Chapter Thirteen
Present Day: Kounan-koku
"So, you did decide to grace us with your presence at court after all, Chichiri."
Reizeitei stood from his seat behind the desk, casting his visitor a warm grin as he playfully bowed his head in the Seishi's direction. "I was beginning to think my invitation had fallen on deaf ears, since Ouba-hime and her party leave for the East tomorrow morning."
"My apologies." Chichiri returned the grin, shutting the door behind him and moving to join his companion, clasping the young man's hands warmly in his. "I can't think that you need my advice when it comes to entertaining a foreign royal. Surely there's nothing that a village apothecary can teach a prince who's been born and bred into his current role about something like that?"
"Yes, perhaps." Reizeitei nodded, pursing his lips for a moment as he took in his old friend's expression. "I wondered if you were cross with me, that's all."
"Cross?" Chichiri released his grasp, eying the Emperor in confusion. "Why would I be cross with you, Boushin-kun? You're one of my favourite people to visit. I've just been busy of late in the village, that's all. After Hikari left, some of the children managed to get themselves entangled in a briar patch and two of them at least were badly scratched. Even with Aidou's help, it was a cacophony of screaming, crying children, and parents who weren't a lot better."
"I see." Reizeitei chuckled. "Your own two weren't involved?"
"Eiju considers himself too grown up for those kind of games, now he's training to be a soldier." Chichiri responded ruefully. "And fortunately Meikyo knew better than to follow her playmates into the ravine. She also had the foresight to come and get me when the others got into trouble - so all in all, further disaster was averted. Children are children, that's all. Sometimes there's no helping them."
"Mm. Perhaps one day I will truly know what that means." Reizeitei mused pensively. "But no, I thought that you may have an objection to my having granted Hikari permission to travel to the East. I realise it was somewhat presumptuous, since you are officially her guardian, but even so..."
"I was surprised that you'd agreed so easily." Chichiri admitted. "I'm quite glad that you did. We have friends in the East, and I think that it would be good for her, after spending eighteen months or so in Kounan, to travel a little more and see them."
"You're really not worried about her safety on such a trip?" Reizeitei questioned. "I have to admit that if she had not begged quite so hard, I might have been more reluctant, but I'm afraid I'm weak when it comes to Hikari's pleadings."
"Just like a true brother and sister, I think." Chichiri sounded amused. "I seem to remember something of the same thing, when my sister was still alive. It's very hard to refuse them anything, isn't it, when they look at you a certain way."
He spread his hands.
"The truth is that I am worried. Very worried." He said seriously, the humour dropping from his tone in an instant. "And I don't know yet whether or not I've made the right decision in not standing out against this. But Hikari is almost eighteen, now. In another year she may be out of my hands completely. I haven't seen any sign of her affection for Aoiketsu abating, and I know that he's more eager than ever to finalise their relationship into something permanent and lasting. Plus, I know she's stronger than she was when she first came here. I've taught her a lot in the time we've had, and she's also learnt from being at court. I suppose I'm hopeful that a trip to Kutou might help her to expand her horizons yet again."
He sighed.
"Besides, Myoume's baby is due soon, and Hikari misses her badly, too." He admitted. "I feel that in having to stay here, the girl's already made sacrifices enough. I shouldn't ask more sacrifices of her, when there's really no reason to keep her tied to the South. She is a very powerful young lady, if she chooses to use that power. She certainly has enough understanding of her skills now to defend herself from the attacks of ordinary thieves and rogues, of that I'm quite sure. And besides, Aoiketsu will be going with her. Where Hikari's concerned, Aoi has a quick blade and a lot of skill to back it up. So yes, I'm worried. But I can't always stand in her way. Taka and Miaka would want me to think that way, so I'm trying to, even if my instinct is to protect her at all costs."
"I see. So it's a struggle between the surrogate parent who wants to let the child fly freely, and the Seishi who wants to defend the Shinzahou from falling into enemy hands?" Reizeitei asked, and Chichiri nodded.
"Exactly that." He said cheerfully. "But Aidou and I discussed it carefully, and she feels even more strongly than I do that there was no point in Hikari having raised Seiryuu and brought peace if we weren't going to let her enjoy the fruits of her labours. If she goes to Kutou, she can see Myoume and Hyoushin and perhaps the new baby, if her timing is right. So I've agreed. And since you have, too, that's that. She travelled on far more dangerous journeys when she first came here. I think she has a charm about her that will keep her safe."
"Aoi isn't so keen." Reizeitei admitted, and Chichiri smiled.
"Of course." He acknowledged. "But he's been wise enough not to argue with either of us, this time. He has even more reason to protect Hikari than I do."
He leant casually back against the wall.
"There is another reason I came to court today, however." He added frankly. "And another reason I've given Hikari permission to go to the East. You'll think I'm crazy, perhaps, but I can't help thinking that there's something in the air. It's something distinctive, and faintly familiar - yet till now I couldn't one hundred percent put my finger on what that thing is. All I knew was that there's been some kind of spiritual shift in the past week or so, and it's very definitely shaping itself into something. The only clue I had to any of it was hovering around Kounan's palace, so I came here to see if I could get to the bottom of my suspicions."
