~*~Silence Of The Heart~*~
Chapter Three:
He liked it when they begged. Even when there were on their last dying breath, groveling in their knees for their pitiful life, the cold-hearted warrior didn't show any mercy as he claimed his next victims.
"I have finally found you, at last, Syaoran Li, head of the Li Clan!" yelled Eriol as he dismounts his black steed, walking across the silent and deadly battlefield.
Syaoran pulled out his blade out of his prey's chest as he stood in his place. Icy water droplets fell from the dark, gloomy sky into the uninhabited ground that was covered with corpses of hundred men and their horses.
Not been bothered by the cold drops of rain that were drenching his body at this moment, he stares at the tainted ground with his dark golden amber eyes as the blood from his sword was been washed off by the rain.
Syaoran grinned as he places his weapons back on it sheath and looks at the familiar dark blue hair man, staring at him. It has been a year since he last saw one of his men or anyone particular in that matter since he left home.
He stood up from his kneeling position as he walks towards Eriol. He was furious at Eriol for choosing to serve under his mother's command ever since he came of age. Eriol felt that he owes his mother that much by becoming her personal guard and servant since she took him in after his parents were killed in a sudden attack.
Finally, they meet face to face after such a long time.
"What business do you have with me, Eriol?" he asked coldly.
"Your mother's orders were very clear," he said strictly. "If I couldn't find you, I wasn't allowed to return back to the imperial palace."
"In that case, you shouldn't fail her highness," Syaoran replied, harshly.
"Well, finding you were only half of my mission," he said as he signed greatly. "The other half is to bring you back to China with me."
"Why?" he demanded. "Has she finally decided to lift up my banishment?"
"You know the exact reason why she sent you away in the first place?"
Syaoran's dark amber eyes grew intense "Of course I do, how can I forget."
Silence hit them as the rain grew colder and the wind rougher. Remembering every moment of that incident fills his head with bitterness and hatred all this time.
"Is there a particular reason why her imperial highness wants me to return back to China?"
"There's trouble brewing over in China. There is a war between the fifty clans over the successor. The emperor's health has become very fragile lately. Each one of the different clans is doing everything they can to curry favor with elders of the royal court. Empresses Yelan wants you near the emperor's deathbed to claim the throne when he dies."
"Have one of her children to claim it. It doesn't matter to her who get it as long it within the Li clan," he said bitterly.
"I'm afraid that impossible to do. There is no one left in the Li clan to claim to the throne."
"They're gone?" Syaoran said, finding it a bit interesting.
"Yes. All of the Li men are gone. The only ones left in the Li Clan are your sisters and their children, the Li elders and lastly, Meilin. "
"Can my mother take the emperor's place of ruling the empire until one my sister's son can come of age and claim the throne?"
"I'm afraid there isn't there much time left."
Eriol's statement caught Syaoran's full attention as Eriol continued talking.
"The emperor's many wives are starting rebel against your mother. They can't stand her having that much power considering she is the emperor's favorite wife. There have been many incidents that can't explain that almost kills her. There isn't any proof that anyone of them is behind all of this, but her majesty thinks otherwise."
"And so she wants me there to even the odds?" Syaoran said as he grew tense but didn't show it, hiding it so well from Eriol.
"The Li elders are even concerning you marrying Meilin to keep the Li's family blood going. Otherwise, they will have no choice but give the throne to one of the emperor's wives children."
Syaoran's dark amber eyes grew bitter and cold as Eriol mention his father's many wives and children. Even though he came to dislike his mother's behavior throughout his whole childhood been forced to be educated in the highest education and training him, with the most expert swordsmen to become a strong warrior, he dislikes the emperor's wives even more.
During his earlier childhood ever since he could remember, the emperor's wives had threatened him badly even though he the only male heir to the emperor's line at the time. The jealous wives were forced by his father to serve Syaoran's needs like low life mere servants while they were stuck on low favoritism under his mother with their many children.
They beat up him countless along with his half-siblings, getting many bruises most every day. While they were out of his father and mother's sight., Syaoran tried to go against them but was always one step ahead of them. This continued on for many years until finally, he reaches the age of ten. He became more confident and stronger and began to defend himself against the lives of them. On that day on, his beatings were less but they still treated him coldly like an outcast especially from his half brothers and sisters.
"As much I would like to bring those bitches into their rightful places, I won't get marry. I broke my claim on Meilin when I left. On the other hand, if she is still free when I return, then maybe I will claim her again. If not..." He shrugged. "I will find another woman. It doesn't matter to me."
"She is free Syaoran and you know that." said Eriol "She has waited faithfully for you for the last three years. She hopes to marry you. Even the Empress Yelan is starting to take that idea."
"Of course she is. After all, she wants me to get marry and give an heir as soon as the emperor dies. She wants the Li clan to stay control of the empire and me marrying Meilin would surely please her."
"So, you won't considering marrying Meilin then?" asked Eriol, sighing.
Syaoran stopped and scowled. "Meilin knows I have no intention to marry. Women are all alike and too easy to come by."
"You cannot compare all women to Meilin," Eriol pointed out. "Surely your travels throughout Japan has shown you that all women are not the same."
"I fight for gold and amusement. I like the freedom to roam where I want on my own free will. Spending my time fighting and killing. I don't want a nagging wife, yelling at me and weighing me down. I would sooner rot in hell than marry."
"Besides," Syaoran said suddenly. "Meilin knew how I feel about her when she came to my bed. She is a fool if she thinks I would reconsider making her my wife. No matter how attractive or how finely shaped she is, she is the last woman I would considering marrying. She only wants me because I would become the ruler of China and wants the title as empress."
"What will happen to the family fortune then? You are the only one heir in the entire Li Clan who can handle the responsibility of running the empire."
"One of my sisters can claim it. They are the princesses of the emperor of china after all and they are highly legible to take the challenge.
"You are being foolish," Eriol risked. "I know as well as you that they can't take the throne since they are already married to the men of the different clans and already bore their children. I know have said this before, but you should get marry. You will want a son one day. You must leave the throne one day to someone."
"I will no doubt have a bastard or two. I don't need to marry to have children."
"But-" Eriol silent himself as he found Syaoran's dark amber eyes narrowing him.
"I feel strongly about this, Eriol, don't prick me about it."
"Very well then," Eriol sighed.
"However," Syaoran said as he smirks greatly. "I would consider returning back to china back with you."
"Do you really mean it? Even though you don't have any wish to return?"
"Yes. My services to the Nihon clan is over. We leave in the morning." he commanded as he gathered his long woolen cloak and place it around his broad shoulders. Leaving his armor and junk behind on the ground.
"My sisters will have my head if something happens to my mother because I was not there to protect her. I would like to give my mother and those bitches of wives a piece of my mind," he said lastly as he mounted on his white steed and rode off into the distance.
Eriol sighed as he watched Syaoran off. He had grown into a fine figure of a man. Rock hard, firm tall and strong, Syaoran was truly a man of war. The imperial highness would be proud to have her son by her side in battle, whether Syaoran admitted it or not.
Syaoran had grown up without the love of a single soul. It was no wonder he was surly at times, bad-tempered and bitter. He has every right to be.
