Haunting Dreams, Sobering Reality: Chapter XIV
By Takeda Kenji
Ayeka Masaki Jurai massaged her temples. It had been a very long day and the end of business was still forty-five minutes away. When she had taken the emergency position of Acting Empress, she had found a deluge of work on her desk. Her father's death added an extra layer of paperwork and Ayeka found it particularly disheartening to have to deal with her father's death with in terms of triplicate forms and property invoices. Well, she didn't suppose there was much that she could do. What will be will be. Though Ayeka was the Empress, she was but one tiny voice of reason and simplicity against the cacophony of bureaucracy.
She had recently picked up an infrequent indulgence of her father: smoking. Though she used a cigarette holder and only smoked one cigarette a day – if that, it was a welcome relief. It was hell for the housekeeping to get the smell out of the furniture. However, Ayeka didn't much care – she had enough to worry about. Deliberately leaked information about the possibility of Tenchi's petition – engineered by Ayeka and Seto as a test balloon – had not gone over well. The house of Amaki was in a particular uproar over a barbarian though Ayeka didn't see why they were so upset.
Funaho had set the precedent of Earthlings being involved in Royalty but as the chief negotiator of the Amaki House had pointed out: she was Queen Consort. Tenchi, however, would be in line to be King and such a thought was particularly offensive. For the life of her, Ayeka couldn't decide what was so offensive about the idea. Yet, as the fiancée of Tenchi, she had the objectivity to recognize her bias in this matter. However, in a world filled with nepotism and incest – Jurai didn't have to particular above reproach on this matter. Ayeka figured that Seto would eventually strong-arm the Amaki into submission.
Problem was, Ayeka did not care to wait for this.
A resolution, swift and straight, was most preferable to Ayeka in this matter. She really didn't care whether it got handled in the brightly lit view of open court or whether it was negotiated in a dimly lit backroom. She just wanted it done and the longer she had to wait on it, the crabbier she got about the whole affair. She had prepped Tenchi as much as she could. Rehearsals of mock court and parliamentary procedure had only gone over so well with the overwhelmed farmer's boy. It wasn't that Tenchi was simple, he was actually quite bright, but this was a little much to throw at a complete newcomer.
Ayeka leaned back in her leather chair, made from the hide of the finest beasts in the world of Racal IV. The mentholated bruise weed that made up the tobacco she was currently inhaling was the finest on the market and she felt it in every exhale. The stuff was almost too good to be legal, almost.
An aide knocked at the door and entered at Ayeka's bidding. "Your Majesty, Ryoko Hakubi to see you."
"Send her in please," Ayeka said, nodding and rising as Ryoko walked in.
"Oi, oujo-chan, how goes ruling the galaxy?"
"It goes, Ryoko-san, how are you?" Ayeka said with a smile as she changed out cigarettes in her holder. Ryoko took a cigarette without asking and fired it up. Ryoko had far more comfort with such things like tobacco and enjoyed them for the sake of enjoying them – as opposed to stress relief.
"Good, good," Ryoko said as she sought the right route to express her ideas. "So…this harem…Tenchi's happy with it?"
"Yes, very. He loves us all, Ryoko."
"I don't doubt it. It's just…"
"That he went for Tsunami, first…" Ayeka guessed.
"Yeah!" Ryoko exclaimed, glad that Ayeka understood.
"I wasn't a fan of it either and simply, he made an impulsive decision but if this is going to be a harem, I'm not going to get worried about semantic details," Ayeka said gently. "Tenchi-sama is a good man, and I think he will be good to his women and for better or for worse, we are his women. We chose that. We were not forced into it, we chose it. Although, I would be domina," Ayeka said with a wolfish grin on her face.
"A what?"
"I would be the chief wife and by law, his first wife. Tsunami and Misaki will have to fight over the title of second wife…that is, assuming Tenchi is serious about courting my mother."
"What about me? Or Mihoshi or even Washu? Don't we get a say?"
"No," Ayeka said simply, it was clear by her face that she did not mean any antagonism. "Perhaps I should explain."
"Perhaps you should!" Ryoko said, but her look was more of a pout than a spark of malice. She really wasn't that upset. She was getting Tenchi, she was getting his love and a license to as much hanky-panky under the covers as she could handle. That alone made any arrangement in which Tenchi considered her his wife made it worth it to Ryoko. However, Ayeka's revelation did grind her gears slightly.
"Funaho, an Earthling, was made First Wife over Misaki, a Juraian of noble birth. This is true, no one disputes this. However, there was different."
"Such as?" Ryoko inquired.
"First and foremost, you have to understand that Funaho's marriage to Azusa did not sit well with Jurai in the first place. However, they accepted it."
"Yeah."
"Well they had no other choice. Father was rather stubborn."
"Well good for him."
"However, this time it's different. I am in the line of succession. Funaho was not. I am the acting Empress. Funaho was not. Therefore, I will be happy to accept the title of First Wife," Ayeka said with a grin.
"Oh wipe that grin off your face, Ayeka. How mean you are!" Ryoko said with her arms crossed.
"I'm sure you, Mihoshi, and Washu will be made Official Consorts to the King. As Washu is the oldest, she will most likely assume the position of Chief consort – however, that is between you and her."
"Well, Mihoshi and Washu have to agree to this."
"This is true," Ayeka said, musing. "Sake?"
"Please."
Ayeka pressed a button on her desk. "A bottle of sake and two glasses, please."
The bottle came and the glasses were handed out and the girls began to partake. Between nicotine and alcohol, Ayeka was feeling a whole lot more relaxed than when she had started her day. A bottle in and some reddened cheeks later, and Ayeka felt a bit of the tipsiness settle into her system. "Okay, I'm going to have to stop here. I think you should talk to the girls," Ayeka said, as she settled back into her chair.