"That made no sense whatsoever." Reizeitei said bluntly, and Chichiri laughed.
"I suppose it didn't." he admitted. "All right. Let me see if I can explain. Some nights ago there was a storm, and Hikari and I both felt there was something in the air. It seems that Shishi felt it too, through her connection with Genbu's mage, so it can't be imagination. However, what that sensation was, none of us were sure."
"Hikari said something about that to Aoi and I, come to think of it." Reizeitei remembered. "That there was something in the air and that she thought it might have some connection to Ouba-hime coming to Sairou. Is that why you're here? Because if you're going to spiritually prod at my guests, Chichiri..."
"Give me a little credit." Chichiri reproached him lightly. "No. I'm not going to do anything so indelicate. But I am curious to meet the Sairou party. So since they leave tomorrow, tonight seems my best chance to do just that."
"Well, I'd like you to meet them, whatever your motives." Reizeitei reflected. "I don't have the spiritual senses you have, or even that my father may once have had, long before I was born. But I find Ouba-hime a pleasant enough individual, and her companion, Kinka, an intelligent, capable young girl. The third member of the party, their guardsman Sayo I have had less to do with - but from the reports my commanders have submitted, he seems honest and open, the kind of man who would put himself on an enemy's blade to defend his mistress from harm. All in all they seem in keeping with the kind of people I expect from our allies to the West. I have a good amount of respect for Heiboutei-sama and his son has a growing reputation as a strong fighter and wise politician. It is little surprise to me that Ouba-hime should be an equally talented young woman."
"You don't regret not having put in for her hand yourself, I trust?" Chichiri teased, and Reizeitei laughed, shaking his head.
"Of course not." He said pragmatically. "What benefit would it be to me to have an Emperor as my father in law? All it could do is unsettle the stability of Kounan and rock its traditions. I will take a wife in the same way as my father took my mother before me. From the people of the South."
"Well said." Chichiri chuckled. "And I'm glad to hear it, too. You have a wise head on your shoulders too, Boushin-kun. Whether you realise it or not, yet, you do."
"Chichiri, whatever it is you've felt in the atmosphere...it isn't going to hurt Kounan, is it?" Reizeitei asked anxiously, and Chichiri spread his hands.
"I don't know." He said honestly. "But if it's what I think it is...I suspect not. I don't think it has much to do with us at all, to be quite honest. I think it's as Hikari says - it relates to Sairou."
"And so the only reason you've felt it here is because the Princess and her companions are here?"
"Most likely." Chichiri agreed.
"Given that, then, is it safe for Hikari to be going with them on the morrow?"
"Given that, I think it's imperative she does." Chichiri nodded. "Reizeitei-sama, if I tell you my suspicions, you must give me your absolute word not to mention them to a living soul. Not Hikari, not Aoi, not even your Lady Mother. Because I may yet be wrong...it's just that there are flickers of energy here that feel very like something I've encountered before - twenty years apart, yet still...familiar."
"I promise." Reizeitei said soberly. "As an Emperor, I give you my word. I would rather know, Chichiri, why it is you seek to involve Suzaku's Shinzahou in whatever it is you think is on the horizon."
"Twenty years ago now, Tasuki and I and our other companions fought to gain the treasures of Genbu and Byakko in order to try and raise Suzaku and save Kounan." Chichiri moved across to the window, resting his hands gently on the sill as he gazed out across the palace grounds towards the private royal gardens. "We failed, but in the process we encountered three individuals who had lived beyond a hundred, holding out, perhaps, for our coming to the West."
"Individuals?" Reizeitei frowned. "Byakko's people, you mean?"
"Exactly." Chichiri nodded. "Tatara, who guarded the Shinzahou and died fighting Miboshi in the Shrine that no longer stands. And his companions Subaru and Tokaki, who assisted us in many many ways. Of course, their chi has long since disappeared from the West, too. In my travels since then I ascertained that there were no more living spirits with Byakko's blood running through them."
He turned, offering the Emperor a crooked smile.
"Then, eighteen months ago, I encountered the same sensation again." He continued. "I was very slow on the uptake, this time. It had been such a long time, and I didn't make the connection. Even when Myoume became such an integral part of our operation, it didn't immediately occur to me that her brother Miramu was also one of those marked with Byakko's kanji. Yet when I think back on it, both Myoume and Miramu had flickers of the same sensation running through them. The pulse of holy magic - the Tiger's magic. It's something unique to Seishi - Tasuki and I both have it, though ours is the blood of the Phoenix, so has a different scent. That's why I'm sure that it's Byakko that's stirring here in Eiyou. If it was just a residue of Hotohori-sama's chi, or something Hikari or Tasuki or I had started, it would be Suzaku's essence I'd be picking up. It's not. It's very clearly Byakko's spirit that's echoing through this place."
