The Petals Falling

Chapter 1

Today is Wednesday. Wednesday’s are the best days. I feel as though the sun shines brighter on Wednesday’s. Wednesday is also the day I get to go into market with father. Mother and my little sister always stay home and help with the harvest. At the market we give out our normal rations to everyone while also picking up ours from the other families.

Since the kingdom does not help any of their villages, we all must be self sufficient. In our village, each family is in charge of providing the others with a certain product. Some families, like mine, provide food while other will provide linens and clothing. Each family will be in charge of the clothing when their product is not in season. For a child’s first birthday the village people will provide even extra rations as a celebration gift. If it is a families first child, the family in charge of the clothing for that season will give them many baby clothing options. Every child afterwards will just wear their siblings old clothing.

My family is in charge of rice. Our land is located at the edge of our village and many of our fields reach to the village beside us. My mother and little sister are out planting the next harvest. I would usually be helping but it’s Wednesday.

Father and I head out to the center of town. The only horses we have are the two that are pulling our wagon full of rice and our supplies to set up at market. Father built it with my brother. Oh how we miss him. He was sent off the war with the Emperor’s men. Since I was born I have known the cruelty of the Emperor. Once a person hits 16 they are lined up in the kingdom right at the palace gates and picked off. Some boys are chosen to go to war while some are safe to stay home. Girls are either chosen for the Emperor’s harem. Thankfully I was not chosen, any girl who is, will never see their families again. My brother on the other hand, he was chosen and we all had to watch as the guards took him away. We all accepted that we would never see him again. For me, it is easier to think he is dead. That way I don’t ruin myself with hope.

The trip to market goes by slowly. The sights are full of fields of full of different foods. I’ve seen these fields many many times each week. Father doesn’t talk very much either so the ride is also very silent. Nobody in my family really talks a lot. It is all strictly business. Maybe they just miss my brother. Maybe it’s just the stress of many years under the Emperor’s rule. I will never be sure.

Once we arrive at market the fun begins. Many families are already there setting up their stands. I see my friend Demi with her mother. Their family is in charge of the wheat harvest. It is easier for them to do it since both her father and brother were chosen for the army. Demi’s father’s case was special because he was arrested for treason and plotting against the Emperor. His choices were to either join the army or be killed off. Ever since then it has just been Demi and her mother. I have offered to help them but father did not like the idea of me traveling all the way over to their land by myself.

Father stops the horses and we both hop down from our seats and start to unload the wagon and setting up at our normal station. The market is simply just a ten set up in the middle of the village. The mud usually makes it hard for the elderly people to get around so their rations are delivered to their house at other days of the week.

I help father with the bags of rice and start writing out name with the list that mother made for us. Demi’s family gets less than the Po family since the Po’s have four young boys. Father makes sure I use precise handwriting every time we come to market since there was a switch up a few years ago. Mother taught me how to read since they do not teach that in school. I was very lucky to even be able to be a part of the class since most villages, as father says, “don’t let girls learn”.

Since I have an education, many of the village boys do not find me as a good wife. What man wants a wife who is just as intelligent as he is? All the men are taught that women only do house work and produce heirs, nothing more nothing less. So who would want a girl who has been brought up to do both and men and women’s work?

This is why father brings me along on Wednesdays. Soon I will have to take over for him. He is growing sick. He tries to hide it from us but mother has told me he lays awake coughing and wheezing. Since I do not have a husband, I must look for my little sister to find a proper suitor in order for us to continue our father’s name.

I finish writing names just as father comes back from tying the horses.

“Very good Suki, now go grab our rations” he says very quietly. He really must be sick, he hasn’t called me by my name in years.

“Yes father”. I bow my head and head off to the other families. Many of the men look down on me for being out of the house while others will stop and talk to me for awhile. There’s only one booth I’m afraid to go to.

Chan Yata was an ex guard for the Emperor. Every time I go to his stand he tells my stories of what happens to “girls like me” in the palace. How the Emperor devours them and tosses them aside like their nothing. Chan also tells me that the guards messed up with not picking me. That the Prince would have loved to have someone like me in his chambers.

The only thing is I barely ever hear of the Prince. Mother told me when I was young that we was born the year before me and that he is never seen out of the palace. Even though Chan tries to scare me, the Prince never takes women and does not even have a harem. Maybe the Prince isn’t like his father. Or maybe he’s worse.

I can feel Chan’s eyes on me the whole time I am gathering our rations. It also does not help that the small cart my family has for gathering rations is very old and squeaks every time it rolls. Chan always tells me to fix get it fixed but we do not have the supplies or time to mix a small wheel when the cart rolls fine.

I stop at Demi’s table and talk with her and her mother for awhile. Demi’s mother, Ms. Ling, always asks about mother and how my little sister is doing. Mother and Ms. Ling are the same age and worked together where they both met their husbands together later in life. Father never liked Mr. Ling but we would still invite them to visit since Ms. Ling was mother’s only close friend. That is how Demi and I became good friends. I tell them both to come visit sometime even though I know they won’t. They haven’t come since my brother left. Mother and father never have anyone over anymore.

After leaving Demi and her mother, I take a deep breath and head to Chan’s table. I bow and speak softly, “hello Mr, Chan. How is your day going”.

“Now dear girl how many times have I told you that you don’t speak unless spoken to” he says grimly. Every time he talks I can just hear the words snake in and out of my ears.

I lift my head to meet his eyes, “I am sorry if you got the wrong impression sir, but I do not belong to you so therefore you cannot speak to me that way”.

Before I can say anything, Chan grabs me and pulls me close to his face. I can see every single detail of his dark, twisted eyes and the deep wrinkles in his face. There is also a hint of a smoke smell mixed with the strong scent on body odor.

“You do not talk back to me girl! I will have you killed! How would you like being locked in a cell to rot? The guards would love fresh meat like you. Not even used yet”, he spits at me. I can feel and hear the anger boiling up in him as his eyes cloud over with rage. He pushes me back and slaps me in the face.

“Never speak to me like tha..” his words are cut off by a punch. Was that me? Did I do that? I know I really wanted to but I did not think I could actually do that. Wait. No I didn’t do that. Maybe next time.

I look and see a man standing over Chan yelling. I cannot hear what he is yelling. Maybe I’m in shock. The man is very tall and muscular. Maybe he is a guard. Maybe he is coming to take me away!

I take a few steps back and then he sees me. He turns his head and his bright green eyes meet mine. His hair is pulled out of his face. As soon as he sees me his face soften and he comes over to me.

“Are you alright? Did he hurt you at all?” The strange man says. He grabs my hands and inspects my face but yet I can’t seem to find any words to say. The strange man speak again but I did not hear him this time. Maybe this is all the dream and Chan just killed me. But then again the man’s voice was so soothing. Unlike the cold unforgiving voice of Chan’s.

I look up into the man’s eyes and the world goes black.