Imperial Entanglements
Disclaimer: I do not own SkipBeat! or any of the characters from the Manga. This story is entirely fictional and is not meant to cast aspersions on the true Japanese Imperial Family in any way. None of the names, personalities, or events in this story reflect true events in any way. The true Japanese Imperial Court is intricate and complicated beyond the easy understanding of a foreign commoner such as me. Nevertheless, I'm confident that someone will still be offended by my characterization of this fictional family. For that I can only apologize.
Chapter 21 – The Three Princes and the Frightened Little Woodland Creature, Act II
the One Who Makes Her Laugh
"You are beautiful, Kyoko-chan," Fuwa Sachiko wistfully exclaimed as she surveyed her work. Kyoko and her raven-haired friend were clad in kimonos from Sachiko's person collection. Kyoko protested at first, but Sachiko had sternly reminded her "You grew up under my care, Kyoko-san, which means that you represent me and this ryokan whenever you go out. I will not have you going to meet with the Emperor of Japan in street clothes." Kyoko had relented and even submitted happily to her pseudo-mother's efforts to doll her up appropriately. Then both women, young and old, turned on Kotonami Kanae. When everything was completed the two young ladies were breathtaking.
Sachiko and her stern-faced husband stood together as they watched the ladies climb carefully into the official-looking car that came to collect them. She laid her head on her husband's strong shoulder and sighed. It was her husband, however, who spoke first, "That foolish boy of ours is going to lose her, Sachiko." Sachiko nodded into his shoulder, but didn't reply. When the car was out of sight they both returned to their duties.
She didn't know exactly what had taken place, but she knew that something had happened. Her son had come home earlier than expected and he had snuck in through the back entrance… something he used to do whenever he was in trouble. Shouko Aki, her son's gorgeous manager, offered no explanation when she requested a cold-pack from Sachiko; but there was a look of sadness and resignation in her eyes.
Sachiko had been startled, to say the least, when she had first seen Shouko Aki. She knew that her son had a very successful singing career now; she had seen him in a televised concert and on several talk-shows. Naturally he had a manager; enough celebrities had stayed at the Ryokan over the years for Sachiko to understand the need for one. What she hadn't expected was that Shotaro's manager would look like a movie star herself. Being a protective mother her first thoughts were for her son. She worried that her boy had fallen into the trap of this woman's beauty and that she might be milking her boy for his money. Those thoughts were quickly dispelled when she heard the interaction between the pair. Her son sounded like the spoiled younger brother and Shouko Aki the mature, tolerant older sister.
After Sachiko decided to give the stunning manager a chance, she found that she liked the woman. First of all, she seemed to genuinely care about Shotaro. Second, though this woman had the looks and the body to easily attract any man, Sachiko never saw her flaunting it. And finally, Sachiko had heard the woman gently coaching her son on how to behave towards Kyoko… and quite surprisingly, her son was listening; which was something that very seldom happened.
A noise snapped the Okami-san out of her reverie. She looked up to see the object of her thoughts pouring herself a cup of tea. Sachiko smiled and said, "Shouko-san, would you share tea with me?"
Author's Note: One short disclaimer: I am sure that the Imperial Household Agency is peopled by good people who genuinely care about the Imperial family and exist to serve. For this story, however, it suited for the Grand Steward to be as I have described him.
"I regret to say that this information will close the doors for her suitability as a spouse for His Imperial Highness, Your Majesty," Ichiko Yoshitomo, the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency declared firmly, and not without a certain degree of satisfaction. He was an officious man, proud of his place, and he felt that an imperial son like Takahiro was an embarrassment to all that he stood for. He didn't really care that the boy was supposedly trying to reform; he despised the lad and found a certain secret pleasure in putting an obstacle in his path.
The Prime Minister leaned forward in his seat and glared at the man, "I and my staff have checked Mogami Kyoko out thoroughly. She is a fine young lady with very admirable qualities. Surely the conduct of her parents shouldn't be reflected back on her, considering the fact that neither of them have taken any part in her life for years… as a matter of fact, her father has never been a part of her life."
