No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on April 23, 2007

Today has been declared Pixel Stain Techno-Peasant Day and in that spirit I offer a piece of a novel I have been working on. This is the first chapter of the book. I will warn you that it runs 6 pages behind the cut. Current title is “Bright Rainbows, Dark Clouds” but I really think that is going to change.

I do want your opinion on this piece.

I am grateful for payment for my writings.

As the sword slashed towards my head, I gave a quick prayer to my ancestors for protection and good luck. I moved to the next position as the blade slashed the air where I had just been. ‘Move and live’ became the mantra to my limbs. I weaved and dodged my way through rest of the form only stopping when I had come back to the beginning of the circuit. I lowered myself to a seated position and slowly looked up at my teacher.

“How do you think you did?” came the question I had heard thousands of times during my combat training.

I quickly went through what I had done in my head as I had been taught, “Master, I erred.” I replied as I bowed my head to the floor exposing my neck.

“How?”

“I did not move with grace through the third form.” I said as humbly as I could.

“You see the error of your ways. Remember that you must keep death in mind at all times. Only this way can you truly live. Please do fifty squats and one hundred sit-ups and walk the form again.”

Well except for the bloody aphorism, it was fair. More fair than I had hoped. I said very sincerely, “I thank you for your words of wisdom, Master.”

“Then do as I instructed.”

I hopped to my feet and started the squats. As my legs began to burn, I watched the head instructor of combat move to the crowned prince. ‘This should be interesting’ I thought as I counted silently.

The crown prince was not one who thought that combat training was necessary for his life. Wine, women and song were very important to him. Recently the emperor found out that his son had been skipping his classes especially any that involved physical activity. The crown prince was still stinging from the rebuke he had been given making life very difficult for the rest of us. He was now being followed closely by one of the emperor’s favorite retainers Lord Kun. Lord Kun had been informed by the emperor that if he didn’t get the crown prince to each and every one of his classes on time, the emperor’s favor would vanish along with Lord Kun and his immediate family.

The prince stepped onto the combat circle and reluctantly came to the ready. The instructor’s main assistant raised his sword. I finished the last squat and dropped to start my sit-ups. “Begin” came the command. The prince started to move slowly through the first form. The assistant was performing his duties as the attacker to the form. As I came up from the 40th sit-up I saw that the prince was moving into the wrong form as the assistant finished the previous form. There was a shout from the instructor and everyone froze. The assistant’s sword had cut the sleeve of the prince’s Haori. You could feel the stillness in the room as the redness of blood started to stain the cloth.
Chaos then erupted in the room. The combat master shouted for calm and gave quick orders. He took a towel and wrapped the blade while removing it from his assistant’s hands. The assistant dropping to his knees and bowed to the prince with a stream of apologies escaping his mouth. The combat master handed to sword off to a servant who blanched at the bundle was handed to him. The prince had not moved a muscle. He stared at the sleeve of his robe in disbelief. The combat master took cloths from another servant and dabbed the blood from where the sleeve was spilt being very careful not to come on contact with the blood.

I sat up and watched the face of the servant holding the wrapped sword. There was a look of resignation on his face as either he made peace with his ancestors or cursed him for allowing him into this situation.

“Sire, could you remove your haori please?” asked the combat master in a calm voice as he carefully wrapped the bloody cloths with the blood inside and handed them to the servant with the sword.

The prince stared at the shallow cut which had stopped bleeding. He raised his arms allowing the combat master to loosen the belt of the robe. The prince then removed the haori and wrapped it with the bloody sleeve inside and handed it to the combat master. His skin was pale and unmarked. It looked strange to me. His right arm had a slight slice on it that had closed and was on its way to healing rapidly. The combat master handed the jacket to the servant and bowed saying, “You know what you must do. May this honor be reflected in the luck for your family and their future.”

I felt sorry for that man and what he now had to do. The minute he was handed the sword, he was also handed a death sentence. He was to be escorted to the emperor’s family shrine and burn the bundles he now held in his arms. Then he was to be executed in an honorable fashion and his body given a burial worthy of a lord. His family would be elevated in society for his sacrifice and rewarded. Not that this would do him much good. He was looking at the wrong end of a sword. As he turned to leave he tripped on the mat and the sword came out of the bundle. On instinct I grabbed for the sword and slightly nicked my hand on the blade right where the prince has been touched. I felt something move on the blade and go inside me. A voice in my mind sudden said, “Tell no one and I will help you live.” I mentally nodded. “When you are asked you are not hurt at all and show them your hands.” A question started to form in my mind which the voice responded, “There will be time for answers later right now do as you are instructed.”

