Chapter 48
The Tale of Tsuya

I wish that I could be totally enveloped by the otherworldly aura of the courtyard that surrounds us, but I'm too apprehensive now that Junko has mentioned the unnamed courtesan who died. Koi, Misa, Okichi, and I follow after her silently, our eyes roaming over the shadowy colors of the gorgeous flowers and plants that line the marble and cobblestone walkway we tread upon. Tiny creeks, something that I didn't notice when I first entered the seraglio and saw the magnificence of the gardens, trickle like streams of diamonds between greenery. Bridges, some only a few steps across, carry us over the small rivers toward the center of the garden where the gazebos and fountain sit. Junko stops at the entrance of the nearest gazebo and runs the palm of her hand gently over the side of its doorway as if greeting it.

"This is a beautiful garden, isn't it?" she asks us nonchalantly. It sounds more like a known statement than a question, but we all answer her with soft "yes's" and hums of agreement. "His Highness ordered the building of these gazebos for her," Junko replies, taking her hand away from the smooth brown wood of the doorway. "For the Lady Tsuya."

Tsuya. "She was the courtesan who died?" Misa asks gently, not wanting to force Junko to drag us painful memories of a woman who was obviously once her friend.

"Yes, that was her name," she replies after a moment of silence, "I was a little hesitant to tell you about her seeing as she and you have something quite ironically in common."

My interest is more than stoked now, and even though I want to tell Lady Junko that if telling us Tsuya's story will cause her grief, please don't tell it-I'm afraid I would be disappointed in not hearing it. I watch as Junko steps lightly on the single stair that leads to the interior of the lovely gazebo. As she studies the craftsmanship of the carving as if she's never before seen it, she begins to talk.

"Tsuya was very different from all the other courtesans. Regarding her past, she would never have had a chance to come live in the royal harem, but the former Headmistress was intrigued by her when she saw her in the slave markets. Tsuya had been purchased from a rather well-known madam of Eiyo who owned a top-notch bordello in the inner-city." Junko purposefully pauses for a moment, having revealed to us what Tsuya once had in common with us. Okichi stares dumbfounded, obviously on the verge of disbelief.

"You mean she was a prostitute before she became a courtesan?" I ask, also flabbergasted at the sudden revelation, "I thought that only virgins were allowed residence in the harem."

"Custom required it, yes," Junko answers, continuing her careful study of the gazebo, "But there was something very intriguing about Tsuya that made the former Headmistress disregard Tsuya's past status and her so- called spoiled purity." Junko stops yet again to walk out from beneath the beauty of the gazebo to rejoin us on the walkway. We resume walking, her in the center of us.

"Tsuya had otherworldly eyes-eyes that glimmered like the color of fire. This is what captured the Headmistress and drove her to purchase Tsuya for the harem even though it was a blunder of tradition seeing as she wasn't an innocent."

Although the story is riveting, my curiosity takes over. "Why did her madam sell her?" I ask.

Junko turns to me and grins as if I just discovered the secret of the universe itself. My heart speeds up within my chest, pounding and thundering like a waterfall. "I asked Tsuya that once, and she said that it was because she fell in love."

I bite down on my bottom lip and lower my eyes to the shadows on the ground to hide my astonishment at the irony.

"The bordello that Tsuya worked in was very high-class and the madam very possessive of her girls. No client could be entertained unless by appointment and unless he paid the madam downstairs before visiting one of the women. Tsuya's madam caught her with a lover one night, and sold her almost immediately to the slave market. Her man tried to purchase her in order to free her, but he was refused."

My heart constricts within my chest, but I force myself to continue walking. I feel the gentle gazes of my friends on me, obviously both concerned and interested in what my reaction might be. The similarities between this young woman Tsuya and myself are almost eerie, and yet the differences are even stranger-while she must have lived considerably well in a high-class bordello, I called a run-down tavern that housed an upstairs brothel my home; and while both of our fates may have led us into the seraglio, the circumstances are obviously quite opposite. Still, I cannot help but suddenly feel a mystic connection with this strange young woman. I raise my eyes to Lady Junko to urge her to finish the story. She is more than happy to comply, even though the resurrected grief in her sapphire-blue eyes is evident.

