10 10. Danger in the Forest.

Hell, I know I left them a shocking impression with my beauty and aura and all, they might be casting their gamble somewhere else, it's okay, I have time for you, you better make the right choice when the time comes.

---- Lily Palace

"That bastard, she actually came back! This is unbearable! That woman's child is surely up to no good!"

Noble Consort Diana shouts to her daughter, Bertha when they reach their palace.

"Mother, Ruthless is no simple, you can't be hasty in this, you will drag everybody down. Father's attitude is still not clear, no matter how much he doesn't like Cordelia, Ruthless is still his daughter and all he wants... we all know, as long as Ruthless doesn't block him," Bertha pauses, gathering her words, "Ruthless still have a chance of being the ruler of Lasombra."

"Of course, Bertha, Mother understands,"

Diana has calmed down and looked lovingly at her daughter, guilt in her eyes, "Mother has owed you, that you have to do this."

"It's no one's fault Mother, just that we need to push brother up the throne. But," Bertha frowns as she looks carefully at her Mother, "why do you need to treat Brother Lilando so harshly?"

"Lilando?" Diana narrowed her eyes, "this is not for you to ask Bertha, he's a bastard like that girl. Enough, head back to your chambers."

Diana waves her hands signalling the end of the conversation.

" Yes, Mother, Bertha will head back, have a good night Mother."

-------- Ambassadors' Pavilion (specially built for ambassadors to stay in)

" Is Your Highness thinking about Princess Ruthless? "

"What do you think about her?"

"Thirteen thinks that she is very complicated and her whereabouts are very suspicious."

"This kind of person, we should not be enemies, if so,"

"kill."

"Yes, Your Highness"

Thirteen bows.

Footsteps further and further away.

The raw wind slaps harshly at the leaves of the ebony trees, he turns around, a pair of frigid azure eyes glint.

________hi I'm the first speaking borderline..._____

The camera's perspective.

------ two weeks pass and it is the International Month-----

The first day is the First Hunt.

Every participant will hunt in the Crooked Forest and return by the evening at 5 where there will be soldiers who will collect the dead prey, count, group them under each participant, and analyze how precious each prey is, add points accordingly and announce the ranking.

Each participant will receive their own quiver of arrows with their names carved on them so when they hunt, the prey can be easily differentiated and they are not allowed to bring their servants along, in the case of cheating.

They all gather, receive their quiver of arrows before setting off on their horses.

Ruthless strolls at the back as if enjoying the view, peach blossom eyes watching out for dangers.

Once the crowd disperses, she starts her hunt.

Jaguars, hares, bears, saolas, shot with extreme ease, the forest is her territory, it is her kingdom, and they are her pets.

She draws another arrow from her quiver, stretches her bowstring, sets bow-hand, her pale fingers looking ghostly under the shadows of the trees, aims, and let go.

"Thump!" There goes another black bear on the tree, an arrow right in the middle between its eyes.

Her actions look casual and natural as if they are not a big deal but professionals will tell you that managing to do that takes at least 20 years of extreme practising, but Ruthless is only eleven.

"Clip-clop, clip-clop" The hooves of her horse struts lightly as Ruthless moves on.

Everything is peaceful.

"Fsh" An arrow slices through the air in Ruthless's direction.

She did not move for a moment, and she suddenly leaps out of her horse.

"Neighhhh!" The horse cries in agony and falls to the ground in a thud, blood spurting as the arrow goes through its body and cuts into the tree bark nearby.

Ruthless lands, half-kneeling, one of her hands supporting on the ground.

Her eyes blaze in purple glacial.

Another arrow comes at her as she flips backwards, doing a somersault.

"Quick, he's escaped this way!"

The rustling of leaves is so clear in her ears even though she is at least 200 metres (650 feet) away.

Ruthless bolts up a tree nearby and holds her breath, melting herself among the shadows of leaves as if she is part of the leaves, camouflaging is one of the essential skills she has learnt and mastered.

Men in black abscond onto where Ruthless was standing a few seconds ago and move on without hesitation.

Ruthless waits a while and makes sure they are far away before coming out of her hiding.

"Stop."

A freezing edge kisses her neck.

Ruthless halts.

Cold.

Freezing cold.

"You are the one they're after, an assassination here, you're one of the ambassadors, this dagger, made of Frost *Gadolinium, that can only be found on Blight Snow Mountain of Northern Curio Kingdom crafted by Raise Moon Palace's well-known Weapon Crafter.

So Dark Prince, when are you going to remove that precious metal from my neck?"

"You are very clever indeed." He removes the dagger from her neck, his eyes gleam like his weapon.

PuHleez, look who you're talking to.

Ruthless turns and strides away, wanting to leave, Dark Prince is such a powerful character, his enemy should not have sent such weak assassins, there should be a greater gift in store for him and Beng Gong will never dream of joining his waters.

Do only what you can handle without too many troubles, or there'll be no fun.

Ruthless has always treated her fight for the throne as a game, if she wants, she can kill everyone and ascend, but what's the joy of dying so fast?

"You..." Malbeno continues, out of the corner of his eyes, leaves are rustling gently.

But there is no wind.

"Down!" He shouts as he pulls Ruthless with him.

Masked men in black, thrust their shiny swords at them, Ruthless tears his hands off her arm and joins the fight with her white *Caerostris Darwini Silk, her silk entangles around a few assassins' necks and kills them by a neat cut of the silk as she kicks someone else coming at her and stabs him with a dagger in another hand.

Malbeno, like a fish, going in and around the crowd of assassins, taking every life under his dagger but his face is turning more and more red.

The assassins are well trained, while Ruthless and Malbeno are seriously outnumbered.

"Darn it! Dark Prince what happened to you!"

Ha, how can Dark Prince's ability be like this only? Means that he is...? I swear if I am dragged back by him, I will slap him ten thousand times as if I dare.

They are cornered to an empty space, cold wind blasting against them, their hair and clothes whipping in the wind.

Malbeno's face is unnaturally deep red.

"Ahuh, hoof, ahuh, hoo..." His breathing is regulated and heavy.

His dagger dripping of red blood, as red as his face.

Ruthless, on the other hand, is only slightly heaving for breath, her silver hair, from the earliest brown, turns into an eerie silver, with tips drenched in a suspicious red. Her red clothes are darker and red droplets are oozing from her sleeves, glancing over at Dark Prince, she mentally face-palms herself, seriously, are we this in luck?!

The place stink of copper.

"Dark Prince, you have nowhere to go, why don't you come with us instead?" Someone comes out from the crowd, seemingly, the leader of them. "As for this pretty lady...it shall be a pity." He sighs, shaking his head, like the f3ck he is pitying me.

"Since it's a pity, why don't you let me go?" Ruthless rolls her eyes, I am so full of this bullcrap, that black dude won't come back for me anyway, that'll be exposing himself, he won't be risking that.

As for Dark Prince, Ruthless shrugs, like Beng Gong cares. Don't believe? Oh, watch me.

Ruthless feels a cold glint on her neck, Ruthless glares at Dark Prince, touching her neck, as if that annoying dagger is on her neck again, my-god, whatever, he owes me big time.

Ruthless and Malbeno make eye contact, chemistry like they have worked many times together, flows between them. Ruthless's lips pull up amusingly, Malbeno's eyes burn darkly, they turn.... and leap.