Page 24 of The Nightblood Prince

War broke out three weeks after we left the capital.

Apparently, Lan Yexue had made it back home just as his uncle died of a mysterious illness.

And now that he was home, he was set on revenge.

Rong had humiliated the young prince during his time as hostage.

And such transgressions would not be tolerated by men as prideful as the newly anointed prince regent…

Or so the gossiping aunties at the morning market said.

The men of the village laughed at how this foolish prince of a crumbling empire thought himself strong enough to conquer the mighty Rong.

All I could think about was Lan Yexue’s blood that gleamed like the midnight sky. The same blood that had brought me back to life. And his impossible strength and speed that were beyond the scope of mortality.

Then the nightmares grew worse.

More vivid.

More violent.

The screams, louder than ever.

I began to feel the hot splatters of Siwang’s blood as the faceless men slashed his throat over and over in that familiar throne room.

To make it worse: each time I jolted awake in sweat, half a scream in my throat, I was often greeted by another sort of heartbreak. I heard Mother and Father arguing in the night. As war began, it was only a matter of time before the price of food soared beyond our means.

“We need money,” Mother told Father. “We need food and firewood, and we need to stock up on rice and grains before the war reaches the farmlands and the emperor starts conscripting soldiers again.”

“You worry too much. Lan is just a small nation with a small army and small coffers. They stand no chance against Rong.”

“Lu- ma who sells noodles in the market said—”

“Who is Lu- ma to know? I am a first-rank minister. I have met the generals who patrol the borders, seen their armies with my own eyes. Lan doesn’t stand a chance.”

“You were a first-rank minister, husband.”

More than once, I caught Fangyun standing next to their room, weeping.

I packed my bags the next day, and left a note because I couldn’t bear the thought of a real goodbye:

I’m going hunting. I am sorry money is tight. Let me make this right.

I had not put my family through all this turmoil to stay put in a run-down cottage.

There were questions to be answered, and a prophecy to be broken.

Back in the cave, when Lan Yexue had asked whether I knew where to find the stargazer who had sealed my fate, I had said I didn’t—and it wasn’t a complete lie.

I didn’t know where the stargazer was, but I had ideas.

In the palace, every secret had a price, and it didn’t take much more than a few gold bangles to find out all there was to know about the stargazer and her family.