Turned Table of the Phoenix

The Gardens

I sat in my room all night waiting for the arrival of Katsuro who never showed up. I sat there staring at the door and soon fell asleep facing it still. The next morning, I woke up with the idea of how to free Katsuro. I walked to the cell and found the jailer asleep as usual. I nudged him until he scrambled in his seat to sit up. He bowed to me and I spoke to him in a demanding manner.

"I ask that you release this man at once. We have evidence that this man is innocent. I will have him serve as a eunuch."

I looked into the cell where Katsuro's eyes had grown in fear. I smiled wildly and turned to the guard, "now release him at once, I won't ask again".

The guard reached down for his keys and noticed they were gone. He felt around his clothing and crawled under his seat to check. I looked at Katsuro who waved the keys frantically in his hands and grabbed them quickly, dropping the keys behind the guard. The guard turned around and smiled wildly exclaiming, "I found them!" He took the keys and unlocked the cell freeing Katsuro. "Shall I take care of this man"? I looked at him questioningly, "you said he would be serving as a eunuch".

I waved my hands frantically in front of me crying out, "oh no no no he's okay I assure you... umm yes.. they already took care of him.".

The guard looked at me with confusion written all over his face. I bowed and said thank you as I grabbed Katsuro's hand and led him out of the cell dragging him back to my room. He turned to me and pulled away once I closed my chambers door behind us and asked, "Are you serious though about serving as a eunuch". I chuckled and shook my head no. I sat on my bed and hugged my stomach as a laughed. When I looked up though, he looked angry.

"What's wrong?"

"You broke your promise to me. You promised that you would meet me in the gardens. I saw you with Hitoshi's son".

"I waited for you here afterwards and you never came! Imagine how I felt!"

He looked away and sighed, "I'm sorry... let's just move on and why don't you show me how to play chess." He tried to smile but it still couldn't mask his pain.

I walked over and grabbed the chess board, taking it to the bed and sat it down. Katsuro sat down on the other side of the board and I started my lecture.

"The pawn is known to be one of the weakest pieces in the board. These pieces represent the low class families who are often sacrificed first for the king. However if the piece makes it to the end of the board it too can become a queen. Knights are some of the most strategically made pieces on the board and are made to challenge the mind. I'm not going to focus so much on the other pieces, but what I'm about to share is what changed my whole view on life". I pointed to the queen and then the king.
"The Queen is one of the most powerful pieces on the board. She's able to move almost any direction as many spaces as she wants... she has no limits. The king on the other hand is only capable of moving one space in any direction. He depends on everyone on that board to support him and carry him. The king sacrifices almost every piece on the board just to protect himself. I want to turn the tables and be the ruler of my own game."
I continued to teach about the rules and the movement each piece could make. After I had finished Katsuro looked and me and smiled saying, "Well then why don't we play a few games".
Game after game I won and smiled victoriously leaning back against the pillows that covered the bed.

"Katsuro you need something else if you're pretending to be one of the eunuchs then you'll need a shenyi or at least something that's much simpler than what you are wearing currently".

I called out for a servant to come. The door opened ajar and in cake a maid, she bowed and asked what she could do.

"Please bring this man a shenyi he's serving me as a new eunuch."
The maid bowed and returned later with clothing for Katsuro. Before he left the room I tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Come meet me here after dinner and here take this, it may help you as it did for me". He held it out to read and chuckled, "a book for chess. I didn't know I needed to work on my chess that bad. Thank you for the book I'm sure it will come in handy. I smiled and watched him walk out the door with his goodies in hand, not too long after I trailed off heading for dinner. As I turned the corner I felt someone grab my arm and twirl me around on the opposite side of the corner.

"What are you doing with him?"

I looked up and saw Katashi looking at me with concern.

"He's the new eunuch assigned to me".

Katashi looked over to his side partially glaring, he then took my arm and led me down the hall.

"Come have dinner with me".

I walked down the hall, but I couldn't help that something was going on when Katashi constantly continued to check behind him and around him... searching for something or someone.
I entered the room and heard constant commotion, I passed a noble woman who was speaking to another woman, "I can't believe it they moved up the wedding to happen within three days?! Three days! That's unheard of!" I looked up at Katashi who was still at my side... he looked almost... scared.