Emperor Shi Hong (pronounced SHEE KHWNG) occupied the region in the northern landmass currently known as China. The emperor, wishing to expand his empire, targeted the numerous self-governing villages occupying the central landscapes. These independent villages had evolved in their thinking to where women enjoyed the same privileges as men. Conflicts erupted as the emperor’s warriors conquered the villages and forced their people to live by imperial rule. 

~ooOoo~

Although she drew nearer, her face remained shadowed except for her piercing eyes, irises so dark they blended into her pupils. Yet, like the times before, he found comfort in her gaze. She did not merely look at him but more into him — his very being. 

Even in the shadows, he knew she was beautiful. It was his heart, however, not his loins, that awakened by her appearance. 

"Kai." She spoke his name for the first time. 

What a beautiful voice, he thought. Penetrating, much like her gaze. 

He was about to speak to her when bony fingers gripped his shoulders and shook him. He opened his eyes to find Master Wu's wrinkled face frowning as he peeled naked courtesans off the bed. 

"Prince Kai, the emperor commands our presence in court," he said while shooing the whores from the bedchamber.

Master Wu's words fell on deaf ears as Kai always struggled to rejoin reality after she had entered his dreams. Like any stirring connection, the vision of her lingered and held his mind captive. How many times had he dreamt of her? Too many to count. 

"Prince Kai! Are you ill?" Master Wu stepped back and combed his winter-white goatee with his fingers while addressing Kai with concern. 

Kai's eyes finally focused on the older man. "No, I'm not ill… just..." 

Master Wu had been his weapons teacher since Kai was barely strong enough to hold up a sword. Unlike his many other instructors, Kai had formed a friendship with him. Confided in him. Trusted him. 

Kai’s imposing frame rose from the bed and towered over the much smaller stature of his teacher, thinking he looked ancient that day. No one knew Master Wu's age; he was the only advisor still living from the emperor's father's reign. 

"Master, I dreamt of her again." Kai began dressing while unburdening himself. "And this time, I felt her presence stronger than before." He belted his tunic and decided to ask the question that burned in his mind. "Could she be my mother?" 

"No." 

Kai noticed an abrupt change in his teacher's expression at the mention of his mother. "She's dead, isn't she? Father killed her." 

"We must not speak of her." 

"But, I feel a strong womanly presence. A closeness." 

"Listen to my words, my prince. Those who speak her name find their bodies without a head." He put his hand on Kai's shoulder, and knowing the prince to be stubborn at times, he silently prayed to the gods he would heed his warning. "You have more important things to think of today. Clear your mind of those dreams. I promise they won't serve you well on this day." 

Master Wu knew the young woman's identity just as he knew troubles lay ahead for the empire. An emperor who no longer ruled for the good of the people would surely lose favor with the gods. The prince’s loyalties would be tested. His very soul even. Whether the young woman in Kai's dreams would be a help or hindrance, Master Wu could not be certain. 

~ooOoo~

Prince Kai decided to stroll around the palace to clear his mind before seeing the emperor. Windmills resembling rotating blades of grass powered the city with the help of the sun. Inside the imperial city, technology lived in harmony with nature.

The sacred banyan tree, known as the oldest in the lands, lorded over the gardens. Its branches sprouted aerial roots that descended to the soil to take root and form new trunks resembling grand pillars. It is said to be immortal because nothing disrupted its growth; not even fire, as its twisted, knotty wood would not flame. Moreover, some thought it symbolized fertility, so couples often chose to make love underneath it — as was the case that day. 

Kai, having had his anticipated morning fuck interrupted, enjoyed watching their zealous lovemaking. The young woman lay stretched out face down with the young man lying on top of her. If they were aware of his presence, they didn’t show it. 

To the prince's delight, the man’s tunic bunched above his waist, offering a perfect view of his ass muscles hard at work. Kai subconsciously released a moan with each thrust of the man’s hips that ground his cock into her with such force she clawed at the ground. At that moment, he would have gladly traded places with either. 

