When I had free time, I often wandered to the royal library to read. It was not particularly large, but still had enough books to keep an inquisitive child occupied for months. I would grab a book with an interesting title and head over to a sunlit corner of the room to peruse it. One day, while enjoying a gem I found about an emperor who married his sister, I heard the soft pitter patter of footsteps approaching my usual reading spot. With incredible dexterity, I slipped my reading material between the pages of a book on mathematics. “Good afternoon, onii-sama.” “Hey, Himeko.” “Am I interrupting your reading?” If anything, the book was interrupting me from talking to my little sister. I suddenly wanted to throw the book out of a window. “Not at all. Did you need me for something?” “I came to find a book to read.” “Do you want a recommendation?” “Sure!” I stood up and browsed through a shelf nearby before picking a dog-eared book with bindings that were coming loose and handing it over to my sister, who took it gratefully. “This one is about the legendary swordsman who founded Yama after conquering the ruthless oni that lived here.” It seemed like a strange choice to give to a 7 year old girl, but she always liked the heroic stories I read to her when she was younger. We sat next to each other and I pretended to read about mathematics. After a few minutes, I glanced over to see how far Himeko had gotten with her book. She was still on the first page. I looked up and found her gazing at me. She quickly lifted the book up and buried her face in it. “Say, Himeko.” “Yes, onii-sama?” her voice muffled by the book. “Want me to read that book to you?” She brought the cover back down. “Is that okay?” “Yeah.” “Of course!” I leaned closer to her and started reading out loud. Before I got very far though, the library door slammed open and a loud childish voice called out, “Onii-chan, play hide-and-seek with me!”
The royal librarian glared at the intruder, who had the size and temperament of a golden retriever. Her shiny red tail swished from side to side as she scampered towards us, almost knocking over a shelf in the process. “Onii-chan!” was her war cry as she barreled into my chest, knocking the breath out of me. “You’re getting really big, Fuhua, I’m not sure my body can handle this anymore.” I said this out loud, but even if she was a ten foot tall dragon I’d still be happy to catch her. “Ehehe. Ah, onee-chan, tell onii-chan to play with us.” “Eh? Why me?” “Because onii-chan listens to everything onee-chan tells him.” “Is that so?” Himeko looked at me. “Onii-sama, will y-” “Yes.” “I didn’t even finish my sentence!” “See! Now let’s go!” Fuhua dragged the two of us into the garden. For someone who wasn’t yet 3 years old, she was really strong, thanks to the dragon blood flowing through her. She could walk as soon as she was born, learned to talk and run in just a few months, and since then hasn’t stopped. But one thing she hasn’t learned how to do yet is hide. “Found you!” The little half-dragon was crouching inside an azalea bush. “I thought my hiding place was perfect this time, how did you find me!” “Your tail was reflecting the sunlight.” “Ah. I’m sorry my tail, but I’m going to have to cut you off... it’s for a good cause.” Himeko popped out from behind a tree. “Don’t do that!” “Ahaha! We found you onee-chan!” When we weren’t taking lessons or training, the three of us spent our days playing around like this. At first, Fuhua wanted to try sword training with us, but after smacking herself in the face a few times, she decided it was not her forte. She also tended to fall asleep during history lessons. Our teachers often scolded her, but I found it cute. Still, as an older brother I should encourage her to be a little more diligent.
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Having finished his work, our father joined us in the garden. “Hey, are you guys playing hide and seek? Let me join! I used to be great at hiding. Well, if I wasn’t the oni would’ve eaten me!” Our father would often tell us stories about his battles with the oni before he became the emperor. “Weren’t you scared, father?” Himeko asked. “Of course! I was trapped in a forest full of man-eating oni at night. But I had to survive. Your mother was waiting for me at home, after all. I covered my whole body with leaves and mud and slowly crawled my way past the patrol. The sun was rising by the time I finally got out.” “I bet you needed a bath after that!” Fuhua chimed in. “You bet! And it was the best bath I ever took in my life.” As our father was telling his story, an attendant had entered the garden. “Your imperial majesty.” “What is it? I’m spending time with my kids.” “There is a messenger waiting in the main hall. He has urgent news. ” My father clenched his fist. “Alright, I’ll be right there. Sorry kids, I’ll continue the story later.” The three of us were left alone in the garden again. “What do you think it is?” Himeko wondered out loud. “I bet the oni are attacking again.” The mischievous dragon grinned. “But I’ll beat them all up!” “We can ask father when the meeting is over.” I suggested, and my sisters agreed.
The look on Raiden’s face could only be described as grim. I was getting a little nervous about asking him now, and the other two were hiding behind my back. As the adult (on the inside), it was up to me to muster up the courage to inquire about what was causing his frustration. “Father.” “Yes, Issho?” “Forgive me if I’m overstepping, but what did the messenger say?” Raiden sighed deeply, as if all his energy had left his body. “I was going to have to tell you kids eventually, so now is a good time as any. 4 days ago, Iwa, a city at the western edge of Yama, was attacked by the Sireli.” “Is Sireli some kind of noodle?” Fuhua asked innocently. Himeko answered her question. “The Sireli are the race that inhabit the country to our west. They have long ears and golden hair. Our teacher told us about them before.” “Oh, guess I forgot.” “Why are they invading us?” Himeko asked our father. “Iwa is located in a mountain pass that connects Yama, Sireli, and Nanala, whom they’ve been at war with for the past century. They most likely want to use it as a base to attack Nanala.” “Are you going to fight them, daddy?” “Yes, I’ll probably have to leave in a few days, after the war council meets and we ready the supplies.” I had some concerns. “Father, don’t you think it’s strange that they would invade now, right after we made an alliance with Feng?” “Our alliance is mostly based on trade. Feng has not been directly involved in a war for over a thousand years. They may not send any soldiers to aid us.” “With you on the other side of the country, it’s a great opportunity for the oni to invade.” “I agree. That’s why I will leave as many soldiers as possible to reinforce the eastern border. If they do declare war, we will see it coming.” “I see.” “Issho, while I’m gone it’s your duty to protect your mother and little sisters.” “I will, father.” “Do you really have to go?” Fuhua asked in a soft voice. Raiden knelt down and gently placed his large hands on his daughters’ heads. “I’ll be back before your birthday, Hua. I’ll bring you something really tasty from Sireli.” “Okay.”
As our father walked away, his broad back seemed to carry the weight of the entire country. I wondered if I would be able to bear the responsibilities of the emperor. I shook those thoughts from my mind. For now, I just had to make sure my little sisters were safe.