25

Ujio fell asleep against me but after a moment he rolled over on his side. I stared at him for a long moment taking in his sleeping form. How beautiful he truly was. He reminded me so much of the red Indians Nathan had come across. To the white world men like him, like the red Indians are savages because they do not bend to the will of the oppressors. They will die fighting for their independence.

I wished so much that my people could do this. I wished I knew what tribe I was from and if we ever fought strongly against the whites before they took us on boats. Slowly I got up and began to slide my kimono on. I remembered when he first helped me put a kimono on. I was so nervous while I felt his hands sliding the mysterious thing on me. I remembered how he taught me what things were and how to pronounce them in Japanese.

I slowly moved to my feet and quietly left his room. I was probably very stupid for doing this, but I had to try. I had to do something to stop the bloodshed before it continued. I moved from the lodge after taking a little food and managed to take a horse from the stables. With gentle pets to its snout, the horse remained quiet as I pulled it from the stable. Quietly he moved through the village until I was finally at the entrance. I turned and looked back to the village thinking yeah, I may die going back to the emperor. But I felt Ujio's strength in me, and I looked down at my stomach knowing what was at stake, but now I couldn't just sit around and do nothing waiting as my family died on the battle field. I mounted the horse quickly and took off into the forest.

The wind beat against my face as the horse moved like the wind itself. I couldn't fail. I wouldn't.

Ujio's POV

My eyes snapped opened finally as the sun entered the room. It was time. I already felt adrenaline moving through my body at the thought of war. I was ready to take life, my sword ready to taste blood. I turned to look upon my love one last time, only to see an empty spot behind me. I winced and sat up, my hair resting over my shoulders. Gone? I looked up.

"Grasuh!" I called out. I got no answer. My body stiffened as I stood up now not liking this silence. I slid the door open. "Grasuh!" I looked down in thought some. Maybe she had left to meet Algren. Something in the pit of my stomach however told me this was not true. I grabbed one of my montsuki and hurried to put it on. I moved from my lodge and looked around looking like a mad man. Men were preparing for battle as I should have been as well. But I couldn't do it, I couldn't put on my armor knowing that Grace wasn't here. I ran through the village until I was at Taka's house. She was coming out when I approached.

"Where is Algren?" I asked quickly. Before she could respond, the American was coming out and he looked at me with concerned. "Grace is she in there?" Now his body tensed.

"No she is not with you?" he asked. I shook my head. Taka looked at Algren concerned before we all turned to see Nobutada approaching.

"One of our horses are missing. We need all of them for battle!" he said heavily upset. My eyes widened in complete shock for the first time as I looked at Algren who looked down at me.

"You don't think she would have gone back to Tokyo." he said. I turned back toward the entrance of the village. No. Grace wouldn't go back to the city by herself knowing full well the dangers she would be on sight by herself! Omura knew her face.

"He will kill her!" I snapped making a move to pass my lord's son. I was going to take a horse and go after her before it was too late. Immediately, Nobutada grabbed my arm quick.

"We have no time for this and we can't spare any men. War is coming and we can do nothing for her." he said with regretful eyes and I looked at him with a heavy glare before looking out in the distance. I had to do something.

Grace's POV

The journey seemed long and I could only thank God for being able to make my way back into the city. Everyone was watching me stunned and completely disgusted. I was in a kimono, hair down and face dirty and caked with sweat. I hadn't stopped really unless it was to care for my horse. I finally got off it and began to walk toward the palace ignoring all who stared at me. Soldiers eyed me with winces and glares. I could not let their stares of hatred stop me now. I kept my head low and just kept moving. When I reached the entrance of the palace the soldiers stopped me.

"HALT STATE YOUR BUSINESS!" one of them said. I swallowed and raised my head.

"I have urgent news for the emperor." I exclaimed and the two men looked at each other and then looked at me pointing their guns at me.

"What news could you possibly hold?" the other soldiers asked. I swallowed.

"I know… all the strategies from the samurai… I was taken prisoner and managed to escape. I want to help by speaking to the emperor…please. He and I have spoken before." I told. The two looked me over some and I swallowed hard as they muttered to each other.

"You're the African slave of the American traitor!" one of them accused and I nodded swiftly keeping my hands raised.

"Yes and I escaped his capture so that I may tell the emperor the samurai's plans please!" I begged dropping to my knees before them. They looked at me stunned as if not knowing what to do but quickly they raised their guns and grabbed both my arms and pulled me inside. I swallowed and let them take me, leaving my horse for someone to take.

The soldier's dragged me through the halls of this palace motioning for others to get out of their way. My heart was felt on fire and my brain was thinking without me really even trying. Finally I found myself in the familiar courtroom where I had faced Emperor Meiji before and now here we were again. Everyone who saw me gasped. Women with painted white faces covered their mouths with the sleeves of their kimono. I was pushed to my knees before the emperor who stood up in complete shock.

The two soldiers bowed.

"Enlightened One, this slave says she knows about the samurai's plans for the battle." one of the soldier's reported. Immediately, I saw Omura step forward yelling in anger.

"How dare you show your putrid face before our emperor! My lord she is a traitor and this is obviously a trick by Katsumoto and his white American dog!" he explained quickly. My teeth clenched as my fingers curled into fists at the accusations.

"Then Katsumoto isn't a smart man!" I yelled out and now Emperor Meiji looked at me with wide eyes as well as everyone else did as I spoke their language. "To think he can trick his own student by using a mere African to help a white man's war!" I looked at Omura with viciousness in my eyes. Omura looked like he had seen a ghost.

