"Our Love Everlasting" by Ai Yuukan
Chapter 3
"How did.. Houki die?" Korin asked Kathryn softly, still unable to believe it herself.
Kathryn's eyes were nearly sightless with shock as she remembered all that her father had explained to her. "I don't.. know. All that my father told me was that she died.. protecting her child, Boushin, from an assassin. When she died, the unborn children in her womb.. died with her."
"Children?" Korin asked faintly. "There were more than one?"
Kathryn closed her eyes before nodding. "Hai.. they must have been twins.."
"Excuse me, Korin-sama?" Korin's maid called out softly.
Korin wiped a tear away with her silken sleeve. "Hai?"
"The emperor wishes to speak to Houk-.. I mean, Shoshi-sama."
Kathryn looked away. "I don't wish to speak to him.." Then she remembered Keisuke telling her the emperor had been a gentle man, and quickly amended, "I mean.. at least, not now."
"I understand.. but I bring you news of your sisters." Hotohori entered the room as Korin exited. The maid slid the door shut after him.
Kathryn turned around to look at the emperor. Samantha and Vivien.. She suddenly realized who was standing in front of her bed and immediately bowed. "Hotohori-sama!"
Hotohori gently placed his hand on Kathryn's shoulder. "Please.. there will never be any need for formality between us. We are after all, both seishi's of deities."
Kathryn smiled softly. Keisuke had been right. The emperor was indeed a gentle man. She slowly stood up straight and looked up at him. His eyes.. were so gentle and his smile.. so kind. With a start, she suddenly remembered something.
Her father chuckled in her mind. You are right. You will be his future bride.
Kathryn's face went up in flames. "N-No Way!"
Hotohori sweatdropped. "Is there something wrong?"
"Eh, eh, nothing!" Kathryn quickly averted her eyes. His bride? His bride?! "I was just.. thinking.." His bride?! A freakin' empress?! Her thoughts raced.
Hotohori nodded. "I understand. There is much to think about. Would you mind if I asked you some questions?"
Kathryn nodded, not really listening. She was going to become this guy's wife?! No freakin' way!
"You say you are Shoshi, one of Taittsukun's seishi.. But there is no mention of them in the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho.. What can you tell me of them?"
Kathryn snorted. Not much. She didn't know much about them herself. She was going to get married?! But she was only seventeen! Was that even legal?!
Please answer him, daughter. You are Shoshi, one of Taittsukun's six seishi. There were originally seven.. but the seventh was banished many years ago.
Whatever. "Uh.. Taittsukun has six seishi.. she had seven at first, but the seventh one was vanished." Kathryn repeated, not really caring. She was practically engaged to a guy! Now when had she had a say in this?
"I see. Does Taiitsukun have a Miko as well?"
She does. "She does." She wasn't ready to get married!
"How many sisters do you have?"
"Five."
"Are all of them warriors of Taittsukun?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"If you are a seishi, then what is your seishi power?"
"Well, flying, I guess.." Kathryn finally looked at Hotohori and sweatdropped to find him taking down notes on a piece of parchment. "Er.. what are you doing?"
"What it looks like I'm doing. Taking notes."
Kathryn laughed nervously. An emperor.. interviewing her? It was official. Things were definitely messed up in this world.
Her father chuckled. Tell him you have two other powers.. well, three, if you want to get technical.. But they haven't been activated yet. They will activate once you get stronger or once I decide you are ready for them.
Kathryn sighed. Why couldn't her dad talk to the emperor himself? "I have two or three other powers, but I haven't learned them yet."
Hotohori frowned. "How interesting. How do you know you have more than one power?"
"Because my daddy told me so."
Hotohori sweatdropped. "Your.. daddy?"
"Yeah, Byakko."
"Byakko?!"
How did you find that out?, Byakko asked her curiously.
Kathryn rolled her eyes. Please, I'm not that stupid.
"So what do you wish to do once you speak to your sisters?" Hotohori asked, sitting next to Kathryn on her bed.
