by C. J. Anaya
“It did seem as if your anxiety grew, and then Father summoned you to his receiving room. Bad luck, I must say.” Saigo looked as if he’d eaten something sour. “Back to Kenji’s question, however—we have to wonder if someone in the palace knew your whereabouts and sent the nekomata after you.”
We sat silent, contemplating that frightening thought.
“I agree that your sister’s safety is a real concern. Katsu may be your only hope in keeping you safe, child. I know you wish to leave, but you must consider the prophecy,” Kenji began.
“Kenji, you and I both know the prophecy is merely a legend,” Saigo said.
“Then how do you explain the princess’s gift for healing?”
“She has an immortal father who happens to be the god of health and longevity. It isn’t that hard to put two and two together.” Saigo gave me a happy grin as if that answer discharged me of any responsibilities I might have as The Healer.
“She fits the prophecy’s stipulations on every point,” Kenji argued. “She is female, a half kami born of a god and an empress. She has healing powers and can use them to heal the veil between our world and the next.”
“Ah, yes, this notoriously elusive veil. Tell me, Kenji, how do we know she is capable of healing it if she can’t even see it?”
“Excellent point.” I smiled. Saigo was always so clever, and always trying to find ways to prove the prophecy wrong.
“That’s where Katsu comes in. He will train her on all of that. It’s probably another reason why your father has arranged tonight’s meeting a few months before your birthday.” Kenji rubbed his hands together and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “Of course, I would love nothing more than to help you escape from that damned prophecy’s abysmal future. Nothing is worse than arranged marriages, and who really wants to heal a veil between the living and the dead for the rest of eternity?”
“Also an excellent point.” I grabbed both their hands and squeezed tight. “Perhaps there is a loophole. Shall we pore over the prophecy again?”
“Yes. Any plan at this point is better than no plan at all.” Kenji stood up and walked over to some large shelves on the far side of the room. He pulled out a scroll, a copy of the original prophecy. The real prophecy was framed in glass and held at a Shinto shrine that paid homage to the god of love and marriage. I thought it an odd place to house the original prophecy, but the monks in residence preserved all sorts of ancient writings, so I supposed the prophecy was in good hands.
It had been written in the original formal language of our First Parents, a language very few kami spoke today. It had been translated into a variation of Japanese that most everyone in my country used now. Who knew how much of the translation was actually accurate?
After all, languages are always evolving, much like people and their ever lowering levels of character.
Laying the prophecy on the table, Saigo unrolled its scratchy exterior and flattened it with a few books. Then he read the awful words, a selection of words I knew by heart.
Once strong and firm the veil grows thin
Amatsu, with his vengeful heart
Will rend in two and tear apart
The earth and all therein
One warrior god will not suffice
His sword cannot undo this fate
Unless he meets his true soul mate
And love unite, but for a price
For only she, half mortal born,
Can heal the one that’s turned to stone
A kami father, a royal throne
Where mother sits, a kingdom torn
Her gift to heal is only part
Of when and where she must become
The Healer, but to heal the one
Death she must overcome
I closed my eyes and felt the weight of the prophecy sink my spirits.
“Okay, so clearly the warrior god is Katsu, the kami who was charged with maintaining the strength of the veil. He can’t keep the veil strong without a mate by his side, but it can’t be just anyone. It has to be his soul mate.” Saigo paused for a moment considering. “Perhaps we can prove you aren’t his soul mate, sister.”
“Of course she is, child.” Kenji shook his head. “The prophecy spells out exactly who she is. Half mortal, born of a god and a royal mother, she can heal…is any of this sounding like someone we know?” Kenji reached across the table and smacked Saigo lightly across his head.
“But maybe there is another princess out there with the same problems.” Saigo insisted.
I had to laugh outright at the way he labeled my parentage and gift. They were problems, indeed.
“I still don’t like the ‘Death she must overcome’ part.” Saigo clicked his tongue against his teeth, a nervous habit of his.
“You know the prophecy is referring to my mortal side. I can’t become The Healer completely if I haven’t transitioned into a full kami by the time Katsu and I begin to heal the veil. If I haven’t overcome my mortal side, then I will die working alongside the warrior god.” I sighed. “Although, I can’t help but embrace that idea. Death seems like a welcome relief and a great escape plan all rolled into one. If only I were the suicidal type.”
“Yes, how terribly unfortunate to value one’s life over impending servitude,” Kenji said dryly.
“What does the prophecy mean when it says ‘when and where she must become The Healer’? Isn’t she considered The Healer already?”
Saigo had asked this question hundreds of times before, and I always gave him the same answer. “I’m not The Healer completely until I’m a full kami, genius.” It was my turn to reach over and smack him lightly across the head. “As far as the ‘where’ is concerned, I’m assuming it is talking about the exact location where the veil is the weakest.”
“That’s the problem, sister. There’s quite a bit of assuming going on where your future is concerned. I can’t help but think we are missing something important here.” He clicked his tongue against his teeth again, and then blew out a heavy sigh. “What if the scholars who translated this were wrong?”
