Bittersweet Orange Lilly
Disclaimer
I do not own any of the Saiunkoku Monogatari character's they belong to Sai Yukino. I also do not own any of the characters from Bleach they belong to Tite Kubo. I am only using them in this story as a fan.
Chapter two
"This will be your suite while you're staying here. This is just the main room there are two bedrooms to either side of the main room. Rukia-dono your room is to the right and Rem-dono your room is to the left. Please get settled in and make yourselves comfortable. You'll be meeting with the emperor tomorrow morning for breakfast. Until you learn your way around the other ladies-in-waiting will help you and if they are not around this map will help you find your way." Shuuei said handing Rem a map before leaving them to get settled into their suite.
The main room was huge with elegant purple curtains hung across the sliding doors. There were also various brass statues placed around the room and beautiful tapestries' hanging on the walls. Four giant pillows laid in the middle of the floor for sitting around a red cherry artisan style table in the middle. In the corner of the room sat a hotplate and a sliver tea set with a flower pattern painted on it. Rem walked across the room and opened the sliding door revealing a lust green yard and blooming garden.
"Wow this is beautiful." Rem said stepping out the door and looking around yard.
Not far beyond the yard Rem saw a few people walking carrying books and it surprised her that the emperor's concubine was so close to other buildings especially when the emperor's quarters were well hidden and away from the rest of the palace. She made a mental note to ask Ran Shuuei and Li Kouyuu about it later.
"Rem-chan you have to see the bedrooms." Rukia's voice carried out the door to where Rem was standing.
Rem made her way back into the main room and walked into Rukia's room. It had gorgeous dark purple curtains hung over the outer wall and the same dark purple curtains were draped in a canapé fashion over the king size red cherry lotus platform bed. The comforter on the bed was gold and on top of the comforter were a dozen or more dark purple pillows in various sizes and shapes. Beside the outer wall was a red cherry artisan style table with two gold pillows on either side. Sitting on top of the table was another elegant sliver tea set with cherry blooms painted on it. And a red cherry lotus tower armoire was leaned against the wall next to the door opposite of the bed.
"Shall we make some tea in this beautiful tea set?" Rukia said waking out of the room carrying the sliver teapot.
"How about Sencha or Hojicha?" Rukia asked as Rem followed her into the room.
"Hojicha is fine. Please have a seat and I'll make the tea." Rem said taking the tea canister from her.
Rukia sat down at the table and opened the envelope Kochou had given Rem.
"I know I am not formally trained to do this but I want to help you. What can I do to help?" Rukia asked as Rem walked over to the table with the tea.
"For now just befriend the other ladies." Rem told her.
"Like what should I ask them?" Rukia asked.
"Just get to know them and make friends with them. Don't ask them questions that would make them suspicious. Leave the collecting of information on them to me and the others. It's more important that you fit in with them and befriend them than it is for you to collect information from them. But if anything of interest does come up let me know." Rem said looking through Grand Master Shou Taishi's profile.
"I don't know what I am supposed to be looking for." Rukia said laying down Reishin Kou's profile.
"I am not sure either...anything that might look suspicious or might be a motive." Rem said.
"All of these guys have been here since the last emperor. If they were loyal to the last emperor and to the royal family then none of them should be trying to do harm to the emperor, his family or the concubine. So that should mean that whoever is doing this is doing it from the outside the imperial palace and has invested interest. Perhaps making sure his daughter or granddaughter carries the heir to the throne?" Rukia questioned.
"That actually seems like a pretty good motive. That could be something you could find out when you're befriending the other concubine. Find out more about them and their families, who sponsored them to become a concubine, who's pressuring them that kind of information. Can you do that without seeming like you are pulling for information?" Rem asked.
"Yes I can do that." Rukia answered her and Rem put down the report on the poisonings.
"Then for now we will play it by ear." Rem said collecting the other profiles and reports and putting them back in the envelope.
Rem's room was not quite as elegant as Rukia's but it was still very elegant. Her room had lavender curtains hanging across the outer wall and had gold tapestries hanging on the other walls. The bed was a queen sized red cherry Kobe style platform bed with a gold comforter on it. Next to the outer wall was a red cherry artisan style table with two gold pillows on either side. There was a sliver tea set sitting on top of the table with a beautiful flower pattern carved into it as well. There was also a towering red cherry armoire against the back wall. Beside the armoire was a red cherry bookshelf with multiple books on the shelving. Rem pulled close the curtains on the outer wall and walked over to the bookshelf before she lifted it up sliding the envelope under it before putting the bookshelf back down.
"Shall we go make friends with the other concubine and ladies-in-waiting?" Rukia asked walking into Rem's room.
"Yes I guess we should before they come looking for us or think we are being rude." Rem said walking towards the door with Rukia.
Rukia and Rem walked into the common area of the harem where five women sat. Two of the women sat around the table while the other three sat farther back. Each woman turned and looked at the girls as they entered the room. Rukia and Rem both bowed to them.
"This is my lady Kuchiki Rukia and I am Toshimaro Rem." Rem said introducing Rukia and then herself to the woman sitting around the table. After bowing Rukia took her place at the table while Rem found a seat behind her.
"I am Shusui-dono and I am the head lady of the harem. If you need anything please let me or Kourin-san know." Shusui a middle-aged woman with light brown hair and blue eyes said bowing.
The girl Shusui introduced as Kourin didn't look older than 13. Kourin bowed to both Rukia and to Rem after being introduced and Rukia and Rem bowed in return.
"Lady Shuurei is sitting to your left and to your right are Lady Jyuusan-hime and her lady-in-waiting Yachiru-san is to her right." Shusui introduced the rest of the woman seating at the table.