Kathryn shrugged. "Wait around here, I guess, until I'm able to summon Byakko."
"What else do you know?"
Kathryn hesitated.
Byakko smiled in his daughter's mind. You may tell him as much as you wish. My brothers won't be able to hear you for I am not allowing it. Despite their rules, you do have a free will and I wish for you to exercise it.
Kathryn smiled fondly at the sound of her father's voice. Thanks, dad. She drew in a breath. "Byakko has just told me I am able to tell you the truth of the matter, but it cannot go beyond this room."
Byakko seemed to nod his agreement in his daughter's head. Should my brothers discover you have told him of the complete truth, the consequences will be dire.
How much time do I have?
Less than ten minutes.
Kathryn bit her lip. Ooh. That wasn't good. "You really can't tell anyone of what I am about to tell you." She stressed to Hotohori. "And Byakko's barrier will be down in less than ten minutes and if his brothers hear us.. I don't want to think about it. We haven't much time."
Hotohori nodded his understanding. "Of course. Now what is it that you have to tell me?"
Kathryn took a deep breath. "I am from the future.. so to speak."
"Pardon?"
Kathryn sighed. "I know it's hard to believe.. but I'm really from the future.. I think. I come from after Miaka has summoned Suzaku.."
"Miaka is.. the girl with your sister?"
"Hai. I lived in an entirely different country from hers in our world, but I became her brother's penpal."
"Pen-pal?"
"Er.. let's just call it 'international correspondence'. Me and my sisters were on a vacation.. to visit Miaka and her friends. There, I hung out with Keisuke, Miaka's brother.. we were near the library.. when all of a sudden,.." Kathryn smiled softly. ".. I was contacted by Byakko, my father.. He brought me here, to the beginning, to slightly rewrite history, so to speak, and restore the balance in this world."
"How was this balance disrupted?"
Kathryn couldn't help but stare. Wow, he didn't seem to be reeling with shock. Very adaptable.. He must be a good emperor. "Well.. do you know of the previous Byakko no Miko?"
Hotohori slowly nodded. "She summoned Byakko and returned to her world."
Oh, he was good. "Hai. But of her three wishes, her last wish was to wish that she and her lover.. the seishi, Tatara.." Kathryn's eyes grew sad. ".. could stay together in this world. But that was the one wish Byakko could not grant. So that wish remained unfulfilled. I am to summon Byakko once more and make that final wish, so the balance in Byakko's section of this world can be restored."
Hotohori looked thoughtful. "So.. you are knowledgeable of the future?"
"Uh.. kinda.."
"Will you tell me of significant events that will happen, then?"
Kathryn hesitated. "Well, Miaka's best friend will become the Seiryuu no Miko.. they'll become enemies.. There's a lot that happens." She turned red. Including her marriage to the emperor sitting beside her. Then she paled. She had also forgotten.. of his death. Kathryn stared at Hotohori, her eyes sad. That's right.. Hotohori would die..
Time's up.
"Kate!!" Vivien and Samantha rushed to greet their sister.
Vivien was the first to notice the change in Kathryn's appearance. "Kate.. your hair!!!"
Kathryn sighed. "I know.. it's blue.."
"But how..? And why are you here.. why didn't you arrive with us?" Samantha mused.
Kathryn looked away. She couldn't tell them.. She smiled wryly. She had never been especially close to any of her sisters enough to confide in them. The thought saddened her. She smiled cheerfully for her sisters' sake. "I have no idea!"
Vivien and Samantha sweatdropped. Vivien looked at Samantha. "You feel it, too, huh?"
Kathryn sweatdropped. "W-What?"
Samantha nodded solemnly. "Yep. She's lying again."
Vivien sighed. "And she does it so easily.."
Kathryn turned red. "I'm not lying!" She protested. Did she really lie that easily?
"So you are Shoshi's sisters?"
Vivien stared at Hotohori with visible shock. There was no way someone who looked that good could be a man. He looked so beautiful!
