First of all, I gotta deal with the basic stuff…
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except for Chisa!! She's mine, all mine! *maniacal laughter*
Author's notes: Okay, I have a tendency to switch around situations to suit myself. I know, I'm awful. But I get these ideas that don't work with the present sitch, so I have to do something, or go nuts!! That is, more nuts than I already am…^_^; So I suppose you could call my fics AU, but please, don't flame me about the existence of Houki, the fact that Hotohori-sama died, etc., etc. Also, I'm kinda dropping this into the middle of things, so PLEASE don't complain about inconsistencies with the series!! Anybody who does gets a very temperamental, sharp-tongued, and just plain mad response from me, cuz I get mad reeeeaaaaal easy. So, with all that aside, let's get going!
"Your majesty, I am begging you! You must choose a wife!"
"I am sorry, but I have no interest in marriage at this time. I am concerned with summoning Suzaku and ruling my kingdom only," Hotohori told the advisor once again, this time a bit of irritation creeping to his voice.
"Your love for the Priestess is unrequited, your majesty! It is time to get over her!" the advisor snapped.
"Wha…How do you know of my feelings for the Priestess? And how dare you speak to me with such insolence?"
"How do I know? Why, Hotohori, you told me!" The advisor's voice grew strangely high. "And now I'm telling you, you can never have me! I love Tamahome, not you! I'll never love you!" The advisor's face, which had been obscured in shadow, became visible. It was Miaka! "I hate you, Hotohori!"
"What?! But Miaka…" Hotohori had never been spoken to like that. He was at a loss. "Miaka, I love you…" He reached out for her.
She backed from his touch. "I hate you, Hotohori!" she repeated. "Don't ever speak to me again!" With that she ran towards her room.
"No!" Hotohori gasped. "No! No…" He began to weep. "But Miaka… I love you…"
He woke with a gasp. "A nightmare…only a nightmare…" He was trembling and sweating.
"Your majesty? Is something wrong?" a voice asked from outside the door to his private chambers.
"No, I am quite alright," he assured the servant. He couldn't allow himself to be seen like this by a servant. But as he dressed, he thought about his dream. He was aware that Miaka did not love him as he loved her, but he continued to hope that someday, somehow she would love him back. Perhaps Suzaku sent him this dream for a reason. Maybe it was time to give up on Miaka. Maybe it really was time to choose a wife.
~**~
Chisa leafed through her wardrobe. As her fingers felt the stiff, starched fabric of each gown, she made a face of disgust. She hated dresses, especially the gowns they made her wear at court. They were so uncomfortable…she could never move in them. Ah…there they were. She stripped off her robe, and pulled on her men's clothes, feeling the worn fabric that she had grown so used to.
As she walked past the vanity, she glanced in the mirror, and paused to study herself. She was a pretty girl, with wavy, dirty-blonde hair down to the middle of her back. She was slender, and a bit short, only 5'3". Freckles dotted her nose, and her eyes changed color with her clothing and moods, but were mostly blue. She was aware that she was rather vain, but considered it justified. After all, you don't get picked to be in the emperor's harem by being homely.
She glanced around furtively for any servants that might tattle on her, especially that guy who had been hounding her recently. Satisfied that there was no one there, she sneaked out to her favorite part of the palace. It was a meadow, with hills, wildflowers, a large pond and an overhang over the pond. She took a deep breath and grinned broadly, cartwheeling down the hill. At the bottom of the hill, she flopped onto her back and laughed. But it was a hollow, empty laugh. Chisa's eyes grew pensive. I wonder how everyone is doing. If they got the money I sent, if everyone's okay and healthy…The only reason she put up with this Suzaku- forsaken place was so she could get money to send her family. She hated almost everything about it, except for maybe the food. She especially hated the people. She had been constantly harassed by the male servants, until she let them know she was not one to be trifled with, basically by beating their asses. Now all the servants, even the women, treated her like a wild animal. The other women of the harem were stuck up, and snubbed her, making fun of her behind her back for her tomboyish nature, and calling her country backwater trash. But most of all, she hated the emperor. She had never spoken to him personally, but her present situation was all his fault. She held a major grudge against him. She missed the people back home, especially the neighbor boy. They were so warm and friendly, willing to share and teach her things, despite their own poverty.
