A Bed Once Made Must be Lain in
A/N: Takes place after episode 7 of the anime.
I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari.
Oujo-sama = my lady
Taishi = Grand Advisor
Sensei = teacher
/
Kou Shuurei surveyed her students at the temple school, watching to see if they were done with the reading assignment she gave them. She glanced down at one of the pieces of paper she'd handed out. 'I miss Shuurei's erhu playing -Anonymous.' Shuurei sighed and looked up at her classroom. 'That man is rather absurd. He's already sent me a bunch of letters and I've only been gone for a week. At least his letters are helpful for something.' She smiled softly at the thought.
"Anony-" A boy with brown hair frowned at the paper he was holding as he stumbled over the last word.
"It's pronounced anonymous, Ryuushin." Said a girl with pigtails. "Mine says: I'm so lonely, and I have to sleep by myself. It is agony."
The boy scowled. "Shuurei-sensei!"
Shuurei frowned and walked over to the two children. "What's the matter? Do you need help?"
"I want to sleep together with you, Shuurei, and feel your warmth once again -Anonymous. What does this mean?" The boy demanded.
Shuurei's eyes went wide and she snatched the paper from Ryuushin's hand. 'He actually wrote those words.' The paper scrunched in her hands as she clenched her fist. 'How dare he write something like that?! The implication there-' her cheeks were suddenly warm. She took a deep breath and read the paper again. 'He's lonely and probably upset that he has to sleep by himself in the dark.'
"Shuurei-sensei!" Ryuushin broke into her thoughts. "What are these?"
"Ohohohoho," Shuurei laughed nervously, "they're just little scraps of nonsense someone wrote."
"They look more like love letters to me." The girl said dreamily. "Someday I hope someone sends me love letters."
Ryuushin stood up from his desk and pointed at Shuurei. "Just you wait. When I get older I'll marry you!" He proclaimed.
Shuurei smiled at him. "I don't intend to marry any time soon. There's nothing to worry about."
Ryuushin crossed his arms but sat back down without another word.
Shuurei glanced at the paper she'd taken from him. 'I'm sorry, Ryuuki.'
/
Shou-taishi sat at the table in the Kou residence across from Shouka, just as he had three months previous when he had first asked Shuurei to enter the palace. It was a gamble for him to have shown up here after Shouka had threatened to kill him, but this was necessary for his plans to continue.
"I didn't think you would come into my home so readily after my proclamation when last we met." Shouka smiled, though the friendly gesture did nothing to cut the edge from his words.
Shou scoffed at the implied threat. "Say what you will but the time for my death has not yet come. You are also not the reason for my visit."
"I thought as much when you asked to see Shuurei even though you sent her reward money home with me a week ago and as such should not have any further business with her." Shouka scowled and tensed as Shou chuckled. "After what you involved her in last time I would be a fool to allow you anywhere near her."
"If you had a choice I'm sure you would throw me out of your home and never allow me to speak with your marvelous daughter again. However, you know I would not come here for something trivial." Shou gazed at the other man and noticed Shouka was rather tense under the thin veneer of calm. Shouka might have said something more, but he never got the chance.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" Shuurei announced as she came through the door with Seiran following her with a tea tray. He set the tray on the table and she began pouring the tea.
"Ah, Shuurei-dono, how good to see you again. How have you been since you left the palace?" Shou smiled as he accepted the cup of tea she offered from across the table.
"I've been well, Shou-taishi. I hope you've also been well." Shuurei passed the cups of tea to her father and Serian and served manjuu as well.
"I haven't been better." Shou announced, receiving surreptitious glares from both Shouka and Seiran.
"It's very nice of you to visit again." Shuurei stated as she lowered herself into the chair between Shouka at the head of the table with Seiran to her left. "When father brought home the five hundred ryou reward the day after I left the palace I was surprised since I expected you to want to deliver it yourself."
"I did want to deliver your reward myself, but I found myself busy with imperial matters." Shou beamed at her. "I trust you've already planned out how to spend the money?"
"I spent most of it to fix up the temple school and gave the rest to the town doctor to better care for the people." Shuurei sipped her tea happily.
Shou grinned. "It's so wonderful that you care so much for the people, Empress."
The tension in the room skyrocketed, and both Shouka and Seiran openly glared at Shou.
"I'm no Empress, Shou-taishi. I've returned home now with my job at the palace completed. I am simply Kou Shuurei." Shuurei laughed nervously after her statement and glanced at Seiran.
"Shou-taishi," Seiran interjected, "may I ask why you've come to visit us today?" He crossed his arms, intently inspecting Shou.
