chapter 1 tanabata

beneath the autumn tree a young boy age of three he sees in front of him a dead body laying cold and pale on the bed he sees his father sitting beside him with grief shown on its face as the women was her wife but also his favourite concubines the boy can only sit there following the rituals without fully understand what going on, but this day will forever be etch in his mind, as it is also the day where his mother will be cremated, as he walk through the palace toward their destination he saw servants kneeling and crying toward with all of them dressed in white his mother while some monks carrying the body while saying in a mantra he cant understand, he saw his father dropping tears as each step they reach their destination, he stopped before the destination as he saw other bringing the body to the cremation location, he notices how much he miss her, he missed her care, warmth, and love for him, now he was lost, as a hole began to form within him. one of his servant came to bring him to the destination and there he saw the monks preparing the bonfire to burn the body with the monks speaking the mantra while walking in circle around the fire, the body was put to the fire, as the boy watch the fire slowly gulfing the body, a tears finally fall from his eye, he wiped with it's finger to notice that he can't see clearly as tears began to fall on both eyes non stop.

three weeks later

it's been about a month ever since that day he can't slept well especially since he felt a sense of loss within him, he can't understand what it is but it felt like something was missing, he often visited a tree where his mother would told him stories and tales yet he realized he began to forgotten what his mother looked like as the tree he was visited began to wither and died with leaves began to fall non stop he notice a hole in this tree which seems big enough to hide something, he pulled out a book that was often read by his mother, everytime he sees this book an appearance of a women would shown in his mind, but he can't remember what she looked like, her appearance was unrecognizable, tears began to fall as he slowly put the books within the hole, he took a rock big enough to cover the hole without causing it to fall on its foot, he hopes that someday he can remember what she looked like yet he also wondered will he be able to regain this hole within his heart with each step he walk back his mind remembered his mother calling his name

"akio, akio, my dear child" it whispered and speak like it was there talking to him making him remember that day, he want to turn back but he know that she is dead and it is all whisper that speak to itself in his head it is decided from that day his heart shall be shut he think it is best to not attach to any love to prevent yearning for the lost of a close one

a year later

"have you seen the surrounding of the castle ?" the emperor sound was clear with the night sky, the bright moon is the only thing that sees them

"yes, my lord, though nothing out of the ordinary"said a man who wore in all dark purple holding a fan and kneeling in front of the emperor

"onmyoji, have you discover why the concubine become mad ?" the emperor tone shift to seriousness in a blink

"no, my lord, though they kept on apologizing to a name" onmyoji closed his eyes with calmness shown on his face

"is that so, who is this name ?" emperor asked curiously

"koi, that is a name they mentioned many times" the onmyoji opened his eyes "i would like to know who is she ?" the onmyoji continue with a menacing stare

enough to send fear

"lady koi, i see" the emperor face changed from serious to sad

"does my lord heard of this name before" the onmyoji voice turn to calm and hoping to know more

"she is my wife who died a year ago" the emperor sigh as he look to the moon

"my apologies, my lord, but may i know how she pass on to the afterlife" onmyoji hoping he could get the answer

"she goes there peacefully,no assasination, nor old age, the shinigami just took her suddenly" the emperor walk out to see the tree that was grown in the yard

"i have a speciulation, but i dont know should i said it or not ?" the onmyoji slap his fan on the palm of his hand

"go ahead, onmyoji" the emperor check one of the leaves fallen from the tree

"i believe she was in grudge, she didnt go peacefully, she was hated by the concubines, and it led to all this, which is why they began apologizing and gone mad"

"do you think there is a way to let her put down all the grudges" the emperor look back to the onmyoji hoping to give a solution to end all this

"i cant guaranteed sucess, but i think she want to see you one last time" the onmyoji stand up

"do you know a perfect date for this" the emperor walk in to the room

the onmyoji slaps the fan to his palm "in a month, the yin is the heaviest and the gate will be opened, that will be the best time to met her"

"will she harm me ?" the emperor exchange calmly

"depends,ghost feared human at seven,human feared ghost at three" the onmyoji stop playing with his fan "i will take my leave now, my lord" the onmyoji

