Sister to Miko
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Chapter Two: The Trial
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*Kiku*
Three days. I'd spent three whole days in the palace, when I could have been home already. I had to find him or be stuck here forever, with this bunch of ditzy girls and their incessant chatting. I used to like gossiping and everything, but when I grew older, realisation of my social status made me feel awkward when doing so.
"Ki-chan!" Harushi called excitedly. Surprise, surprise, she'd hit it off well with Fumiko and now they were like two peas in a pod.
"What is it now?"
"We - we're going to get chosen!" Fumiko jumped up and down. Good gods, she was fifteen - would she act her age? I asked myself for the twenty-seventh time.
"How do you mean?" I asked, ignoring her bouncing.
"We've got - a ninth..." she panted.
Just then, Madam Niyodo burst in the door. "This is the concubine chamber, Yumi." We all turned to look at the plain girl in green in the doorway.
We introduced ourselves as the first five had to us.
"All of you, make Yumi at home, and dress up properly. The choosing will be tonight. *Kiku*..." she swiped at my face.
I felt like protesting, "so much makeup disguises our looks completely!" but knew that I'd never be out of here if this kept going on. "Okay, okay, I'll put on some more..." I grumbled and shuffled into my room.
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"Remember, girls, if you're not chosen tonight, you'll be pushed back into the South Court, where there are already forty-three concubines moping around. If you are chosen, you'll be free to roam anywhere but the South Court for a month until his decision. Make your choice wisely."
I tried to blink under all the powder, and couldn't resist wiping some off.
Madam Niyodo shot me a glare but my pleading gaze softened her a little, and she turned back to the rest. "Hold yourselves with grace," she posed artificially. "Our emperor worships beauty and elegance."
We were led into the North Court. I knew this was where the real court was, where discussions were held in matters of utmost importance to the country. Where I could be rescued...
"Keep your heads down, girls," Madam Niyodo said through smiling teeth.
"Hail to the emperor!" we knelt and bowed.
"Thank you, Madam Niyodo," a kind voice said. Madam Niyodo blushed, making me wonder just how handsome this young emperor was. Okay, I peeked a little. I also saw the shoes next to the throne tiptoe a little, so I guessed the emperor was whispering to his advisor.
"Please rise," he said.
"Thank you, Heika-sama," we chorused sweetly, then got to our feet, poising our necks like swans.
There he was on the throne. The most handsome man I'd ever seen (with my background, actually, I didn't get to see a lot of them).
His gold eyes flitted disinterestedly from Hiromi, to Aki, to Yanagida. I looked at him intently, wondering how he seemed so familiar. Then it came to me...
I drew in a sharp breath, which was conspicuous in the silence of the room. Everyone turned to look at me, and I bit my lip and looked down, barely noticing the wry smile on the face of the 'emperor'. "I'm sorry..." I muttered under my breath.
"About what?" an old voice asked. How did he hear me? I couldn't help but look up... to see *the* white-haired advisor - the one who had found me out at the examination. I gasped again, but quickly lowered my head, hoping he wouldn't recognise me...
"I... I'm sorry about disturbing the court because I -" As I was saying this, the eyes of Madam Niyodo and the rest of the girls were boring into me incredulously. The guards looked very frightened and I couldn't speak anymore. I just cleared my throat and resumed perching my head up, glad to still have it.
When the emperor's gaze fell on me like it had the other day, I gave him my best pleading look. I had to be allowed to go into the North Court. Or I'd be stuck in the South Court for the rest of my young life.
"Madam Niyodo, I'll try the red, purple and yellow,"the emperor said, choosing us by the colour we were wearing.
Hiromi smirked. My chest heaved a sigh of relief. Fumiko grinned, but when she saw Harushi, her face fell. I knew it must be hard on both of them.
"Hiromi, Kiku, Fumiko!" Madam Niyodo called. "Stand here. The rest, follow me to the South Court."
"Wait. Leave the purple in the court and send the other two to their room first," the emperor added. I was a little indignant that I was to be known by the colour I was wearing.
"Certainly, Heika-sama," the old woman said with a spark in her eye. She probably thought that he'd taken a fancy to me. I thought he was going to punish me for speaking in court.
After she was gone, the emperor asked his guards to leave the room, and spoke to his advisor, "I don't know why Madam Niyodo keeps trying to find me a bride."
"She doesn't know," the old man said softly.
"I hate this," the emperor went on as if I weren't here. "Even after all the signs have shown, no one believes us; no one will help us find her."
"But you *are* the *emperor*, Heika," his advisor smiled.
The emperor sighed. "They don't think I'm mature enough."
I felt like saying, 'I know what you mean', but of course I wouldn't say it aloud.
Then the emperor broke out of his 'trance' and saw me. "Thank you, advisor. I'm sure you have work to do, so you may leave us." I averted my gaze from the old man while he hurriedly left.
"Come up here," he beckoned gently.
Uncertain of my steps, I gingerly walked up. I didn't know what possessed me, but I initiated the conversation. "Heika-sama, I didn't mean to mistake you for a woman..."
"It's okay, I know how beautiful I am..."
Well, it was nice to know he had self-confidence. And it wasn't an exaggeration.
"I'm glad I got to know you a little that day," he added. "You have a kind heart."
"Thank you, Heika-sama."
"So... what is your name? I'd hate to keep calling you 'purple', 'purple'."
I laughed. "My sentiments exactly. Well, my name is Kiku (chrysanthemum), but I actually hate anything to do with chrysanthemums; the tea or the flower." I usually asked people to call me Ki-chan, but he was the emperor. I couldn't treat him like my elder brother.
"I'm glad we cleared this up, Kiku," he smiled. I couldn't help but smile back. He was gorgeous.
"Now then, girls," Madam Ninjin announced, "you may go around anywhere but the South Court, but if Heika-sama needs a favour of you, you must help him."
At this, Hiromi and Fumiko began giggling insanely. I knew what they were thinking that 'favour' was.
"He seems pretty decent, ne?" I said in a word of defence.
"We'll see," Hiromi smiled, that confident glint in her eye.