Prince Kai smiled, noticing the other voyeur that morning. The couple’s uninhibited exclamations attracted a nearby crane that twisted its long neck to better view them. Kai’s stiffening cock commanded his attention, so he adjusted himself underneath his tunic. While his thoughts had finally left the woman in his dreams, he couldn’t say the trip to the gardens had cleared his mind. 

When he entered the palace, Master Wu stood just inside the door and noticed his smile.

“Something changed your mood, Prince Kai.”

“Yes, I spied some clinging cicadas under the banyan tree,” he smirked, knowing Master would know the sexual reference.

“Yes, well, from what I saw this morning, you had your fill of lovemaking last evening.”

“I did, but had anticipated more in the morning before your early arrival.”

Knowing the prince would have the last word, Master Wu simply shook his head and urged them forward to greet Emperor Shi Hong.

They and the generals bowed when they approached the emperor seated on his golden throne carved with twisted dragons. All stood at attention and silent, waiting for Emperor Shi Hong to address them.

“I want the city of Nanjing under my rule. Their dishonor of traditions threatens our way of life.”

General Tang responded. “Yes, Your Majesty, but they have walled in the city. Our airships cannot maneuver to land within its walls. Our ground troops cannot enter through the gate with the guards posted atop the wall.”

Seeing the emperor’s face twist in disapproval, Prince Kai quickly added, “Your Majesty, we are working on a strategy and will gain control of the city in your name.”

“I want that city in my kingdom!”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Prince Kai said, bowing.

“I would like to tour my kingdom today. Prince Kai, I want you by my side. You need to see the lands of what will someday be your kingdom.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty. I’ll prepare the airships, and we’ll unroll the royal silks. The people will enjoy seeing their emperor.”

Once ready, the royal airship, leading a fleet of ten other richly colored airships, sailed the sky over the kingdom in shifting formations — an impressive sight to anyone below.

Closer to the imperial city, the people loudly cheered and waved to their emperor. As they traveled south to newly acquired lands, the people withdrew into their homes or disregarded him completely. They were displeased with having what they considered ancient and unfair rules cast upon them. The emperor raged at the disrespect shown by his people. 

"They must learn respect!" 

"The women have experienced privileges, Your Majesty, and don't want to follow our ways. They are causing a stir and spreading their ideals. The people have grown discontent and I fear an uprising is near." 

Emperor Shi Hong's eyes burned red. "The women will learn their place!" 

Prince Kai knew all too well of his father's violent temper and feared for the people should they continue their whispers of discontent. 

~ooOoo~

Within one of the villages outside imperial rule, a young woman named Lina — likened to a porcelain doll for her delicate features and flawless complexion — finished attaching the oiled rice paper to the bamboo frame. A tear escaped as she carried the lantern outside the pagoda to witness the sun nearing the horizon.

It’s time.  

She spoke to her mother's Spirit. "Honored Mother, thank you for your love and teachings. I promise to continue the work you began for the good of our people. Go now, join our ancestors in peace, and I shall always carry you within my heart." 

After bowing her head for a moment of silent remembrance, she ignited the fuel cell and released the lantern. The wind caught it, and Lina smiled as the lantern captured her mother's grace and twirled and danced across the sky. "Goodbye, Mother," she whispered. 

Lina fell to her knees and watched the sky until her squinting eyes finally lost sight of the lantern. 

She had never felt so alone, but she gathered her strength to do what must be done. Many counted on her, and Emperor Shi Hong drew nearer each passing day. 

~ooOoo~

Weeks had passed with the Emperor growing more demanding of his warriors. They still had no reasonable battle plan for conquering Nanjing. 

Needing a release from his tension, Prince Kai ordered three courtesans be brought to him, and he entered his bedchamber to find the courtesans already arranged like decorative pillows underneath the gold silk canopy. Two wore red and orange silk robes as see-through as a cicada's wings. The third (and most beautiful of the three) rose from the bed and approached him with her cherry-red painted lips and eyebrows shaped like butterfly wings. Her golden robe opened in the back, so she slowly walked in a tight circle, giving the prince a peek at her well-formed naked ass before stopping to face him. 

"What is your name?" He asked, running his thumb across her lower lip. 

"Ming, my prince." 

