‘hero’
Tomoyo paced in front of the boarded-up shop, watching the sun approach the horizon.
Where on earth did Sakura get off to? Is she with Li, I wonder? I would have thought she’d tell me before running off somewhere – unless there was an attack. But I was upstairs with Claire, I would have heard, wouldn’t I?
“Hmm.” She couldn’t stand waiting anymore, and came to a decision. “Kero?” She came to a stop under the window and tilted her head back. “Kero?”
“Yeah?” The little creature poked his head out to look down on her.
“Kero, I’m worried. Nicky and Li never came back, and now I can’t see Sakura. I want to go look for them.”
“I should -”
“No, they might come back. You should stay here with Claire. Okay?”
“All right,” he acceded unhappily. “But be careful.”
“There are plenty of people about, Kero, don’t worry about it. I’ll blend in.” She tucked her hair behind her ears and returned to the cobbled street. The people still out were picking up their pace, obviously anxious to get to their homes before the sun set. She had to find Sakura before then.
- - - - - -
Li felt enveloped in a kind of stunned disbelief, as though this really couldn’t be happening to him. He skimmed over the top of a stone wall, evading the arrows with ease, then leapt to the roof of a household. His right shoulder ached, and the cut on his left arm was bleeding badly, soaking his sleeve. Sweat dripped down his face and got in his eyes, and he shook his head to flick the droplets out of his unruly bangs, then leapt to another roof.
In other words, he looked like someone who had been on the losing end of a fight. That hadn’t happened in years. For the last three years of his classes, he’d never once lost a session. And he had held his own against the soldiers this past week, consistently fighting them off despite their numbers and advantage. But not this time. This time he had lost, and Sakura had paid the price.
The soldiers were fanning out and trying to flank him as a few attempted to climb up to where he was. But they couldn’t keep up; he had an edge to his flight, the edge of desperation and near-panic. They were feelings he hadn’t felt since his father had died, but they lent his feet an unknown speed as he dashed across the top level of the city.
But where was he running to? Where could he possibly go, when he couldn’t outrun the memory of what had just happened? Sakura was a prisoner, and he had turned away and left her. He had run. What kind of warrior was he?
His breath was starting to come in ragged gasps, but he didn’t slow his pace any. Subconsciously, he’d been running toward the affluent side of town, leaving the buildings and shops behind for the richer homes and the many temples that graced the city.
I’m no warrior. I was only fooling myself this whole time, thinking I was someone special because I knew a few tricks with a magical sword. A sword that I don’t even deserve, that I shouldn’t even have. I’m just a lowly commoner after all, only thinking of myself. I abandoned her; I left her to a horrible fate. I’m worse than the enemy. And I’m nothing. I’m nobody.
He choked a little, but he didn’t have time to sit down and feel sorry for himself. They were starting to close in. Still he ran, unable to even think about taking them all on in his condition. His swirl of emotions made impossible the focus he needed for combat. It wasn’t fear that kept Li running from attackers of marginal skill and clumsy maneuvering. It was shame.
- - - - -
Sakura took in the surroundings through glazed eyes. She recognized the rich homes and lavish temples alongside the Great Road that led up from the city interior to the palace; she’d seen them at every parade and every trip to the city that she was allowed. Those days seemed like a hundred years ago, another lifetime, even.
Blackstock urged his horse into a faster canter, despite the double load she was carrying on her back. He was anxious to get the princess safe within the palace walls, determined that she would have no time to struggle free and escape. He had no cause for worry. Sakura had lapsed into a mild state of catatonia upon being pulled up into the saddle, and was almost limp in his arms as he held her tightly. She knew, at some level, that she had lost, that after three weeks of successfully hiding and running, she had finally lost. She knew, intellectually, that she was finally going to be presented to the General, and that nothing was going to save her. But it didn’t quite sink in until the colonel slowed to a walk and entered the palace archway, coming to a stop in the yards. That was when she caught sight of him, waiting for her in the shadows of the arch to the building entrance. That was when she returned to reality, and tried to struggle as Blackstock dismounted and pulled her down to join him. But his grip was like iron, squeezing her upper arms so hard that she whimpered aloud.
