Chained to old wounds

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Morgan

Ari’s tears faltered for a moment, her lower lip trembling as she cast a wounded look at Tsuneo.

“But Tsuneo,” she whimpered, “she attacked me! I’m telling the truth!”

anger simmering

Tsuneo’s gaze flicked back to her, and this time, there was no mistaking the anger s beneath its cool surface.

“The truth?” he repeated, his voice a low growl. He took a step closer, his eyes landing on the jade and gold fabric draped over Ari’s form. Something nostalgic flickered across his face, quickly followed by a surge of icy fury.

“That, he spat, his voice laced with disgust, “is my mother’s robe. Explain, Ari. How exactly did. this ‘gift‘ come into your possession?”

People around us gasped. It was perfect. I could have asked for a better setup. Ari’s carefully constructed facade crumbled. The color drained from her face, leaving her ashen and speechless. She stammered, her carefully crafted story dissolving into a pathetic whimper.

The sight brought an unexpected wave of… relief. It wasn’t the sweet, triumphant kind, but a quiet satisfaction that washed over me, a validation that I hadn’t anticipated.

Tsuneo believed me, and…. I was right about his feelings about the robe.

I couldn’t remember many people ever believing me in confrontations like this. I remembered countless arguments with Goro’s daughter. She thrived on getting me into trouble. Her and her favorite cousin, a boy who hated me because I’d beat him in a sparring match when we were five, would lie, and fabricate stories, and every time, despite my tearful pleas, no one would believe me. Everyone, save for my father. He was my rock, my unwavering defender, the only one who saw through their charades and believed me. He’d been so fair… So kind.

He hadn’t deserved to die the way he had.

The memory brought a lump to my throat, a bittersweet mix of sadness and gratitude. I missed my father dearly, the pain of his absence was still a fresh wound. But in that moment, witnessing Tsuneo’s unwavering belief, a tiny spark of hope flickered within me. Perhaps, in some strange way, my father would have approved of him.

Not the circumstances surrounding our marriage, of course. The Trial by Fire was a brutal tradition, and marrying a stranger, a prince no less was far from ideal. But maybe, just maybe, he

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would have seen the strength in Tsuneo, his unwavering loyalty, and the way he saw through Ari’s lies.

A warmth bloomed in my chest, a feeling that went beyond simple relief. It was a glimmer of something deeper, a sense of connection that transcended the chaos of the past few days. It glanced at Tsuneo, his anger slowly giving way to a thoughtful frown. He met my gaze, a flicker of something… gratitude? passing through his eyes before he turned back to address Ari.

“You will explain yourself,” Tsuneo said, his voice cold and unforgiving. “And then you will apologize to my wife for the blatant disrespect. She may not know all about traditions, which you do, if my mother were here, would you think she would say? And when my father finds out about this?”

A small, triumphant smile played on my lips as Tsuneo took charge.

B–But—

His voice, devoid of warmth, echoed through the room as he addressed Ari. “Remove the robe.” There was no room for discussion in his tone, a stark contrast to his usual gentle demeanor.

Ari, her face pale and streaked with dried tears, hesitated for a moment, but the steely glint in Tsuneo’s eyes left her with no choice. Mumbling under her breath, she fumbled with the garment, finally pulling it off and throwing it onto the floor in a display of childish defiance.

I wanted to slap her. Maya let out a startled gasp and lunged forward. I gathered it into her arms, dusting it off as much as she could. I checked the look of it and nodded. It would need laundering and maybe a little mending, but it would be okay. I could do that.

“And the key, Tsuneo added, his voice clipped. “The key to my mother’s chambers.”

Ari’s eyes widened in alarm. “The key? Why… why would I have that?” But the tremor in her voice. betrayed her act.

Tsuneo’s gaze narrowed. “Don’t play coy, Ari. Hand it over before my patience runs out.”

With a defeated sigh, Ari reached into a hidden pocket in her dress, producing a small, ornate key. She tossed it towards Tsuneo with a flick of her wrist, the silver glinting in the afternoon sun. He caught it effortlessly, his jaw clenched tight.

“Now,” he said, turning his attention back to Ari, “an apology is in order.”

Ari’s defiance, however, was not yet completely extinguished. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her chin jutting out defiantly, “Apologize? For what? That woman,” she spat, her voice laced

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with venom as she gestured towards me, “isn’t even a real queen. She’s just a human on a borrowed throne. She has no place here. She won’t be here for long, one way or another.”

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A fresh wave of anger surged through me, but before I could retort, Tsuneo’s voice cut through the air, sharp as a honed blade.

“Silence, Ari!” His voice boomed with a fury I’d never witnessed before. The room seemed to shrink under the weight of his anger, the concubines huddled together, their faces pale with fear. The servants cowered. I looked around, stunned at how fearful they were. Sure, he was angry, but there was nothing in Tsuneo that made me think that they had anything to fear from him.

There had to be something I was missing.

“Morgan is my wife, the Queen of this kingdom. You will show her the respect she deserves. Apologize.”

Ari flinched under his gaze, but her defiance remained. “And your mother?” she shot back, her voice trembling slightly. “What would she think of this human on her throne? Do you think she would approve?”

The question hung in the air, heavy with accusation. A flicker of pain crossed Tsuneo’s face, a brief glimpse of the grief he still carried for his mother. But it was quickly replaced by a fierce determination.

He took a step closer to Ari, his voice low and dangerous.

“My mother,” he said, each word carefully measured, “was a compassionate woman, a ruler who valued loyalty and respect above all else. If she were here, she would have seen through your lies. and self–serving actions just as easily as I have. Should be disgusted and appalled by you and your actions, just like always.”

She turned bright red. Had the late queen not liked Ari?

He paused, his gaze raking over her for a moment before landing back on her defiant face. “Now,” he said, his voice cold and final, “apologize to my wife and to the memory of my mother.”

The air crackled with tension so thick it felt like we were all wading through molasses. Ari, her defiance now tinged with desperation, stood her ground.

She scoffed, her voice trembling slightly. “Never. She doesn’t deserve it. A human… a foreigner…” Her voice trailed off, replaced by a venomous glare in my direction. A nobody.”

Tsuneo’s jaw clenched so tightly I worried he might crack a tooth. “She deserves this and the

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world,” he growled, his voice dangerously low. My stomach flipped. “And it’s about respect for the office she holds and the woman she is.” He paused, his eyes narrowing. “This is your final chance.”