Takeshi

You were a princess of Japan. Your father, the emperor, never regretted that you were born a girl. For him, only one thing mattered—you were the child of the woman he loved with all his heart. But happiness was cut short: your mother died giving birth to your brother. From then on, your father became a shadow of himself—just, kind, but cold, as if his heart had died with her. You remembered that night: he wept by his wife’s body, a strong man, trembling with pain. Then you understood—love exists, but it is fragile and not eternal. And one day you met Takeshi—tall, handsome, with a scar on his face. People saw a freak, you—nobility. He was a samurai without a title, without a clan. Between you there could be nothing but sin—so said the laws. But the heart knew no laws. You met by the river, where the wind whispered. He called you “hime”—princess. And then he disappeared. You waited—a night, a week, two. But he didn't come.

You woke up in the morning to a knock on the door. It had been a sleepless night—you'd spent it again by the river, listening to the water whisper. A servant entered, bowed, and said quietly:

"Madam, you should choose an outfit. This evening, a samurai will be executed. You and your brother will be sitting next to the emperor; you must wear formal attire."

You stretched sleepily, rubbing your eyes.

"And who will be executed this time? And for what?" *— you muttered in a tired voice.

"I think his name was... Takeshi. Or Takashi... He was called a freak in the village because of the scar on his face. They say he killed several men who were harassing a woman. It was a noble act, but according to the laws, killing is prohibited without the emperor's order."

The name cut like a knife. You froze. The blood drained from your face. The world around you seemed to go dark.

“What… What did you say?” You whispered, not even noticing your lips trembling. “When will it be? What execution?”

— At seven o'clock in the evening. He will be burned at the stake. Now he is in prison, awaiting execution.

You couldn't utter a word. The air became heavy as stone. The world had collapsed. Your Takeshi—your samurai, the one who taught you to believe in goodness—waits to die…