Saiunkoku Monogatari: Fushi no Uta
By the-key-of-the-twilight
Disclaimer: I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari or the Chinese proverbs that I use.
A/N: Hello everyone! This is the third chapter of "Fushi no Uta" and I hope that so far, it has been at least a little enjoyable. Thank you to those who reviewed and I'll try to make each chapter better than the last! By the way, I apologize for all the name confusion in my previous chapter. I thank Twilight Cherry for clearing up that confusion although I don't think Shuurei would really call him "uncle". So, I am now going to refer to Reishin through Shuurei's perspective as "Danna-sama" so that it'll take away the confusion of all the "Kous" and be a bit more reasonable. I hope I'm making sense!
Chapter 3: Mouth of Dagger, Heart of Tofu
"Kouchou-san!" The young girl cried as she winced as if in pain. "That's enough!"
"Just a little more, Saya-chan," the owner of the brothel replied soothingly as she painted her cheeks with blush, "you must look beautiful before you can enter the palace." The girl grunted and knotted her eyebrows in contempt. "Now, now, a true lady does not display faces of scorn; she must always look graceful and collected. Now stay still…" Kouchou applied the final touches of makeup and then backed away to view her masterpiece. "Simply gorgeous!"
Saya glanced at the mirror beside her and saw a doll-like face staring back at her. She grimaced instantly at her own reflection.
"You don't like it, Saya-chan?" Kouchou said with an awfully surprised look. "I think the makeup really matches well with those blue robes." The girl stared down at her robes, which were not actually hers, but Kouchou's. They were cut and sewn to fit Saya's smaller frame and she felt awful that she was using them free of charge. But Kouchou had argued that she couldn't wear her old tattered robes to the palace. The first impression was a matter of life or death to her.
"It's so bothersome," Saya complained while trying to rub off the light blue eyeshadow. However, she was stopped almost immediately by a quick swipe of the woman's hand.
"Well, pain is the price of beauty," the brothel keeper said rather proudly. "And you mustn't do that. You'll ruin it." The girl sighed and frowned. "Now, let's do your hair." Almost instantly, she leaped up and cowered towards the corner of the room. "Now, now, what's wrong with having your hair up?"
"I want my hair down," Saya replied stubbornly while shaking her head 'no'. "My hair stays down." Her stern look and obstinate spirit couldn't be beat. Kouchou merely sighed and beckoned her to come closer.
"Very well, then," she said coolly, her hands tidying the makeup case, "but remember, you're doing this job for your family. If your employer is unhappy with you, you'll have no job, understand?" Although she knew it was true, Saya held strong to her rebellious ways.
"I'll, no… we'll manage someway, somehow," she answered as her eyes darted towards the door. She had heard a faint knocking just a moment ago. "I think she's here…"
"Shuurei-chaaaann!" Kouchou cried as she greeted the official with open arms. "You don't know how grateful Saya and I are!" She turned around. "Isn't that right, Saya-chan?" Blushing furiously at the way she was dressed, Saya stepped into the front room and took small steps towards Shuurei. She walked awkwardly; the shoes she had borrowed from Kouchou were foreign to her and way too big and her robes dragged uncomfortably on the ground. She hadn't worn fancy shoes in a long time and her old robes had allowed her to move freely instead of confining her body within its frame. Her steps were anything but graceful; however, Shuurei did not seem to notice.
"You look so beautiful, Saya-chan!" the governor exclaimed. "I'm sure Danna-sama will be pleased!" Then, she took another second to re-register her appearance. "But I think it'd be better if you styled your hair differently." At this, Kouchou put her hands on her hips.
"See? I told you," she huffed as she laid a hand upon Saya's shoulder. "Your hair would look much more presentable up."
"No, I'm not changing my hair," she replied stubbornly with a daring look in her eyes. Shuurei cringed. And this is the girl who's going to be a servant? She tried to erase her predictions of what would happen from her mind.