"Meaning what?" Reizeitei looked startled. "That there's a warrior of Byakko right here in Eiyou?"
"That would be my hypothesis, yes." Chichiri agreed. "But what it means I don't know. Perhaps because Miramu was killed, another has been woken in order to take on his role - though with both the Shinzahou and the relic of Kitora missing, I can't imagine what purpose the Tiger would have with reviving another of his people. Equally, since Miramu is dead, I can't see it being something bigger - yet it concerns me. It concerns me a good deal. And Kutou is a nation who is only just finding peace and security."
He smiled.
"I don't know, yet, whether Byakko's chosen knows of their strength or whether they don't." He added. "I also don't know whether their being here is a coincidence of fate or whether it's something bigger. But I think that, if Hikari goes with them, it might be that she can be of some help. Myoume is her ally and given that fact, if she's so closely involved with one of Byakko's people, the chances are she'll be able to make allies of any others. Including the one who's currently here."
"You think that, even though Miramu was killed, there might be more to this, don't you?" Reizeitei said sharply, and Chichiri nodded.
"Possibly, though I have no basis for thinking so." He responded. "But like I said, it has little to do with Kounan at all. If this relates to Byakko, it relates to Sairou. And the best thing for us would be to maintain that long-term positive relationship with the West and keep out of it as much as we can. That's Hikari's role. Even she doesn't realise it, but her natural ability to make friends is probably something that's likely to keep the peace in the event of any trouble or conflict. , it might just be a case of Miramu's spirit needing replacing. But if it isn't...the Seishi are only awoken in times of crisis. And if something bad is about to hit Sairou..."
"Then politically we'd do well to tread carefully." Reizeitei's eyes narrowed. "Thank you, Chichiri. It hasn't put my mind at rest at all where Hikari's safety is concerned, but nonetheless I am grateful for your counsel. Even if we are theorising about things which are unlikely, the possibility must still be considered. Seven and a half years ago, when Kounan almost fell into ruin, the resurrected souls of your Seishi brethren were called to arms even in their child forms. It can't be ignored that there are roles for Seishi even beyond the original summoning of the God. We have no way of knowing how many times a land may call a Miko. Whether it be once, or whether it be many times."
"Exactly." Chichiri nodded soberly. "And if it did come to it that Byakko's protection was needed to save Sairou afresh, well, with Amefuri dead, it struck me that they will probably need a Shinzahou in order to complete the summoning. Hikari is the only one who hasn't been spirited away from this world, and it occured to me that maybe that's the reason she's had to stay here. Maybe it's deeper than just the changes in her own body, but that, in some way, she's going to be part of another miracle."
"Either way, I see your reasoning for sending her to Myoume." Reizeitei let out his breath in a rush. "As ever, I'll trust your opinion. If anyone understands Byakko's ways, it's that woman - and if something's amiss, she'll be the first to pick it up."
"My thoughts precisely." Chichiri replied. "But I'd rather Hikari didn't know that any of this was being discussed. Without any evidence, there's no reason to make her or Aoi wary, or to weaken the friendships she's forming with the Princess and her companion. I think they are valuable friendships to have, even if nothing bad does happen in the West...and I won't do anything to harm that chance."
"Nor will I." Reizeitei said firmly. "Don't worry. I won't mention it to anyone. I told you - you have my word."
"And I value it." Chichiri smiled. "Scheming behind their backs is somewhat underhanded, but sometimes...its a necessity. And as I said, Hikari's no longer a child. She has to stand up for herself at some point - now seems to be a good time to test how much she's learnt since she came here permanently."
He cast a glance out towards the gardens once more, then,
"Her spirit is very unsettled, isn't it?" He murmured. "The Princess, I mean. I can feel her distress from here."
"Distress?" Reizeitei blinked. "What do you mean? She smiles and laughs often enough, when I'm in her company."
"Outwardly, perhaps." Chichiri frowned. "But inwardly her heart is crying. It's a strong, almost overpowering sensation, Heika."
He glanced at his hands.
"Perhaps now would be as good a time as any to introduce myself and provide her with a distraction." He reflected. "I sense tension in the air - tension between her and her companion, and it would be no good for them to leave this place on negative terms with one another. It's a long journey."
He smiled, offering the Emperor a lop-sided wink.
"I'll stick around for the meal and festivities tonight, I promise." he added. "And I'll be on my best behaviour then, don't worry."
With that he brought his hands up in front of his face, disappearing into a puff of smoke, and Reizeitei frowned, slowly shaking his head.
"That's the least of my worries." He muttered, his own gaze flitting towards the gardens. "Chichiri, you're right, I know you are...but I really hope that if Hikari's about to get involved in something dangerous, she's as strong as you believe she is!"
"Tomorrow morning we'll be leaving Kounan, won't we?"
