Masters of Fate, Slaves to Duty

Prologue


The spring rains beat on the roof above, creating a damp chill in the night. Most members of the household were settled into sleep, with two exceptions. One room was dark except for one small oil lamp flickering in the corner. Two shadows were thrown against the papered door. The larger upright figure was busy tucking in a rather fussy bundle.

“So, where did we leave off last night?” asked Miki as he tucked the young girl under a pile of blankets.

“Um, I think the evil warlord had just kidnapped the princess,” she said, pushing a lock of her long black hair behind her ear. She smiled at him in anticipation.

“Oh yes,” he said. Miki stretched out on the floor next to the little girl, resting his head on the floor next to hers. Her tenth birthday was coming up, and it amazed him how every day she looked more and more like her father. “Well, for days and days the princess traveled by the warlord’s side, across treacherous seas and harsh lands, until they reached his castle in the south. It sat on the side of a large mountain, hidden away by a lush forest of blooming trees. The stone walls that surrounded the castle grounds climbed so high that she could barely see more than the roof from the palanquin she traveled in.”

“And within those stone walls, she was immediately locked away because the warlord knew the moment he turned away, the princess would try to escape. She was confined in a tower room that was small, but not without certain comforts. The floor mats were soft, and there was a nice mattress for sleeping. The princess had one window to the outside world, but no cage is complete without bars.”

The young girl wrinkled her brows. “But wouldn’t that get boring? What did she do all day?”

“Well, she was a prisoner, so she took an oath of silence. One of the main things the warlord wanted from her was information about her kingdom. So he visited her room every day, sometimes for lunch, sometimes for shogi. He was always full of questions, but the princess never answered.”

“Eventually this angered the warlord. As each day passed, he was getting further from his goal because his bounty would not speak a word. He would taunt her, and tell her mean things about her family. He mentioned warriors from her kingdom who had come to her rescue, whose bodies had been dumped in the sea by his troops. He even threatened her with her children’s’ lives. He wanted to quell any hope she might have for escape or rescue, yet she did not utter a single word.”

Miki continued to watch the girl as she was engulfed in his story. She was getting to the age where she had lots of questions that he didn’t know how to answer. He always sent her to his wife, but there were some things even his wife did not know. Some things that only he and a select group of others knew. Stories were the easiest way to convey certain truths. But he knew she was clever, that eventually she would figure it out on her own.

“There came a day where words were no longer necessary, when his actions spoke louder. The princess suffered greatly at his hands. The visits went from every day to once a week, and when that day came each week, she feared for her life. She was ripped from her comfortable cell and dragged to a torture chamber. She was burned, beaten, and even branded. And after each session, she could feel more of her life slipping away. But not once did she give him the satisfaction of screaming.”

“Then one day, she decided she was tired of playing the victim. She remembered that there were people at home waiting for her, a family that needed her. And she found the strength on one cold and wintry day, when the first snows trickled from the sky. Each time the warlord led her down the path to the chamber, she had memorized the layout and all the items she passed along the way. Guards never accompanied them because the warlord did not see her as a threat. He noticed that she always walked with her head down in defeat, never raising her eyes to him. In his mind, he believed he was superior in mind and might, that she would always behave because of the threats he made.”

“On that day, before she realized what she was doing, the princess pulled a scroll from the wall, one made of a thin and sturdy fabric. Wrapping it around her hands, she threw it around the warlord’s neck, cutting off his means of breathing. He struggled, but she held on with all her strength. She latched herself onto his body as he tried to toss her away. Without air, he could not call for any guards, so no one would come to his aid.”

“With one last effort, he threw them backwards through a wall, knocking down lanterns in the process. The thin walls were immediately engulfed in the flames. The princess managed to roll him onto his stomach, and squeezed the scroll as tight as she could. It only took a few short moments before the man stopped struggling, the fight for his life coming to a bitter end.”

The girl let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “What happened to her next? Did she get out of the castle in time?”

Miki nodded, smiling at her curiosity. “Oh yes, but it was not easy. The castle was a four-story monstrosity that she had only seen when she first arrived. The smoke from the flames grew think and dark, and made it hard for the princess to see. It took several wrong turns before she found her way to the outside. The castle’s staff ran frantically around, trying to put out the fires. They were so preoccupied that she simply walked out the front gates unnoticed. Flames consumed the top two floors as she ran into the snowy night, the building eventually collapsing as she headed east in search of the sea.”

He watched as she was struggling to keep her eyes open. The young girl had a long day of classes and training ahead, and she would need her rest. “I think that’s enough for one night,” he said, reaching out to stroke her small arm.

She sighed and pulled the blanket in tighter. “No,” she whispered. “You can’t stop in the middle.”

Miki laughed. The poor girl was losing the battle with sleep, and yet she was hanging on to hear more about a woman he truly admired.

“Fine, but just a little more,” he said, receiving a yawn in return. “In a short time, the princess reached the shores of the sea. But death followed close behind her. When she had freed herself from her prison, she had left in thin clothing and socks. Winter wasn’t as harsh on the southern island, but it was still cold.”

“She wandered along the harbor of a bustling shipping town. People only stared at her, pitying this woman who looked on the verge of death. Cold and hungry, she stumbled and ran into a rather large gentleman in military uniform. He spoke to her in a language she did not recognize. The last thing she saw as she collapsed into his arms was the golden hair of the foreigner, and she wondered if he could help her get home.”

The girl’s eyes were closed now. She was breathing deeply as slumber was taking over. Miki got up to leave when she quietly said his name.

“Will you tell me more about mommy tomorrow?” she whispered.

Miki nodded as he blew out the flame of the lamp, leaving the girl in the perfect darkness made for dreams.



This is the final story in this trilogy....