Kai was pleased and removed his clothes in front of her watchful gaze. She obediently fell in step behind him as he walked to the intricately detailed bed carved from Northern Chinese Elm. He lay face down on the silk bedspread, and the women started massaging his body. One at his legs and feet while another worked the battle-sore muscles in his neck and shoulders, and Ming straddled his thick thighs, digging her fingers into his ass cheeks and back. 

The prince found them beautiful, in the way one admired a beautiful painting. Was it anything beyond that? No. They were simply there for his sexual pleasure. He had yet to fall in love. 

He watched Ming reach for the golden crane, one of many sex toys on the bed. It was appropriately named "the crane" because of its long, flexible neck attached to two feet; its sleek design was one of the most pleasurable toys for men. Ming slid the well-oiled neck into his asshole, and once in place, the crane's feet gently thumped his perineum. The combination of external and internal prostate stimulation drove him wild, and he fought hard to delay his orgasm for penetration. 

While enjoying the crane's ministrations, he upturned his hands and wiggled his middle fingers. The experienced courtesans each took their place atop his hands, allowing his fingers to penetrate them. Kai watched their tight snow-white bottoms bobbing up and down on his fingers while his ass was thoroughly fucked. Ming straddled his thighs and slid her hands beneath him to stroke his cock. The sounds of sex filled the bedchamber while they pleasured one another.  

When the sensations grew too much for Kai, he withdrew his fingers, and Ming withdrew the crane. Kai rolled Ming onto her back, opening her jaded doorway. He crawled between her legs, inching forward until his cock split her lips. She stretched her legs high into the air, and he drove his cock into her pussy. The unattended courtesans coupled alongside arranged for oral sex. For added stimulation, the courtesans selected two butterfly toys, their wings brilliantly painted in blues and greens. The whir of the vibrating butterflies further aroused the women before they even touched their clits. The butterfly's most remarkable feature was that the body pulsed while sending radiating vibrations through the veins in the wings, enabling the clit and its sensitive surrounding flesh to be simultaneously stimulated. The young women's toes curled, and Kai enjoyed the view of not one but three women in the throes of ecstasy. 

Only after Ming's spasming walls squeezed his cock with her orgasm did he paint her insides with his emissions; a man showed his strength by withholding his orgasm until the woman had released. He withdrew and guided her raised legs back to the bed. 

Wanting to preserve his royal semen, Ming clamped her legs tightly and reached for him. They rearranged themselves on the bed, and the other courtesans joined their entanglement. Damp tendrils hung loosely from formerly neat-knotted hair. Bodies remained stained from red lip paint. The four drifted into a deep sleep only lovers know. 

~ooOoo~

The door to his bedchamber opened and woke Kai from his slumber. Curious that Ming’s gentle sucks on his cock had not. 

"You!" He abruptly sat up, pushing Ming off his lower body. 

Lina's eyes shamelessly drifted to the meaty flesh dripping with saliva from Ming’s mouth. It was her first time seeing a naked man outside of a painting. Brazenly, she walked toward the bed without being summoned.

Spirited by her sudden presence, Kai ordered, "Out!" to his courtesans, two of whom were still sleeping. They scrambled from the bed, tying their robes as they brushed past Lina. 

She stood silently by the bed and waited for him to speak. 

He rose and cupped her face with his hands. "Are you really here, or is this too a dream?"

His eyes roamed every inch of her, trailing his hands from her cheeks down to her shoulders, then down to hold her hands. It was as if he couldn’t quite believe she was real.

She interlocked her fingers with his. "I am Lina, and we are finally together."

"Lina. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

She trembled, his powerful presence overwhelming her. She'd been waiting so long to meet him.

He noticed her quivers and grew concerned. “Are you afraid? Here with me?" 

"No." 

He took her hand and pressed it against his naked chest, “Feel my heartbeat. It seems I am the one afraid — afraid you will disappear and I will never see you again." 

“Nothing will separate us now.” She moved her hand to trace the details of his dragon tattoo spanning his broad chest. "You are bigger than I imagined.”

He covered her hand with his. “Lie with me.”

They crawled atop the embroidered silk and lay facing one another.

