(If you have not read my prologue or previous chapters, please do so now. And, I should warn you, this chapter will also be a tad more graphic than the rest.)

Tales of Tanjia, Chapter 17 - A Change in the Tides 

   Dark aubergine blood streamed down the opalescent blade of the soldier's glaive, dripping onto father's feet. It was soaking a ghastly halo of its palatinate hue into his otherwise pristine silver robes. Air caught in my throat as I watched, my mind telling me to scream but I could only manage whimpers. I tried to swallow past what felt like a lump of wet clay in my throat and still my trembling limbs. No such luck, I was frozen in terror. With a furious grunt, the soldier tore his blade further down from father's chest down to his stomach, opening his entire abdomen, before kicking my father down to the ground. The crowd was silent. No cheers, nor jeers, not even gasps. I couldn't peel my eyes from the horror in front of me to see what their expressions might be. 

   Mother leapt toward my father, who coughed out his last guttural spurts of breath, and my brother's moved to draw their swords. All three were stopped in their tracks by the men who were supposed to protect us. They took the blades from my brother's hands and knocked my mother to the floor. No one lunged for me, but I also hadn't moved on my own. The man holding down my mother bared his teeth as he unsheathed a smaller blade from his hip. My mother struggled against his grip, but he took his blade and sliced through her heavy braid, thus removing the length and status that her inky black hair held.  She cried out and cursed our attackers before breaking into a sob. My brothers were silent as they were bound, but their faces were dark with hatred and grief. My chest feels empty and cold, my mind is having trouble keeping track of everything, almost to the point of this feeling like an awful dream.

   If only it were a dream, I'd even settle for a nightmare or a cruel joke, but this was indeed reality. My father lies murdered in a pool of his own blood, my mother sits weeping next to his body, disgraced, and my brothers have reluctantly submitted to their loss. The soldier who killed my father raises his bloody weapon to the sky as if asking our Gods to bless such an act. "Now, people of Taj'erii- No, the blessed and cherished people of Tanjia, we are freed from the evil that was Ko'tuno! A murderous liar of a brother, a treacherous and disrespectful son, and a malicious and uncaring excuse for a leader!" He thrust the glaive further into the air, prompting the crowd to cheer, which they did loudly. The light of the moons shone blindingly bright, drowning minute details of the scenery. Did the Gods, our Heavenly Parents, approve of this? Even if my father had been nothing but evil his entire life, I do not see how this scene could be condoned by anyone, man or God.

   Sorrow and bitterness churned deep in my chest. My welling tears blurred my vision and my heart nearly stopped when the soldier brought me to the edge of the balcony, presenting me to the crowd. "Now, my people, under the light and love of our Gods, let us celebrate! Celebrate the end of the rule of Ko'tuno and the beginning of something new! Guided in her youth by the dear, late Na'anaki, Empress before Ko'tuno, we welcome the reign of Ka'asume! A benevolent young woman whose spirit is kindred to that of Na'anaki and that of Y'oren, Na'anaki's first son! May she guide us to happier and more peaceful times!" He lifts my arm heavenward with his own and the crowds' cheer. They cheer and cheer in deafening roars but it all feels so wrong. There's a heat behind ears but a tingling chill at the base of my spine. The edge of my vision darkens and limbs feel weak, my hand even slips out of the soldier's grip, slapping me on my outer thigh when it falls. The floor seems to twist and sway beneath me. If I fall, which direction would it be in? Would they bother to catch me?

   The question seems to answer itself as the man adjusts his grip on me, one hand on my stomach and the other on my upper back. His voice is a low whisper as he spoke to me, though I'm sure it sounds much further away than it actually is. "Your Majesty, get a hold of yourself..." I don't quite understand what he means, but the lump in my throat is back and making it very difficult to breathe. He sighs and hands me off to a different guard before returning to the crowd. "Enjoy, people! Dance, drink, feast, be merry, and enjoy our sacred Alignment Festival!" I hear those words echo in the back of my skull as I am ushered back into the hall inside the palace. They place me firmly on a cushioned seat and someone snaps their fingers in front of my face. 

   "Get her something to drink." His face gets closer to mine, looking into my eyes I suppose. I have no idea how I look right now, but I can imagine that I'm paler than I should be. "Your Majesty, can you hear me?" 

