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Chapter 6
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2021-06-30 21:11:29The Emperor looks through the opening in his tent at his newly conquered kingdom. He is aware of his General’s presence in the room but does not turn around until the man clears his throat, announcing his presence.
The Emperor leaves the makeshift window and sits himself on the pillows, before the meal spread out on the table. The General takes his seat only after the Emperor is seated, he unbuckles his sword from his waist and lays it by his side. The Emperor pours wine into two goblets, which the men drink from before eating in silence, observing a custom they had shared for more than two decades. The Emperor looks at the gray hair on his General’s head and wonders how many more years they have before death or war snatches either of them from this table.
“I heard you are married now.” The General’s gravelly voice brings him out of his reprieve.
Word does travel fast. The Emperor waves his hand, dismissing the statement.
“Jin…” The General calls out in a tone the Emperor remembers from his childhood, a tone that leaves no room for arguments.
“I wouldn’t call it a marriage, per say, there was nothing official about it.”
“I hear it is to the same woman who spit on you today.”
“Sometimes I wonder who the soldiers in this Empire are loyal to, you or me?”
The General is unimpressed by the Emperor’s tactics to change the subject.
“Yes.” He sighs, heavily.
The General sips wine from his goblet and waits for the Emperor to explain himself.
“I am bored. Of the war, of the unending battles we fight, I am tired of the monotony, I need a distraction.”
“And this woman is the distraction?”
“In a way. This is supposed to be punishment for her, entertainment for me.”
“I see.” A lot more is said in those two words than the Emperor appreciates.
After the meal, both men sit down to discuss battle plans over a game of chess. They are interrupted by Nia, the assigned handmaiden for Kiara.
“Everything is ready for you, My Lord.”
The General has a smug look on his face when he turns back to look at the Emperor. “Don’t let me keep you from your bride.” He mocks, getting up from the pillows and grabbing his weapon. “Enjoy your night with your ‘distraction’.”
Jin gets up from his seat and leaves his tent for Kiara’s, Nia following at a respectable distance behind him. “How is she?”
“Docile.”
“Really? She didn’t put up a fight, throw stones?”
“No.” He hears Nia’s confused tone from behind.
“Interesting.”
He senses something else from Nia but doesn’t ask.
The lights in her tent are strategically placed in the room, giving it a golden glow. He finds her sitting on the bed with her hands meekly folded in her lap. She doesn’t turn to look at him even though she knows he is there.
He takes off his armour, dropping each piece to the ground with a clink, the carpet muffles the sounds but it is audible enough for her to hear, so that she knows exactly what is to come. He sees her flinch when his chainmail makes the loudest sound. He is in his white shirt sleeves, he walks to her and before he reaches her, she lays on the bed, straight as a ruler. Jin stops, she is quiet, far too meek for this experience to bring any pleasure for him.
He gets to the bed and straddles her, Kiara feels the muscles in his thighs tense up, feels the strength in them at her side. Jin takes off his shirtsleeves and realizes that she is ignoring him, he smiles at the childlike attitude, grabs her face and turns it towards him, ensuring that they make eye contact.
“Don’t look so glum, this would have happened tonight anyway. The only difference is, it is with another man, other than the one you intended.”
Kiara’s eyes blazes at the insult and the Emperor’s smile broadens. There it is, the fire he had been looking for, the one he had seen in her eyes at the square when she had slapped him.
He expects the kicking and screaming to start, what he does not expect is the sharp pain he feels in his side, he looks down and sees something jabbed into his stomach.
Kiara feels the blood coating her fingers. When he looks up at her, she shoves the jade pin further into his stomach, his gold eyes widen in surprise.
Kiara expects him to get off her, holding his side to stop the bleeding, she expects him to stagger out of the tent, looking for help.
What she does not expect is for his hands to wrap around her throat and squeeze. “I swear by the gods, I will kill you!” His eyes are like pools of molten magma.
Kiara kicks, in an attempt to throw him off, but his knees are well planted, pinning her down by her already aching sides. She scratches his hands in an attempt to loosen the grip around her throat, he only tightens it. Her legs can barely move, her hands stop scratching, her lungs beg for oxygen as her vision becomes blurry. The last thing she sees before she passes out are two furious golden eyes staring down at her.