Each girl bowed as they were introduced. Shuurei had long black hair and bright brown eyes while Jyuusan-hime looked remarkably like Shuurei but with blue eyes. Jyuusan-hime's lady-in-waiting Yachiru looked about Kourin's age and had light pink hair and brown eyes.
"We'll go make everyone more tea." Shusui announced standing up followed by Kourin, Yachiru and Rem.
After bowing they made their way to the kitchen area to prepare the tea and snacks.
"Rem-san said your last name was Kuchiki. It's not one of the seven color families here in China. Where exactly are you from?" Jyuusan-hime asked curiously.
"Japan. My father is the Minister of Defense for Japan." Rukia told her.
"Wow that's really cool but how did you end up here in China as part of the emperor's concubine?" Shuurei asked taking an interest.
"The emperor of Japan wants to build a bridge between Japan and China to strengthen their alliance and thought me being part of emperor of China's concubine would help." Rukia explained her reason for being there and both ladies nodded and accepted her explanation.
"How did the two of you end up here?" Rukia questioned them.
"My three older brothers wanted me to marry the emperor." Jyuusan-hime explained.
"I am the only princess of the Kou clan so it is my duty to marry the emperor for my family's sake." Shuurei also explained.
"So we've all been brought here by our families for their own gain." Rukia said lowly and Jyuusan-hime and Shuurei nodded.
"We made two kinds of tea Hojicha and Jasmine cha we also made steamed buns for a snack. Please help yourself." Shusui said placing a steamed bun down in front of each girl.
"Jyuusan-hime -dono would you like some Hojicha tea?" Yachiru asked Jyuusan-hime.
"Actually I would like some Jasmine cha tea." Jyuusan-hime told Yachiru and Rem walked over and poured her a cup of Jasmine cha tea.
"I would like some Hojicha tea Yachiru-san." Shuurei said.
"I would also like Hojicha tea Yachiru-san." Rukia announced.
Shusui, Kourin, Yachiru and Rem left Shuurei, Jyuusan-hime and Rukia to enjoy their tea and snacks and returned to the kitchen to clean up the mess.
"I am curious Rem-san how long have you worked for Rukia-dono and her family." Shusui asked putting a bowl away.
"Only for a few years her father and mother were gracious enough to take me into their family and to allow me to work for them as Rukia's lady-in-waiting." Rem explained.
"I can tell your movements aren't fluid as if you're not yet use to serving tea and your interaction with Rukia-dono seems a bit awkward." Shusui said.
Rem was dumbfounded that Shusui was able to see through her and Rukia's behavior and analyze it so quickly. She didn't think her or Rukia's acting was bad. She thought that they were believable. Perhaps Shusui was just being suspicious and taking stabs in the dark trying to unnerve her. Or perhaps she really did think that Rukia and Rem were there for some other reason other than being lady and lady-in-waiting. She was definitely going to have to watch herself more around Shusui. Rem made another mental note to look over Shusui's profile and to ask Shuuei and Kouyuu about her in the morning.
"Perhaps I need more training then. Can you give me some tips on what I am doing wrong and help me to improve?" Rem asked her.
"I would be happy to help. Come to my room tomorrow afternoon. Kourin can take care of Rukia-dono while I help you." Shusui smiled and Rem nodded.
Rukia and Rem decided to retire early to their rooms because of their long travel as well as the fact that they were meeting with the emperor in the morning.
"Help me to pick something out to wear to meet the emperor Rem-chan." Rukia said walking over to where Rem was sitting looking at Shusui's profile.
"Yes of course." Rem nodded getting up sliding the profile back under the bookshelf and leaving with Rukia.
"Why were you looking at Shusui's profile?" Rukia asked Rem as she walked into her room.
"She said some things to me that made me uneasy." Rem explained opening Rukia's armoire.
"What did she say?" Rukia asked sitting on her bed.
"She asked me how long I've been your lady-in-waiting. She also said she noticed that my movements weren't fluid and that our interaction seemed a little awkward. I am going to meet with her to work on my fluidness after our meeting with the emperor tomorrow." Rem told her.
"It just seems like she is trying to be helpful. Do you really think we need to worry about her?" Rukia questioned.
"I don't know I just want to check some stuff out to make sure." Rem told her showing her a lavender kimono with darker purple irises embroidered on it.
"That's gorgeous. I'll wear it with this hairpin. It's perfect." Rukia said smiling picking up a lavender hairpin from her jewelry box.
"Now let's go pick something out for you to wear." Rukia said heading for Rem's room.
"I don't think it's really that important what I wear is it?" Rem said following Rukia into her room.
"Of course it's important. It's very important to look good for the emperor. You're working for him and living in his palace, so you have to show him your respect by looking beautiful and presentable." Rukia told her walking over to Rem's armoire and opening it.
"I didn't mean that I would just slap something on. I just meant that I didn't think so much thought was required to find something to wear for a meeting." Rem said to Rukia as she looked through the kimonos hanging in Rem's armoire.
"You should wear this cloudy purple kimono with the sliver butterflies on it. It'll make your eyes pop." Rukia said handing the kimono to Rem.
"I feel like a doll but I'll wear it because it is very beautiful." Rem smiled holding it up.
"Lets make a deal I'll pick out your clothes and you can pick out mine ok." Rukia said smiling.
"Ok." Rem said uneasy.
"It'll be fun. I swear you'll look good and turn heads." Rukia smiled dancing out of the room.
"Wait Rukia… I am not here to turn heads; I don't want to turn heads I am just here to do my job." Rem called after Rukia but she got the feeling that her words didn't reach her.