Chapter 35
“My mother, Yukoshi was the first wife to King Kawa. He loved her very much,” Sheiji began. “Her first child was a daughter, but she died when she was two. Then my father created an alliance with Kasara by marrying the princess Thu. Her first child was a son, Sui-Tsai, and her second child was Tamé. My father was very happy with his two sons. Shortly after, he married Thu’s half sister, Bai who had Kano and others. Through all this, my mother had seven daughters, two of whom died, and one son who died at birth. Even though my mother never had a living son, my father still loved her very much.
“At last, when my father was almost too old to have children, I was born. I am the youngest legitimate child of King Kawa. My father was happier than he had ever been, or so I am told. But my mother, who was also growing old, did not recover from my birth and she died shortly after.”
“So you never knew your mother?” Sahima asked.
“No. And my father would never talk of her. He grieved for a long time when my mother died,” Sheiji answered. “As the youngest child in the palace, I was often forgotten, but that didn’t matter to me. I was allowed to run and jump and swim in the Genji. I had a long childhood. In fact, I don’t think I grew up until the day my father died when I was fourteen.”
“It served you well to have practice with running and jumping,” Sahima smiled. “If you hadn’t, perhaps you wouldn’t have learned to survive in the streets so quickly and easily.”
“Quickly!” Sheiji scoffed. “Not quickly and it was far from easy. I hurt so much every night I could hardly sleep.”
Sahima smiled, “Still. You learned quicker and easier than I learned. Go on with your story.”
“I think it was this freedom that made me different from my other brothers. I sometimes saw beggars at the palace gates and I learned to play gently with my nieces and nephews. But everyone thought from the beginning that King Kawa would choose Sui-Tsai as his heir. Though the law says that the king might choose any legitimate son for his heir, it is customary that the eldest or second eldest son inherits the throne. That is why Sui-Tsai was so angry when my father named me king.”
“Do you think your father foresaw the trouble your brothers would cause?” Sahima asked.
“I have no doubt. I got the impression that he and Fa-Ying discussed it privately many times before he died. I’m sure they must have realized the danger I would be in. But I was the son of his beloved wife and am very kind-hearted.”
“Don’t puff yourself up,” Sahima cuffed him playfully and he grinned back at her.
Suddenly, Sahima cried, “The gates are opening!”
Sure enough, the gates were swinging open at their slow pace. Sui-Tsai’s soldiers stood before it and snaked back through the streets because there was not room for them all at the entrance. Sheiji’s soldiers still stood in the field, though the gates were wide open. Then slowly they began to retreat.
“What are they doing?” Sheiji cried in alarm.
Sahima’s eyes were glued to the scene below. A great cry went up from Sui-Tsai’s soldiers inside the city and they began to chase Sheiji’s retreating men. Soon the city streets were empty except for several stragglers. Now men clad in the uniform of Sheiji’s army ran out from behind houses and market shops. The gates began to close and the soldiers pushed with all their might to speed the process.
Sheiji laughed, “I see! Look, Sahima. They just got all the soldiers out of the city. They have the city wall at their back and our army at the front. There’s no retreat! Look, our men are turning around to face Sui-Tsai’s army.”
Sahima laughed too, “Sui-Tsai’s army just realized that they’re trapped! They’re panicking! No, now their general is calling them on. They’ll fight.”
“Look what’s happening down below,” Sheiji pointed. “Our soldiers are running to the palace. I wonder how many guards are stationed here.”
Sui-Tsai must have been prepared, for Sheiji’s men were met head on with a company of soldiers. Sheiji spotted General Ammar and Inon at the head of the procession. General Hano was in charge of the battle outside.
Inon was fighting hard. Sheiji hadn’t realized how skillful he was until that moment. Within minutes, Sui-Tsai’s small company was defeated and General Ammar cautiously moved in. Another company of soldiers attacked, but they, too, were defeated easily with the general’s larger company. Sheiji spotted only three of his soldiers down wounded or dead.
“Sheiji, we’d better get you back before Fa-Ying gets inside,” Sahima advised him. Sheiji agreed and she led him at a slow run back through the passage.
They arrived back at the room and opened the door to find Fa-Ying with a stormy expression on his face. He whirled around to face Sheiji and promptly slapped him across the cheek. Sheiji was so shocked that he only stood blinking his eyes and staring at Fa-Ying.
Sahima stepped forward angrily. “You dare to slap your king?” she roared at him.
“He dares to disobey me,” Fa-Ying returned. “I said stay here! You’re a grown man, Sheiji, and you don’t listen to what’s good for you!”
“I’m sorry, Fa-Ying,” Sheiji replied meekly. “We only went to the tower to watch the battle. We didn’t even leave the passage.”
“Don’t apologize to him, Sheiji,” Sahima snapped. “He’s the one who should apologize. You ought to lose your head for this!” She stomped her bare foot on the tile floor.
“Sahima, if you can’t be civil to Fa-Ying, then I don’t want you around,” Sheiji retorted.
Now it was Sahima’s turn to look shocked. The anger left her eyes and she dropped her gaze to the floor. She looked up at Sheiji with hurt in her eyes, then ran out the door and down the passage.
“Sahima!” Sheiji hollered after her, terrified of what he had just done. He was about to race after her, but Fa-Ying placed a restraining hand on his arm.
“Leave her,” he said softly. “She’ll be back.”
Sheiji watched her as she disappeared through the hole leading to the outside world.
“She is right, though, I’m afraid,” Fa-Ying said, still quiet. “I should not have slapped you, nor spoken as I did. I should lose my head, though I pray that you give me mercy.”
“It is granted,” Sheiji replied. “You were simply worried about me.”
“You are like a son to me, Sheiji. I worry about you as a father worries about his son,” Fa-Ying said. “Ever since your father died, I’ve been with you and watched you grow and change, both physically and in how you think and act. But there’s one thing that has never changed, and that’s your headstrongness. I feel it will be your downfall one day.”
“I’m sorry, Fa-Ying.”
“Come, Sheiji. The day isn’t getting any younger. It’s time for you to become king.”