Gomen for not posting new chapters, my profession has been keeping me quite busy. Heehee. Hope you understand. Anyway, here's another chapter for everyone! Thank you very much for reading and leaving your wonderful reviews! :D

Princess-of-Doctors: Thanks and good job on your story too! :D

Obsessed Dreamer: Haha, yeah I couldn't help but reveal some of the secrets. Heehee. But no worries, it will be good secrets. So far I have divulged the right ones at the right time.

Khryztinne: Ehehe, sorry I was out for awhile. I'm currently applying for a journalism grant so I need to focus on it. Thanks for waiting and I'm really sorry!

Xllaz: Thanks! I look forward to your updates too! :D

Disclaimer: FY is not mine.

Heart of the Dragon

By Slavedriver2008

THE GATES PARTED and the majestic beauty of the capital greeted Yui's eyes. She slowly moved away from the shogun and looked forward, to the wonderful infrastructure that belonged to Kutou. At the highest land area, elevated by some few feet, stood the Kutou palace surrounded by the clear blue skies. The sound of crashing waves filled her ears and she blinked, hiding fascinated teal eyes from the direct rays of the sun. She was home, but the thought made her heart ache. The palace was no longer her home. She was a nobody, a fallen princess.

The sound of gongs permeated the air as the shogun's horse entered the walled city. The citizens stopped with their daily chores and gazed as the army passed. Some openly pointed at her direction and when she turned to them, they immediately stepped back. Some gasped when they saw her face and she smiled at them. A rotten tomato hit her cheek and her eyes widened, surprised. The stench left a disgusting smell on her face.

"Murderer! You killed your father for the throne! Look at you now, a piece of scum!" a man shouted and the people roared in anger. The soldiers tried to pacify the crowd as the horse passed, the general unflinching behind her. Dumbfounded, Yui covered her mouth donning a horrified reaction.

"You should be killed, you pathetic princess!" Tomatoes continued to fly toward her and she covered her face to avoid being hit. But it was useless, it hit her arms and body, the shogun's horse, his cape.

"You should drag that murderer, General—" the people screamed as tears beaded her eyes. She didn't kill her father.

Why…? She bowed her head low, tears falling from her eyes to the mane of his horse. Nakago pulled the reins, slowing it down and reveling in the way the people shamed her. They called her names, curses, spit on the ground after saying her name. Why had it come to this? Why was she being labeled as a murderer? Her heart constricted as she controlled the sobs that left her mouth. She bit her lip, her heart breaking ever so slowly as the people her father loved scream in anger at what she supposedly did. She did not come back to be humiliated. She did not accept Seiryuu's mission to be labeled a traitor. She did not kill anyone, especially not her beloved father. A sad smile left her face and she wiped her tears, slowly raising her head with newfound pride.

Let them judge her innocence.

There was nothing to be ashamed of, she did nothing. She left as a princess and she returned as the same person. Even if they were no longer in the throne, nobody can take away the blood that moved through her veins. She was the highest woman in the court, the high seat of the most prominent clan in the empire. Her eyes moved along the citizens and they stopped screaming as her gaze passed them. They can call her names and accuse her of a crime she never committed. They will never know the truth of that night but they can never wash away the truth the she knew. She was only guilty of one thing and that was loving this country more than herself.

Nakago pulled the reins of the horse and it walked faster, along a path filled with people who kept their mouths shut as she passed. When her eyes left them, they whispered, hushed tones that reverberated in the throng, murmurs that reached her ears. Nobody dared to throw their produce at her anymore. Because she was a princess, and her father was loved by these people. They must have remembered, they should remember, he died for them. She, on the other hand, will die for him.

She was a victim of fate.

When they reached the sacred gates, Nakago stopped his horse and stepped down. He slowly assisted her and she refused to turn to him. What caught her attention were the palace steps that separated the palace grounds. She had never been outside the palace, never experienced looking up to the edifice that used to be her home. In the last fifteen years of her life, she has always looked out into the sea, into the row of blue tiled houses where their people lived, into the world beyond her window.

"Your parade has ended princess," Nakago whispered, smirking.

He took her hands and tied her wrists together at the back, the way prisoners were treated, like dirt. He pulled her roughly and she moved her arm away. He turned with angry blue eyes. But his anger does not bother her anymore. There were more important things than standing in front of a handsome warrior. It was coming back to her, the things she had forgotten when she left the palace.

