3 Escape

"The Grand Herald is here!" the manservant informed from the ornate door. His loud voice was enough to make Anchhi wonder who the Grand Herald was.

The red ornate door was pushed open only to let a shrewd man enter who was Fei Zhirong, the father of Fei Jia.

"Jia'er, My child." He steadily walked towards Anchhi, his pointy face with sharp watery eyes reflected either deep sadness or a sense of relief after seeing her safe and sound.

The maid, Shoumen who was sitting in the edge of her bed suddenly stood up and moved aside, bowing her head.

Anchhi was almost clueless when she saw him. He quietly sat beside her, stroking her cheeks. The Grand Herald wanted some privacy and by waving his hand, he gestured Shoumen to leave them alone.

"Where were you all these years? No wonder, you have lost so much of weight." said the Grand Herald holding her daughter's wrist. The drop of tears slipped past his eyes.

This time Anchhi could feel the fatherly affection of Fei Zhirong, towards her which for sure melted her heart.

"Everything has changed by today. After you had disappeared, your mother went through a grave sickness, which ultimately led to her death." Although the Grand Herald was a man but he couldn't hold his tears and ended up crying heavily, grieving for his beloved.

Seeing him miserable, he reminded Anchhi of her own father and tears like a dewdrop, rolled down her eyes. And for a moment, the sorrowful atmosphere surrounded them creating a pin drop silence, only with a sound of both of them weeping.

"Father, Since I'm already here, why bother talking about the past? Let bygones be bygones!" Anchhi rubbed the shade of tears from her eyes and grinned, looking at him with an attempt to make him happy.

"My child! You have grown up." Fei Zhirong caressed her head, smile painting his lips.

The Grand Herald was one of the favored Ministers of the Emperor who was in charge of the affairs related to the officials rewarded with fiefdom for commendable service. He also worships at the imperial ancestral temple as the Master of ceremonies.

He wished his daughter could stay with him in his manor but observing Anchhi's condition, it was not safe for her to walk around. After all, safety comes first above anything else!

Keeping this in mind, the Grand Herald allowed his daughter to reside in the Crown Prince residence till her recovery.

Like this, the days slowly passed and Anchhi was able to join Fei Zhirong in his 'Fei Manor' after some days as she was fully recovered till that time and her body parts were able to function properly.

*****

In a fine sunny day, inside the study room of Fei Jia, Anchhi was accompanying herself with some of Fei Jia's books. As what she had heard from Shoumen, Fei Jia was a crazy bookworm who loved engaging in ancient textbooks.

Now, Anchhi was living her life as Fei Jia, she should also imitate her hobbies even if she has zero motivations when it comes to studying. But, suddenly something seemed to strike her mind, that opposed her current life she was living.

"Hey, I am not Fei Jia so why do I have to do what she used to do?" Anchhi frowned, protesting her present situation. "I am a complete crack head. I can also come up with my own hobbies, right?" She again said, managing the piles of scrolls which she had sprawled a second ago.

"Wait! Instead of doing that, why shouldn't I find a way to return to the modern world?" The sudden thought widened her eyes in realization.

"I must go back." with a firm determination she shouted, banging the table with her palm.

"As per Shoumen, I was found in the middle of the forest so, it's possible that I may be able to travel through time again, if I go to that place. I am sure I will find a clue." Anchhi sheerly squinted her eyes, as she praised herself for coming up with such cunning calculation.

Without wasting further time, Anchhi disguised as a man and creeped outside of the Fei Manor, without letting anyone have a tinge of hint.

She was regarding herself as a fortunate one to successfully escape but less she knew, the Grand Herald's absence in the Fei Manor let her easily flee away from that place.

****

Upon reaching the forest, Anchhi was in awe of the size and majesty of the trees, ganging up to form an umber-brown, ancient forest. The trees were hoary fortresses and stood proudly.

"It's now or never!" She threw a deep breath, deciding to venture deeper into the tangled heart of this primeval forest. She only hoped that, this forest could show her way to return.

But, the further she went, the more mysterious and fearful the forest became. The twigs were crunching under her feet and the smell of forest was pulpy. Shuffling noises came from deep in the interior and every action the forest showed made Anchhi 's heart thump inside her chest.

Nearby the bush, she felt an eerie feeling of being watched. She then saw those fiery lightning eyes, whose features were covered by the bushes.

Anchhi could imagine it's appearance even if it was hidden behind the bushes, which made her gulp her tremor. Her face ashen as a reaction and she slowly withdrew her steps backwards.