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Kiara wakes up with an indescribable pain around her neck. She puts her hand around her throat and makes a sound, she panics when nothing comes out. She tries again and manages to make a small hoarse sound. She looks around the room and recoils in fear and somewhat shock, when she sees the Emperor sitting on a chair, just a few feet away from her. He is shirtless, his midriff is bound with white linen. He leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees, a posture that must be incredibly painful, considering his injury. Both of them hold eye contact for a long time, before she finally speaks in a voice that is not her own. “Why didn’t you kill me?” “I told you, death will be too easy for you. I intend to make your life a living hell. Besides, I am a ruthless killer, not a heinous one, rumors that I killed my wife during the night of consummation will ruin my reputation.” His voice is cool and toneless as he says this. “Since when are you worried about b
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Nia joins her in the carriage where she has been dumped and locked in for two hours at least. Kiara turns her face away from her, to hide her tear stained face from the girl. Nia doesn’t say anything. The carriage begins to move, soon after, Kiara hears a whip crack furiously and various unintelligible sounds coming from the hostler. “Where are we going?” She asks. “Home.” Nia replies. “What about court?” Nia looks at Kiara, her features twisted in utter confusion. “The Emperor said we had court this morning.” Kiara expatiates. “You can’t hold court with people who no longer exist.” Nia’s voice is toneless and cold as she says this. Kiara feels the tears pool in her eyes. She is the sole reason her people have been annihilated. The sole reason. She cannot bring herself to make eye contact with Nia. The carriage begins to move with neck-breaking speed on uneven road, the car
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Kiara stands there, not sure of what to do. She wanders to a large window overlooking the courtyard of the castle, the place where all the inhabitants of this kingdom where standing, still cheering. A few spot her and begin pointing at her, she moves away from the window, afraid of what the consequence of her action will be, more so, after being warned by the Emperor himself. What did he call it? Behaving like a filthy commoner. Nia comes around the corner, giving Kiara a little shock. “Come now, it’s time for you to have breakfast with the Emperor at the rooftop.” Nia says, pulling Kiara along. “The rooftop? Why the rooftop?” Kiara swallows, she had just seen the height of the castle, now she had to eat up there? “You came to the city wearing a ceremonial mask, no one saw your face, it is bound to spark some rumors. So, you have to show yourself, so the people can be reassured that it is indeed a woman. You might not know this but something s
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Nia massages the oil very gently into Kiara’s skin, she moans in pain when Nia’s hands touches her sore ribs, or her arms that had taken the beaten from her aunt’s slipper as she tried to protect her face. It occurs to her now, that the henna decorating her skin serves another purpose other than announcing that she is a royal bride, the intricate lines and swirls also cover the bruises on her skin. Nia’s tour of the castle was overwhelming for Kiara, she couldn’t even remember the name of the rooms or what they were for and they had only gone through half of the East wing before Nia had declared that it was time for lunch. Kiara did not eat with the Emperor, a small mercy she is grateful for. After lunch, Nia and Kiara take another walk through the remainder of the East wing, at the end of it all, Kiara feels she has been in a maze, she knows she will certainly get lost if she comes here alone. They had a light evening meal by the window where Kiara watched the sun set. Afte
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Nia comes into the room after the Emperor leaves, she finds Kiara rubbing her sore wrists. The fact that the Emperor shackled his new wife to the bed on their first night together was hot news in the servant quarters. The men who installed the chains started the rumors, their story was further corroborated by the unfortunate maid who had heard the mistress pulling on the chains and crying out in the middle of the night. All sorts of conclusions were going about, and it was talk that Nia wanted no part of. If word of any of it was to reach The Emperor’s ear, it was sure death for all of them. She pulls open the drapes. “You have a big day today, its your first day in the throne room. Your formal introduction to all the members of the royal court as well as the first time everyone will see what you look like, you’ll be receiving a lot of gifts as well from many people.” “Why do I have to go?” Asks Kiara in a grouse tone. She did not want anything to do with that brute.
