Flower of Bulann

Chapter 19

Vior's dreams were hellish, after several days without sleep he had finally succumbed deep into the night.

"Look on this well, my son," his father said in an authoritative tone. "The others fear us. They fear us because we are unafraid to do what must be done."

Vior turned his small head from his father to the prisoners chained up and hanging mere inches from the floor.

They were stripped naked, a long table lay nearby, though his eyes were drawn to the multitude of knives and tongs placed upon it.

"These men are of our enemy. They will tell us their secrets, my son."

His father nodded to his black-clad guards, black hoods covering their faces. They each took blades and clamps from the table, then stood before each man.

"Will you tell me your secrets?" his father asked, a cruel smile upon his lips.

Each man spat upon the black-clad men, though they did not retaliate. In fact, they didn't even move.

"Your defiance is commendable... yet, each man starts defiant" his father chuckled, unfurling a whip from his belt and cracking it upon the face of the man to their right, a great cut opening across his forehead. "I foretell that you both last about two minutes."

Vior couldn't tear his eyes away from the gruesome scene as the man on the left was slowly and methodically gelded, the man's screams reverberating through his skull as the second man's pinky finger was stripped of its skin, Vior wanted to throw up, but his child self couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"Stop!" screamed the second man, the first having passed out as his genitals were truncated. "I will tell all, I swear it!"

"See, my son?" his father whispered. "The other clans would not have the stomach for such things, but we Faden are the true heirs of this land of Bulann."

Vior heard the ma spill all the secrets he knew, the birth of a favoured daughter and of a deep rift between the lords as never before.

"Then father shall soon declare himself emperor, my son" he whispered to Vior. "Then we Faden shall sweep this land clear of the corrupt lords and establish a dynasty for the people, for we are ever their champions."

Vior suddenly started awake, his breathing was ragged and sweat dripped from his brow.

"Kinna!" he panicked, quickly looking around for her.

His eyes landed upon her, lying asleep in Hinata's arms. Her maid holding a finger to her lips.

"What happened? why are you here?" he asked in quick succession, the sickening scenes of his dreams refusing to fade.

"I sensed... dark energies from here whilst I slept, lord" Hinata replied quietly, stroking Kinna's hair.

"Dark energies?" Vior wondered aloud. "You mean magic? but surely that is just in children's tales."

"I am sure it is, lord. Perhaps it was merely intuition" Hinata replied meekly, though Vior was aware she was merely placating him, if only he had his knives...

The thought had crossed his mind for the briefest second, but it was enough to terrify him. Was he being bewitched in the dark of night by unseen assailants?

"Is Kinna safe? was she... attacked?" he asked with a degree of uncertainty.

"She is safe, lord. For if someone was targeted, it would surely have been yourself" she shot back quickly, the glint of moonlight upon Kinna's blades drawing his attention.

Hinata followed his gaze, patting the blades at her waist.

"They shall be returned to her, but for now, I shall require them," Hinata told him, dropping his title entirely.

Vior just nodded and lay down once more, hoping that the handmaiden's presence would keep his nightmares at bay.

When Vior woke next it was to the sting of daylight through an open window, Kinna sitting beside it with Hinata nowhere in sight.

"Kinna?" he asked, hoping against hope Hinata had somehow cured her.

She didn't answer him and Vior walked over to the window, watching peasants being trained by Kuan and Tai'ishi. Their formations were poor, but he had faith in his brother.

Vior stroked Kinna's hair, wishing whatever hell she was in would give her back to him.

Kinna's eyes began to stream and she looked up at him before taking his hand in her own.

"Is it true, my love? did I run from father and join you in exile?" she asked, standing up slowly.

She seemed so frail and Vior took her in his arms, looking down upon her tearful face.

"It is, though we are not in exile. We are at my home" he answered her. "Though your brother is here, he came to bring you home, my love."

Kinna shook her head slowly, raising herself up on tiptoes to kiss him with a forceful gentleness.

"I am yours, and you are mine... even if my father will not see it," she told him, letting herself relax against his chest.

Vior's vision blurred as tears took him, tilting Kinna's head back as carefully as he could and showering her with kisses.

Kinna slid her hands inside his robe and forced it open, letting his kimono fall away to the floor.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked her, his honour demanding he speak up.

"Yes, though I am a little scared" Kinna admitted, running her trembling hands over his chest.

Vior untied the sash of her kimono, carefully sliding the garment from her shoulders.

Kinna pressed herself against him and Vior felt himself being overwhelmed with emotion, he raised Kinna's head and kissed her before picking her up and laying her down upon his bed.

"I have no experience of this" Kinna admitted, her face blushing red. "I shall be relying upon you, my love."

Vior smiled at her before kissing her once more.

"This is my first time also," he said, trying not to look Kinna in the eyes. "But I have heard others speak of it, so..."

Kinna cut off his rambling with a long deep kiss that put his nerves at ease.

"Then today we both become adults," Kinna whispered in his ear.

Vior gently pushed her back down onto his bed and they made love for the first time in their lives.