XI
Advisor Parras sat at the emergency meeting, looking extremely dejected. The table was totally silent. An Chi's chair was empty, and Marisol and Hamad didn't look well at all.
Tristam cleared his throat and looked at Marisol, his voice softened. "How did the experiment go?"
Marisol coughed wetly into a handkerchief. "As well as can be expected. The ground is loose enough for an earthquake, but hard enough to do what it needs to do. There were no casualties in Payon directly from the quake."
Parras gulped. "I don't think this is the best idea.. these are people, mind you. Our subjects. Close to 150 innocent people live in Payon."
Tristam nodded, his expression increasingly grim. "We don't have a choice. The Church has had to be closed. Advisor An Chi has died of the plague as well. We have to protect the kingdom, even if it means destroying a part of it."
Kafra sighed and glanced away, biting her lip. "Prontera has lost at least three of its best healers. Even if they never get sick, they can't go home. They'd just carry the plague back with them."
There was silence, then Parras noticed the king had buried his face in his arms. "Your majesty.."
King Tristam looked up, angry and tearful. "Marisol, I leave it to you. In three days, we'll make total containment of the village. I'll send a courier right away to warn the chief to escape with his family, but they're the only ones allowed out. The plague will end there."
Marisol nodded and stood, weakly walking out. There was cold silence for several seconds then Tristam sobbed and buried his face back in his arms. All anyone could do was wait.
XII
Sohee smiled as she sat before the mirror, her favorite servants brushing her hair. It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining, the snow was melting, she could even hear some small birds. Winter was finally easing up, and soon, so soon, she'd be married.
Bongun had gotten better. She repeated it in her head until she thought she'd scream from joy. He was the only suitor who'd had the plague and lived. And he was hers, she would be married soon. Squeaking in happiness, she grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly, closing her eyes and smiling.
There was a soft rapping at her door, and a servant went to answer it. She returned with a scroll, and a puzzled expression. "A member of the Kuman tribe has sent this, though it wasn't the Lord.. he just left, I didn't catch his name, forgive me."
Sohee took the scroll, barely responding with a nod, and examined it. The seal wasn't of the Kuman tribe; she'd forgotten the name, it was some tribe descended from a priestess long ago. It was bound with blood red ribbon, and a sprig of belladonna had been shoved between the paper and the ribbon. She untied the ribbon and read the elegant if childlike handwriting on the scroll -
~Princess Sohee,
I challenge you to a duel for Lord Bongun's hand in marriage. I have been promised to him since I was a small child, and I find it exceedingly rude that you and your father, the Chief, would disregard this fact and separate us. If you do not accept my challenge, I shall have to find other means of regaining what you are trying to take from me. Send a scroll back whether you accept or not; if you do, we can negotiate a date for the duel.
Lady Munak
Tenmu tribe~
Sohee narrowed her eyes, crushing the paper slightly in her hands. The servant doing her hair glanced up. "Your highness?"
She glared into space. "Bring me a palace messenger and another scroll. I also request a white ribbon and a sprig of ment. Do so immediately."
The servant girl finished her hair and bowed, leaving the room. She returned with a writing box and the requested ment, and Sohee wrote in beautifully flowing script -
~Lady Tenmu,
It's amusing that you'd challenge me like this. I suggest you eat this ment and forget that you ever knew Lord Bongun. You are of no consequence to the world, and far below my recognition. Why, I hadn't even realized that there was a Tenmu tribe, let alone did I know the name of the heiress. Do go out and play, and I hope to receive lots of nice presents from you at my wedding to the future Chief.
Have a wonderful day.
Princess Sohee~
Laying down her brush, she smiled and read it over again, then rolled it up and tied the ment to the scroll. The messenger took it and ran off, and Sohee stretched, opening a screen and looking outside. Yes, the world was kind to her. She couldn't wait to be married.
XIII
"KYAAAAAA!"
Bongun ducked as he entered Munak's house, avoiding a flying ceramic bowl. He held up his hand as three small knives flew his way, and they deflected easily. Taking a defensive stance, he cautiously made his way through the broken dishes and bottles to Munak's room.
Pushing aside the curtain, he stepped inside, only to be greeted by a bowl of hot water being thrown at him. He couldn't dodge it in time, and it hit him full in the face. Gasping and wiping his bangs out of his eyes, he looked at his beloved, who stood on the bed in her nightgown, clutching a scroll and screaming. Her face was red and tearstained, and a burned scrollcase lay on her bed. His heart sank. He'd forgotten to remove the Chief's note from the case before throwing it in the fire. "Munak, er.. calm down, tell me what's wrong.."
