Chains of Fate

Chapter Five

Deep below the sea cliffs, the entrance to an ancient cave was carved into the rock face. It was said that the sea cave had been around since before the establishment of the kingdom. It housed shipwrecked sailors, strange sea creatures, and at times, hideous legendary beasts. Daisy had never believed these rumors as they were meant to scare off little children from wandering too close to the raging tide. When she was younger, she had begged Ace to accompany her down to the sea cave so that they could play there together. It was her first and only act of rebellion against her parents.

Ace had followed along happily. Every night when all were sleeping, Ace would come for her. Dressed down in plainclothes, they would make the treacherous climb down the cliffs, barefooted. Ace would go first and direct her with a calm and confident voice. One foot here, a hand there. Inch by Inch they descended until they reached their destination. Then they'd be gone for hours, no one having seen them slipping away. Hand in hand, they explored the long tunnels of the sea cave.

Brother and sister were thrilled to be so far beneath the island's surface. For them, the experience was unlike any other. Sometimes they stopped to rest and told each other stories they had heard from the adults. Once, when the tide was higher than usual, Daisy had been afraid to go to the sea cave, but Ace insisted that she would be safe with him. On his promise to hold her hand tighter than ever, they made their way to their secret place. On that night, Ace had been like a hero in Daisy's eyes. She could still remember the way his face changed when he guided her to the mouth of the cave. Rather than looking excited, he appeared determined, as if he had something to prove.

Whenever they returned from their explorations, they were covered in dirt and smelled like a couple of saltwater fish. The maid in charge would scold them severely for disobeying. Then she'd scrub them clean with a rough bar of soap. Meanwhile, Ace and Daisy would giggle and share amused looks with one another. Back then life had been simpler and Ace filled the role of her best friend. The two were inseparable for all of five years. When Ace turned twelve, their bond was simultaneously shattered. He went away to a boarding school in the Western territory. She didn't see him again, not for a very long time.

Now Daisy had Rei, a sweet, over attentive girl who wanted nothing but to please her. Daisy loved her dearly but her presence did not at all makeup for the loss of her brother. He was the one person she could count on to steer her in the right direction, even when it meant that he had to hurt her to do it. Deny it as she might, Rei had been right to advise her away from Jin. He did not love her, but another. She was chasing after a man she could never have. Still, this fact did not excuse her brother from involving her with the Chancellor. It was going take time on her part in order to forgive him.

Two weeks of training in the West had done Bai long, Jin, and Ling-Ling a great deal of good. Upon their return to the island, Ace granted them permission to take time off to recover their strength. From what Daisy gleaned from the servants' gossip, her brother was planning to depart the island for a two-month summit. The Great Sage had invited the Lords to join him to discuss recent, escalating events. It was anyone's guess what he had truly summoned them for. Still, the news left Daisy ill at ease. If her brother was leaving, so were his guards.

Since hearing of his trip Daisy had been working up the courage to see Jin. Every day, she would wake up and spend an hour soaking in her favorite floral oils. Then she'd dress, eat a little breakfast, and hurry down to the dojo where she knew he'd be. Three times she'd tried and failed to speak with him. He was busy, not around, or in the company of others. It was not in her to interrupt his business, let alone his private time. But she had not given up. Today was her last chance to catch him before he left with the rest of Ace's team.

Daisy had been up for some time. She attended to her hygiene, bathing and washing her face in cold rose scented water. It was almost afternoon and she was still scrubbing away at the invisible layers of dirt embedded in her skin. When she was red all over, skin raw from her furious rubbing, she deemed herself ready to dry and dress. After stepping out of the tub, Daisy used a towel to wipe the moisture from her skin and headed over to the mirror. As usual, where there should have been an older woman of seventeen, there was a skinny child with cropped hair and tiny hands and feet. The girl from her past was possessing her and replacing the vision of beauty men like the Chancellor admired.

Irritated by her image, Daisy stormed out to her room, where she angrily sifted through her closet for something suitable to put on. The air was chill but not nearly cold enough to wear anything with long sleeves. Naked and hair dripping, she must have looked ridiculous, but Daisy didn't care. She tossed garments from her closet onto her bed. A long dress, a spring tunic, a favorite shall. They all went flying behind her, landing haphazardly on whatever surface was closest. Then a lavender berry garment caught her eye, it's flowing skirt glistening with imperial diamonds. Daisy pulled the dress from its place and pressed it against her front. She turned to the mirror to examine it. It was just as lovely as the first time she'd worn it at her naming ceremony, the night she became a Daughter of Aisha, a princess of the kingdom.

That night her brother had hosted a memorable celebration in her honor. Their many relatives came dressed up in their finest clothes. There were gaudy decorations embellishing her home and an ongoing stream of music signaling couples to dance around the makeshift ballroom. Dolled up in her festive dress, she really had felt every bit like a princess. Ace made certain that she was waited on hand and foot. And to her surprise, Jin kept her company.

While the instruments obeyed their master's skilled hands, the man of her dreams appeared before her, offering her his steady hand. Daisy took it. Then he whisked her away from the crowd and onto the dance floor. Jin was an excellent dancer. He knew exactly how to move. Daisy followed his lead and the jovial beat carried them from one end of the room to the other, then back again. She had not been so naive as to believe that Jin would ever dance with her of his own accord. She knew that her brother had arranged it. Still, that night she'd been happy, smiling as one does when they feel they've conquered the world. But it was only a fantasy and at midnight it ended.

Looking in the mirror now, Daisy saw what all the guests had seen that night. Her dress was magnificently made. Its magical properties had transformed a plain girl into a princess. And that was why she was going to wear it again. She needed its magic to change her one last time. Folding the dress carefully, Daisy put it aside and slipped into her underclothes. Her first task: invite Jin to go out with her to the sea cave. It was there that she planned to confess to him. For better or worse, it was time he knew how much she cared.