《Midsummer Sunrise》


 A golden heron

    The Solar Fever had been terrorising the land of Gasheka for a couple months already. Children, youths, adults and the elderly¡­ all succumbed to it. For Prince Saga, the eldest son of the Crown Prince, this was all new. It''s true that he had heard some rumours about a certain sickness but he hadn''t thought it was serious at all. He didn''t know people had died until his own grandmother, the queen of the nation, passed away three days before.


    It happened suddenly. She was fine in the morning when he went to pay her a visit, but by the time the sun set, she was in utter agony in her bed. She had a high and fast fever, and then she was gone.


    Soon, the subjects of the palace were erratic, everyone was afraid to have caught the sickness, and even more afraid to have been the one to bring it inside. It was well-known that the king didn''t really care much for his wife, but it was also well-known that he liked to get revenge any time he could. Someone would have to pay for the queen''s death, it didn''t matter if the person was guilty or not.


    Prince Saga, nonetheless, didn''t care (not like he had to) about such matters. He lived leisurely in his apartments, he''d play music all day or play a game with his young daughter, Lady Mira. He would listen to tales told by some storyteller that was popular at the time or just nap the day away. Even after the Queen''s death, nobody would stop him from his routine.


    "I''m young" he would think "and I''m strong, a fever won''t kill me".


    And he was right, in a way, for he didn''t die nor he got sick. Others weren''t as lucky as him and as soon as they showed symptoms, they were blamed for the Queen''s death. During those three days before the funeral, atleast a dozen servants were killed in the dungeons.


    Prince Saga didn''t know about this, he didn''t ask and nobody informed him. He was known to be indifferent to the matters of the palace. But it didn''t matter how detached he was, he still had to attend the royal funeral.


    And so he did.


    He wore all yellow, as it was custom, and with his daughter in his arms, he walked up to the Central Yard. There, visitors from every important clan in the nation were on their knees showing their respect to the late Queen, who was laid on a bed of flowers under the sunlight. It was noon and the Sun, their main deity, was just above their heads.


    ¡ªBaba won''t come back?


    Mira''s voice was just a murmur as she held tightly onto her dad. It was only her second time attending a funeral, but it was the first that she could understand. When her own mother died, she had been too young.


    ¡ªMhn, Baba won''t be back. But don''t feel sad, she will remain in your memories.


    ¡ªAre you sure she won''t be back?


    Tears started flowing from her dark eyes, and although she was silent, Saga preferred to take her away from such a grim place. The people wailing could even scare him.


    With a steady pace, they soon entered the Evergreen Yard, where the Queen had lived. The garden in front of her room was the most beautiful in the whole palace and Mira''s favourite place. He put her down and she immediately went to check on a small sapling she had planted with her great-grandmother some time before.


    Saga sat down and stared. Death didn''t affect him, for he rarely made strong relationships with others, including his family. Seeing his daughter suffer, however, made his heart ache, he wanted to cry.


    ¡ªIs there a reason you''ve walked away from the funeral?


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    A young man, probably in his late twenties, stood just metres from him. Saga didn''t recognise him, but could tell by his accent that he was from the south. Perhaps some clan leader? Which clans were from the southern regions? Saga wasn''t good at that, he barely left the palace nor he participated in networking.


    ¡ª I don''t like to hear people crying, it''s tiresome. What about you, young lord?


    ¡ªI also don''t like to hear people crying, especially when it''s undeserved.


    ¡ªPardon?


    ¡ªI mean¡­ Why should people cry for such a horrible person? It''s not like any of them is actually sad about her death, they''re just scared of not looking affected enough and being punished by the King.


    Saga was puzzled. The man looked serene, yet his voice was full of hate. It was deep, it didn''t fit his small frame.


    ¡ªWho are you, young lord? Which clan do you belong to? ¡ªSaga asked.


    ¡ªIs my clan important? I believe people should be judged only by their actions and not by their origins. Don''t you think so?


    ¡ªSure, it seems fair. Still, I''d like to know who you are.


