"Our Love Everlasting" by Ai Yuukan
Chapter 5
"Shoshi!"
Kathryn watched the emperor walk past her. Aligning herself with the tree, she closed her eyes and tried to breathe. Instead of fury rushing over her like an all-too familiar wave, she felt.. self-loathing. But that feeling was familiar, too. The advisor's words rung in her head like angry bees. 'Her mannerisms leave a sour taste in one's mouth.. She is outspoken and ill-mannered.. As a prospective empress, she cannot possibly be considered!..'
She had first wanted to be angry at the advisor.. but she was only.. hurt.. because every word he had said was true. She was no lady.. And she could only dream of becoming Hotohori's empress. Tears gathered in her eyes. Not only that.. but she always had to fall in love with guys who would never love or even like her for who she was. She pined after men who were gentle and compassionate.. but she was temperamental and impulsive.. She wasn't fit for those guys whom she truly fell for.. and certainly not fit for an empress. She could never be compatible with them.. even less so with.. Hotohori. Her closed her eyes again. And the worst part was.. she was already falling in love with him.
"Shoshi? Are you here?"
Startled, Kathryn opened her eyes, and carefully, lifted herself off the ground. Slowly and quietly, she floated upwards until she came to the higher branches of the tree, when the leaves were thickest. Settling on a particularly sturdy branch, she waited until Hotohori would inevitably give up the search.
All was quiet for a moment, then suddenly, she felt a finger tap her shoulder. Kathryn turned and her eyes popped. "Hotohori!" He was right behind her! Startled, she lost her balance and fell of the branch. "Aah!" Hotohori sweatdropped.
"Aaah!" Kathryn tried to get herself afloat, but she was too frightened about the concept of free-falling, that she couldn't manage to concentrate her energies. "Waaah!" Waving her arms, she tried to fly, but she continued to fall like a rock. If only she had chosen a lower branch..
Then suddenly, she was in Hotohori's arms. He landed on the ground gracefully, with Kathryn in his arms. Kathryn should have been thinking grateful thoughts, but she was only thinking sour ones. Even Hotohori was graceful! And he wasn't even a lady! How pathetic could she get?
"Shoshi?" Hotohori sweatdropped. "You can let go of me now."
Beet red, Kathryn jumped out of his arms and backed away until there was at least fifteen feet between them. "Sorry." She muttered, her eyes downcast.
There was an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Hotohori began to apologize. "I am sorry for the way my advisor insulted you. He does tend to become quite bold with his tongue at times. And.."
".. It was most unfortunate I was there to witness it." Kathryn finished for him. "Uh-huh. If I hadn't been there, you wouldn't be apologizing, would you? You'd just keep silent, accepting his verdict as truth." Her eyes hardened. "Just like everyone else.." She muttered so low that Hotohori couldn't hear her.
Hotohori looked chagrined. He wanted to deny it, but how could he deny the truth? He didn't really know Lady Shoshi all that well, so he really would have accepted his advisor's verdict as truth.. But looking at her now, he realized there was more to her than what appeared on the surface.
Both of them were silent for a moment, Kathryn feeling more worthless by the moment. He hadn't denied it.. She didn't know why it hurt.. she had felt this way countless times before. She should be used to it by now. She turned away. "I had better be going. Houki should be finished by now.."
"Houki?"
Kathryn's eyes widened. Oops. "Er.. I mean.." Stupid, stupid Kathryn! Damn her loose tongue! "Oh, don't mind me.. I was just.. blabbing random stuff.. heh.. heh.." Kathryn's fake smile wobbled. The look on Hotohori's face was highly skeptical.. and inquiring. Uh-oh.. Kathryn sweatdropped. "I.. uh.. have to go now! G'Night!"
"Shoshi?"
Kathryn stopped dead in her tracks. This really was too annoying. She wasn't Houki.. well.. that wasn't exactly true.. but she was really still Kathryn.. right? She shook her head. Of course she was! She wasn't Houki! And Shoshi may be her seishi name, but why couldn't people just call her plain ol' Kathryn? She turned around. "Hotohori-sama.. I don't mean to be rude, but do you think it'll really be too hard to call me by my real name?"
Hotohori blinked. "But you are Shoshi, a real seishi of Taiitsukun."
Kathryn sweatdropped. He had a point. "I know that.. but I'd really like to be called Kathryn. Or Kate, for short."
Hotohori looked thoughtful. ".. Very well. May I call you Kathryn?"
