Sanctum of a Bloom
"She saw a dust bearing bee sink into the sanctum
of a bloom; the thousand sister calxes arch to meet
the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree
from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom
and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage!"
~Zora Neale Hurston
Prologue
In which she lies
about the nature
of her assignment
Squealing in delight, the little girl in Shiho's arms squirmed at being caught. Her twin pigtails flounced as she writhed in annoyance, yearning for freedom.
"Let me go!" she begged through the giggles, pushing at the arms that surrounded her.
"Never!" Shiho laughed, hugging the girl tighter to her chest.
"You're suffocating me!"
With a huff, Shiho set the brunette girl down. The seven-year-old bounced away immediately, preoccupied with the candy that Shiho had bought her.
"You know, there was time when she was excited to see me," Shiho pronounced, walking into the kitchen. She dropped her grocery bags on the counter and turned to the man heating up the stove.
"She's just used to seeing you so often," he replied. Taking out a pan, he poured a few drops of oil into it and placed it over the fire. "Did you bring the fish?"
"Yes, I did, Calech. Can't live without your fish, huh?"
He gave her a grin. "You know me."
She rolled her eyes. "You're my brother, how could not?" She plopped down onto a bar stool and reached for her bag. Inside, she pulled out a letter, worn at the edges and folds, and reread the message for the millionth time. She sighed, tugging at her low ponytail to let it loose. From the stove, Calech threw her a worried glance.
"Calech…" she began.
"Yeah?"
She hesitated. "What if I left again?"
Calech turned around to face her, brows furrowed. "What? Why?"
"For work. It wouldn't be too long. Maybe a year or two."
"Seriously? You just got off that stupid ship three years ago. Don't tell me you're going back."
Shiho shook her head. "No. They want to send me to earth to test new mobile suits."
"Earth?" he proclaimed. "Why so far?"
"Development has been localized at the Carpentaria base. That's where I'll be stationed."
Calech sighed, setting his spatula on the counter. "I don't suppose you plan on turning them down?"
Shiho gave an apologetic smile. "It's not likely."
"Can't be satisfied with a desk job like the rest of us, huh, soldier?"
"Guess not."
"Maselina will miss her auntie."
Shiho glanced at the little girl playing in the living room, oblivious to the world. "She doesn't at the moment."
"Only because we thought you were back for good. You have no idea how worried I was during the war."
"Sorry, Calech. If I can help make these suits better, less people will worry about losing their families in future wars."
He studied his sister for a moment. "Why do you really want to take this assignment?"
"Hmm?"
"You seriously cannot be that excited about testing more weapons or whatever you're going to do."
"Calech, this is important." She couldn't meet his eyes, so she returned to the letter at hand. "We could change the future with these developments."
He sighed and turned back to his cooking. "Shiho, it doesn't matter how advanced a weapon is. You may save your teammate, but your enemy will die."
She said nothing. Couldn't say anything, because she had lied through her teeth. Better get used to it, she told herself, folding the letter and packing it back into her bag. She was going to have to do it frequently in the future.
After a moment, Calech asked, "When are you leaving then?"
"In about a week. I'll get more information tomorrow."
Setting a plate of food in front of her, he gave her a soft look before calling out to Maselina. "Take care of yourself, sis."
She took a bite of the fish before her, but couldn't rid her mouth of the bitter taste of deceit.
Author Note: Uploading the prologue to motivate myself to keep on writing. I feel like the whole idea of a fake marriage is a fanfiction cliche, especially concerning Yzak and Shiho, but the idea wouldn't leave me. Maybe I can do it justice? Let me know what you think, I appreciate all the reviews! Also, I intend to keep writing for Auspicious while working on this story as well, so keep an eye out for that one as well. Thanks for reading!