After what seemed like years I finally managed to finish typing this chapter. 

Chapter 36

Thin Ice

Rien Manor, Riviere County, Valtareau

            “The ones who seek to kill the child have found out where she is. This place is no longer safe for you. You must leave at once!” the voice of the phoenix told her in a dream.

            She awoke from her dream, her body felt clammy and her breathing ragged. She leaned back to her bed and felt Taeyeon stir beside her. Her child was in danger they were in danger. After what Taeyeon had done in the Chambord Arena news broke out that the Chrysanthemum throne actually had an heir hidden from the world. The people from all over the regnum was searching for her and her child.

            “They mean no harm.” Ki-chan, the queen of Heirus told her through intercom. It was a well-kept secret that she and the Queen Consort of Heirus were 1st cousins. Not many knew of the lineage system of the Tokugawa clan and it was family line they intent to keep to their grave.

            “But he warns that the one looking for the child will desire to kill her.” She reasoned.

            “What can the Chrysanthemum throne gain by killing its only heir?” Natsumi told her.

            “But it’s not making sense if it’s not Boa, who is seeking to kill my child?” She asked as of the moment her mind was a complete jungle, she had been having trouble sleeping lately nightmares have been plaguing her.

            “Have you mastered the 4th seal already?” Natsumi asked her with concern “You don’t look so well Ki-chan.” Her cousin and confidant pointed out.

            “Say that to me when you start having color in your face.” She replied jokingly. She felt her own life slipping past her hands. She wanted to cry out that life was not fair she wanted to see her child grow up from her chubby crybaby to a dainty young woman. She wanted to see her hair turn grey and see her form wrinkles on her face. Sadly she knew with her failing health that dream would remain just a dream.

            “We are running out of time. You need to unlock the seal while you still have time.” Natsumi reminded her gravely.

            “I know, but my body is proving to be more of an obstacle than an asset.” She said as she ran her hand over her hair.

            “Hadn’t I told you before that mastering the seals was near impossibility? You of all people know that no one in our clan can master that craft we don’t even know if we will ever be able to. The last and farthest seal that any of us have been able to break was the 4th seal and you know well enough what happened to our great-aunt Chiyoko after she broke the 4th seal!” Natsumi told her hoping to discourage her from trying to learn the 7 sacred seals of their clan.

            The seals were the greatest weapons of war that ever existed in the face of Archaneaux they were discovered by the very first Tokugawa in the ruins of a city name Antiokia no one knew where the tattered scrolls came from but their ancestor Lady Mikasa cared for it as if her life depended on it. Contained within the scrolls were 7 special seals which needed to be unlocked by tremendous spiritual training to purify the body which included trainings so harsh and so inhumane that anyone who dared to break them would be put in mortal peril.    The Tokugawa’s were immensely spiritual and they rarely cared for the things of the mortal world they possessed not the power of the elements but they were extremely powerful in warfare. It was not a hidden fact that the Tokugawas had the power to extinguish all other elements around them. They were also the only people in Archaneaux who did not believe nor depend upon the spirits. Because of the mysteries revealed to their ancestor Lady Mikasa, the Tokugawas believed in a different faith they waited not on the spirits but prayed day and night for the arrival of the One referred to in the scrolls as the Redeemer. Unlike the rest of the world around them the Tokugawas are known for offering animal sacrifices to the God they refer to as simply the Maker or in their own tongue Adonai, for atonement of their sins. The Tokugawa clan believed that the human body is sinful and nothing good can ever come out of it thus they, unlike the rest of Archaneaux, they consider themselves to be unclean sinful beings that needs to do penance for their sins. The act of blood sacrifice is a way for them to clean themselves for the sins they commit daily as instructed to them by their ancient family scrolls which were called the Erusaremu Scrolls. This act usually made other people around them look with distaste at the Tokugawa clan for they were considered barbaric and unholy. But they paid this maligned look of the world to them no heed for they were taught from the heart by their ancestor who in turn inherited the Erusaremu Scrolls from her parents of unknown descent. After all they were already branded as lunatics for allowing men to stay within their walls and for being the only women outside of Winaris to have men as their phamas.

