EMPEROR by GreatMarta

Charter 4 – Family reunion

The city of Tsugumiya, the capital of the Empire of Burning Moon, looked brighter than ever. For the last seven days, the people did their best, preparing colorful decorations, cleaning the streets, painting the walls anew, removing anything considered unpleasant for the eyes out of the sight. It was a special event. A prince is not born everyday.

According to the tradition, on the eight day of life of the imperial child, a ceremony was held at the palace. Everybody, who held an important title in the empire, would come, to pay honor to the new prince. The baby and the parents would receive gifts and good luck wishes. And the high priest would bless it.

Since the first rooster's cry, beautiful litters carried by hosts of servants, surrounded by guards on horses, crossed the gates of the city. The crowds cheered for them, admiring the wealth and power the nobility presented. They could only wonder, what precious diamonds, crystals, cloth and pottery decorations did the boxes in their carriages kept hidden from the eyes of the commoners.

The imperial palace, a building of an enormous size, as red as the rising sun, overlooked the capital. The first gate lead to the parade ground. That's where the commoners listened to the official speeches of their ruler, and that's where they were going to gather today. From the long balcony, the high priest will present their future emperor to them. For a short while. From a long distance. They will be able to see him. The heavenly child, the first grandchild of His Majesty Akihiko.

His Majesty once again looked in the mirror. There he stood. In his official robes. Plain white yukata underneath. Another one, gold-and-red, on top of that. And a long, coat like gold-and-black robe with wide sleeves. Phew. Seem heavier than last time he wore them, but that's a minor detail, not worth his attention.

"Your Imperial Majesty" somebody interrupted him. It was a short, young man with a long, beak-like nose. His bright, colorful robes made him look like a parrot. It was Zenko, the majordomo. He bowed to his ruler and announced the following: "Lord Akeda Toshio, the father of Her Highness Princess Sayako, has arrived with his wife and other daughter"

Akihiko nodded "Very well. I'll be seeing them in the open parlor in a couple of minutes" he decided, picking his tall head-dress from the table and placing it on his head. Even for a meeting with a friend, he needed to look smart.

The open parlor has been called so, because it had no walls. It was built on an artificially created island, on the lake in imperial garden. Located not very far from the shore, at the times of sunny days, was the place where the emperor would welcome his guests. Little Shinhiko was born in the eighth month. It was still warm enough to entertain lord Akeda outdoors.

Toshio, lord Akeda, was easy to recognize, due to his extraordinary hair color: bright orange. Most people in this part of the world had dark hair: brown or black, rarely blonde. Toshio's fire like head was a sensation. He was never pleased about it and awaited the time, when his hair would turn gray. But, assuming from the brightness of his hair, and the pure, undisturbed color at age of 45, it wasn't to change so soon.

Sayuri, Toshio's 23-year-old daughter, inherited her father's unusual hair color, as well as his blue eyes. Sayako, her 20-year-old sister, took more after their mother, Mariko. Both daughters had her facial shapes, but the younger one was her refreshed clone. One thing the crown princess had in common with her father were slightly spiky ears. Those could also be seen in Sayuri, and for that reason she and Sayako were sometimes referred to as the elf sisters.

Having married the crown prince, Sayako didn't get to see her parents and sister very often. She awaited every reunion with indescribable joy, but none so far as much as this one. Now, that she bore a child, she more than ever wanted them to be near. To experience the miracle of maternity with her.

The moment came, as the imperial couple crossed the bridge, with their son and his wife behind them. Sayako held baby Shinhiko. Her father's first male descendant. He will be happy.

Toshio and Akihiko greeted each other, shaking hands. Sayako handled her baby to Masahiro and dashed in the embrace of her mother and sister. Seeming unaffected by the amount of emotions his women were showing to each other, nor by so predictable "I missed you so much", "How good to see you" and "It's been so long" formulas heard from their mouths, lord Akeda remained calm.

"We're grandparents" he simply stated, smiling at Akihiko "We may congratulate each other, my dear friend"

"Indeed, Toshio" agreed the emperor "First grandson is not born everyday"

"Now, show him to me" the red head asked his son-in-law. Masahiro proudly presented his baby son. The maternal grandfather's eyes shined, and a smile as wide as a banana entered his face.

