The Vagary of a Bastard

Chapter 1

He stared at the twinkling orbs above him; it felt like the universe was revolving around him. He watched the galaxies formed and eradicated from the celestial map.

There was nothing, nowhere, and no one other than himself.

He floated aimlessly in the weird dimension, spending all those years figuring out how to get out of that place, but alas, everything was left in vain. He couldn't lift his arms nor wiggle his toes. It's like he didn't have a body, to begin with. He scowled – well, at least he thought -

It's been eons since he was stuck in that dimension. It was caused by his reckless decision. He miscalculated the impact of his invention, which was supposed to be the greatest weapon in mankind; he and his assistant operated the weapon prematurely in the hope of winning the war. But before the weapon could generate enough energy to obliterate the foes, his assistant turned his back on him and stole the most essential component of the weapon: a screw.

A god damned screw caused him to die in a major explosion, and at the same time blowing up the entire base within its proximity and ultimately killed their best soldiers.

He couldn't believe that bastard, his former assistant, double-crossed him just to destroy his phenomenal invention that was -theoretically- going to change the world.

Most people didn't believe him and called him delusional, but that bastard thought he was a genius of Neo science and technology for inventing that weapon. He trusted that bastard's words; he genuinely did. Then the reality slapped across his face. Apparently, that bastard was working for that despicable tyrant!

A sudden shift of gravity jolted him awake from his memories and pulled him downward.

After so many years, he finally feels something.

He felt pain, immense pain.

-o-

The metal door was slammed open. Heavy footsteps were getting closer, muffled chatters were getting louder until they stopped in front of a tightly chained door. Locks and seals were taken down from the other side; the shoji slide opened after a minute.

The old man, along with his subordinate, saw a woman on the tatami floor. She was in labor for forty hours, she hasn't delivered the baby due to complications. She was sweating and gasping, gripping the hands of the midwife to ease the pain.

"What is the condition of the baby?" The old man commanded the midwives as he sat down beside the woman.

"The baby hasn't arrived yet." one of the midwives spoke up, "Lady Hanasaki is in tremendous pain; she wasn't able to push the baby out. It seems like both of them are subject to fate, my lord."

The old man frowned, "Impossible! The heir should be born right now!" he slammed his fist onto the tatami floor.

At the same time, the shoji opened.

"Father."

The old man looked up and saw his younger self - no, his son - looking at him with a stern expression. The old man returned his look.

"Satomaru." The old man acknowledged.

"I have brought the doctor," Satoshi announced. The doctor walked into the room and set his equipment on the ground, and started his operation. They watched the doctor cut open lady Hanasaki's abdomen. After a minute, the baby was born.

The midwives took the wailing baby from the doctor's bloodied hands. While the midwives left to clean the baby, the doctor stitched Lady Hanasaki's womb. The midwives returned with the baby wrapped in a violet blanket; they passed it to the Satomaru.

"This baby will be the heir!" The old man declared. Satomaru frowned and laid the bundle of joy beside his mother.

"No, he will not be the heir. He will be training with Keishomaru and Gakimaru for the war." Satomaru said. He stood up and left the room. The old man and his subordinates left the room and quickly followed Satomaru into the courtyard.

"What is the meaning of this, Satomaru." The old man cleared his throat.

"What of it."

"You haven't chosen any of your offspring to become the sole heir to the throne. Supposedly, your firstborn, Keishomaru, should be next in line for the throne."

"I see no such things, father. Both Keishomaru and Gakimaru are much appropriate for the battle, and so is the third born." Satomaru answered swiftly.

"Satomaru-sama, we saw that your third born does not meet up with your expectations. We shall have a meeting with the new maiden of our choosing, Lady Gokaidon." one of the old man's subordinates, Councilman Usanaki, spoke up.

"Hotagori-sama graciously offered his daughter to bear a child with you, Satomaru-sama." Councilwoman Kakemono added.

"The meeting will not happen. Out of forty-five women, only three women accomplished to bear my child. Thus the matchmaker proved to be fruitless; furthermore, I do not wish for my children to have different mothers." Satomaru stated.

"Satomaru, you are to mate with Hotagori's daughter. The heir is crucial to this land." The old man commanded.

"Father, " Satomaru turned around to face the old man; his stoic face betrayed no emotion. "I am the Daimyo, and my decision is final." With that, he left the old man and his subordinates in the courtyard.

-o-

"Sa-Satomaru..." The woman curled into a ball, cuddling the newborn infant in her arms. "I don't have much time to live...." Tears fell from her eyes as she cradles her baby.

"Nadeshiko, please stay with me. You can't go!" Satomaru begged. He lifted her head to take a look into her face. Her fair skin turned pale and sweaty, her bright blonde hair faded into a dull brown. Her twinkling purple eyes now disappeared into lifeless lavender and filled with salty tears. She was sick. He knew she was ill for a long time, he promised her that he would take care of her, but that stupid council won't approve his request.

"I came here as soon as I can. You'll be fine, I promised." He whispered softly into her ears. But Nadeshiko just sobbed harder on his shoulder.

"I can't! It hurts; it hurts so much! I can't make it, Satomaru. He won't have a mother!" Realization slammed into his face when he saw an infant in her arms.

Her child,

His child.

Their child!

It's their child! Happiness sparked in his chest but soon died as it started. Their child will not have a mother.

As Nadeshiko kept on crying, her grip started to loosen. She stared at her lover and whispered, "A part of me will always be there with you. Please, take care of Haruka..." Then she went limped. The infant started to cry when he no longer felt the warmth of his mother. Satomaru took the infant from his dead mother and look at his face. He could not mask his shock. That infant was an exact replica of his mother. That hair and those eyes, it's as if Nadeshiko was reincarnated into their son!

"I will take care of him. This time, I won't break it." Satomaru promised.

-o-

"This is outrageous! Have you gone mad!" The old man roared, "Bringing in a half-blood into this clan is blasphemous! You went too far to even taint our blood with a low-life prostitute!"

"Todomaru-sama is right, Satomaru." Kakemono agreed, "That thing need be removed before it tarnishes any of the royal blood."

"The prostitute, too, needs to be removed." Usanaki added, "We must not let anybody know the bloodline has been tainted."

"Silence!" Satomaru ordered. None of them dare to speak a word. They stared at Satomaru and waited for the following action executed.

"This child's blood is mixed with mine; if you kill this child, then you kill my blood along. Therefore, I will take this child into my custody-" He paused and made eye contact with his father.

"-And he will become the heir to the throne."

"Blasphemy, blasphemy! You fools don't know what you're doing!" Todomaru shouted, "This land will fall, I say! This land will cease to exist because of that bastard child! The half-blood must be punished for its sin!"

"Enough!" Satomaru barked, "My words are law, and you can not disobey me!" He ordered.

"This child will become the daimyo of this land!"