2 Chapter 1: Chilhood- Tragedy arrived!

Year 1087 of The Great Era

Khmer Empire

The turmoil time arrived when the powerful ministers garthered together to rebel against the emperor. They overthrew and assassinated the King Yasovarman II along with his royal families and loyal ministers. The havoc occured every where. People were sufferring from political and civil war. Every mansion of Princes and Dukes in the capital was no different from the houses of all ministers and even the Great Palace. Many groups of soldiers surrounded those places with swords and spears. The air was full of murderous aura. The heart-wrenching sound of crying and fierce fighting were heard from inside those houses constantly.

The markets that used to have full of vendors and visitors talking happily walking back and forth, suddenly became a ghost place. Most of the shop were wrecked badly. The city inhabitants were hiding in their own houses not daring to come outside. The piercing sound of crying and begging for help were heard from far away in those high-rank people's residences admist the quietness in the whole capital city. The inhabitants who heard those sounds could only shed tears with empathy and fright. They bit their lips and covered their children's mouths with their hands in order not to make a sound.

The mansion of the Duke Jaktasireach, located along the main river near the central market in the capital, was the same as other places. During this catastrophe, Sivarintevy, the only daughter of the Duke was only 8 years old. She was being pulled away to escape through a secret tunnel by a dozen of guards and maid servants. Before coming to the secret entrance, the little girl with full of tear watching the last picture of her whole family struggling to fight to death with the soldiers. Blood was spreading every where covering her yard.

After running away from the dangerous place, and leaving the dark tunnel, she kept watching her red hands that were stained with her parents' blood while they hold her hands saying goodbye to her for the last time.

"Little princess, please wash your face and hands and then drink water a bit. We have a long way to go. The guard leader told me that we might have to stay on the mountain ahead tonight." A young boy whose name was Nit, was about 10 years old and her personal male servant, talking lightly. He gave her the bamboo tube which contained the clear water in the creek nearby. The little princess took it and took a drink but she didn't wash her face nor her hands that had dark stain of dry blood.

After a mouthful of drink, she said, "We've enough rest. Let's keep going on."

Everyone started a journey till the moon arised to show her light in the dark sky. They ate wild fruits that were picked up along the road and went to rest on the tall and solid tree branches. They just put medicine that could drive away poisonous insects and other dangerous wild animals around the trees; they didn't even make a fire to warm their bodies at night. A long time has passed, the luminous light suddenly appeared in the dark forest; the sound of wolf howling and wild dogs were coming closer and closer making everyone awake and stayed alert.

"We're surrounded, leader!" all the guards told their leader and awaiting the order with anxiety. The leader had a look at the surrounding environment and turned to Sivarin, saying, "Your highness, now we're surrounded by the enemies. I will separate our force into 2 groups and fight toward 2 different directions. You hide yourself here with your personal male servant. When the enemies chase us far away, you can leave this mountain and go forward to find your royal uncle near the border. If we survive, we'll meet you at Vongkot Mt. at noon tomorrow. If you don't see us by that time, please leave there urgently with Nit."

He turned to Nit and said, "Nit, take good care of the little princess!"

"Yes, sir!", the little child answers without hesitation.

"Uncle Vann, please take care of yourself!", Sivarintevy showed her worries toward the guard leader. After saying good bye, she and Nit tried to climb the higher branch with had a lot of big leaves covering themselves.

The guard leader, Vann, made other young maids disguising as the little princess and went different ways. The sound of weapon fighting is going far away. Our little princess and Nit climbed down the tree, walked down the mountain hand in hand in the darkness, trying to figure out the right way in the silent night. After a while, a laughing sound appeared behind, giving them a goosebump. The light from wooden torches immediately emerged in the dark forest. The little princess swallowed her saliva trying to calm herself down. She looked backward, seeing a group of soldiers standing not far away, looking at her and her servant as the tigers looking at their preys.

A burly man who was possibly the leader in the group talked to her, "Do you think such a common trick can cheat us, your highness? Please come back to the capital with me. If you resist, I cannot guarantee any casualties on your servant. Or do you want him dead first before making a decision?"

Sivarin laughed and gave a serious reply, "Kill me if you dare! I won't go back to suffer the humiliation from the traitors!"

"Don't your highness really care about the life and death of your personal servant?" After speaking, the man gave signal to his comrades to catch Nit and bring him toward the cliff.

He continued to speak, "If my little miss Amara didn't beg me to take you back alive, I wouldn't be talkative here with you. I count from 1 to 3, if you don't give in, and come back with me, we will throw this young boy off the cliff here."

"Don't touch me! Take your hand off me!... Your highness, don't care about me. Please run away hurriedly!" Nit tried to fight with the 2 soldiers who caught him by his shoulders but to no avail. Although he'd been training hard as a personal servant, how could a young boy defeated the strength of the big men who had faught fiercely in the battlefield.

"One, two,..."

Sivarin was hesitated. She looked at Nit with tear dropping down from her eyes.

"Three!"

"Stop!", the little princess shouted out loudly but it's a bit late because Nit was already thrown down the cliff. She ran after him wanting to take a last look at the edge of the cliff but the 2 soldiers nearby caught her firmly.

"Release me! You, liars! Why did you kill him?"

"You cannot blame us. It's you who makes a late decision. Now, you still have another chance, your highness. If you go with us, I can guarantee the lives of your other guards and servants. However, don't blame me if you're late again."

The little princess bit her lower lip till it started bleeding. She looked at the man in front of her and asked coldly, "How can I believe such a liar as you?"

He laughed out loud and said mockingly, "You have no choice, your highness. It's a game and the price to pay is the lives of your loyal dogs. I just make a suggestion to show you a way. Playing the game or not is up to you, but the chance is only 1, my little princess."