"Hello there," a male voice called down to her from the overhang. Chisa looked up swiftly. The man was young and absolutely gorgeous, and had long black hair and amber eyes. "Are you a member of the imperial harem?"
"Yeah. Why?" It had been so long since anyone had spoken to Chisa with a friendly tone.
"Are you aware that the women of the harem aren't allowed here?"
Chisa's eyebrows snapped together. "Yeah, so?" she retorted defensively. "You gonna report me?"
"Of course not. Simply wondering if you were unaware." The man jumped down from the overhang. "My name is Seishuku. And you are…?"
"My name's Chisa. It's a pleasure to meet you," she smiled. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. "So, what brings you here? Not many people come here, besides me."
"This is one of the most beautiful areas of the palace. I rarely get time to enjoy my surroundings, but when I do, I like to come here." Seishuku smiled. "Besides, it is nearly as beautiful as me."
Chisa facefaulted. "Boy you're vain! Besides, nothing and no one is prettier than my mother. And I look exactly like her," she hinted. Then she suddenly grew silent. She had discovered at court, you're generally expected to be polite when you first meet someone, and be more casual once you get to know them. She hadn't even known this man an hour, and already she was treating him like they had known each other for years. But when Seishuku replied, "Then I must meet your mother, and see if I have competition for being the most beautiful person at court," Chisa smiled, relieved. Maybe she would finally have a friend here. "You'll meet her, someday, maybe. Depends on if you're a good boy or not." She grinned wickedly.
Ending notes: Woo-hoo! Got the first chapter done, finally!! By the way, the man is Hotohori. Seishuku is his real name. I'm just saying in my version of the FY world, their real names aren't generally known. Ja! And REVIEW!!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except for Chisa!! She's mine, all mine! *maniacal laughter*
Author's notes: Okay, I have a tendency to switch around situations to suit myself. I know, I'm awful. But I get these ideas that don't work with the present sitch, so I have to do something, or go nuts!! That is, more nuts than I already am…^_^; So I suppose you could call my fics AU, but please, don't flame me about the existence of Houki, the fact that Hotohori-sama died, etc., etc. Also, I'm kinda dropping this into the middle of things, so PLEASE don't complain about inconsistencies with the series!! Anybody who does gets a very temperamental, sharp-tongued, and just plain mad response from me, cuz I get mad reeeeaaaaal easy. So, with all that aside, let's get going!
"Your majesty, I am begging you! You must choose a wife!"
"I am sorry, but I have no interest in marriage at this time. I am concerned with summoning Suzaku and ruling my kingdom only," Hotohori told the advisor once again, this time a bit of irritation creeping to his voice.
"Your love for the Priestess is unrequited, your majesty! It is time to get over her!" the advisor snapped.
"Wha…How do you know of my feelings for the Priestess? And how dare you speak to me with such insolence?"
"How do I know? Why, Hotohori, you told me!" The advisor's voice grew strangely high. "And now I'm telling you, you can never have me! I love Tamahome, not you! I'll never love you!" The advisor's face, which had been obscured in shadow, became visible. It was Miaka! "I hate you, Hotohori!"
"What?! But Miaka…" Hotohori had never been spoken to like that. He was at a loss. "Miaka, I love you…" He reached out for her.
She backed from his touch. "I hate you, Hotohori!" she repeated. "Don't ever speak to me again!" With that she ran towards her room.
"No!" Hotohori gasped. "No! No…" He began to weep. "But Miaka… I love you…"
He woke with a gasp. "A nightmare…only a nightmare…" He was trembling and sweating.
"Your majesty? Is something wrong?" a voice asked from outside the door to his private chambers.
