Chapter 1
The steps of the royal family’s palace in Aomori were perched on the side of a steep mountainside, always in view of the citizens yet far just enough away that not many ever ventured up to the top. On this day a young but experienced mercenary named Mako was climbing up the marbled steps and yet could think of no worse punishment. It was unusual in itself for his boss Tatsuya to even have volunteered one of his recruits to take his place in a assignment, but to find out that the Emperor had been the one who ordered it was quite bewildering. Mako’s organization, Whitetail, was supposed to have remained under the radar from the official Aomori patrol forces, the APF, but in the end it appeared they had not been as far off the map as they thought. Even stranger, but Tatsuya did not seem taken aback by the initial request from the Emperor at all.
Mako was halfway certain that there was no mission at all, and believed that upon arrival they would simply take his head or throw him in prison for the rest of his life. His boss clearly didn’t want to take the invitation, or else he wouldn’t have asked Mako to fill in. It had felt like a hasty decision, but that was the price paid for such a risky lifestyle. Mako understood, begrudgingly, that he might actually end up dead by the end of the evening. Despite his own physical power, opposing the Emperor directly would put him on the run even if he managed to escape with his life, and he was tired of running… Because of these heavy thoughts, he couldn’t help his expression looking unpleasant as he walked, and for more than one reason. He was no stranger to the tall tales that had been spread among the common folk about the Royal family, even if he had only been in the city of Aomori for a few years.
The Emperor, Han Miyamoto, was known for taking excessive measure to ensure the continuous and impenetrable security around the palace, but this ultimately took its toll financially in other parts of the country. The villagers would generally agree to call the Emperor paranoid, but Mako had heard one very unexpected rumor one night while lounging in a bar. The Emperor's was said to have an unseen daughter, and she was said to have been born with some kind of evil taint. Even more, the Emperor’s wife was also yet to be seen publicly. There was so much unease at even the mention of the Emperor’s mysterious family, most people decided against indulging in rumors. Mako halfway believed the family didn’t even exist at all and there might be no heir to take the throne.
Mako looked down at the village beneath him, wondering if he would see it again after his meeting. There wasn’t actually much to the city for him, as he was more so a temporary visitor than anything else, but there were some he worried for. His boss, as cowardly as he apparently was for putting Mako in this tough situation, was still a cunning man, who until today had been nothing but a positive mentor for Mako. Tatsuya had taught him many of his current sword fighting techniques and also how to cheat his way through a card game. For him to give Mako up to the Emperor so easily felt low and unlike him. It made Mako wonder if he truly knew the man at all. His partner that he usually worked with, Rina, was one of the more shrewd people he had ever met, but even she didn’t see see this coming. When they had departed earlier in the morning, she had a deep crease in her forehead and a distinct frown, but ultimately she said nothing to prevent the situation.
“Halt,” A voice called out, causing Mako to stop in his tracks. Someone was staring at him through a hole in the wall of the mountain.
Without pause, Mako began, “I’ve been ordered on behalf of Tatsuya Suzuki to meet with the Emperor pertaining to an important mission.” He bowed hurriedly, though he had no idea who he was even speaking to. The nerves were definitely starting to get to him.
“Name?”
“....Mako,” He shifted uncomfortably, having never used or needed a last name.
“Proceed.”
The color seemed to have drained out of Mako’s body from the encounter, and he continued on up the steps, his legs beginning to ache slightly. Why would anyone want to live so high up and so far away from the people they governed? Perhaps the stories of his daughter were true, perhaps she truly was cursed. The whole royal family could be raving mutants and he would have no idea of the truth, as nobody knew much about the family in the first place. That had to be for a good reason. Mako tried not to think of his own personal grudges with the politics of the Emperor, but he couldn’t deny at that moment being terrified. There were things in his past that were better off being forgotten, and if those were the reason he was being brought here… well… his future also wasn’t looking good.
