Author's note: Yet another one of my wonderful fics. Again, tell me what
you think, and if you like, I'll post more.
~ ~ ~
And it's been awhile
1.1 Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
2 Since I first saw you
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
A pale cherry petal fell from the branch, fluttering on a spiraling path down to the ground. The sun caught on a tiny dewdrop resting in the middle of the petal, dazzling it into a starburst. The fair blossom drifted to the ground, its singular beauty distracting from all the beautiful blossom's still on the graceful cherry tree. Its moment of life was it's slow descent to the soft grass of the garden ground.
And in that moment of the small petal's life, it was the most graceful and radiant sight possible.
~*~
The empress was gone. Her death had left the country in shock for the past month, normally cheerful citizens sorrowful with loss. Their monarchs had ruled with a gentle hand, the country flourishing and prospering under their reign. Adored and admired by all, the empress had been a great loss to the country.
The sorrow was too much for the emperor. His heart weakened by being the sole survivor after the summoning of Suzaku, it was shattered at the death of his wife, as he sat by her and held her hands in the last moments of her life. He had handed the run of his country over to his counselors, no longer able to find the will for the affairs of state any longer.
~*~
"Boushin." Hotohori called softly over to his son. The small child looked at him, hazel eyes large with wonder. He rarely saw his father, and each time it seemed to Hotohori that his son reacted as if meeting a new person, he had previously not known.
The little boy toddled unsteadily over to where his father sat after dismissing one of the child's nursemaids.
On the floor between father and son sat an old worn teddy bear. Drawing Hotohori's attention, it distracted him long enough, that he didn't notice Boushin's trip quickly enough. He reached out for his falling son, but did not catch him in time. The baby's head hit the thick carpeting with a soft thud.
"WAHHHHHHH!" Boushin lay on the ground a moment before erupting into loud sniffling wails, more from fear than anything else. Fearful for his son's beauty being marred, Hotohori picked the child up, alarmedly checking the little face all over. Finding nothing, he heaved a sigh of relief and placed the child gently on his lap, and tried to calm the wailing 2-year- old.
"Don't worry Boushin. You are fine, nothing happened to your little face, you'll be just fine." Hotohori bit his lip as the child kept wailing. Unsure of what would comfort the little one, he picked up the teddy bear from the floor and handed it to the child, who clung to it and kept up the loud wails.
The doors to Hotohori's left rolled open, displaying another nursemaid of the small child. The girl took in the scene briefly, before rushing forward to take her charge from the anxious father.
Smiling at the emperor, she gently rocked the child, holding him close against her shoulder, whispering comforts.
"Heika." She inclined her head as much as she could. "I'm sorry for not bowing, but Prince Boushin seemed in dire need of help. Did he fall again? It tends to happen with the very young, when they're first learning to walk." She smiled again, as the Prince's wails slowly turned to sniffles. "They get over it quick enough."
Hotohori frowned, angry that he hadn't been able to make his own son calm of his fears. He watched the nursemaid as she calmly set the little boy and his teddy bear down near the rest of his toys.
"I wasn't able to calm him. My own son, and I was unable to comfort him." Hotohori blurted out. "Why doesn't he trust me?"
The young woman bit her lip. Did she dare tell the emperor the truth? She would probably be turned away from her job, out on the streets, and then where would she be? Her conscience battled her common sense for a moment or two before her conscience won. She sighed, unable to lie to the man before her.
"Gomen nasai, Heika, but…" she paused, once again unsure. "I hate to tell you this but it is because he does not see you nearly enough."
Hotohori looked at his hands, feeling his heart sink as he realized the truth. All those times he had missed seeing Boushin for a meeting of his advisors, a meeting with dignitaries… Each time he did that, it was a lost chance in letting his son get to know him, learn to love him, trust him. Hotohori blinked back tears at this, realizing he was perpetuating the vicious cycle of their family.
"A-arigatou for telling me." He whispered. "I'm glad to understand why. I shall just have to remedy this then, won't I?" Smiling he looked at the nursemaid. "He seems to trust you. Do you care for him a lot?"
Her face broke out in a wide, glowing smile, happiness playing over her features. "I am the Prince's main caretaker. I see him to sleep every night and wake him up every morning. I was called away before you came in." She bowed her head again to the emperor. "My name is Reis."
~*~
As the days and weeks passed, Reis and Hotohori became friends rather quickly, seeing each other everyday, Hotohori coming in to visit his son more and more often. He found the time he spent with the young nursemaid and his son relaxing and carefree, enjoying playing with the beautiful little baby and talking to Reis. She began to teach him about the child he sired, seeming to know more about children then anyone he had ever known.
