Chapter 18 Asami Eiko
Asami Eiko
Isat alone atop the simple throne of the Toshi Daimyo, 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.
The katana had ended an entire bloodline and seriously weakened the resistance of one of the han who 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.
And yet 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 as Daimyo had 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 Toshi Han banner 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 back in 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. The han have been fighting for centuries despite my family’s pleas.
One han sues for peace while three others band together to attack their weakened foe.
It seems none can lay down their katana long 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 is Tennō, and Heaven weighs on his every judgment.”
Her tone grew thoughtful. “You will be Tennō one day. Surely, he must see the joy and peace we bring each other, not to mention the power of uniting Asami and Akira Han. 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.
Two weeks passed before Eiko and Takashi were summoned to the Hall of Great Harmony, the Emperor’s formal audience chamber normally reserved for the most ceremonial of occasions. Eiko vibrated with happiness in anticipation of the Emperor’s blessing.
But rather than a blessing, the Emperor’s angry gaze threatened to sear them both.
“Asami troops have slaughtered and burned a village inside Toshi lands. Women and children were put to the blade, while fathers, brothers, and husbands were forced to watch. When the Samurai finally left, none still lived, and barely a single home remained unburned. The village has ceased to exist.”
We stood there, gaping up at Takashi’s father, unable to speak or move or think.
The Emperor raged on, “Days passed before a second village vanished. It appears our supposed allies knew exactly what they were doing. This was no errant troop. This was a blatant attack.”
“Father—” Takashi tried to speak, but his father would have none of it.
“The Asami—your people, Eiko—are supposed to be our allies. We have fought together for nearly fifteen years. We have shared everything. We fight to unite the Empire, to save our people from starvation and war, to bring peace and prosperity to a bloodied nation desperately in need of respite.” Takashi’s father’s head bowed, as he muttered, “Clearly, I was mistaken in trusting the Asami.”
Heaven did not make mistakes. An emperor did not admit fault.
The Daijokan was stunned into silent submission.
The Emperor’s gaze rose to meet his son’s.
“Takashi, you will wed the eldest daughter of Toshi Han. We must show strength and unity in the face of this insult and unite those truly committed to our Empire.” Senti’s eyes then locked on Eiko’s.
“The daughter of Asami will return to her home immediately and never return. She—and all Asami—are forthwith exiled from the capital.”
“Father—”
“Silence!” Senti’s voice boomed through the hall. His emerald dragon’s head lifted. Fire bloomed in its maw. “Your emperor has spoken. Dare not challenge the word of Heaven in this hall. Now, go. I want all Asami out of our lands before the sun sets.”
Senti rose and stormed out, a billowing cloud of golden silk. His dragon slithered out behind him, casting one final backward glance at the stunned pair.
Eiko and Takashi stared at the Jade Throne, too stunned to weep, too angry to speak.