Mako slowed to stop once more and looked back down at the village. He could always just go back and abandon the mission altogether, though that would appear even more suspicious. After all it was only just recently that he decided to settle down on the right side of the law, but was it even possible to leave a past like his behind? While once again lost in his thoughts, a voice suddenly spoke out to him, breaking him out of his trance, “I hope you were planning to demonstrate better focus for the Emperor’s assignment for you.”
Looking up to the soldier standing to his left, Mako answered back, “Of course, my apologies.”
“I’m to escort you,” The man nodded, removing his helmet and revealing a badly scarred face. To the average person he may have appeared terrifying, but Mako was familiar with soldiers of all kinds, and he knew the APF were some of the most highly trained in the country. It didn’t make much sense to him why the Emperor wouldn’t just employ one of his own soldiers. The man continued, “My name is Mikhail.”
“Were you expecting me?” Mako watched the soldier hesitantly as they walked.
“Well… not you,” Mikhail shrugged, “Someone else, Tatsu-Tatsuya, was it? I forget the name. He must have sent someone else, er... you in his place. Ah well, it happens.”
Mako had a vague feeling that perhaps the mission would not be as demanding as he had previously thought. This soldier was much more lax than he was expecting, and he wasn’t sure how to react. The APF was known for being filled with hardened warriors, sometimes even cold to the people they were helping, but this one seemed more at ease than anything else. Mikhail looked to Mako and gave a brief smile.
“You’re worried?” He asked, but before Mako could answer he continued, “No need to be. You’ve probably heard all kinds of things down in the city. The Emperor is indeed an extraordinary man, but there is nothing to be intimidated by. He’s a good man, more than anything else. You’ll see.” Mako watched the soldier skeptically, not considering the Emperor to be “extraordinary” by any means, but he couldn’t let on that he was at all doubtful of the Royal family or else he might not leave the palace grounds alive.
“Anything I need to know?”
“Don’t look at the Princess too much,” Mikhail shrugged, “You’ll understand why, but the Emperor is perhaps a little overprotective of her.” The rumor of the evil taint played back in Mako’s head and he grimaced at the thought of the princess being horribly disfigured from some supernatural curse.
It wasn’t long before the two approached the entrance of the Palace, and it took two soldiers on either side of the door just to push them open. Mikhail and Mako stepped forward, and once inside Mako was painfully aware of how underdressed he felt in such a grand place. If he had thought he was rich before, he was terribly mistaken. The walls in the entrance hall seemed to glitter like they had just stepped into an enchanted forest, yet everything was completely spotless. There were servants and guards everywhere, either standing alert or waiting on those who looked like they must be very important. It didn’t matter what Mikhail had said, Mako was certainly feeling intimidated by this very high-maintenance lifestyle. What kind of mission would this possibly be? It didn’t seem anymore that he would up headless by the evening.
The two of them turned down a second corridor and to their right was another set of gorgeous enameled doors to what was supposedly the Emperor’s meeting chamber. Mikhail turned to Mako after stopping the soldiers standing guard.
“Try not to stare,” He advised once more, before he signaled for the men to open the doors. Mako could feel his heart in his feet; in only moments he would be face to face with the very man who had made his life a living hell, and yet he wasn’t here for revenge but for business. Part of him didn’t want to reconcile that fact with himself, but money was money and going straight required sacrifices. The Emperor did not have to be his enemy, they could have a working relationship with no strings attached… as long as Mako was able to keep his past a secret. But if this was the end… he at least had to go out with his pride.
The chamber itself was stunning, but Mako could focus on nothing but the Emperor who was kneeling at his table, his expression stony and empty. He wore an extravagant garment on his head, nearly a foot tall, with colorful tassels and ribbons strewn down his back. His robes themselves looked like they were made of the finest materials in the South, and the Emperor’s hands, covered in jewelry, were folded delicately in his lap. Mako did not expect to find himself in awe of the Emperor, a man he had spent most of his life fearing and despising, yet here he was, shamefully working for him simply because his dear boss has asked him of it.