“Are you a goddess? Is that how you entered my dreams?”

She laughed a soft infectious laugh — a childlike giggle — and Kai couldn't help but smile. "Is my question so impossible? What explanation have you?" 

Her fingers reached to comb his long, black hair. She was committing everything about him to memory — his tattoos, his strong jaw, his masculine scent. Everything.

"Well?" He pressed her for an answer. 

She averted her eyes back to his matching ones. "Two Spirits can be connected," she started while continuing to play with his hair, "and the reason will reveal itself in time." Not yet wanting to reveal her identity, she changed the subject. "Do you remember when I first came to your dreams? You were hurting. I felt your pain." 

At the memory, Kai closed his eyes and breathed deeply to control his emotions. Once he felt calmer, he told her the story. 

"Some peasants from a village had brought their payment to the emperor for his protection. Father disapproved of the women among them. That is not their place, and he said the offering was lacking even though the offerings had not changed. He demanded more. One of the women argued they had no more to give. Father flew into a rage and ordered the guards to immediately execute her husband. "You will learn to hold your voice, woman!" he shouted. As the sword dropped across his fragile neck, the emperor saw me turn my head and flinch. 

"Afterwards, he had a guard beat me bloody with a bamboo cane for showing weakness. The skin on my back, ass, and thighs split from the thrashing. Master Wu came to my bedchamber and treated my wounds with a healing and numbing ointment. During that time, I closed my eyes and saw you. Your eyes were so caring and relieved me of my pain. I felt your tenderness." 

He reopened his eyes and found tears trickling down Lina's face. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. Her hand reached for his and he found empathy in her dark eyes.

Kai had never been allowed to cry, but he cried that night in her arms. They both cried and cradled one another. Peace and understanding fed their heart and soul and forged a deeper connection. 

Much time passed before Kai spoke again. He had been carefully considering her. "Are you… taken?"

"I am a virgin, my prince."

His eyes widened in surprise. "How is that possible for one so breathtaking?" 

"I do not trust men, my prince."

He wondered what had happened in her life and felt protective of her. "I will let it be known that you are mine and mine alone. No one will steal your virginity."  

"Not even you, Prince Kai?" 

He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "Beautiful Lina, I only take what is freely given.” He wrapped her tightly in his arms. “Master Wu will provide you with a safe place to stay." 

Ming, with her secret ambitions concerning the emperor and his son, had remained outside the room with her ear pressed to the door. A virgin. All knew the emperor believed fucking a virgin at the right time would bring him prosperity. She would surely win his favor if she brought him the beautiful virgin. 

~ooOoo~

When Lina was introduced to Master Wu, he didn’t reveal that he knew her identity until Kai had left them alone. He had saved her life many years ago. Having overheard Emperor Shi Hong’s plans to execute the empress and her daughter, Master Wu had secured their escape. 

Prince Kai visited her as often as he could, and they spent hours talking about their lives, concerns, and dreams for the future. Her intelligence impressed Kai since girls in his kingdom lacked the proper education of boys.  

One day he was surprised to find her painting by the koi pond. It wasn’t that she was painting that surprised him, but the subject matter. 

“You’ve painted a couple engaged in lovemaking?”

“Yes, do you like it? It’s called erotica.”

She often surprised him, but this he found genuinely perplexing.

“But, how does a virgin know of such things?”

She giggled, making that delightful sound he loved to hear. “Just because I have not engaged in lovemaking does not mean I am ignorant in the ways of pleasure.”

He sat down in the grass beside her and studied her painting. The woman lay on her back on a richly-decorated bedcovering with the man standing at her feet. His hands held her feet in the air, spreading her legs wide. There was even the detail of the man’s cock only partially inserted in the woman’s vagina. 

“That position is called ‘Flying Seagull’ because her legs resemble its spread wings.”

She giggled again and tilted her head from side to side, enjoying the position from different angles. “What a funny name.”

He grew serious for a moment. “Lina, what happened to make you fear men?”

She put down her paintbrush and turned to face him. “My father hurt my mother. Badly. I remember her crying day after day until she ran out of tears. I don’t wish to suffer in that way.”