Kathryn sighed. "I really would like to be called Kate." She hinted, mumbling.
Hotohori smiled. "As you wish."
Samantha smiled. What a gentleman! "Hai. I am Samantha Smith, Kate's sister. My seishi name is Tei."
Vivien raised her hand. "And I'm Kyoku!"
Kathryn goggled. They had already accepted their seishi names?! And Vivien too?! No way..
Hotohori inclined his head. "I am very pleased to meet you. May I please hear your stories?"
Vivien inched closer to her sister. "Yo, Kate.. he's good. Better watch out." She hissed.
Samantha heard that and chuckled at Kathryn's beet-red face. "Vivi!" Kathryn complained, embarrassed.
"Nani? Why is she so red?" Korin wanted to know.
Vivien scooted over to Korin's side. "Haven't you figured it out by now? Kathryn is the kind of girl who loves provoking people."
Korin arched a brow. "I had no clue." She said sarcastically.
Vivien giggled and whispered confidentially, "Well, Kathryn can only provoke people who'll get upset. That's why she's avoided by most guys. But she gets in trouble if she meets people who are eternally polite. Then she'll be on her best behavior. She doesn't have the desire to provoke them, then. But if she's confronted by a guy.."
"What happens?" Korin whispered back, highly curious now.
".. She falls head over heels in love with him. Believe, that's happened so many times in the past. She's a goner when it comes to guys like Hotohori-kun."
"No way!!" Korin exclaimed, horrified. The new Byakko no Miko was going to fall in love with Hotohori-sama?! She was going to be rival for his Highness' affection?! No, that just couldn't be!!!
"Ne, what are you guys whispering about over there?" Kathryn asked grouchily.
Korin replied with a glare. Vivien sweatdropped. Had she said something wrong? Korin glared at Kathryn. "Why should we help you?" She asked angrily. "You're the Byakko no Miko. Suzaku rules this kingdom. You handle your own problems! Go back to Sairo, you lover-stealer!!"
Everyone sweatdropped. Kathryn looked uncomfortable. "Ne.. Vivi.. what did you tell her?"
Vivien smiled weakly. "Just.. about your problem.. with polite.. guys."
"WHAT?!"
Hotohori sweatdropped as Kathryn started to chase her sister around the room and winced when the older girl caught up with her and proceeded to scream her into submission. Were all females this troublesome? Or only the ones who liked him?
Kathryn threw another pebble into the lake angrily. Why did Vivien have to tell Korin.. that? It was so darn embarrassing! Didn't she have any idea who exactly 'Korin' was?! Weren't the purple hair and haughty, jealous attitude obvious enough?!
Kathryn scowled. And Nuriko really didn't have anything to worry about, besides! She didn't fall in love with all polite guys.. Kathryn blushed. Well.. only most of them. But it had never been love.. just puppy love. She just couldn't help it! She didn't like people who had exploding tempers twenty-four/seven. Though no one would have guessed, she was scared of them. To her, temper tantrums were when people showed their true, scary selves. That.. and she was a bloody chicken.
But Hotohori was.. different. Not only was he polite, but his politeness was natural, and he was.. gentle, too. Kathryn's eyes softened. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.. marrying a guy like that. He would make a good husband.. and a good father. It was going to be true, too.
Kathryn shook her head suddenly, aghast at what she had been thinking. What was wrong with her?! She was only seventeen!! She couldn't get married until she was at least twenty-three! But the law was different here, apparently. Kathryn slouched. She was going to be a regal empress.. then why did she feel so miserable?
Kathryn sighed sadly. But she had always dreamed of marrying.. for love. Could she fall in love with the emperor.. with Hotohori? No, she thought sadly. How could she fall in love with a guy that was in love with Miaka, the Suzaku no Miko? He had loved her so much.. then he had loved Houki. He could never love her.. Besides.. Kathryn closed her eyes with sudden sorrow. How could she love someone fated to die..?