There was a woman knelt next to the Emperor’s left, but she seemed preoccupied with some kind of sewing in her own hands. She was extremely pregnant by the looks of it. And then to the Emperor’s right was…. No! He couldn’t look. Mako stepped forward awkwardly and then once he was close enough, he knelt down and bowed to the Emperor, completely lost for words and feeling foolish. He felt incredibly out of place, but he knew he had to keep himself composed. He was one of the strongest fighters in the country and he had never lost a fight in his life. If there was a job the Emperor had for him, he knew without a doubt that he could do it. It was just that he had never met with anyone of this high of stature, and he had certainly never planned to do business with someone he had considered an enemy. The Emperor himself was looking down at Mako with absolutely no change in his expression. He appeared completely uninterested.
“Thank you for arriving on such short notice,” The Emperor spoke, his words slow and almost listless, “It pains me to have to call upon Tatsuya for a situation such as this, and even more to be given support from his subordinate instead, but this is not a task I am willing to give my own guard. Your organization is vastly different in comparison to the patrol forces regarding what they specialize in. Please,” He gestured to Mako to sit up, “We must speak face to face on these issues.”
Mako struggled to say anything at first, but eventually managed to blurt out, “I’m here on behalf of Tatsuya Suzuki, who was, due to his age-related ailments and careless attitude, unsuitable to serve the Emperor,” Mako froze, feeling that maybe quoting his boss exactly wasn’t the most polite way of greeting the Emperor, he hurriedly continued, “Those were his words, not mine.”
“I understand,” The Emperor nodded, “Your accent suggest you’re a visitor to Aomori, but perhaps you have been given the opportunity of training with great masters in other provinces…?” It was a question.
“I’ve studied under many,” Mako replied, bowing once more. Was that true? He had certainly learned his skills from experienced warriors, but would he call them Masters? Perhaps they were… He didn’t want to give any references, considering his illegal past and the fact that his teachers were probably still in hiding, so he said nothing more.
The Emperor did not seem interested in pressing the matter further; in fact, he actually seemed to be rushing their whole meeting, “Let’s get to it then,” He continued quickly, “This mission I am assigning to you, a disciple of Tatsuya Suzuki, must take full priority over everything else in your life. It will take priority over your own family and relationships and it will also take several weeks to complete, maybe less depending on the conditions. Perhaps you are familiar with a simple delivery or escort here and there, but I need something more than that. My daughter has been enlisted to join the Priestesses at the Temple of Ashmora, to the North, and due to her blessings, we would be going against The Gods to refuse.” Mako quickly glanced to the Emperor’s right and saw more clearly a smaller person kneeling beside him, though they were as still as a statue. The Emperor continued, “It is your mission to deliver my daughter to the Temple unharmed, so that she may continue her studies and fulfill the Gods wishes of her becoming a full priestess.”
Mako looked more boldly at the Princess once more, but she was completely covered with a veil. He was right, then; she must be horribly disfigured. He turned back to the Emperor, confused. It wasn’t typical to send off a child in a royal family if there was no heir left as a spare, and there were no guarantees that the Emperor’s wife would have a successful delivery. He held his tongue on the matter instead and watched the Emperor quietly.
“It pains me to part with my daughter so soon, but the protection here is not sufficient,” The Emperor sighed, before nodding to Mako pointedly, “We have done our research, and we discovered reports written by Tatsuya of your abilities in combat, so we are not completely unaware of the happenings of your organization. While some of the projects your group has committed have not been to my taste, there is a number that I can’t deny have benefitted Aomori as well. You may find this shocking, but I am unable to trust a mission such as this to the soldier’s here, as they are more casually trained than it appears you and some of your associates are. I think most of my men would be unacceptable for such a task, but a mercenary such as yourself has probably received countless missions that required the protection of an asset or a customer.”
“Yes, sir.”
“How many of those assignments would you say have been successful?”
“All of them, sir.”