No, this can’t be happening… not after all I’ve been through… I can’t have lost. No! No, this isn’t how it’s supposed to be!
Blackstock only grunted as she dug her heels into the stones of the courtyard and tried to resist moving forward.
“Just give me another excuse to hit you,” he muttered, and gave a sharp jerk to pull her forward. “This is where you’re supposed to be, your highness. The sooner you accept that and stop this childish and self-centered rebellion, the happier we’ll all be.”
But I’m so scared, thought Sakura. So scared.
Her stomach was clenching painfully from nervousness, and she could feel her palms sweating against each other behind her back. She’d rather do anything in the world than face the man she was about to meet: her parent’s murderer. What would he do to her?
The General waited patiently in the broad entrance hall, watching the colonel half-drag his prisoner across the courtyard. It had been so long… three long weeks of frustration and uncertainty. He’d hardly been able to believe his ears when he heard the news, but there she was, real and tangible as life. Gorrell had to force himself to take a deep breath. At long last, the final element of his plans was in place. But it would do no good to rush things. He must remember to keep himself in check. After all, he’d been looking forward to this for so long. It would be unseemly if it wasn’t done just right.
Gareth reached him at last, straightening his back in proper posture but forgoing the usual salute to keep both hands on the prisoner. She’d stopped struggling for the moment, but she was trembling violently, and her shallow breathing echoed in the hallway. Determinedly she gazed at the stones at her feet, and Gorrell chose to ignore her for the moment, as well. Instead he addressed his friend.
“The peasant?”
“Escaped sir. I have at least a dozen men hot on his tail at the moment, though. I neglected to join the hunt in order to see to this.” He indicated Sakura, and Gorrell nodded, refusing to smile. He may have gotten the princess, but he had ordered that man killed. The mission was incomplete.
“And the Sun Guardian?”
“No sign of him at all.”
“Well then. You know what you have to do.”
“Yes sir.” Blackstock scowled inwardly. It would have been nice to at least hear a word of congratulations on obtaining the princess. But it was true, the mission was incomplete. All he had to do now was take care of the swordsman and the Sun Guardian. Then he would be free to accept reward. Gorrell gave a dismissive wave of his hand, and the colonel released Sakura to salute and leave.
As painful as his grip had been, Sakura felt a sense of dread at the man’s departure. She was alone with the General now. She could feel his stare, even though she still had not looked up from the floor. His polished black boots took a step closer to her, and it took every bit of nerve she had left to not back up.
“And here you are,” he murmured. “I can hardly believe it, after all this time. I suppose you can hardly believe it either, hmm?”
There was a pause, but Sakura didn’t speak. Maybe if she just stared at the floor and ignored him, he couldn’t hurt her. The boots were turning now, and he began a leisurely walk around her.
“You wouldn’t believe the time and effort I’ve put into finding you, your highness. Energy that could have been better spent running my new government.” For the first time he touched her. Not a hard blow like Blackstock, but a gentle touch as he traced a fingertip across her upper back. She cringed. “It was so obvious that I wanted you here with me, needed you here, yet still you persisted in running. Fighting my men, even. Everybody’s been to a considerable amount of trouble because of you.” He came to a stop before her again and took her chin in one hand, forcing her to look at him at last.
“Naughty, naughty girl.”
Sakura froze. The peculiar thing about these past few weeks, living in constant dread of this man, was that she really wasn’t able to remember what he looked like. She’d never had much of a reason to look at him before, living in the palace and busy with her own life. The military was of no interest to her, only her brother had paid attention to such things. She knew who he was, of course, and could have picked him out at a royal function if she needed to. But there had been no need. Unsuccessfully, she had been trying to recall his face since the overthrow, but it was just a blur of fear in her mind. Now she could see him all too well. He was a muscular man, powerfully built with large hands. His black hair was peppered with silver, advertising his forty-odd years, and a neatly trimmed black beard framed, though it did not conceal, his determined square jaw. Most frightening were his eyes. Flat black and intense, she could see no hint of pity or conscience in them. Only a sadistic desire for power and control. She decided that she preferred the wolf’s eyes.
