Chapter Twenty Six - All Too Human (Part 1)

Chapter Song Suggestion "Afterlight by Piotr Musial"

Kyou paced back and forth like a caged tiger, his unpredictable mood wavering between rage and concern. No one dared to approach him, mindful that he would chew off their heads. He spun around at the sound of his tent flap. It was Rei. "Well?" he prompted impatiently. "Any response from Akio?"

"The messenger has only been gone for an hour, Kyou. Your impatience won't make him respond any faster." Rei took a seat and poured a cup of tea.

Bitterness flashed within obsidian eyes as Kyou balled his fists unforgivingly, tamping down his anger. "Akio's interest towards Inka should have tipped me off that he would get his hands on her. He's forcing me to choose between love and duty."

"Even you cannot avoid making sacrifices. Isn't that what you told me? To protect the throne, you were forced to set aside your heart – your humanity," Rei murmured thoughtfully. "We can't have everything in life. The question is, which are you willing to sacrifice?"

"Neither," Kyou shot back. "There must be a way to overcome this. I trust that Inka is fine. She is a survivor."

Advisor Jin entered the tent, bowing at the waist. "Your Majesty, King Akio has responded." He extended a scroll with both hands. Accepting it, Kyou unfurled the message and recognized Inka's cursive lettering.

"Dearest Kyou,

I am unharmed, please do not worry. Hope you understand that I will not be returning until the King is healed. And I want you to take the time to recover as well. Vervain is a good herb to alleviate any pains that you have. Ensure that your bandages are regularly changed to prevent infection. Also, wear loose clothes that won't aggravate your wounds. Please don't do anything rash and don't come for me. Love you very much. And send my love to Mona. No more fights until you receive my next letter.

Ever Yours, Inka."

"Rei, bring Mona to me," Kyou instructed immediately.

"Why do you want to see her?"

"Inka mentioned her cousin's name. There must be a reason why," he answered with a lingering frown. "This letter's a little strange."

Minutes later, Rei returned with the young woman in tow, her face etched with worry. "You wanted to see me, Your Majesty? The Commander told me about the letter." She stretched out a hand. "May I?"

Kyou relinquished the scroll to her.

Mona's face illuminated when she noticed what they couldn't. "Inka and I used to hide secret messages and try to decipher what the other was saying. It was a game we invented as children. The only risk is it can be easy to catch on. See here," she pointed at the first letter of every sentence. "It spells I—H—A—V—E—A—P—L—A—N. Inka's telling us that she has a plan." She stole a side glance at the Emperor. "It's simple, isn't it?"

Indeed, it was so simple that Kyou felt like an absolute idiot. It reflected the purity and innocence of Inka as a child. Unlike adults who tend to overthink and overlook the simplest things, this "game" humbled him. "What kind of dangerous plan is it that it requires her to stay behind enemy lines?" he grumbled, fisting the paper.

Mona didn't doubt the Emperor's affections for her cousin, witnessing his distress. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. My cousin is willful and once she sets her mind to accomplish a task, she doesn't stop until it ends. Rest assured; Inka's plan often succeeds. Though she doesn't appear the type to think rationally before acting, when she has a plan, she's unexpectedly thorough. That's a comforting thought, isn't it?"

She shrunk back reflexively at the Emperor's glare, her eyes darting to the Commander in a silent cry for help.

"Thank you, Mona." Rei took pity on her. "That will be all."

"Good day, Your Majesty. Commander Rei," she bowed awkwardly and made a hasty escape.

"You didn't have to frighten the poor child. She was only trying to help," Rei chided, knowing that Kyou was gripped by frustration. "What we can do now is wait."

"I have absolute faith in Inka but, I don't trust Akio."

"Seeing as how he needs her alive, he won't harm her."

"Being alive and being tortured alive are two different circumstances," Kyou bit out strongly, recalling a dark past prior to his reign — his abduction. The only ones aware of it had been his parents and Rei's father. For three days — that had felt like months — he had been beaten, maimed, and starved to the point where he had prayed for a quick death. They had plucked out his fingernails and drowned him for pleasure. Those hooligans who abducted him belonged to the anti-sovereign faction, hired by one of the royal concubines.

Ultimately, Kyou had saved his own life — his first time killing a man. His abductors had been celebrating an unknown victory when he plotted his escape. They had underestimated his strength, believing a scrawny brat couldn't harm them. Well, he proved them wrong with a stone embedded in that dead man's skull. When he returned, the rest became history. The concubine responsible had been beheaded with her cohorts and son – a half-brother he never knew.