"Be that as it may, this is Japan, Prime Minister, not America," the Grand Steward intoned, "Westernized though some of the population has become, tradition and family are still paramount; and more so for the Imperial Family. The Yoshida Protocol* was put in place as a means of allowing marriage to a truly deserving commoner, for the purposes of enriching the gene pool. It has never been exercised before, and it certainly does not apply in this case. An Imperial Prince may not marry a commoner without surrendering his status as an Imperial. If the Imperial Prince marries Mogami Kyoko, then he will no longer be in line for succession, nor will any offspring conceived from such a match."
The Empress listened to the interchange silently as she sipped her tea. She understood the Grand Steward better than he knew, and she has no fondness for the man. Still, as much as she hated to admit it, she knew that he was right. It made her feel sad because she liked the young lady in question and she deeply appreciated the change that she was seeing in her son due to the young lady's influence. She also knew something else: If Takahiro decided to marry Kyouko, and if Kyouko accepted, then he would marry her, regardless of the consequences.
The Empress looked at the officious noble and fought back the urge to glare. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad thing. Takahiro has never liked being under the thumb of the Imperial Household Agency. He is too free a spirit to submit easily to such strictures.
"Besides," the Grand Steward declared, "The very idea of an Imperial Prince marrying the daughter of Maeda Akahito is … preposterous!"
The Empress shot a look Nakage Yoshiiku, her majordomo. As she suspected, he looked ready to kill the man. Considering his background and training, he could easily do it and leave no evidence behind. It is tempting, my friend. It is tempting…
Higoshi Goro, reporter for the Tokyo Daily News, growled angrily at his computer as he scrolled through his messages. Another much younger reporter walked by casually and made a derogatory noise. Goro was persona non-grata with the Editor and the executive board and everyone knew it. He had written the report about Mogami Kyoko based upon the information provided to him by Councillor Maeda Akihito. It had was supposedly good information from a reliable source… and it gained him immediate and positive attention.
What no one had counted on was that all three men mentioned in the article would step up and not only publically deny the allegations against Mogami Kyoko, but speak very convincingly concerning her character. This was made worse, of course, by the ridiculous article from that pompous prince-chaser from Tokyo Entertainment Daily, Miyamoto Taki. Now the public had turned on the Tokyo Daily News, and him specifically. The negative letters to the Editor were still coming in, and Goro was in danger of losing his job.
Goro was furious, and most of his anger was directed at the Councillor. For over five years now he had made himself Maeda's stooge in the belief that his star would rise when the Councillor's star rose. The man's obsessive opposition of the Imperial Family had provided many useful articles for Goro, so the relationship had been beneficial. Now something was changing. When he brought his last article about Mogami Kyoko to the Councillor, the man had told him to scrap any article concerning the young woman. When Goro protested, the man had become angry… almost threatening.
So here he sat, disregarded by his superiors and disgraced among his peers… and he intended to get his revenge on someone; at the moment he didn't care who. That was his reason for using his little remaining pull to engage the detective and archival system in Kyoto. He wanted to find out who Mogami Kyoko was… and he wanted to know why Councillor Maeda Akihito was suddenly protecting the interesting young actress.
There wasn't much in the over one-hundred messages that he had received so far. He was considering shutting down for the night when he decided to click on just one more message…
As he read the message and the attached document he sat up straighter… and smiled hungrily.
It is the standard practice of all major airlines to turn off the lights shortly after the initial beverage service is complete. This encourages the passengers to sleep or talk quietly, which in turn prevents them from causing disturbances, fidgeting, or asking for additional services. It was no wonder, then, that nobody noticed the deeply sleeping blonde figure in first class. That isn't to say that he wasn't discussed… he was, in fact, the subject of quiet conversation among the six stewardesses on this flight. For the most part they were disappointed that the beautiful man might sleep through the whole trip, thus robbing them of the opportunity to flirt.
