Cherry Blossom

Chapter 9- Lurking Shadows

Time would prove that our happy times were not to last as our family was fractured beyond repair, Shang my husband's brother descended upon the Forbidden City with loyal soldiers from the Imperial army and murdered their father, the Emperor Kangxi. We were woken from our bed by a servant girl saying that the City and even parts of the palace were on fire and there were soldiers everywhere. I dressed quickly in simple, practical clothes then moved to the twins making sure that they would be warm enough. By the time the three of us were ready, their father was dressed in full armour with a sword strapped to his hip.

'The Emperor must be protected but I wouldn't ask you to put the children in danger' he said stroking our daughters hair and pressing a kiss to our sons forehead. I shook my head, if there was a threat I wanted to be by his side, we would each watch the others back and we could protect the Emperor and the children at the same time.

We ran swiftly to the Emperor's chambers, he had his sword bared while I carried a child on each hip. I had them turned so that they had their innocent eyes hidden against me so that they would not be frightened by the flames. As we went we saw two soldiers fighting over a young servant girl whose clothes were all but ripped from her body, quick and quiet as a snake my husband's sword fell and both were no more I beckoned the girl to come with us. She offered to take one of the children but I declined, there was danger about and they were safest in my arms where they couldn't get lost or separated.

The Emperor's chambers came into sight and we darted inside closing the screen behind us. Something was not right, it smelled of blood, fear and other less pleasant things. The servant girl lit a lamp and the horror that had been hidden in the darkness came to light. Kangxi lay on the bed, his eyes glassy and his throat opened from ear to ear, I turned so that no matter how they squirmed the twins could not see what had become of their beloved grandfather.

I felt tears spring into my eyes and begin to run down my face unbidden, never again would he call me daughter, never again would he look upon his grandchildren with so much love and pride in his heart that it over flowed into his eyes. I looked to my husband and saw a single tear make it's way down his cheek even as he vowed to take revenge upon whoever was responsible for this.

I felt no rage, only sadness at the loss of the only person who had ever called me daughter. I had felt close to my mistress but she had never taken the final step and named me as her daughter so she remained solely as my mistress and teacher.

The sound of a floor board creaking penetrates through my grief and my head snaps up, tears clearing in time to see an armoured man step through the doorway from deeper in the murdered Emperor's chambers. His sword is bared and covered in blood.

'Brother...? Have you caught the soldiers responsible for this?' my husband asks and with a nod his brother Shang removes his helmet to reveal his face which is as smeared with blood as his blade. His eyes don't even flicker over the body of his father, instead he stares at my husband with hatred burning in his eyes.

'Why yes I do believe I know who did it, I was the one who murdered our father but no one else is to know that.  As far as they're to know it was their greedy crown prince, too impatient to take his father's place' he snarled lunging towards his brother. For a half a second I was stunned and didn't understand what had just been said. With the first ring of steel on steel the words sank in and bile rose in my throat. He had murdered his own father and was planning on pinning the murder on his elder brother which would make our son heir to the throne and his next likely target.

The serving girl was cowering in the corner sobbing uncontrollably, I handed her the children telling them to be quiet and telling her not to let them see what was going on in the room.

By now the two brothers were battering each other, each with the intent to kill. I snuck behind the treacherous Shang and struck him hard as I could from behind. His knees buckled and he collapsed upon the floor insensate. The prince would have killed him then and there but the failed usurper needed to be sentenced properly in front of the court. Justice would be served but it would be served properly.

I tied his wrists and gagged him for good measure as I didn't want him upsetting the children. I took them from the girl and settled them once more upon my hips. I told the girl to go and fetch a guard. She looked terrified but nodded and slid the screen open to leave. She hadn't stepped fully outside when a blade sprouted from her back and she fell to the ground, moaning with a trickle of blood coming from her mouth.

Five soldiers came through the door, stepping over the poor dead girl.

'No further', the prince commanded and as they were accustomed to following orders the soldiers halted just inside the door. I was nervous and something didn't feel right so I darted through the door leading farther into the Emperor's chambers and my prince immediately moved to stand in front of us shielding us from the soldiers should they attack. And attack they did, upon seeing their favourite general bound and gagged, unconscious against the far wall they sprang forward.

My heart was in my throat and both of the twins started crying as the first of the soldiers started for my husband but that was not his day to die, one by one the soldiers fell to his blade.

'Come it's not safe here, we must get the children to safety' he said helping me step over the corpses, I tucked the twins' faces against my shoulders so they wouldn't have to see the carnage that surrounded them and their cries quieted once they realised that their father was unhurt.

We slid from shadow to shadow until we reached the stables from there we saddled a pair of horses and with each of us cradling a child we took off into the night.