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Nia takes her through a corridor different from the others because of the absence of windows. Lamps line the walls and burn brightly even though it is only noon, the other wall is lined with paintings depicting violent war and bloodshed. Kiara sees soldiers getting impaled on sword and spears, she sees an executioner in the act of beheading a man, an overflowing basket of heads beside him, she doesn’t realize Nia has stopped to talk to another servant. She turns around the corner and sees a man sitting on a throne made out of skulls, his golden eyes and wild golden hair reminds her of an older version of the Emperor, now that she thinks about it, she realizes the resemblance is uncanny. Before she can contemplate further, she sees a soldier coming out of a room by the corner, she looks into an open room and sees the armour she had knocked over during the squabble with her aunt. “Isn’t that…” She breaks away from the company and follows the men into the large room. If she tho
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By the time dawn breaks, Kiara is positively sure that she doesn’t have any arms. She is in intense pain. Like the previous night, the Emperor rolls over to her side of her bed to seek warmth when the temperature drops at the middle of the night. When he opens his eyes and finds his face almost buried in her bosom, his face turns dark. He pushes himself off the bed and goes to the foot of the bed to unlock the shackles on her feet. When he comes back to her hands, Kiara is sure he hoists the chain to make her feel the most pain but she doesn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing. She bites down on her bottom lip to stop her from crying out. He leaves the room without saying anything, which Kiara is grateful for. Nia comes into the room not long after, her cheeks are puffed out, if her complexion was a few shades lighter, her whole face would have been bright red. “I don’t know what you did last night, but he is in an absolutely foul mood this morning.” She starts.
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Smoke rises to the sky from different locations in the outer and inner city of Casia. The screams of women and children, can be heard above the sounds of conflagration. The street is littered with the bodies of massacred soldiers, all bearing the emblem of the King of Casia, little gullies of blood run through the ravaged streets, from the bodies of men, women, children and animals alike. In the midst of all the chaos, a horse in golden armour struts through the street, undeterred by the carnage. On it’s back, sits a rider in golden armour who urges the gentle beast forward while he surveys the damage done to the kingdom. The wailing women instantly become quiet, lowering their heads as the man in the golden armour rides past them, the crying children hide behind their mothers’ skirts. They don’t meet his gaze, the ones that are brave enough to do so cower instantly, shivering uncontrollably, as through the slit in his helmet, they see his cold gold eyes, the e
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By the time dawn breaks, Kiara is positively sure that she doesn’t have any arms. She is in intense pain. Like the previous night, the Emperor rolls over to her side of her bed to seek warmth when the temperature drops at the middle of the night. When he opens his eyes and finds his face almost buried in her bosom, his face turns dark. He pushes himself off the bed and goes to the foot of the bed to unlock the shackles on her feet. When he comes back to her hands, Kiara is sure he hoists the chain to make her feel the most pain but she doesn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing. She bites down on her bottom lip to stop her from crying out. He leaves the room without saying anything, which Kiara is grateful for. Nia comes into the room not long after, her cheeks are puffed out, if her complexion was a few shades lighter, her whole face would have been bright red. “I don’t know what you did last night, but he is in an absolutely foul mood this morning.” She starts.
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Nia takes her through a corridor different from the others because of the absence of windows. Lamps line the walls and burn brightly even though it is only noon, the other wall is lined with paintings depicting violent war and bloodshed. Kiara sees soldiers getting impaled on sword and spears, she sees an executioner in the act of beheading a man, an overflowing basket of heads beside him, she doesn’t realize Nia has stopped to talk to another servant. She turns around the corner and sees a man sitting on a throne made out of skulls, his golden eyes and wild golden hair reminds her of an older version of the Emperor, now that she thinks about it, she realizes the resemblance is uncanny. Before she can contemplate further, she sees a soldier coming out of a room by the corner, she looks into an open room and sees the armour she had knocked over during the squabble with her aunt. “Isn’t that…” She breaks away from the company and follows the men into the large room. If she tho
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Nia comes into the room after the Emperor leaves, she finds Kiara rubbing her sore wrists. The fact that the Emperor shackled his new wife to the bed on their first night together was hot news in the servant quarters. The men who installed the chains started the rumors, their story was further corroborated by the unfortunate maid who had heard the mistress pulling on the chains and crying out in the middle of the night. All sorts of conclusions were going about, and it was talk that Nia wanted no part of. If word of any of it was to reach The Emperor’s ear, it was sure death for all of them. She pulls open the drapes. “You have a big day today, its your first day in the throne room. Your formal introduction to all the members of the royal court as well as the first time everyone will see what you look like, you’ll be receiving a lot of gifts as well from many people.” “Why do I have to go?” Asks Kiara in a grouse tone. She did not want anything to do with that brute.