"BASTARD!" She shrieked, jumping off her bed and running into him. She began pounding her fists against his chest angrily, her brown hair flying messily behind her. "HATEYOUHATEHERHATEYOUBOTHDIEDIEDIE!"
He sighed and grabbed her shoulders, only to be smacked across the face. Closing his eyes, he pulled her against his chest, pinning her arms between them and stroking her hair. "Shh.. shh.. I know.. I hate myself too... I'm sorry, Munak, I'm so sorry.."
She hiccuped and continued sobbing quietly against him, hitting him weakly every once in a while. "Hate her.. hate her.. why.."
He pulled her onto her bed, sweeping away broken glass and cradling her on his lap. "I didn't have any choice, Munak. They got me drunk and threw me before the Chief and the Princess. I wasn't allowed to leave until the next morning. I'm so sorry.. I meant to tell you, but when I returned, you were sick already, and I decided to wait until you were better.."
She pressed her hands against her face, crumpling the scroll. "I am better, I can take her on, I'm fine.."
He shook his head. "No, you aren't, you're still unwell. Where did you get a ment?"
She hiccuped and handed the scroll to him. "I wrote a letter challenging the princess to a duel, and she sent that back and said no. She's afraid of me, I know she is, I'll k-"
He growled and stood, dumping Munak on the floor. "What the Hell is she doing sending stuff like this? She has no right to act like this. You're still sick, you aren't dueling anyone. I'll go find your nurses and have them clean everything up, then you go to bed. I'm going to the palace to set her straight."
She looked away. "I told them all to go home, and threw stuff at them. I don't think they're coming back."
Bongun kissed her warm forehead. "They'll come back, I'll pay them a thousand zeny each to come back if I must. I promise you, I'll be back tonight, no matter what. She's not keeping me in the palace this time." He said softly, stroking her cheek. He then turned and left the room.
Munak stared at the mess on the floor, bottles and water and broken bowls and various gifts and belongings of hers. "Liar.." she whispered, touching her forehead.
Advisor Parras sat at the emergency meeting, looking extremely dejected. The table was totally silent. An Chi's chair was empty, and Marisol and Hamad didn't look well at all.
Tristam cleared his throat and looked at Marisol, his voice softened. "How did the experiment go?"
Marisol coughed wetly into a handkerchief. "As well as can be expected. The ground is loose enough for an earthquake, but hard enough to do what it needs to do. There were no casualties in Payon directly from the quake."
Parras gulped. "I don't think this is the best idea.. these are people, mind you. Our subjects. Close to 150 innocent people live in Payon."
Tristam nodded, his expression increasingly grim. "We don't have a choice. The Church has had to be closed. Advisor An Chi has died of the plague as well. We have to protect the kingdom, even if it means destroying a part of it."
Kafra sighed and glanced away, biting her lip. "Prontera has lost at least three of its best healers. Even if they never get sick, they can't go home. They'd just carry the plague back with them."
There was silence, then Parras noticed the king had buried his face in his arms. "Your majesty.."
King Tristam looked up, angry and tearful. "Marisol, I leave it to you. In three days, we'll make total containment of the village. I'll send a courier right away to warn the chief to escape with his family, but they're the only ones allowed out. The plague will end there."
Marisol nodded and stood, weakly walking out. There was cold silence for several seconds then Tristam sobbed and buried his face back in his arms. All anyone could do was wait.
XII
Sohee smiled as she sat before the mirror, her favorite servants brushing her hair. It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining, the snow was melting, she could even hear some small birds. Winter was finally easing up, and soon, so soon, she'd be married.
Bongun had gotten better. She repeated it in her head until she thought she'd scream from joy. He was the only suitor who'd had the plague and lived. And he was hers, she would be married soon. Squeaking in happiness, she grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly, closing her eyes and smiling.
There was a soft rapping at her door, and a servant went to answer it. She returned with a scroll, and a puzzled expression. "A member of the Kuman tribe has sent this, though it wasn't the Lord.. he just left, I didn't catch his name, forgive me."