Ouba pulled her wrap more tightly around her shoulders, stepping carefully down into the palace gardens as she turned to cast her companion a faint smile. "It's sort of sad, don't you think so, Kinka? We've been here such a short time, really. I never realised how friendly and relaxed court was in the South - but tonight will be our last night as guests of Reizeitei-sama and his companions. We'll be back to the road - and heading to Shunhou at dawn."
"We will." Kinka agreed, leaning back against the trunk of a sturdy sakura tree and nodding her head. "To be honest, I'll be glad to be moving again. I don't like being half-way like this - there's so far still to go."
"You want to leave?" Ouba looked startled. "Do you feel unsafe, then, here in Eiyou?"
"Not in the slightest." Kinka assured her. "Everyone here has greeted us as though we're long lost friends or family, and I can't fault any part of it. But it's just that your Lord Brother entrusted me with your safety above all things on the trip to Shunhou. When we get to Kutou, I can relinquish that part of my duty a little and worry about being your companion and friend a lot more than I will being your protector. It's a lot of pressure, to protect a Princess in a foreign land. And I'd be happier if we didn't hesitate any further. That's all."
"You want to know what we're going to find in the East, don't you?" Ouba reflected, and Kinka nodded.
"Yes." She admitted. "Because I hear so many conflicting reports of Kutou that it puts me on edge. This court is not the issue. There's no malice lurking in the shadows here. But we still don't know much about there."
"What about Kaiga-dono?" Ouba bent down to pick a delicate yellow blossom from a blooming plant, slipping it into her hair as she cast her companion a grin. "You've spent a lot of time discussing the route with him. Hasn't he told you anything about what we're to expect?"
"Gossip, you mean?" Kinka's eyes lit up with amusement, and she shrugged. "I'm not sure. Kaiga-dono is a very smart individual, and I don't know one hundred percent whether or not he's on our side or simply acting for his Emperor in all of this. Still, that may yet prove to be in our interests, too. He seems very honest, and he's told me quite frankly many things about himself and his position in Kutou's administrative hierarchy. I'd like to think he was someone we could trust in."
"Hikari's said he's a strong fighter, too." Ouba remembered. "Which means that it won't just be on you to protect us. Sayo and Kaiga-dono will be there too."
"Hikari now, is it?" Kinka eyed her mistress in interest. "You've dropped all formality completely, then, have you? I don't think I've ever known you to befriend anyone quite so quickly - are you sure you're not being intoxicated by the relaxed atmosphere? Letting down your guard makes my job harder, you know - stop and think about that a while, will you, before you give your all to a relative stranger?"
"You make it sound inappropriate, to befriend anyone on our journey." Ouba objected. "I know you've always spoken frankly to me, but even so..."
"I'm sorry." Kinka held up her hands. "I'm naturally suspicious, that's all. I can't help it. You're important to me. And whenever I stop and remember that, I hear Nefuru-sama's voice echoing in my ears. He's worrying about you too - and I can't let him down."
"I wonder if he received my message." Ouba reflected. "Reizeitei-sama said that his messengers would get it to Arudo within a couple of days, and I believe he means what he says. I hope that he and Sashi and Shinju are well, and everything in Sairou is going on as it should be. I know I won't hear back from them until we reach our destination - but I at least wanted to tell them that I was fine."
"I'm sure they were relieved to hear it." Kinka agreed. "That you've at least got half-way with no serious mishaps."
"Well, I didn't tell them about what happened in Hengei, so that's the view they'll have." Ouba rested her hands on the brick wall, letting out a sigh as she remembered the chaos of the Shunsai and the resultant fire. "I thought it best to follow your advice and leave all reference out of my communication. I don't understand what happened completely, so I don't think there's a point in them knowing about it. In the end, , we all made it through safely."
"I'm glad you didn't write about it." Relief flickered in Kinka's eyes. "As you said, there's no point in dwelling on the things that are past."
Ouba eyed her companion carefully, and Kinka frowned, pursing her lips.
"Is something wrong?"
"Only that I wish you'd tell me, if something happened in Hengei." Ouba said softly. "You can trust me, can't you? I'd rather know than not. Something happened - something unusual - and I want to know what it was. We're friends, Kinka, and you said you'd never lie to me. Why won't you tell me what happened on our trip?"
Kinka's eyes clouded, and she shook her head.
"There's a promise I have which supercedes the one I made to you." She said frankly, raising her gaze to meet the Princess's curious seiran eyes. "That's all. I'm sorry, Hime. It's how it is. I gave Rouhei-sama my word not to disclose information without the discretion of my Prince and that includes telling you. Even if it means you're cross with me - I have to uphold my word. I swore my loyalty to Nefuru-sama by my blood, ."
"True, but even so..." Ouba's eyes narrowed. "That means you do know what happened, then, doesn't it? Then Hikari was right. You did have something to do with it."
"Hikari?" Kinka's eyes opened wide in shock, and she took a step back from her companion. "Ouba-hime - you told a foreigner about it? About the incident you won't even disclose to your family back home in Arudo? Why would you do that - what benefit is there to tell someone who wasn't there and who has no interest in it whatsoever?"