"There must be another way to get her back," Kyou insisted.

"Let's wait it out. If Akio is truly obsessed with her, then we can play it to our advantage," Rei reasoned, tired of repeating himself. "Set aside your personal feelings and think about this logically. A successful hunt begins and ends with patience."

Kyou wasn't too far gone not to appreciate the sentiment. Frankly, he was appalled by his loss of self-control, and he was disappointed — with himself. As a proud man, it was hard to admit that his composure was unreliable where Inka was concerned. Because she was important to him, he didn't want to fail her.

"Your face is a portrait of emotions, I can't tell if you're angry or upset," Rei let out a disconcerted laugh. "But you know that I am right."

"Yes, but Inka's going to be trapped with Akio," Kyou muttered silently. "I hate that he's breathing the same air she is."

"Your fear is warranted but, if something happens between them then you should forget about her," Rei advised candidly. "An unfaithful partner is not worth keeping or dying for."

"Inka will not betray me." Kyou's voice was firm. "She has never given me reason to doubt her. If anything, I am the one who causes her distress. This shall be my faith in us."

It occurred to Rei that the Emperor was no longer a boy at heart when it came to love. He didn't bother hiding his grin, convinced by Kyou's impenetrable confidence. "It appears that I worried for nothing. The both of you will be just fine even when you're apart."

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Days passed and she was pleased to see Akio healing expediently. There was no contact between brothers and she was content for it to remain in this neutral state of peace. On the seventh day, she persuaded Akio to remove her chains. "You would renege the truce if I ran away," she said soundly. "Unlike you, I will never hurt the ones I love."

"A woman's love is unreliable," Akio scoffed rudely. "I will never entrust my life in the hands of one."

"That's because you have never experienced real love. Your obsession with your dead mother isn't love. You're holding onto a past that doesn't bring you happiness. Haven't you heard? Cold comfort is better reserved for the dead."

"Happiness is worthless to a King," he defended coldly. "What I want is the power to rule this Kingdom."

She pursed her lips in disagreement. "What difference does it make if you're the Emperor of Xi or the King of Nanyang? Either way, you're still powerful."

"What's the difference?" He sounded incredibly put out. "It goes to show how little you understand about standing at the pinnacle of power and being the Emperor's lap dog. Are you truly that stupid?"

She dumped her tea into his lap, the scalding heat causing him to shoot up to his feet. "What the—"

"I don't take kindly to being called stupid, Your Majesty," she returned cattily, silver eyes glinting dangerously. "And it's about time that you admit that I'm not like those women you used and discarded. Insult me again, and you won't like the consequences."

"You're my prisoner!" he exploded furiously, roughly snatching her cheeks in his large hand. "I can easily put those chains back on."

"Do it, if it pleases your ego," she challenged boldly.

Akio was torn between the desire to strangle her slim neck and laughing at her audacity. No matter what he did, with the exception of pure violence, she never bend to his will. Her presence in his cold palace turned his days livelier and she was obviously unafraid of him. Lately, he was assaulted by the strangest feelings.

"Although," she continued, "Your wounds are healing nicely and soon, you'll have to let me go." He stared at her with a blank expression, as if he was caught in a trance. "Your Majesty? What's wrong?" She glanced at his bandaged hand. "Is your injury bothering you again?"

Her question jolted him back to life and his mouth tightened at the corners. "I'm returning to my chamber. The guard will escort you back." With a swish of his robe, he left her in a state of utter confusion.

"What has gotten into him?"

Inside his chamber, Akio simmered with frustration, unable to sit still. Something was wrong with him. He had felt pure grief at the thought of that woman returning to his brother — him — the King of Nanyang! "This wasn't supposed to happen!" he roared violently, thrashing everything within his grasp. He flipped the tea table, sending chess pieces flying everywhere. Unsatisfied, he grabbed the nearest vase and smashed it against the wall.

Despite the vitality of her presence, she was becoming a threat to his peace of mind. Their countless conversations had planted a seed of doubt within his heart. He couldn't recall a time when anyone made him second-guessed his decisions.

He had to send her away. Soon.

Tomorrow, he decided. It was time to end this ridiculous truce and force his brother to renounce the throne. The time for games was over. He obeyed no one, and definitely not a savage female. He only needed to concentrate on his ambition, only then would he be able to fulfil his mother's promise — for revenge.

A light rap on the door interrupted his thoughts. "Your Majesty, is everything alright?"

Akio recognized his advisor's trembling tenor. "Enter. I need you to deliver a message to the Emperor."