“But you don’t feel that way around me?”

“No.” She flung her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. He welcomed her embrace but rage boiled up in his stomach toward the faceless man who’d hurt her. 

He touched his forehead to hers and made her a promise. “I will never hurt you. And will show you lovemaking if you wish it.”

She smiled but shook her head no. “You already give me the greatest pleasure I’ve known.”

Kai picked up more drawings scattered on the ground. One, in particular, caught his eye. 

"What's this?"

"One of my many inventions," she boasted. "It's a dragon glider. It enables people to sail the skies and descend from high places.” 

She explained the details to Kai, then he asked to keep the drawing. Father will finally look upon me with pride, he thought to himself while a plan formed in his head.

~ooOoo~

Despite his misgivings about how his father ruled, Prince Kai yearned to accomplish something extraordinary in the emperor’s eyes. At times he questioned if his father was right about him. Was he too soft to be worthy of sitting on the throne?

It was those thoughts that led him to claim the dragon glider idea as his own. 

“My son, I underestimated you,” his father said. “You have honored me.”

Prince Kai didn’t know why he needed the approval of a man he despised more than he loved, but he did. Maybe it was his sense of duty. Or honor. 

The dragon gliders’ simple design enabled a quick assembly and a battle plan was developed within a short timeframe. He would be hailed as responsible for bringing Nanjing into their kingdom.

The airship, powered by a unique combination of steam and wind power, slowed upon reaching Nanjing’s city walls. White silks unrolled, covering the emperor’s yellow silks to deceive the guards. 

Once over the city, Prince Kai, leading the army of gliders, dropped from the airship. They kept the glider’s wings down until they reached the right altitude, then opened the wings and zig-zagged through the sky while descending toward the city. From the ground, the gliders resembled dragons with inflated heads and red-silk wings. Long tails swooshed through the air, serving as the steering mechanism. The guards were awe-struck at the sight, abandoning their posts and overlooking the approaching ground forces. 

The warriors on the ground rode a self-propelled platform covered by a dome composed of metal shields, creating an impenetrable shell. The army resembled a giant tortoise, slowly crawling toward the gate. 

The guards scattered, trying to capture a better glimpse of what approached them from the sky. Finally, one spied a warrior riding the glider and sounded the alarm, but he was too late.

Prince Kai shot a missile from his hand-held launcher and ignited the wooden pagoda. Flames jumped from structure to structure. 

One by one, the dragon gliders landed, and the warriors took advantage of the chaos to reach the wall and open the gate. The tortoise marched into the city, and its shell deflected the few archers who’d remained at their posts atop the walls. 

A swift hand-to-hand combat attack ensued, with Emperor Shi Hong’s army quickly defeating the discombobulated forces occupying the city. The rival warriors not killed in battle were rounded up and given a choice to serve the emperor or die. Many chose a warrior’s death.

And so, Nanjing came under Emperor Shi Hong’s rule, and a few regimes remained to restore order within the city. 

~ooOoo~

The evening of Kai’s return from his successful battle, he entered the garden to hear Lina singing. He stopped to listen, thinking he’d heard the song before. Suddenly, he remembered his mother had sung it to him when he was very young before she vanished from his life.

Lina abruptly stopped singing when she saw him. He stared at her and asked, “How do you know that song?”

She didn’t readily answer, and he grew impatient. A strange feeling came over him that he couldn’t explain. “How do you know that song?”

Lina didn’t answer but walked toward him. “Kai, I need to tell you something.”

He stood frozen as if preparing for something unpleasant. She looked suddenly nervous.

“My mother sang me the song. She sang it to me and my twin brother.”

“Your twin brother? Where is he now?”

She didn’t answer and took another step towards him until she could reach his hands. “He’s you, Kai.”

Kai looked into her eyes and saw the truth. Suddenly all the mystery surrounding her was made clear. 

She is my twin sister. 

His heart told him it was true. So many questions fought for dominance in his mind. 

She sensed his struggle and quickly rambled the answers she thought he needed. Their father, the emperor, had ordered their mother and her executed, fearing they’d interfere with his plans for Kai. Master Wu had helped them escape. 

