Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 6

talk."
    "When this is all over, you will be dead and I as well." There was no insult in Bao's voice, only the matter of fact tone of his beliefs.
    "I will not allow that to happen." The sword in his hands pulsed with his conviction.
    "You will not have a choice."
    "Enough talk!" Chien released Bao and turned to face the Empress and her sons, his hand tightening around his weapon. "This challenge will come to an end."
    Somehow, Tuan and Minh had come to a harmony of sorts. Likely a common enemy had united them. But Chien knew something they did not. It would be difficult fighting the two of them simultaneously, but he had to survive. There was so much riding upon this. So many expectations, so many lives. Though he sorely wanted to, he did not turn again to look at Bao.
    It seemed at last, at the end, he was not at all alone.
    Tuan attacked first, he had never learned the fine art of patience. There was no art to his thrust, only brute strength, and Chien dodged it easily. Tuan did not allow himself to become dissuaded by that. He attacked once more, and this time Chien brought his sword up to block. The force of Tuan's blow threatened to cripple his arm.
    From the corner of his eye, he could see Minh sneaking forward to make his attack while Chien was distracted. He allowed himself to stumble back, enough that he was out of Minh's reach as well. From there it became a dance of dodging Tuan's strikes, which became clumsier with each missed blow, and avoiding Minh's attempts to catch him off guard. They truly did complement one another. Should they have ever settled their differences they would have been a truly terrifying duo.
    But Chien had not come this far to fail. This was his destiny. His throne. His empire. And if Minh and Tuan did not intend to bow, then they had no choice but to fall.
    All it took was one. One misstep by Minh in which he thrust his sword too close to his brother's skin, the sharpened sword cutting easily through the fabric. Tuan howled and stumbled back, hand going to his arm while he glared at his brother, "Are you attempting to kill me?"
    "I missed. It was a mistake."
    Chien stood back, dao at the ready rather than attempting to press his advantage. He could see blood spill from between Tuan's fingers as he squabbled with his brother.
    "I barely nicked you!" Minh cried. "You truly are a weakling. So much for the strong and mighty Tuan. I should have known it was nothing more than an act."
    "A weakling? From a man who scarcely knows what to do with a sword? All you can do is sneak behind others and steal their strength." The blood continued to flow, staining Tuan's golden robe. Chien could see that the Empress was beginning to grow angry, but no one had yet noticed. He could be patient. He could wait.
    "At least I do not cry when I receive a small cut on my arm. You're barely bleeding." Minh gestured to his arm then paused. "Why are you still bleeding?"
    Tuan looked down as well, eyes widening as he took in the blood that covered his hand and made its way down his sleeve. He moved his hand away from the wound, and the blood began to fall freely down his sleeve. "What have you done?" He asked his brother in a fading, horrified voice.
    "Nothing, I did nothing." But Minh could not help staring in fascination at the wound.
    "Summon the shaman!" The Empress declared, standing from her throne.
    Before she could make her way down the tiers however, Tuan had staggered backward, raising his weapon with great effort. "You will not take the throne from me. Even in death." He thrust forward, but his arm was too weak to do much more than pierce Minh's skin.
    "Tuan! Stop!" Tuan collapsed, every breath he took sending him into shudders of pain. He was feeling it now. In the moment of death, the pain would be the worst. Every part of him clinging to life while the poison slowly dragged him to the underworld. He had enough strength to shove his mother away when she would have collapsed beside him and taken hold of him. "I am the strongest," he gasped. "The most capable. I will not die here." His movements slowed and his statement faded into nothing.
    Tears sat in the Empress's eyes as she stared at the body of her oldest son. The gasp of pain from behind her made her turn, and she watched as Minh clutched at his chest, the front of his robe soaked in blood. She mouthed the word 'No', but it never made it past her lips. Minh fell and she sat frozen in horror.
    Silence descended within the hall.
    "Do you feel