“Very well,” The Emperor nodded, stroking his beard and looking mildly satisfied, “It seems Tatsuya was not just being generous in his reports. Perhaps we should go over the rules regarding my daughter then.” The veiled figure next to him shifted slightly, and then went still again. Mako was unable to make out any kind of face underneath, but he diverted his attention away and turned back to her father, “It would be wise if you leave anything conversational behind. It’s nothing personal, as all men live with sin, but my daughter, Kiyoko, is pure in all ways. Her heart and mind must remain pure through this journey to ensure that her initiation into the Temple of Ashmora is a success. Secondly, she must wear her veil at all times when in the company of others, including yourself. The common man will never be worthy enough to admire her beauty,” The veiled figure shifted again, and Mako tried once more to concentrate, but now he was confused. A beautiful princess tainted by something evil? Or was it the other way around? “And lastly,” The Emperor cleared his throat, “She must always be treated with the utmost respect. Whatever she commands you, you must fulfill. You would treat her as you would treat me, but your unending diligence to her safety is the top priority. If the situation calls for it, you may break these rules in order to protect her life, but only for that reason alone.”
“Yes, sir,” Mako called back, trying to hide his tension.
“I have provided all the necessary transportation for yourself, my daughter, and the carriage drivers,” He continued, “If you plan on hiring additional hands, let the drivers know and they will enlist additional horses and supplies, or whatever else it is you need to ensure this mission a success. You won’t have to worry about finding your way, so simply protect my daughter with your life instead. This is all I ask of you.” The Emperor gave him another pointed stare and Mako felt suddenly that all of his secrets were laid out in front of him. But without any more explanation, the Emperor waved his hand and Mako hurriedly straightened himself up and began to walk from the room, questions and fears swarming through his head. It wasn’t long before he heard the Emperor’s voice again, “Well, Kiyoko, go on. Your luggage is already by the carriage.”
Mako skid to a stop, shocked at the sudden start to this mission. Was he already leaving? He wouldn’t even have time to say goodbye to anyone, or even inform his boss that he was departing, and who knew if he would ever come back. He had been in situations like this before… and not getting to say goodbye to his friends and even his family has always haunted him. He had lost many people close to him over the years until he was ultimately alone again, but here in Aomori, Tatsuya and Rina were most important to him. He had no one else and he could only hope they would understand the situation and not hold it against him. It seemed he would have no choice on the matter anyway since after all, this was a task assigned by the Emperor.
Mako listened to the pattering of feet behind him, no doubt Kiyoko hurrying to catch up to him, but he didn’t dare look back at her. It wasn’t as if there would be anything to look at since she was completely covered, but her presence already was making him uncomfortable. The soldiers guarding the entrance pried open the door once more and the two of them walked outside of the chamber, where Mikhail stood waiting for them. He bowed to Kiyoko without even looking at her and then turned to Mako, who was trying hard to appear composed at this moment. Perhaps Mikhail understood, as he nodded sympathetically.
“I should warn you of the dangers you face,” Mikhail said, showing them the way outside of the corridor, “You may have heard of people like the Princess before, so you may already be familiar with the troubles that surround Blessed people. She has been targeted by religious fanatics since her birth, and so because of this knowledge, her identity and even her existence have been largely suppressed over the years. The wild rumors you have no doubt heard in the city are in some capacity true. There is indeed a strong power within the Princess, bestowed by the Goddess Ashmora herself, but these extremists want to try and extract her soul. The process would ultimately kill her, as you might have guessed, and would serve no purpose. It’s heresy, at the least.”
Mako considered everything he heard, tried not to look any particular way, and replied, “Surely a group of extremists is not powerful enough to require such protection as the palace offers.”
“It’s not just that,” Mikhail continued, “There are unfortunately a number of fanatics who are very wealthy, some are even lord’s of other lands, and they are consistently greedy, seeking more and more power. While they won’t outright send an army, they do send assassins from time to time, as the chance of success there is greater. The Emperor’s military force is far greater than any of theirs however, so a battle between armies would have an obvious outcome. While the selection process for the APF is grueling, there isn’t any specific training in subterfuge or stealth, so that is where a person like yourself comes in.”
“That is why I was chosen for this?” Mako asked.