"I prayed everyday" he cried, petting Shinhiko's head "Since your wedding, I prayed for a grandson. A strong, healthy, handsome grandson. And he's finally here. I'm so happy"

"You should congratulate your daughter" his wife reminded "It cost Sayako a lot of pain to bring the baby to the world"

"Mother, I already forgot the pain" her daughter assured "The day Shin-kun was born was the happiest in my life and I'm glad that I could make the whole family happy with my happiness"

"She's right" Toshio agreed "There is no better way of giving your family happiness than having a child. And my grandson is going to become an emperor… I'm so proud" Toshio once again pet Shinhiko's head.

Mariko sighed. All her husband was able to think about was his first male descendant. She knew he would only admire the baby and forget about their daughter. He always wanted a son. He was an old fashioned type, who believed the only purpose in a life of a woman is to bear children and to serve her man. The greatest ambition he associated with his daughters was to make sure they marry powerful, rich nobles of good fame. People, of whom he can get profit.

Lady Akeda was sure, that Toshio would never allow Sayako marry Masahiro, if he wasn't a prince. Sad, but true. She was glad, that at least her daughter could fell in love with the right person. Her own marriage was arranged. She didn't love her husband, but nobody cared. And so, taken by force, she prayed every day to never bear him a son. Her prayers have worked: she only bore daughters. Back then, she felt wild satisfaction. But now, she feared.

Sayako was a princess, she was safe. But her sister might not have that much luck. Something was telling Mariko, that Toshio was going to arrange a marriage for their daughter, a marriage with some snobbish, hard headed noble, whom she's never even met before, and that he was going to do it soon. She was 23 and still unwed. Her time was coming. But she didn't seem to realize.

"You are so lucky, little sister" Sayuri congratulated Sayako "He is so cute… Hi, Shin-kun" she came closer to the baby "Do you know, who I am? No? I'm your aunt. Auntie Sayuri. Nice to meet you"

Shinhiko seemed to be liking his aunt, which he expressed through a giggle. Sayuri was so kind to him. And she reminded him of his mother. If she looked like his mother, she couldn't be bad, could she? The boy was sure he could trust her. He pointed his tiny arms in her direction, giggling sincerely.

"He likes you" Urumi noticed "And it seems he wants you to hold him"

"May I?" Sayuri asked her brother-in-law.

"Sure" he smiled, handing the baby to her. She held her nephew close. He was so cute. So adorable. How could anybody look at such a wonderful, little being and not smile? Sighs… Sayako was really lucky. She found a real love and now had a beautiful son. Naturally, Sayuri was happy for her sister. But she also was a little jealous.

They were sisters and looked very much alike. But Sayuri was said to be the less pretty of the two. Due to her hair, as well as freckle complexion, she would often be made fun of by other children. Comparing to Sayako, she had much less talent for learning. Teachers often criticized her horrible hand writing (she was left-handed), poor concentration and lack of sense of rhythm, with which she couldn't learn to play any instrument, like a girl from a good family was expected to. One thing Sayuri could do right was drawing, but nobody, including herself, considered such an ability useful.

Seeing she wasn't as good daughter as Sayako, who was an excellent student and a cute, well behaving girl, Sayuri thought she'd make a better son. But when she cut her hair short and pretended to be a boy, the children laughed at her even more. Some thought she was insane. Some, like Masahiro and Takasuke, decided to play along, actually treating her like a boy. For some time, it even was fun. But in the end, Sayuri had to realize she cannot change her gender and give up on trying. Her mother did her best to teach her to be a woman, but the older elf girl couldn't let go of a feeling, that she doesn't fit in.

Now, in her twenties, she was sure that she will never find a man, who would want her the way she was. She will never have children. She will never accomplish, what her sister had. So she was jealous. But she also was happy. Sayako was her only real friend. Friends have to support each other. No matter what.

Sayuri handled the baby to her sister.

"He's really sweet" she said "But I have to say he is his father's clone"

"Nonsense!" Toshio disagreed "He has my spiky ears!" he exclaimed, nudging his ears to add power to the statement.

"Really?" Masahiro looked at his son's ears "Hmh… maybe… but his ears are too small to tell…"

"I'm telling you, he has my ears!" Toshio insisted "Mine and Sayako's!"

"You said you don't like your ears" Mariko reminded

"Don't bother, woman" her husband hissed "My ears means my genes, and that's the point!"

Lord Akeda earned a sincere laughing for this one.

"Whole you" the emperor said amused "Always about those noble genes of yours"

"Because it's important" his friend replied "Don't tell me you don't feel any satisfaction looking at your sons and seeing your traits in them."

"There he goes again" Mariko whispered to her daughters "Now he'll give us a lecture of how children give immortality"

"I bet whenever you see Masahiro…" at this point, Toshio put a hand on Masahiro's shoulder "…you are thinking,,My, my, he is my spitting image. I created this wonderful being out of nothing. And even when I die, part of who I was will remain in him." Our children are our statues, statues of our blood and our flesh. Our immortality, no less!"