Katsukawa Ichiro, Imperial Prince Takahiro's personal manservant, had to fight back the temptation to openly stare at the two gorgeous creatures walking gracefully down the stairs towards him. Worse still, he almost whistled. Katsukawa was raised in a traditional Japanese home but he had received his bachelor's degree at Yale; and while at Yale he had picked up certain… americanisms that persisted in rising to the top of his subconscious at moments like these. Of course, who could blame the twenty-five year old man when two of Japan's beautiful actresses were coming towards him in Furisode-style kimonos, looking like something straight off of a movie screen?
"Ah-hmmm…" he tried to speak and had to clear his throat, causing the taller young lady with the long raven hair to smile slightly. The other one, his Prince's paramour, didn't seem to notice. She did, however, recognized him from the his earlier appearance at the school.
"Good evening… ummm?" Kyoko asked with a frank and open face.
"Forgive me, Mogami-san, Kotonami-san. My name is Katuskawa Ichiro, and I have been asked to provide you with a ride to the palace." This formal introduction helped to restore his equilibrium, though it didn't completely dispel his urge to admire the two young ladies. He opened the rear door, "If you will step in?"
Kanae followed Kyoko in, nodding to the attractive, flustered man as she did so. Katsukawa was pleased at this gesture, but he would have been disappointed had he known that Kanae had almost completely forgotten him as soon as the door shut after her. It wasn't callousness on her part, though she was quite adamant about not allowing herself to become interested in men; her concern was entirely for Kyoko. Kanae knew that it could not have been easy for Kyoko to return to the Fuwa Ryokan after the earlier incident on the rooftop; nor could it be easy now for the girl who had foresworn love to spend the evening with another man who was clearly pursuing her.
Although Kanae had sent the text message to the Prince, she still had serious reservations about the man. He had a well-earned reputation as a playboy, and her own encounter with him had only reinforced that image. Yet from Kyoko's accounts the man had behaved like a perfect gentleman in the past weeks. More than that, his willingness to publically deny the allegations against Kyoko had done much in Kanae's mind to redeem the man. Still… There was one thing in particular which bothered Kanae: why did Kyoko blush whenever she spoke of the man? Had something happened? Was Kyoko's resolve weakening? And most importantly, what were this man's intentions?
She might have been even more concerned had she known all that was transpiring in Kyoko's mind. Kyoko honestly wasn't thinking about Fuwa Sho at all; two other men dominated her thoughts. The previous two days had given her a much needed break from Takahiro to think more clearly, but nothing had changed. The fact was that, as difficult as it was for her to accept, she liked the playboy Prince… No, that's not fair… she liked the man that had been hiding under the façade of the playboy Prince. The real Prince Takahiro was a kind and good man whose company she enjoyed immensely… perhaps too much? Memories of those kisses came back again and made her entire body feel warm. She had enjoyed those kisses and she knew that, given the right opportunity, she could… and would enjoy them again.
But shouldn't she avoid those opportunities? As impossible as it was for Kyoko to accept and believe, Tsuruga Ren had feelings for her. She fought her characteristic inclination to deny this, but she couldn't. His press conference and his plea for her to "not make any permanent decisions" until he came back seemed to speak volumes even to her frightened heart. She remembered the myriad instances when he had looked at her in a certain way, or smiled at her, or touched her, if only for an instant. She then recalled the odd promises that her sempai had asked of her prior to his departure for Africa... now they took on a much deeper meaning. He does have feelings for me!
But did she love Tsuruga Ren? Did she love Takahiro? Was she even ready or willing to love anyone, ever again? The answer to the last question was what frightened her the most, because she already knew the answer.
The trip from the ryokan to the palace was relatively short; perhaps too short for the young ladies. Kyoko reached over and gripped Kanae's hand without realizing that she was doing it. As a small girl she had stood at the gate that she was now passing through. On special occasions she had even been inside the public court… and as a little girl who believed in fairy tales she had dreamed of meeting her prince and going into the inner-court together. Her child-mind had painted images of the inner court as a wonderland of unimaginable splendor and glory. She was old enough now to understand the impossibility of her childish imaginings… and yet she was living out a part of her fantasy, because there, at the gate of the inner courts, stood a figure resplendent in the official court-dress of the Imperial Family… her prince.
