Kaedekyo: Before the Fall

 

🍁 Kaedekyo: Before the Fall

Prologue — After the Leaves Fell

“I once had a sister.
A perfect sister.
A perfect crown princess for Mother and Father.
But one day… she disappeared.”

Shiori’s voice didn’t echo in the throne room. The air was too heavy for that now.
The throne she sat upon felt too tall, too cold, and far too empty.

Outside the grand windows, the maple trees of Kaedekyo were in full bloom — crimson, gold, rusted orange — the colors of their kingdom’s eternal autumn. The wind moved them softly, but nothing could shake the weight in her chest.

Her hands, slender and pale, rested on the carved arms of the throne. She traced the design absently — the shape of twin maple leaves, one whole, one fractured.

This was never meant to be her seat.

It was Shiho’s.

---

She remembered the way her sister’s footsteps used to sound in the stone hallways. Precise. Steady. Almost regal by accident.
Shiho never hesitated. She walked like a storm held in a cup, as if every moment had purpose.

Where had she gone?

Or worse...
What had she become?

---

In the stillness, a breeze passed through the high windows, rustling the royal banners.

A servant knelt quietly at the far end of the room, afraid to speak. The ministers had stopped sending envoys. The people stopped asking questions.

Only Shiori remained —
the pale camellia
in a palace of falling leaves.

📜Chapter One : The Crimson Blade Court

The morning bell rang soft and steady — like a gentle whisper to the ears of dreamers still adrift in their own world.
But not to the heir of the Kaedekyo throne.

She had been awake long before the bell could send its greetings.

Shiho sat alone in her room, in front of a mirror, making all sorts of expressions.
Practicing control. Practicing grace.
Preparing for the face the world needed her to wear.

“Shiho, you can do it. You’re the crown princess. One day you’ll rule this kingdom, and everyone will be under your care. So you must be tough enough to rule wisely.”

She pointed a firm finger at her reflection… then slumped back onto the floor.
Her schedule was already in her head — sword training, political briefings, court etiquette… all packed from morning to night.

Can a princess get a rest day, just once?
She sighed, turning to trace the maple carving by her window.
Who carved that? she wondered.
She didn’t want to go to lessons. She wanted to slip away to Shiori’s castle and just play, like they used to.

But responsibility weighed heavier than her armor.

A soft knock broke the quiet.

“Your Highness?”
“Yes, I’m awake,” Shiho called out, pushing herself off the floor.

She pulled open the door to reveal two kneeling servants.

“The bath is ready, Your Highness,” they said in unison.

Shiho gave them a warm smile and stepped into the bathing chamber.
She stretched, letting the steam rise around her.
One servant knelt behind her and began combing her long, silky hair, carefully applying fragrant oil.
The other waited patiently behind her, towel in hand.

Shiho closed her eyes. The scent of crushed blossoms and wood greeted her gently.

If only the whole day could feel like this…

One servant began massaging her shoulders and scrubbing her back with a towel — a bit rough, just how she liked it. It grounded her.

“Your Majesty, it’s time,” the servant at the back finally spoke.
“Yeah…” Shiho replied quietly.

She stood, water dripping from her body, and stepped toward the waiting towel. The servants hurried forward, wrapping her in golden, embroidered cloth before leading her to the fitting chamber.

Two more attendants entered, carrying her training armor. It wasn’t heavy — just enough to protect her. She stood still, letting them dress her in silence.

Once ready, she walked outside where a familiar figure awaited her.

Renjirō, her personal eunuch, bowed low.

“So, what’s my schedule for the day, Renjirō?” she asked, voice already sharper — her official tone.

They walked side by side. There was no time to linger.

“Yes, Your Majesty. First: bow training in the Crimson Yard. Then meditation and language study. After that—”
“Let’s focus on the morning, Renjirō.”
“Of course, Your Highness. Bow training.”
“Alright,” she replied, her face unreadable.

---

The wind held its breath as Shiho drew her bow.

Her stance was firm, feet grounded against the cold stone of the Crimson Blade Court. Red maple leaves swirled lazily across the courtyard, brushing past her boots and settling at her hem — but she didn’t flinch. Her focus as sharp as the blade and she is calm as the windless bamboo grove