Chapter rating: K+
Pairings: None (Kan/female Kyuu later)
Characters: Kyuzo, Hyogo, Tessai, Ukyo, Ayamaro
It was barely 11am in the morning and Hyogo was already tired. He tried to keep his eyes open as he sat beside Ayamaro and the Imperial Envoy in a private meeting chamber within the Executive Wing of the Governor's Palace. If Ayamaro worked all night, his bodyguard worked all night. The yojimbo even ended up helping his lord type a report when the governor's office proved a little short-handed during early morning crunch time. This was way more exhausting than his usual duties. "Most people don't think that brain work burns many calories, but it really does!" Hyogo swallowed a yawn, trying to keep a dignified appearance in front of the well-rested envoy.
The long-haired man could hardly wait for this meeting to end, after which Ayamaro would return to his personal quarters for a recess and Hyogo could get a much needed break.
"My first priority is to take a shower and wash my glorious black hair with Tea Tree Oil Conditioning Shampoo. Then I must catch up with my beauty sleep," Hyogo said to himself, "after which I shall call Nose Band Guy and Mono-Eye Dude to see if they are up for a night at the all-male revue at the Half-Eaten Peach Theater in Iyashi no Sato. I haven't seen those two since the day before yesterday. Maybe we can hit one of the nice teahouses on Persimmon Avenue before the performance. I can do with some monkey-picked premium tea. The rose-petal tea may be nice too... though too much tea might mean that I have to take a toilet break during the show. That would be slightly inconvenient..."
The femininely elegant bodyguard's leisure-themed mental meanderings were interrupted by the muffled sound of footsteps in the hallway outside.
"It's Ukyo and Kyuuzou," Hyogo pronounced calmly even before he heard a knock on the door. A few seconds later, Ukyo popped his head into the room without ceremony. Crimson-clad Kyuuzou remained outside the room, kneeling sedately on the reed floormat.
"Impressive," the narrow-eyed Imperial Envoy sipped his cup of high grade matcha while shooting Hyogo an amused sidelong glance. "You knew who they were without having seeing them."
Ayamaro, however, was less amused by the interruption.
"What is the meaning of this?" He snapped at his son. "Can't you see that I'm in a meeting with His Excellency the Imperial Envoy?"
"Father, I need to borrow Kyuuzou!" A visibly agitated Ukyo did not care to disguise his usual 'I want it, and I want it now' tone in front of a visiting dignitary. The young prince then launched into an impassioned speech about rooting out the 'rebel' ronin immediately.
"No, I need Kyuuzou with me," the Governor tried to sound firm. "You can't have the use of my bodyguards at will."
The portly blond was previously planning to release the black-haired bodyguard after the meeting and have Kyuuzou start her shift.
But Hyogo knew by experience that it would only be a matter of minutes before Ukyo's petulance bent the rotund governor to his cunning will.
Ayamaro was not a cruel employer; he perceived that his sleep-deprived bodyguard needed a rest. As long as the governor stayed within the well-guarded palace, it was not imperative for him to be accompanied by Hyogo or Kyuuzou at all times. Lower-ranking palace guardsmen sometimes substituted for Ayamaro's regular bodyguards when Hyogo or Kyuuzou were not available.
"Hyogo, you are dismissed," The sparsely bearded governor said right after they stepped out of the meeting room. Gratefully, the okama yojimbo bowed to Gozen-sama.
Ayamaro turned and clapped his hands at a couple of the eight guards posted at the exit of the Executive Wing. Without a word, these two white-uniformed officers fell into step next to Ayamaro and the Imperial Envoy. The lord and his guest continued their walk towards the Guest Wing of the palace, leaving Hyogo, Kyuuzou and Ukyo behind.
Despite Ayamaro's good intentions in granting Hyogo some respite, it turned out that the tired yojimbo would not be able to give himself a break. A familiar figure stood waiting outside the Executive Wing, past the two rows of palace guards. It was Tessai, bodyguard to the prince. Since the scope of Tessai's duties did not justify giving him access to the Executive Wing, he had to wait for Young Master outside.
When Tessai came forward to meet Ukyo, he inadvertently made eye contact with Hyogo, who was standing in front of the prince. At that moment, the dark-haired bodyguard saw a strange look of vague regret in the beady eyes of the chunky no-nonsense samurai. A nameless emotion, something almost like pity or sorrow, lay within those brown orbs. Hyogo instinctively knew that look was partly meant for him.
"Is anything the matter?" The black-lipped queen asked curtly.
"Perhaps you already know this, but Nose Band Guy and Mono-Eye Dude were killed yesterday during an operation in the Artisans' Level of the city." Tessai announced in a quietly undramatic voice. Without waiting for Hyogo's response, he stepped past Ayamaro's bodyguard and took his place beside the Young Master.