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Nia massages the oil very gently into Kiara’s skin, she moans in pain when Nia’s hands touches her sore ribs, or her arms that had taken the beaten from her aunt’s slipper as she tried to protect her face. It occurs to her now, that the henna decorating her skin serves another purpose other than announcing that she is a royal bride, the intricate lines and swirls also cover the bruises on her skin. Nia’s tour of the castle was overwhelming for Kiara, she couldn’t even remember the name of the rooms or what they were for and they had only gone through half of the East wing before Nia had declared that it was time for lunch. Kiara did not eat with the Emperor, a small mercy she is grateful for. After lunch, Nia and Kiara take another walk through the remainder of the East wing, at the end of it all, Kiara feels she has been in a maze, she knows she will certainly get lost if she comes here alone. They had a light evening meal by the window where Kiara watched the sun set. Afte
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Kiara stands there, not sure of what to do. She wanders to a large window overlooking the courtyard of the castle, the place where all the inhabitants of this kingdom where standing, still cheering. A few spot her and begin pointing at her, she moves away from the window, afraid of what the consequence of her action will be, more so, after being warned by the Emperor himself. What did he call it? Behaving like a filthy commoner. Nia comes around the corner, giving Kiara a little shock. “Come now, it’s time for you to have breakfast with the Emperor at the rooftop.” Nia says, pulling Kiara along. “The rooftop? Why the rooftop?” Kiara swallows, she had just seen the height of the castle, now she had to eat up there? “You came to the city wearing a ceremonial mask, no one saw your face, it is bound to spark some rumors. So, you have to show yourself, so the people can be reassured that it is indeed a woman. You might not know this but something s
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Nia joins her in the carriage where she has been dumped and locked in for two hours at least. Kiara turns her face away from her, to hide her tear stained face from the girl. Nia doesn’t say anything. The carriage begins to move, soon after, Kiara hears a whip crack furiously and various unintelligible sounds coming from the hostler. “Where are we going?” She asks. “Home.” Nia replies. “What about court?” Nia looks at Kiara, her features twisted in utter confusion. “The Emperor said we had court this morning.” Kiara expatiates. “You can’t hold court with people who no longer exist.” Nia’s voice is toneless and cold as she says this. Kiara feels the tears pool in her eyes. She is the sole reason her people have been annihilated. The sole reason. She cannot bring herself to make eye contact with Nia. The carriage begins to move with neck-breaking speed on uneven road, the car
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Kiara wakes up with an indescribable pain around her neck. She puts her hand around her throat and makes a sound, she panics when nothing comes out. She tries again and manages to make a small hoarse sound. She looks around the room and recoils in fear and somewhat shock, when she sees the Emperor sitting on a chair, just a few feet away from her. He is shirtless, his midriff is bound with white linen. He leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees, a posture that must be incredibly painful, considering his injury. Both of them hold eye contact for a long time, before she finally speaks in a voice that is not her own. “Why didn’t you kill me?” “I told you, death will be too easy for you. I intend to make your life a living hell. Besides, I am a ruthless killer, not a heinous one, rumors that I killed my wife during the night of consummation will ruin my reputation.” His voice is cool and toneless as he says this. “Since when are you worried about b
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The Emperor looks through the opening in his tent at his newly conquered kingdom. He is aware of his General’s presence in the room but does not turn around until the man clears his throat, announcing his presence. The Emperor leaves the makeshift window and sits himself on the pillows, before the meal spread out on the table. The General takes his seat only after the Emperor is seated, he unbuckles his sword from his waist and lays it by his side. The Emperor pours wine into two goblets, which the men drink from before eating in silence, observing a custom they had shared for more than two decades. The Emperor looks at the gray hair on his General’s head and wonders how many more years they have before death or war snatches either of them from this table. “I heard you are married now.” The General’s gravelly voice brings him out of his reprieve. Word does travel fast. The Emperor waves his hand, dismissing the statement. “Jin…” The General calls out
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If I agree to this, promise me you will spare the lives of my people.”“I give you my word.”The priest of the temple of Dion is dragged by soldiers into the prison where Kiara is held and tossed to the ground. He quakes with fear in the presence of the Emperor.Nothing is said by either Kiara or the Emperor, she isn’t even given the courtesy of being let out of her cell, or given new clothes to change into, none of the rites of marriage are observed, no vows are exchange, there is only a proclamation by the stuttering priest who can barely get the words out. And just like that, they become man and wife.In a daze she is let out of the cell, into a hallway and out of a building she soon discovers is Dion’s jail house. The sky is fiery red and orange outside the jailhouse, Dion is still on fire, soldiers supervise the remaining inhabitants who are in chains, whipping anyone who as much as breathes the wrong way. None of the ev