Shou steepled his fingers together so that his hands obstructed the view of his face. "I have come to escort Shuurei-dono back to the palace, of course." His light tone did nothing to mask his determination.
"Surely there is some mistake." Shouka insisted. "Shuurei completed the task you asked of her and has left the palace."
Shou nodded. "You are correct, though there is one little matter left unaccounted for that makes all the difference."
"What is that matter?" Shuurei asked softly, her eyes downcast.
"Before you entered the palace it seemed as though His Majesty was interested in men, but his constant visits to your chambers say otherwise. Really it's surprising that His Majesty has not called you back to the palace by now. After all you could be carrying his child." Shou sat back in his chair, letting his arms fall from their steeped position to his sides.
"Our relationship wasn't like that!" Shuurei shrieked. "We never…" Her face turned bright red as her proclamation trailed off. For a brief second the note from earlier flashed in her mind and she realized exactly how her relationship with Ryuuki had been misconstrued.
"Shou-taishi, if my daughter says that nothing happened surely does not need to return to the palace." Shouka stated firmly.
"I stood guard for her Ladyship and I can assure you that nothing of that nature occurred during her stay at the palace." Seiran added in a calm tone that was the opposite of his taunt posture.
Shou turned his attention to Seiran. "So you deny that for two of the three months Shuurei-dono was at the palace, His Majesty visited her nightly?" Shou raised an eyebrow.
"He did but nothing inappropriate happened." Seiran blustered, his temper on the verge of breaking free.
"Of course not." Shou stated primly. "The two are married and such things are proper between husband and wife." Seiran's face seemed shrouded in darkness and Shou could tell the young man wanted nothing more than to leap over the table and claw his throat out. Shouka was in a similar state of anger, though his method of assassination would no doubt be more elegant.
"Nothing of that sort happened!" Shuurei shrieked, jumping from her seat. "Ryuuki just wanted me to tell him stories, play the erhu for him, and keep him company!"
Shou was not perturbed by either Shuurei's announcement or the death glares coming from her two male companions. "Regardless of what actually happened the truth is that the entire court knows he visited you. The imperial council is in an uproar that the emperor's wife has left the palace and that nothing has been done to retrieve you."
"Of course I left! I completed the task you asked of me!" Shuurei was livid, it showed from the tension in her shoulders and the way her face scrunched up.
"We misjudged him." Shou stated as if this was some simple mistake. "The assumption was that he only liked men and would not visit you. In that case it would not have caused an uproar for you to leave the palace since there would have been no doubt that he'd never treated you as a husband does a wife. His nightly visits to your room have left the impression that such relations occurred." Shou smiled. "Plus I have heard rumors that on the day you left he admitted that he likes both men and women. Both the visits and His Majesty's confession have left the impression to the court that His Majesty has accepted you as his bride and your place is with him in the palace."
Shuurei slumped back into her seat, the tension leaking out of her. "Is there nothing that can be done?" She whispered dejectedly. Next to her, Seiran sat back and shut his eyes realizing that there was nothing that he could do to remedy the situation.
"None at all." Shou chuckled merrily. "However since it's my fault you are in this difficult situation, I will properly compensate you." Seiran's eyes shot open and he shared a meaningful look with Shouka.
Shuurei slowly straightened from her slumped position. "Compensation?" She inquired.
Shou lifted his tea cup and hid a smile behind it. "Of course I'll compensate you for my mistake." He set his cup down and inclined his head to Shouka. "I'm truly sorry for this, Shouka-sama. I never dreamed that Shuurei-dono would have to return to the palace permanently. The situation is as distressing for me as I'm sure it is for you."
"Your concern is appreciated." Shouka stated, his mask of false calm back in place.
"Now, for compensation I was thinking something that would compensate your entire family as well as yourself, Shuurei-dono." Shou nodded to himself. "I will contact contractors to fully repair this manor and personally pay to employ a maid to maintain the manor and do the cooking and cleaning you typically do. In addition, I will also give you this much." Shou held up three fingers.
Shuurei went still, her eyes wide. "Is that thirty gold pieces?" Shou grinned. "Three hundred gold pieces?" Her voice was faint. 'Maybe returning to the palace isn't so bad.'
"It's three thousand gold pieces!" Shou proclaimed.
Shuurei's eyes glazed over. "Th-three thousand?" She stuttered as her mind blanked out.
Shou grinned realizing he had her complete attention. "Of course such little things as repairing your home, installing a maid to do your chores, and a few coins cannot compare to the sacrifice you would be making by permanently returning to the imperial household."