   "...Yes." It hurt to speak, but I managed it, which seemed to please the man in front of me. He smiled confidently before stroking his stubble in thought.

   "Now, we should get you back to your room and changed for-"

   "Don't hurt anyone else..."

   "What?" His face was twisted with some mixture of frustration and confusion.

   "Don't hurt anyone else. Please. There shouldn't be any need to." A maidservant placed a glass of water in my hands, and I stared at. The carved pattern in the crystal hung on to the blood that was smeared on my hands, my father's blood. It was disgusting and unnerving.

   "Your Majesty, drink."

   "Why?"

   "You need to take care of yourself. You aren't well."

   A loathing heat blossoms in my chest and I look up at the man, my face undoubtedly darkened by my emotion. "Perhaps that is because I have just witnessed the brutal murder of my father and the violent and disgraceful treatment of my remaining living family." My heart pounds in my chest, not quickly, but instead it beats a hard, slow rhythm. I can feel my strength gradually returning to me. He shifts his weight to his left hip, his armor clinking as he folds his arms across his chest.

   "Perhaps, but that is the way things happened, Your Majesty. And while now you are technically the Empress, you would do well to remember that you are still a small woman, who can be easily overpowered."

   The heat continued to burn in my chest. This insolence, though coming from a man I know could kill me with one swift stroke, was unbearable. Why would they rush my ascension to Tanjia's Imperial Throne if they would dangle the fragility of my life in front of my eyes at every opportunity? It's infuriating. I want to stand and put him in his place, but there are so many things that could go wrong. If not just for the fact that I'd be risking my life in doing so, my legs could give out trying to stand and I could injure myself in addition to the humiliation. I stare deeply at the Eye of I'Ono symbol on his chest plate, a symbol of our Father God's blessing and protection, and it disgusts me that he still wears it. I grip the glass tighter, my knuckles, white from the strain, contrast with my bloodstained palm. In my silent, taut fury I feel my power latch on to something. It catches me by surprise and quickly glance at the water in my glass to make sure I hadn't boiled or frozen it. No such change, but as I lift my gaze back to the guard, I find that he is standing stiff and straight as if he were made of stone. His lips were shut tight, but his eyes seemed to scream in fear. 

   My power had latched to something in him. But what? I take one hand away from the glass and lift it to my face, the blood trailed from the heel of my palm gently down my wrist and forearm, the drop finally coming to rest in the nook of my elbow. Blood is not water, but it's possible that my power could affect what water the blood does contain. I release a long, slow sigh and bid my power to release what it held in him. He gasped as if he had been holding his breath, then he began patting himself all over to make sure nothing was holding him any longer.

   "What was that?!"

   I took a sip of the water given to me and, very carefully, stand to meet his gaze. "Perhaps you should consider that the Gods may be on my side in this matter." My knees are still shaking, but thankfully my gown seems to hide that fact. Despite my trembling, I feel far more powerful than the people with weapons surrounding me. As the man before me pants in his terrified daze, he motions for the maidservants and remaining guards to come closer.

   "Take the Empress to her chambers, clean her up and have her ready for the Grand Council when they arrive."

   "Yes, sir." One of the other armored men takes me by the arm to lead me away, but a piercing glare from my end prompts him to do otherwise. Him, another guard, and four maidservants escort me back through the extensive corridors back to my room. Except, when we arrive, it is not the room that I had stayed in the night before, but now I stand before the room that was reserved for my mother, the now former Empress. They open the towering pewter doors and it reveals a massive room. The entirety of which was decorated with rich fabrics and cushions. Several lacquered tables with incense burners and tea sets placed upon them were peppered about. The mosaic doors to the right of the room obviously led to the bath chamber and the extensive wardrobe was on the opposite wall.  I stepped inside and as soon as they closed the doors behind us, they stripped me of my soiled gown. The hem had been soaked in father's spilled blood and there were also a number of bloody handprints around the waist of the dress. Everything they're doing now seems to mimic the events of this morning, but with a much harsher tone. Where there was once excitement, now there is a dread and a resentful anxiousness. 