Chapter 3
"How did.. Houki die?" Korin asked Kathryn softly, still unable to believe it herself.
Kathryn's eyes were nearly sightless with shock as she remembered all that her father had explained to her. "I don't.. know. All that my father told me was that she died.. protecting her child, Boushin, from an assassin. When she died, the unborn children in her womb.. died with her."
"Children?" Korin asked faintly. "There were more than one?"
Kathryn closed her eyes before nodding. "Hai.. they must have been twins.."
"Excuse me, Korin-sama?" Korin's maid called out softly.
Korin wiped a tear away with her silken sleeve. "Hai?"
"The emperor wishes to speak to Houk-.. I mean, Shoshi-sama."
Kathryn looked away. "I don't wish to speak to him.." Then she remembered Keisuke telling her the emperor had been a gentle man, and quickly amended, "I mean.. at least, not now."
"I understand.. but I bring you news of your sisters." Hotohori entered the room as Korin exited. The maid slid the door shut after him.
Kathryn turned around to look at the emperor. Samantha and Vivien.. She suddenly realized who was standing in front of her bed and immediately bowed. "Hotohori-sama!"
Hotohori gently placed his hand on Kathryn's shoulder. "Please.. there will never be any need for formality between us. We are after all, both seishi's of deities."
Kathryn smiled softly. Keisuke had been right. The emperor was indeed a gentle man. She slowly stood up straight and looked up at him. His eyes.. were so gentle and his smile.. so kind. With a start, she suddenly remembered something.
Her father chuckled in her mind. You are right. You will be his future bride.
Kathryn's face went up in flames. "N-No Way!"
Hotohori sweatdropped. "Is there something wrong?"
"Eh, eh, nothing!" Kathryn quickly averted her eyes. His bride? His bride?! "I was just.. thinking.." His bride?! A freakin' empress?! Her thoughts raced.
Hotohori nodded. "I understand. There is much to think about. Would you mind if I asked you some questions?"
Kathryn nodded, not really listening. She was going to become this guy's wife?! No freakin' way!
"You say you are Shoshi, one of Taittsukun's seishi.. But there is no mention of them in the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho.. What can you tell me of them?"
Kathryn snorted. Not much. She didn't know much about them herself. She was going to get married?! But she was only seventeen! Was that even legal?!
Please answer him, daughter. You are Shoshi, one of Taittsukun's six seishi. There were originally seven.. but the seventh was banished many years ago.
Whatever. "Uh.. Taittsukun has six seishi.. she had seven at first, but the seventh one was vanished." Kathryn repeated, not really caring. She was practically engaged to a guy! Now when had she had a say in this?
"I see. Does Taiitsukun have a Miko as well?"
She does. "She does." She wasn't ready to get married!
"How many sisters do you have?"
"Five."
"Are all of them warriors of Taittsukun?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"If you are a seishi, then what is your seishi power?"
"Well, flying, I guess.." Kathryn finally looked at Hotohori and sweatdropped to find him taking down notes on a piece of parchment. "Er.. what are you doing?"
"What it looks like I'm doing. Taking notes."
Kathryn laughed nervously. An emperor.. interviewing her? It was official. Things were definitely messed up in this world.
Her father chuckled. Tell him you have two other powers.. well, three, if you want to get technical.. But they haven't been activated yet. They will activate once you get stronger or once I decide you are ready for them.
Kathryn sighed. Why couldn't her dad talk to the emperor himself? "I have two or three other powers, but I haven't learned them yet."
Hotohori frowned. "How interesting. How do you know you have more than one power?"
"Because my daddy told me so."
Hotohori sweatdropped. "Your.. daddy?"
"Yeah, Byakko."
"Byakko?!"
How did you find that out?, Byakko asked her curiously.
Kathryn rolled her eyes. Please, I'm not that stupid.
"So what do you wish to do once you speak to your sisters?" Hotohori asked, sitting next to Kathryn on her bed.