            “I have no choice neechan I need the power of the scrolls to protect Taeyeon.” Kitana replied in despair. “Do you think I like this too? My body feels like its being destroyed from the inside but I can’t stop now not when I have gone so far.”

            “You will really do everything for Taeyeon.” Natsumi stated in amazement. A mother’s love was indeed precious.

            “When you become a parent neechan you will know why.” She replied to her cousin calmly as she stared at the sleeping child on the bed not just a few feet away from her. Taeyeon’s chubby cheeks were scrunched up as she slept on the side. Her cute child had no idea what trouble she had created by exposing herself to the Chrysanthemum throne. Her mother Lady Ranioch was furious with the child and had given Taeyeon a heavy beating which broke her heart as a mother. Hearing Taeyeon’s screams as the bamboo rod hit her bottom, the child could not sit up for a few days due to the beatings. Taeyeon knew why she was punished and she did not hold a grudge against her grandmother for hurting her. But the child had become very quiet and spoke less because of it.

Taeyeon POV

            She awoke from her the sound of a door opening and she sat up to see what had made the noise. She saw the lantern light from outside and decided to get out of bed to follow her mother. Her small dainty slippers making no noise as she trudged through the halls of the manor towards the field of canola flowers east of the estate. It was very dark outside and the only light she could see was the light being emitted by the small lantern her mother held. She followed through fields of flowers despite the darkness around her, keeping a brave face in the midst fear. She wanted to know what her mother was doing out this late? And why were she walking through the flower fields?

            Her mother stopped walking and lit one of the stone lanterns which were located at the center of the field. The lit lantern suddenly ignited other lanterns around the field and the whole place became lighted. Her mother walked towards the clearing as she peaked through the tall canola flowers she saw that there was a small stone platform there. Her mother sat in the stone platform and opened an old cloth scroll then began to read it and after reading it she began to close her eyes as if in deed meditation.

            She has no idea how long her mother had been meditating since sleep took over her and she fell asleep while watching her mother sit motionless in the platform. She awakened from her sleep at the sound of a sweet melody being played by a string instrument her mother called a zither. The tune of the song was peaceful yet utterly beautiful. She watched in secret as her mother strummed the strings with her fingers. The flowers around her seem to be dancing to the melody while the skies changed color and dawn had come. It was like a magical song her mother played that called upon the sunrise. She stayed rooted to where she had fallen asleep and watched with awe and wonder as the song played from start to finish.

            The last string was strum and her mesmerized gazed was broken by the loud cough that erupted from her mother. Her mother covered to try and mum the loudness of her coughing. The dainty hands was soon smeared by blood which accompanied the cough. Taeyeon came out her hiding and rushed to her mother’s side crying as she tried to alleviate her mother’s pain.

            When the coughing had finally stopped her mother looked at her with unreadable eyes. She muttered the words “I’m sorry.” knowing that this scene was not something she should have seen. She helped her mother walk back to the manor keeping quiet as she held her mother’s hand in support.

            Once they reached the bedroom she shared with her mother the first thing she did was get a glass of water. Her mother went back to resting with her staying by her side afraid that something bad might happen.

            By noon her mother had regain her strength, they had lunch together and her mother casually chatted with her grandmother as if the coughing episode earlier had not taken place. Her young mind was filled with questions but she knew that she couldn’t ask her mother any of it for fear of getting scolded. The elders eyed her as she ate her meal quietly.

            “Is our Tae-chan sick?” Her grandmother asked her with curiosity to which she replied with a simple head shake.

            After lunch her mother asked her to come to the library. She was sure she was going to get punished. She entered the room with ginger steps and spotted her mother seating by her desk with scrolls scattered about her. Her mother looked up from reading when she neared. Her mother motioned for her to sit on the chair in front of the desk. She sat down and placed her hands on her lap while her gaze was on the floor. She felt very ashamed of herself for sneaking around like that.

            “Is my baby scared? Do you think okasan will punish you for last night?” Her mother asked her in a very soft voice. To this question she nodded and earned a sigh.