Miyamoto Taki smiled happily as his distance-lens provided him with a brilliant shot of the two young ladies stepping out of the vehicle. He held down the button on his camera and took continuous shots as the second young lady out, Mogami Kyoko, stepped forward and met the Prince halfway.
Unaware of his surroundings or hidden reporter in the distance, Takahiro reached down and took Kyoko's hands in his as his eyes held hers. Then he became aware of his breech in protocol and he gently released her hands in order to turn to his other stunning guest, "Forgive me for my rudeness, Kotonami-san… and I pray that you will also forgive and forget the earlier incident… our unfortunate first meeting?"
Katsukawa Ichiro carefully schooled his expression, but that didn't prevent him from speculating about this "first" incident that his Prince was referring to. From what he had seen of Kotonami Kanae, there was little if any chance that this stunning young woman had been one of the Prince's earlier flings. If this woman ever did open up her heart to a man, there would be no flings. Besides, he thought to himself, nobody in his right mind would leave a woman like that, even the Prince.
Kanae held her silence for just long enough to make the scene uncomfortable, then she responded, "My willingness to forgive the past is entirely contingent upon what I witness in the present, Your Imperial Highness." Her tone and the look in her eyes conveyed her meaning clearly.
Prince Takahiro smiled. Actually he felt somewhat pleased at this young woman's protectiveness of her friend. He recalled the earlier incident when Kyoko had stepped in to protect her friend from the inappropriate leers he had given this girl. "Yours is truly a friendship worth cherishing. I will do my best, then, to earn that forgiveness. Shall we proceed? My father, unfortunately, was unable to find a tactful way to prevent the Town Mayor and the Prefect Councillor from inviting themselves to dinner… I hope that you don't mind?"
Kanae's inner calm vanished at the mention of the Emperor. She turned mechanically towards Kyoko and saw that the girl seemed somewhat less startled. I'm going to make you pay for this, Best-Friend. I was only supposed to come down to Kyoto to spend time with you, NOT to meet the Emperor of Japan.
His Imperial Majesty, The Emperor of Japan, was feeling anything but "imperial" at the moment. In fact, as he stood in the private chamber that had housed so many of his ancestors, he was feeling ridiculously powerless. While his son had been standing at the gates of the inner palace awaiting the visit of Mogami Kyoko and her friend, he had been on the phone with his wife. The pronouncement of the Grand Steward had not been a shock, but it was painful nevertheless… made more so because neither his son nor his wonderful young lady knew that there was a problem. In fact, Mogami Kyoko almost certainly knew nothing of her sordid origins. Who gets to tell her? Or should we even tell her?
He set down the brandy snifter he didn't even remember emptying. I should go in. It doesn't do for me to hide in here while I have important guests. He wished, not for the first time, that he hadn't been in the right position to inherit the title. Had he been a mere prince then it wouldn't have been such an issue. The world would hardly notice if one of the non-linear princes chose a commoner for a bride. It is true that the Prince would have to surrender any claim to titles, but there wouldn't be a media frenzy. But now if Takahiro made such a decision there would almost certainly be a media frenzy. Once again the Emperor wondered just how far his son would take this relationship and if the young lady would agree. One thing he did know: he would leave the decision up to Takahiro when and if the time came for such a decision.
Takahiro and the two young ladies entered on one side of the dining room at almost the same moment that he entered at the other. The Mayor and the Councillor had been sitting comfortably in the smoking corner, but they rose immediately at the sight of the two ladies, unaware of the Emperor's presence. He watched both men and his eyes confirmed what reports had told him previously: the stout Mayor was a family man who was wholly in love with his wife. He exchanged friendly greetings with the young ladies and expressed his admiration for the on-screen work of each. The Councillor, on the other hand, was a reputed lecher. He stared too openly and too long and then he tried to move too close to Kotonami Kanae.