"Don't touch me," she stated indignantly. "I may be a prisoner but I am still a princess. Even if I am executed or stripped of my title, I am still higher than you." She pierced him with her stares, cold and defined, and she saw his jaws clenched from repressed anger. He bowed sarcastically and stepped back.

"As you wish, hime-sama," he whispered sharply. She shook away the apparent sarcasm in his voice and started to climb the hundred steps that separated the palace from the world below. She never before used her title to prove her hierarchy but she was in her home, where her position mattered above other things. She carried the blood of a god and she will never let it be tampered by a mere man—even if he had taken away her dignity and her heart.

She was a princess. And her name was Yui.

She was halfway from the royal gates when a familiar face walked out, watching her. Her eyes misted as the shogun stepped down in quick steps toward her form, concern sketched over his handsome face. Tears fell from her eyes when he finally stopped in front of her and moved his eyes over her depressive state. Dressed in ragged robes, dirtied by rotting tomatoes and pus. She resisted the urge to sob in his arms, the same way when she was a child and she hurt her knees. Koyuu-sama was like a father to her and seeing him brought back all the pain she felt when her father died. His chest tightened and his hands clenched. It must have hurt him to see her tied and worse than the poor children on the streets. But it was destined. Fate brought her downfall.

"Yui-sama…" Koyuu reached for her face and she shook her head. She needed his arms but if he showed too much concern, he could endanger his position. The last she wanted was to trigger the fall of another great man.

"Let us pass, father," Nakago uttered softly behind her and Yui's jaw clenched. She bit her lip as the realization sank in her consciousness. She had been played again, he was good at wrapping her around his fingers. Her heart felt like it was about to burst and she let the frustration sketch over her face, a smile leaving her mouth.

Never again, Nakago. Never again.

"My son, I hope the time will never come when you will regret this," Koyuu answered, eyeing the younger man intently. The dark-haired general stepped back, bowing lowly before her, sincerely, and letting them pass.

Instead of bowing back, she continued her ascent into the palace, where the Dragon Throne waits. She will forever be grateful for Koyuu-sama, for everything he did for her family, for her father. She knew he wanted to do more. But it was not to be. This was her battle. And she will try to win, the way his father fought until the end of his life. Heroes always die but it was their hearts that make them achieve the pedestal of greatness.

Strength is not always measured by the physical realm… Most of the time, it is the heart that makes people move mountains…

Cold wind passed through her body and she closed her eyes to relish the wonderful air from the sea. Her heart beat loud on her throat as the palace comes closer, grander with each heavy footstep. She felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, the responsibilities she had left behind, the name she will probably forever disgrace. The warriors crossed her mind and a smile spread over her face. They will wait and she will never come back. The thought was enough to make her heart break again. Yui briefly wondered when it will stop breaking, when it will stop beating and take away her wretched existence.

She doesn't want a heart anymore.

She will probably die here, in the same place where she was born. There was nothing more comforting than dying in the arms of her beloved country. Even if the people curse her under their breaths and she will be remembered in history as a traitor. This was her punishment for not reading the signs. She let her father down, let the empire fall, let the Hongou house be besmirched by controversy. She caused the downfall of her clan. And she will forever carry it over her shoulders like a curse.

The humongous blue doors parted, the hinges creaking as she walked between the twin marble dragon pillars. The gong shook and the grounds of the Imperial Palace stood still as she passed, the soldiers lined at both her sides, following her with cold disciplined eyes. The nobles stood upright in the podium, staring at her in various reactions she would rather not define. Like when she entered the capital, her presence brought the grounds in whispers.

The Imperial Palace has seven magistrates, men of nobility who represented each royal family in the Empire. They were the Emperor's advisors of the law, old men who always clung to power regardless of the ruling house. To them she was merely a woman, not a successor. A bride for a notable exemplary noble man, not a future ruler. Her heart sank but she smiled to hide the depression that filled her. For all these people to gather for her meant only one thing: She was to die.

She passed them, the shogun still behind her. The doors of the palace finally parted and she walked inside the Throne room where at the farther end sat the most distinguished man of the Kutou Empire. A stern old man sat straight when she walked in and her strength momentarily faltered when familiar sets of eyes caught her attention. Standing below the throne were faces she never thought she'd see again.

Minako opened her fan and it created a swishing sound that brought her back to her senses. She smirked and eventually pursed tight lips. The heavy doors closed behind her and she doesn't have to look back to know that only four of them have been allowed inside the room. Nakago still stood behind her and so were Soi and Ashitare. She had never been sure of such familiar flow of energy.

