Chapter Seven: Not Polite to Grunt
*When he awoke early in the morning, Hiiro didn't dare move. Blinking sleep out of his eyes he looked up into the ceiling of the room he was in. The wooden beams that propped the ceiling up were decorated with sweet smelling flowers and herbs. Their sweet scent wafted down to him on a gentle breeze that blew threw the open window to his right. This wasn't the room he had first woken in; this was a new room.
"Good morning." He flinched at the sugary intonation of the new arrival's voice. It was so soft, so caring, so happy to see him awake. He didn't deserve that much concern, even in his broken condition.
"Hnn." He grunted, hoping the person would go away. But the presence remained. Finally, he drew strength to sit up and see what the figure was doing, moving so deftly about his room. It was the same woman from the night before, Serenity she had called herself.
"Please, don't sit up. You strained yourself greatly the other night, and you really should try to take it easy."
"The other night?" Hiiro asked in concern. How long had he been out of it?
"Yes. You've slept for three days. I suppose that's a good thing, because you gave your body time to heal, but still…"
"Three days?"
"Yes." She nodded vigorously. She herself had been surprised he had slept so much- his attitude from before would suggest he would be up as quickly as possible. But he had had just slept… And during that time she herself had gotten no rest. She had been so worried about him when he didn't awaken that she couldn't. "Hiiro?" She ventured to ask.
"What?"
"Would you like anything? Food? Water? You must be hungry… please allow me to prepare you something?"
"Fine." He watched her eyes brighten, but she didn't smile. He knew he had made her happy, but didn't understand why she might not smile. Every time he had made a person like her, with a natural high spirit, happy, they had smiled at the very least.
"What would you like? Something spicy? No… probably not good for digestion right now… something sweet? Or something…"
"Anything." Hiiro tried to make it easy for her.
"Anything? Well, perhaps Jeana still had some of that stew she had made the other night for them to eat. Then she heard a small giggle.
"Shh! If you're not quieter we'll be caught!" A low voice hissed.
"Sorry! I just want to see him!"
"So do I, but don't be such a girl!"
"I am a girl!"
"Yeah, not a very bright one! Come on! Shush!" Serenity looked over at Hiiro, who simply glared- but did slightly raise an eyebrow as to question what was going on. Serenity nodded, and walked over to the window. Leaning out, Hiiro heard her laugh, and then grunt in effort.
"What… are… you two doing here?" She asked as she lifted two tiny figures in through the window. Setting them on the ground, she held their hands firmly, but her mirth was evident due to her lack of practice in controlling it.
"We're sorry Serenity, honest! I just wanted to see the man of the Damned!" The little girl pleaded their case.
"I wanted to see if her was still alive!" The boy beside her chimed in.
"Well now. He is alive as you or I, and I don't think he wants two loud young ones like you climbing over him." Serenity managed a straight face. So far she had learned Hiiro like his privacy, and she was determined to give that.
"But we found him! Don't we get to meet him at least? Please?" The girl begged.
"Jaritha, be quiet!" The boy hissed. "I'll deal with this." He straightened up and gave a powerful glance towards Serenity. "I am Jocanan, son of Darien and his mistress Beryla. You are a woman, there for you must stand aside and follow my orders. Do so, now. Or I'm telling!" Serenity gulped. Though the boy was still young, he was very serious. His threat was real, and she knew that he would squeal if she didn't humor him. The only one who could tell him off was his mother, who had been executed eleven years ago for her plot against Darien.
"Very well." She submitted.
"See Jaritha, I told you I would handle it!" The boy huffed proudly.
"Thank you Jocanan!" The girl jumped. It was obvious she had no idea as to the method her playmate had used to get what he wanted. All she knew was that she trusted him to succeed. Serenity sighed.
When the girl turned Twenty-one, she would be considered a teenager, and she would finally learn her true responsibilities. And when she did, it would break her heart. Serena herself was merely thirty-eight- still a teenager in her society. She would be until she reached fifty. But this was no time to think about it.
"I'm sorry Hiiro, but these two are Jocanan and Jaritha. They are the two that found you when you were laying outside beneath the crack." Hiiro was inwardly confused. He left his cold expression on his face, but his mind was muddled with confusion. He had thought to laugh when the boy had ordered Serenity to allow them to speak to him, but she had drawn back in fear. Was it possible that women were given that much disrespect in the society? But the boy played with the little girl beside him just fine… what was the difference?
"Hi! I'm Jaritha, and this is Jocanan! We found you outside you know! What's your name?" The little girl gushed as she sat tenderly on the edge of Hiiro's bed.