"It just happened." Ouba spread her hands. "Hikari is easy to talk to, and she understands a lot of things that I've been feeling. Besides, because she's not associated with it, I thought it would be all right to ask her opinion. She knows a lot about strange things, . It's bothering me a lot, if you want to know the truth. We should have been burnt to death, but we weren't. And I didn't see what happened. But you did see - you know. And you won't tell me, which hurts."
"And you confided in a stranger, which hurts me, too." Kinka said softly, pain in her vivid eyes. "I'm sorry, Hime, but I don't see the justification. Whether you are or are not pleased with my answer, I still have a reason for not giving it. Whereas..."
Ouba's eyes hardened.
"I am Princess Ouba of Sairou." She said coolly. "If I want to ask someone's opinion on something, Kinka, it's not your place to reproach me. I am the one who makes that decision. Not you."
Kinka faltered, a stricken look entering her gaze, and at the sight of it, Ouba bit her lip, immediately regretting the coldness of her words.
"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "But I like Hikari. And I trust her. She's been kind to me. And that's all."
Kinka pursed her lips, a mixture of emotions flooding through her expression. Then, without a word, she dropped to her knees before the princess in a formal bow.
"Forgive my presumptuousness, Ouba-hime." She said softly, her tones reflecting the same stiff formality as her gesture, and a pang shot through Ouba's heart as she registered the distance her closest companion had just put between them. "I have spoken out of turn."
"Kinka..." Ouba swallowed hard, reaching down to take her friend by the hand. Kinka did not resist, but nor did she welcome the touch, and as Ouba pulled her companion to her feet, she was aware of the reticence that still lingered in her friend's gaze.
"I'm the one who should apologise." The Princess said frankly. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. You were only giving me your opinion."
"I am the daughter of the Kei clan, and you are the daughter of the Emperor." Kinka said gravely, her eyes clouded as she shook her head. "I have forgotten, that's all, that there is distinction between us. You are right, Hime. I have no just grounds to reproach you on anything."
"Kinka, stop it." Ouba begged, tears glittering in her seiran eyes. "Stop doing this - stop acting like this! Even if it is true - even if we do have different social standing - I don't want you to stop being my friend as well as my companion! You're the only true friend I have in this strange place - are you going to abandon me too?"
Kinka was silent for a moment, then, very slowly, she bowed her head towards her mistress.
"I will do everything in my power to protect and preserve your safety on the trip to Shunhou." She said soberly. "As befits my duty to the Princess of Sairou. Excuse me, Ouba-hime. We leave tomorrow and I have much to still attend to."
With that she was gone, disappearing through the bushes towards the palace, and Ouba stared after her, tears trickling down her cheeks as she interpreted her friend's cold behaviour.
"I hurt her." She murmured, sinking down onto the bench and burying her head in her hands. "My truest friend and I spoke out of turn. I've always welcomed Kinka's honestly and frankness, and I don't like it when she's like this. But I was the one who put the space between us. I was the one who pulled rank over her...and I've hurt Kinka's pride by doing so."
"Tears shouldn't be shed in this place, you know. This garden is a place of happy memories, not sad ones, ."
A voice startled her attention and she jerked her head up, confusion flooding her features as she met the gaze of a stranger. At her discomfiture he smiled, bowing his head towards her. The gesture was light and casual, yet somehow Ouba did not feel offended by the manner of it, and she frowned, staring at the newcomer as she tried to work out who he was and where he had come from. A moment earlier, she knew, she had been all alone in the garden - yet there was no denying that the person who stood before her was as real as she was.
He was in his late thirties or early forties, Ouba guessed, with long, raggedy hair pulled back in a tail at the nape of his neck. He was dressed in rural clothes, without any of the fancy trimmings that might mark him out as an Imperial Representative or member of Kounan's court, yet somehow he did not seem out of place within the most secluded of royal gardens. To all intents and purposes he had the appearance of an ordinary farming man from a local village, yet one thing above all others stood out, and Ouba chewed on her lip as she took in the long, jagged scar that wound its way from the man's nose to his brow in place of his left eye.
At her scrutiny, the man chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender.
"I've surprised you - I'm sorry." He said lightly. "I didn't mean to make you jump - but I couldn't let you cry so pitifully, all alone in a place like this."
"You...knew I was crying?" Ouba stared at him, any pretence of manners gone as she tried to work out who this stranger was. "You came here...because you knew I was crying?"
"Yes." The man agreed cheerfully. "I hope you're not offended. Even though it was Boushin-kun who called me here, I'm not sure whether he's had a chance to mention it to you or your companions at all. You've been busy since your arrival, I understand, Ouba-hime-sama."
"You...know my name, too?" Ouba got slowly to her feet, taking a hesitant step or two towards him, then stopping. "How? Who are you? Why do you refer to the Emperor as Boushin-kun? What kind of person does that? Hikari told me that that was his real name, but even so, to use it..."