"you may" leaving the emperor alone in that room he looked to the dress beside him, as it was the dress of lady koi with the cloth made of silk and in color of red,green,white with pattern of flowers flowing around it

"will you harm me, dear ?" the emperor whispered to himself as he touch the dress thinking of the wedding days as rain began to pour beneath the sun as the sign of the gods accepting their marriage

a month later

the people outside burning the paper money during the morning with some going to sweeping the tomb of their ancestor, though non dare to came out at night as no shop or anything was opened for fearing of the 'thing from the other side' follow them home

the emperor though at the castle, yet he was outside in his yard hoping that he can see her once again, he closed his eyes remain calm, though it was dark with only one candle and a piece of paper behind the candle to light the yard, but without reason the candle suddenly blown out, this was a sign, the emperor stand up, the wind became stronger with bracnches began to swinging wildly and leaves fallen quickly, there he see it, a girl dressed in white standing there seeing the leaves fall one by one, the emperor walk slowly to be careful, yet he can felt that it was her, until he reach close enough his question was finally answered he saw a beautiful women, look back to see the emperor, the emperor reached out his hand to touch her, as the hand had touched the face he sense cold on her with no warmth on her,the girl smiled

"my lord" she slowly lean to the emperor wanting to embrace the warmth the emperor had, tears began to fall on the emperor eyes as he lay his hand on her head though the touch was cold, he wasnt afraid of her no, but rather it was the feeling of calm, and memories of life with her came to his mind

"have you been missing me all this time ?" the girl smiling and finally able to embrace the warmth of her husband

"always, my love, always" the emperor said peacefully after struggled for so long

the girl look up to see her husband as tears had fall from her face as she said" sorry, but i cant be with you for long"

"why ?" as the emperor realize that her wife began to dissapeared with bright glow turned to dust from the feet

"my last wishes was to said goodbye to you, and now my wishes was granted, i time for me to go" the wife had a smile on her face "eventhough we didnt met long, but it will always be in my mind, i hope that you may move on and be happy" as she wipes the tear off his husband face, he grab hold of her hand, and the other hand he touch her face one last time "please let go of me, forget about me, and please take good care of our son, goodbye." with these word coming from her mouth she became the the bright light that dissipate in the air, the emperor tried to get hold of it, even one is enough, but it is gone before he had the chance to grab it, he look down to see a small bracelet, the bracelet which he gave to her, he remembered letting it burn to be cremated alongside her, now she is truly gone, he brough in to his room, with wooden box he put it in,and hid it somewhere never to be seen again.

three years had passed ever since that miracle with no sign of anything supernatural ever since that day, yet when he want to reward the onmyoji he wasn't in his house what left there was that of a burned house with wood burnt to the ground, the emperor moved back with one of the nobility notice a piece of envelope within he sees a few page of letter

that was incrypted with not a single word he can understand as it is gibberish but what made it terrifying is how the ink was in crimson red, he only fear that this may cursed the kingdom so before he follow the emperor he bring the paper in with to be burned at his home

a while later

the nobleman rushed home from the court with the papers at hand and his wife terrified of what his husband was holding as he is rushing his way to make fire but what he didnt know was that he had drop one of the letter, and a young girl age of eight slide open the door after hearing her parents arguing over something she speculates to be political as she cant hear clearly from the door, but this paper and looking at the calligraphy she look back at her lesson on writing she notice she can take inspiration from this at least it is better than just looking at the weather and remain bored for the entire day with nothing to do other playing instrument, learning small amount of calligraphy, learning court rules for ladies which every noble lady needs to learn and pretty strictly too, so what better time spent than doing all the thing she requires to do than making some word of her own that is different than the one she had to learn and used often by many, looking at it in excitement she quickly grab an ink brush quickly write some scribbles, to the inspiration on the letter she create from right to left and top till bottom lines with some bumps, twist and turn to the line, she look at the letter she kept writing non stop with one in calligraphy and one in average word with many of the line short and simple and even had to be done in a few stroke of the brush or more, while the one in calligrphy she make most of the word connect in a line without breaking off the ink between each word, with it she created poems based on the work she had learned and even created some of her own poem, she was in the world of her own nonstop scribbling around the paper that at least twenty pages of paper was used in the writing of this, yet with the table very close to the window she notice smoke appear and judging from where it arrive she ran to see not many servant as most of them were following her father, and mother, but she was curious to know what was being burned not far, with each footstep she sees the smoke getting bigger and bigger as she look to the hallway to see that his father was burning a few pieces of paper while praying for some reason, she came closer and closer to her father before she stop to see what is on the paper, to her shock it was the same one as the letter she had just took, she sneakily walked back before the wood beneath her creaked, as her father looked back

