It was a thunder that shocked the Grand Palace of Ryonan City.
Kiyota Nobunaga, one of the Emperor's most trustworthy main heralds, entered the Palace' congregation room with big rolls of papyrus.
"Emperor." Kiyota bowed his head to Maki and when the latter nodded at him, he flatenned down his roll of papyrus on the tall table. "The rebels had come across the Fuji Forest and dominating it with the rest of their clans." Kiyota showed the entire territory that the rebels had occupied.
"Soon enough, they will reach the feet of Kainan City, then Ryonan." Kiyota added. "They had killed more than half of the troops led by Commander Ouzumi in the forest.
Maki was serious. He wouldn't put his nation at stake.
"Send Commander Ouzumi more troops. All soldiers in the first quarter shall leave by sunset. We shall waste no time."
Kenji, who was standing right beside the Emperor, was stunned. Toru was part of the first quarter of soldiers.
The bellman hit the bell... and it shall be written... and so it shall be done.
Kenji stared at the back of the Emperor who was leaving the congregation room. Toru will leave him again for another dangerous trip, and it shattered his whole heart.
Without hesitations, the King passed to the opposite way of the Emperor and quickly proceeded to the quarters of his man.
He knocked persistently and Toru had just finished his bath that time so... only a piece of cloth wrapped his down-under.
"Toru!" Kenji encircled his arms around the soldier's body and held him tight.
"What is it, my love?" Toru caressed his head lovingly.
"Maki are sending troops to fight against the rebel in the Fuji Forest..." Then Kenji looked up... on the eyes of his beloved. "He's sending the entire soldiers in the first quarter."
Toru's body and heart were meant to be ready for the inevitable. To be shocked at this time was not an act expected to a soldier. It's his job to protect the nation. He would come wherever his superiors asked him to.
But it was Kenji that made it all difficult for him.
Worrying the most special man in his life was the last thing he ever wanted to do.
"I will be fine, my love." Toru leaned his forehead against Kenji's and they smelled each other's breath. "I will always come back for you."
Kenji touched the soldier's jaw and pulled his face closer for a kiss.
"You will forever be my only one." Toru murmured and pursued their deep and passionate kiss.
Toru's lips rubbed hungrily against Kenji's as he took him off all his garments. The only cloth that wrapped Toru slid off his hips freely.
The soldier's rough and husky hands ruffled on Kenji's each muscle in the arms... feeling the soft and silky skin over it.
Then Kenji placed his arms on top of Toru's shoulder... enabling Toru to sculpt the sides of his chest and abdomen... tracing each curve.
The cold air hit Kenji's manhood... and it felt good for he knew... he was standing all naked in front of the man he only loved.
Toru's hands traversed down on the King's back and slowly grabbing its pluffy buttocks. Kenji was definitely beyond beauty. His skin was shinier than the wine and softer than anything ever existed.
As Toru massaged Kenji's buttocks eagerly, their pelvic area bumped on each other... provoking Kenji to elicit a moan.
Their kiss had not ended yet. A line of saliva had falled down from Kenji's lips... due to the intensity of their kiss.
As the day went on outside the quarters, Kenji seized Toru's face with his hands... to assure their kiss would take a century. Then... Toru rotated his lover and gently guided its back as it laid on the bed.
Toru started to touch Kenji's waist while kissing his navel... then sliding down to the perfectly-sculpted hips and Toru lightly pecked on the middle of Kenji's growing manhood.
Toru was about to went lower when Kenji mumbled. "More."
So the soldier did as he was commanded. He used the vertex of his point finger and thumb to touch Kenji's manhood and slowly separated it from the scrotum. Lovingly... Toru inserted the scrotum to his mouth and revolved his tongue around it.
Kaede saw the Shohoku King and the Prince talking in the terrace of Hanamichi's room.
It wasn't his intention to eavesdrop but the two royalties seemed not to be aware of his presence that they spoke in a volume that Kaede could audibly hear.
"I heard the Emperor was giving you the power to choose the next Emperor of our nation." King Akagi told his son with a smile. "Does Prince Akira have no chance to claim your hand?"
Hanamichi breathed the fresh air and viewed the beautiful mountains outside the palace.
"He hasn't captured my heart."
"Remember my son, that you are Kanagawa. Whoever you marry, shall have you and the entire nation in his hands. You shouldn't only be thinking of yourself, but your fellowmen as well."
Hanamichi looked at his father intently.
"What if I withdraw from this commitment and marry anyone I want?"
Akagi was bewildered.
"When you were a child, you've always dreamed to marry Prince Akira and be the next King of Kanagawa."
"It's been a long time, father."
"Then tell me why? Everyone wishes to marry Prince Akira... and here you are who has the chance will withdraw from it?"
"I don't love Akira. He may be the best successor of Emperor Maki in the row, but I don't love him. I don't want Kanagawa to suffer only because of me."
Akagi grabbed his son's shoulder.
"You've always told me that you wish to marry Akira, so when the Emperor asked me for your hand, I didn't think twice. My son, commiting to the Emperor, to Akira and to Kanagawa is not something you can always turn your back at whenever you want to."
Hanamichi was crying. Yes, he was commited to it. If he would withdraw, he wouldn't only bring shame to himself, but to his father and to Shohoku City. The city where he was borne and raised would be known as a coward who can't keep a promise.
Akagi left his son to think. It was a very grave matter. A loving father would only wish happiness for his son... but he must also teach him in keeping a promise.
Hanamichi was in solitude in the terrace, until Kaede decided to inched nearer to him.
Kaede began to kiss the prince from the shoulder and in upward motion to his neck, jaw and ear. He licked his ear and nibbled on it.
Soon... Hanamichi finally succumbed to the pleases of those warm soft lips.
He turned his head and shared a romantic kiss with Kaede in front of the nature abound. Their tongues cherished each other's and their lips pressed with such serenity in their heart.
As Kaede wrapped both of his arms around Hanamichi's waist, the prince slid his palms to those husky arms... until he felt something hard inside Kaede's clasped hand.
Without stilling the kiss, Hanamichi tried to recognize the hard object with just his sense of touch. It seemed to be a necklace because of the smooth chain he felt.
"What is this?" Hanamichi broke the kiss and checked the object on his lover's hand.
"It was given to me by my father before he died." Kaede whispered on Hanamichi's ear.
Hanamichi stared at the golden necklace. It had a big sun pendant... with undulating rays around.
"It must be very precious to you." The prince ran his fingers across the surface of the pendant. By only touching it, any royalty would presume that it's expensive and a treasure that came from the farthest mountain in Kanagawa.
Kaede unexpectedly wore the necklace on Hanamichi's neck. The pendant hung until Hanamichi's chest. While holding the pendant, Kaede looked straight on Hanamichi's copper brown eyes... for it may be the last time it could ever shine upon him.
"I'm not a rich man. This is the only thing I can give you."
"You don't have to give me anything, Kaede."
"I want you to keep it. Return it only when your heart stopped to beat for me." Kaede caressed Hanamichi's face.
//to//be//continued//