The Lost Samurai

Chapter 23- Arrival

In less than one hour they arrived at Blue Phoenix city, the griffin landed on a part of the palace, a vast landing area for the griffin knights where several other knights and some attendants were waiting for them.

Once they landed some attendants came to welcome the group and guide Kenshin and Kyoko to their bed chambers, they would rest for today while the last members of the war council still didn’t arrive.

“Thank you for the transportation mister, mister i don’t know, may i know your name mister knight?” Kyoko quickly turned to thank the griffin knight that gave her a ride from Red Sand City and noticed she didn’t know his name.

“Haha lady Kyoko, i would be honored to tell you my name, i’m sir Aka, please have a good slumber lady Kyoko, keep safe ok?” Sir Aka was overjoyed to say his name to Lady Kyoko, he hoped she could remember him in the future.

“Ok Prince Kenshin, Lady Kyoko, i’m Hyouka and i will be your maid, anything you need just ask me and i will provide it, firstly let me guide you to the bed chambers prepared for you.” A beautiful blonde woman with sapphire-like blue eyes, dressed in an elegant black and white uniform was tasked with taking care of them during their stay here.

“Thank you, please take care of us, I would be happy with your guidance. Miss Hyouka, is my father here today?” Kenshin and Kyoko followed her through the large hallways of the palace, passing by countless rooms, each one richly decorated and full of all different kinds of things, from training rooms to big fields, bathrooms for a hundred persons and large pools.

“He is here indeed Prince Kenshin, do you want to see him? I bet he would be happy to see you and Lady Kyoko, our lord isn’t feeling really well so he’s spending all of his time in his bed. I hope seeing you will cheer him up and help in his recovery.” Miss Hyouka was really worried about the former emperor, with age he was becoming weaker and weaker and getting sick frequently.

“Grandpa is sick? Is he feeling too bad? Dad, we have to go see him!” Kyoko was worried about her grandpa, the old man who was always so caring and loving to her was getting older and weaker every year and now him getting sick wasn’t a rare occasion, she wanted to help him get better but had no means of doing it

“Please take us to my father, I would really like to see him now.” Kenshin and Kyoko walked the large hallways to Kenshin’s father's room, Missi Hyouka knocked on the door three times and the voice of a knight answered.

“Hi, who wants to enter? Please, identify yourselves!” Due to his high status and current weak condition the former emperor always had a guard by his side, they were always changing shifts to make sure he wasn’t unguarded for even a minute and they had alarms prepared to alert the whole palace if someone put him in danger.

“It’s me, Hyouka, and I've brought some guests that the emperor certainly wants to see, Prince Kenshin and Lady Kyoko want to see our Lord.” Hyouka quickly introduced them and explained the reason why she was here.

The large metal doors slowly opened with a loud noise, an old man with white hair and a really sick expression was lying on the bed with a knight in full-plate armor stood by his side.

"Grandpa! I'm here to take care of you so, you must get better ok? I will give you a hug, love you!" Kyoko jumped to the bedside and gave her grandpa who was lying on the bed a big hug.

"Oh thank you my dear, I'm really happy to see you, you're my favorite grandchild you know?" The old man had already lost a good part of his vision but he could clearly discern Kyoko's voice, and her love was also impossible to forget.

"But gramps, i am your only grandchild, or maybe aunt Mai had babies? But I would know if she had any." Kyoko was fairly confused by her grandfather's affirmations, she couldn't be the favorite with no competitors, or maybe she couldn't not be the favorite.

"Haha, even with no others you're still my favorite ok?" The confused look on Kyoko's  face only got more gaping but she decided not to discuss the matter, if she was the favorite one that was already a good thing, or at least she thought so.

"Hi Dad I'm here, it looks like your condition got worse huh? But you're the greatest warrior who could destroy empires alone, time can't really beat you, just weaken you a bit." Kenshin slowly walked through the room and got a chair, pulling it closer to his father's bed and sitting.

"Kenshin my son, i remember when you were just a little toddler, you and your brother playing around, you getting so happy when Mai was born, she chasing you around like her role model. I think time really beat me, I can't win against this unsurmountable wall, it's impossible to even think about beating time, but still there's no need for thar. You and your siblings, learning and growing up, Kyoko brought into the family by you and becoming this lovely girl. Time took so many things from me, but gave me so many precious things in exchange." He was truly a wise man with so many life experiences to teach, everyone in the room couldn't agree more with what he said.

"You're right father, I wished we could win against time and against anything, but I need to agree with you on that, we just need to get the best of it. I can see the good things time brings us, a family, friends, even my own daughter." Kenshin started to remember everything in his life, so many hard parts but still overall a pretty decent life.

*Knock!*Knock!*Knock!* Kenshin halted his speech and looked at the door, the knight quickly went to verify the identities of the new guests.

"Please open the door guard, it's me, Emperor Kai, I just want to see my father." A familiar voice sounded from the other side of the thick metal doors, Kenshin's thoughts were right after all, his brother came.

"Oh, of course your majesty! I will open the door right now, Emperor." The guard quickly switched to his most serious instance and opened the heavy doors as fast as he could, looking good in front of the emperor could earn him a good raise or maybe even a promotion.

Soon the emperor and a mesmerizing woman came into the vision of everyone inside the room, they were Kenshin's siblings, Kai and Mai, seeing Kenshin and Kyoko inside Kai gave them a warm smile and Mai was already jumping with happiness.

"Kenshin my beloved brother, Kyoko my cute niece! Long time since I last saw you two! Kyoko you grew up so much, you're starting to have the face of an adult woman, in a few years you will be so grown up! Kenshin you have to take care of that beard, you never shave it properly, it destroys your looks, but first come give me a hug!" Mai was as warm and lively as ever, she was truly someone who gave Kenshin a motivation boost.

"Lil Kyoko, i heard you beat Master Yu's number one disciple, and that even though he's 2 years older. He is one of the biggest talents in our kingdom, you know, only five or six youngsters are at his level. I'm proud of you. Kenshin my brother, I was worried when I got the news you lost control and almost lost your life, but a bit after I was relieved with the news of you waking up, it's sad we gathered here to discuss serious things, but I'm happy with a little family reunion." Kai got a seat while Mai happily hugged everyone, apparently destiny got them all together in this moment, by simply desiring to visit their father at the same time