"This is not a matter open for discussion." Seiran said tersely in a last ditch effort to end the maddening conversation.
Shou fixed his eyes on the dissenting man. "I think you misunderstand, Seiran-san. The matter that is not open for discussion is Shuurei-dono remaining here. The question is what is acceptable compensation for her return to the palace."
"Shou-taishi is correct in this." Shouka sighed, finally giving in. "The rumors about Shuurei are abundant at the palace. Unfortunately, if it has come to the point that Shou-taishi has come to collect her, her return to the palace is unavoidable."
Seiran clenched his fists under the table. "If oujo-sama returns to the palace then I will go with her."
This shocked Shuurei out of her reverie and she turned to him, a look of shocked appreciation on her face. "Seiran…"
"I will not allow you to return to that den of vipers without me." Seiran was clearly irate but also resolved.
Shuurei bit her lip then nodded, turning to the advisor. "Very well, Shou-taishi, I will return to the palace. In return you will make sure my father and the manor are taken care of?"
"That's really not necessary." Shouka interjected swiftly. "I survived just fine on my own these past three months while you were in the palace, I will be fine without a maid to care for me."
Tears clouded Shuurei's eyes as she gazed at her father. "Are you sure?"
"Of course," Shouka affirmed, "though it was very kind of Shou-taishi to think of me as well when it became clear your return to the palace was necessary."
Shou smiled widely, his moustache and beard bobbing as he did so. "If you are sure, Shouka-sama, I will not install a maid here. However, please hire a contractor to repair your manor so that it reflects your status as the father of the Empress. Tell the man to bill me" Shouka nodded to accept Shou's offer. "Very well then, Shuurei-dono, I believe everything is settled. Shall we return to the palace now?"
Shuurei was clearly crestfallen, but she slowly straightened her shoulders from their slump and looked at Shou. "I know that I must return to the palace, but please permit me to spend one last night here." Her request was made with the calm dignity befitting an Empress.
Shou regarded her thoughtfully. "I suppose that is not an unreasonable request. Very well then." He nodded and stood. "Thank you very much for the tea and manjuu, Shuurei-dono."
"It was no problem, Shou-taishi." Shuurei stood and bowed.
Shouka stood as well. "Allow me to show you out, Shou-taishi."
The two men strolled out of the room, leaving Seiran to supervise Shuurei as she cleaned up the remnants of the tea and manjuu.
Neither Shou nor Shouka spoke as they traversed the house, only stopping at the gate. "Do not entangle my daughter or Seiran in any more of your plots." Shouka hissed, his eyes focused on Shou. "If you do involve either of them in your machinations then retribution will be swift."
Shou chuckled. "You've already told me that you plan to kill me one day. Further threats are unnecessary." He inclined his head towards Shouka. "I look forward to seeing what further improvements your daughter makes upon the imperial court." With those parting words, Shou walked away from the Kou gates and Shouka shut them behind him.
/
Shuurei stood in the middle of the kitchen, blindly staring at the tea tray she'd settled on the table in the middle of the room.
"On top of Shuurei only marrying me for the money she toyed with me and now is leaving me behind." The words echoed in her mind and Shuurei shut her eyes in pain as she remembered Ryuuki's downcast eyes and slumped shoulders. 'I've felt so guilty because of those words. I never meant to toy with him or make him depended on me and leave him behind. Even Seiran asked whether Ryuki would be upset and lonely if I left. Though I suppose that doesn't matter now that I'm returning, but still-.'
"Oujo-sama, are you alright?"
Shuurei started at Seiran's inquiry, quickly turning around to face him as he stood in the doorway. "Ohohohoho," she laughed, "I'm perfectly fine! Why wouldn't I be?"
Seiran looked her over, clearly not believing her. "If you say so, oujo-sama. Do you need any help?"
Shuurei put a finger to her lips. "Well I suppose you could do collect some vegetables from the garden so that I can make dinner."
Seiran sighed and dipped his head. "As you wish." He turned around, leaving the doorway and sliding the door shut behind him.
Shuurei turned back around, her gaze going to the window across the room. The barren sakura trees were clearly visible through the window. Shuurei shut her eyes again and allowed her posture to return to its prior slump. 'The sakura trees at the palace bloom at least.' An unbidden tear slipped down her face. 'They were so beautiful in full bloom and there were all kinds of buds for me to put in my tea.' She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. 'Though the wind was cold and Ryuuki startled me when I met him there in the sakura grove.'