    ¡ªRuta ¡ªhe paused for a second¡ª. And you are Saga, Prince Noroku, eldest son of Crown Prince Shiu and eldest grandson of King Yoru.


    ¡ªAh¡­ Have we met before, lord Ruta?


    ¡ªNo. But now that we''ve met, I hope you won''t forget about me. I have something important to tell you.


    Saga, fearing his words, made a sign so he''d wait. He called a maid that was nearby and instructed her to take Mira away. She didn''t need to listen to whatever Ruta would say.


    ¡ªNow you may talk.


    Ruta smiled, but there wasn''t any happiness in his expression. He seemed annoyed.


    ¡ªYour family is destroying this nation. Your grandfather has killed countless innocent people, your uncle has raped every servant in this palace, and even you, the one that doesn''t do anything at all, have been contributing to my people''s suffering.


    ¡ªI don''t know what you''re talking about.


    ¡ªOf course you don''t, do you know anything at all, Saga?


    Ruta was met with silence. In his thirty-three years of life, Saga has never been treated in such a way. He didn''t know how to react, frozen he stayed in his place. Who was Ruta? And why was he so angry?


    ¡ªYour family will fall ¡ªRuta threatened, his eyes seemed to sparkled before the idea¡ª, and you will fall with them.


    The Prince didn''t even have time to reply, Ruta fled as soon as his message was delivered. Perplexed, Saga just watched him run away. A small token fell from his clothes and, just when he made sure Ruta had left, Saga decided to inspect it.


    It was a clan token made of gold. On one side a heron was carved and in the back, beautifully written, said "Soshazi". Saga recognised that name, it was the clan his best friend belonged to.


    ?


    Two weeks after the funeral, Saga kept remembering his encounter with Ruta. Even though he had sent his personal guards to look for him, the man was nowhere to be found. There wasn''t any disturbance in the palace either, it was like he was there only to warn him about the future.


    Maybe Ruta wanted to scare him. And he did, he was afraid.


    Saga kept his daughter with him at all times. He wouldn''t drink alcohol nor invite entertainers. Nobody could enter his apartments, only his mother and sister were allowed to visit. Soon, everyone started talking about the Prince''s paranoia.


    ¡ªSaga.


    Kiti looked at him with worrisome eyes. She was his youngest sibling and the one he was closer to. She had helped him with Mira after his wife''s death, and spent most of her time with them. His sudden change in personality had distraught her.


    ¡ªYou''ve been acting strange since the Queen''s funeral. Did something happen?


    It did, but Saga couldn''t dare to say it. Kiti was still so young, so innocent¡­ He had to protect her.


    ¡ªI''m just sad. Death is always sad.


    ¡ªYou don''t seem sad, you look¡­ Mhn, you look like something is worrying you.


    Saga nodded.


    ¡ªI''m afraid the palace is not the best place for Mira.


    ¡ªDo¡­ ¡ªKiti seemed to doubt herself¡ª. Do you want to move out?


    ¡ªYes, I think I should. I used to live in my own home when I was married. I''ve mourned for long enough, I should go back.


    ¡ªBut, but¡­ Mira is still so young, are you sure you''ll be able to take care of her?


    ¡ªOf course I will! She''s my daughter. It''s true that when Kiya died I was too sad to properly care for my child, but I''m alright now. I can do this.


    Kiti didn''t say anything else, but she didn''t need to. Saga knew what she wanted. She didn''t like the palace either (did anybody like it at all?), so she probably wanted to leave with him. Saga had thought about that already, he could ask his parents to let Kiti go with him to help with Mira. But would the Crown Princess let her go?


    She was her only daughter and the youngest of her children. Barely twenty years old, Kiti had lived her whole life by her mother''s side. She had only ever left the palace to visit Saga in the past, but back then she had never even touched the soil outside.


    Saga, however, wanted to take her with him. He''d be restless if he left her behind in such a place. And so he thought of good arguments to convince his mother about it. It took him several days until he got an answer: she accepted, although reluctantly.


    By the end of the month, Saga and his entourage left the palace. He was accompanied by his daughter, his sister and his four guards: Dari, Ragi, Sheshu and Dida. He didn''t take any servants or any of his belongings, he just fled as soon as he could.


