Chapter 18
Asami Eiko
Isat alone atop the simple throne of the ToshiDaimyo, the seat recently vacated by the now headless and very salty Daiki. I glanced at the blade on my lap, light from nearby braziers dancing in its polished reflection. Thekatanahad ended an entire bloodline and seriously weakened the resistance of one of thehanwho stood between me and my rightful place on the Jade Throne.
I hadn’t technically ended the Toshi resistance. Daiki’s soldiers and generals would fight on in his name, but the man’s lack of a male heir would certainly sow confusion in his defeat. That lack of unity behind a powerful leader would serve my purposes well. I would step into that void, whether the Toshi accepted me as their new liege or not.
But winter was coming.
I risked men and supplies sending my forces south to secure the nearby temple. The wiser play would’ve been to hold up, to repair Yubi’s walls, and to wait for the snows to melt. Andyet the idea of sitting still one moment longer was more than I could bear. I’d won the right to rule—as a woman—by doing what no man dared to do, by acting more boldly and decisively than others might. Changing what worked made little sense, and my reign asDaimyohad become synonymous with decisive and swift action.
Still, while my train of troops and wagons rolled southward, there I sat.
Doing nothing.
Waiting.
It was the opposite of everything I craved.
The flutter of a tapestry, yet be replaced, drew my eye. It wasn’t a ToshiHanbanner with its ridiculous swan and pale coloring. No, this was an Imperial banner bearing the chrysanthemum of Takashi, a gift and last remnant from a dead king.
Staring at the golden flower on its field of black, my mind drifted to days before my hatred for the Akira line burned within my chest, to days when love filled my heart and a very different dream of sitting atop the throne filled my mind.
“Eight!” He pointed to where the rock he’d just tossed had skipped across the placid pond.
A broad smile lit his eyes with a brilliance that made Eiko’s heart soar.
She clapped her fingers and grinned at his enthusiasm.
Servants and guards milled about, but Takashi didn’t care. He bounded forward and wrapped Eiko in a warm embrace that lifted her off the ground. Her giggles overflowed as he buried his face in her neck and nibbled on her delicate skin.
“Takashi! Stop. Everyone’s looking,” she said in half-hearted protest.
“I am their prince, and you are the most beautiful woman in the Empire. Let them look,” he proclaimed before diving backin for another kiss. She craned her neck to grant him greater access.
She’d never known such happiness as when Takashi’s lips found her skin.
When the Prince finally set her down and freed her neck, they clasped hands and continued their stroll. A pair of servants passed on a parallel path, stopping to bow at the Prince. Both smiled broadly at the doting teens.
“Do you think your father will let me stay after the war ends?” she asked.
“You want to stay?” His serious tone was belied by a wry smile.
She swatted his arm. “I would stay by your side through eternity, my Takashi-chan.”
Her intimate, childlike honorific made his smile widen.
“The war has to end first. Thehanhave been fighting for centuries despite my family’s pleas. Onehansues for peace while three others band together to attack their weakened foe. It seems none can lay down theirkatanalong enough to enjoy the beauty a tranquil life has to offer.” He squeezed her arm. “But, my love, I have already asked father to bless our union. He knows the isolation that comes with being a royal and revels in our joy. He isTenno, and Heaven weighs on his every judgment.”
Her tone grew thoughtful. “You will beTennoone day. Surely, he must see the joy and peace we bring each other, not to mention the power of uniting Asami and AkiraHan. The Empire would forever enjoy peace with our fan flying by the Imperial flower.”
Takashi kissed her forehead. He meant it as a loving gesture, but she bristled at what felt like the patronizing act of a typical Mugenese man placating his woman.
How could he let their fate, their love, rest so casually in the hands of his father?
Sure, he was the Emperor, but Takashi was Crown Prince. He could stand up for them, speak his mind more freely, and insist they be wed. His reluctance—his weakness—stirred something in her, something she wasn’t sure she liked. It also fueled a new strength she had yet to know.
“I will continue to press him and pray he chooses to win the peace through our wedding. Gods know we need something to end these ceaseless wars,” he said.
