113 Too Little, Too Late

The year of the Rabbit. It was almost our 4 year anniversary, I have been so busy as of late that I have not spent as much time with Sakura as I liked too. I don't think she minds though, we both knew we were only in a relationship for appearances and to break the curse on our land.

Her sisters had happily married and started their own families. Yet we have yet to consummate our marriage, I wish I could say we got closer during our time together but unfortunately all I can say is we still act like our first year together. Awkward, almost no communication and a cold bed.

Our village flourished wonderfully and turned into a bustling town. More and more people are migrating into our town and they are bringing their innovating ideas with them. I always allowed my people to speak up about how to improve our way of life and we have even tried out many different things.

Lately I have been feeling confused. We have even established a building where the four of us founders are to meet and discuss important matters. As the work piles up, along with the stress, I decided to hire a secretary to attend to my needs. She is the complete opposite of Sakura in every way. She was the embodiment of a fluffy, tanned bunny. From the colour of her skin, her round, bright, brown eyes and her waves of dark, brown hair that would glisten a shade of red when the sun light hit it just right.

Her lips... her lips were so full and pink that it just made you want to... avoid looking at them! Avoid, avoid, avoid! I look at brethren and happily act as a good uncle for their children but I can't help feeling incomplete as a human being. I should just return to my normal life and hope that Sakura will let me peel off the layers of her robes.

....

Year of the dragon. I have endured so much temptation that looking at my secretary is no longer satisfying. I keep dreaming of her every night now that I had to sleep in a separate room from Sakura, I'm afraid I will talk in my sleep and cause her some unnecessary worry.

It's our 5 year anniversary and instead of celebrating with Sakura I have done the unthinkable and allowed myself to indulge into temptation. I regretted the moment I walked through the door and was unbelievably surprised by Sakura. With a blush face she prepared a grand feast by herself and even kissed my lips. I was so scared that she would smell 'her' on me that I pushed her away. I could see the hurt in her eyes but she still managed to give me a gentle smile.

"Norell, I'm so sorry I have been so cold to you. Even in bed you have endured so much but it is customary in my clan to hold weddings in the spring, in the year of the dragon...." she said as she dropped her gaze to the floor and turned a bright shade of red. "So that our husband's seed can carry the will of the dragon and produce strong offspring."

I dropped to my knees and started to weep. This whole time my wife, my beautiful wife had been thinking of me and our future children! I should had realized that even though we were bond to each other by mutual benefits, at some point in time I eased into love and I could only assume she did too. Sakura walked up to me and wrapped her arms around me gently. I couldn't take her tender touch, the guilt was too heavy on my heart so I started to weep harder.

After some time passed, I scooped up my wife and carried her to the bedroom. We forgot about the food and made passionate loved the entire night. My heart broke when she cried from the pain but the moment I was given the okay to move my body burned with desire. By morning we both refused to leave the bed and cuddled most of the morning until Desmound came to fetch me. I quickly stuffed my face with cold food and went off to work. When I walked through the door and saw my secretary look at me bashfully, my heart detached itself from my chest and fell through the floor.

I was so stupid to forget about 'her' and what we had done yesterday afternoon. The whole day I grew more and more annoyed at my secretary, who wouldn't stop trying to gently touch my hand. I needed to work and I needed her to work but no matter what I said she still kept a weird look in her eye. I couldn't remember what I saw in her that made her so attractive in the first place. An animal was nothing compared to a moon goddess and I must have been mad to even think of wanting her. I tried to think back on how it happened but my head starts to pound and all I could remember is that we had intercourse.

I quickly got dressed and ran out of the office. Before I knew it I was home. I never touched my secretary again. I kept a cold distance between us and only confided in Desmound on what happened that night. I spent the next 6 months pampering my wife and making love to her ever chance I had until the fall harvest festival arrived.

My secretary, Kura, decide to leave her position right after the summer harvest festival and I had to replace her. This time I did the sensible thing and hired a male, Hikari. As we are getting things ready for the festival, I find it odd that no one had arranged for our sacrificial offering for the nymph. Everyone in our town knew that we did one but we waited until everyone was asleep before we made our journey towards the nymph's lair. I asked our staff and it seemed it was still on Kura's tasks and was never properly changed over to Hikari's task schedule.

I sighed and decided to help him find a sustainable offering to the nymph. When Hikari and I returned from the fields it was already late and the celebrations were about to start. I sent Hikari home so he could be with his family and I leisurely strolled back home with a giant bouquet of flowers to give Sakura. When I was reaching my house I I noticed that the door was slightly opened. I rushed into the house and found it completely destroyed and in the centre of the mess was Kura.

I was seeing red and started shouting Sakura's name but Kura just stood their smiling as she rubbed her abdomen. "You won't find her here." she sang to me sweetly. I threw the bouquet of daylilies on to the floor. "Kura why are you here and where is my wife!" I shouted with disdain. "Really Norell, you should be asking why my belly is so swollen. Your wife saw it faster then you." she said as she took a few steps closer towards me.

It felt like I was splashed with a bucket of ice water. I looked down at Kura's swollen belly and felt my mouth go dry. I tried to say something but all I could manage was a few squeaks as my mouth opened and closed. Kura laughed as she touched my face. She placed a soft kiss against my lips. "It's yours." she said as she backed away slightly. I heard something break and turned my head, I saw Yedda standing by the window. She had gone pale and covered her mouth in horror.