"Ah, that's a bad habit of mine." The man looked sheepish, shaking his head. "When you know someone as a child, it's hard to realise they've become an adult with a country to lead and govern in their own right. I apologise, Hime. I'm sure I've confused you in half a dozen ways - when really I only came to make sure you weren't in any trouble."
"I..." Ouba faltered, then she gathered her wits, shooting him a reproachful look.
"You haven't answered my question." She reminded him. "I asked who you were. If you know my name, at least do me the courtesy of telling me yours."
"I'm doing everything backwards, so it seems." The man laughed, seemingly not put out by her indignation. "My apologies, Hime. Of course, you're right."
He bowed his head once more.
"Ri Hou Jun, at your service."
"Ri...Hou Jun?" Ouba's brows knitted together, as she tried to work out where she had heard that name before. "I don't understand...what are you..."
"If you've spoken to Hikari, you surely know who I am." The man smiled. "She seems to be quite taken with you, and resolved to travel with you to the East. That being the case, I thought it best I accepted B...Reizeitei-sama's invitation and came to court myself to ensure everything was properly arranged for the journey. She is my responsibility, . And it's a long way into Kutou's land without the ease of magic."
"Hikari...knows you?"
"I should hope so." Hou Jun's remaining red eye danced with amusement. "Since she's been living with my family for the best part of a year and a half."
At this, Ouba's eyes widened.
"Oh!" She exclaimed, then, "Are you...could you be...Chichiri?"
"Then you have heard of me." The man nodded, reaching down to pull up his right trouser leg and Ouba gasped as she saw the vivid red mark for 'well' slashed across the newcomer's kneecap. "That's right. Though these days my duties mostly involve keeping Hikari out of trouble - in whatever way that entails."
Ouba hesitated, then she bowed her head.
"I feel that I've been rude to you." She said apologetically. "I'm sorry, Chichiri-sama. I didn't understand who you were."
"Chichiri-sama?" Chichiri tilted his head on one side. "No, Hime, you shouldn't treat me with such formality. I'm just an ordinary man, - there's no reason for a Princess to show me deference."
"But you're one of the God's people! You're..."
"Being chosen by Suzaku was an accident of birth, nothing more auspicious than that." Chichiri shook his head, eying the Princess in interest. "And I have a bad habit of informality when I come to this court. As I said, I've known Bo...Reizeitei-sama since he was a baby, and have been closely interested in his life since then. His father died, , before he was born - but that father was my ally and my comrade as well as a dear, true friend. I promised him then that I'd help his son in any way I can, and so it's come to the point where I can move freely around Kounan's court without anyone questioning where I'm going or why. The Emperor has placed a good deal of faith in me, for one reason or another - but you shouldn't think that because of it you should start bowing to me and calling me '-sama'. You're a Princess of Sairou. Your God is not the Phoenix. And I would not have a foreign born Princess bow to me under any circumstances whatsoever."
Ouba blushed.
"I never met a Seishi before." She admitted shyly. "Though I've heard lots of stories. Hikari told me some about you and your friends...about her father, and everything else. But I didn't think I'd meet you...I thought you'd be far too busy to come to court just because a foreign party were passing through."
"This visit means a lot to Reizeitei-sama, since he values very highly the good relationship he has with your Lord Father." Chichiri said wisely. "That's one reason why, when I sensed your distress, I came to find you. It would be no good, , if a negative report went back to Arudo about your treatment or our hospitality here."
"Oh, it's nothing like that!" Ouba looked horrified, shaking her head. "I'd never say such a thing - in fact, I sent a message to my brother to say the opposite! It's nothing to do with Kounan...it's just...I had a disagreement with my travel companion, and I suppose...I suppose..."
"You fear going East?" Chichiri asked gently, and Ouba blinked, then nodded her head.
"How did you know?"
"It screams from your aura like a wounded beast." Chichiri told her evenly. "Your homesickness, your uncertainty, your fear of marrying a man almost twice your age. Forgive my plain-speaking, Hime - it's not usually my style at all. But it's not usual to be accosted by so many distressed emotions all pounding against each other to be dominant in your mind. You're concealing a lot of negativity - and it's not healthy."
"I didn't realise it was so obvious." Ouba reddened. "Is that your power, then, Chichiri-san? That you can sense people's emotions and tell how they feel?"
"Part of it." Chichiri agreed. "I'm a sorcerer, and I've had a long time to perfect several skills under that guise. I also realise it's no place of mine to be commenting on your happiness or otherwise. But as a father myself, I can't let a young girl wallow in so much unhappiness and not do anything about it. You really are a very strong person, . It's just whether or not you let your strength become positive or negative energy that matters."
He grinned.
"Hikari seems to like you very much, and I trust her judgement." He added. "I hope you will trust her, also. She's probably one who'll understand more than anyone what things face you in the weeks to come."
"I think that too." Ouba admitted. "And...and I'm not upset that you came and spoke to me at random like this. I mean, Hikari said nice things about you, and you seem to be...a kind person. But you're a Seishi, so that's not surprising."