    But he didn''t go to his house, instead he marched south.

 Night visitor

    Saga had met Maki Soshazi twenty-six years before. They studied at the same academy, and even though Maki was a year above him, they soon became close. Maki was popular, as the eldest son of two famous mages, everyone expected a lot from him. And Saga, as the grandchild of the King, was victim to the same treatment.


    So when Saga appeared in front of the Soshazi Mansion without announcement, Maki wasn''t mad at all. He smiled at his old friend like he had done when they were children and hugged until the heat from the summer forced them to separate.


    ¡ªIf you had told me you were coming, I would''ve prepared a whole celebration!


    Maki was as energetic as Saga remembered him. He was beautiful and tall, his dark hair was long and wavy and shiny, and his upturned eyes were bright, full of stars. At one point, Saga had felt jealous of his beauty, but eventually he learnt to just appreciate it, like everyone else did.


    ¡ªI don''t have a feast for His Highness, but at least I''ve got the best wine in the region.


    ¡ªI would like to taste some ¡ªclaimed Kiti, who had remained silent for a while.


    ¡ªOf course, Your Highness, anything for the most beautiful princess of this nation.


    Saga laughed and Kiti elbowed him. Mira was sleeping nearby, she was too tired from the trip.


    ¡ªKiti, take her to a room so she can nap properly.


    And even though the Princess wanted to ignore her brother''s order, she complied without even tasting the wine. She had promised she''d be there as her niece''s caretaker after all.


    They left along with half the guards (the rest were outside the entrance) and so the receiving hall of the mansion became quiet.


    It was Saga that broke the silence.


    ¡ªMaki, who has your clan token?


    ¡ªOh, I don''t know.


    ¡ªHow¡­ how do you not know? Aren''t you the leader of your clan?


    ¡ªYeah, but it was stolen some time ago. We haven''t found it ¡ªhe shrugged¡ª. Why?


    From a pocket near his heart, Saga took out the golden token and left it on the table they were sharing. Maki recognised it in a second, it was his token indeed.


    ¡ªA man got into the palace during the Queen''s funeral ¡ªSaga started to explain¡ª, he said strange things and when he left, your token fell from his clothing.


    ¡ªA man?


    ¡ªYes.


    ¡ªHow was he?


    ¡ªShort, thin. His hair and eyes were brown, he had tan skin, bushy eyebrows...


    ¡ªWas he handsome?


    ¡ªI guess, I''d say he was more pretty than handsome.


    ¡ªAh, Taru.


    ¡ªTaru ¡ªSaga repeated. Ruta had given him a fake name¡ª. Do you know him?


    ¡ªI do. He was a slave from the Wulisa Temple. He ran away some time ago and I hid him here, I guess that''s when he stole the token.


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    Maki didn''t seem to care and, under other circumstances, Saga wouldn''t have cared either. They were both similar in that regard: carefree, indifferent to things that didn''t affect them.


    ¡ªYou don''t know where this Taru guy is?


    Maki''s head moved slightly, he had no idea. He took a sip from his cup and, after a couple of minutes, he talked.


    ¡ªTaru... what did he say?


    ¡ªSomething about destroying my family.


    ¡ªOh, I expected so. He hates the royal clan.


    ¡ªWhy?


    ¡ªWhy not?


    The Prince was taken aback. Did his best friend feel the same way that Taru did? How? He frowned and Maki only could condescendingly smile at him.


    ¡ªSaga, my little prince¡­ He is a slave. Do you think slaves will like the clan that took away their freedom?


    ¡ªBut I wasn''t the one that enslaved him.


    ¡ªNo, but you haven''t done anything to free him either. You''re the third in the line of succession, you have enough power to try and abolish slavery if you really wanted to.


    ¡ªI don''t like slavery ¡ªand Saga had never sound so sure before.


    ¡ªI know. And Taru knows too, I did talk to him about you. I told him that if he wanted to get somewhere, he should try to appeal to you. I wasn''t expecting him to go and threaten you though.