"Yui-hime… The highest woman of the Hongou house had finally arrived," Minako said aloud, her voice ringing in the big room. Her purple eyes looked at her from head to foot and Yui recognized the sarcasm she was known for. It must have pleased the princess to see her in rags while she was dressed in the most expensive robes. "I would like to introduce my warriors," she said proudly and Yui smirked, shaking her head.

"I know," she answered flatly, voice distinguished and proud. Her eyes never lost its intensity and she tried to cling to the last ounce of strength in her body—she needed it more than ever now. "I found them before you did."

NAKAGO SAW THE surprise on the shinchiseishis' faces when they stepped into the room and it made him smirk in gratification. Everything was happening according to his plans and he had envisioned this meeting countless times in his head. How does it feel to be lied to and used? He wanted to ask them but even without words they have answered him.

The younger rebellious twin easily contorted his face in anger while the other, the older one looked with disbelief. The performer, however, was good at masking the expression on his face. He simply eyed the princess, expressionless and calm, as if he had not met her in the past days. She, on the other hand, was staring directly at the man on the throne, jaws clenched.

The sight hurt her, he knew, and it stirred some undefined emotions in him.

"Undress her," the Emperor commanded and Nakago bowed to follow his command. The only way to distinguish her, amid the unruly hair and the ragged clothes, was the mark of the dragon on her chest. He had seen it himself and had even touched it.

"Father, please let me," a voice emerged from the side of the room and everyone turned as the Crowned Prince stepped closer. Nakago bowed down and stepped back, watching his every movement intently. Instead of undressing her as his father had directed, Hakei merely moved the robe to expose the mark on her chest, not showing more. "Yes, she is indeed Yui-sama…" Their eyes met and her teal eyes suddenly softened. The general felt a knot on his stomach.

"Yui Hongou… the estranged princess of Kutou. Adored by two countries, blessed by two powerful gods," it was the Emperor and at his speech, everyone in the room turned to him. He was majestic, but not great. "Tell me, why do you smile?" Yui's smile widened and she raised an eyebrow.

"Because I am seeing an usurper sitting on my throne." He controlled the smirk on his face and eyed her with fascination. He had not expected her to have the gall to answer. But then he remembered that she was as powerful as the man on the throne. The emperor's eyes widened and he stood up, losing his composure.

"How dare you—"

"The Dragon Throne is made for my family and for my family alone, Murasaki-sama," she stated matter-of-factly, in a voice that could not be assuaged. Nakago eyed the Emperor from the sides of his eyes, enjoying the anger that brewed over the old man's face.

"Your father had not left a successor so the throne can be taken by any man who has royalty in his blood," he defended.

"It is norm to let a man claim the throne, Yui-hime. Disappointing isn't it since you are every bit of a woman," Minako cut in the conversation but the reactions on the Emperor's face showed that he was not pleased with the intrusion.

"Such a decree is not in the law books, Murasaki-sama. May I quote the Book of Laws, which our magistrates knew very well," she said sharply and the magistrates straightened at the side of the room. "A new ruler, regardless of family, will only be named by the previous emperor before his last breath." He smirked, she was smart. "My father named me as his successor even before you had him killed."

"Lies! What proof do you have?"

"Unbind me… and I will show you," she challenged and the Emperor stepped back, surprised. It was not a request but a command. She was a dangerous girl.

"NO—I will not tolerate such presumptions!" The Emperor scowled as the nobles whispered among themselves. The warriors simply watched her, trying to recognize the girl they met from the one in front of the throne. "The magistrates have recognized me as the Emperor, girl. Even if I am not named by your father, I now have the Dragon Throne and half of Kutou's army." He threw the fan on his hand and laughed. Hakei stepped in front of her and it made the general's jaw clenched. "What do you have behind you? Ha—My men! Recognize me as your Emperor, girl, and I will spare your life," he said, screamed, and his voice reverberated in the air. Still, she a smirk left her face.

"A dragon never bows before another dragon even if his life hangs on the other's claws." The Emperor's jaw tightened. "You can strip me of everything, turn my country against me, but I will never bow down to you—never to a traitor!"

"Then tomorrow you will take your name with you to the depths of the sea! Let's see if your pride can save you from death!" The Emperor screamed before he finally walked out of the throne, fuming and heaving hard.

"Father—Father—" Hakei called and the man turned, pissed.

"Find yourself another bride, Hakei." The Emperor stormed out of the throne room and the Crowned Prince followed him, explaining matters the general could not hear from where he stood. Yui had the look of pride in her, as if death could not scare her anymore.