She sighed, glancing at her hands.
"I just wish I hadn't said what I said to Kinka." She admitted. "Now she's cross with me, and I don't want that."
"One bad exchange of words can't destroy a long term friendship so easily." Chichiri said wisely. "I'm sure that Kinka-san understands just as well as I do the turmoil that you're keeping inside."
"You know who Kinka is, too?"
"It would be impossible not to, considering." Chichiri smiled. "Yes. I know. A daughter of Sairou's infamous Han-ke - it'd be odd if I didn't know who she was."
"Han...ke?" Ouba looked startled. "But...Kinka's name is Kei. She looks like her father. Why..."
"Is it what people look like that counts, or how their heart acts?" Chichiri asked softly. "Kinka's chi is the chi of someone with ultimate loyalty to the Royal House of Sairou. I've been to your land, and once or twice, to your capital city, too. I know a little about Western politics. And I know that of all the families, the Han is the one who is closest to the Emperor's house. Kinka is a Han, isn't she? Even if her father wasn't - she is, isn't she?"
"Yes." Ouba nodded. "Her mother was...and so is she."
"Then I'm sure you have no reason to worry." Chichiri said frankly. "I doubt that she would let anything so trivial as an argument come in the way of that bond."
He held out his hand to her.
"Will you come with me, Ouba-hime? The Emperor is worried about you, and I'm sure you'd like to lay his fears to rest."
"Yes, I suppose you're right." Ouba bit her lip, hesitantly taking the Seishi's hand in hers. "I didn't mean to make him think that I was unhappy here. Actually, being in Kounan has been a welcome break from my trip to the East...I don't want to be rude when he's been so kind."
"It's not an easy duty, being a Princess." Chichiri reflected, and Ouba shook her head.
"It's not." She agreed, as they made their way through the gardens towards the steps. "But I should be used to it by now."
"Arranged marriages, forced courtesy..." Chichiri paused, then he grinned. "Well, who knows? Maybe you will see your homeland again. And Kintsusei-sama isn't an unreasonable King - I'm sure you'll find the rebuilding court in Shunhou as pleasant as this one, when you've had time to adjust."
"Everyone says that, but I won't know till I'm there and I meet him for myself." Ouba sighed heavily. "But there's nothing to be gained by worrying about it. So I mustn't. I just have to do it...do my duty as a Princess and keep my Father's promise. That's all."
"You have a heavy burden on you, my child." Chichiri said gravely, all humour gone from his expression as he helped her mount the steps. "It's that reason above all others that made me seek you out today. I was surprised when I realised how great a burden it truly was - to go East at this crucial time and to make a marriage in these circumstances. I think you'll find more allies in Shunhou than you imagine - things will be all right once you get there."
"What do you mean?" Ouba looked confused, and Chichiri spread his hands.
"Even if I was to try and explain it, I don't think you'd understand. Not yet." He said levelly. "But on balance maybe it's a good thing that Hikari and Aoi are going with you to Shunhou. You might find yourself glad of other allies, in the weeks to come."
"You sound like a cryptic fortune teller." Ouba reflected, and Chichiri shook his head.
"No. That's not a power I have." He said evenly. "But at Shunhou's court is someone who does, and you should speak to her in great detail when you have a chance. That's my advice to you, Ouba-hime. You've heard Hikari speak of Myoume, no doubt - the wife of the Kutou Shougun, Tou Hyoushin. Do you also know Myoume's other name? Has Hikari told you that as well?"
"She's Toroki of Byakko." Ouba agreed. "She was chosen to protect...something...before she married her husband. That's right, isn't it?"
"Yes." Chichiri nodded. "And I think she's someone you should seek out as an ally as soon as you possibly can. You may already have noticed unusual things on your trip to the East - and Myoume is probably the only living soul who can explain those things with any coherence. Your fight with Kinka-dono will no doubt be resolved before you leave - but even so, make sure you remember what I've said. It's very important, Hime-sama. Very important indeed."
Ouba's brows knitted together as she digested this.
"Something did happen in Hengei." She murmured. "Something that Kinka knows more about than I do. Something...maybe...she was involved in, though I can't be sure and she won't tell me. But from what you've just said...Kinka won't always be there to protect me, will she? When we get to Kutou - it might come to the point where she can't protect me any more. That's what you mean, isn't it? That I need to learn to stand on my own feet and find my own allies, if I can? Because Kinka...Kinka has...other things she has to do."
"No doubt." Chichiri agreed. "Though as I said, I'm not the one who reads fortunes. I can only go by what I read in people's chi - and try and work out what that means. But it's as you say - there'll be a time when you can't rely on Kinka-dono to be your protector. That you know that too is a good thing."
"I've always known it, but more especially on this trip." Ouba confessed. "I know she's hiding something from me - something big. The more I think about it, the more I think it has to do with Byakko - that what happened in Hengei, when the fire stopped - that it wasn't just an unexplained miracle but stellar power of some description sent by Byakko himself. And the more she won't talk about it, the more sure I am. I think..."