"Well then, shall we go now?" she asked since it seemed obvious that Saya would not comply with their suggestions. With a light grunt, Saya nodded and followed her towards the door. "Goodbye, Kouchou-oneesan!"
"Goodbye, Shuurei-chan and Saya-chan! Don't forget to visit!" the lady called back as the two disappeared out the door.
The palace was larger than Saya had imagined. Then again, she had never really been up close to the palace walls either. The guards before her look down upon her with piercing eyes, as if they were already discerning her from the rest of nobility. However, soon after, the guards greeted them with a bow and Shuurei bowed back. Saya, on the other hand, remained standing; she did not understand why she had to bow to those who looked down upon her.
After what seemed like a tedious number of steps and a large accumulation of dirt upon her long robes, Saya and Shuurei finally reached the office of Ribu. They had passed so many identical corridors and hallways that Saya wondered how she would find her way out of this maze of a palace.
"Beyond these doors is Ribu, the Civil Affairs Department," Shuurei explained. "Remember to make a good impression, alright?" She waited for an answer, but realized she was not going to get one after glancing at Saya's rather uninterested facial expression. Sighing, Shuurei pushed open the doors.
Ribu was less busy then it had been the past few days, but there were still abandoned stacks of paper lying here and there and the workers were constantly moving. A blonde boy carrying a stack of scrolls passed by.
"Shuurei-dono! And- " he paused suddenly as he registered the foreign girl's appearance. Unable to recognize her, he merely bowed and smiled. "It's been long since I've last seen you!"
"Yes, it has, Hakumei-kun," Shuurei replied in a cheerful manner. "You've been very busy, right? I heard that Ribu has been constantly flooded with work lately."
"I guess you can say that," he sighed, readjusting the stack of scrolls. "It's been a nonstop stream of work for us." He glanced back at the aqua-haired official scribbling away at a manuscript. "I better get going now, we're hoping to get done early so we can have a break…" Impatiently, he ran off.
"Kouyuu-sama!" Shuurei called as she approached his desk. He hardly looked up at her as he exchanged papers with a nearby stack.
"Yes? What business have you co- oh, Shuurei-dono!" Kouyuu suddenly cried as he lifted his head. "I- I'm sorry! I thought you were someone else!" It was a bad excuse; after all, Shuurei was currently the only female official that ever addressed him by his first name.
"Oh, I'm sorry for disturbing you, Kouyuu-sama," she apologized. "But could you tell me where Danna-sama is?"
"Reishin-sama?" he replied with a rather surprised tone. However, then he glanced over to the lass standing beside her and suddenly realized who she was going to be. "He's in there." He pointed to a door towards the back. Meanwhile, he observed the new girl and made a few mental remarks. She's dressed pretty plainly… only one layer…Her hair's not done either…What a strange girl… does she really expect to please Reishin-sama? With a bow, Shuurei walked towards the back of the room and motioned for Saya to follow. Again, she failed to bow.
Reishin's private office was rather dark and empty compared to the chaos and action outside. The two stepped into the office and glanced around. The head of Ribu sat upon a tall throne and glared down at them behind his fan. Shuurei automatically bowed and Saya, out of a little fear, ducked her head. The man stared intently at the two ladies for a while, fanning himself in between every one of his breaths. He then focused his attention on Saya, a face he had never seen before.
"Good day, Shuurei-dono," he said with as much smoothness as possible. "So this is the girl who is to be my servant, yes?" His piercing eyes shone behind his fan, like a tiger's while watching its prey. "You are…?" He had forgotten her name already.
"Mu Saya," she replied coolly, without a single stammer or cringe. At this, the head of Ribu began to ponder the origins of this young girl.
Mu…, he thought as he fanned himself some more. A family name that is so insignificant I have never even heard of it before…And so awfully educated that their daughter does not know to respect those in power or to even acknowledge one as much as to say a simple greeting…Pitiful…Shuurei jumped a little as Reishin snapped his fan. "Mu Saya," he repeated, adjusting his tongue to such a graceless name. "Saya… is that your full name?"