Death.

"Throw her to the cellars. I want her whipped later tonight," Minako ordered and Nakago bowed down, hiding the thoughts that came through his head. The princess touched his chin and smiled sweetly. "You did well warrior. Come to my room after the beating, I have a prize for you."

He bowed again and the princess flapped her fan, turning away with a sweet knowing smile. The general pulled the girl from where she stood and she smirked as he dragged her out of the room into her prison. They were at the corridors when she spoke again, Soi behind him.

"You did well warrior… Come to my room I have a prize for you…" Yui laughed with disgust and he tightened her hold of her arm. Pain sketched over her face but the smile never faded. "How shameful… A shogun groveling like a dog…"

"Smile all you want, princess. Because tonight you can only cry after I'm through with you," he stated intently, surprised that she knew where to rub the wounds. Damn her, he thought. If only he could… "And then I will hand you to my men. Once they stop—if they stop—you will only wish for death." The smile faded and he momentarily felt victorious.

"General Nakago, unhand her," Hakei ordered and he stopped dragging her. Nakago immediately bowed low before the next Emperor. A slap hit his face and he smirked, not daring to look up. "Yui-sama… Did he do anything to you?" he asked, in a soft caring voice that made the general's stomach tighten.

"No… Please don't concern yourself over me…" she answered softly. "Hakei…" The Prince sighed heavily and then stepped closer. It was a scene he doesn't want to see but had to keep watching. Movements came from the pillars and he knew they were standing behind the stone, listening. Soi fidgeted behind him and the boy Ashitare on her back, unconscious.

"I am offering you my name, Yui," he started, looking at her intently and she didn't seem surprised he dropped the formality. "Please… accept me and I will do what I can to protect you…" he whispered but Nakago could hear it clearly.

"Hakei… one day you will be Emperor… A woman like me won't do you any good…" she answered, smiling.

"Yui… You are the only reason I wanted to be Emperor, I want to stand beside you, be the man you will look up to. Without you, the throne is nothing but a responsibility I do not want on my shoulders," he said, resisting the urge to touch her dirtied face. She shook her head, eyes misty.

"You are a wonderful man, Hakei… You are the only reason why I will forever be jealous of Minako… because I've always wanted you as my brother," she answered and his heart broke. His fist clenched and he looked away, chest heaving. "When you need to make tough decisions as an Emperor, look out into the sea and think of me."

"Is it because of Saihitei?" he asked in a loud defensive voice, not turning.

"What…?"

"You cannot give me your heart because you gave it to him?" Yui stepped back, eyes wide. Hakei turned and smirked. In one quick instance, he became a different man. "He sent numerous messengers to ask for you. He is crossing his boundaries as an Emperor just to know where you are. If you escape to Konan, I will mobilize my troops and re-claim you. I will kill Saihitei if I have to."

"Hakei—"

"In a few days, I will have Hokkan behind me and Temudan-sama's head on a porcelain plate," he said almost viciously and Yui walked toward her. Nakago pulled her arm.

"How can you initiate war—" her voice broke. "Are you insane?"

"Because we are a nation of warriors, Yui." Hakei raised his head and smiled. "You and me, we fight, we create wars, we make nations kneel before us. To pave the way for the future, the four countries have to be united under one banner. That is why… Yui, be my queen. Stand beside me as we rule the world." He touched her shoulders and slowly leaned down to capture her mouth. She moved it away, staring intently into his deep purple eyes.

"I will never marry a man who will bring my country to damnation," she stated. "My father gave his soul just to achieve peace, real peace, Hakei. And I won't let it be ruined by a crazy man like you!" A slap landed on her face and it was strong enough to make her lose balance. Nakago clutched her arms, assisting her up.

"I don't want to hurt you, Yui." He touched her face, cheek bright and swollen. "I don't want to have you killed like your father—" She spit on his face and he stepped back, wiping his cheek. "You…" She stepped toward him but Nakago pulled her back and she struggled to be free from him.

"How can you—My father treated you as his son!" she screamed, tears falling from her eyes. She closed her blue eyes and swallowed hard. "Don't let me escape, don't let me live. Tell your soldiers to break me, Hakei—because if they don't, I swear, I will kill you with my own hands!"

RUSTY CHAINS SENT coldness through her body and she felt her muscles tightened when she was pulled up from the ground, hanging like a pig, tied and waiting to be slashed and killed. The stench of dried blood lingered in the air of the prison and it made her stomach curl in disgust. The shogun ordered every soldier to leave them and she closed her eyes, she doesn't want to cry anymore. She was tired of crying.