Kathryn shrugged. "Wait around here, I guess, until I'm able to summon Byakko."
"What else do you know?"
Kathryn hesitated.
Byakko smiled in his daughter's mind. You may tell him as much as you wish. My brothers won't be able to hear you for I am not allowing it. Despite their rules, you do have a free will and I wish for you to exercise it.
Kathryn smiled fondly at the sound of her father's voice. Thanks, dad. She drew in a breath. "Byakko has just told me I am able to tell you the truth of the matter, but it cannot go beyond this room."
Byakko seemed to nod his agreement in his daughter's head. Should my brothers discover you have told him of the complete truth, the consequences will be dire.
How much time do I have?
Less than ten minutes.
Kathryn bit her lip. Ooh. That wasn't good. "You really can't tell anyone of what I am about to tell you." She stressed to Hotohori. "And Byakko's barrier will be down in less than ten minutes and if his brothers hear us.. I don't want to think about it. We haven't much time."
Hotohori nodded his understanding. "Of course. Now what is it that you have to tell me?"
Kathryn took a deep breath. "I am from the future.. so to speak."
"Pardon?"
Kathryn sighed. "I know it's hard to believe.. but I'm really from the future.. I think. I come from after Miaka has summoned Suzaku.."
"Miaka is.. the girl with your sister?"
"Hai. I lived in an entirely different country from hers in our world, but I became her brother's penpal."
"Pen-pal?"
"Er.. let's just call it 'international correspondence'. Me and my sisters were on a vacation.. to visit Miaka and her friends. There, I hung out with Keisuke, Miaka's brother.. we were near the library.. when all of a sudden,.." Kathryn smiled softly. ".. I was contacted by Byakko, my father.. He brought me here, to the beginning, to slightly rewrite history, so to speak, and restore the balance in this world."
"How was this balance disrupted?"
Kathryn couldn't help but stare. Wow, he didn't seem to be reeling with shock. Very adaptable.. He must be a good emperor. "Well.. do you know of the previous Byakko no Miko?"
Hotohori slowly nodded. "She summoned Byakko and returned to her world."
Oh, he was good. "Hai. But of her three wishes, her last wish was to wish that she and her lover.. the seishi, Tatara.." Kathryn's eyes grew sad. ".. could stay together in this world. But that was the one wish Byakko could not grant. So that wish remained unfulfilled. I am to summon Byakko once more and make that final wish, so the balance in Byakko's section of this world can be restored."
Hotohori looked thoughtful. "So.. you are knowledgeable of the future?"
"Uh.. kinda.."
"Will you tell me of significant events that will happen, then?"
Kathryn hesitated. "Well, Miaka's best friend will become the Seiryuu no Miko.. they'll become enemies.. There's a lot that happens." She turned red. Including her marriage to the emperor sitting beside her. Then she paled. She had also forgotten.. of his death. Kathryn stared at Hotohori, her eyes sad. That's right.. Hotohori would die..
Time's up.
"Kate!!" Vivien and Samantha rushed to greet their sister.
Vivien was the first to notice the change in Kathryn's appearance. "Kate.. your hair!!!"
Kathryn sighed. "I know.. it's blue.."
"But how..? And why are you here.. why didn't you arrive with us?" Samantha mused.
Kathryn looked away. She couldn't tell them.. She smiled wryly. She had never been especially close to any of her sisters enough to confide in them. The thought saddened her. She smiled cheerfully for her sisters' sake. "I have no idea!"
Vivien and Samantha sweatdropped. Vivien looked at Samantha. "You feel it, too, huh?"
Kathryn sweatdropped. "W-What?"
Samantha nodded solemnly. "Yep. She's lying again."
Vivien sighed. "And she does it so easily.."
Kathryn turned red. "I'm not lying!" She protested. Did she really lie that easily?
"So you are Shoshi's sisters?"
Vivien stared at Hotohori with visible shock. There was no way someone who looked that good could be a man. He looked so beautiful!
