Chapter 1 - Chapter One

Irune sighed sadly as she watched her children train with their father, with one child, she watched with motherly pride. The other, she watched with mixed emotions, something that she knew was not normal."Keep your guard up, Yasu!" Irune's husband barked as she charged the boy, who was attacking his younger sister. He quickly looked to his right and raised a short sword up in defense. Irune knead her bottom lip as she watched them spar, she always hated this, always worrying if her children would be hurt on accident. However Chiyo, Irune's husband, insisted that their offspring learned how to defend themselves and know how to have the upper hand in battle."Hesper, swing with your upper back, your arm cannot moved swiftly without you allowing your back to twist with it." Chiyo instructed as she swept her daughter's feet from under her.Hesper grunted as her back landed on the cold, hard marble floor, she groaned as she sorely got up, Yasu saw his sister's weak moment and decided to attack while she was down.Irune suddenly had to bite back her yell as she saw both son and father attack Hesper, who was frantically looking for her weapon that slid away from her, once Yasu was close however, Hesper swung around and swept him off his feet, she pulled a small dagger from her boot and held it against her older brother's throat. Suddenly they both responded to their father's snarl, "Enough!" they quickly got on their knees and bowed in front of their father, both teenagers tried their bests to control their labored breathing.Chiyo noticed and chuckled as she tapped her spear on the floor, making a hollow click noise as it did so, she leaned on it and smirked, "Well done, children. You've managed to protect yourselves even when you only had a small weapon yet also managed to focus when you had multiple enemies." Chiyo said with great pride in her voice, she tiredly walked over to her pupils and gently kicked their hands, signalling them to rise and face their father, they did so with great speed."However, Yasu, you need to learn more of defense instead of offense." she scolded Yasu bowed his head while Hesper remained motionless."And Hesper..." she said, causing the girl to react by straightening her stand slightly, "You need to learn more of martial arts, the only attack I have seen from you so far is the floor sweep. Also your swing and block could use some polishing. You need more concentration and- is something on your mind, my child?" she asked once she noticed Hesper gazing in a certain part behind Chiyo.The younger female snapped out of her trance and bowed, "I am sorry Father. I will train harder next time." she remained bowed until she heard a response from the older general.The woman sighed as she tapped her spear again, both children then slowly got up due to their sore muscles, "You are dismissed." Chiyo said as she was already heading to the exit while Irune and Hesper remained where they were. Yasu left swiftly, he didn't bother to talk to his little sister, it still angered him that the fact she beat him once again in the sparring match. Hesper sighed heavily as she roughly rubbed the back of her neck, careful not to make the tender flesh more irritated than it already was. She thought she saw something in the shadows, but since she was knocked from her senses, she ignored it. She then slowly walked out of the training field to take a nice soak in the palace's onsen.(00)Irune remained where she sat, relieved that the training was over, but also saddened that she couldn't watch her daughter spar more. The mother grimaced slightly at her thoughts, she knew this wasn't right, she knew she wasn't supposed to feel this way about her daughter, yet she did. Irune felt guilty, she had no maternal bond with her daughter like she did with her son, yet she tried to force herself to love Hesper like she did Yasu. But it usually backfired, Irune would act motherly toward Hesper yet she always scolded the girl and not explain why or the child noticeably asked for attention and Irune would ignore her. She tried doing things with Hesper as she did with Yasu but it would always be awkward.She sniffled sadly as she tightly gripped her royal silk robes, tears were sliding off her face and to her lap, no mother should feel this way. Yet she couldn't help herself, she was falling for her daughter.(00)Hesper sighed loudly as she sunk herself into the hot mineral water with ease, she leaned against a wall and smiled broadly, this is what she needed."Looks like we both needed this, isn't that so, sis?" Yasu smiled as he swam to Hesper, the younger woman nodded as she kept her eyes on Yasu, the boy always wanted to play pranks on her, especially when she was bathing.The boy's smirk was easily detected by Hesper, "Father was absurdly harsh on you. I think you're losing your touch, dear sister." he teased, causing the girl to blush in shame."I am not losing my touch, for I think it is you who has lost your touch. After all, I was able to defeat you in a spar while I was only six and you nine. And the matter of Father, I think her criticism is very much needed. You should be very worried that you do not get it often." she smirked, sarcasm seeping thickly from her words."My skills are perfect!" he snarled as he rose from the water. Hesper quickly shielded her eyes away from her brother."That may be so, but the best warrior needs all the criticism he needs if he wants to be perfect." she said as she cleared her throat, "Don't you have your own onsen to soak in? Rather then pollute my bath with your stench?" she asked with a smirk.Yasu was about to shoot back a remark until they both heard a feminine voice yell, "Yasu! You know you're prohibited to enter the woman's onsen!" Irune's voice echoed the large bath, the boy flinched from his mother's scolding before sighing."Forgive me, Mother." he bowed as he grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist and leave.Once he was gone Irune sighed as she unfasten her robes ties, and let them fall to the floor. She noticed her heart-rate was beating harder once she entered the bath, she looked to her daughter and smiled warmly."Did your brother do anything in here, love?" she asked, she noticed her daughter shake her head no."No Mother, he merely talked about our sparring match earlier." Hesper replied.Irune nodded as she sunk herself lower into the warm water, "That is good, you were very good out there, darling." she complimented.Hesper thanked her mother as she swam around in the water, she always had mixed signals from her mother and that made her stressed, at one moment, Irune would be scolding her for wanting attention. The other, is when Irune calls her nicknames and sound like she does care for her. Hesper scolded herself for being so scared to ask her mother if she truly loved her like she did for Yasu, however she feared the truth, so she never asked."One of these days I will ask her..." Hesper thought before sighing as she stood, she bowed politely as she grabbed a towel to cover herself, "I must be going, Mother, Father had told me I need to learn more martial art moves and if I am to impress her tomorrow, I must train more tonight.""But you trained enough today, you should be relaxing rather then forcing your body to its limit, it is unhealthy in my view." Irune scolded before she caught herself.The hurt was present in the young woman's eyes, she then looked away, staring at the windows that were drawn shut, "Mother if I am to call myself a proud warrior, I will need to push my body to its limits everyday." she growled, she bowed again before stomping out of the onsen, leaving her mother to regret her actions toward her daughter.She knew Hesper was a proud woman, and she would not back down from a challenge, even if the challenge was too great. But she was proud of her, Irune could never say it to her though, at least not in the motherly way...

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