I pushed Kura away and chased after her. Once I finally caught up to her, I realized she was being shielded by Earie, Vaidehi and Zephyrus. I couldn't get the words out of my throat and felt sick when Yedda told them all that she heard and saw. Vaidehi struck me hard. "You fool! Do you know how much she loved and treasured you!" she shouted as she grabbed my collar and hauled me up to her eye level. "She couldn't believe that she was so lucky to find someone so devoted to his people and family! She was going to tell you everything tonight after the offering!" She continued to shout as tears started to run down her face.

Earie placed a hand over Vaidehi's shoulder while Yedda hugged her from behind. Zephyrus pulled my collar out of Vaidehi's gripped and helped me to my feet only so that he could punch me in the face. Zephyrus never had a temper, it was rare for him to even get mad. So for him to even throw a punch and to actually put some weight into it was only more proof of how stupid I actually was. "Get up." he said in a low voice. "Get up, so I can hit you again."

I lucked out when Dhara came running up to our group and tossed their little girl into his arms in order to sedate his anger. After Dhara was filled in on what happened she covered her daughter's eyes and kicked me hard in the chin. My mouth was cut and I bleed what seemed like buckets. Zephyrus covered his daughters ears as Dhara started roaring at me. "You fool! Sakura is with child go find her! Everyone go find her I will let the others know to go look!"

Like magic everyone disappeared into various directions to go find her. It was getting darker and darker and we still couldn't find her. We needed to get the festival started so the other founders went off to due my duties as I kept searching. Hours went by and the nymph's realm opened. I rushed towards it hoping to get the nymph's help in tracking down my wife.

To my horror on the boat that we always place our offerings was Sakura. She sat there wearing a royal blue Hikizuri with gold and orange cherry blossoms hamd painted delicately on it. While she sang a soft melody as tears gently tumbled down her cheeks. "Once there was a man who like me, was noble, strong and proud to be, a person for the people. A person for their family, a person who could sacrifice their well-being for a chance to dreamily bring about peace.... I could never tell him, I could never wish it. I could never chain him down with the words I wished to scream from up above... It's too late, it's too late to turn back time. It's too late, it's too late to tell you that I love..."

"Nooo!" I started to scream as I ran closer towards the lake. I couldn't reach her but her song pierced my heart. I had done a great sin that caused her to commit suicide with our child. Right before she finished her last sentence she looked at me. She looked at me and tried to say the words I had been yearning to hear this entire time but a giant wave descended above her and she was swallowed up. I screamed as I pounded the shoreline with my fist. My screaming must have called the others and so I was surrounded by the three maidens and my brethren.

Soon the lake started to bubble as if it was physically sick. Moaning could be heard all over and the water along the shoreline started to recede quickly. The nymph arouse from the center of the lake. Her core was no longer within her body and she clutched her abdomen as she walked towards all of us. When she reached the shoreline she collapsed on to her knees and started to weep. "I noticed too late it was her! I didn't mean to do it! I could only... I could only... I could only save the child!"

I looked up just as the nymph started to move her hands away from her belly and inside was a tiny being no bigger then my hand. My gaze quickly moved up to the nymph's face and I couldn't hold back my tears. "It's not your fault! It was mine! It was all my fault that she thought this was her only option. I beg you, please help my child!"

The nymph only nodded her head. We watched in bewilderment as the tiny being started to grow bigger and bigger while the nymph's body started to fall apart. "This is all I can do for her... Norell in her final moments she placed a curse on your bloodline. Be warned your female decedents will never be happy." Was all she said before she lost control of her form and turned back into water. A beautiful baby boy was left laying in a puddle. Your lungs were strong as you started to cry for the first time.

I ripped the shirt off my back and wrapped you up gingerly. You were the most precious thing I had ever seen in my life. Once I raised you and placed you securely onto my chest a ball of light shot up from the lake. I am not sure how long that light was there for but I know I heard your mother's voice one last time before the light exploded. After I got my senses back, you were sleeping soundly in my arms while everyone else tried to find a way back into the nymph's realm.

In those final moments I could hear your mother's curse ringing in my ears and often wondered if you heard a lullaby to soothe your fright. After we realized that the realm was no longer opened for us to enter we left the forest and return to the town. I stepped down from being the head and focused on being a father with a job that allowed me to work from home. Your sister was born two months later during an unnatural and out of season, ice storm. We named her Kori, after the ice storm.

Her mother couldn't handle life after birth, she left me and our town. I should have seen it coming, it seemed that she was obsesses with status and power. When I stepped down she tried numerous times to get me to go back. Ryu my beloved son, I am writing my memories down for you to read and try to understand what had happened to your mother and the curse she has left behind.

All I can say is I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was a horrible husband to your mother, I'm sorry I turned my back to our people, I'm sorry that I couldn't give you what you needed in life and even begged to have you brought into this world because of my own selfishness. I want you to know that after the winter pasted and spring came around the nymph's realm never opened up again. No matter how many times we went back, it never opened. Nothing bad happened to our people but I never got a chance to tell your mother how I truly felt about her.

So my advise to you is to communicate with your spouse. Tell them you love them just in case it may be their last day and raise your kids to be good people. I hope that one day you will forgive me.

....

"No, so your telling me that I... that my ancestors... I'm not crazy?" Olivia started to stammer to herself as she hugged herself. Blair got up from her chair, walked towards Eli and tore the papers from hia hands. She started reading over the supposed diary of Norell. Porter was still confused as he looked from Olivia to Eli and Blair. "What the hell is going on?!" he shouted as he tossed the now dethawed steak on to the floor.

Olivia looked up and gave him a shaky smile. "It means I am Norell's descendant and I am going to die if I don't work on breaking the curse."