Hotohori admired her ability with Boushin. Her competence to keep the small child from crying, from getting bored, lonely… He had never had such attention when he was young. His own nurse's had neglected him as a child, preferring to sit and gossip, while he took care of his own distractions. He grew up lonely, never knowing any playmates, younger or older then himself. He was kept away from other children, his father feeling no one's breeding high enough for Hotohori to associate with them.
~*~
"Careful, now. There you go…" Reis coaxed Boushin, as he tripped across the carpet to his Father. His face was concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, and not tripping over any sneaky bumps in the rug.
He finally fell into Hotohori's arms, a small giggle bursting up from the young throat, a smile lighting up the adorable face. Hotohori looked up at Reis happily. She smiled back, lighting up the room.
Hotohori paused for a moment, for the first time noticing how beautiful his son's attendant was. He looked at her a moment, before tearing his eyes away from the sight, afraid to be caught staring.
Turning Boushin around, he sent the little boy back to Reis, who held her arms out as he toddled into them, not noticing the emperor's intent gaze on her rather then his son.
~*~
"Hotohori-sama?" Reis asked quietly, trying not to disturb the half-asleep child she was rocking.
"Yes Reis?" Hotohori looked up from his scroll, where he sat across the room.
"Why did you hand the country over to the royal council? You always did such a good job of it. The people love you. You were always a source of comfort to them." She looked at him nervously, afraid she had poked to far.
"I don't mean to offend you, but… your people miss you Hotohori. The Council isn't half as compassionate as you were. They don't have private conferences when people request it, and they are doing nothing to stop some of the tougher street gangs." She pleaded with the emperor with her eyes.
"Hotohori. Your people need you."
~*~
"Well, I believe that concludes today's mee-" the council president was cut off as the doors to the private chamber were opened.
"Heika!"
"Good afternoon, Ishida-san. I trust you're well." Hotohori smiled benignly at the Council president who stood in front of him, shock playing over his features.
"Well, yes, Arigatou, Heika, but, if I may ask, what is the purpose of you coming back in here like this?"
"I have decided to reinstate my reign as Emperor of Konan. "
~ ~ ~
And it's been awhile
1.1 Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
2 Since I first saw you
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
A pale cherry petal fell from the branch, fluttering on a spiraling path down to the ground. The sun caught on a tiny dewdrop resting in the middle of the petal, dazzling it into a starburst. The fair blossom drifted to the ground, its singular beauty distracting from all the beautiful blossom's still on the graceful cherry tree. Its moment of life was it's slow descent to the soft grass of the garden ground.
And in that moment of the small petal's life, it was the most graceful and radiant sight possible.
~*~
The empress was gone. Her death had left the country in shock for the past month, normally cheerful citizens sorrowful with loss. Their monarchs had ruled with a gentle hand, the country flourishing and prospering under their reign. Adored and admired by all, the empress had been a great loss to the country.
The sorrow was too much for the emperor. His heart weakened by being the sole survivor after the summoning of Suzaku, it was shattered at the death of his wife, as he sat by her and held her hands in the last moments of her life. He had handed the run of his country over to his counselors, no longer able to find the will for the affairs of state any longer.
~*~
"Boushin." Hotohori called softly over to his son. The small child looked at him, hazel eyes large with wonder. He rarely saw his father, and each time it seemed to Hotohori that his son reacted as if meeting a new person, he had previously not known.
The little boy toddled unsteadily over to where his father sat after dismissing one of the child's nursemaids.
On the floor between father and son sat an old worn teddy bear. Drawing Hotohori's attention, it distracted him long enough, that he didn't notice Boushin's trip quickly enough. He reached out for his falling son, but did not catch him in time. The baby's head hit the thick carpeting with a soft thud.
"WAHHHHHHH!" Boushin lay on the ground a moment before erupting into loud sniffling wails, more from fear than anything else. Fearful for his son's beauty being marred, Hotohori picked the child up, alarmedly checking the little face all over. Finding nothing, he heaved a sigh of relief and placed the child gently on his lap, and tried to calm the wailing 2-year- old.
"Don't worry Boushin. You are fine, nothing happened to your little face, you'll be just fine." Hotohori bit his lip as the child kept wailing. Unsure of what would comfort the little one, he picked up the teddy bear from the floor and handed it to the child, who clung to it and kept up the loud wails.