“Did he touch her?” he asked suddenly. She felt confused for a moment, then realized they were no longer alone. Gorrell turned her face to the side, and she found herself staring at a thin old man. Draped in his black robes, he seemed so small, but there was a malicious glitter in his eyes as he drew nearer. She wanted to back away but the General was holding her firmly in place.
Salfrek, assuming it was him, leaned in a little closer and muttered a chant as he cocked his head to the right to examine her, then to the left. She flushed under his gaze.
“She is virginal still.”
Nikolai allowed a tiny sigh of relief. He knew that she was royalty, and would probably never dream of allowing a peasant to touch her, but there was no mistaking how beautiful she was, and how long she had been in the company of that boy. It had been his one greatest fear that if he was able to finally capture her, she might already be spoiled.
“But she does love him,” the sorcerer continued.
“That’s of no concern to me.”
Salfrek looked at him sharply and gave a quick cackle. “It will be.”
They were talking about her as if she weren’t even in the room, and Sakura burned with humiliation. It was so degrading to have her private feelings discussed amongst these enemies.
Gorrell only shrugged. The princess’ feelings didn’t matter one way or another to him. All that mattered was that she was pure still, and that she was his prisoner.
“Leave us, then. I will call on you if I have further need.”
“As you wish, your majesty.” The old man bowed and placed his hands together, then disappeared. Maybe it was wishful thinking that Sakura had heard just the slightest edge of sarcasm in that reply, but Gorrell didn’t seem to pick up on it.
“There’s only one more thing that can make this even more perfect,” he sighed, and reached to stroke a tendril of hair back from her face. She flinched, and he smiled. She was so afraid of him… it was intoxicating to be so feared. He had complete control over her, and he savored the feeling.
“Come with me, please.” He turned and began to pull her down the hallway.
- - - - - -
Long after Blackstock had ridden out of the palace walls on his horse, Eriol remained where he was, on the far side of the courtyard.
I think where I lost myself was failing to see her as a person. I was so anxious to have the princess here at the palace, to help the General. That was her duty, after all.
Eriol had failed to see her a girl. She was just a sixteen year-old girl, and he had seen Blackstock drag her across the courtyard with the same treatment he would expect a rancher to herd his cow to slaughter. And she had looked about as terrified.
What have I been doing? Whose side am I on? What I’ve participated in was a kidnapping, no less. I make myself sick.
He whistled, and Ruby raised her head. “Come on, Ruby, we’re going for a ride.”
“What do you think you’re doing, Captain?” One of his fellow officers strode over, bewilderment evident in his features. “You’ve been confined to palace grounds for the moment, you’re under my authority for the palace watch.”
“Shut up.” Eriol wasn’t in the mood for any subtleties and he crossed the courtyard in long strides to reach his horse. She was tied along with the others to the posts, rather than stabled in the back, fortunately. They’d never ordered him to take her back there when dumping him here, so he’d avoided the issue. He liked to have Ruby where he could see her.
“You won’t get away with this, Captain. This is insubordination, punishable by death.”
Eriol paid no attention as he untied Ruby’s lead. He had nothing but the sword that was strapped to his hip, but there was no way to get anything else. He couldn’t spend one more minute in this palace, he thought he would vomit.
“Captain, are you even listening to me?”
“No. And that’s the beauty of it. For the first time, I’m not listening to the army. I’m listening to me.” He moved to mount his horse, but stopped when he felt the prick of metal in his lower back.
“Stand down, captain. That’s an order.”
“Are you going to let him do that to me?” he whispered. Ruby snorted and reared high into the air, hooves wheeling. Startled, the officer took a step back and Eriol was able to draw his own sword. Cleanly he knocked the blade out of the other’s hand.
“Now I suppose I should kill you,” he mused. “But that wouldn’t be very honorable, to kill an unarmed man. I heard that somewhere. And besides, I did pull a bit of surprise, turning on you and all. I’ll let you go this once.” He motioned the man to get down on his knees, then rapped him on the temple with the hilt of his sword before mounting. Ruby wasn’t wearing any tack or anything, but that would be all right. True horsemen had no need of reigns to guide their horses. He never looked back at the palace or the unconscious man as he rode out the archway. Instead he scanned the city below him. Which way had Blackstock gone?
