jychan: And I am the ever slacker. I wholeheartedly apologize to you guys for slacking off. T_T *blocks the tomatoes and grins* Now, I will be posting up the next chapter for Shinyen! (Finally!) I don't own Saiunkoku Monogatari nor its characters. :)
28. A Couple's Love For One Another
It was yet another day in Saiunkoku and a week has just passed since Ran Hidari disappeared in the Ran Residence in Kiyou. But even if only a week has passed by, all of the Saiunkoku officials were busy: The Emperor was busy as always, the ministers were busy as well. But then, it was the husband of the former Shinyen Princess, who was looking through some documents in the Archives, that was very busy.
The said lad had to keep him busy or he would be really losing it. He could not afford to think about the current condition of his wife, who seemed to be a captive of his own clan. How he came to that conclusion? It was quite obvious especially with how the kidnappers would have easily gone inside the Ran Residence in Kiyou. But then again, he had no concrete evidence on it. But he was pretty sure about it, especially since he knows that the Ran Clan sided with Shinyen.
He rolled the scroll that he was holding and went outside of the Archives, after bading good-bye to Kou Shouka. He sighed as he stared at the pond. Water, of course, had the color of blue. And the color blue would always remind him of Hidari's hair. His wife's long and flowing blue hair, whenever it was against the wind. He gave a bitter smile upon remembering her face. The face that he had learned to love for quite some time. And here he thought that she was safe with him. But he was wrong. Perhaps, if he didn't marry her or even try to get to know her for the second time, she would have not been gone.
"Shuuei!" Hidari called upon him as she gave him the sweetest smile that he had seen, which made him chuckle and wonder at times on how fortunate he was for having Hidari as his wife. He went near his wife and gave her a kiss, which probably put the most tainted women into shame.
He sighed as he returned into the painful and bitter reality while he went on his way.
Meanwhile...
"Shuuei..." Hidari continued to call the name of her betrothed as she walked at the mountains. She had to hurry up at the least, even if she wasn't able to sleep well. She had to run. She had to use up the energy that she had to get away from wherever the kidnappers were. She had to get away. Even if the kidnappers were still asleep, she had to run away as fast she could. She had to get away.
Perhaps, even if she was tired, the only thing that could get her into her feet was the thought of her husband, Ran Shuuei. He was everything that she had cherished for. She didn't care if she would die because of her status as the Saiunkoku Princess, but she would live just for Shuuei. She wouldn't want to leave him alone. She can't. And that was for selfish reasons, of course. But, perhaps, she wouldn't want to leave Shuuei in a distraught state if she dies. Although it might give her husband the chance to look for another woman (she has heard about Shuuei's womanizing behavior in the past), but deep inside, she knows that her husband truly loves her.
She falls into the ground when she trips over a large tree root. She clicked her tongue as she tried to get up from her current state. She could smell water from a nearby place as she got up as she gripped into the trunk of a tree. She continued on walking as she hears voices from people. She tries to hide herself, but unfortunately, it seems the other party has taken notice of her.
"Eh? A woman?" A woman in her early thirties went near Hidari as Hidari took a step back from her while the woman simply gave her a smile and replied, "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Is there any reason why you look so tired?"
"Sh... Shuuei..." Hidari managed to mumble out as she fainted while the woman widened her eyes and went near the fainted Hidari,
"Ojou-san? Ojou-san? Are you okay? Ojou-san?" The woman called as she tried to call on Hidari, who fainted on the ground.
jychan: And I updated. Yes. I updated. So, any guesses on who the woman is? Should she be an OC or any character from SaiuMono? :)
