False Emperor
By Dennis Quearry
My brother came to me in the middle of the night. I was awoken by my servants and told my brother wished an audience with me. When I came into the small room my brother sat upon one of the fine silk pillows that lined the wooden walls of the room. I sat across from him, and suddenly my brother spoke hastily. He told me that he needed me to take his place. His place?, I thought, What could he mean by that? He told me that an approaching army of Dragon samurai was nearly upon the palace. He also told of two approaching armies in the distance, the Mantis, and the Ronin army led by Toturi. Once this was said he began to unfold his plan, a plan to place his brother on the throne in the guise of the Emperor.
I sat upon the Obsidian throne. My hands grasping the arm rests slowly, almost caressing them. I could almost feel the power that was contained within this lofty position. When my mind cleared of these thoughts, the only remaining thought was Kachiko. My heart skipped a beat and then I regained my composure. In that instance I could hear my silent guard all shift in their positions, as they too could hear my heart skip. She was not to know that my brother, her husband, had left the castle the night before. She was to believe that I was her husband. Something I had dreamed of forever. I even left my family because I was scared of my feelings for her, but now, I had her.
She entered the throne room. From the moment she came in, her exotic perfume flowed through my body. Her form was lithe and seductive, she was dressed in fine silks, and wraps. She was the epitomy of beauty. My heart skipped a beat again, and the shift of silence followed, and my composure was regained. She came to sit beside me upon an elaborately embroidered pillow. Her hand was soon upon mine caressing my skin slowly, and then suddenly she stopped. She looked into my eyes, and then her own eyes became downcast. The ruse would not fool everyone, especially not a lover.
Return...