Chained to old wounds

CH36

Tsuneo

“The queen!”

“Crown Prince Tsuneo is awake!”

No one seemed bothered by the sight of me covered in blood, too caught up in the happiness of having me awake and having Morgan back. Then, from the back of the crowd, a single, hesitant cheer erupted. It was followed by another, and another, until the courtyard echoed with a joyous din. Relief. Disbelief. And a healthy dose of awe washed over the gathered throng.

A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of my lips. This wasn’t how I expected to reveal that I was. awake, but it would do. The road ahead would be long and arduous. Now that Keiji and his supporters among the elders were dead, it would be harder to figure out who else stood against me, but I wouldn’t worry about that now. Today, I just wanted to look after Morgan.

I looked down at her. She frowned, curling closer to me. A single tear escaped her closed eyelids, tracing a glistening path down her cheek. I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“You’re safe now, Morgan. I promise.”

The jubilant roar of the crowd seemed to recede into a dull hum as my father materialized before me at the palace gates. Relief etched itself onto his weathered face, battling with a flicker of concern at the sight of my bloodstained form.

“Tsuneo,” he boomed, his voice rough with emotion. “By the ancestors, you’re…” He reached out a hand, his grip firm despite the tremor that ran through it as it fell on my shoulder. “You look…” he hesitated, searching for the right words. “Not entirely yourself, son.”

Guilt gnawed at me. The transformation always left me feeling drained and knowing that I had probably just started the ticking clock on my father’s life set me on edge. Losing Keiji would be a heavy blow for him, but without the throne to hold onto…

I lowered my gaze.

“I apologize, Father,” I rasped. “There… there were complications.”

He frowned. “Complications…”

“Keiji, three elders, and several imperial guards are dead.” I paused. “I killed th caves. They kidnapped Morgan.”

in the dark.

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… and that’s what woke you,” He glanced at Morgan. “And the alarm.”

I nodded. “1—”

An ear–splitting shriek tore through the air, shattering the fragile moment of reunion. Emerging from the throng of courtiers was Keiji’s mother, her face contorted in a mask of grief and fury.

Where is my son?” She cried. Her voice echoed across the courtyard, a stark contrast to the joyous celebration.

She turned on me, snarling and lunging at me. The guards blocked her path.

“What have you done to him you vile–”

My father’s jaw tightened, his eyes hardening with a cold glint. His gaze drifted over Keji’s robe around my waist, too small to wear for me but the pattern was distinct.

“You and your wife need rest. Leave us, Tsuneo,” he commanded, his voice low and dangerous. “Take her wife to your chambers and see to her wounds. We will speak later.”

With a curt nod, I turned away, a voice called out after me lost in the din of the crowd. I couldn’t place who it was and I didn’t care. More important matters demanded my attention. Morgan, still unconscious, remained cradled in my arms.

Mounting the waiting steps, I ignored the curious stares and hushed whispers that followed me.

“Brother Tsuneo!” I looked up as Ari approached.

I gave her a thin smile. “Hello, Ari.”

“Don’t I get a hug?”

“Perhaps later.”

She frowned. “Just put her down, someone else–”

“No,” I said firmly, glaring at her and clutching Morgan to me. “Later, Ari.”

I turned from her and headed up the stairs. I nodded at the familiar faces I passed. Maya saw me and hurried ahead of me to open the doors to my chamber.

“Can I get you anything?”

“A medical kit and food, Maya. Thank you.

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Her eyes glistened and she bowed out quietly, I closed the doors behind me and took a deep breath. Within the familiar confines of my chambers, I felt like my defenses could come down at little. I headed toward the bathroom, slowly and sank onto the stool beside the bathtub, cradling her gently in my arms,

–

The events of the night replayed in my mind the dank cavern, the desperate fight, the chilling satisfaction of Keiji’s demise. But the memory that lingered most potently was the sight of Morgan, struggling to the last moment—thrashing, screaming, kicking even as her heart was racing with fear.

Dragon hearted….

I brushed a stray curl from her forehead, my thumb gently tracing the line of her jaw. “You were so brave, Morgan,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. “Braver than you know.”

A flicker of movement beneath her eyelids sparked a flicker of hope. Perhaps the magic of the palace was affecting her or it was her own magic waking her. I needed her awake, needed to hear her voice, to know that she was truly okay. She didn’t wake.

I sighed, considering what to do. At least if maya came back, I could trust her to bathe Morgan while she was unconscious.

The sound of a hesitant knock at the door startled me. Ignoring it, I kept staring at Morgan, willing her to wake with every fiber of my being.

The knock came again, more insistent this time. With a sigh, I carried her out of the bathroom to the antechamber. I lay her on the plush couch before going to the door. I opened it.

“Ari?” I sighed.

Her brow was furrowed in concern.

“You’re being really mean,” she said. Her eyes were glossy. “You didn’t even think about how I felt seeing you awake and covered in blood after all this time.”

I took a deep breath. “Ari… It has been a long few hours.”

“I want a hug.”

I cocked an eyebrow at her. “You want blood all over your clothes?”

“… is it hers?”

I frowned at her tone. “No.”

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She wrinkled her nose. “Fine, but Lady Bai is with the king right now about you.”

I sighed and nodded. ‘I’ll go to them after I get–”

I turned my head, hearing Morgan shift. I turned back.

“I’ll see them later. Thank you, Ari.”

I closed the door behind me and headed back to Morgan on the couch. I gritted my teeth. The scene played out vividly in my mind – Keiji’s mother would be wild with grief. I could already hear her accusations laced with threats. I’d let my father deal with his concubine for now. My focus right now had to be on Morgan.

The exhaustion, held at bay by adrenaline during the fight, finally crashed over me. I sank into a

beside the coh, my head swimming with the aftereffects of the transformation. My gaze

fell on her sword on the table. I smiled, remembering the bodies I’d found on the way to her.

My warrior queen was really something.

My mother would have loved her.

A low moan escaped Morgan’s lips, and her eyelids fluttered open. For a moment, her eyes were disoriented, filled with confusion. Then, recognition dawned, and relief flooded her features.

“Tsuneo?” she rasped, her voice weak.