Sohee took the scroll, barely responding with a nod, and examined it. The seal wasn't of the Kuman tribe; she'd forgotten the name, it was some tribe descended from a priestess long ago. It was bound with blood red ribbon, and a sprig of belladonna had been shoved between the paper and the ribbon. She untied the ribbon and read the elegant if childlike handwriting on the scroll -
~Princess Sohee,
I challenge you to a duel for Lord Bongun's hand in marriage. I have been promised to him since I was a small child, and I find it exceedingly rude that you and your father, the Chief, would disregard this fact and separate us. If you do not accept my challenge, I shall have to find other means of regaining what you are trying to take from me. Send a scroll back whether you accept or not; if you do, we can negotiate a date for the duel.
Lady Munak
Tenmu tribe~
Sohee narrowed her eyes, crushing the paper slightly in her hands. The servant doing her hair glanced up. "Your highness?"
She glared into space. "Bring me a palace messenger and another scroll. I also request a white ribbon and a sprig of ment. Do so immediately."
The servant girl finished her hair and bowed, leaving the room. She returned with a writing box and the requested ment, and Sohee wrote in beautifully flowing script -
~Lady Tenmu,
It's amusing that you'd challenge me like this. I suggest you eat this ment and forget that you ever knew Lord Bongun. You are of no consequence to the world, and far below my recognition. Why, I hadn't even realized that there was a Tenmu tribe, let alone did I know the name of the heiress. Do go out and play, and I hope to receive lots of nice presents from you at my wedding to the future Chief.
Have a wonderful day.
Princess Sohee~
Laying down her brush, she smiled and read it over again, then rolled it up and tied the ment to the scroll. The messenger took it and ran off, and Sohee stretched, opening a screen and looking outside. Yes, the world was kind to her. She couldn't wait to be married.
XIII
"KYAAAAAA!"
Bongun ducked as he entered Munak's house, avoiding a flying ceramic bowl. He held up his hand as three small knives flew his way, and they deflected easily. Taking a defensive stance, he cautiously made his way through the broken dishes and bottles to Munak's room.
Pushing aside the curtain, he stepped inside, only to be greeted by a bowl of hot water being thrown at him. He couldn't dodge it in time, and it hit him full in the face. Gasping and wiping his bangs out of his eyes, he looked at his beloved, who stood on the bed in her nightgown, clutching a scroll and screaming. Her face was red and tearstained, and a burned scrollcase lay on her bed. His heart sank. He'd forgotten to remove the Chief's note from the case before throwing it in the fire. "Munak, er.. calm down, tell me what's wrong.."
"BASTARD!" She shrieked, jumping off her bed and running into him. She began pounding her fists against his chest angrily, her brown hair flying messily behind her. "HATEYOUHATEHERHATEYOUBOTHDIEDIEDIE!"
He sighed and grabbed her shoulders, only to be smacked across the face. Closing his eyes, he pulled her against his chest, pinning her arms between them and stroking her hair. "Shh.. shh.. I know.. I hate myself too... I'm sorry, Munak, I'm so sorry.."
She hiccuped and continued sobbing quietly against him, hitting him weakly every once in a while. "Hate her.. hate her.. why.."
He pulled her onto her bed, sweeping away broken glass and cradling her on his lap. "I didn't have any choice, Munak. They got me drunk and threw me before the Chief and the Princess. I wasn't allowed to leave until the next morning. I'm so sorry.. I meant to tell you, but when I returned, you were sick already, and I decided to wait until you were better.."
She pressed her hands against her face, crumpling the scroll. "I am better, I can take her on, I'm fine.."
He shook his head. "No, you aren't, you're still unwell. Where did you get a ment?"
She hiccuped and handed the scroll to him. "I wrote a letter challenging the princess to a duel, and she sent that back and said no. She's afraid of me, I know she is, I'll k-"
He growled and stood, dumping Munak on the floor. "What the Hell is she doing sending stuff like this? She has no right to act like this. You're still sick, you aren't dueling anyone. I'll go find your nurses and have them clean everything up, then you go to bed. I'm going to the palace to set her straight."
She looked away. "I told them all to go home, and threw stuff at them. I don't think they're coming back."
Bongun kissed her warm forehead. "They'll come back, I'll pay them a thousand zeny each to come back if I must. I promise you, I'll be back tonight, no matter what. She's not keeping me in the palace this time." He said softly, stroking her cheek. He then turned and left the room.
Munak stared at the mess on the floor, bottles and water and broken bowls and various gifts and belongings of hers. "Liar.." she whispered, touching her forehead.