- - - - - -
Without stopping to think, Li dove underneath the great bell atop a temple. They hadn’t seen which way he’d gone, but they could no longer see him, which made them uneasy. As he climbed down the rope, he could hear them shouting to surround the nearby buildings and search them. Best not to climb down just yet.
Both of his arms hurt terribly, but he hung on, swaying in empty space as a soldier stalked through the temple below him, peering around the altar and searching amongst the idols.
Li had never been fond of heights, and he could feel his palms sweating as he watched the soldier below him. His grip slipped a little, and the tongue of the bell swayed dangerously close to the sides.
Come on, damn it, hurry…
At last the soldier rushed out of the temple to join his compatriots, and he could hear them move outward.
Finally. He climbed down the rope as slowly as he could, and collapsed in an exhausted heap on the stairs leading to the altar. The wound on his left arm was still seeping blood, and he was beginning to feel woozy with all the running and jumping and climbing. He’d hardly slept at all the night before, and all he wanted now was to rest.
Sakura…
As his heartrate slowed and the struggle for survival ebbed into the back of his mind, anguish at what he had done reasserted itself. He’d left her! He’d left her alone with those awful, pawing soldiers and by now she was probably in the palace. She was with the one man that she dreaded more than anyone, and who knew what was happening to her right now.
I just couldn’t. There were too many… I just couldn’t save her. It’s all my fault.
Li slumped over and rested his forehead on his knee.
Why did she have to say that she loved me? I don’t deserve that. I’m nothing.
- - - - - -
Tomoyo frowned as she tried to find her way out of the twisting alleyway. She’d never wandered alone in the city before, and now she couldn’t find her way back to the main road. The shadows were getting deeper, and the distant crowd much quieter. She couldn’t even use noise as a compass.
Stay calm, Tomoyo, don’t fret.
She was having a difficult time convincing herself. There was no sign of Sakura or Li at all, and these buildings looked so alike. She hurried along the narrow twisting spaces between shops and wondered how she could ever find her way out of this maze. Who knew there were parts of Tomoeda that looked like this?
It was sheer chance that she rounded a corner and saw the road directly in front of her, just as the sun was setting, and she was so relieved that she walked right out into the open without thinking to peek around the corner first.
“Stop right there!” yelled an authoritative voice, and her head jerked up. Colonel Blackstock was pointing his sword at her and shouting instructions for his men to catch up to her and surround her.
Tomoyo lost her head and shrieked, then bolted back down the way she had come. The loud clop of hooves on stone told her that they were coming after her.
Oh no… oh please no… Of all the worse luck! Why did he have to be out here – the one soldier who could identify me?
The tiny lanes were plenty big enough for horses, unfortunately, and she could hear the pursuers growing louder behind her.
“Alive, alive!” the colonel was shouting. “We need her to tell us where the Sun Guardian is!”
Tomoyo couldn’t have told him even if she wanted to. Her mind was a perfect blank, she could think of nothing but running from the horses, with the sword-wielding men on their backs. She didn’t even know how to get back to the shop, and she didn’t know where she was running to now.
What does this remind me of?
A single detached thought ran through her head as she leapt over a rickety gate. The horses cleared it without trouble and continued to pound after her.
Oh yes. This reminds me of the time that bandit attacked me. I ran into the cherry orchard, and Li met him there with his sword. This time I don’t know where I’m running to, and I’m not likely to find Li in this maze. This time there is no one to save me. This time, I’m probably going to die.
Another horse came at her from her left, out of nowhere, to cut her off. She screamed and skidded to a halt, then tried to break to her right. But it was too late, in one smooth motion he gripped her arm and dragged her up to sit on his horse behind him – behind him?
Everything was such a blur, his horse was going so fast, and instinctively she squeezed her arms around his waist to stay on. That was when she realized that this soldier wasn’t slowing down to turn her over to Blackstock. He was picking up speed, and in spite of there being two of them, his chestnut mare was moving quite fast…
Of course. She shut her eyes and squeezed tighter, suddenly feeling very safe though their danger was far from over. Eriol wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
Together they rode through the city, Eriol guiding Ruby easily with his knees. Every step they took was like digging his own grave, but there was an eerie exhilaration to fleeing like this. He decided that it was fun protecting people from the soldiers.