The doors to Hotohori's left rolled open, displaying another nursemaid of the small child. The girl took in the scene briefly, before rushing forward to take her charge from the anxious father.
Smiling at the emperor, she gently rocked the child, holding him close against her shoulder, whispering comforts.
"Heika." She inclined her head as much as she could. "I'm sorry for not bowing, but Prince Boushin seemed in dire need of help. Did he fall again? It tends to happen with the very young, when they're first learning to walk." She smiled again, as the Prince's wails slowly turned to sniffles. "They get over it quick enough."
Hotohori frowned, angry that he hadn't been able to make his own son calm of his fears. He watched the nursemaid as she calmly set the little boy and his teddy bear down near the rest of his toys.
"I wasn't able to calm him. My own son, and I was unable to comfort him." Hotohori blurted out. "Why doesn't he trust me?"
The young woman bit her lip. Did she dare tell the emperor the truth? She would probably be turned away from her job, out on the streets, and then where would she be? Her conscience battled her common sense for a moment or two before her conscience won. She sighed, unable to lie to the man before her.
"Gomen nasai, Heika, but…" she paused, once again unsure. "I hate to tell you this but it is because he does not see you nearly enough."
Hotohori looked at his hands, feeling his heart sink as he realized the truth. All those times he had missed seeing Boushin for a meeting of his advisors, a meeting with dignitaries… Each time he did that, it was a lost chance in letting his son get to know him, learn to love him, trust him. Hotohori blinked back tears at this, realizing he was perpetuating the vicious cycle of their family.
"A-arigatou for telling me." He whispered. "I'm glad to understand why. I shall just have to remedy this then, won't I?" Smiling he looked at the nursemaid. "He seems to trust you. Do you care for him a lot?"
Her face broke out in a wide, glowing smile, happiness playing over her features. "I am the Prince's main caretaker. I see him to sleep every night and wake him up every morning. I was called away before you came in." She bowed her head again to the emperor. "My name is Reis."
~*~
As the days and weeks passed, Reis and Hotohori became friends rather quickly, seeing each other everyday, Hotohori coming in to visit his son more and more often. He found the time he spent with the young nursemaid and his son relaxing and carefree, enjoying playing with the beautiful little baby and talking to Reis. She began to teach him about the child he sired, seeming to know more about children then anyone he had ever known.
Hotohori admired her ability with Boushin. Her competence to keep the small child from crying, from getting bored, lonely… He had never had such attention when he was young. His own nurse's had neglected him as a child, preferring to sit and gossip, while he took care of his own distractions. He grew up lonely, never knowing any playmates, younger or older then himself. He was kept away from other children, his father feeling no one's breeding high enough for Hotohori to associate with them.
~*~
"Careful, now. There you go…" Reis coaxed Boushin, as he tripped across the carpet to his Father. His face was concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, and not tripping over any sneaky bumps in the rug.
He finally fell into Hotohori's arms, a small giggle bursting up from the young throat, a smile lighting up the adorable face. Hotohori looked up at Reis happily. She smiled back, lighting up the room.
Hotohori paused for a moment, for the first time noticing how beautiful his son's attendant was. He looked at her a moment, before tearing his eyes away from the sight, afraid to be caught staring.
Turning Boushin around, he sent the little boy back to Reis, who held her arms out as he toddled into them, not noticing the emperor's intent gaze on her rather then his son.
~*~
"Hotohori-sama?" Reis asked quietly, trying not to disturb the half-asleep child she was rocking.
"Yes Reis?" Hotohori looked up from his scroll, where he sat across the room.
"Why did you hand the country over to the royal council? You always did such a good job of it. The people love you. You were always a source of comfort to them." She looked at him nervously, afraid she had poked to far.
"I don't mean to offend you, but… your people miss you Hotohori. The Council isn't half as compassionate as you were. They don't have private conferences when people request it, and they are doing nothing to stop some of the tougher street gangs." She pleaded with the emperor with her eyes.
"Hotohori. Your people need you."
~*~
"Well, I believe that concludes today's mee-" the council president was cut off as the doors to the private chamber were opened.
"Heika!"
"Good afternoon, Ishida-san. I trust you're well." Hotohori smiled benignly at the Council president who stood in front of him, shock playing over his features.
"Well, yes, Arigatou, Heika, but, if I may ask, what is the purpose of you coming back in here like this?"
"I have decided to reinstate my reign as Emperor of Konan. "
