All In The Name Of Love
The next day, all stood in the main hall to hear the special announcement. Present were five magic casters from the magic division, the commander, the shogun's hand, Fabien Pendragon, ten pikemen, ten Samurai, three archers, three noble lords, some dignitaries and a few valued members of the general public.
Emrica was brought forward to stand before them. Her eyes and her face were emotionless as she stood before the court.
The shogun stood up from his seat and said
"Tomorrow is the grand day of our wedding however before the wedding takes place, all ties that you have, must be severed."
The shogun motioned to a guard at the corner of the hall who began to drag a weak prisoner into the main hall.
There were scars and sores all over his body as he was led into the room with chains on his hands. He was then pushed on the ground before everyone.
Emrica could see that the individual was her beloved, however she dare not move or say a word as she tried to contain herself.
The shogun's voice boomed in the main hall as he said, Emica here before you is your past betrothed, a pitiful excuse for a man. Poor and lowly is all I see as he stands before me. He was caught trying to enter the kingdom at night. My guards had been on the lookout for him, just in case he decided to show up.
To be honest, I never thought that he was so stupid, to come here to my kingdom.
If I were to rid his presence before the face of the earth, then I know that you will hate me forever and would never be mine in spirit so I will give him a choice. His last choice!
Turning to Yoshuu, he said, rid yourself off the face of this earth and I will make sure that your blacksmith father needs nothing for the rest of his pitiful life.
I will give him and Emica, a life that they could have never dreamt of in your absence.
The shogun snapped his fingers for Fabian the sorcerer to hand him one of the vials.
The sorcerer handed him one that he had from his pocket. The shogun raised up the vial with the blue liquid in his hand.
Before everyone in the main hall, the shogun said
"Within my hands, I hold one of two elixirs that grant the one who drinks it, long life.
Two elixirs that have never been created before, until now. One is a gift for my future wife and the other…"
Opening the vial in his hand he drank all of the Elixir. The other…
"Is for me, the Shogun continued. He shook himself a bit as the elixir headed into his system.
A bit of envy came across the faces of the wives as they heard about the elixir for his new wife.
"That's a chance of a lifetime someone said in the background."
"An incredible future now lies in her hands, a guard muttered."
The shogun then slowly walked down the steps, motioning to his main guard to give Yoshuu the ceremonial dagger that he had in his waist.
The guardsman walked up and removed the chains from his hands and forced Yoshuu to his knees.
Laying in close to him the guard whispered "Take comfort in knowing that if the shogun gets fed up with her, I will please her in every way possible."
The guard then dropped the dagger before Yoshuu and stepped back from him so he could perform a Seppuku ritual.
Yoshuu unsheathed the dagger and lifted it up to his eyes. It was made by a great swordsmith. Hopefully it wasn't his father, he thought because that would be ironic.
Yoshuu looked to his right to see his lost betrothed with a frightened look on her face. As if she wanted to say something but dare not say anything.
She really was a jewel, Yoshuu thought to himself as he began to move the dagger, closer to his chest.
Knowing that he was about to go through with it, Emrica could not contain her composure anymore and she screamed like a wailing banshee as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Shut her up, the shogun blurted out and a guardsman ran to her and slapped her.
As it echoed through the hall it was at that moment that Yoshuu realized what he had to do.
He accepted the fact that it is here that he will die today. However he will die with the honor of someone who protected the woman that he loved.