Chained to old wounds

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Tsuneo

I frowned, looking at her. She wasn’t looking at me. Tarofu chuckled as I realized what she meat I smiled and tugged her closer, enjoying the feel of her body against mine and pushing down. thoughts about what it would feel like with no barriers between us.

“Practice in bed and courting are two very different things… One is certainly easier than the

other.”

It was so very easy to convince a young woman into my bedroom. I was a crown prince. Even easier to bring her to pleasure, so long as she brought me pleasure, and I didn’t have the habit o bringing anyone to my bed I didn’t want there.”

“I wouldn’t… know anything about that.”

A surge of posessiveness went through me at the thought. I knew it was very likely, but I hadn’t allowed myself to think concretely about the idea that I would most likely be her first.

“I promise… to make it unforgettable.”

She stammered and I kissed her head, drawing her closer to breath in her scent. I didn’t want to let her go. I didn’t want to go back inside and work or be apart from her.

Was this me or Taorfu’s longing for his wife? Maybe it was a bit of both. If I let myself, I could. sink into that feeling that the whole world had narrowed down to just us, standing beneath the cherry blossoms.

“Tsuneo?” she said after a long pause.

“Hmm?”

“I know we’ve talked about it, but… do you think there’s a chance that the past could repeat itself at the Convening?”

Her voice was quiet, thoughtful, the weight of her question pressing down on both of us.

Tarofu seemed to go still and anxious at the back of my mind, but I nuzzled her gently.

“If it does… Nothing will survive. Not even darkness.”

She shuddered. My words felt heavy and true and terrifying as I knew they weren’t just mine, but

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Tarofu’s too. I took a deep breath, glancing up at the sky visible through the branches.

I really hoped it didn’t come to that.

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We parted slowly and headed back inside beneath the falling blossoms. I walked her to her office. and we lingered outside the door as if staying together would put off all the work that still had to

be done.

“You’re stalling,” she said.

I snorted. “So are you.”

We laughed lightly. The peaceful atmosphere was shattered when a guard appeared at the end of the hallway, his face pale and serious. Morgan went stiff and straightened, the shift in the air palpable. Whatever message he had, it wasn’t good,

“Your Highness,” the guard said, bowing to us, his voice grave, “we’ve recovered Keiji’s body. It was found in the caves.”

Morgan flinched. I drew my arm around her as anger heated my blood. I could feel the weight of the news settling over me, the cold reality of it cutting through the warmth of the afternoon. I could still remember that night and the blinding rage of tearing him apart. It felt just as real now as it had then. I could almost taste his blood in the air. Morgan’s heart was racing, whether that was from fear or not, I had no idea.

I kissed her cheek. “Head inside, I’ll take care of it. She looked up at me and I kissed her forehead. “Go.”

She hesitated, but nodded and headed inside, and all I could hope was that that if Keiji really could revive, he wouldnt be hellbent on picking up where he left off.

We will exile hiin, Tarofu said. His crimes are to great to allow leniency.

I agreed, but I wondered if that was the only solution. Ari’s betrayal, by comparison, felt almost I agreed, but I wondered if that was the only solution. A negligent…

Did you forget that Kai is the son of the man who tried to kill your father and that Ari wanted to leverage the child to take your wife’s spot.

I winced. Fair.

She may not be as cunning as Elia was, but she was cunning enough. It was better to get rid of the problem before it became a real one that I couldn’t handle as easily. I waited until the door was

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closed behind Morgant to turn and follow the guard through the palace halls. Dealing with Keiji’s body was something I hadn’t wanted to deal with. I had hoped that the pieces of him were mostly unrecoverable, eaten by various cave–dwelling creatures, or simply washed out to sea.

When I arrived at the area where the body had been brought, I found the workers solemn and quiet. The grave box–ornate, yet simple in its design–was waiting. And beside it lay Keiji’s remains, waterlogged and bloodless, but not so pale as I could not imagine that there was no chance this would work. I traced my eyes, cataloging all of what had heen recovered. Save for the lost blood, it looked as though they had recovered every part of him down to his entrails and the shreds of the robes he had been wearing upon his death.

“Dress the body ina new robe,” I said. “If he wakes… it would be best to give him some manner of dignity despite his crimes.”

His face was pale, drawn with terror and pain.

“And his sister?”

They brought another cot and grave box. The memories of that moment flashed in my mind—the black smoke, the desperate need to get to Morgan and the fear.

Both of them were traitors of the worst sort.

“Dress her as well.Then place her in her own grave box. We’ll take them to the dungeons to see if they will wake.”

The worked quietly, and I watched with an odd sort of detachment. They were my siblings, but I wasn’t sorry. I would do it again without delay or hesitation. The workers moved slowly, respectfully placing Keiji’s body into the grave box beside his sister’s.

Tarofu stirred within me, his presence a cold weight against my thoughts.

It had to be done, he murmured, though his words brought little comfort.

I should feel remorse for it. Shouldn’t I?

…do you think they felt remorse for their decisions?

No.

Then, why should you feel remorse towards those who do not care for you? Remorse for defending your wife? Yourself? Your father’s kingdom?

I said nothing. Not entirely sure how to feel about it.

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The workers sealed the grave boxes, the heavy lids falling into place with a deep, final thud. I stared at it for a long time, wishing that I could just set fire to them and they would vanish forever, but that was not what I promised my father.

I took a deep breath. The workers lifted the boxes and I hesitated.

“Your Highness?”

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“Change of plan,” I said. “We will place them in a secure room so that their mother and siblings may visit them if they wish.” I considered it. “The Iron Parlor should do.”

It was the only mercy I could bring myself to.

“As you wish, Your Highness.”

With a final nod to the workers, I turned away, heading back to my office to continue on with my day.