corridors and rooms Alonzo did his best to map the place in case they ever had to come back.

They finally spilled out of the passages and into the outside gardens. The gardens were situated at the entrance to the palace a marvel of plants and trees from all around the Emperors territories.

"The ship should be at the dock" Alonzo said moving forward to talk to her and pushing his hood back "They should be standing by to leave as per my instr-"

"GAURDS!"

It was bad luck. A servant who had been tending to the bonzai tree late in the night. The minute Alonzo's hood came down his eyes widened in realization. The servant turned shouting at the two nearest gaurds.

"We must move!" Prince Kurigan said running up to them "now!"

 

[SinisterSpiders]

"GUARDS!"

The cry cut through the knife. In a true testament to Niu's professionalism she didn't swear, she didn't panic, she didn't even falter. As Kuragin cried out to them Niu motioned for Alonzo to pull his hood back up. Instead of heading out of the entrance they were going to use in the gardens, Niu turned left and led them to the stables instead. There was a young boy there, mucking the stalls. He looked up, his eyes focusing on Niu for just the slightest moment before he returned to his work. He would not turn them in.

Right at the back of the stable was a stack of hay, off to one side there was a chest full of tools. Niu pushed it aside, revealing a well hidden trap door. When they all climbed through the hatch the stable boy pushed it shut and the heavy sliding of the chest could be heard as they walked down some spiralling steps and into the darkness.

"We must hurry," Niu said as the steps levelled out into a two way corridor. She turned left, away from the direction that would take them to the waterfront and instead heading further inland.

 

[silvertongue217]

"You heard the girl my king" Alonzo hissed pushing Kurigan forward "Descend I will watch your back"

"Your girl friend sure is... capable" Kurigan said chuckling as he took to the ladder and began to climb down. Alonzo felt a blush cross over his face and he bit back a retort about her NOT being his girlfriend. It was so like Kurigan to make jokes while in danger!

Once he was sure the king was down Alonzo slid down himself. He locked the trap door behind him and jumped down landing on the hard packed earth beside them.

"so where to next?" He asked her moving forward and grabbing one of the torches. He started a quick fire and light the torch bathing them in a red glow and warmth.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Niu didn't respond to Kurigan's quip about her being Alonzo's girlfriend. In fact, it took all of her energy to restrain herself from telling him that this wasn't the time for jokes. Instead she whispered "We're headed in-land to a safe-house where we can get some horses. I have three cloaked and hooded decoys making their way to one of the ships in the docks as we speak. that would be the most logical route for your escape, and probably the safest. So we are taking this one in the hopes of throwing the Emperor off your scent."

As they walked down the corridor it slowly turned to one dug out of rock and earth rather than made of stone bricks. It was slightly damp and smelled of dirt and mould as it steadily climbed higher and higher.

 

[silvertongue217]

"How will we leave the country then?" Alonzo asked thankful and a bit curious at the same time. What had she thought about Kurigans comment? She didnt seem mad... But she didnt seem interested either. Of course now was not the time to worry about such things....

But he was curious all the same

They were moving up and soon Alonzo felt the fresh breeze of the earth around them. They were suddenly in the mouth of a tunnel. The forest was all around them thick and chattering with the midnight life of animals and predators.

Alonzo came over stopping by her side "Are you okay? I know it is not easy leaving ones home"

 

[SinisterSpiders]

"This is not my home," Niu said quickly, realising in that moment that it was true. Home was supposed to be a place where one felt safe, secure, where someone wanted to be. The Emperor's land had not been a home for Niu for a very, very long time.

"And we leave this country alive and discretely. We will head up through the mountains, it is a much tougher journey and the least direct back to your home. If we were to take the ship we would be besieged by pirates within days if not hours." Miu said, all business. "Come, we must keep moving."

Niu led the two men up through overgrown forest and into the foothills of the mountain. The skies started getting light as they walked, and Niu was focused on their safety, listening and looking out for any signs of being followed or ambushed.