A hand wrapped around her waist and she felt the warmth of his breath on her ear. He had shed his armor and she could feel the wild beating of his heart, the heat of his skin under thin under clothes. She anticipated him to move but he stayed still, as if weighing his words, his actions.

"Tonight…" he said softly, like a whisper. "Let me do what I yearned for so long..." She turned to him, confused, but he had moved away. The sound of footsteps rung in the air and he let her go.

"Nakago, is she whipped already?" Minako asked and the general bowed before her. "Oh, I see. Let me do it then," she said.

"My lady, this is a deed for men," Nakago answered and Minako made a sound of protest.

"No, I want to make sure she is beaten well." She flapped the whip and it crackled. "I have waited for sixteen years to do this, Yui." The whip lashed through her back and she screamed from the pain. Minako laughed viciously as another hit her back, and another.

It rained, lashings that made her skin throb and bleed. Cries left her mouth and an unbearable pain, one she had never felt before, engulfed her body. Her body shivered, muscles tensed as Minako continued to inflict a nerve-wracking pain on her back, arms, legs. Her wrists were aching and fresh blood flowed through her skin, rolling to the ground, coloring the haystacks in spurts of red.

Minako continued, without mercy, and Yui's consciousness blurred from the pain. Blood continued to flow and her body had gone numb, the only spots left alive were the parts where the whip landed, bringing pain and throbbing. She wanted her to stop but she could not voice out her thoughts. She doesn't want to beg, never to her. Her body shivered involuntarily from time to time and the steel sent coldness through her body. Miraculously, as if by a wondrous hand, the beating stopped.

She heard conversations but she was too groggy to understand, too disoriented with the pain to care. Footsteps left the place and when the sound died, she closed her eyes to give in to the darkness. The only thing she wanted was to stop breathing, to give in to the call of death. She breathed from her mouth, desperate, as if running after air. She couldn't move her body and she can barely feel the drops of blood on her skin. Tears fell from her eyes.

"Father…" she called softly, barely a whisper.

Her consciousness drifted to a faraway dream of blue linen and blue flowers. The smell of forget-me-not permeated the air and a soft smile left her lips as a once lucid memory comes back to life, vivid and clear. She remembered his face, his sorrowed eyes, his bleeding lips. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Instead, she reached toward his lips and the tips of her fingers felt the warmth of his skin.

The chains uncoiled around her wrists and a strong arm brought her down, her body slumping to the ground, leaning back to a warm wide chest. Another cold hand wrapped around her limp fingers and he breath warmly on her ear. The pain returned to her body and she couldn't open her eyes, for fear that he would fade away, like the fleeting scent of blue flowers.

"You came back… Is it already morning…?" she whispered, choking. She moved her head toward the crook of his neck and she felt hot wet tears fell to her face. She cupped his cheek and smiled. "Don't cry… the pain will eventually go away…" Her voice broke and he pulled her closer, body still trembling. "Don't cry for me…"

She coughed and blood came out of her mouth, her body shaking, pain immediately coursing through her veins. He took in a sharp breath and moved his cheek closer to her face. It was warm, his skin was warm and his heart… his heart was beating strong and loud. She liked the sound it made. A wide smile left her lips and he moved too close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips.

In a heartbeat he captured her lips for a gentle kiss. Her fingers clutched the hair on his neck as he kissed her deeper. She tasted blood but it was immediately washed away by a light wondrous feeling that took away the pain in her body. He moved away, heaving, but she wanted more of him in her mouth. She traced the line of his jaw with her fingers and it clenched.

"Please… I am still in pain…" she whispered and before she could say more, his lips were again on hers, leaving a sweet sweet taste in her mouth.

CHARACTER INFOCUS

Minako Murasaki – The First Princess of the Murasaki house, the clan that took over the Dragon Throne. She was proclaimed Seiryuu no miko and she loathed the princess, plotting to make her suffer. She was infatuated with the blond shogun. Her mark is a lotus.

Hakei Murasaki – The Crowned Prince after the Murasaki house ascended to power. A son of a magistrate, he graduated top of his class in the civil exams. A prominent man with numerous admirers, he had desired the princess since he started studying in the palace and vowed to one day marry her. His mark is a bear.

A/N: Ooohhh… Hope you like this chappie! It went longer that I wanted but I just wanted to put these information here. Heehee. More action in the next chappie. Don't forget to leave reviews!