"Not here, and not now." Chichiri put his finger to his lips, shaking his head. "This is a discussion you shouldn't be so ready to have with someone you only just met, Hime-sama. You are eager to trust in people here because Kounan is your father's staunch ally and that's not a bad attitude to have. But it might also put you - or those you love - in danger. Remember that, all right? I hope you'll never have to understand exactly what I mean - but you have to take responsibility for your own actions and think them through before you launch in."
He laughed, looking sheepish, and the sudden solemn moment was broken.
"Listen to my rudeness." He said ruefully. "Scolding and chiding a Princess - my manners have completely deserted me. I'm sorry, you know. I've been casual around Bous...Reizeitei-sama for far too long and it's had a terrible effect on me."
"No...it's all right." Ouba shook her head. "I'll remember what you said, Chichiri-san. And I'll do my best to try and stand up a little more for myself. Because if Kinka is...going to not be able to protect me forever, I'll need to stand on my own feet. I'm a Princess of Sairou. That's something I can do. My Father and my brother are both really strong, independent people...maybe it's time I started following in their footsteps instead of just relying on other people such a lot."
"Good girl." Chichiri's good eye crinkled at the corners as he offered her a smile. "Your father must be a very proud man, Hime. He has a very intelligent daughter."
"Sometimes I wonder." Despite herself, Ouba laughed. "Thank you, Chichiri-san. You've made me feel a little better, at the least. And I'll talk to Kinka, and make her forgive me before we leave tomorrow. Then, well, I guess we'll just take each day as it comes."
She bowed her head slightly towards him, then slipped her hand free of his grasp, turning and heading along the corridors to the chambers which she and Kinka had inhabited since their arrival in the south.
"Hikari said Chichiri was a good person, and he seems that way to me." She mused as she went. "Though not at all how I pictured him to be. Still, there is something about him. Something...different. I suppose that's the Phoenix's magic that runs through him. And the things he said...he said as though he speaks from experience. It was kind of him to come to help me, when we've never even met. And what he said..."
She paused, slowing her pace to a walk as she made her way up the stairwell to the guest chambers.
"Kinka's always protected me, but she knows she can't always do it, and it bothers her." She realised. "If something did happen in Hengei, and it was Kinka who did it, then no wonder she's trying to keep it a secret. Because if I'm right...if all the things Hikari and Chichiri said are right...Kinka might be like this Myoume-san in Kutou. She might have a mark on her - a mark of Byakko. And if she does then she's there to protect Sairou, not just protect someone like me."
She sighed, biting her lip.
"But Kinka is loyal, and she wants to protect me because she gave her word and because we're friends." She concluded. "So she thinks, if she hides it from me, we won't have to be parted. And I should stop asking her about it, if that's how she feels. I should just get stronger so that its okay for her to go and do whatever she has to do when the time comes. I don't know why Byakko might have chosen her, but after what happened in Hengei, I'm pretty certain that he did. And it wasn't just to keep a silly Princess safe from harm."
She shook her head as if to clear it.
"That settles it." She decided resolutely. "The sooner we get to Shunhou - and the sooner my marriage to Kintsusei-sama is resolved - the better. I'll do as Chichiri-san says, and seek out this Myoume-san if I can. Maybe then Kinka will be able to own up to the truth and be whatever she's meant to be - if she doesn't have to worry that I'm all right any more. All this homesick wailing has done nothing except divide her loyalties. I'm being selfish and I need to stop it. For Kinka's sake, I need to stop."
With that decided, she hurried along the final corridor, pounding on the door of her companion's room with little regard for her status.
"Kinka?" She called. "Kinka, if you're there, I'm sorry. I won't ask you about Hengei again, I promise. If you don't want to discuss it then it's fine with me, and I won't discuss it any more."
There was a pause, then the sound of the door lock unfastening, and the divide swung back to reveal the pale face of the young noblewoman.
At the sight of her, Ouba threw caution to the wind, flinging her arms around her friend and hugging her tightly.
"I've been mean and unreasonable because I've been feeling sorry for myself far too much." She said sadly. "And I've been selfish and not thought about how hard it's been for you as well, doing all of these things and keeping me safe. I'm sorry, Kinka. I won't do it again. Will you forgive me? I promise not to act like that again."
"You're not to blame for anything, Hime." Kinka disentangled herself from the embrace, holding the Princess at arm's length, and Ouba's heart leapt as she saw the warmth in the other girl's eyes. "I shouldn't try and reproach you, no matter how close our relationship."
"Even so, pulling rank is not something I do."
"I probably crossed a line." Kinka sighed. "Let's just draw a line under it - under everything so far - and look to tomorrow, shall we? It's a whole new number of challenges, . We don't need to be bothering about those in the past."
"Agreed." Ouba nodded her head. "Let's do that. I feel better now...about going to Shunhou and everything that's waiting there. It'll be all right, I'm sure of it. I'm going to be stronger, so it will all work out fine!"