from an early age, sadashiro was immersed in martial arts training of his mind and his body. his days were spent learning the ancient ways of his ancestors. sadashiro was an avid learner for a young boy and had a hunger to soak up everything about his heritage. the chancellor took special note of this and personally trained sadashiro in many of his classes. he often pushed the young sada to his limits, something that became a detriment to him later, because it only made sadashiro stronger.
at night, sadashiro would go to the king’s chambers in the castle to spend time with his father. it was rare that the king would leave his bed, but for their time together, the elder saruwatari would sit by the window and teach sadashiro about the ghosts of the night and the spirits of the forest. young sada hung on his father’s every word. while he enjoyed training by day, he loved evenings with his father even more. they would sit by dim candlelight, sip green tea and listen to the dark sounds of their kingdom at night.
on the rare occasion sadashiro was not training, he spent time watching the chancellor’s daughter timiko, who was many years younger than he. the two formed a connection that was stronger than steel. sadashiro had tried many times to reach out to his own sister, aoi, but was never successful. the younger saruwatari was just not interested in being what she considered "second fiddle" to her older brother. but timiko, or “timi,” adored sadashiro and the two were inseparable. no matter where his travels or training took him, sadashiro always found time to write to timi or to send her lavish gifts from far lands. whenever they were apart, his heart ached from the void their parting always left.
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thanks, timi-chan!
adjacent to the peaceful valley of panroku-shu sits the kingdom of kiyoei-shu. emperor chen ka-fai was a noble but stern ruler. his longstanding reign over kiyoei-shu had been a powerful one. chen’s focus had always been military strength and he aggregated all his resources into building the most feared army throughout the eastern nations. emperor chen, for all of his military might, was also a shrewd and strategic lord. rather than decimate his neighbor to the west, emperor chen valued panroku-shu as much as his own land. what his own kingdom lacked in cultivated resources, panroku-shu had an abundance of. it was a fair relationship. kiyoei-shu maintained a loose peace treaty with panroku-shu in exchange for free trading lanes. and although the foundation of panroku-shu’s military was solid, it was nothing compared to kiyoei-shu’s army, which was also known as liáo tiger for its ferocity and dominance.
when king saruwatari was in good health, his relationship with emperor chen was strong — and because of that kinship, the neighboring kingdoms were at peace. in later years, when chancellor michiru took over the administration of panroku-shu for the ailing king, a rise in tensions between the eastern powers also began. like king saruwatari, emperor chen was no longer a young man. his will was still strong, but being the strategist he was, he knew that a successor must be named. emperor chen and his wife were blessed three times, but only with daughters. after his third child, emperor chen decided that God must have decreed that he was not meant to have a son, which suited him just fine. the throne would have to go to one of his daughters.
emperor chen’s eldest daughter, xia, had attended her father’s political forums since she was a young girl. she soaked up every piece of information she could store. it was uncommon for a girl to be allowed into such important administrative meetings, but none would challenge emperor chen’s wishes. xia was quiet by nature — introspective in many ways. she never voiced her own opinions. instead, she opted to draft her own version of kiyoei-shu. it was something she kept secret. it was a fantasy realm where there was no longer a need for things like army or war. she would recite her decrees for peace to her sisters, as they teased and laughed at her strange words. the emperor heard these things too and knowing the person his daughter was becoming, the future of his kingdom was in very good hands.
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to one of the originals — serend1p1tyx. thank you, sis.
the colors of panroku-shu shone the brightest in spring. but nobody told anh, who nurtured her love for life all-year round. the breeze coming off the sun-tipped waves nearby her home carried with it a light mist that always made anh’s world light up like stars. summer was coming soon, and panroku-shu was beautiful all around her.
anh was just finishing her second year at kansei school. she had four weeks left after this weekend and her spirits couldn’t be higher. she walked down the path towards the beach, the sun warming her skin and her hair. anh was relieved her mother had made her keep her hair long. the way it swayed along her shoulders when she walked always made her feel like a woman. and the boys noticed too, or so she was told by her nosy friends. anh smiled at the thought. boys seemed so childish to her. but anh didn’t dwell on those trivial issues long. today was sunday, and it was a gorgeous day.
anh made it to the beach and kicked off her sandals. as her toes hit the smooth sand she began to pick up her pace. the beach was expansive and it took a good two to three minutes to make it to the water. she could feel the droplets from the seawind on her face. the weather was warm but it was still spring wind after all. anh walked with her head held high as she soaked in the heat and rays. as she neared the shoreline, the rumbling of the waves grew louder as they broke against the beach. anh always choose the most torrid part of the beach. the explosion of saltwater and sand felt a lot like her life. anh’s mother always taught her not to worry. she wanted anh to grow up above the stress of every day life. panroku-shu was a perfect place for them, her mother would always say. it was peace personified. but like the biggest wave, it was bound to come crashing down. anh struggled with that certainty every day. she questioned what was next for her life. her gaze took her beyond the white caps. a ship that seemed awfully close to shore was headed right towards her. it wasn’t a ship at all but the royal sailing vessel. anh froze. king yoshio saruwatari couldn’t be coming here, she thought, puzzled. before she had time to move, the vessel took an immediate turn starboard. anh shielded the sun with her hand so she could see better. only one person was on the barge. it was a boy. she just stared at him. he is going to be arrested, she thought, for stealing the royal barge. she kept staring at him. something was familiar about him and she couldn’t place it. for no reason at all, as he was almost out of view, he saw her. without thinking, anh waved at him. and to her surprise, he waved back. anh’s heart stopped. that wasn’t some juvenile stealing the king’s boat. that boy was hideaki, the king’s son and the prince of panroku-shu. hideaki put his hand down but continued to look in anh’s direction until he was out of sight.
anh skipped all the way home.
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it is my distinct honor to add hiyaimnicole to the saga of sadashiro.
in the seaside town of esumei, a young woman skipped small stones across the flowing tide. the pale sun reflected in her eyes a bright future. as she strode slowly along the curve of the shoreline - her hair trailing after her like black ribbons in the wind - she let her mind wander. this lazy town by the sea had always been home and this sandy walkway her sanctuary. on this, her eighteenth birthday, she took the familiar route down to the farthest point. she was in no hurry. even though she knew her family had planned a surprise birthday party, she knew they would wait patiently for her return. they knew that this daily ritual could not be rushed nor would they dare ask otherwise.
as she made it to the farthest bluff, luqi stopped and removed her sandals. she let the water wash up onto her feet and ankles. the icy coolness always jolted her from her reverie. luqi smiled to herself. it seemed no matter how heavy life could be, nature always found a way to bring reality back to the present. she closed her eyes and let the sea breeze carry her mortal thoughts away. it was so nice to have this time to herself. luqi loved her family. she loved her parents dearly. but hers was always a solitary heart. standing on the edge of the earth was close to perfect and luqi wondered if she would ever need anything else in her life as much as this.
as she woke from the wind’s soothing grasp, luqi turned her head around to look at how far she’d come and what awaited her return. she was no longer a child, but now a young woman. at home, she knew her family was gathering her friends to surprise her when she got back. they were so horrible at keeping things a secret. but they were the most loving people she had ever known. they had raised her to be an upright person. she owed them a lifetime of gratitude for allowing her to grow at her own pace. they nurtured her but never sheltered her. she was never suffocated. luqi always wished they had been more vocal in their encouragement, but that was a minor detail. they were fair and above anything else, they loved her deeply.
so that was the day. luqi turned and never stood on the ocean’s edge ever again. she decided life was meant to be lived facing towards those she loved, not away from them.
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thank you, ~ L U C I A~ for your photo.
