The Unfinished Story by Char Marie Adles (best books to read in your 20s .TXT) 📕

He looked at my hand, as if it would bite him. His face was no longer white but it was pale and he looked furious.
“Take the hand,” I suggested, “I won’t bite I promise.”
He slowly reached for my hand and took it to everyone shocked gasp. I started to help him up and the door banged up.
“ASH! WHERE ARE YOU?” Kail yelled into the dojo.
I whipped my head around to see him in his morning robe, long hair falling in his face, and he was I think not mad but more worried.
“Shit,” was what I had said as he banged in and the men holding my hand let go and he fell to the ground with a thud.
Kail looked from face to face till he saw me. All of me. In my girl’s clothes
I smiled weakly and waved at him. “Hi Kail…”
He ran over to me and looked me over.
“What are you doing,” I asked him.
“You’re asking me? You snuck out in the middle of the night! And he I find you dressed like this! Like a girl! And you’re going to meet the Emperor today! What were you thinking!?” he asked vexed.
“Well I was kind of going to run away back home before I met him that what I dressed like this, but I heard the sound of swords and couldn’t stop. It pulled me towards it.” I said rubbing the back of my head.
He just stared at me.
“You mean she’s a he!” the men said from behind me.
“It’s a guy!”
The captain stood behind Kail and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Did I hear right? Kail?” he asked. His face was serious.
Kail turned to him. “Yes…”
The captain then grinned and hugged him.
“It’s me! Oh it was so long almost ten years!”
“WHAT-?!” Kail gasped.
I felt sometime in me snap and I felt myself getting mad. I grabbed Kail about the waist and pulled him back away from the captain and stepped in front of him
“Kail’s mine! Touch him again and I’ll cut off something you might want to keep,” I warned.
He stared at me then laughed. “YOU! AND HIM?!” he bent over laughing. Soon he straitening and wiped tears from his eyes. “Although you dress like a girl, you a boy. No matter how you look at Kail he could never be gay. And you can’t be a girl because of how you use a sword! Beside the Emperor and his sons, I’m the best swordsman in the whole Empire! If he’s yours prove it!” he was still laughing.
I smiled. “Fine.” I turned to Kail, leaned up on my toes twining my arms around his neck and pulled him down. I licked his lips and that was all the invitation he need. Kail pressed his lips to mine. Going on an impulse I opened my lips and his tongue slipped between them.
I pressed the full length of my boy against his.
The entire room was dead silent. The captain was no longer laughing.
I smiled against Kail lips. This time he licked mine. He smiled too, a sly. Full of mischief.
I went to step away from Kail, but he held fast to me, he leaned down to bite my ear.
I giggled and looked to the captain. His mouth hung open and his face was red. I grinned my foxy grin for him.
“Like I said he’s mine.”
“Y-y-yo-you and K-Kail!” was all that came out in a jumbled mess.
I patted Kail shoulder and he let go of me, but that he wanted to if his eyes said anything. I pick it up my stuff and then took Kail’s hand. I patted the captain on the shoulder.
“I’m afraid I have to go, but if you want another match before I leave, come find me,” I said as Kail pulled me behind him on the way out. I smiled and waved bye to the others. The stupidly waved back.
Once we were outside in the fresh air I breathed deep.
“Kail do I really have to meet the Emperor?” I asked. I still hated the idea, it made my edge.
“Yes.”
He dragged me back to our room and set about undressing me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked trying to cover myself and throw a shoe at him at the same time. As much as I loved it I was totally and completely embarrassed. As he tried to look at my face I ducked my head. My cheeks felt hot and I knew I was blushing.
He caught me as I tried to duck around him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
His eyes peered into my red face.
“I’m embarrassed!” I said felling tears flow from my eyes.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you cry. You fine now. You shouldn’t be embarrassed,” he whispered in my ear.
“I know, but I am!” I wailed.
He rubbed my back and soon my tears stopped but I was hiccupping.
“There now,” he said and smiled.
He helped me dress in my men’s cloths and tie my hair back.
I looked in a mirror I looked more and more like my mom. Beautiful.
“The feast will start in a few hours so stay close. I’m sure that you have been warned about the Emperor?” Kail asked a crease in his brow.
I nodded. “He has a thing for beautiful women and men.”
“Which in either case I ask you to stay a goodly distance from him as possible? Promise me.”
“I promise,” I said. I gave him a quick kiss.
“I have to go and work but I will see you at the dinner.” he kissed my forehead and left. Dress in his thick black kimono. I had felt it just as he hugged me it was made of the softest cotton.
I sat on the floor. My sword making a thunk as they hit the floor. I leaned back.
I’ve been here six months. Wow.
And it’s been the best six months of my life. I found out that I had emotions I didn’t know about and that I could be my own person and not be controlled. I found love and had pleasures so few had. Adventures left and right. Torture and near death experiences. This wasn’t what I thought my life would be, but now I can’t see my life any other way.
I laughed. I’ve even had sometime where things didn’t go the way I hoped.
I sat up and went to my trunk here at the palace. I moved things aside till I found a small worn black leather book tied with a red ribbon. Leda’s diary.
Tonight I would ask Kail what happened to Leda.
I sat and read more of the book. I was only half way through.


Today day there was more fighting the north. He was called away to the emperor. The emperor is nothing more than a boy. The war is starting to come to an end. Today there was I fire in the forest and everyone was sent into a panic. I sat around doing nothing the whole day so I dressed in men clothes and left hiding my hair under a hat. People questioned me on my eyes but no one stopped me as I went into the town. I bought some clothes and a necklace for him when he comes back. I met other woman of the town and made some new friends. Even a cat seemed to like me. But in the end I couldn’t wait for him to come back to me and hold me in his arms.

I skipped a few pages and read on.

He did come back for a few weeks and the mansion had been attacked while he was away. But my maids had safely protected me. I longed for him and when he came back he was somehow changed. Soon after he was told of the joy to come. He would have a son. we were married after that and I introduced in the way of court life. I became the most famous, well liked, and the most envious for my beauty and wit. I was even a favorite of the Emperor before he died and his brother became emperor. I spent two years at court then came home. I went every few years after that to see everyone for a few weeks. I love my son and husband more than words could say. But my husband was often gone away on business.

I closed the book. She was truly a great person. And I’m sure that’s why my mom had loved her.
Soon there was a knocking on my door and I opened it to find Sen and Momo. They each took one of my arms and led me to the big doors of the dining room.
“Remember to bow, and then you are to come and take you place on the Emperors left side. But make sure you are far enough to the side. Now go!” she said giving me a small push in the door.
I stumbled and caught myself before I landed face first in front of the hundred or so people at a long table filled with food.
Lucky no one saw. I walked down the length of the giant table and bowed to the Emperor at the head of the table. The place at his left side left open. He was a man in his forties and no to bad looking for his age. He wore the best of the silks possible and they were beautiful. Splashes of reds, yellows, oranges, and blues and greens.
He placed a hand on my shoulder. “No need for you to bow! You saved my life so I should be bowing to you! Come, come and sit my dear boy!” he was grinning from ear to ear and patting the place next to him.
I threw a look to Sen and Momo who walked in and sat at their places down at the end. Momo made a sitting motion.
I swallowed hard and sat next to the Emperor.
“Let the feast begin!” he roared.
People started to eat and I turned too looked at the Emperor.
“So this is the young man who saved my life, and the life of my adviser?” he asked me.
I nodded. “Yes sir.”
He looked me over and I felt as if