The consequences of other's actions

[Guest]

Ao had been able to relax a day before turmoil had conquered the royalty. Of course she needed to focus on working out the rising problems of Xing and her mourning for her assumed to be dead husband was to be done now. She had more important matters to attend, of which were the announcement of the sad death, which she could hold on, and the pulling back of the 'police action' Sonai had begun. It was time to focus on reinforcing rather than spreading what little they had.

After a few hours behind a desk, Ao had found nothing of much help, but simply shoved it aside. Keeping her mind occupied was all she could do now. If she let her grief get to her, things would worsen further and though the nightmares plagued her, she had to keep herself with a straight head on her shoulders. Her eyes always deep in thought. She forgot there were others even around her and no longer did she have spare time. With a soft sigh, she stepped out on the balcony of the palace and took a deep breath. Now was the time.

"My people.." her voice shook lightly. It was late in December by now and she would be 16 soon. Or at least the weather seemed that way. "My dear children of Xing, I have incredibly unfortunate news." It was hard speaking the awful words. She knew the people would now seek out to destroy her very being. They'd send assassins and she wondered if she'd live much longer. A woman running the thrown, let alone one that's only royalty through marriage. She was in a tough situation.

"I am deeply sad to announce that... Prince Sonai will not be returning from Fort Briggs." She winced as the yells over threw her voice. Letting them rage a bit, she rose her hands once more before speaking, "However I will do all I can to help.." She said in a sad voice. "I may not be as strong or as ambitious as our late prince, I will however be here for this country in its time of need." She wondered if that would really help. Their reactions were various and people pushed and shoved from what she could see. Her mind wandered briefly as she closed her eyes and turned around. "I have no time to mourn, I must push forward.." Her strength, she wondered if it was a mask or if she truly could do this. Whatever the case, she was no longer a princess: she was an empress.

[Guest]

Jun walked into the office and saw the empress struggiling with the paper work and the matters of Xing at hand. He sighed a little and shut the door behind him calmly, instructing the other guards to wait outside. Jun looked completly different from what he used to look like not too long ago. He no longer wore the clothes of a Taoist Priest, but rather the clothes of an emperor, for he to was dressed for royalty. His new attire was a long, silk robe that stopped right at his feet. He wore pointed, silk shoes as well, along with a silk strategists' hat. His polearm rested on his back, as usual, but his flute sword lied in a sheath on his side. His green eyes locked onto the princess as he strode forward behind her, a serious, cunning look taking his face whole. As they walked out onto the balcony, Jun stood in the back, hidden from the audience, ready to surprise them should they cause any havoc. The speech the empress gave was weak, and not even worth giving if this was all she could say. The people got rowdy, and soon a stone was sent flying right for the princess.

Jun made no hesitation in throwing the silk cover off of his polearm and jumping into the air and slicing through the rock just inches before it came near the empress. Jun's eyes slendered, and the people grew silent with fear as Jun slammed the polearm down with great strength. He stared at the people, the silence giving off time for the princess to finish what she was saying. Jun's eyes darted to the princess, then back to the crowd. If she would end the speech the way she did, then surely the people would revolt. If they revolted, then Jun would not be able to restore the hiearchy of his family, the Tejirou Clan, and his ascension to the throne would become alot more difficult. He decided that it was time to strike fear into these indecent rodents, and show them that he was the balance of the Tao, and any who stood against the Empress, stood against him. He turned to the people, his serious look causing some to step back in fear as anger could be seen in his green, lustful eyes. He spoke calmly, yet his voice echoed throughout the palace and the land for the people before him to hear clearly.

"Now that the late Prince Sonai is dead, our Lady, and now Empress, Ao will take the throne and rule Xing. If any of you have an opposition to that, speak now!! You will not be harmed by the military, but know that I shall cut you down. Would you rather some tyrant rule this land!? If one rebellion or uproar rises, and if any of you ever interupt her highness, then you shall provoke my hand and leave me no choice but to bring the swift justice of my blade to your soon to be severed head. Do not cross our Empress, and do not dare think of crossing me. As the protector of the Empress, I have given my sworn word to protect her at all costs! If that means that I must asseamble the Xingese military and ravage the lands with a fearful policed prescence in the name of her Highness, than I shall! Watch your tongues you low life rodents! Or be prepared to bite the hand that feeds!! Imbeciles!"