“I would have to agree with Saigo,” Kenji said. “The prophecy is obscure at best and, at worst, open to interpretation. It’s the only reason I’ve been willing to support this mad escape plan of yours—against my better judgment, I might add.” He wagged his bony finger at me and then winked.
Warmth filled my heart at the clear concern he was willing to show for my welfare. It was certainly more emotion than I ever received from my father, the nurturing paternal kind of emotion anyway. I was often the recipient of a myriad of other more unpleasant emotions from the emperor. Kenji had been my tutor for many years, and if I truly wanted to be honest with myself, he’d been much more of a father than my current one had. I valued his opinion on most matters, which was why I decided to reveal the most recent events of my day with him still present.
“My escape plan may have hit a snag or two,” I said evenly.
“Did one of Father’s spies find something incriminating?” Saigo was instantly on his feet.
I put up a placating hand and motioned for him to sit down.
“No, nothing like that. Father had me interrogate one of his generals this morning.” I paused in my narrative when Saigo let out an unhappy grunt. He hated our father’s abuse of my power. He didn’t know the extent of it, though. I never told him what the end result of transferring a person’s memories actually produced. The world was ugly, made uglier by the existence of the emperor, and I would protect my brother from as much of the ugliness as I possibly could. “Apparently, Father believed the man to be aligned with the samurai insurgents and wanted as much intelligence on the matter as he could get.”
“You say one of his generals was called into question?” Kenji asked.
I nodded.
“That’s very strange for a man of such high rank to never be discovered a traitor until now.”
“It would seem he wanted to be discovered in order to get close to me. I
think it must have been his plan all along.”
“He tried to assassinate you?” Saigo asked hoarsely.
I placed my hand on his to reassure him. “No, he wanted to pass a message along to me.” I noted the looks of confusion on my companions’ faces and decided to start from the beginning, sharing everything that had transpired, referring to the woman I had healed on the road and then delving into the risky business of defying my father and hopefully saving the soldier’s life. There was heavy silence for several seconds after my narrative. Kenji spoke first.
“I cannot believe you took such a risk with a complete stranger. What happens if he awakens before his body is disposed of?”
“I suppose we must pray the young soldier is a good actor, and it would seem he must be if he was able to work his way up to the position of general in my father’s army, all the while working for his enemies.”
“This is insane. There’s no way I’m going to stand by and allow you to keep your window unfastened so some samurai general can sneak into your quarters.” Saigo shook his head in bewilderment. “And furthermore, who ever heard of a female commander?”
“Saigo, there are female warriors in Father’s armies.”
“Yes, but those women are kami warriors.”
“Who’s to say this commander isn’t?” Kenji asked.
I felt surprised by his suggestion. “Do you really think there are kami out there fighting against my father?”
Kenji gave a furtive look around the room. I thought it was silly that he was looking for spies now, after how candid we’d been, discussing my intentions to allow a traitorous general to enter my bedroom window and my intentions to leave the palace for good.
“If there were spies in my quarters, Kenji, I'm fairly certain they would have raised an alarm and charged us with sedition by now.” Saigo quirked a mocking eyebrow at our cautious tutor.
Kenji shook his head. “You children take too many chances, and we must be vigilant always. Your father’s spies are everywhere. Now, as to the issue of whether or not there are kami willing to fight against him, there’s no question Emperor Fukurokuju is an evil deity. The only reason he’s been able to hold his power and authority over the empire this long is simply because he was the kami chosen by our First Parents to father The Healer.”
I winced.
“I’m sorry, child, I know how tiresome that title is for you. Anyway, now that your birthright is nearing its fulfillment, many people, including kami, are ready for Emperor Fukurokuju and his wife Chinatsu to step down. It’s a kami’s job to keep the world in balance by overseeing one specific task.”
“Yes, I suppose Father has been quite remiss in his duties as the god of health and longevity, what with people starving to death, suffering from incurable disease and being butchered left and right.” Saigo’s disgust mirrored my own.
“You’re quite right, young prince. The emperor has traded his priorities as a kami for greed and power. He was given the opportunity to rule with Chinatsu for The Healer’s sake, but it would seem he has lost sight of what is really at stake here, that being the healing of the veil.”
“If there really is one, and I’m not convinced there is. I honestly believe it’s just one of Father’s tricks, using me as some kind of secret weapon, some bargaining chip with the warrior god Katsu.”
“Be that as it may, I’m not sure how much longer the gods will allow your father to continue. I sometimes wonder if he will eventually share the same fate as the demon god Amatsu-Mikaboshi.”
“One can only hope,” Saigo said. “Such a happy thought, really.”
“Saigo.” I slapped his hand. “After all, he is still your father.”
“Our father,” he amended, “and what a shame it is to call such a man family.”
I agreed with him wholeheartedly of course, but I had very good reason to. My brother, on the other hand, had never received so much as a slap on the wrist from my father and could do no wrong. He was the pride and joy of the Empire, a man, after all—not a woman like me, a helpless female.
