Rina Chu, Are You a Spy

"Yes."

"Bobby."

Bobby: "Awaiting your orders, Alliance Leader."

"Take two Falcon Team members and help me with something right away."

"What is it?"

Grace leaned in close to his ear and whispered a few words.

Bobby's eyes widened, but he still nodded.

Grace finished the rest of her meal and headed to the mountain gate.

When she arrived, the soldiers were marching up in a grand, intimidating formation.

The Falcon Team shut the main gate, set up barricades, and prepared for battle, looking ready for a fight.

"Who goes there?" Lucas Hua demanded. "How dare you barge into the Spirit Alliance!"

"It is I, Your Prince!" A commanding voice rang out.

Two soldiers carried up a luxurious soft chair, lashed to a bamboo stretcher.

Seated in the chair was Prince Zane Tuoba, his face bruised and swollen.

"Oh? It's the Eighth Prince!" Grace joked, grinning. "Are you here to attack Spirit Alliance Mountain?"

"I'm not here to attack Spirit Alliance Mountain!" Prince Zane Tuoba said smugly. "I'm here to arrest a spy!"

"A spy?" Grace was utterly surprised. "You're here at the Spirit Alliance to catch a spy?"

"The spy is hiding right here on Spirit Alliance Mountain."

"Who is it?"

"It's her!" Prince Zane Tuoba pointed at Rina Chu, who was craning her neck to watch the commotion behind Grace. "President, hand her over to us!"

Grace turned and asked, "Rina, are you a spy?"

"I'm not!" Rina Chu replied innocently. "How could I possibly be a spy?"

So Grace said, "Eighth Prince, she says she's not a spy!"

"That's not for her to decide!" Prince Zane Tuoba scowled. "President, hand her over now! We'll find out if she's a spy ourselves!"

"No way!" Grace said. "She's one of us in the Spirit Alliance. You want to take her away without proof? Even a powerless civilian can't be treated like that!"

"How dare you!" The general of the Cavalry Corps beside Prince Zane Tuoba shouted fiercely. "You dare defy us? Are you rebelling?"

"You're the rebels here! Prince Zane Tuoba insulted a woman yesterday on Spirit Alliance Mountain, and Rina Chu fought back. Now you come here with a whole army for revenge? What do you take the Emperor's soldiers for?"

"Enough nonsense! Are you handing her over today or not?" Prince Zane Tuoba demanded fiercely.

"I'll hand her over if you bring an Imperial Edict!" Grace said.

"Ridiculous! If we needed an Imperial Edict to arrest a spy, they'd all escape the Vermilion Kingdom!" Prince Zane Tuoba's adjutant said.

"No Imperial Edict means it's just personal revenge. I will never hand her over!" Grace declared. "Prince Zane Tuoba, if you've got the guts, come and get her!"

Prince Zane Tuoba asked word by word, "Are you saying I can't break in?"

"President!" Winston Wu spoke up. "Just hand Rina Chu over and let the army investigate! If she's really a spy, we can't afford to be accused of hiding one!"

"That's right!" Winston Wu's followers echoed. "She's just a servant. We can't let the Spirit Alliance suffer because of one servant!"

Grace glanced at them.

Winston Wu met her gaze, his eyes calm and forceful, showing no respect for the President.

Grace smiled and called out, "Lucas Hua."

"Here, awaiting your orders, President." Lucas Hua's hand rested on his sword, ready for action, his presence radiating killing intent.

"Open the main gate and remove the barricades!"