"Yes," she answered in a straight tone. "Is my name really that bothersome to you?" The last statement caught Reishin off-guard. This girl had absolutely no manners! He huffed with a touch of anger, but hid his true complexion behind his fan.
"It is simply… foreign to me," he said, pausing to conjure up a better word. "Anyways, you have come to the palace today to become my servant, yes?"
"Yes," Saya interrupted and the head of the Kou clan nearly coughed. Does she not understand the concept of rhetorical questions?, he thought and mentally punished himself for having accepted the offer in the first place. If only Shuurei hadn't looked so sad and disappointed that day… He sighed and thought of the smiling face of his niece in which encouraged him to deal with this "chore".
"Ahem, you will be working in the office of Ribu," Reishin explained, still retaining irritableness. "You will carry manuscripts and documents back and forth from Ribu. I am sure even you can do a simple job as that." He put his lips to his fan. "You know how to cook, no?"
"Yes," Saya replied, completely misunderstanding his question. "I don't know how to cook."
"But you just claimed you did."
"No, I didn't," she argued. "I said 'yes' to your 'no' question because 'yes', I don't know how to cook." Reishin swore he was on the verge of killing himself… or at least this girl, either way would save him the torture.
"I see… well then, may you please refrain from answering any questions until this discussion is over?" he asked, peering at her indifferent brown eyes. "I-"
"Yes," Saya interrupted once again and Reishin mentally smacked himself. She just had to answer to whatever he said, didn't she? But then again, she may have been taught to do that. Shuurei made a nervous glance from him to Saya and then spoke up.
"She's just trying to be respectful, Danna-sama," Shuurei said, although a little too nervous to support her point. "She was told that to be respectful, she had to answer all questions that were asked." He cleared his throat.
"Ah, I see…," he said as calmly as possible. "No matter. I will have Shusui teach you how to cook and become a humble servant. But first, you should become familiar with the palace as you will be walking to and fro through its many corridors and hallways. I wouldn't want you to get lost like a certain someone…" His mind wandered to a certain aqua-haired official. "I will have Hakumei give you a brief tour around the palace. It is quite large and confusing to newcomers, but I'm sure you will be used to it soon. Hakumei shall be back any time now. Wait for him at the main office, understand?" Saya did not reply. "Understand?"
"I thought you didn't want me to answer your questions," she replied bluntly. Reishin stared at her in disbelief. He had never dealt with such an irritable and frustrating child before. She almost made Kouyuu seem like the most obedient child in the world.
"Excuse me?" he retorted as he pressed his fan against his face. But then, he suddenly recalled that he had indeed ordered her to remain silent. For a second, he was speechless. "Just go." He flicked his fan towards the door. Knowing that this had obviously not worked out well, Shuurei felt her cheeks heat up. It was her fault that he had to deal with this obstinate girl and she almost regretted the fact that she had tried to get her a job. She bowed as low as possible.
"Thank you, Danna-sama," she said in a soft voice and stood back up. Saya's back bent a little, but it was not great enough to be considered bowing.
"Thank you."
Those words, whispered so quietly that he thought it was just his imagination, made Reishin nearly jump. The two lasses were making their way out of the office now, but he was sure he had heard those words slip out of Saya's lips.
"Hmm… mouth of dagger, heart of tofu?" he asked himself as he flicked his fan shut.
"Saya, didn't Kouchou-oneesan and I tell you to be as polite as possible?" Shuurei sighed as the two of them re-entered the main office. Saya nearly tripped over her robes as she eagerly tried to get as far away from the door as possible. "Saya, are you listening to me?" The girl turned and put on a blank look.
"Yes?" she replied carelessly and twirled in a little circle. "I'm listening."
"Saya, this is your last chance," Shuurei said in a sudden serious tone. "You should be taking this seriously. It may the last hope for your family's survival." She was about to add that maybe her personality was the real problem she couldn't get any jobs, but decided to omit it since only noting so would irritate the obstinate girl. However, Shuurei knew that her words impacted her a little, as the light of her face dimmed a bit.
