One Last Shot- Prologue
flashback
"Blame yourself and no one else. You're just too beautiful for your own good."
The cold wind of the morn blew across our ship and chilled my spine.
"Bright light of Suo?" She spat out with great disgust. "Yes, I agree that indeed you are, but too bad. I cannot have you getting closer to my king. You just attract every man to you like a bee to a flower.
I struggled. I was tired of life but I never expected to die yet or even die like this. Looking to the sky, it became obvious that I was going to die before dawn. My ankles were bounded with rope; a rope tied to each foot. I had been forced to the edge of the ship and two burly soldiers were clutching my arms.
The sky was an ominous dark purple tinged with red, reminiscent of the blood shed at Buzen the day before. My chain of thoughts were then interrupted by Yuriko-sama as she continued her rant as though this was like any other day.
"…Yes, you have helped our country a great deal, but you are just too much of a threat to me, Chiyo. You've sealed your own fate." Her last words dropping to a harsh whisper.
I stopped struggling. I was exhausted… far too tired. The queen was right, wasn't she? I had indeed sealed my own fate. Everything that's happened has been nothing but my fault.
She pushed.
I fell with my back to the water. Her expression was a mix of relief, sadistic glee and ecstatic happiness. Her face was the last thing I saw as the cold water engulfed me.
Though my hands had not been bound by ropes, I couldn't move and had no wish to move either. I had to die to repent my sins. If I lived, I would never be able to escape my own conscience; the guilt would have been too much to bear.
A sharp, searing pain surged through me and I knew I couldn't hold my breath any longer.
Like time had magically stopped, I saw my life flashing before my eyes: My poor birth in a tiny village in Suo. My meeting with Sen. My pining him. The invasion of Buzen when the Sengoku Jidai started. The warlord of Suo, Miyamoto Seiji enlisting my help against Buzen. The lovely sakura trees of the palace of Buzen. Ichiro's love for me. My hatred for him. The things he did for me. Seiji-sama in control of Suo again. Ichiro's death. My impending death.
I realised then that Tanaka Sen, the samurai under Seiji-sama, was just an infatuation. I was really in love with him, Takahashi Ichiro, the warlord of Buzen.
The knot in my chest tightened and all I could think of as I felt my body grow tired was, 'Aishiteru Ichiro-sama. Gomenasai.'
end of flashback
A/N: My first fic on CCS, some parts of this story based on a true Chinese folktale. Enjoy and review.
References:
Sengoku Jidai- Warring States of Japan that led to beginning of Tokugawa era.
Buzen-Ancient province of Japan in northern Kyushu.
Suo-Ancient province of Japan opposite Buzen.