"She was very beautiful, even though the crimson tinge to her eyes did give her supernatural air that drew some people in and frightened many others away. She had very dark hair, much the same color as mine, but much darker."

I blink; how could anyone's hair be darker than Junko's? I've never even seen a shade like hers-it could only be described as midnight or nothingness. And yet Tsuya's was darker still.

"His Highness first saw her on an outing to the seraglio, urged by his advisors since he was nearly sixteen and would be expected to produce heirs as soon as possible. Tsuya was sitting here, by the fountain, where the gazebos now stand. They fell in love more quickly and intensely than even His Highness's advisors could never hope for. They were sure the emperor would declare Lady Tsuya Empress by his sixteenth birthday. They cared little that both His Highness and Tsuya were young-she was barely sixteen herself; but to the surprise of nearly everyone in the palace, it mattered even less that Lady Tsuya was once a prostitute. His Highness knew, of course; his advisors always kept him updated on the state of his harem. And yet he still loved Tsuya far more than either of them could ever imagine. And she loved him as well; whenever she wasn't with him, she was with me, telling me everything about him that she knew-how he laughed, how gentle he was, how kind he was."

Junko stops in front of the magnificent fountain that lies at the center of the courtyard. Her eyes glimmer with fresh tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks. It is obvious by her demeanor that she and Tsuya were once as close as sisters, and that the recounting of her friend's story is hard. But she seems determined to tell us all, and we watch in sympathy as she turns to us, her lips trembling, her eyes shimmering.

"But she died before they could ever be married," she chokes out, suddenly overcome by emotion. My heart shatters like glass as I watch the tears begin to drip onto the smooth skin of her cheeks. Without thinking, I walk to her and gather her lithe, tall body into my arms, pressing her to me in hopes of comforting her even though we barely know each other. She clings to me, but continues to speak in quiet, tortured tones that tell all of her suffering.

"She fell ill only a few months after His Highness began calling for her regularly. The doctors ordered her to bed, but myself and two others were allowed to help her into the courtyard once a day so that she could get some sunshine. We always came here, to the fountain, and talked until she became too weak to even sit any longer. One day vicious cramps and pains began to cease her, and she couldn't even rise from her bed any more. Her illness seemed to devour her; she became pale and thin."

Junko stops to gently pull away from me, and with a ruffled silk sleeve she wipes her eyes before meeting mine. "Her abdomen became strangely bloated, but the doctors said that it wasn't caused by pregnancy. His Highness stayed with her night and day, hardly ever leaving her side for more than a hour at a time. He was afraid that she would slip away and he would not be there to bid her goodbye. The day she died was in the middle of summer-bright and warm. But poor Tsuya had the chill of death clinging to her despite the humid air of the summer day. She died at sunset, quietly and swiftly-very different from her illness, which had caused her unbelievable pain."

"Did the doctors never find out what she suffered from? Did they never try to treat it?" Koi asks, coming to stand beside Junko and I.

"No," Lady Junko answers slowly, still dabbing at her red-rimmed eyes with her sleeve, "They examined her again and again, and yet they could never agree on any medicine that might help her. The disease was swift in taking her-only a month or so. His Highness was inconsolable, but still determined to know what had caused his beloved's untimely death. He ordered something that none of the doctors had ever heard of-he demanded that they examine Tsuya's insides to see if the bloating in her abdomen was what caused her death."

Upon hearing this, I'm both appalled and overcome with wonder. Examine her insides? Did the doctors cut Tsuya's body open to study the insides? Never before in my life have I ever heard such a thing. I grasp Junko's trembling hands in mine to try to give her strength to finish her fascinating and tragic tale. She draws in a deep breath as if flustered, and I realize that what we are about to hear is probably nothing we would ever expect.

"The doctors had no choice to obey His Highness's orders, even though it was unheard of to desecrate a deceased body." Her eyes rise to meet mine, and I see something close to astonishment buried in them, and perhaps even a tint of fear. "They found a mass inside her womb the size of a fist," she whispers, her lips trembling, "It had sucked the life out of her."

