Category: General
Rated: T (may go up)
Warnings: Yaoi
Summary: [AU] Historical fiction of high officials in the Tang dynasty vying for the throne
Pairings: Atoji, Dirty, MaruHara, SanaYuki, FujiTez, implied Tensai, Golden, Silver, implied Data, Platinum, HiyoTaki, RyoSaku, etc … others haven't been decided yet. Requests accepted.
Note: this is a work of Historical Fiction, all events are fake and made-up, also most OC characters are completely made up save for a few which I will specify.
Disclaimer: PoT is not mine
The quiet swish of robes brushed against the green stalk, disturbing the stillness of the garden. Layers upon layers of pale yellow robes clung precariously onto white shoulders, one lapel over the other, trailing behind in a mass of tangled ribbons and soft chiffon. Longer than the bearer, the robes glowed softly in the waning moon and revealed rather than hid the scars marring the perfect skin. The robes flowed and overlapped, haphazardly held together by cerulean ties and in constant danger of falling apart, so long that they left a long rippling train behind the man. Kaidou Kaoru reached towards the red glory lily that grew in the garden. As his hand brushed across the thin petals and hugged the lily from the bottom, he remembered the story of the flower. The poison of the lily held special appeal to him, to whom the untouchable held morbid fascination. Trailing his hands down the thin leafless stalk, he pinched and bent the bottom with his short nail and separated the flower from its root.
The moon was the only source of light in the garden. It gave a silver sheen to the plants and disguised the crimson of flower with its serene shimmer. The flower rested on Kaidou's hands and bent carelessly over his arm. As he examined the flower, the steel from his abandoned jian (1), resting abandoned on the ground, caught the glint of the moon. He did not turn to acknowledge the jian, made as he lived, with utility and not beauty in mind. However, giving up the elaborate decoration of ceremony, the jian took on a certain type of poetic appeal for its simplicity.
Even still, with the sword lying carelessly on the ground, Kaidou's movements were like a flash of lightning. In a moment, the sword was in his hand, the forsaken lily flowing slowly to the ground. The sword took on the silver of the moon as it cut through the air and stopped just a hairsbreadth away from the intruder's neck.
"That is no way to greet a friend, Kaidou."
A gentle wind stirred and carried the long robes with it. Kaidou's hair fell messily into his eyes and covered much of his face. "Do not sneak into the garden like a petty thief."
The physician smiled unflinchingly and brushed the sword away. "How have you been?"
Tossing his sword away he bent down to pick up the flower again, "I hardly think this is the right time for such a question."
Inui studied the young man in front of him with the perspiration barely evaporated from his skin. The robes he wore was hanging off his shoulders and tied up so messily that it was a surprise to Inui that it stayed up. Inui sighed, the man had never known how to take care of himself.
A seventh rank official, Kaidou Kaoru had worked his way to the military from the simple status of country landowners. After earning one of the top spots of the Imperial Examinations, he was one of the chosen to stay in Chang'an to serve the family. His coarse language and manners were evidence of his humble beginnings, but there was no denial to his tenacity. It was this same tenacity that caught the eye of Tezuka who had made Kaidou his protégé, and helped him into the ranks of the military.
"I've been watching you practice Kaidou."
"I thought I saw someone lurking about in the shadows. What're you doing here?"
Kaidou mistrusted everyone by instinct, because he had known the harshness of Chang'an first hand. While Inui, whom he knew was the Imperial Physician, coming from a family of famous doctors, was always kind to him, he could not help but feel a little uneasy about Inui's social status by birth. It didn't help that Inui was far too smart and quite perceptive for his own good, and Kaidou was always afraid of people that could see through him, especially when he could not see through himself.
"I only wish to help."
"Me? Why would you want to do that?"
"You're being raised to the fifth rank, Kaidou, but they're also sending you to quell the rebellion in the Uyghur regions."
Kaidou's eyes widened, "Fifth rank?"
"Yes, but it is only ceremonial. If you were killed in the rebellion, it would be useless."
"I will not be."
"You are severely outnumbered. When I first saw the decree, I thought the Empress Dowager had lost her mind. To order those raw recruits against such a large number of rebels, I can't help but suspect a scheme."
"Impossible."
"No. Sanada is in charge of all military affairs in the empire. I think it only logical to suspect."
"Sanada has allied himself with Tezuka."
"You're right. He is pretending ignorance and pinning the blame on Hiyoshi's return, but can you trust him?"
"So how're you going to help me?" One hand still played with the glory lily that he held in his hand. His hands twisted around the petals gracefully and for a moment he looked like a young aristocratic scholar rather than a country landlord raised high. Inui couldn't help but smile at the scene. The poetry of his scars and robes melding into the background was not something the highly educated physician could ignore.
"I can help you with your body, in the hopes that your kung fu will improve with it."
"As I lead an army?"
"I am told the ability of the general inspires greatness in its soldiers." Inui took out a wooden sword, "Anyways, it couldn't hurt."
"You're suggesting I practice with wood?"
"Don't be deceived, Kaidou. I already know your technique is unimpeachable, but this is no ordinary sword." He held it out for Kaidou.
Silently, Kaidou took the sword and his eyes widened immediately. It was probably ten times the weight of his steel sword, and he almost dropped it at first. "What is this?"
"Lead," Inui replied, a slight smugness to his voice. "Try your techniques with this sword. I daresay you won't find it so easy."
With a suspicious look at Inui, Kaidou walked to the clearing from which he had been practicing, the patterns in the dust still reminiscent of his style of sword work. As he got into position, ignoring the rather blatant handicap of his long trailing robes, both shoulders bare from the falling lapels, he began to move into position.
As the glory lily was discarded onto the ground again, Kaidou began to move, his actions so fast that it was barely seen by the naked eye. Even before the flower reached the ground it was torn apart by the wooden sword, the speed at which it moved making it as sharp as steel. The artistry of Kaidou's craft was evident in his precise movements, his body melding into the nature of the garden through movement.
When he stopped, he dropped the wooden sword onto the ground with a long thud, his hands shaking slightly from the pressure.
"It is harder than you expected." It was a statement, not a question.
"Will it really help?"
"Can you really doubt it?"
Kaidou knew he could not. Even now, he knew that perhaps Inui had just indirectly saved his life. Pursing his lips, he turned back to Inui, "Thank you." It was hard for him to say, but he felt instinctively that he must.
"It is my pleasure, Kaidou." Inui inclined his head, "The wellbeing of Tezuka's protégés is as important to me as my own family."
"I will win this war."
"I've no doubt of that. Once you win, come back to Chang'an, to Tezuka, and show us the greatness of Emperor Tezuka."
Ignoring the treason of Inui's statement, Kaidou answered, unhesitant, "It has always been my intention to do so."
"I know, Kaidou. I've always known."
(1) Jian is a double-edged Chinese sword used since the Spring and Autumn Period. It is known as the Gentleman of Weapons and is considered one of the four major weapons of China.
A/N: I HAVE COME BACK! Did y'all miss me? :P University starts. so update is rather sporadic. Short chapter this time. I've been meaning to return to 1000-ish word chapters for a while.
There is so much unintentional hoyay in this chapter, I don't even know where it comes from. I do not ship this pairing at all, except probably that it kind of fits in this story. What do you guys think? Should I make it official?
I love feedback, so let me know what you think.