Sin and Shame - Chapter 1

Sin and Shame
Chapter 1

“Everyone wake, everyone wake, it is the day of Prince Jai’s return! Everyone wake, everyone wake, it is the day of Prince Jai’s return!” the monks proclaimed as they struck there gongs, waking the inhabitants of the palace, “Everyone wake, everyone wake” they continued as they did everyday. This is what happened everyday, the palace monks would wake everyone from there sleeping, and after a short period of organized morning eating, the servants would go about there daily activities. The most important activity, of utmost priority, was, the servants who prepared the emperors  throne. A large room filled with servers, handpicking ingredients, from shelves of the highest quality herbs, then handing individual pieces to the runners, who would take them to groups of men who would slide them into boiling water. After a sensual aroma wafted from the tea like water, it was brought to the Emperors throne room, where it was poured onto one of the 32 compartments  of the throne. Imagine that over 130 doctors wasted, making the Emperor a steam throne everyday. But that is just the order of things, in this country.

         “I have returned Father.” It was Prince Jai, having returned from his training in the mountain wilderness. The Prince was a tall man of 5’ 10”, with short soulless black hair and a wispy goatee, his eyes a bitter brown tainted with a stain of neglect and pain. The pain of never being able to beat his wimpy older brother, the Crown Prince, solely because he was born second. The pain of rising defeating his demons, whilst his brother wallowed in indulgence.

         “Ahh, my son it is good to have you safe again within these walls!” The Emperor replied with a slight tone of sarcasm, he continued “How did you training go, are you ready to assume the position of Emperor if I fell, ill? Or could you defeat the Crown Prince Xia, taking his position? Or do you have the stomach to fight on the front lines of battle against the Mongolian infidels?”

         “I believe in myself and the training my father has provided” Jai responded, while still bowing. It was a standard response, brimming with disrespect and contempt.

         “Good, I also believe in your current skills, however  you still have not reached you full potential, have you?” The Emperor asked solely to torment Jai, knowing the only polite way to respond was to insult himself.

         “No father, I can do better still.” Jai responded, feeling ashamed.

         “If you know that you can do more, why do you restrict yourself? Leave know before your insolence affects mood further!” The Emperor said smiling, the most intimidating smile you have ever seen.

         “As you wish father.” Jai responded meekly before retreating.

         As Jai past under the delicate framework of the door, his elder brother Xia, who had been waiting at the door, walked in the door, to speak with his father. Xia, the first brother who would inherit everything once his father passed, was the favorite of the four sons. Not as tall or strong as second son Jai, his hair a radiant black, with an even wispier goatee, his eyes were filled, with the joys of fine cuisine, and a lazy life.

“Father.” Xia started, continuing “Now that brother Jai has returned, I wish to go to the imperial training grounds to learn to fight, so I to can carry out my duty to the country I will one day rule, if it pleases father.”

“HA! Xia do you really think that YOU of all people, YOU the Crown Prince of China, should risk having you holy head severed from your body? How will you rule if you being on this beautiful earth is obliterated? I forbid it!” the Emperor said more harshly than intended, proceeding more calmly continued “Not to be over protective but you should leave all the fighting to your younger three brothers, after all that is what they were born to do - serve you.

“Father as you know, I only enjoy being the Crown Prince because of the strenuous life that I don’t have to lead, but I can not accept it without some type of sacrifice, seeing second son Jai, and his manly physic, I feel that I need to do more to earn this life. So I beg you to reconsider my position as crown prince or give me martial training.” Xia said with more dignity than he should have.

“You underestimate yourself Xia, you need to dig deeper, to find the skills that the first son is born with” the Emperor said with the sly cunning of a fox.

“Yes father.” Was Xia’s sonly response as he left feeling strangely enlightened. Taking his leave Xia scuttled out of the room as his younger brother, third son Zhou, walked in commanding the attention of his father.

“Father I demand that you grant me lessons in medicine so that I may further aid first son Xia, as his doctor, when he becomes Emperor!” Zhou proclaimed with a fierce tone to harsh to be that of an imperial doctor. His hair was a dull black very long and done elaborately, his eyes held a merciless yearning for intelligence.

“AHH!” the Emperor sighed a sigh of immense relief, “you third son Zhou, are the first to come to me with a reasonable request! This son is the reason that I will grant you this one vice, but on the condition that you will serve your brother and look after him as you would look after a bird that has broken its wing, with patients, and sincerity. Royal Doctor of Medicine Hugh shall be your teacher.”

“Thank you kindly father for this heavenly opportunity.” Zhou said as he retreated - still bowing.

The Emperor was very surprised when his fourth son Quin did not pay him a visit like all his other sons did. Quite displeased at Quin he decided that fourth son was of very little value and would be assigned the lowest of all imperial jobs, some form of military tactition or spy, though not worthless, very disgracing. Smiling to himself at the events of the past quarter hour, he summoned Imperial Doctor Hugh, with a clap. Hurrying in with the scuttle of a monk late for prayer, Hugh bowed, and said with much sincerity “What does the Emperor desire?”

“Hugh, im assuming you heard the conversations I have had with my sons?” the Emperor said lazily.

“I did not your highness, I do my humble best to not let my ears wander to your chambers.” Hugh replied carefully so as not to set off the Emperors temper.

“Good, as it should be. Now you are to give my third son Zhou, lessons in medicine everyday hence forth until he has absorbed all the information that you can give, for when you pass he shall become the new Imperial Doctor.” The Emperor, stated while inspecting his finger nails.

“But, Emperor I have already started training my apprentice, I can not simply stop his lessons, that would disgrace his entire family!”

“Which family is this?”

“The Shu family, Emperor”

“Well that is very unfortunate isn’t it, because my imperial son is far more important than some low-life Shu family, son, do you not agree?”

“Your word is law Emperor. His training shall commence tomorrow at the hour of waking.” Hugh finished, starting to retreat.

“Wait!” the Emperor said pondering, “to salvage some of his family’s honor, have him sent to apprentice under the Doctor of the Shuzoa province.”

“Excellent idea, Emperor your mind is as wise as you kind heart.” Hugh said gracefully before stepping through the eloquent doors to the throne room hallway.
The Empress on the other hand, had already received talks with three of her four sons, each talk the same filled with, little nothings. Mere trifles’ of speech that the sons, said to keep so that they could say that they had visited there mother that day. Nothing substantial, that would keep her thinking, only words to make her happy for the seconds they lasted. But the empress was okay with this because that’s just the way things went in the imperial family.

Meanwhile on in the other side of the palace, fourth son Quin, who’s black hair shimmered with youth, and who’s eyes, were nothing but a void of innocence, had snuck away to a secret corner of the Palace where the like to play with the only “friend” he had. A boy he had helped sneak into the palace under the careful eyes of the Imperial Guard. His friend was an ex-slave who Quin had saved, unfortunately, before this slave met Quin, his tongue had been cut out for he was unforgivably rude, and his body branded with hot rods, many times as further punishment. What started out as pity quickly turned into friendship and now most of his free time was spent entertaining himself with his “friend”. However this playtime was kept secret because the fourth son’s eyes were actually more stained than those of the second son, because this slave he smuggled in was actually more of a gay ragdoll that Quin played around with, and the reason that he didn’t see this father that day, and most days was because he hadn’t trained his eyes to hide the Sin and Shame.