~Chapter 2~


A dizzying blur of silks, lace, and velvet embraced him and try as he might, Ranmaru simply was not strong enough to get away.

Smiling politely beyond his jade embroidered eye mask, he mentally kicked himself for coming the New Year's Eve Masquerade party as he twirled a heavy set, heavily made up Duchess who had seemed to have summarily decided that before she would attend this gala, she would bathe in the spiciest perfume she could obtain.

Cringing when he heard her giggle squeakily, Ranmaru decided it was time to give up and twirled her until they reached the group of people she had attended with.

Realizing where she was, the Duchess parted from Ranmaru and clasped her equally heavy set husband by the arm.

"Why, Sir Samejime! That was lovely!"

Ranmaru bowed to her and felt her husband pat him on the shoulder. "You're a fine lad, Samejime.", huffed the gruff Duke. "Thank you, my Lord. If you'll excuse me, I'm just going to get a breath of fresh air.", Ranmaru said courteously as he straightened to his full height.

The Duke's cheek became pink as he said, "Maybe you should take one of my daughter out there with you!" before he chortled loudly with the Duchess giggling alongside him. Snatching a quick glance at the daughters from his peripheral vision, he quickly declined, murmuring something about not wanting to sully anyone's reputation. Before another word could be said, he quickly bowed

again and made his way to the balcony doors.

Leaning on the rail with relief, he pulled slightly at his cravat and felt the cool breeze pass through. Allowing a small smile, he looked at the perfumed botanical garden below him. The sweet subtle smell of roses filled his nostrils in reprieve to the Duchess stinging scent.

Brown eyes traced the movements of the couple below him, men and women sneaking kisses and holding hands sweetly.

His eyes lingered on one particular couple however.

The woman was quite lovely to behold, though she did not physically match up to the latest model of fashion. She had short dark brown hair that curled just around her chin, and she wore a forest green domino with a matching mask that glinted with mysterious tones as she moved.

Yet it was not her that held his attention but her companion.

The gardens were not well lit, for their purpose was to allow lovers their privacy, and thus everyone was in shadows. But of what he could discern of the man below him caused familiar goose pimples to arise on his neck.

The man was a tall figure and appeared to have dark hair. He was masked as everyone was, his an eye mask of violet with black embroidery that seemed to match his own. His outfit was also dark and it melted into the night with the rest of the shades of darkness.

But the quality that arrested Ranmaru most was that, pulled over his shoulder, seemed to be... a ponytail tied by a ribbon.

Enjouji Kei...

Indefinable feelings surged through him and he straightened away from the rail and turned around to face the party once again.

Not allowing himself to dwell on his actions, Ranmaru casually but hurriedly led himself down the stairs to the pathway of the garden.

Old feelings and thoughts surfaced in his mind with an intensity that compelled and frightened him in unison. Walking down the garden path, he reached the area where he had last seen the couple only to find them gone.

Black disappointment despondently swirled about him when he noticed a small trail near him. A reluctant hope developed when he heard two voices ahead of him and he sustained an outward air of nonchalance as he moved to follow.

The hedges of the moonlit garden grew taller as he walked, seeming to close himself off from whence he came. The greenery became a maze, blindly shifting into corners and backing away, forcing him to centre his footsteps based on the muted voices he followed.

A final right turn left him in a large square of grass with small bushes of red thorny roses climbing up the manor's walls. A wooden bench two feet in front of them and their pricked edges gravitated forward towards it like a beacon in the night. Noticing the seated pair, Ranmaru sought the tall hedges as a cloak to his presence. Pulling apart thick branches slowly as to not alert them of his whereabouts, Ranmaru attempted to gauge the man's face.

The blessed moonlight permitted their faces to be seen a little more clearly, showing a glimpse of pale cheeks and the white cravat at the man's neck.

The duo was engrossed in a deep conversation. The man was leaning forward and the demure lady's hands were taken into gold-lined gloves. Guilt pinched at Ranmaru's temple as he watched the man lean in and kiss the lady's cheek before hearing her breathless gasp as she was kissed on the lips, feeling he was an intruder on a couple's private interlude.

Still, the biting emotion did not inspire him to leave.

If the man before him was whom he hesitatingly hoped him to be, then he could not leave. A sharp gasp of shock rendered the air and Ranmaru saw the elegant man kissing the woman's neck. Ranmaru stood up, ready to confront the man on his blatant actions, when another gasp permeated the air, one entirely different from its successor. One laden with rapture.

Pulling apart twigs and small branches once again, he witnessed the man now seeming to feast on the woman's neck. The young lady had clasped petite hands into his hair and pulled him towards her, hugging his head to her, her mask having fallen to her lap in disregard.

Ranmaru swallowed and closed his eyes. Dispirited eyes opened and he felt disappointment coil in his gut yet again, concluding he had been in fact invading someone's privacy instead of finding the answers he sought for long months. Sought ever since a stranger passed through his manor and momentarily lifted away his shroud of obscurity.

Slowly letting go out the branches, the sight before him slowly became replaced with greens and browns. But an action of the man caught before he was blinded to the scene had him parting hedges for the third time.

The man was settling the woman into a comfortable position, who was now in a disconcertingly dead faint. The dark man stood and pulled a handkerchief out, patting at the woman's neck lightly and murmuring a bit before placing another kiss on the cheek he had kissed minutes ago. The man stood and Ranmaru tensed as his elegant figure moved further toward the direction of the moonlight.

The moon confronted the daunting gentleman with a bath of translucent rays and Ranmaru was startled breathless as the man's countenance was revealed.

Dabbing at his ruby stained lips with a familiar powder blue handkerchief was the stranger, Kei Enjouji.

His violet mask did nothing to disguise the dark sparkle of intellect in his eyes as he paused in his ministrations to look up at the resplendent moon.

Garbed similarly to the had been the night of his surprise visit, a dark navy blue waistcoat hugged his body possessively as his blood red cape was rakishly tossed over his right shoulder. The hands that held his handkerchief were gloved in fine indigo velvet, and it was only then that the entranced Ranmaru realized what the man was doing.

He was wiping blood off his lips.

Disgust flooded through him. His lifelong sense of honour and justice propelled him to stand up but fear kept him immobile. Forcing himself to confront the man who had awakened an inner light, but who also may in fact be a murderer, was an unbearable undertaking.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he envisioned the ancient sword in his manor and summoned the bravery and strength of his ancestors. Stepping into the moonlight, he opened his eyes and confronted the mysterious man surrounding by the aroma of vermilion roses.

The tall man faced him and was silent. Enjouji Kei pulled off his mask and Ranmaru was assaulted by the intensity of his black gaze.

"Ranmaru..."