Ruby couldn’t outrun the pursuers completely, though, not with two on her back. He urged her to speed up as she raced down a lane into the poorer section of the city. All he needed was –
There. Pushing his horse into one final burst of speed, he drew his sword and slashed at the binds that lashed a pig pen gate before coming to a stop. A light prick on the back of one old sow was all it took to send them into a panic, squealing and milling about in the narrow space. There were far too many to leap over, and the soldiers came to a frustrated stop, their horses neighing apprehensively at the rowdy swine.
“You all right?” Eriol inquired calmly over his shoulder. He sounded cheerful and undisturbed, and Tomoyo was having trouble just getting her breath back.
“Fine,” she wheezed. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” The colonel was coming to a stop now behind his men, and he gaped as he realized who he was looking at.
“Captain?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
Astonishment quickly turned to rage in the older man’s eyes. “This is treason! You will hang for this!”
“Yes,” Eriol replied amiably, “I thought you’d say something like that.” Warily he held his sword out as Ruby pranced a little under him. “You’ll have to catch me first, of course.”
“Believe me, it will happen. And I will make sure your execution is a particularly painful one.”
“Threaten whatever you like, Colonel, I’m not giving this girl up to you.” At his unseen direction, Ruby began to back up a little. Blackstock could see his chance at the Sun Guardian slipping away.
“Don’t do it, Hiiragizawa. You’re throwing away a promising future.”
“Hardly. I’m throwing away a shameful past. You can consider this my official resignation. Good day.” And with that, his mare wheeled and they thundered down the alleyway.
Blackstock snapped. “Damn it, get rid of those pigs! Hit them, kill them, do whatever you have to do. I want that man brought to me!”
Eriol smiled grimly to himself at the desperation in the colonel’s voice, but didn’t relax until Ruby had taken several more twists and turns and he was sure they’d lost them.
“I think we’re all right for the moment.”
“Good,” she panted, “because I don’t think I can take much more of this.” The mare slowed and came to a stop by a rainwater barrel, lowering her head to take a well-deserved drink. Tomoyo slid off the bare-backed horse awkwardly, and Eriol followed suit.
“Why? Why did you do that for me? You’re going to die if they ever catch you.” His blue eyes twinkled with humor, and something else.
“I was merely taking the lady’s advice.”
“And what was that?”
“To think about it. And I did. The answer wasn’t too difficult.”
“Oh.”
“And I did have one other incentive.” He placed a warning hand on Ruby’s flank, mentally commanding her to keep still this time, and leaned down to brush his lips over hers. He wasn’t too sure of himself, after all, he had forced that first kiss on her. But she reached up to place her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer, and together they lost themselves in the kiss.
Ruby finally had to give an impatient snort before he could make himself pull away. This really wasn’t the time or place to be stopping for a kiss; the colonel was still hot on their tail. She was looking at him so adoringly though. Eriol felt a rush of heat through his body and struggled to contain himself. He’d never known he could feel like this.
“We, uh, better get back to wherever you’ve been hiding out. We’ve got to figure out how to get your friend.”
For the first time since Eriol had picked her up to ride on his horse, Tomoyo’s thoughts returned to their situation.
“What?”
A frown flickered across his face as he looked into her eyes. “You mean you don’t know?”
“Know what?”
Uh-oh.
Eriol winced and placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to preemptively comfort her.
“Tomoyo, Tomoyo. I’m afraid… that I have some rather bad news for you.”
- - - - - -
Don’t cry, Sakura, don’t cry. Please hang onto at least that much of your dignity.
She fought to hold back her tears as the General dragged her roughly through the corridors of the palace. He took such big long strides, and with her hands still tied behind her back it was difficult to keep pace with him. She’d barely registered that they weren’t heading for the residential parts of the palace after all when he came to an abrupt halt outside a heavy wooden door.
After a good deal of limited pacing and some more push-ups, Touya had finally resettled onto the floor in the hopes of taking another nap, this time without the horrifying dream of his capture. His stomach had been twisting ever since he woke up, like something terrible was about to happen. It gave a particularly horrible lurch when he heard the key turn in the lock, and he hurried to stand.