Kathryn sighed. "I really would like to be called Kate." She hinted, mumbling.
Hotohori smiled. "As you wish."
Samantha smiled. What a gentleman! "Hai. I am Samantha Smith, Kate's sister. My seishi name is Tei."
Vivien raised her hand. "And I'm Kyoku!"
Kathryn goggled. They had already accepted their seishi names?! And Vivien too?! No way..
Hotohori inclined his head. "I am very pleased to meet you. May I please hear your stories?"
Vivien inched closer to her sister. "Yo, Kate.. he's good. Better watch out." She hissed.
Samantha heard that and chuckled at Kathryn's beet-red face. "Vivi!" Kathryn complained, embarrassed.
"Nani? Why is she so red?" Korin wanted to know.
Vivien scooted over to Korin's side. "Haven't you figured it out by now? Kathryn is the kind of girl who loves provoking people."
Korin arched a brow. "I had no clue." She said sarcastically.
Vivien giggled and whispered confidentially, "Well, Kathryn can only provoke people who'll get upset. That's why she's avoided by most guys. But she gets in trouble if she meets people who are eternally polite. Then she'll be on her best behavior. She doesn't have the desire to provoke them, then. But if she's confronted by a guy.."
"What happens?" Korin whispered back, highly curious now.
".. She falls head over heels in love with him. Believe, that's happened so many times in the past. She's a goner when it comes to guys like Hotohori-kun."
"No way!!" Korin exclaimed, horrified. The new Byakko no Miko was going to fall in love with Hotohori-sama?! She was going to be rival for his Highness' affection?! No, that just couldn't be!!!
"Ne, what are you guys whispering about over there?" Kathryn asked grouchily.
Korin replied with a glare. Vivien sweatdropped. Had she said something wrong? Korin glared at Kathryn. "Why should we help you?" She asked angrily. "You're the Byakko no Miko. Suzaku rules this kingdom. You handle your own problems! Go back to Sairo, you lover-stealer!!"
Everyone sweatdropped. Kathryn looked uncomfortable. "Ne.. Vivi.. what did you tell her?"
Vivien smiled weakly. "Just.. about your problem.. with polite.. guys."
"WHAT?!"
Hotohori sweatdropped as Kathryn started to chase her sister around the room and winced when the older girl caught up with her and proceeded to scream her into submission. Were all females this troublesome? Or only the ones who liked him?
Kathryn threw another pebble into the lake angrily. Why did Vivien have to tell Korin.. that? It was so darn embarrassing! Didn't she have any idea who exactly 'Korin' was?! Weren't the purple hair and haughty, jealous attitude obvious enough?!
Kathryn scowled. And Nuriko really didn't have anything to worry about, besides! She didn't fall in love with all polite guys.. Kathryn blushed. Well.. only most of them. But it had never been love.. just puppy love. She just couldn't help it! She didn't like people who had exploding tempers twenty-four/seven. Though no one would have guessed, she was scared of them. To her, temper tantrums were when people showed their true, scary selves. That.. and she was a bloody chicken.
But Hotohori was.. different. Not only was he polite, but his politeness was natural, and he was.. gentle, too. Kathryn's eyes softened. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.. marrying a guy like that. He would make a good husband.. and a good father. It was going to be true, too.
Kathryn shook her head suddenly, aghast at what she had been thinking. What was wrong with her?! She was only seventeen!! She couldn't get married until she was at least twenty-three! But the law was different here, apparently. Kathryn slouched. She was going to be a regal empress.. then why did she feel so miserable?
Kathryn sighed sadly. But she had always dreamed of marrying.. for love. Could she fall in love with the emperor.. with Hotohori? No, she thought sadly. How could she fall in love with a guy that was in love with Miaka, the Suzaku no Miko? He had loved her so much.. then he had loved Houki. He could never love her.. Besides.. Kathryn closed her eyes with sudden sorrow. How could she love someone fated to die..?