1 Month before the Incident

Day 1

Nadia Oda

My father had been traveling a lot due to some monks who were trying to betray him. Kennyo had been their leader. He had a wicked scar on his face from a fight with Father. As far as enemies go, he's pretty weak. None of his efforts ever made any progress. Most warlords as powerful as my father wouldn't have even wasted their time dealing with it personally. My father was different. He liked to deal with his problems head on and always came out victorious.

That's why we were sitting at a table with these other monks. Generously, they'd offered us food and a place to stay for the night on our way back to Azuchi Castle. I'd tried to convince Father to keep moving. Something about this place turned my stomach. This temple in Honno-ji… it gave me chills.

Stirring my chopsticks around in my rice, I rested my chin on my palm, leaning my elbow on the table. The monks were talking happily with my father, who sat at the very end of the table on my left. Though he continued to keep up the conversation, his eyes would travel back to me with disapproval.

Before he could comment, one of the monks across from me spoke up, "Is everything alright, Lady Nadia? Is the food not to your liking?"

Forcing a smile, I replied, "No, I'm just tried from all the traveling." Making an easy excuse was simple, just make it sound convincing. I couldn't eat right now if I wanted to. Thankfully, the monk allowed me to escape this boring dinner. I made a huge deal out of my apology, and using my gender to my advantage worked.

Finally, alone in my room for the night with a warm bath ready, I tried to relax. Each time my eyes closed, the feeling of someone watching me fell on me. It made my bath hard to enjoy. I nearly jumped out of the tub when the door opened loudly.

"That was very rude of you, Nadia," Father said, closing the door behind him.

It's also rude to barge in on a lady bathing… but I knew better than to say that. Pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them, I sighed. If he's here, then dinner must be over. Had I been in that long? The water around my body had turned cold. "I don't like it here."

"It's only for one night." Nothing ever bother him. If there was any kind of threat, he took it as a fun challenge to overcome.

"A lot can happen in one night," I countered.

Silence took over in the room. Sighing, Father turned to leave. "Get some rest. We still have a long ride tomorrow." He didn't believe me. Anytime I voiced my concerns, he only told me that it would all be okay.

After my bath, I tried to sleep. Tossing and turning on the futon only lasted few so long before I gave up. Every time a monk walked past the door, my heart skipped a beat. What kept me awake escaped me. Why do I feel this nervous? My fears became a big reality when a loud thump came from right outside my door. That is a sound I know.

A body hitting the floor.

Followed by silence.

The candles in my room blew out with the wind coming in through the open window. I wasn't very good at fighting. Why did I need to be when my father is so strong and practically untouchable? Swallowing the lump in my throat, my eyes tried to focus in the pitch-black room. Moving slowly back toward the door, the last thing I remember is the hilt of a sword cracking down on the back of my neck, knocking me unconscious.

Heat was the first thing I felt when I awoke. Then, smoke filled my lungs, causing me to cough. My head spun and pounded with pain. Reaching a shaky hand to touch the sore spot, I winced, retracting it quickly. Blood slid down my fingers. Coughing again from the heavy smoke, I realized that there was fire.

The whole temple blazed.

I have to get out here!

Trying to drag myself to my feet proved futile. A large piece of wood trapped one of my legs. The heaviness of the smoke was taking a toll on my body. My throat burned from dryness. It hurts to even try to scream for help. Tears sprung to my eyes. I'm completely trapped!

The weight lifted off my leg and then a set of arms slid around my waist, lifting me off the ground. I was only on my feet for a moment. Hooking an arm under my knees and the other arm around my back, I was in someone's arms. "Mistunari." My voice came out scratchy.

His charming smile made me feel safe. "Don't worry. I've got you," he said, carefully maneuvering around the burning wreckage. It only took a few minutes for him to get us outside. Setting me down, Minori came jogging over.

"Nadia! I'm so glad you're okay! I brought a change of clothes for you," She approached me with the same bright smile as her father. Her white hair was braided down the back. Her kimono that she was allowing me to borrow wasn't short, like mine and Iri's typically were. It went all the way down to my ankles.

"Thanks," I said, relieved to see another girl. Being out traveling meant I was the only girl. Even my twin brother, Natsu, had decided to go on another mission and leave me all alone.

Minori helped me change in privacy. There's no way I could have done it by myself. I could barely stand on my own. Once wrapped in my new Kimono, Minori made me sit, going to retrieve her father. Any movement to my leg caused me pain.

Mistunari inspected my injured leg, pressing on the tender skin. "Does that hurt?" My winces told everything. Wrapping a cloth around it carefully, Mistunari said, "This will do for now. When we return to the castle, I will get you properly treated."

"Think Ieyasu will be there?" I asked. Truth be told, I've always had a little crush on Ieyasu. If only Iri wasn't there always judging me.

Mistunari laughed. "I'm sure I can arrange for him to treat you."

I leaned on my good leg, attempting to stay standing. This is going to be hard. For the first time tonight, I smiled genuinely. Out of the people associated with the Oda clan, Mistunari was the kindest.

"I am glad you weren't injured any worse than your leg. Now, I believe we are getting ready to leave for Azuchi." He lifted me up before I could take one step, taking me all the way to where my father waited on his horse.

Settled on the saddle bridle style with his arms barricading me on the horse, I leaned against him, closing my eyes. Exhausted, a yawn escaped my lips. "So, what happened?"

"Unclear at this time. Someone tried very hard to kill us," Father answered. He went quiet, probably to allow me to go to sleep. "Nadia, there's blood on your neck." Taking the reins in one hand, he inspected the wound.

"Yeah, someone hit me with the hilt of a sword. No, I didn't see them. Yes, I'm fine." The annoyed tone in my voice wasn't hidden. All I wanted to do was sleep.

Father sighed, frustrated, but said, "Alright, we'll talk about this later." He fell silent, and let me sleep.

After the events of last night, I knew things were going to change. Whoever attempted to kill my father would be hunted down and killed. Then, we still have all of Japan to unite. Father had always been ambitious, and had instilled those ideals in my brother and me. It would happen one day. All this war made my life complicated, even if I was a princess.