The door opened, but it wasn’t the guard that came through. It was someone that was pushed through, barely able to right herself without the use of her hands for balance. Someone that he had longed to see for three weeks but prayed daily that wouldn’t happen. And now his worst nightmare had come true.
“Sakura?” he whispered. She looked up and met his gaze, and he saw the color drain from her face when she saw the condition he was in.
“Oh Touya,” she choked, and rushed forward into his arms. Her big brother, her only family… oh, how it hurt to see him like this. She buried her face into his shirt and forgot her promise to herself as she began to sob. She couldn’t hug him, even, but he was doing enough of that for the both of them, squeezing her so tightly that she could hardly breathe.
His sister, his little baby sister. What was she doing here? How could this happen? Everything had gone horribly, terribly wrong.
Stupid, stupid Sakura, he thought, as he held her close. Why did you try to come back? Why didn’t you run? You shouldn’t have come back for me.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed into his shirt. “I’m so sorry!”
“Shh. No. Don’t be sorry.” He heard his voice crack, and he had to swallow before speaking again. “It’ll be all right.” A blatant lie, of course, and everyone there knew it.
He ignored the General smirking in the doorway and leaned in close to whisper in his sister’s ear.
“I’m the one who’s sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t do a good enough job. I should have been a better protector, a better leader, I should have seen this coming. I failed you.”
Unable to speak, Sakura shook her head in a frantic denial. This wasn’t Touya’s fault, it wasn’t her fault. The blame lay with Gorrell, but against him she could do nothing. And she never felt more like a helpless little girl than she did right then, wrapped in her brother’s arms and crying like a child. Despite his long confinement, his arms were as strong they’d ever been, and it felt so good to just snuggle into them.
It was all very sweet and touching, but Gorrell had had enough. He cleared his throat, but she just burrowed her face into her brother’s chest.
“Sakura. Your highness. It’s time to go.”
“Just a few more minutes,” she pleaded. “I – I haven’t seen him so long - ”
“And you won’t be seeing him again for a long time,” he concluded, and had the satisfaction of seeing her gulp. “Unless you come over here right now.”
Hesitantly she tried to back away, but Touya only gripped her tighter. “No. Don’t.”
“I have to, Touya. Don’t you see?”
“I don’t want to see.” He wouldn’t let go, hugging her close in some childish belief that if he could just hold on tight enough, she wouldn’t have to leave, and they could stay together. “You’re my sister.”
“I’m sorry, Touya. You know I have to go.” Touya pulled away enough to look her in the face, and felt disquieted at what he saw. This wasn’t the girl that had laughed and giggled herself sick after the night of the Midwinter Ball. Grief and terror had ravaged her pretty eyes, but panic was conspicuously absent. She knew her fate, knew what she had to do, but she wasn’t screaming and kicking. Sakura had grown up a lot these past few weeks.
And as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he knew she was right. There was nothing he could now, here in these chains. She was rising up on her toes now to kiss him, and he planted a tender kiss on each side of her lips, tasting the salt of her tears. And then, too soon, she backed away out of his reach.
Sakura could not look at his anguished expression and lowered her eyes as she forced herself to return to Gorrell’s side.
Nikolai was flush with vicTouya as he surveyed his prisoners. This was true power: to hold a person’s life in your hands, to have the ability to command them in every aspect of their pitiful lives. And she was going to be so easy to control. Her love for her family and fellow humans was her obvious weakness. Feeling good, feeling stimulated, he took Sakura’s soft hair in his hand and squeezed his fist tight. She whimpered again, then shrieked and tried to break away when he licked the tears off her face. It was so amusing to watch the prince fight for self-control while sending him looks of bitter loathing.
Then he grew tired of the game and straightened, pushing Sakura into the arms of one of his soldiers.
“Take her to my chambers and get her cleaned up,” he ordered briskly. “I’ll be up in a while.”
Touya closed his eyes, but he could still hear her cries as she was dragged away from the cell, her sobs growing fainter and fainter. When he opened them again, Gorrell was still in front of him.
“You don’t have to hurt her,” he said at last, in a voice so strained and cracked he could barely recognize it. “She’s only sixteen years old. She’s just a girl. You don’t have to hurt her!”