    Maki laughed loudly, it seemed like he found the whole situation somehow funny.


    ?


    So Taru was nowhere to be found, at least not in Itewi City. In the Wulisa Temple nobody had any idea where he had gone and they had stopped looking for him just days after he had left. He wasn''t a good slave, the abbot had said, he was rebellious and difficult to control. In the end, it was better for him to run away, for nobody would have bought such a unruly slave anyway and they couldn''t free him without a royal decree.


    He was just a waste of space and money.


    Maki, who seemed to be the one closer to Taru, assured Saga that he didn''t know either where he was. And even tried to convince Saga to let him go. Taru was just one man, even if he had a strong conviction, it was unlikely he could actually hurt anybody inside the palace. He wasn''t a good fighter, he was thin and weak. If he infiltrated the palace, he''d be caught almost immediately. He had lost the token, after all.


    Prince Noroku, however, refused to let the issue die like that. He was afraid to die young and leave his daughter an orphan while still a child. He had to capture Taru, he had to make sure he was in a place Saga could always watch him.


    ¡ªYour Highness ¡ªRagi was riding the horse to his right side. He was the second best fighter among his guards, so he''d usually accompany him while looking for information. The rest had to remain with Mira and Kiti.


    ¡ªWhat is it?


    ¡ªIt''s late. Sunset will be in an hour, shall we head back to the Soshazi Mansion?


    ¡ªRagi, do you really believe nobody in this whole damn city has any idea of Taru''s whereabouts?


    ¡ªWell¡­ He didn''t seem to have many friends.


    ¡ªMaki is his friend.


    ¡ªLord Maki wouldn''t lie to you, Your Highness.


    ¡ªI''m not so sure anymore... Look for a new place to stay, rent a small house and hire a guarding company. We''ll move the day after tomorrow.


    ¡ªYes.


    ¡ªAlso¡­ Contact Mira''s maternal grandmother. Tell her that Mira wants to visit her during the summer. Kiti will go with her.


    ¡ªYour Highness¡­ will you really let Lady Mira go?


    ¡ªYeah ¡ªand his voice trembled for a second¡ª, I don''t think she''s safe in Gasheka. Besides, she probably misses her grandma. Don''t you think?


    Ragi nodded. The rest of the way back was quiet, only the horses could be heard.


    From the moment Mira was born seven years before, she had never left Saga''s side. Anytime she had travelled out of the country, she was always accompanied by her parents, and it was always short-time visits. She had never spent more than a month outside, even after her mother died and her maternal grandparents asked for her to spend at least a season per year with them.


    It wasn''t that Saga didn''t want her late wife''s family to be part of his daughter''s life, but he had become rather apprehensive. It was difficult for him to let her go anywhere, he didn''t trust anybody besides himself or his sister. This time, things had changed. Mira was already seven, she should have left for an academy two years prior, she should''ve been more independent by then. However, there she was, still sleeping besides her aunt every night.


    Every other time, someone would make a small comment about it. They would tell Saga that she was too dependent, that if he didn''t loosen his grip, she would grow weak. And the weak inside the palace were always the first to fall.


    Saga was weak himself, or so he thought.


    ¡ªI will go write the letter for my mother-in-law ¡ª"former", he thought he should add¡ª. Go eat something meanwhile.


    Ragi left and Saga entered his room. The sun had already set, so inside it was dark and a little humid. The nights in Itewi City were always like that.


    Yet, Saga didn''t light a candle, he just took off his shoes and his upper clothes, and walked blindly to his bed. He sat on the edge and sighed, he had rode the horse the whole day, his legs were sore.


    ¡ªI should take a hot bath ¡ªhe murmured to himself.


    Another sigh left his body. He felt tired, but wasn''t so sure if it was only physical. With his arms stretched over his head, he let his body fall completely onto the mattress. And it was then he noticed something weird.


    Someone was already laying on his bed.


    ¡ªHey, Saga ¡ªa slightly familiar voice welcomed him¡ª, I heard you were looking for me.


    Saga''s heart dropped to his stomach. It was Taru, and none of the guards were with the Prince.