“There is a benefit to being an outsider to the situation,” Mikhail replied, “The Emperor takes in a lot of consideration for… Tatsuya, wasn’t it? Even though most of his acts are criminal, the two are on friendly enough terms. He’s an intelligent man, your boss, and he manages to prune great mercenaries. The Emperor has been aware of him for years, they have even met together on occasion.” Mako found that incredibly hard to believe. After all the time he had spent with his boss, Tatsuya had certainly never mentioned the Royal family before. Everything had seemed normal, so what else was kept secret from him?
The trio stepped outside of the palace, where the carriage was waiting for them, and Mako saw a few pieces of luggage sitting off to the side, one of them being a dark case that Mako recognized as his own. Had the Emperor’s men gone through his home? Mikhail patted his shoulder and grinned, “Well, we aren’t completely out of touch with the stealthier side of things. Don’t worry, stay calm, and remember the Emperor’s rules.” Mako hurried forward and began placing the luggage inside their appropriate compartments. To his side, Kiyoko was getting inside the carriage, and he felt his heart drop once more. This was going to be one of his most uncomfortable assignments he’s ever had. He was already dreading it and it had barely even started.
“Well,” Mako sighed, turning back to Mikhail, “I won’t fail.”
“Good,” Mikhail said, waving goodbye as he closed the carriage door.
Once inside the carriage, Mako sat across from the fully veiled girl and finally felt brave enough to look at her. She was smaller than he thought now that they were so close to each other, though this was technically the only thing he could notice about her. Well, other than the fact that she didn’t move very much. Kiyoko seemed accustomed to sitting quietly, and largely going unnoticed completely, though that was mostly because the Emperor demanded it. Mako tried looking out the windows, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, the nerves of the whole day getting to him. Everything he had heard about the Princess hadn’t sounded very reassuring. He might have had similar missions before, but none seemed nearly as serious as this one. He seemed to understand now just how important it was for him to succeed. He had never heard of the Temple of Ashmora but he swore now that he would definitely get the Princess there safely. If there was anything better for him to do for his conscience, this was what he should do.
“Do you mind?” A quiet voice asked, from under the veil. Mako looked over at Kiyoko, surprised to hear her voice so soon, and saw her pointing to the veil on her head. He wasn’t sure if he should allow her, as this was one of the main rules the Emperor had given him, but before he could even say anything, she removed the veil and scratched the top of her head, “Sorry, it’s uncomfortable.” But Mako didn’t hear anything. The Emperor had not been lying about his daughter’s beauty. Her hair looked like it was stained white, with just the faintest touch of blonde, and even her skin and her eyes were light. She looked ghostly… no, ethereal, just like the walls of the palace. He had to tear his away from her, force himself to look back out the window. What was he supposed to do about this? She couldn’t just look like that…
“Your father doesn’t want you to remove it,” Mako said under his breath.
“Oh,” Kiyoko sighed, replacing the veil atop her head. Mako breathed easy for a moment, but now he felt guilty. What kind of life was it to be living under such a thing? He halfway wanted to say something more to comfort her, but then he remembered the Emperor’s other rule about avoiding needless conversation. With that in mind, it seemed that this mission would be one of his most boring, and Mako felt even more miserable. How exactly was he supposed to spend several weeks with a person he couldn’t even look at or talk to? Wracking his head for a solution, he eventually decided he just needed to treat this job as any other. If he focused hard, everything would work out and the time would pass.
For a long time, the two of them sat in silence, the carriage slowly making its way through the outer villages. Mako thought back to Tatsuya and Rina once more, wondering if they knew fully about his mission. Maybe Tatsuya had known everything in the first place, and was actually responsible for this. But why? Was there some kind of unusual reward for completing it? Was Tatsuya just using him to make ends meet? It didn’t seem likely, but at this point, anything was possible. He was currently sitting in a carriage with the Princess of Aomori, and that alone was surreal enough. It wasn’t often that he had such a luxurious job, most of them he spent his time trudging through mud and thick forests, or having to pay out of his own pocket for a horse or an inn. Those long years brought him to this point, right? Eventually, he had hoped to get better jobs, better paying jobs especially, but the risks here were extensive.