"I'll take that one as a compliment" Masahiro smirked.

"You're welcome, son" his father-in-law replied.

"You are right about the spitting image" Akihiko agreed with his friend "I have to say it turned out nicely. Masahiro looks just like me, Scar like Urumi, Sayako like Mariko and Sayuri like you. Each of us has a clone"

Lord Akeda took a squint at his firstborn.

"I wouldn't call her my clone" he stated "A statue, maybe, but not a clone"

"Perhaps it's better for her" the emperor suggested "No offence, but I seriously can't imagine a woman with such a nose like yours"

"What is wrong with my nose?"

"Nothing, but it's long and hooked. Good for a man, but not a woman. Simply"

"Oh" Toshio touched his nose "Right…"

"And where's Scar?" Mariko cut in. She decided to change the topic, fearing her husband might say something, that could hurt Sayuri. He paid so little attention to what his daughters felt. That egoistic bastard barely thought of anybody but himself. Always about his needs, his plans, his superiority complex. It made her sick.

"In his chambers" Urumi replied "He's preparing himself for the ceremony. He hasn't decided what to wear yet" she explained.

"Yet?" Akihiko was surprised, and it wasn't a positive surprise "Just how much time he needs? It's been 3 hours since I sent Zenko to check on him, and he was still choosing clothes back then!" he roared.

"There's no need to worry" his wife tried to calm him down "He just takes Shinhiko's ceremony very seriously" she didn't sound very convincing. And she knew, that there wasn't much she could say to defend her son. Her husband's face showed, that he doesn't believe her.

"He'd better do" he hissed "Otherwise, I don't know what I'll do with him. That immature brat… I sometimes doubt if he cares for anything at all. He surely doesn't care for my wasted nerves" a bit of sorrow showed through his words and expression. Urumi sighed. Why couldn't he simply accept Takasuke the way he was? Why couldn't Takasuke try to please his father? Why do they have to keep on fighting? In such a battle, there will never be any winners. Only loosers. If they could only realize…

"How pitiful" was Toshio's comment "And I hoped to hook him up with Sayuri… sigh… but I guess this has no chance of working"

"Definitely" Akihiko agreed, not hiding his disappointment "Scar is not ready for a relationship and I doubt he'll ever be"

"Father, don't worry" Masahiro took a try to cheer him up "Scar is still very young, his time will came eventually. The problem is that before he could start a relationship with anybody, he must accept himself. He'll never admit it, but he just doesn't know, how to deal with women, and because of that, he feels shy and unconfident. But I guess you and I could teach him a thing or two, right?" he smirked. His father seemed to blush for a second, shocked by such a suggestion, but he quickly got a grip of himself and returned to a his usual dignified self.

"Hmh… Well… In my opinion, this is something one must learn on his own" he made it to say, still disturbed by such a topic. This time he earned a slight laughing.

"No need to be so humble, father" Masahiro did his best to stop giggling "You've been married for so long…"

"24 years" his father reminded

"24 and half" Urumi specified

"And I'm not being humble. I think it is not right to talk about love, as if it was a competition or something this sort"

"Admit it, Akihiko" Toshio urged, smirking "You are courageous when it comes to fighting for your empire, but you have never had any courage towards women"

"Shut up" the emperor was starting to feel really uncomfortable, and it was clear. This was rare for him. Really rare.

"I should be thanking me" Toshio continued, obviously having fun arguing with his friend "If it wasn't for I contacted Urumi and arranged a meeting…"

"Enough of that!" Akihiko roared "Making fun of the emperor is strictly prohibited!"

"Oh, don't be so formal, Aki" Toshio giggled innocently, pretending not to understand his ruler's anger "We're in-laws, afteral. We even have a common grandson" he pointed at baby Shinhiko, gracefully changing the topic and avoiding meeting the emperor's wrath "First, and not the last, I hope…"

"Father" Sayako laughed "We're not planning on more children"

"Oh well" lord Akeda sighed, still smiling "Hopefully, I can get some more grandchildren from your sister… And I hope it's soon"

"Father, you know I don't have a marriage in mind for the nearest future" Sayuri pointed out. Up to this moment, she didn't suspect, what kind of a surprise her father had in store for her.

"Of course you don't" he said, slightly annoyed "You are not able to think in advance. But that's what you have me for" he returned to a self confident, madly satisfied mode "I've heard, that a certain influential nobleman is searching for a suitable wife candidate. I've already contacted him, and it seems he's interested in you."