Jun spun around swiftly and walked back to his position in the curtains behind the princess, but that speech of his was only the beginning. Soon, a man let out a scream as two lotus assassins appeared in the crowd and slashed him in half for attacking the Empress. Many people screamed in panic, but those screams died down, and the people began to bow before Ao, but in all actuality, they could see who their true leader was... They begged the Empress for forgiveness and awaited her gentle call and order. They had learned their place, and those who didn't would only suffer.

[Guest]

Ao simply continued walking it was as if she were deaf. Her speech was awful, that much was true and she knew she should have put more into it, but she had other troubles to worry of as well. Her duties had been hard enough with Sonai, but now she was without him and it was obvious that only a day of recovery was barely enough for the still adolescent child. Her eyes were furrowed as she found herself in her desk once more, and lying it down. She heard Jun's steps and looked up weakly. Her eyes sad and frustrated, "Jun... do the Gods hate me?" She asked in a sort of twisted laugh of disbelief. Her arms rested as a sort of nest for her head. Her eyes closed while the various guards gave an uncomfortable look. It was obvious the princess needed a bit of time, so they turned, looked at Jun with suspicious eyes and walked out to guard the door.

Her face was still gentle and yet all the stress was nowhere but in her eyes. With a look of distraught frustration, she rolled her head to loosen the muscles before relaxing once more. She couldn't trust anyone at this time and though she was relaxed, her hands were still rigid with the obvious discomfort of distrust. Who was to trust anymore? Already in one day she'd been jumped twice by guards and her personal chef tried to poison her. She hated her life at this point. It was obvious the country hated her. "Or are they just cruel to Xing?" She continued. They sat up there playing with Ao as a puppet and making her seem to be a disgrace to the whole country. Everything had some sort of rejection.

[Guest]

Jun pulled a chair up beside Ao and sat down next to her, placing his head on the desk, a gentle smile taking to his face as he pushed his long black hair out of his face. He made a little squeak noise with his mouth and the tapped Ao on her forehead playfully. The girl was obviously exhausted and she was in a scene of distrust and uncomfort. Jun felt as if he was the only one NOT trying to kill her, which was unusual for him. Her guards were even turning on him, which is why he told her to trust only him with personal guarding. He set his polearm down on the ground and rested his head on his arms, but continued to look at the Empress. How tired she was, but even when she was tired she was beautiful. Yes, over the days, feelings began to rise within Jun towards the young girl, and he had finally learned to just accept it. He decided to speak, his voice soft, light, feminine, and gentle aswell as comforting as he gave words of encouragement to the Empress.

"I'm always here for you, just trust me. Remember what I said when we first met? 'If I wnated to kill you, I would have done it by now...' I still stick by those words. I can help you, but you're going to have to trust me a little."

Jun's gentle eyes laid onto that of the Empresses' and a gentle smile took to his face once more. He rose his hand and tapped her nose lightly, trying to see if she was even awake. The guards kocked on the door, but Jun decided to let the Empress rest and told the guards to leave upon his command. They were hesitent at first, but they knew that Jun was not someone to be taken lightly, and as so, they left without any struggle. Silence engulfed the air around the two as even the people outside made their way home, the fear of the words of Jun still in their minds, forcing them to be obedient. Jun let out a light laugh as he continued to just stare at the Empress, her beauty amazing him for endless time.

[Guest]

Ao looked over at Jun, her eyes tired and her face rigid with stress. There was no refreshing breeze in the dark room and as she spoke her words shook. "It is true you have been here through the bad, Jun. However things are to reach the worst." Her eyes closed and she could feel tears. After a moment she could continue, swallowing the choking feeling in her throat. "But how can I trust you too will not leave or strike me in the back as all have."