“You can just call me Kiyo,” Kiyoko said, her voice still hushed like a whisper. Mako had almost forgot about her, instinctively looked in her direction, and then hurriedly diverted his attention once more. Staying focused was much harder than he thought. “Are you scared of me?” She asked suddenly. Mako began to feel guilty. From the way he was acting, she probably felt like a monster, and he knew how that felt. But he couldn’t disobey the Emperor. Why was she even pestering him like this? Hadn’t she been in the meeting chamber and heard everything her father said? She should know her own families rules.
“I think it’s best if we follow your father’s orders,” Mako said plainly, still staring out the window. Kiyoko sighed, and began tapping her feet quietly against the floor of the carriage.
“But you don’t agree with it, do you?” Kiyoko asked, herself unable to stop thinking of how fast he had turned from her. Mako tapped his finger anxiously against the hilt of his sword and impatiently began staring out the window. He wasn’t actually sure how he felt on the matter. He had already seen what she looked like and… well, the type of people that looked like her were better off away from society, and if the Emperor said she should stay covered then that was just how it was. Still, he didn’t want to tell her this, or even admit that he agreed with the Emperor.
“I can’t disobey your father,” Mako said sternly, hoping to settle the matter.
Kiyoko seemed unphased, “I’ve never been outside the palace before,” She said, kneeling on the seat and looking out the window through her veil, “I can’t see very well, though.”
Mako rolled his eyes, feeling frustrated, “Fine, you can take it off, but I can’t look at you.”
Kiyoko excitedly removed the veil and pressed her face against the window. Mako tried his best not look, but he couldn’t help but smirk at the faces she made at the livestock they passed. Before she was able to notice him, he made sure to turn his attention back out the window. He expected her to get bored of it fairly quickly, but for a solid half hour, she stayed plastered to the carriage window, watching everything that passed. Mako hadn’t thought much of it yet, but as more time passed, he started to feel that the veil had more purpose than he initially realized. Without it, she would be completely recognizable to any assassin looking for her, and it was probably best that she not stay so exposed.
“That’s enough, sit back now,” Mako ordered, feeling antsy once more.
“Oh,” Kiyoko seemed to snap out of her daze and sat back against the seat, “It’s a shame I won’t see much of the world apart from this journey...” Mako looked away, trying not to think much further about it. He didn’t want to think that a life at the Temple of Ashmora would be anything other than splendid and perfect for a Princess. It was his mission to take her there and leave her there, essentially. But what if she didn’t end up liking the Temple at all?
“The veil,” Mako waved his hand at her and stared hard out the window, trying to ignore the reflections within it. He didn’t need these distractions.
Kiyoko however held the veil in her hands and stared at it for a long while, eventually sighing and saying, “I don’t want to wear this,” Quickly she looked to Mako, who finally looked her in the eyes for the first time, “You have to listen to me, I’m the Princess,” She said firmly, surprising him, “What’s your name?” Mako couldn’t help but be taken aback by her sudden change in attitude, and was unsure of how to proceed.
“Er,” He hesitated, “Mako.”
“Do you have a last name?”
Mako looked back out the window, “No.”
“Why not?” She asked curiously.
Beginning to lose his temper, Mako snapped back, “I don’t have to answer these questions, my job is to escort you and that’s all.” Kiyoko looked startled and turned away. After a few moments, she replaced the veil on her head. It wasn’t his responsibility to care for her feelings, he simply had to keep her safe. As far as he was aware, her father wouldn’t hear much of this trip other than whatever the outcome was. He was only following the Emperor’s instructions in the first place, so it wasn’t his fault if she was offended by the rules.
Mako folded his arms and leaned back into the seat, staring intently out the window. It was impossible for him to pretend that she wasn’t there. The whole mission was turning out to be more troublesome that he expected, and he hadn’t even expected it to be easy. Perhaps it was in his best interest to hire more help, since after all, he would need to sleep sometime….
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