I hurl my hands at my lips, horrified. A mass? My eyes urge Junko to elaborate, but I'm terribly frightened of pushing her suffering tom far. It has taken quite a lot out of her to tell us even this much. Did a demon invade Lady Tsuya's body and take hold in her womb? My eyes drop to the ground as my mind whispers something to me that steals my breath from my lungs. Or was it due to her years as a whore? Was her illness caused by the numerous diseases that pass through copulation? The thought terrifies me. Is this how I will one day die? Killed by a disease that hibernated in me for years only to strike me down years later?

"How horrible," I reply under my breath, my heart weary.

"His Highness buried Lady Tsuya here in the courtyard," she turns to the largest gazebo, a gorgeous building that could seat a dozen people. "There is her grave. He ordered these gazebos built in her honor, the largest and most magnificent her ordered built over her grave to protect it."

I stand motionless and gaze at the elaborately carved building only a few steps away from me, studying it's intricate designs of magnolia blossoms and leaves. How heartbreaking it must have been for the young emperor to lose his first love so suddenly and harshly; how hard it must have been for him to try to love again. Lady Hoki must be a marvelous woman to bring a man out of his grief for his first beloved, but my thought is partially disproved when Junko makes a rather surprising statement.

"It wasn't until the Priestess came here that His Highness seemed to come out of his misery over losing Tsuya. Before the Lady Priestess arrived from her world, the emperor hardly ever ventured beyond the walls of his palace, and the people of Konan suffered from his negligence. But when she came, he was saved from his mourning and shown that it is what is here and now that matters. Lady Hoki also helped him, teaching him how to open his heart again and love after losing something so precious. He never forgot Tsuya; he comes here to the seraglio courtyard whenever he can to pay his respects to her grave. He will always miss her, even though he has finally fallen in love again."

So it was the Priestess as well as lady Hoki that brought His Highness out of his grief. I have only met her once, but it is beyond a doubt that this woman-child known as the Priestess of Suzaku is a powerful girl to have lifted an emperor out of mourning for his beloved. Perhaps she even stole his heart before Lady Hoki did. I smile at this, the first smile that has graced my face since lady Tsuya was mentioned. Junko's face is calmer now, her eyes dryer. And by the way she smiles gently at the beautiful gazebo that shelters her lost friend's burial site, I believe that telling her story has done far more good for her than bad. Her shimmering sapphire-like eyes are as clear as the sea, telling us all that her mourning had ended as well.

I'm so astonished at the beauty of my living quarters that I'm barely able to move my feet in order to cross the threshold. I am the last to be shown to my room; the other women were directed to theirs by Lady Junko soon after we exited the shadowy beauty of the garden courtyard, our hearts both light and heavy after being told the tragic story of Tsuya. But I do believe that her tale has dome something for me-given me a sense of belonging in this exotic place that I will call my home. And yet her tale has also invoked a fear in me, a dread in my bones, as if death were waiting patiently for me somewhere. The circumstances of her life were oddly similar to mine-would her death be as well?

"I hope you'll be comfortable here, Tansho," Junko replies, her voice now returned to its former melodious tone, "Master Tasuki made it very clear that the best rooms were to be prepared for you and your companions." She smiles and laughs gently. "Mine is a little better. I hope you won't hold that against me."

I grin broadly to show her I don't mind at all; the headmistress should have the best room. "I'm sure I'll be more than comfortable here. I've never seen anything like this! To think of all the empty rooms here now that most of the courtesans have left; do you use them for anything?" I ask, strolling slowly through the interior of my small alcove, giving everything a quick look-over.

"Mostly just storage. Every now and then the guest quarters will fill up, you and your friends' visit being an example, and these extra rooms are needed," she answers, walking in front of me and extending her arm. "Please, let me show you around."