"akako, is something wrong ?" her father wonderes why his daughter was here instead of doing something else

" n-nothing just came here to see what was burning as i see smoke from my room"

she responded hoping her father dont get anything suspicious out of her

"did it reached that far ?, look like its pretty windy today" her father checked the wind by putting finger on his mouth then pull it out with small layer of saliva on his finger "north toward south" he continues

"if that the case i'll be at my room" she said as she walk back

the door sliding close with a sigh of relief she return to her table, looking at the paper that was dropped by her father, she then looked at her surrounding finding somewhere to hide it, she notice the inkstone she had seems to be fitting to put such paper as it is made of iron, as she fold the paper thin enough to hide in the ink stone while wide enough to fit in the inkstone as she look a few feet away to see it is indisguishable with not much difference from what it used to be.

as she sit back grab the brush to prepare to write some more her teacher slide open the door

"its time for your music lesson, my lady" said the old woman

"i'll be there" as the old woman slide back the door waiting outside for the young lady

as she stand up walk to the door to see the old lady was waiting for her and bring her to her music room

within the room the teacher awaits her and with an instrument called azumagoto, an instrument with wooden board that has two holes beneath, the top attach with seven strings and 13 dots beside the string with it she put some tsume to protect the hand from the string making wound on her delicate fingers, there she kneel with the instrument above a small table that reach its waist but it also allowed the instrument to sound clearer from the hole beneath, with her right finger toward up and down on the string and only up and down not left nor right, with her left hand waving the string, toward left and right following the string chosen by the right, with the 13 dots as the points to hold the string with the occasional swiping from one dots to the other, this she had became familiar with but she is yet to be fitting for her teacher as even the smallest flaw can be heard by her teacher, she began with a flick on the right, as her teacher now sit in front of her looking at her intensely with his face stern than the god statue or painting that she have seen in some shrine, and temple the face doesnt give her focus but rather the opposite of focus, worried, as with another flick she flick too hard causing the tsume on her finger flying and somehow it flow to the face of the teacher breaking the stern face and came with the face of anger with his voice trying to show anger but maintain in control of his anger

"my lady, please wear your tsume properly to prevent this happening again" her teacher voice bringing chills to her spine as his face is no longer the statue of the gods but rather the look of the scariest demon she seen, as she hurried get the tsume, she forgot that the instrument was on top of her as it fall from the table, with her expression became terrified she quickly grab the azumagoto, and see if there are any broken parts, to her relief nothing was broken, as she look at her teacher pick up the tsume that was beside him and gave it to the girl

"please lady akako, be careful next time" she notice his tone became a bit softer than before yet it sound dissapointed in her, as she grab the tsume and return to her place with the instrument back on the table and the tsume put to her finger, she is prepared, as she began to play, her teacher closed his eyes enjoying the music came from this instrument with the melody he heard the joy of children in the spring, the flowing stream in the heat of summer, the fallen leaves of autumn, and the coldness of winter, as he opened his eyes he look out the window to see cicada landing near the tree with its sound can be heard throughout the room, the insect can tell that summer has arrive, and with it came time for the young lady to enjoy a refreshing bowl of kakigori a shaved ice (that was stored and froze during winter) with added of sweet syrup to be served only for the oristocrat, as the old lady bringing a bowl that was decorated in flowers and some animal mainly birds, lady akako began to be distracted by the sight of this delicasy with one of the string broke the entire melody apart, the teacher teeth grind after hearing this, yet noticing that she had her hand on her stomach, he think it is best to let her had some dessert first then continue the class, at least make sure the hunger she had doesnt ruined the melody she played

