It was a good sign from the Gods that the morning brought ample sunshine and nary a drop of rain left from the thunderstorm of the night before. After a full breakfast, we were saddled up promptly on Han Ge’s best horses – we didn’t have to share one now, thus lending us the speed we needed to get back as soon as possible.

     The lady wasted no time in offering Li Wai a bear hug which earned her a torrent of complaints, much to my amusement. Before we left, I promised to send her some material comfort once I was reinstated. But she vehemently refused any such thing that might compromise her position as a spy. A little uncomfortable that there wasn’t much else I could do for her, I simply offered her my highest gratitude and thanks which she received with the warmest smile.

     And with that, we were off on our journey back to the Forbidden Palace. The road was much smoother than before, the mountains giving way to the more vast grasslands. Though the night before had been grueling, the result of the downpour was simply refreshing. The moist dew of the grass coupled with the sweet breeze that whipped through the air filled my lungs with a sense of euphoria.

     Maybe it was the atmosphere, or the beautiful rolling landscapes, or the knowledge that I was going to be back in my homeland, or just maybe the fact that I had never felt this free and alive… but something prompted me to say, “Let’s race.”

     Li Wai looked at me, dumb-struck. “I’m sorry, Empress. I didn’t catch that.”

     An impish grin growing, I tugged on the reins of my brown steed. “I’m saying, let’s race. It’s been a while since my last hunting trip with the late Emperor, so I’m probably rusty.”

     “But-”

     “Are you disobeying me?” I teased, raising my eyebrow deliberately.

     “Of course not, Empre-”

     “Finish point is that tree over there.” I pointed to a single, short oak in the distance. “The loser needs to do everything the winner asks. Get ready, go!”

     Not waiting to hear what he said, I sped off. Bending low so that my body was close to my horse, I felt the rush of the air against my skin. The tree loomed closer with every passing second until it was right in front of my nose. Pulling hard against the reins, I held the mare steady, my heart pounding in my chest as I recovered from the rush of adrenaline.

     Li Wai was a ways behind, reaching me seconds later. Coming to a stop beside me, he broke into a smile. “Empress is as good as always. I couldn’t catch up at all.”

     “That’s a lie,” I countered, my brows furrowing. Bringing my horse side-by-side with his, I drew closer to him, making sure that my breath hit him in his face. “I want a race, Li Wai.”

     “A. Real. Race.” Enunciating the words slowly, I pulled back, satisfied to see a small flush on his face.

     “Now come on.” I tugged my horse away. “Give it all you’ve got or I’ll make sure that the last thing you see today is your own horse’s rump.”

     Sneaking a sideways glance, I saw the corner of his lips curl upwards in a smirk. That was it. I grinned. The game was now on.

     “New target is that cliff.” I jerked my head towards the horizon. “On your mark…”

     Seeing Li Wai’s eyes narrow as he focused his gaze on the distant goal, I followed suit.

     “Get set… Go!!”

     Our horses launched into motion instantaneously, their hooves thundering against the earth as we sped across the flat plain. In the corner of my eye, I saw Li Wai inch farther out of my vision, overtaking me on his black steed. Refusing to give up the fight, I crouched down farther until I could feel the ripples of my horse’s muscles.

     With my slight urging, I regained the ground I lost but Li Wai was not backing down so easily either. He brought his horse neck-to-neck with mine again, a glance thrown at me before he was carried on ahead. The cliff barely yards out now, I sped up again.

     “Hyah!” Shouting, I coaxed more speed out of my horse with a slight flick of the reins. The wind whipped against my face, its warm touch fueling my drive even more.

     The gap closed faster between me and Li Wai until finally, he was out of my peripheral vision just as I reached the cliff. A surge of triumph shot through me, having beaten the very person who had taught me how to ride. Pulling back on the reins, I slowed my horse down to a trot and turned back proudly to face him.

     Li Wai reached me a split second later, his face colored from the physical exertion. As he pulled to a gradual stop beside me, I leaned forward, giving him a playful smirk. “Now who’s the loser?”

     He shook his head, a knowing grin on his lips. His hand reaching out to gently pat my head, he retorted, “Don’t be such a brat now.”

     The words were barely out of his mouth when he realized who he was talking to. Hurriedly retracting his hand, he bowed. “I’m so sorry, Empress. Your humble subject did not mean to say that.”

     “It’s alright, Li Wai. It was just the spur of the moment,” I coughed out as I clicked my heels against my horse’s side, spurring it forward slightly. My back facing Li Wai, I did not let him see the slight tinge of red that tinted my cheeks at his touch.

     Trying to soothe the pounding of my heart that had nothing to do with adrenaline, I looked out over the cliff. The sight of a bustling small town greeting me, a small smile spread across my face.

     “We are almost home.”

Author's Note: Shackles is now available on Kindle, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo! Check out the newly edited version of the story and some juicy extra scenes at the links below for only $0.99!