I follow her out of the small alcove and into the bedchamber, instantly realizing that the seraglio rooms are much larger and much more extravagant than the guest room that I remember Tasuki having. A large mahogany bed dominates the sleeping quarters, covered by a flowing white chiffon canopy that is gathered to each of the four bedposts and held fast with golden cords. The bedspread is a breathtaking lavender color, and multi-colored pillows of all shapes and sizes adorn the head of the gorgeous bed.

"Here are the sleeping quarters, and over there you'll find the wardrobe and vanity," Junko replies. I'm surprised to see that my few belongings have already been transported here and are waiting patiently for me at the foot of the monstrous wardrobe that seems nearly twice the size of the one I had in the Black Dove. "I've also taken the liberty to provide a few formal gowns and girdles for you as a welcoming gift. I hope they're to your satisfaction," Junko replies happily, still smiling.

She turns and beckons me to follow her through an open doorway, and I follow blindly after her, not truly believing that there is even more to see in this marvelous place that I can call my room. But there is. In the middle of the white tiled floor is a gorgeous bath tiled with pure jade. The bath is not at all like the wooden tub I am used to bathing in at the tavern; it is buried directly in the ground, like a pond almost. Golden rods draped with fresh snow-white towels line one wall, and on the opposite wall hangs a golden-framed mirror. I'm too amazed to speak. My own private bath? Never before in my life have I had such a thing. I turn to Junko, who is obviously pleased with my astonishment.

"I take it you like your new accommodations?" she asked giddily, turning to the mirror to inspect its cleanliness. Satisfied, she returns her attention to me with her ever-jovial smile.

"This place is wonderful!" I reply, "It's more than wonderful! I just can't find the words to describe it!" Overwhelmed, I just smile and gaze at my beautiful surroundings, still trying to truly realize that this place is now my home. And that Tasuki is the reason my friends and I are here, safe and surrounded by more magnificence than any of us have ever known.

I thank Junko, who excuses herself to allow me time to get comfortable in my new quarters. Only when I am alone do I realize just how much has transpired in this single day. I seat myself on the plush lavender comforter of my new bed and simply gaze into nothingness, disbelief still somewhat evident in me. Dear gods, I am free. I am truly free. Even though I know this to be true, skepticism still clings tentatively to me like dust.

But when I hear a knock at my door and the sound of my lover's deep, gentle voice, I finally believe that I am truly here in the seraglio, safe from everything that ever threatened me in my past. And the person whom I have to thank is just beyond my door, waiting for me.

A/N: OK, I have some explaining to do on this chapter. Although some of you are basking in the glow of the new character I created, I know that some of you are probably wondering what in hell Tsuya has to do with my plot. Well, as I told you in my A/N last chapter, I created Tsuya for two main reasons (the third being an interesting subject over which Tansho and the other women can bond with lady Junko.)

OK, reason number one: I have always wondered why Hotohori always seemed so sad and depressed in the series. It's partially explained by one of his advisors at some point in time, but I never rally thought it was practical. So I thought up my own idea of what might have happened to cause Hotohori so much pain and sorrow and why he's so withdrawn and sullen. I also thought it would tie in well with how Miaka and Hoki were able to reach him, help him fall in love again, and heal him in a way.

Reason number two: For the last few chapters or so I have been hinting at Tansho's worry of being infected with some sort of sexually transmitted disease. I don't think I have to say how rampant they must have been in ancient times (whether in Asia, Europe, or wherever). I first hinted at it when she miscarried, and again when she was debating whether or not to accept Tasuki's proposal, and a final time when she heard about Tsuya. The creation of Tsuya's character was to "drive home" Tansho's worries (I know, I know, some more drama on its way).

Also, I just adore developing new characters (even if their stories are sad), so I guess that's another reason for creating Tsuya. I don't plan on forgetting about her, though! I kinda like her.

P.S. I have no idea in hell in the ancient Chinese did autopsies on corpses, but you must remember that the Universe of the Four Gods in only BASED on ancient China - it's not technically ancient China. Therefore, I can write about whatever the hell I want to, and it still be possible! ^_^

Once again, thanks for all the great reviews. You're all so sweet to me. I don't deserve it!! ^_^