   I fold my arms over myself, covering my chest as they walk me into the bathing room, where the water had already been drawn into the massive stone basin. Rii'ei stood beside it, her face grim and posture stiff. My throat tightens once more and tears prick my eyes. I want to run and embrace her but there's so much in this room that I have to fear. First, the guards could interpret a sudden sprint as aggression, my knees still feel weak so I fear that I'd trip and fall, causing injury and prompting ridicule. But most of all I fear that Rii'ei will not return my embrace, that all the kindness that I felt from her through all these past thousands of years was nothing more than a lie. What a cruel reality that would be, I don't think I could bear it. I feel my chest jump as I fight against rising sobs. I have to fight it, I cannot break just yet. Not yet.

   Those few steps from the door to the bath felt like an eternal trek. I stood before Rii'ei, feeling shameful and bizarre next to her as she bowed her head to me. "Your Majesty."

   "Rii'ei..." I reach my hand toward her, but she takes my forearm and turns it so my palm faces upward. Her movements are slow but precise as she takes a damp cloth and cleans the blood from my skin. She rinsed the cloth in a separate basin and continued to remove any and all traces of the wretched liquid. After which, she motioned for me to enter the tub. I obey, the water was scalding but the attitudes of the people surrounding me felt tepid at best. Rii'ei began to unfurl my braids and remove the pins and blossoms adorning them. I stare at the patterns in the droplets of oil floating on the surface, wishing I could swirl them into different shapes, something cheery if I could manage to think of it. But I can't, I can't risk anything right now. So instead, I cupped the water in my hands and let it seep through my fingers. "Did you know?"

   "Yes." She didn't even pause as she answered me, no sound of guilt or regret hung on her voice. That one word was spoken so grimly and matter-of-fact, it cut me deeper than I thought any word could. I finally gave way to my tears, gritting my teeth and clawing at my thighs beneath the water. I had not felt rage and grief like this since I lost my grandmother.  I had hoped I wouldn't feel this way again for a long time.

   "Why?"

   Rii'ei combed through my hair in a strangely gentle manner. She drew a deep breath and answered. "While I have indeed come to care for you as a person, Ka'asume, know that since the day the Imperial Order for my service was delivered to my door I have never hated and feared so much. This work is exhausting, tedious, and very rarely thanked. The Emperor trampled over anyone and anything to get what he wanted and cared not who perished in the process. For Gods' sake, Ka'asume, he murdered his own brother to come to power!" She tugged at the length of my hair in her hand, prompting me to yelp and more tears to fall from my eyes. She sighed and stroked the back of my head, pausing at the now small scar from two months ago. "I do care for you, Ka'asume, but we had been putting up with far too much abuse for far too long."

   I sniffled and sighed, my tears had halted for now and I stood, the water rolling off of me like a heavy garment. "I understand, I will do my utmost to reverse what damage I can. And I will strive to be the most righteous and honorable Empress that I can be." As I stepped out of the basin, Rii'ei dried my feet, looking up at me with the barest of smiles.

   "Thank you, my Empress."

   She then quickly dried off the rest of me and dressed me in a platinum silk robe and charcoal sash. The dark color of the sash was contrasted by its pastel embroidery, which paired with the swirling pattern of the robe. My hair was tied loosely with lavender ribbon at ten intervals down the entire length, no pins, pearls, or blossoms to be found in my dark blue locks. I sigh softly and turn to the soldiers standing at the doors. "Now what?"

   "Now, Your Majesty, we wait for the first six members of the Grand Council and the Royal Messenger to arrive. They shall instruct you on how to proceed through the festival in your new position."

   I walk a slow, deliberate pace into the main chamber before taking a seat on a cushion. "Very well. However, I would like you to bring my mother and brothers to me before I see the Council." He shakes his head twice in disapproval.

   "That would be ill-advised, Your Majesty."

   "I understand, and beyond this, I will not make requests, but I need to see my family. I need to know that no one else, Imperial Family or beyond, has been murdered during this Sacred Festival." With my words spoken, all eyes in the room seem to cast downward. 

   "While the Dowager Empress and the Princes are alive, there have been other members of office that have been... forcibly removed."

   "Like whom?" My heart beats rapidly once more, fearful of the level of bloodshed that had been carried out. A heavy knock on the door was preceded by them being swung open and group of seven soldiers stood at the entrance to the chamber. The front three had the heads of prominent men hanging from their belts, the heads of the Dai'rou, the Grand Marshal, and the Marshal General all hung dripping blood onto the marble floor.

   "The Grand Council members have arrived, sir."