I offered the sword to the combat master. He quickly rewrapped the sword in a new cloth and handed it off to the soon to be dead servant. “Did you cut yourself?” he asked.

“No Master. I caught the blade as I have been taught.” I said with more confidence than I was feeling. I showed him my hands both front and back. He examined my hands carefully and nodded.

“You have done well in this and saved us much grief and mourning,” said the prince finally finding his voice and bowing slightly to me. A great honor to me and to my house was being given.

I looked at the prince and almost fell over in shock. Behind him was a shadow of a pig. The voice in my head said, “Ignore it. Don’t call attention to yourself.” I bowed to the prince and said, “I am merely a servant of the Empire my lord. It is only by the grace of my ancestors that I am here and remain alive.”

I heard Lord Kun mutter under his breath, “You are going to need more than your ancestors to keep you alive after this mess.”

I loosen the belt to my haori, took it off and offered it to the prince. “Sire this is but a humble offering to help you in your time of need.” The voice in my head chuckled and said, “Don’t lay it on too think, but good move.” The prince took the haori from me and put it on. It was a little tight on him around the gut but covered his naked back. I had never seen a man’s back without clan tattoos and the names of those who have gone before him inscribed. It made him look like a little child in some ways. I had been given my clan tattoo at the age of three. Since then 12 of my male relatives died with honor and were inscribed on my back to protect me and in remembrance of all that had gone before them.

A messenger arrived at the door of the exercise hall with an armed escort. Half the escort left with the unfortunate servant to go to the emperor’s temple and make sure that there were no mishaps or rather no more mishaps. I will give him credit for walking out of the room with his head held high and not a tremble of fear in his step. I prayed that if I were in his situation that I could show such valor and strength. The voice in my head said, “Don’t pray too hard my young friend. You could find yourself in a worse position than he is in now.”

The messenger looked around the room at the young lords and teachers and said, “I speak with the Emperor’s Voice.” The whole room including the prince dropped to their collective knees and bowed. “The Emperor has requested to be brought into his august presence any and all persons who either observed or participated in the’ he paused as if searching for the right word, “incident.” The word finally came. The escort snapped to ready for emphasis. We looked at each other now wondering whether the servant had the better end of the deal. We lined up and were escorted out of the exercise hall.

News of the “incident” traveled quickly through the place as such news tends to do. As we were escorted to the Emperor’s Throne Room, we observed various courtiers, lackeys, and servants peering around corners for a look at us. The whispering became a low hum. I thought I caught snippets of conversation as I walked.

“The Prince’s blood was almost spilt.”
“Disastrous signs and omens abound”
“The end time is nigh”
“Thank the ancestors I am not any of them.”

Were only a few of the many comments I heard. Most boiled down the repeating the myth of the downfall of the Emperor and his family is he or any of his immediate male kin’s blood touched the earth.

“Reality lies in half truths.” Said the voice in my head startling me.

“Who are you?” I thought.

“Time enough for questions and answers later. I have a few things you need to know before you enter Haitori’s presence.” I was surprised to hear the use of the Emperor’s common name by anyone much less a disembodied voice in my head. “Oh knock it off,” responded the voice, “We don’t have time to go through his twenty titles just to say who we are talking about.”

I noticed we were passing into the outer courtyard of the entrance to the Throne room. “Most important rule to remember is not to look the emperor in the eye or the jig is up and you are dieing and burning for your family while your male relatives get another tattoo on their backs in honor of your luck.” I nodded slightly.

“Good boy. Second you honorable refuse the assignment the Emperor will offer you.”

“I can’t do that.” I thought.

“Yes, you can because the crown prince is going to give you a way out. Take the prince’s offer not the Emperor’s.”

We arrived at the inner court to the throne room’s receiving chamber. “I can’t converse you while we are in the throne room but we will continue this conversation later. You have much potential boy.” I felt the presence in the back of my mind disappear.

