Flower of Bulann

Chapter 30 - series two finale

Kuan arrived at the capital of Liu at the head of the army column, the formidable fortress stood open to him, a group of representatives knelt prostrated before him. Kuan couldn't wait to humiliate his father.

As he drew closer, Kuan noted the absence of his family members, the boxes nearby only cemented his guess that none of them now lived.

"Lord Kuan Faden," Hiroshi called to him as his horse reigned in before the delegates.

"That is indeed my name," Kuan said, unable to keep the venom from his voice, these were the people who had beaten him as a child, told him he would amount to nothing. Were it not for Vior's trust in him, Kuan would behead them all on the spot.

"Have you come to offer your unconditional surrender?" Kuan mocked, his horse raring and forcing the ministers to cower. Hiroshi stood his ground though, Kuan could respect his fearlessness.

"Not exactly, we have only one term... we wish for you to marry lady Liu Senna," one of the ministers replied. Kuan, noting his avoidance of using demanding language.

Kuan glared at the minister, the man avoiding his gaze immediately... how far his family had fallen.

"Very well, I can accept such a small term," he said with overwhelming confidence, then he took a deep breath. "Where is my father, and brothers?"

Soldiers in Liu garb rushed forwards, taking the four boxes and opening them before him. Kuan recognised his father's head and those of his older brothers.

"Take the heads and bury them with their bodies... he may have been a bastard, but he was still my father. Where is my younger brother?" Kuan asked, saddened that his elder brother Kim was dead, of all his family, he was the only one that had treated Kuan with any level of kindness.

"He is in the cells, my lord," one of the soldiers replied immediately.

"Clean him, then clothe my brother in Liu colours. Bring him to the throne room... a minister too, we may as well have the wedding ceremony now," Kuan commanded before kicking his horse to gallop into the fortress followed by the blackguards.

Dismounting in the courtyard, Kuan handed the reins to a stable boy, his single-eyed glare enough to cow the young man.

Kuan followed the route he'd walked a thousand times before, though this time he didn't have to fear reprisal for getting in the way. His blackguards formed an impermeable wall around him, though Kuan instinctively held the hilt of his blade as they marched onwards.

Out of habit, he stopped before the doors of the throne room, it felt strange coming here without the chance of being scolded and punished. His men pushed the doors open, the people inside immediately dropping to their knees before him.

Kuan knew everyone here, his mother with her short dark hair knelt beside the throne, the scar upon her face covered by her fringe. Kuan ignored the other concubines and raised his mother to her feet.

"Mother," he said warmly, turning her face so that their eyes met. "You need not look down, nor kneel before anybody again."

His mother smiled at him, her former beauty returning in spite of the wound his father had inflicted.  Tears rolled down her cheeks and she squeezed his arm tightly.

Kuan let her sit upon the throne, the gasps of the concubines made him smile at the sleight to them... only one lady did not gasp, nor did she break her gaze from him.

Kuan locked eyes with her and the lady stared at him with a defiant rage.

"Lord Kuan," Hiroshi called out before following Kuan's gaze. "I see you have met my daughter Senna."

Kuan smiled a twisted smile, that surely did not escape Hiroshi or Senna. So this lady was to be his wife? Kuan ignored her gaze and instead looked her top to bottom, Senna must have felt horrible for it, but Kuan had no respect for these people... he felt only disgust at them.

"Yes, lord Hiroshi. She is quite the beauty... is the priest here to marry us?" Kuan said cordially, hoping to see the shock and disgust upon Senna's face he hoped for... but she smiled at him instead, looking for all the world like a maiden in love.

Kuan motioned his blackguards and they took up positions around the room, their presence cowing the gathered people into a state of panic. The priest arrived a few minutes later, taking lady Senna's hand and leading her to Kuan, he watched her carefully, for there was every reason she would be an assassin, for a woman's kimono could easily conceal a blade.

When his mother made to stand from the throne, Kuan gently stopped her and she lowered herself back down once more.

"This is your seat now, mother. Keep them in line," he said in a soothing voice, giving his mother a warm smile that belied his sinister words.

The priest married him to Senna, with a packed throne room that dripped with contempt for him. Kuan bathed in it, feeling as though he had never smiled so genuinely in his life.

Once they were married, Kuan led Senna by the hand to the adjoining bedroom with two of his blackguards. As he left he noticed his younger brother at the far side of the room and nodded to him, they would speak later.

When they entered his father's former bed chamber his guards took up positions at the doorway while lady Senna stopped a few paces into the room.

"Husband, are they to stay here?" she asked, her anger becoming evident.

"Of course, how can I trust that you are not an assassin sent here to kill me?" he replied casually, surely this woman knew the circumstances of his time here?

Lady Senna quickly untied her sash, letting her robe fall away to the ground. Her nakedness only obscured by Kuan's larger frame.

"Are you happy now, husband?" she spat. "Or do you intend to humiliate me further?"

She seemed on the verge of tears and Kuan ran his eyes over her, there certainly didn't seem to be any weapons upon her.

"Leave us," he commanded, waiting until the guards left before moving again.

He unlaced his armour roughly, each piece falling to the matt below with a gentle thud. Kuan then cast his robe aside as Senna watched him unflinching. Finally, Kuan removed the cloth that covered his missing eye, keeping it held in his hand as he looked away.

"Do I not disgust you now, my wife?" he asked.

Lady Senna took his face in her hands and turned it towards her. "Your appearance does not, your treatment of me does."

Kuan was angry, he felt frustrated... it would be so much easier if she would hate him, if he could take out his frustrations upon her.

Lady Senna took his hands and led him to the bed and laid him down upon it, the behaviour throwing Kuan off.

"Even if I were to be your assassin, your guards would surely massacre everyone in the throne room right now... so please, if only for this one night, let me feel like I'm your loved wife," she pleaded, filling Kuan wth a guilt he hadn't known he could feel.

Kuan held her slim body and rolled Senna onto her back, "very well... I shall give you my trust... but you have but one chance."

"That is all I ask," she replied, gently kissing his cheek.

Kuan wasn't sure if he could ever truly trust her, possibly ever... but he made love to her gently, imagining she was Kinna.