The Emperor stepped up, making his presence known and causing the man to step back quickly. A silent message passed between them and the man's face colored. Then the Emperor turned back to the ladies. "Mogami-san, you look absolutely stunning this evening. I like this traditional look on you as much, if not more than the western style at the gala." Kyoko blushed prettily without putting on any coquettish airs. "Now, would you do the honors of introducing your friend?"
Kyoko smiled happily, bowed, and complied, "Your Imperial Majesty, please allow me to introduce my best friend and a wonderful actress, Mo… I mean… Kotonami Kanae."
The Emperor say the warning look that passed between the two girls at the instant that Kyoko stumbled. He wondered what name Kyoko was going to provide. The mischievous part of his personality tempted him to push for the information. Instead he bowed to the other beautiful lady, "It is truly an honor, Kotonami-san, and welcome to the ancient seat of Japan."
The young lady with the long raven hair did her best not to look too flustered as she bowed and said, "Your Imperial Majesty, I thank you for the invitation. It is a true honor.
She was so stiff that he was tempted to have a little fun with her to relax her, but he chose to have mercy. "Have you taken the tour yet?"
"No father," Takahiro answered, "They've only just arrived, so I chose to bring them to dinner first."
"Then, by all means, let us eat. I must say that I've seldom had such beautiful dinner companions."
The dinner proceeded well, with excellent food and good conversation. The presence of the Kempe Tai, Japan's answer to the Secret Service, made people uncomfortable at first, but not for long. The Emperor, like his wife, had the gift of making people relax and soon much of the stiffness was gone. At one point the Mayor mock-glared at Kyoko and said, "You have made life difficult for me, young lady, with your role as Nayoko." He turned to the Emperor, "Have you seen the television series 'But what about sons?' Your Majesty?"
"I have," the Emperor replied, "I must confess that Mogami Kyoko's dramas have become quite popular among the Imperial Family and staff of late." He noticed that the poor girl had turned an interesting variation of scarlet during this conversation. "I am curious, however, about how this has made life difficult for you?"
The stout man chuckled, "In the drama, whenever the mayor is scolding his daugter Nayoko, she always replies with something like 'Hai, Oh Great and Mighty Mayor-Daddy-san,' and now that is what my daughters have started calling me!" Everyone at the table laughed and he blustered in an amusing way before continuing, "It was bad enough when Dark Moon was all the vogue, young lady. My eldest daughter loved Mio. She pretended to be her, to the point where I had the kitchen staff lock up all of the butcher knives!"
Kyoko blushed and Kanae laughed along with everyone else, but she was still carefully observing the interaction between the Prince and her best friend. More than once during some of the more amusing conversations, his hand had drifted over and touched Kyoko's. More importantly, Kyoko had neither freaked out nor pulled away. Kyoko has changed. Any spontaneous contact like that before would have sent her hiding in a dark corner.
When the meal was finished, the Emperor encouraged his son to take the two ladies on a tour while he said his goodbyes to the two politicians. After the two men had departed, he followed the path that the trio had most likely followed. He encountered the other young woman first, only to observe that his son and Mogami Kyoko were further ahead. Takahiro was relating private family stories about comical events that had happened over the course of a few hundred years. Kyoko was laughing naturally and comfortably, and the sound of it seemed to float in the air. "She seems to be okay. My son was worried about her."
Kanae jumped, having been too concentrated to be aware of his presence, "Ohhh… Your Majesty," Kanae said at first, and then her uncompromising personality rose to the surface and she turned her heard back to face the couple ahead, "I was worried too. Now I see that he had the perfect remedy for her, Your Majesty. For your son to be able to relax her so much…" She couldn't readily admit her feelings of jealousy. That feeling helped to dispel her earlier insecurities in the Emperor's presence. She still felt intimidated, but her concern for her friend was paramount, so she had to say one thing: "I certainly hope that your son is not playing with Kyoko's feelings, Your Majesty. Nothing will protect him from me if he is."