The grin lit up the General’s face.
“But I want to, Touya. She’s made me suffer these past few weeks like you wouldn’t believe. I want her to beg. I want her to cry. She’s in my power now, and there’s nothing that will make me happy until she’s sobbing at my feet. Do you understand me, your highness?”
“No,” Touya gritted. “Come a little closer and say it again, please.” Gorrell took a step back and chuckled.
“Oh, I don’t think so. You’re obviously in the mood for higher stakes now, and I don’t blame you. But it’s not going to be that easy. The final part of my plan is in motion at last. Your sister will be my bride and my queen, and I will have total control of the kingdom. Nothing can stand in my way, especially you. If she behaves herself, I’ll let her come visit you before the wedding.”
He took one last moment to savor the look on his prisoner’s face before turning and exiting the cell.
“No food or water for the next twelve hours,” he warned the guard in a low voice. “No one, and I mean no one, goes anywhere near him until I say so. Understood?”
“Sir. Yes sir.”
- - - - -
“Excuse me.” Li’s head snapped up and he almost raised his fists, but the person who had spoken to him was obviously no threat. She pushed back the hood of her robe to reveal beautiful long red hair, and spoke again. “Excuse me. I must clean the altar, and you’re in my way.”
“Oh.” He stumbled to his feet and moved to the side, and she picked up a bucket and cloth to climb the few steps. “Sorry.”
He shuffled away, holding his arm tightly in an effort to stem the blood flow.
Seems like I’ve been saying that word a lot more lately. I never used to say sorry to people. What’s happened to me?
“Nothing,” the woman said. “There’s nothing wrong with feeling sorry for tragic things that have occurred. What’s important is to recognize what tragedies can still be righted.”
Li halted mid-step, then turned slowly. She smiled sweetly at him, then redirected her attention to scrubbing a minute speck of dirt from the golden surface of the altar.
“How did you – who are you?”
Her hand stopped moving long enough for her nod graciously in his direction. “My name is Kaho Mizuki. And you, of course, are the one.”
She said it so matter-of-factly that Li almost didn’t catch it, and he gave her a blank look.
“Excuse me?”
“You are the one.”
“One what?”
“The one who has come to save us all, naturally.”
Li took a careful step along the temple railing, eyeing her warily. “What makes you say that?”
“Because you are the hero I have seen in my visions.”
“I’m no hero - ” Li started to say, then got distracted. “Visions?” She nodded again.
“Oh yes. It’s amazing the things you see if you watch carefully while cleaning.” She scowled a little at the reflective surface of gold as if to demonstrate her point, then crouched to dunk her rag in water again. “You are the peasant with the heart and sword of a noble. I have seen you before. You have to come to save us all.”
Li’s brown eyes popped open wide and this time he took a step back. “You are a – sorceress?”
“You could call it that if you wished. Sakura preferred simply ‘teacher’. We grew to be very fond of each other when I stayed at the palace.”
“You know Sakura?”
“Quite well. Her brother too.” Her sage eyes clouded a bit as she thought of their fate, then she shook her head and began to clean again. “Terrible tragedy.”
Li watched her scrub the edges of the gilded altar, apparently untroubled by his bloody shirt and battle-worn appearance. Cautiously he stepped along the railing and brushed his hands over the smooth wooden surface.
“She’s gone. We had a fight, and – and there were just too many. I couldn’t win. They took her up to the palace.”
“Yes.”
“I left her,” Li elaborated, not sure why. Something about that face invited confession. “I ran. I mean, I didn’t even try to get her. She was on the other side of six or seven swords.”
There was no reply, and he swallowed.
“She begged me to run, and I did! I crawled over the wall and I left her alone with the enemy. I promised her I would never do that.”
“You ran so you could live. To stay would have meant certain death.”
“It’s what a true warrior would have done. I know it’s what the King’s Own must have done the night of the overthrow.”
“Perhaps. And what good are they to the royal family now? What good are you to Sakura, when you choose the fate of Yue?”
Yue… that man with wings that Tomoyo had spoken of. He hadn’t even been able to measure up to her former bodyguard, the one that she had loved. That was the man that deserved her love.