Shuurei took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and dried her tears. 'I can't fall to pieces now. I need to remain strong so that father and Seiran don't get any more upset than they already are. Besides, a bed once made must be lain in.' She sighed. 'One good thing will come out of this: the manor will be fixed and father will have the three thousand gold coins to keep it up and good food on the table. Plus when I return to the palace I'll get to see Shusui-san and Kourin again.' That thought returned her energy.
'What all do I need to do before I leave?' She raised her finger to her chin while she thought. 'I'll have to let the temple school that I will be unable to teach there any more. I wonder who will take my place?' Shuurei shook her head. 'I can't allow myself to be dragged down by this. I must return to the palace and hope that everything else will work out.' She nodded to herself.
'Now, I want to make dinner and have one last normal dinner with father and Seiran.' She busied herself about the kitchen intent on her task. As she worked the tension fell away from her and her smile returned.
"Oujo-sama I have your vegetables." Seiran announced as he slid the door back. "I also caught someone trying to sneak over our wall into our garden."
"What?!" Shuurei whipped around to look at him and found a young boy standing next to him. "Ryuushin, what are you doing here?" She asked the child.
He scuffed his foot on the floor. "I saw the gate was closed and got curious. Your gate is never closed so I thought something might have happened. Please forgive me Shuurei-sensei!" He ended with a cry.
Shuurei's expression shifted from stern to soft in a matter of seconds. "It's alright Ryuushin, it is rather rare for our gate to be fully shut, though you shouldn't sneak into someone else's house." She admonished gently.
Ryuushin sniffled a little. "I'm sorry Shuurei-sensei. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."
"I'm fine, Ryuushin." Shuurei paused then smiled sadly. "Ryuushin, would you do me a favor?"
The brown haired boy jumped a little then looked at her with bright eyes. "Of course, Shuurei-sensei! What do you need?"
Shuurei laughed a bit at his enthusiasm. "I'm afraid I must return to the palace and cannot teach at the school anymore. Will you let everyone know?"
Ryuushin's face fell. "You won't be teaching anymore?"
Shuurei sighed, shutting her eyes briefly. "I won't be. Please let everyone know." She repeated.
Ryuushin looked as though he might cry, but he nodded. "I will."
"Thank you." She murmured. The boy turned and bolted from the room. "Seiran-"
Seiran held out the vegetables he'd picked. "I'll go make sure he's ok."
"Thank you, Seiran." She said turning away to hide her tears and heard the door slide shut behind her.
/
Shuurei lay awake in bed that night. Dinner had been more tense than she wanted, so after she had cleaned up so played the erhu for over an hour. Both her father and Seiran had relaxed while she played, though there was still a faint aura of unease in the room that refused to be dispelled. When her fingers felt like they could no longer move Shuurei excused herself. Now she was here, tired but unable to sleep.
'When father brought home the five hundred ryou reward the day after I left the palace I should have known that something was wrong. There was no way that Shou was going to let me get away without speaking to me again. I was foolish for thinking that my days in the palace were over. Tomorrow I will return to the imperial household, never to leave again.' Shuurei groaned and rolled over as she tried to get comfortable and slow her racing thoughts.
'I have missed Ryuuki though.' She smiled softly as she pictured his golden eyes and blond hair. 'I know he was upset when I left.' Unbidden, a memory surfaced. 'There is something I have forgotten to say. I apologize for deceiving you but I love not only men but women as well.' She clenched her fists. 'That insufferable man! How dare he lead me on and share my bed for three months under a false pretext! When I see him again I'm going to give him a lecture.' She nodded to herself in determination then slowly relaxed.
'Even though he did deceive me, I have missed him. I've missed those afternoons in the library with Kouyuu-sama teaching the two of us. I miss laughing with father in the library while he worked and I picked out books to read.' Her thoughts stilled for a moment. 'I've been so busy thinking all day of what I'll lose when I leave my home for good and trying to put on a cheerful face that I've forgotten what it was like these past three months. I spent quite a bit of time with father in the archives. Seiran was always just around the corner when I needed him.'
A smile came to Shuurei's face. 'I've only been home for a week and already I'd forgotten that father and Seiran will be there for my in the palace just as they always have here at home. Plus, being at the palace and having access to the archives is the closest I've ever come to my dream. Women cannot be officials, even though I want to help Ryuuki as only an official can, I suppose being by his side and giving him counsel is the closest I can come to my dream.' The tension finally leached out of Shuurei and her eyes slid shut. 'Maybe returning to the palace is a good thing after all.'