"Why me?"
"Unless you want to trade me for a meeting with Seto," Ayeka drawled, with a knowing smile.
It took Ryoko of all ten seconds to have hugged Ayeka and heading out the door, waving behind her. "Ja ne, Oujo-chan…"
A giggle escaped Ayeka's lips before she realized that she now had to give the Oni Hime no Jurai a call…
********
For a more mature woman, Seto's step was sprightly and her hair was a vibrant shade of sea green. One could hypothesize that Seto's schemes were her sword and her fan a shield to protect her face from those who would try to observe her diabolical thinking. As she walked through the Royal Palace, a place where she was as familiar a face as she was on her own ship, the Mikagami, she had other things than scheming on her mind. She knew that Ayeka was not happy with the Throne. Such thoughts displeased Seto as she thought Ayeka was one of her finest pupils and a razor-sharp politician.
When she reached the door, an aide knocked once and then permitted her swift entrance. Seto nodded and smiled she walked into Ayeka's spacious office. It had a few feminine touches and definitely the lighting was more different. Azusa had preferred a more darkened room in where he could brood in peace whereas Ayeka seemed to need a better lit room. Seto didn't blame her – she wouldn't wish that stack of paperwork on her worst enemy. Upon further reflection, Seto retracted that thought – she very likely would wish it and more upon her worse enemy, death being too good for them.
"Ayeka-chan," Seto said, as she went to embrace Ayeka who fully reciprocated, per custom.
"Grandmother, it is a pleasure as always."
"And how are you, my child?"
"Well, and yourself?" Ayeka asked as they both went to their respective seats – Ayeka behind the desk and Seto across from her.
"Well, that's a good question," Seto replied. "I've been hearing ever so much about Tenchi. He's a fascinating young man, I must say."
Ayeka didn't reply but merely nodded with a smile.
"So I was wondering if the Houses had finally come around to seeing your point of view on this petition matter…"Seto began nonchalantly.
"Masaki and Kamiki concur, of course," Ayeka began.
"Of course," Seto agreed amicably, interjecting and putting a brief pause in Ayeka's smooth pattern of speech.
"Of course," Ayeka said, not for a moment shaken. "Tatsuki will see things our way," she surmised.
"Naturally," Seto interjected again. "But that damn House of Amaki is where we run into some trouble, isn't it Ayeka-chan?" Seto inquired with a broad smile.
"Yes, it most certainly is."
"But I don't understand, you only need a simple majority vote to sustain an electoral decision."
"Yes, this is true Grandmother, but given the unusual nature of Tenchi's case—"
"You want unanimity…" Seto concluded, proud of her Ayeka.
"I do. I think it would be best for the people of Jurai to see that the Royal Houses of Jurai are in lockstep with the Monarchy," Ayeka said.
"Ah, I see. Quite a conundrum you have here, Ayeka-chan," Seto pointed out.
"Indeed. Which is why I'm so glad you were able to make an allotment in your busy schedule for me," Ayeka said, with humility in her tone.
"Oh nonsense, for the Empress--"
"Acting Empress," Ayeka corrected, with an almost embarrassed laugh.
"Acting Empress," Seto said, an eyebrow raised. "For the acting Empress, I would gladly take an hour or two out of my day."
"You are nothing if not a persuasive woman," Ayeka said, lending the emphasis on the word 'persuasive'.
"Yes, well I always did believe in the philosophy of straight talk," Seto confirmed, hiding a wolfish grin behind her fan. "Do wish for me to speak to the good people in the House of Amaki?"
"Why Grandmother, that idea is capital! I couldn't have devised it better myself. Nothing less from the Plenipotentiary of Jurai…" Ayeka deadpanned, leaving out Seto's other nickname. "I have full faith and confidence that you will succeed beyond my wildest hopes and dreams," Ayeka finished, secretly thrilled that the meeting was nearing a close.
"Daga," Seto said, sharply bringing the smooth rehearsed play of diplomacy to a crashing halt. "You tell Tenchi if he hurts my Misaki, I'll know the reason why. And it won't be her, the Juraian armada, or even you he has to worry about…it'll be me. You get what I'm telling you, Ayeka-chan?" Seto asked, the friendly civility returning with the affectionate diminutive.
"Yes," Ayeka said slowly, turning the monosyllabic 'yes' into polysyllabic 'yeeeesssss'.
Seto's smile was positively predatory. "Oh good, I knew you would, Ayeka-chan. You've always been so perceptive like that. Well, I must be off, my dear. I'll see myself out. Ja ne, sweetheart."
Ayeka poured herself some more sake and lit a fresh cigarette for she needed it, badly. When she had a handle on her nerves, she put in a call through the communicator to Tenchi. When he picked up, they quickly exchanged pleasantries. Ayeka had only one other thing to say to him before she hung up.
"For your sake, Tenchi, don't fuck this up."
A/N: The wheels are slowly turning in motion. As always, please read and review. By now, I think everyone's figured out that – at least for the foreseeable future – I update daily with a 1,000-3,000 word post. I like to do that because it keeps the mind sharp and it also lets me get away with short quick posts without feeling like I've shortchanged my readers. I do hope the feeling is mutual. To betagamma and omegarulesall, you guys have been my biggest fans and most loyal reviewers. To cyberimp6 and misakistoy, you guys have kept me true and honest to the facts – and pointed out when I fudged up. And finally, to Mibril Judo – you've given me a lot of ideas.
Cheers to you all, and as always: Read and review!