I supposed many could have looked upon our different situations and wondered how we could be so close and not resent one another. The idea would never have crossed our thoughts. I could never wish a single beating to fall upon Saigo’s fragile emotions, and I would take punishment after punishment to protect him from a similar fate.
Saigo’s dissatisfaction and hatred with the emperor stemmed from his disgust with the abuse of my power, my father’s indifferent attitude toward me and the suffering Saigo had witnessed when making his rounds in the neighboring villages. He saw the pain of our people and knew something could and should be done to prevent it, but our father remained stubbornly deaf to their cries for help.
“Back to the real issue here, I agree with Saigo. You simply cannot allow the leader of the samurai insurgents to enter your quarters without someone there to protect you in case the scenario should play out badly. What if they are merely wishing to kill you?” Kenji leveled a questioning look at me.
He always taught my brother and me to consider every possible path no matter the subject we were studying. The several different paths that could result with any reckless behavior on my part needed to be considered also.
“I’m The Healer.” I nearly choked on the title. “If they kill me, they kill their savior.”
“Maybe they think the prophecy is simply a tool being used to subject them to poverty and enslavement much like you do. It might make them feel more inclined to kill you. With The Healer out of the way, is there really any reason for Emperor Fukurokuju to be in power?”
I felt my jaw drop at this rather frank, yet accurate, assessment. If even The Healer herself didn’t believe in the prophecy, it stood to reason that others had come to the same conclusion, especially if those others had a desperate enough reason to want the emperor thrown out of power. I was no longer certain that I had made the right decision in letting that soldier go free.
“It might be worth the risk,” I argued. I was loath to give up my opportunity, slight as it might seem, to receive help from my father’s enemies. “If they don’t wish to assassinate me, then maybe they can use me to help save this empire. I may not believe in healing the veil, but I do believe in saving our people.”
Saigo nodded at me and gave me an approving smile. “I will help you then. Tonight when you leave your window unfastened, I will stay hidden within the room and protect you, just in case their intentions are not as honorable as they have stated.”
“Of course, I’ll be there too,” Kenji added. “Life has been a bit dull lately. This old mule could use a little excitement.”
I grinned at both of them and took one of their hands in each of my own. “You two mean the world to me, so no risk taking.”
“Nonsense, sister. If someone wounds me, I’ll simply beg you to heal me on the spot. I would prefer that you allow any and all scars to show through, though. I have it on good authority that some ladies find the wounds of battle rather attractive on a young man.”
“You’re only sixteen, Saigo. I better not hear of any females looking at your scars,” I warned.
“You need not fear on that count, Princess.” Kenji smiled. “For I have it on good authority that a female is more attracted to a man capable of growing a full beard.”
Saigo raised a free hand to his smooth face and sighed in defeat.
My tutor and I let out happy chuckles. I supposed if I was going to face a possible assassination attempt, it was wise to do it with two of the most important people in my life.
* * *
After visiting my brother and Kenji, I returned to my rooms only to find Aiko impatiently waiting for me. Apparently, she had heard of the last minute engagement ceremony and felt it necessary to prepare me for the event a good seven hours early. In her defense, the process of dressing and styling my hair took up an insufferably long period of time, but I had hoped to cut the time short by donning one of my specially designed wigs fo
r the occasion.
Unfortunately, Aiko was itching to get her hands on my long, black tresses. My hair fell below my waist, a status symbol of beauty and nobility for any imperial princess. I found the length terribly annoying and would have cut several inches off if my maid and my mother had allowed it.
She sat me down on a brown lacquered chair next to my bed and hauled over a large bowl filled with wax. I sighed. There would be no avoiding this unfortunate situation.
“Aiko, I would rather not wash and rewash my hair in order to free it from this terrible wax you’re planning on using.”
She stopped the hand reaching for the waxing brush, a thin wooden comb she would use to evenly pull the wax through my hair.
“This is your engagement ceremony, Princess. Your wigs will never do for such a special occasion as this.”
I stuck my tongue out at her in a very unladylike manner. “You simply wish to show off your impressive hairdressing skills.”
She gave me a wicked wink, reached for the wooden comb, dipped it in the wax and proceeded with her cruel torture.
The wax helped the hair hold its elaborate form, a necessary evil in Aiko’s eyes, but I would have rather spent my last hours of freedom jumping into the eel infested moat surrounding the palace or enduring a twelve hour lecture on the development of rice farms in the neighboring villages—anything but this nonsensical preparation for an engagement with which I never intended to follow through.
She started with the lower parts of my hair above my neck and ran wax through them, all the while humming to herself. I sighed heavily, resigned to my fate at this point. Once she sectioned and tied different parts of my hair in the design and shape she wanted, she moved on to the top part of my head around my crown and hairline.
Despite my impatience, the process was quite soothing, and I soon found my mind reviewing the last twenty-four hours. A memory of startling blue eyes, light hair, and fair skin made my own face flush as my heart rate picked up.