meanwhile outside the house in the backyard where akako father burned the papers as he looks the paper burned to dust with not a remnant left but ashes replaced it place he notice a bowl of kakigori was put beside him, with his wife sat by his side with a bowl of her own on her hand, as akako father grab the bowl at hand they heard the melody of azumagoto coming from the classroom, as to him it remind of the time they first met with the emperor support their marriages, while to her it reminded of the time he sneakily bring her out on horse to see the starry night sky with the shower of the lion that was given from the gods themselves, as it is a night they wont forget for their lifetime

with the melody stops their though return back to the current times, with akako father realize the ice was going to melt soon if he wasnt hurry, while the mother smile at the sight of her husband rushing to finished the dessert

meanwhile

the emperor came to the court to heard news of a recently arrived maiden, though he believe it is just another maiden that will be put to the rank of servant that serve the other nobility, but as he walk slowly enjoying the view of the sand wave that was made for this palace to calm his nerves, he slowly arrived to the court room, with most of the nobles sitting on the side while he was sitting on the middle seeing each noble wearing their own crest and color on their clothes and the emperor wear one of his own, he sat and the discussion begin as one fellow servant kneel and explain the upcoming festival of tanabata (star festival) celebrating the reuniting between orihime the goddess of weaving and her husband hikoboshi a mortal man that is a cow herd, though to the emperor this had been a matter that he had heard every years and it shows in his face as he was bored of it this year

"do it the usual way, hanging paper lanterns over the street, with preparations of colored papers, i will be visiting one myself so made preparation for that as well and finished it before the seventh of the seventh month and let general takasoha have the duties on the choices" the emperor sigh

"yes, my lord" said the servant retreat to made the preparations and the general slide out to thank him before sliding back to his place

"general hijiri, may i ask a question ?" the emperor put his fan with the bottom of the fan on the floor while keep it standing straight

general hijiri slide out from the line the nobles sit and with both hand in front of his face he bow down "yes you may, my lord"

"i heard you have a daughter was it ?" the emperor question while try his best to not guess it wrong

"yes, my lord" general hijiri do not dare to ask why with the sudden question but he had a few guesses in his mind yet he cant confirm any of those guesses

"if i didnt forget she is called akako was it ?" the emperor curious about the answer

"correct, my lord" hijiri glad that at least it had answered few of his question in mind but there are some that he was left wondering

"may i know how old was lady akako ?" the question made many of the noble suprised but none dare to speak out

"she is now eight years old, my lord" hijiri remembered that the young prince was a year younger than akako, this made his suspect that these question might be a request for marriage

"general hijiri, i would like a hand in marriage between your daughter and my son prince akio to bring a strong alliance between the fuhorawa family and the sesho family, but looking currently the two are too young for marriage, i will wait till both around the age that i seemed fit for marriage, so be sure to keep your daughter safe during these years, do you understand, general hijiri"hijiri heard those lines and he can sense fear within him began to rise but he was glad that this is the request the emperor made

"thank you, my lord" he quickly thank him and sliding back to his seat without dare to look at the emperor

"if there is nothing else then, the court finished for today" said the emperor as he stand up while the noble bow down as the emperor left the room, as they stand up to return to their cart to return to their homes though for general hijiri he was more than excited after hearing this that he cant believe it happen, though he wonder he might be able to understand why the emperor made such choices because as they say know yourself and know your enemy victory is a guaranteed, well except for the enemy part of course, though he need to make sure that his daughter could be the perfect bride for the young prince and ensure the safety of his daughter, he just hoping that nothing had happens even after the emperor made the marriage

