Kingdom of Power, of Courage, and of Wisdom

Kanyou's War - The Queen Mother

-Ryo's Estate, Kanyou-

High pitched screams filled the air. A door flung open, the birds squawked and flew in dust, and six tiny feet scurried out fast as they could. Fearfully they looked back, but kept their attention forward. They hurried to the wall outside of the building they had escaped, and finding it too tall and without passage to traverse, took right along the outer perimeter between the wall and the bushes. The bushes snagged at their dresses, but they did not, could not, let it deter them. Guards stood in the distance, and though they could be seen the guards would likely not aid them. They were on their own.

They fell into bushes and crouched down. Their eyes glued to the doorway they had left, unknowing of the hands behind them.

In a swift movement one of them was scooped up and lifted into the air. She screamed, the other two squealed and ran, and the guards glanced in their direction only to return to their patrol.

Everyone fell, laughing.

"Ryo!" The caught one cried, "How do you always find me!"

Ryo continued to hold her and spun around with her enveloped in his large clothes. The girl was much smaller than himself and so was swallowed up entirely. After spinning a time or two he stopped and put her down. Giggling, he lifted the blindfold, "Because I know your smell well, my dear."

"You cheated!" She pouted.

"I am guilty of nothing more than an ambition and virility far beyond my years! And a large nose!" He laughed. He softened her pouting and turned them to squeals with kisses before chasing after the other girls as well. They played for some time but it stopped as Ryo saw Rishi approach with a disgruntled look. This was nothing new, as Rishi, Ryo's chief minister of law, seemed eternally vexed by human's fallacies in the face of order. He spent his days, weeks, and months in isolation writing and was unnaturally pale, though also handsome as he was never burned by the sun.

"Ah, Rishi!" Ryo greeted his friend and ally. "Come join us! Sukki there is still beyond my reach and speed. Your aid in catching her should end her reign! To the winner goes the spoils, aint that right my pretties?" Ryo smiled lecherously towards his little concubines.

Rishi eyed them with disdain, frowned at their dirty, sweaty appearance, and sighed at their perverted antics. He shook his head. He said, flatly, "We have a report from our spy in Zelda's camp."

Ryo caught another girl and held her in a bear hug, but stopped on hearing Rishi's word and tone. He let his own demeaner fall from being so cheery, though he continued to hold the concubine. She looked up curiously at him.

Seeing he had Ryo's attention, Rishi continued, "The harem has sent a message to Zelda. The message bore the king's seal and was entirely blank. No words were written on the scroll."

Ryo's expressions shifted between various levels of confusion and thought, before becoming stoic. "I see." He said, simply. "I knew my plot against Zhao would shake Qin's foundations as well, but I hadn't expected that woman to be amongst the fruits to fall from its branches. Perhaps it is wishful thinking that I could peacefully swallow up Zelda's power without interference."

Rishi raised an eyebrow, "You actually think the harem seeks an alliance with the royal family after all this time?"

Ryo's eyes drew out towards the city. In the center, high above all though encased in walls was the palace. In a distant part of the city though, was another palace with just as many walls and just as tightly secured. The royal families' personal harem. It was here the princes and princesses were born and raised. It was here the jewels of the kingdom were locked up and preserved for the piety of the monarchy. Its walls and doors were shut tight as any fortress and armed by as many guards as the royals through their eunuchs.