A moment of silence smothered the air. The empress twitched her nose at Jun's flick which for some reason made her smile in return as weak as it may have been. Her eyes became cold briefly as she spoke, "How can you be so calm when I have doomed Xing? I am no leader and that is what Xing needs." Once she had finished she awaited either his leaving or his response.
[sorry crappy post but the wii is hard to post with]

[Guest]

Jun noticed that she was finally opening her eyes and stared at her with gentle eyes as she returned his gaze with a rather soft one of her own. He then gently brought his hand up and pushed a strand of hair out of her face and a gentle smile took to his face. Jun wasn't surprised that she was so untrustworthy, but was slightly surprised that she would let the stress get to her like this. Her doubt in her own will, however, was a strong point for him as he decided that it be best that she not get too confident, or else she might make the same mistake as Sonai. He let a sigh slip through his lips before he spoke, his voice very feminine and soft as usual, and for once, there was a sense of caring behind his tone.

"I won't stab you in the back because I like you, and as long as you need me by your side, I'll always be here."

Jun let a slight chuckle slip, but that was soon interrupted by a guard who burst through the door and pointed his gun at Jun. The guard called him rude, insolent, sneaky, evil, and a few other words not proper for the time being. Jun looked up at the man, and his face remained blank and expressionless, almost as if he wasn't afraid to die. He looked back at Ao and decided he'd wait and see what she'd do. He wasn't afraid, yet he wasn't going to trust her with his life completly, and so, his hand was secretly placed on his blade, ready to take action if it became neccessary.

"I'll always be by your side, and I'll make sure that you become a true leader of Xing. A goddess to the eyes of the land is what you shall become. Believe me."

[Guest]

"caede deum"

A voice was heard as deep as death as it echoed. Just after, a dome of a sort of crystalline substance formed around one of the men. It was a man standing next to this Ao woman, his name is Jun. The small dome would encase him almost instantly and if his hand was still towards Ao, it would be sealed. The dome would press against his arm to the point that he wouldn't be able to move it. Also, the dome was just enough so that no one else would get hurt.

"Ah, Jun Lin-Mei. You did a nice job luring Miss Shuskei to this spot. I have to thank my work, it was for more impressing than I would even hope, I wouldn't be able to choreograph that. I must say, that all my work is far to amazing to be the silent and never known type, but if it must, it must."

The man walked over to Ao and placed his right hand gently on her left shoulder. He peered towards the man, if he had not broken through the dome, though It was highly doubtful considering the composition of it, he didn't speak this time, only stood there, his other hand in his pocket. However, for a brief moment, you could see joy in his eyes. It faded rather quickly as he took a step forward and placed his other hand in his pocket to match. Under his left arm was his cane, and he simply held it there.

Not a moment after that step, he took his cane from under his left armpit, with his right hand, and started to lean on it a little, the cane in front of him. His eyes were suggestive and his mouth silent. His hands poised and every part of his body was as solid as stone, perhaps even diamond as well.

[Guest]

Shaking her head at Jun she managed a laugh. "That is a silly conquest. One cannot make a Goddess, a Goddess is chosen from the day of her birth." She looked confused, "How would you go about that anyways?" her voice was strong for the first time in a few days, however that was quickly apprehended as the sound of footsteps approached and the doors burst open once again. "I just fixed those." she groaned.

With what happened next Ao was surprised and yet not so much at the same time. Her eyes half closed with exhaustion and yet she still managed her regal appearance. She saw Jun put inside a sort of bubble of sorts and it made her look around. Who was capable of containing people? She didn't know, but it reeked of alchemy. Her head spun to the speaker and she recognized him, her blood ran cold. Right... she'd forgotten her deal with them. Well it wasn't a deal as much as an 'offer she couldn't refuse'. God her life sucked. With a shakey swallow she looked away from Jun and sighed.

"You were not supposed to come until next week." she said softly, her eyes trained on the man. He made her feel awkward and she was sure she wasn't the only one. His eyes were empty, cold and practically lifeless unless he was gaining something he really wanted. As he leaned on his cane, he portrayed false emotions and Ao wasn't going to struggle to figure out the true ones. Standing up, she gave him a sort of bow and looked at Jun a worried yet stressed look. This man... what was he here to do now? She wondered, but didn't too hard. She was in a bind and there wasn't much she could do but await an answer as the man still managed to tower over her though he was leaning.

[Guest]

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