Flower In the Palace

Chapter 2: Narrator

Fifteen Years Later

She was the only daughter of a once affluent family who now lived under the stigma, of disgrace. Many years ago, just a few years before she was born, her father angered the emperor and was expelled from the palace and the capital city, barely escaping with his life and the lives of his wives and children.

For as long as she could remember she'd heard the story told, with nary a change in the telling. It was at once a reminder of the family's once great standing and the bitterness of their fall from grace.

Still, the men of the Morgana family, the once fierce imperial assassin guards, carried on the traditions of their fathers. It was in their blood after all, and could not be helped.

Though no longer in favor with the royal family, their services were sought by many far and wide. Their wealth and noble standing were long gone, but their pride still held firm.

Once the only men who guarded the emperor and played an integral part in keeping law and order in the land, they were now relegated to little more than mercenaries, still fighting to regain their once great standing.

The men of the line had always held this position of power and security since the founding of the dynasty centuries ago and took great pride in their fighting abilities.

Skilled in martial arts, they were also outstanding swordsmen. But their greatest feat was their lack of fear when facing the enemy.

They were trained to fight to the death no matter what, and their greatest loyalty was to the emperor and the land of Zihan.

Known for their unwavering loyalty to the throne, these men over time had built up a reputation on par with the royal family.

No one doubted their word, and they were once looked upon by all as the saviors of the land. But then Dunal Morgana found himself caught in the middle of an evil scheme of another's making.

It was the beginning of the end for this once great family of warriors. An end, that sent shockwaves throughout the land and beyond.

The old emperor was dying back then, and after many years of refusing had been set to name a crown prince.

Everyone knew who the favorite was among his sons, the one the nation had lauded for his prowess and kindnesses over the years.

Prince Kai had been well loved by all and would make a great leader, even greater than his father who though filled with greatness, possessed a few shortcomings.

He'd been too easily led by his ministers who were more interested in feathering their nests than seeing to the needs of the people; something that he had lost control of over the years.

Prince Kai, on the other hand, spent time traveling the provinces and seeing for himself what was needed to keep the land strong and the people from abject poverty.

But his older brother, the greedy and malicious Prince Loren had his eye on the throne. And knowing that his father would most likely pass the power to his brother, had formed a coup with the help of his mother the noble consort Valeria.

You see, though Prince Loren was older, he was the son of a consort, a concubine. While Prince Kai was the beloved son of the empress, who as tradition holds, was the one true legitimate heir.

At the time Dunal Morgana had done his best to protect the young prince but in the end, he was no match for the schemes and manipulations of the court.

As a man of outstanding valor, his strength laid in his arm and not in dealing with the machinations of dark forces. Those things he had always left to others. Something he would bitterly regret for many years after.

Though the crown prince had been saved in the end, because of his loyalty, Dunal had been framed by unsavory men who blamed him for the plot against the prince's life.

It was the only way to save their own necks, and keep this staunch supporter away from the prince, leaving him vulnerable to future plots.

The web of lies had been such that Dunal had been sent away in shame. It was only because of the Morgana family's great standing and the outcry of the people that he'd been able to keep his life.

That and the fact that there was no real evidence to support the claims. The empress, who believed in his innocence had convinced the emperor, who had taken pity on him and his clan and hadn't wiped them out as was the custom.

The empress had died not long after from a mysterious illness, making room for consort Valeria to take her place on the throne.

Though many had their suspicions, and speculation ran rampant, nothing could be proved and so no one dared say out loud what many were thinking. Such was the new empress' power.

Dunal had felt the loss of the nation's mother along with the rest of the subjects who'd benefitted from her benevolence and charity over the many years of her reign.

He'd returned to his ancestral lands in the north, far enough away from the palace not to be seen as a threat, but still close enough if needed. But he's always wished for the day when he could clear his name and bring dignity back to his clan.