Tears clouded his vision. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was afraid. What if you were like him? I had to get to know you first, and if he discovered my identity, he would surely execute me.”

“You know I’m not like him. You know me. You’ve invaded my thoughts for so long, Lina. You know me! And why come now?”

“Mother died, and I was left alone. Kai, I’ve learned so much. I clearly see the emperor’s not good for the people. The kingdom suffers. In the villages, women have power. We are equals. I thought you could change things. I have seen your heart, brother.”

Her words hit him wrong, and he pushed her away and took a few steps back. “You want me to turn against Father? Use me to change things to your way of thinking. That’s why you’ve come?”

“No… well, yes… in a way. I just want a brighter future for us all.”

He shook his head and unconsciously clenched his fists. She backed away, and he cringed at the fear in her eyes. She’d become afraid of him. He couldn’t bear what was happening and turned and stalked away. 

“Kai!” she called after him.

“Let him go,” a frail voice said from behind her. 

She turned to see Master Wu standing by the pond. “He’s conflicted. The emperor’s hold on him is strong, Lina. He’s been grooming him his whole life, but we both know Kai is not like the emperor. Give him time to sort through his feelings and find his path.”

~ooOoo~

“There’s a virgin in your palace, Your Majesty. Being preserved by Prince Kai for reasons unknown.”

The emperor seethed and flung Ming off him. “Guards!”

The Guards burst into the room, hands on swords, as he barked orders while thrusting Ming in their direction, “Take them to the girl, and bring her to me!”

Moments later, the guards reentered his bedchamber with Lina in their grasp. Emperor Shi Hong became a hawk, circling and accessing his prey. “You are beautiful. I see why my son wants you.” He outlined her cheekbone with his fingernail causing her to shiver. 

He saw the flashes of hatred and disrespect in her black eyes and delivered a stinging slap across her porcelain cheek. She faced him again in open defiance, drawing more anger from the emperor. 

“Put her in the virgin’s chair!”

Kai awoke frightened upon hearing her cries inside his head. Something is wrong! He rushed to Master Wu's chambers to find his mentor lying on the floor, cupping a gaping wound in his side. 

Kai covered his bloody hand with his own, fearing the worst. “Master, what happened? Are you—”

With what strength he could gather, Master Wu pushed Kai away. “Go. I will heal. Your father has her.”

None noticed her sleight of hand in the emperor's bedchamber as the guards turned her around and ripped the turquoise silks from her body.

She struggled as they wrestled her toward a chair, and forced her on her ass. The elegant design and richly colored Manchurian Walnut clashed with the crude clamps which secured her wrists and ankles. Startling her even more, the emperor turned a crank, slowly spreading her legs with each click click click. With a wave of his hand, the guards left, and Lina was alone with the emperor. 

His smile was sinister as he approached her naked body. Narrow-slitted eyes fixated on the pink lips hiding her virginity. She struggled against the restraints as he spoke. “Someone is coming to ensure you are a virgin before I bed you. I cannot waste my royal see on someone unclean. You might feel some slight discomfort during the examination.”

Be brave, she told herself while recoiling against the wood. She needed his face closer to hers, so she whispered words he couldn’t possibly hear from where he stood. 

Leaning forward to where his face was an inch from hers, he spat, “Repeat your words, girl.”

“I said, ‘Do you not recognize your daughter?’” She punctuated her last words, “And assassin of the emperor!”

Without awaiting his response, her tongue propelled the razor-sharp mantis hairpin from her lips, and her teeth wielded the tiny sword, slicing the life vein in his neck. 

His face contorted as he staggered, grasping his neck as blood soiled his elegantly embroidered robe. Prince Kai barged into the room and witnessed his father’s last gasps of life. Lina sat confined to the chair with blood dripping from the lethal pin still clenched in her teeth. Too shocked to speak yet relieved to see the life in Lina's eyes, he rushed toward the vulgar scene. His sister has just murdered the emperor — his father — the man he has sworn to protect. 

The pin dropped from her mouth, making a tiny ping as it hit the floor. Kai’s eyes locked with hers, and understanding passed between them that her fate rested in his hands. 

~The End~