We were offered hot towels and bowls of water to refresh ourselves. His body servants brought the Prince a new jacket and suit. Another servant appeared at my elbow offering me a new jacket with the Prince’s crest on the sleeve. I looked at the Prince who had finished dressing and was now observing me very carefully. I bowed slightly to him and took the jacket from the servant. I put the jacket on. It was made of the finest grade of silk both inside and out and felt decedent against my skin. The sale of a jacket like this could feed a retainer and his family for a year. Still it did feel good. I noted that most of the rest of the group had changed from their combat cloths to their more formal attire with the exception of the combat master who, come to think of it, I had never seen wearing anything but his work cloths or armor. The servants passed through the crowd with various dishes of sweetmeats and light snacks along with watered down wine and cooling fruit juices. A number of people started to relax a little as the immanent threat of death seem to pass. I watched as the group divided up into the usual gangs and cliques.

One of my friends was brave enough to come over and sit on a bench near me while motioning me to sit with him. “Your ancestors were watching over you today Kem. You could have easily gone the way of the servant if you had caught the sword wrong.” I grunted an affirmative. “Of course being the eldest son of the most powerful warlord in the eastern provinces probably helped your care too.”

“What are you implying Sami?” I asked coolly.

“Well everyone knows,” said Sami with a giggle.

“Everyone knows what?” came the rumble of the Prince’s voice.

Sami dropped to the floor and bowed to the Prince, “ Nothing Sire. I spoke of gossip that should not be repeated and I see the error of my ways.”

“Gossip is a foul thing that should not be spread in polite company. I suggest you go think on that before entering my father’s presence with such thoughts.” Said the Prince sternly. He looked at me and said, “Kem, I would speak to you. Will you walk with me?”

I bowed and said, “As you request my Prince.” I fell into step with the Prince and we entered the royal family chamber to one side of the inner court. He motioned to a chair and sat in another across a small table. I sat carefully in the chair. He motioned to his body servant who left the room only to reappear with an assortment of foods from the trays circulating outside the room along with a jug of water and a bottle of sweet wine.

“Leave us and make sure we are not disturbed for any reason,” said the Prince. The servant bowed and exited the chamber while closing the curtains. The Prince motioned to the water and wine, “ Would you like some?’

“Sire, let me be of service to you, “ I said in the formal address form. I poured the water then mixed in the wine into two cups giving a lion’s share of the wine to the Prince. I saw him nod his approval out of the corner of my eye. I offered him the cup with less wine which he then offered back to me and accepted the cup that I held. I wasn’t even sure why we did this anymore other than tradition. It would be so easy to just drop the poison in the cup that you knew the other person was going to insist on accepting. But tradition is tradition so the games go on. We sat for a bit sipping the wine and nibbling on various pieces of food.
The Prince finally broke the silence. “Kem, you know that if the luck of the gods had been different it would be you where I am sitting and I where you are. I wonder who has the better deal.”

“Sire, my family has been loyal to the Emperor since before recorded history. We have never given any reason for the suspicions that have suddenly been raised about our feelings on our place in society. As you told Sami, gossip is an foul thing that has ruined more than it has ever helped.”

“And yet you and your brother are here at the emperor’s place rather than at home with your relatives.”

I said in a measured tone, “We were sent here to further our education and allows us opportunities to serve the Emperor that we did not have at home.”

“When is the last time you saw your mother and sisters?” asked the Prince.

“6 years ago.” I said trying not to show any emotion. I had been 15 at the time. My little brother had been 10. It seemed a lifetime ago, “I still hear from them by letter frequently.”

“What if I asked you to go back there on a mission for me?” asked the Prince. “Your little brother Su would of course stay here to continue his training.” To make sure I returned, I thought.

“Sire, I would be honored to perform a service for you but I must honor my vows to the Emperor as well.”

“ Let me rephrase then. If I can convince my father to allow you to help me in a matter would you do so willingly?”

I placed my faith in my ancestors and the voice in my head that this was the right decision to make, ‘Yes Sire. I would.

“Good. Your loyalty to me shall be rewarded.”

“I wish no reward only to serve.”

“Liar, “ chuckled the Prince, “You all want as much as you can get for yourselves. It is only human nature.”

We heard the sound of the curtains opening and the Prince’s servant entered cautiously.

‘We are done here.” said the Prince, “Shall we join the others?”

“My lord. The chamberlain has informed us that the Emperor is ready to see us now.”
‘Well this should be interesting.” Said the Prince loudly as he left the alcove. I followed him back into the main chamber. I could feel the eyes of just about everyone in the room on me. I knew they were all speculating at what had been said between the Prince and I.

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