I was finally able to open my eyes, the world remained blurry and I was unable to stand as everything was spinning. After a few seconds things began to come into focus and the vertigo passed and I was able to slowly stand. That was when the waves of memory came washing over me. The men, women and children dragged from their homes to provide fuel for the golems, ordered by not Death's Hand but, my own father! Being forced to acknowledge this felt as if the Black Whirlwind had gored me with one of his axes and having to remember my father's cavalier attitude about the whole thing felt like the Whirlwind had driven his other axe into me. I could feel the bile rising in my throat as if it were pushed by the shock and shame of this knowledge. Princess or not, my body could not withstand such urges as I stooped over and vomited. After emptying my stomach of what felt like a gallon, I raised my head to assess what was happening in the throne room.
My eyes immediately were immediately drawn to the throne of my father, I could see him seated and I began to sprint towards him, to yell at him, curse him, to demand why he had not only allowed, but created such an abomination in the heart of the empire. I made it about 10 steps where I realized what sat on my father's throne was not my father but merely his royal robes and a facsimile of him that appeared to be made of sandstone, a facsimile that as I watched appeared to crumble. While I had been rendered unconscious by my father's display of power earlier and did not know precisely what had been happening I instinctively knew as if by a divine revelation that as this facsimile crumbled my father was gone. I again felt the bile rising, while my father had committed crimes against the heavens and the people of the Empire, he was still my father, it was his hands that dried my tears when I was young girl, it was his voice that comforted me when I was still afraid of the dark, I loved him and had the utmost faith in him, that all that had happened was the fault of Death's Hand who had been manipulating him, not the other way around. It felt as if there were two distinct Emperors, one Sun Hai my father whom I loved and cared for me, while the other Sun Hai was the cruel dictator behind Death's Hand and the Lotus Assassins, being forced to concede that they were one in the same felt as if I was not being gored, but eviscerated by the Whirlwind's axes.
Just as I was about to repeat my less than royal behavior that I had committed mere moments ago I saw him. The dragon tattoos on his back gave him away, I do not yet know if I truly love the man, but I have never felt this way about anyone and he seemed the closest to heaven as I'd ever be this side of eternity. I began to approach him, my body already responding to his presence in ways that should not be described in polite company. I was so enraptured by Ming that only now did I notice the man approaching him, the Glorious Strategist, my father's brother. I was astounded by the look of joy and relief on Ming's face as he spoke with his master. I began to develop a positive impression of this man, if he meant so much to my beloved; he must be a decent man. From behind me I heard Dawn Star shout. "Master!"
I turned to see her rush towards Ming and Li and before I was about to turn around when she suddenly stopped and face froze into a look of complete shock and horror. Puzzled I turned back to see which she could have saw that could have provoked such a response. Li was just standing their holding a jade gem and Ming's amulet and Ming was… on the floor? Why? What was he doing that- then the blood became visible from the side of his mouth and I suddenly realized that Ming had been struck done by his own master. I wasted no time in my response, I leapt into the air, sword poised to struck, but the Glorious Strategist was not given his name by chance, he easily sidestepped my attack and before I could right myself and deliver an onslaught he already had struck me in the abdomen leaving me gasping for air and in a surprising display of strength for one so old he lifted me over his head and threw me into Dawn Star, knocking both of us over. Still lacking breath from Li's earlier attack I lapsed into semi-consciousness and was vaguely aware of being half-carried and half-dragged from the throne room, by the time the party had crossed the length of the throne room I had managed to recompose myself but even then I felt soulless. The two people I loved the most in the entire Empire were dead, what more point was their in life for me? Without my father or Ming did I even want to live?
I was so caught up with my mourning that I did not realize that we had reached the Marvelous Dragonfly until the party was standing in front of it. I limply boarded the craft when I arrived at my final decision. Life was just not worth living without Ming or my father in it, not even my duty to the Empire could reach down and pull me from this pit, the coils of death had already entangled my spirit; all that was left was to make it official and join Ming and my father in the afterlife. All I had to do was find a particular way of doing so, which will not be difficult to find.