"Jaritha, he's man of the Damned. He doesn't want to be badgered by stupid girl questions!"
"Sorry."
"So what's your name?" Jocanan asked, equally as enthusiastic as the girl beside him.
"Hiiro Yui." Hiiro muttered.
"Are you in much pain Hiiro Yui?" The girl asked.
"No."
"Where are you from?" Jocanan drilled.
"Hnn." Hiiro didn't think he should tell these children much.
"It's not polite to grunt." The little girl pointed out.
"Japan." Hiiro inwardly sighed.
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"He's still a kid!" Jaritha jumped up and down. "Do you want to play with us outside when you get better? We'll play tag!"
"I don't think he'll be able to play for quite sometime Jaritha. Besides. He may be seventeen, but does he really look like a child?" Serenity cut in. She herself could hardly believe she was older than him.
"No… but with the Damned, you never know." Jocanan pointed out.
"Well then. Have you two had enough of him? Will you leave him in peace now?" Serena asked.
"No." The children chorused together.
"I have." Hiiro spoke. "Leave." He ordered them. His thinking was simple. While they wouldn't listen to Serenity because she was a woman, they would listen to him because he was a man.
"Yes sir." The two jumped up immediately. As quickly as they had pounded him with questions, they were out the door.
"I'm sorry about them. They were only eleven years old- still children in our society, they didn't know any better than to bother you with questions." Serenity told him flushed.
"Hnn." His grunt told Serenity he wanted quiet.
"I'll go see if I can find you some of that food…" A knock came on the door at that moment. Serenity paused, then stood from her position on the chair beside his bed and opened it.
"Serenity. I thought, since I know you wouldn't, that you're new patient might be hungry. So I brought him some of Jeana's stew. Oh, is that him? Oh, he is pleasant to look at!" The woman at the door gushed very quietly. "Invite me in!"
"Anna…" She began.
"Thank you!" She squealed. Then she walked in with practiced grace. Without saying a word, she swooped down on Hiiro and felt his head, as if checking for a temperature. The she settled herself in Serenity's old seat and began trying to hand feed Hiiro.
"Who are you?" Hiiro asked. He watched as the woman bowed her head in respect of his notice of her.
"My name is Anna. I'm Serenity's cousin." She replied in a very quiet voice. The way she carried and presented herself it seemed that her tall and fine figure drew back and tightened until she was so small she could hardly be seen.
Serenity saw the body language and new what it meant. Her cousin was trying to entice this poor injured patient of hers! The one man who was supposed to show her new things, the one man who was supposed to teach her about the Damned. And here her cousin was, about to take it all away. Fate could be so cruel.
"Hnn." Hiiro grunted to Anna's last question. She had asked him when he had last eaten- as if she knew what she was doing. He doubted it. Looking towards Serenity for help, he found she was standing in the darkest corner of the room, with her arms crossed over her chest, as if to protect herself from unseen forces. Her eyes were glazed over, and her features blank.
Anna noticed Hiiro's focus had switched from her to her cousin, and jealousy boiled in her blood. Anna could have any man she wanted… she knew exactly how to please. She was quiet, demure, always followed rules and never argued. But why wasn't this man looking at her? Was she not being gentle enough? She had to get Serenity out of the room. Then his attention would return to her.
"Serenity? Didn't you say you were going to fetch him something to drink? Don't just stand there being the lazy, disobedient woman you are, help him!" She barked. Serenity seemed to hear these words and wake up.
"I'm sorry, of course. How lazy of me. I'll be back in a moment." She nodded. Then she quietly walked out of the door. Silence ensued. As a woman, Anna could not initiate conversation; it was improper. But he never spoke, not even once. She didn't even know his name, and he wasn't volunteering any information. In fact, his vision was drifting towards the door often enough to let her know he was buying time until Serenity returned.
Hiiro rolled his eyes as the woman in front of him tried to feed him. He could feed himself. She was sickening him. She smelled heavily of lavender… he hated that smell. He always had. It made him nauseous. But soon enough he didn't have to worry. Serenity returned quickly with the water, and with the news that Bernard, one of the men who worked in the kitchens, wanted to see her immediately. Anna left, heavy hearted. No matter, she would have him soon.
"I'm sorry I left you with her." Serenity said as she took her chair once more.
"Hnn." Hiiro eyed the bowl beside his bed, the one that he had refused to eat from before. Serenity followed his gaze.
"Would you like help eating, or would you care to do it on your own?" She asked, handing him the bowl.
"I'm not weak."
"I'm sorry." She hung her head, and a heavy silence saturated the room.
"Why won't you speak?"*