"Shuurei, you're a boring girl," Saya replied bluntly as she turned her back to her. "You're just one of those girls who never question others and just do what other people do. You bow, walk little steps, drink tea, and act all nice and polite to everyone. In the end, you're just going to be used…"
"That's not true!" Shuurei cried, a sudden anger burst into her voice, "I make my own decisions and everything I do is based on what I want! People in the palace aren't like that… They don't use people for their own benefits-"
"Oh, really now?" Saya spat mockingly, interrupting her, "Then I wonder why the taxes are so high that the poor can't even earn enough to buy a morsel of bread. They don't use people for their own benefits! You've obviously been dreaming this whole time!" Shuurei clenched her fists. She had never dealt with such a person before.
"Without money, the government can't run and without the government, people can't live peacefully! It's hard to endure when you're poor, but it's for the greater good!" she argued. Tension was rising between the two.
"For the greater good!" Saya mimicked. "Why don't you go to the slums of the city and see what 'greater good' you're doing!"
"Saya," Shuurei hissed, trying to calm herself down and lower her voice, "Let's not argue. You wanted this job and I will help you keep it. However, you must also try to cooperate. If I'm the o- "
"Shuurei-dono!" a voice called, "what's going on here? You shouldn't raise your voice so in the office!" An aqua-haired man walked from towards them. The two lasses were so immersed in their argument that they had completely disregarded Kouyuu sitting at his desk. "And you! You shouldn't raise your voice either. Especially to someone respected like Shuurei-dono." Saya huffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't you roll your eyes at me!"
The sound of doors bursting open interrupted them. Reishin, with a rather displeased look on his face, stepped out of his office and walked towards them.
"What is all this commotion about?" he asked as he stared from Kouyuu to Shuurei and then to Saya. "I thought I sent for Hakumei…"
"Danna-sama," a voice said and as the four of them turned, they saw Hakumei standing by the front doorway. "Tei-dono request for the company of Shuurei-dono at the archives." He was panting a bit, probably from exhaustion and his blonde hair fell over his eyes. "And I need to get a few things at the archives as well."
"Very well, then," Reishin said calmly. "Kouyuu, you will give Saya a tour of the palace." Utter silence answered his command. Shuurei blinked at the head of Ribu, wondering if he had forgotten how directionally-challenged his adopted son was. Hakumei stared as well, hoping that his master was not experiencing a memory relapse. "Well now, what are you waiting for?"
Kouyuu did not know what emotion he was supposed to express. Was he supposed to be happy that his father had entrusted such a job to him? Or was he supposed to be sullen because of the person who was to be guided? Or perhaps he was to be worried that his father was not thinking very well that day? "Y- yes, Reishin-sama," he said and bowed his head. He did not want to ask for details. "Follow me." He motioned for Saya to follow and she rather unwillingly did so.
"I'll take you to Tei-dono," Hakumei offered and smiled, "He probably just wants to talk to you." Shuurei nodded and bowed to Reishin before she left.
"Thank you so much for accepting her, Danna-sama," she said, "I'm sure it means a lot to her, but she just finds it difficult to express her gratitude." For a split second, Reishin's lips curved into a smile, but he abruptly hid it with a flick from his fan. Shuurei thought she was just imagining it.
"Just tell her that she is to work hard, or else I will replace her," he replied in a smooth tone. "I do not accept lackadaisical workers."
"I will," Shuurei said and repeated it once again to herself. "I will."
A/N: Well, that was the end of Chapter Three! This chapter stars mainly Saya, Shuurei, and I guess, somewhat of Reishin. I must say that this hasn't been an interesting chapter and that there was dialogue all over the place. Saya is currently beyond annoying, actually, a little too annoying than I had planned her to be. But she will change as she works as a servant and change her views of people. Next chapter will mainly focus on Kouyuu, Saya, Tei Yuushun, and Shuurei. Some of the other characters that didn't show up in this chapter will reappear. And finally, the plot will advance! Comments and criticism will make me very happy!