CHAPTER TEN
The Dog-Lord stretched out under the thin covers, careful not to disturb the slumbering girl beside him. A faint crack came from his claws as he stretched his arms over his head, then slumped back with his eyes half-closed. His powerful heart was still pounding.
He shifted onto his side and watched Yoshiko. She was smiling softly in her sleep. Her skin glowed golden in the firelight; her long black hair covered her body like a second blanket. The Dog-Lord gently flicked it away from her face. He wanted to see her.
A few weeks before, it would have seemed bizarre to him that a human girl could have snared his heart so completely. But on the day when she had fled from him, something had lured him to the palace to watch her. He had first begun to fall in love when she had knelt opposite him, watching him with wide eyes but not showing any signs of fear.
Even so, he had assumed that Yoshiko could not possibly share his feelings. After all, she had been terrified of him at first. So he had been willing to merely walk in the gardens with her, listening to her speak of little everyday things. And when he told her stories of what he had seen, she had listened to every word.
Then she had asked him to stay with her. The Dog-Lord had every intention of doing so.
Yoshiko slowly opened her eyes. "Are you still awake?" she murmured.
"I am," the Dog-Lord said, drawing her close to him. "Tell me... have you told anyone in this place about me?"
"No, of course not. They would never let me see you again if I did."
"Probably not." The Dog-Lord sighed. "There is no demon who would dare stop me."
"You're lucky." Yoshiko snuggled against him.
"Not luck. Power." The Dog-Lord studied his beloved's face in the firelight. In some ways, she was so very young. So sheltered.
Yoshiko woke up at dawn. The Dog-Lord was standing by her window, fastening his breastplate back over his chest. He looked every inch the fearsome demon lord again. "You'll be back tonight, won't you?" she asked.
"Of course I will." The demon smiled slightly. "But if I do not leave now, your servants will see me."
"If someone does see you, you won't... hurt them, will you?"
The Dog-Lord thought for a moment. "If you don't want me to, I will not. They would not be able to harm me anyhow."
He gazed for a moment longer at the girl wrapped in a silk sheet. But they could harm you, he thought, and that is something I could not allow.
Yoshiko watched the Dog-Lord vanish over the wall. Then she settled back in her bed, waiting for sunrise.
--
They continued in that way for many days afterward. Some nights the Dog-Lord wasn't able to come. He told Yoshiko not to worry about him; if he didn't come, it meant that he was busy with something urgent, not that he had been harmed.
But most nights he slipped into Yoshiko's room. They talked in whispers and strolled in the gardens under the moon. Sometimes they simply lay together, listening to the wind whispering through the screens.
The arrangement wasn't perfect. Yoshiko was a little sleep-deprived; one day, she fell asleep during a rambling speech by a Buddhist cleric. Her mother was horribly embarrassed. And Yoshiko had the uncomfortable feeling that Samadu was getting even more interested in her. She kept trying to hint that Aziko was a better choice for him, but he persisted in wooing her.
One night, it occurred to Yoshiko that she and the Dog-Lord had spent the customary three nights together. But she couldn't really imagine finishing off the tradition. Her parents wouldn't exactly be happy if she brought the Dog-Lord to greet them as their daughter's new husband. In fact, it might spark off a small war.
We'll just have to keep it a secret, she thought as she fell asleep. Somehow...
TO BE CONTINUED
The Dog-Lord stretched out under the thin covers, careful not to disturb the slumbering girl beside him. A faint crack came from his claws as he stretched his arms over his head, then slumped back with his eyes half-closed. His powerful heart was still pounding.
He shifted onto his side and watched Yoshiko. She was smiling softly in her sleep. Her skin glowed golden in the firelight; her long black hair covered her body like a second blanket. The Dog-Lord gently flicked it away from her face. He wanted to see her.
A few weeks before, it would have seemed bizarre to him that a human girl could have snared his heart so completely. But on the day when she had fled from him, something had lured him to the palace to watch her. He had first begun to fall in love when she had knelt opposite him, watching him with wide eyes but not showing any signs of fear.
Even so, he had assumed that Yoshiko could not possibly share his feelings. After all, she had been terrified of him at first. So he had been willing to merely walk in the gardens with her, listening to her speak of little everyday things. And when he told her stories of what he had seen, she had listened to every word.
Then she had asked him to stay with her. The Dog-Lord had every intention of doing so.
Yoshiko slowly opened her eyes. "Are you still awake?" she murmured.
"I am," the Dog-Lord said, drawing her close to him. "Tell me... have you told anyone in this place about me?"
"No, of course not. They would never let me see you again if I did."
"Probably not." The Dog-Lord sighed. "There is no demon who would dare stop me."
"You're lucky." Yoshiko snuggled against him.
"Not luck. Power." The Dog-Lord studied his beloved's face in the firelight. In some ways, she was so very young. So sheltered.
Yoshiko woke up at dawn. The Dog-Lord was standing by her window, fastening his breastplate back over his chest. He looked every inch the fearsome demon lord again. "You'll be back tonight, won't you?" she asked.
"Of course I will." The demon smiled slightly. "But if I do not leave now, your servants will see me."
"If someone does see you, you won't... hurt them, will you?"
The Dog-Lord thought for a moment. "If you don't want me to, I will not. They would not be able to harm me anyhow."
He gazed for a moment longer at the girl wrapped in a silk sheet. But they could harm you, he thought, and that is something I could not allow.
Yoshiko watched the Dog-Lord vanish over the wall. Then she settled back in her bed, waiting for sunrise.
--
They continued in that way for many days afterward. Some nights the Dog-Lord wasn't able to come. He told Yoshiko not to worry about him; if he didn't come, it meant that he was busy with something urgent, not that he had been harmed.
But most nights he slipped into Yoshiko's room. They talked in whispers and strolled in the gardens under the moon. Sometimes they simply lay together, listening to the wind whispering through the screens.
The arrangement wasn't perfect. Yoshiko was a little sleep-deprived; one day, she fell asleep during a rambling speech by a Buddhist cleric. Her mother was horribly embarrassed. And Yoshiko had the uncomfortable feeling that Samadu was getting even more interested in her. She kept trying to hint that Aziko was a better choice for him, but he persisted in wooing her.
One night, it occurred to Yoshiko that she and the Dog-Lord had spent the customary three nights together. But she couldn't really imagine finishing off the tradition. Her parents wouldn't exactly be happy if she brought the Dog-Lord to greet them as their daughter's new husband. In fact, it might spark off a small war.
We'll just have to keep it a secret, she thought as she fell asleep. Somehow...
TO BE CONTINUED