a weeks have arrived quickly with the festival being prepared for the people as the emperor chosing to wore something that doesnt show his status as he doesnt want attantion in the mid of crowd, adding that he know most people wouldnt know who his true identity is he think he can go without the need of bodyguard beside him, so he choose wore a black robe and everything in black with a small tanto knife beside him for self defense, within the capital city where he sees people came to a shrine of the goddess benzaiten as he notice people hanging colored papers called tanzaku and hang it on a bamboo branches, within the paper was his wishes hoping that his rule be succesful and his people may live in peace for many generation even after his death, he picked a bamboo branch near his height as he tie one to the branches, yet he also saw one that was written seeking love which he must admit was a good choice to go to the right temple for this wish yet he also wondering if he should look around the shrine of benzaiten, as he turned to look at the shrine and seeing the beautiful scenery outside the shrine"it would be nice to take a look" he though in his head as he got close to the shrine, he sees statue of small simple design of a nagas that resembles a snake, these creature closely resembles snake but they also look like the eastern dragons, he also saw a small statue of a goddess playing a lute with a pearl on her hand and a sword on her belt as she is sitting the look on her face are relax and calm with smile appear on her face, as he notice behind her was a bridge of red, and a shrine with the door closed and in front of him was a table of liquor as offering and in front of the table was a small box with cages over the top of the box that was hollow beneath, the emperor pulled out a small coin as he put the coin to the box respectfully, he notice a string in front of him with a bell attach on top of the string, he pulled it twice, clap his hand twice, and prayed, he had no idea what he was supposed to wish for but he does this out of respect for the deity that he busy worshipping, but then he heard footstep behind him, he turned to see a women walking to the shrine, with each step she got closer, her appearance get clearer to him, as she got close about a foot away from him she look to the man

"have we met before, sir ?" she said lift her head to look at the man smiling bringhtly at him

the emperor look in disbelief at the sight as she is no different koi, her appearance was the exact same impossible as he though in his mind after knowing the fact that she had no twins, this is a miracle in front of him, as she got closer she done the same process as what the emperor did before, with her praying she had whispers something but his gaze was focused on her face, as he felt a sense of familiarity when he sees this woman

"may i know your name, miss?" questioned the man as he was curious

"fujitsu" the girl replied as she walk down the stairs walking away as he look at her back he can felt that she was in fact lady koi without a doubt"fujitsu" he though as this name stuck with him throughout the day and night as the name kept appearing in his dream when he tried to sleep, he had no choice, he have to get her, he cant think of anyone taking her away nobody shall take her away, nobody but himself, and only himself as he ordered his servant to look for this girl to get to know her

but after a few days of nothing he received a news that she was a daughter of a very low nobility that was living in the southwest, hearing this he ordered his man to bring him to the west in search of her

as he came to the south west he realize that the city was further than he had expected adding that every nobility that served him must pay for there own ride to the capital which explain why this family wasnt able to get much riches, adding that the land seems to be covered by mountanous terrain which wasnt able to farm much in such a land though he had to admit that this would be a perfect place if you use it to defend the city as the mountain nearly covered every part of the land and if we went further west there will only be oceans with these though he didnt realize that he had arrived to fujitsu house, as he came out he sees that his house wasnt as decorated or even fancy as the others that he seen, as it was simply made of wood that was laquered and stack on top of one another, with the roof that wasnt all decorated in gold and such but rather it is no different than the roof of layers upon layers of clay tile that was colored in deep green there he decided to ask for a marriage of their daughter beneath the house was all their family and a very few amount of servant alongside their parent are their daughter, as she doesnt dare to look at him, the emperor look at her as beatiful as the day they first met, with this he request them with a suprised shown on their faces, he asked when was the right day to marriage, with one of the servant says that a week from now is the best, with this he ordered letter to every noble for this preparations, with this general hijiri never though that someone lower than him could get to much hiogher position than him in such a quick time, though he wasnt jealous, he just hope the curse that cause the death of lady koi doesnt happen upon the family.

days passed as quickly as possible akio looked at the women as he know that this is just an imposter, he know that the true is truly dead it will never return to him again, he sees her as a different person not a women but rather a stranger in disguise of his mother that had gotten the heart of his father, as he sees his father and the women get to the shrine together with each step he see he doesnt know what he must say, as he wondered what would his true mother felt to him now, as the thing he does, trying to bury his own feeling for those three years should he sees him as a mother or should he sees her as another women instead ?