"What?!" Mariko exclaimed.

"Excuse me?" Sayuri wasn't sure, if she got it right.

"There's nothing to be worried about" her father assured "You're going to meet him during the ceremony. Just behave yourself and I'll do the talking, okay?"

"Just when were you going to tell us?!" his wife was furious "And who is this guy anyway?!"

"I knew you would be overreacting, like always" Toshio excused himself "And that guy is a rising star of our upper spheres. I'm sure you all have heard of him. It's Hikakuro Itaru"

The sound of that name made everybody gasp.

"Hikakuro Itaru? That murderer?" Sayako asked, terrified.

"He's not a murderer" her father explained "Big deal, he just took what he deserved"

"He whipped out entire Bakachi family" Masahiro cut in "Women and children too. That's unforgivable"

"What choice did he have?" Lord Akeda didn't seem to care for the mentioned facts "If he hadn't killed them, he'd have to fear their revenge for the rest of his life. And besides, he gave the women and children a good, quick, honorable death"

"But he hung the men by their genitals and burned them!" Masahiro insisted, loosing his patience "How can you be even considering a type able of committing such a horrible act a worthy candidate for your son-in-law?!"

"They've been insulting his family for ages and in the end, killed his sister" Toshio explained "Itaru just let the world know, that messing up with him is dangerous. Our law doesn't forbid defending the family honor. He committed no crime"

"That is insane" Masahiro growled

"Toshio is right" Akihiko turned to his son "Lord Hikakuro is not a murderer. What kind of a brother would he be, if he didn't punish his sister's killers?"

"He needn't have gone this far" the prince couldn't understand the elder men's way of thinking "Is that what you've been fighting for, father? Are you okay with innocent people dying because of one man's personal business? Aren't we supposed to be building a safe world for the future generations? If we allow the tradition of blood and hatred to determinate the world order, such conflicts will never stop!"

"I understand your point" the emperor said calmly "But the world is not as perfect as you would like it to be, and it will never be. You cannot change people, my son. They are predators. Anger, sorrow, envy, hatred, it is all a part of their nature. You must understand this nature, and learn to deal with it. That's expected of you, as the future emperor"

Masahiro lowered his head. He knew it all. He knew that this empire has been ruled by violence for far too long to simply live in peace now. He knew. But he couldn't consider it normal, like his father. Yes. The great war, which took the life of the previous emperor, Matsuhisa, started when Akihiko was still a young boy. He had no choice but learn to survive within it's chaos and terror. He, Masahiro, was born at times of peace. And he wished for his people to be able to live in peace forever. No more war, no more unnecessary violence and blood shed, just harmony for everybody. The fact, that types like Hikakuro Itaru were allowed to go unpunished, was making him sick. If he only could stop this. But, again, he would have to use violence. Sighs. It was so difficult to be responsible for so many people. Even now. Father was right. He had to learn to accept the world order. He had to, otherwise he would go mad.

"Oh, at last!" Toshio exclaimed, as a row of servants appeared, caring trays with cookies and tea accessories "Is it me, or has your service gotten worse since my last visit, Akihiko?"

"Don't blame them. It's a busy period" the emperor explained.

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, now that it's here, let's have some tea for the good health of Shinhiko!"

And so, according to the suggestion, the family sat down by the table and drunk tea together. They took a try to talk about some usual stuff, but it was clear that everybody had the name of Hikakuro Itaru in mind.

NOTES:

In this chapter, major OOC-ness begins. I figured out that Sarabi/Sayako needed some background, so I introduced her family. Toshio and Mariko were named after a couple who lead a Japanese children chorus, who's performance I could witness in Poland. Their lion names would be Themba and Malaika, and Sayuri's Suri.

Itaru is one of the first lion king characters I created. His name in both versions is Itaru, because I love it (I've read it in an article about Japanese/Polish couples while waiting by the dentist). As much as Sarabi/Sayako's parents shall keep minor roles, he will really matter later on.

After putting some thought into it, I took an attempt to translate lion-ish traits into human-ish. In this process, the black stripe inside the ears, which we can see in Sarabi and Simba, became slightly spiky ears in their humanized version.

About names: Just to add the spirit.

Akihiko Ahadi

Masahiro Mufasa

Sayako Sarabi

Takasuke Scar

Urumi Uru

Shinhiko Simba

Zenko Zazu

The others will be revealed later on . If I don't loose inspiration, which is far too often in my case.