            “I’m not going to hit you. Do you want to know what I was doing out in the canola fields?” her mother asked as she got up from her chair and made her way to her. When she didn’t reply her mother her hair.

            “Okasan is learning a new technique to become stronger.”

            “But you are already strong.” She murmured.

            “Okasan has to become even stronger so I can protect you from bad people. Okasan will do everything for you, do you understand?” Her mother continued to say as she her hair.

            “But okasan might die!” She cried.

            “Shh. Don’t cry I won’t die...yet.” Her mother told her in comfort. All see could do was cry and hope that her mother would indeed not die. She prayed for this with all her little heart could muster.

Lady Kitana POV

            Night after night she took Taeyeon with her to practice. She taught her daughter how to play the zither and master the hidden techniques that were found within the melodies that they played. But most important of all she taught her daughter how to read the sacred scrolls of their clan. They went back to the manor each daybreak hand in hand in chatter.

            At noon after each lunch time she would tell her the stories written within the Erusaremu Scrolls and even taught her daughter how to pray like they do. On the morning of the spring of Taeyeon’s 7th year her daughter had made her very first blood sacrifice to their God on top of the altar of their family temple as indicated by their laws. And on that same day she Lady Kitana of Tokugawa Clan managed to do the feat considered impossible by her family. She had broken the 4th seal making her the spiritual master alive to do so. But like all joys there also comes sadness. For that same season the Chrysanthemum throne had tranced their whereabouts.

Boa’s POV

            She wasn’t sure how to describe what she felt the day they discovered Taeyeon’s existence. Of course she knew that she had a child with Kitana but it never really truly registered on her mind to accept her. She was at fault she knew that, but her love for Yukie had blinded her to the things not related to the woman she loved, much less to a child born of her and another woman. To be frank they had just decided to dismiss the child’s existence when the Chrysanthemum throne was informed of her birth. The accident that left them all sterile had etched a wound so deep in her heart she could no longer sleep. As much as her Jessica was a darling to be with she did not possess the power of fire, her sweet daughter whom she loved dearly could never inherit the throne of Valtareau. They were at their minds end the crown had no heir and their regnum was about to fall to ruins because of this problem. The spirits it seemed had cursed them forbidding the royal family to ever have children of fire.

            “We are here.” The village magistrate said as they reached the edge of a dense forest.

            “I see nothing.” High Queen Ai said seriously.

            “The place is enchanted they have barriers around the place preventing anyone from entering.

            “Then how do you suppose we get to them?” The High Queen said in irritation. The crown has already come up with a grand agreement in order to appease the Tokugawa clan, an agreement which involved making Kitana the actual consort of Valtareau. In her mind how could they refuse?

            “I will inform them of our arrival.” Consort Kitsune stated since she could speak to the minds of people.

            Boa was dumbfounded as the once amiable matriarch Lady Ranioch of the Tokugawa Clan slammed all their proposals to the ground. After her magi the Consort called upon Tokugawa’s a meeting place was arranged for them. They were now in one of the restaurants near the edge of the forest an apparent favorite spot of the noblewoman. They had given their prepositions in clear air hoping to get the clan’s approval, the Chrysanthemum throne was beyond desperate the royal family’s survival depended on it. But all their efforts were rejected the clan and all who serve it want nothing to do with the royal family.

            “Consort? After all that you’ve done to my daughter you think I would give her to you in marriage?! You proud loathsome pathetic excuse of a human! Not unless you can bring back my relatives whom you all have brutally murdered and clean spotless my daughter’s name whom you have destroyed will I ever let you come near my granddaughter!” Lady Ranioch thundered.

            “Please be reasonable!” The High Queen and Consort Kitsune begged.

            “Reasonable?!! Why? Have you been reasonable when you inhumanely discarded the marriage agreement signed in blood by the former generation of my clan and yours? I THINK NOT! You who let yourselves be eaten alive by greed for power? You made your filth now live with it!” Lady Ranioch added icily.

            “I have nothing else to discuss with you.” Lady Ranioch stated as she stood up.

            The fire in her veins got the best of her as well as her fear of causing the end of the royal family. She hurled an attack towards the ma