“It is not for you to decide who deserves her love. That decision rests solely with the princess.”
“The princess,” he repeated dully. “Doesn’t anybody besides me think it’s unnatural for a princess to love a peasant? Doesn’t anybody else see how wrong it is?”
“There are enough wrongs about here without you searching for more of them. Surely even you recognize the ills that the new government has wrought.”
Kaho wrung her rag out, then moved to the head of some ancient idol. Conscientiously she scrubbed it until there was a soft glow reflecting from the candles.
“Well, sure. But what’s that got to do with anything? There are still rules, and I know I can’t break them. I’ve seen what happens when I do. I’ve had enough pain in my life from that.”
“But look how strong it made you. See how it shaped your destiny, prepared you for this ultimate test. You were the only one who could have helped the princess make it this far.”
Sakura had said much the same thing a few days ago. He recalled how her statement had made him scoff. Coming from this mysterious woman, he wasn’t nearly so inclined to laugh.
“I don’t believe in things like destiny. We all make our own choices.”
“Then why did you choose to help her? For so long you tried to convince yourself that you were somehow trapped in Sakura’s situation. Is that the truth of it?”
“I - I -” he stammered, “I was trapped. I couldn’t go back… not after they saw me fighting…” His voice trailed off as she studied him.
Once again he was subconsciously reaching for that pendant under his shirt. Her eyes followed the movement of his hand, and she nodded to herself.
“You wanted to prove you were worthy of the sword you carried. Didn’t you?”
He could not bring himself to admit it. Instead he pulled it off, watching the candelight reflect off its round polished surface.
“I don’t deserve it,” he muttered. “Something so beautiful and powerful is out of my reach.”
“You don’t really believe that,” Kaho chided. “You would have never finished your classes if you believed that. You would have thrown Sakura to the soldiers if you believed that. You did choose to stay. Your destiny does lie within yourself. And the choices you’ve made in your life have led you to this one night, in this city, where you alone can help right the tragedy that has occurred.”
She didn’t even glance up to see Li’s expression after her declaration, concentrating on her scrubbing. She might as well have been asking him to fetch her more water, for all the anxiety that was evident in her voice. Didn’t she realize what she was saying?
“You want me to go save her.”
“It’s not me that’s important, though yes, I would like it. It’s you that wants it. And her, of course. She would like it very much, I suspect.”
“But…” Li felt a little lost, trying to hold a conversation with this woman. “But, I can’t. I can’t invade a palace and rescue the princess. This isn’t some fairy tale. I’m not the fighter I thought I was. I lost today. I ran.”
“And for that reason you will abandon Sakura to her fate?”
“Well…” He couldn’t quite bring himself to say yes. “I’m not a hero. I’m just a peasant who tried to be somebody he wasn’t. I’m nothing.”
Kaho paused while wiping down the prayer railing.
“Then this shouldn’t hurt.” She gripped his wounded arm with a sudden vengeance, causing him to grit his teeth and bite back a yelp. But when she released her hold, he was surprised to discover how much less it hurt. Pulling open the tear in his shirt, he saw the wound close up and the scar fade. “Believe whatever you will about yourself, Peasant Who Wields a Sword, but know that Sakura loves you very much. She doesn’t think you’re nothing. And now she’s trapped by a man who wants to hurt her. All heroes make a choice, like your father once did for your mother. This is your choice: will you allow that to happen?”
Humming slightly under her breath, she picked up her bucket and began to walk to the exit of the temple.
The pain from his wound was already almost gone, and he flexed his arm in wonder. Sorcery, destiny, heroes and princesses… it all seemed a bit much. But she was right. No matter how much he didn’t think he deserved the love of someone like Sakura, he could not allow someone to hurt her.
“How did you know to be here?” he called out. “Why were you here to speak to me?” She shrugged noncomittally, then paused and looked over her shoulder.
“Do tell the prince I said hello, when you see him. And good luck.” It was definitely a goodbye, and she disappeared into the dusk outside the temple door. Li moved to the window on the far side of the temple and leaned out, inhaling the evening breeze. Tomoeda was quiet now, and still. To his imagination, it seemed almost expectant. Up the hill, the palace torches beckoned.
Sakura was waiting.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters
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