"No, I am quite alright," he assured the servant. He couldn't allow himself to be seen like this by a servant. But as he dressed, he thought about his dream. He was aware that Miaka did not love him as he loved her, but he continued to hope that someday, somehow she would love him back. Perhaps Suzaku sent him this dream for a reason. Maybe it was time to give up on Miaka. Maybe it really was time to choose a wife.
~**~
Chisa leafed through her wardrobe. As her fingers felt the stiff, starched fabric of each gown, she made a face of disgust. She hated dresses, especially the gowns they made her wear at court. They were so uncomfortable…she could never move in them. Ah…there they were. She stripped off her robe, and pulled on her men's clothes, feeling the worn fabric that she had grown so used to.
As she walked past the vanity, she glanced in the mirror, and paused to study herself. She was a pretty girl, with wavy, dirty-blonde hair down to the middle of her back. She was slender, and a bit short, only 5'3". Freckles dotted her nose, and her eyes changed color with her clothing and moods, but were mostly blue. She was aware that she was rather vain, but considered it justified. After all, you don't get picked to be in the emperor's harem by being homely.
She glanced around furtively for any servants that might tattle on her, especially that guy who had been hounding her recently. Satisfied that there was no one there, she sneaked out to her favorite part of the palace. It was a meadow, with hills, wildflowers, a large pond and an overhang over the pond. She took a deep breath and grinned broadly, cartwheeling down the hill. At the bottom of the hill, she flopped onto her back and laughed. But it was a hollow, empty laugh. Chisa's eyes grew pensive. I wonder how everyone is doing. If they got the money I sent, if everyone's okay and healthy…The only reason she put up with this Suzaku- forsaken place was so she could get money to send her family. She hated almost everything about it, except for maybe the food. She especially hated the people. She had been constantly harassed by the male servants, until she let them know she was not one to be trifled with, basically by beating their asses. Now all the servants, even the women, treated her like a wild animal. The other women of the harem were stuck up, and snubbed her, making fun of her behind her back for her tomboyish nature, and calling her country backwater trash. But most of all, she hated the emperor. She had never spoken to him personally, but her present situation was all his fault. She held a major grudge against him. She missed the people back home, especially the neighbor boy. They were so warm and friendly, willing to share and teach her things, despite their own poverty.
"Hello there," a male voice called down to her from the overhang. Chisa looked up swiftly. The man was young and absolutely gorgeous, and had long black hair and amber eyes. "Are you a member of the imperial harem?"
"Yeah. Why?" It had been so long since anyone had spoken to Chisa with a friendly tone.
"Are you aware that the women of the harem aren't allowed here?"
Chisa's eyebrows snapped together. "Yeah, so?" she retorted defensively. "You gonna report me?"
"Of course not. Simply wondering if you were unaware." The man jumped down from the overhang. "My name is Seishuku. And you are…?"
"My name's Chisa. It's a pleasure to meet you," she smiled. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. "So, what brings you here? Not many people come here, besides me."
"This is one of the most beautiful areas of the palace. I rarely get time to enjoy my surroundings, but when I do, I like to come here." Seishuku smiled. "Besides, it is nearly as beautiful as me."
Chisa facefaulted. "Boy you're vain! Besides, nothing and no one is prettier than my mother. And I look exactly like her," she hinted. Then she suddenly grew silent. She had discovered at court, you're generally expected to be polite when you first meet someone, and be more casual once you get to know them. She hadn't even known this man an hour, and already she was treating him like they had known each other for years. But when Seishuku replied, "Then I must meet your mother, and see if I have competition for being the most beautiful person at court," Chisa smiled, relieved. Maybe she would finally have a friend here. "You'll meet her, someday, maybe. Depends on if you're a good boy or not." She grinned wickedly.
Ending notes: Woo-hoo! Got the first chapter done, finally!! By the way, the man is Hotohori. Seishuku is his real name. I'm just saying in my version of the FY world, their real names aren't generally known. Ja! And REVIEW!!