The nearest bodyguard looked startled and began to step forward, but the Emperor anticipated their reaction and held out a calming hand. "I entirely agree, Kotonami-san, and if Takahiro was still the way that he has been, I would do my best to warn your friend off… but I can assure you of something: my son cares for your friend very much." He was reminded of the obstacle to the relationship and it made him feel troubled.
There was a note of sadness in the regal man's voice that caught Kanae's attention and made her feel concerned, "Your Majesty… is there…?
Kotonami Kanae never finished her question because just at that moment everyone was treated to the spectacles of Kyoko vibrating throughout her entire body. Kanae and Takahiro knew what was happening, but the Emperor's eyes grew wide with confusion until Kyoko succeeded in extracting her cell phone from her obi. Kanae watched as Kyoko took the call. She was too far back to hear the conversation, but she witnessed a change in Kyoko's expression that prompted her to begin moving forward.
Kyoko was embarrassed and slightly annoyed about the interruption. She had been enjoying a wonderful evening with the Prince before this phone call. He looked so handsome this evening and the setting was so enchanting that she didn't want the evening to end. As she held her phone she said, "Excuse me, Takahiro (Kyoko had become so relaxed with their moonlight walk and conversation that she forgot to add the honorary suffix), I should have remembered to turn off my phone." Kyoko looked at the screen, surprised to see that the caller was listed as Aeroflot. "I don't recognize this… I should take it…. Moshi, moshi?"
"Pardon me for bothering you, Miss, but this is an emergency. Are you Kyoko?"
Kyoko was surprised at the speaker's strong French accent, but she replied immediately, "I am Mogami Kyoko."
"Miss Kyoko, we have a man who just came off of one of our flights in serious medical condition. Do you recognize the name of Kuon Hizuri?"
Otou-san! No… wait… he said 'Kuon.' "I know the family, sir." She tried to hold back her excitement at the thought of meeting her Otou-san's missing son… and then she realized the implications of the young man's medical condition.
Before she could ask for more details, the man spoke again. "Excellent! Miss Kyoko, we called you because the young man is an American and we do not have any means of contacting his family in the States… also because your phone number is in first position on his speed-dial. Could I trouble you to come to the emergency treatment facility at the airport?"
Kyoko turned to Prince Takahiro in alarm. She hated to impose on him, but she had no other means of getting to the airport. On top of that, she felt the need for extreme discretion. If Kuu's son had stayed hidden this long, surely he wouldn't wish to have his secrets exposed now? "Takahiro… Heika… umm…"
"Please, Kyoko-san, tell me how I can help."
Within five minutes Kyoko, Takahiro, and Kanae were being driven to the airport by Katsukawa Ichiro. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kyoko couldn't quite contain her excitement at this opportunity to finally meet Hizuri Kuu's son.
Notes: Whew! A lot happening in one chapter; I hope that it wasn't too confusing. Ren was coming to Kyoto to tell Kyoko the truth of his identity in a dramatic and romantic way… ooops! Unfortunately Kyoko will now discover the truth in a much more traumatic fashion. Then again, this wouldn't be drama without a few twists here and there. (Ren scowls at LFU and makes a very rude gesture)
*The Yoshida Protocol is entirely a matter of my own invention. As far as I know, if a member of the Imperial Family chooses to marry a commoner, then he/she has to surrender any title and any claim on his/her Imperial status. There have been modern instances of such cases.
You might have noted that Ren was supposedly calling Kyoko before he fell asleep on the airplane. He wasn't actually calling her, he was composing a text to her which read: Kyoko, please come to the fairy clearing, in the place of the hamburger stream. Corn is waiting for you. This was only one of over fifty messages he composed and scrapped. He fell asleep while debated the efficacy of this one.
To those of you who get confused with all of the multiple OCs, don't worry. Most of the ones appearing in this chapter will never be heard from again. They were necessary for the moment.