"How dare you even speak the language of our people from your cursed monkey lips! I will have you beaten and hung outside this palace!" he threatened. Now it was silent as light footsteps could be heard and now all of us just looked at Emperor Meiji as he just stepped forward walking across the room. Everyone bowed and his soldiers moved out of his way. Omura stuttered in response trying to form a sentence so he could try and manipulate his demands on the emperor, but when he stopped and looked at the husky business man with a silent glare, all Omura could do was close his mouth and bow his head.

Emperor Meiji watched him for a moment before he continued to approach me and when he was finally standing above me, I shook a bit in fear before slowly bowing my head to the ground.

"I thought I made my words quite clear… this African is my guest." he announced, and finally I looked up at him feeling my eyes water at his words. He held his hand up and motioned for me to rise. I finally leaned up and did my best to get to my feet without completely falling back over. We stared at each other for a moment and he finally turned.

"Come." he said in English and began to walk away. I swallowed hard and looked around at the silent court room who still seemed to be in awe at their leader. But nonetheless I followed behind him. We walked the familiar halls together and I could still see noblemen and women bowing at the emperor before looking at me in shock. Now that I think about it, maybe I was the first African they have ever seen.

I remembered Emperor Meiji did not want me to walk behind him.

"Do you still wish for me to walk behind?" I asked lowly unsure if I was even allowed to speak. He finally paused and turned to me, his face serious.

"Your American helped Katsumoto escape from prison and that is punishable by death, I could sentence that punishment onto you…" he said. I stared at him for a moment tensed at his words but nodded.

"Yes he did and yes you could." I replied.

"Are you alone?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yes." I told.

"How can I believe you?" he asked with authority, and I raised my hands up to him.

"Katsumoto wouldn't send me to you as a strategy to hurt you or your people. I'm just a slave in your eyes you could kill me at any moment and it wouldn't change things." I replied. He nodded quite quickly at my words.

"I could kill you now and it wouldn't change things." he replied and nodded. "So why are you here?" I inhaled gently and looked down for a moment.

"If you offer still stands, I will gladly stay in your palace for I understand you now. In America I have no rights, and the whites have done all in their power to break my people, to break our spirits. But that does not mean we are still incapable of learning and seeing things… right now the men you do business with doesn't care about Japan. They only care about pleasing other whites. I believe I can teach you what I know, because no one would ever expect the knowledge you get to be from a colored woman. If my words weren't true, the Omura would not have been so easily threatened by me." I replied. Emperor Meiji raised his head some in thought of my words as he looked away now some in thought.

"And what knowledge could you possibly possess?" he asked. I inhaled some.

"The world wants you to change, wants you to live a life like America like white people… but you're not America. You're Japan. You are an existence of people that have a culture I was never allowed to grow up in. You know your family history. My history was beaten and whipped from me. You got a lot of people depending on you, but do not forget you history, the culture that made you who you are today." I replied. His eyes stared into me intently for a moment before closing his eyes now and looking down once more.

"And for your service here, for you giving yourself up… you want me to spare my teacher and more importantly your love." he said. My body stiffened and I looked down some.

"I want peace for everyone." I replied and he scoffed softly.

"Now you sound like a white American. Lying now." he said.

"Have you ever given up something important, something you loved because you knew it was the right thing to do for the good of everyone?" I asked. He gazed at me now before looking away with guilt for he knew he had not.

"I cannot give you this. All of Japan wants the samurai gone." he replied. I nodded slowly.

"Do you want the samurai gone?" I asked and he looked at me stunned like everyone else again that I can speak their language. I wanted to show I wasn't a mindless animal to be underestimated. I shrugged softly. "Kastumoto wanted you to lead with your heart not your mind. He did not want you to forget the foundations of your world."

Emperor Meiji winced and looked up at the ceiling for a moment before sighing deeply and looking at me.

"Giving your freedom to me will make you a slave again." he told and I just stared at him intently knowing that to be the truth. But I slowly shook my head.

"I would give up my freedom for all the samurai in a heartbeat." I answered. Emperor Meiji walked closer to me looking me over and I just looked up at him for a moment but slowly he shook his head, his eyes already showing me he could not stop what was to come.

"The imperial army has already begun to march. I cannot pull them back now. I do not wish these deaths on my teacher or my countrymen, but this rebellion will stop one way or the other." he said. I closed my eyes softly and looked down in defeat now feeling the tears push through my eye lids.

"I… have still offered my services to you and I will not go back on my offer." I replied softly. There was nothing I could do in this moment, and if I backed out of my offer this could be seen as some grave offense on the emperor and I wouldn't do anything else that would get me imprisoned or worse killed for thinking I could just make a deal and walk away if I didn't like the outcome. Emperor Meiji looked at me with a gentle gaze before shaking his head.

"Go." he merely replied and I looked up at him with wet eyes.

"Enlightened One?" I asked and he raised his head.

"Go back to your samurai. When this battle is over and there is a surrender, I will let the wounded go, I will not have any of them executed. That is all I can give you." he replied, and I looked up at him stunned watching as he gave a light bow to me and turned from me walking down the hall with his hands behind his back. "Go no one will harm you." We both knew this would end in death, but the only thing he was allowing was for those who survived this battle to live. Would Ujio live? Would Nathan or the others live?

I now began to feel panic at his words as I thought of Ujio going into battle. I winced and turned and began to pick up my feet as I ran through the halls of this palace. I knew I would never see anything like it again. I don't think any African has. I hoped I lived long enough to remember these halls filled with history.