Kathryn smiled, puzzled. People just liked to call her, simply, 'Kate'. But, why not? She shrugged. "Sure.. but in return, when I use your name, could I drop the –sama?"
Now it was Hotohori's turn to look puzzled.. and chagrined. "That's asking a lot. I'm sorry if you don't respect me as the emperor.. but.."
Kathryn's eyes widened, chagrined. "Oh, no, no! I don't mean it like that! Well.." How to explain..? "It's just.. in my country, we like to look at each other as equals.. and I'm kind of partial to that idea. I respect you as a leader, but I also respect you as a human being.." Was she making any sense? Probably not. ".. It's just that calling you –sama is very.."
"Uncomfortable?"
"Yes! That's the word!" Kathryn nodded, relieved. Then she hesitated. Would Hotohori be angry..? Well, she was in an ancient Chinese world, and maybe they weren't as amenable to the idea of equality as Americans were. She sweatdropped. She suddenly felt like Alice confronting the Queen of Hearts. The words 'Off with her head!' echoed like death bells in her head. Oh dear.. And Miaka's head had nearly been cut off for just being rude.. She was so lost in her terrible imagination, that she didn't notice the emperor's eyes soften. Kathryn slumped. "Could you give me a moment to tie back my hair?" She asked the emperor miserably.
Hotohori was confused. "What for?"
"To make cutting off my head easier for you. Or would you rather have Tasuki-san cremate me? It'll be way more convenient."
Hotohori sweatdropped. This girl had one crazy imagination on her. "No one's going to cut off your head." Then he frowned. "Who is.. 'Tasuki'?"
Kathryn sighed with relief. "Oh, good. I really don't want to die while I'm still young and beautiful, you know." Then she paled. Oops. Not again. "Er.. Tasuki is the name of .. of.. a guy in a boy band back home.. Er.. During concerts, he uh.. burns up the.. stage..?" She grimaced. How lame was she?
Hotohori frowned. "Boy band..?"
Kathryn laughed weakly. "Hah hah.. yeah.. Oh, look at the time! I'll get going now while you go feed your sea snake, k? Bye!" Lifting her skirts, Kathryn ran down the hall. How was Byakko expecting her to keep her mouth shut? Wasn't he her father? He should know better than to entrust her with so many secrets! She was Kathryn, for crying out loud!
She knew better than to go looking for trouble, but this was an exception, Kathryn decided. She was bored through and through! She needed a break! And she also wanted to check out Hotohori's pet snake..
Houki chuckled inside her head. "You really can't keep out of trouble, can you?"
Embarrassed, Kathryn pretended not to hear her. "Ahh.." Then she gave up. "Well, how can I? There's something in that lake.. something I've only heard about in legends, and it's right in front of me! How could I resist that?"
"By imagining the possible razor-sharp teeth, sharp claws, and a possible appetite for human flesh?" Houki supplied helpfully.
Kathryn sweatdropped. "Thanks a lot." Now that Houki had mentioned it for what was about the umpteenth time.. her little escapade didn't seem so alluring. But still.. Hotohori had summoned the sea snake right..? Then.. that meant there was a good chance he would be around the lake, too..
Houki sounded curious. "How delightful! You're falling in love with Hotohori-sama! Oh, how perfect!"
Kathryn sweatdropped, confused. "How can you say that? Aren't you his wife.. Hm.. I mean.. you're supposed to be his wife in the future.. but.. I'm getting confused here."
Houki chuckled. "What do you really know about me, Shoshi-sama?" She asked curiously.
Kathryn shrugged, turning the corner. "Not much. Keisuke told me you looked a lot like Korin.. er.. I mean, Nuriko, and you loved Hotohori and had his baby. Like I said, I don't know that much about you, really."
For some reason, Houki's joviality dimmed. "He said I loved Hotohori?"
Now it was Kathryn's turn to be curious. She barely noticed that she was already near the lake. "Didn't you?"
Houki sighed, if with a hint of resignation. "I suppose you have the right to know.. Of course I loved Hotohori.. who couldn't love that man? He's so.. gentle.."
Kathryn had reached the lake, but she decided this was more important. Instead, she settled on a short rock ledge. Houki's spirit separated from her body, and stood before her. Again, Kathryn was struck by Houki's.. aura.. of grace and elegant beauty. She was what a lady.. was supposed to be.
Houki looked out over the lake and smiled when she saw the serpent within, barely noticeable, resting near the shore. "Of course I love Hotohori.. but not in the way you and.. I suppose, everyone else assumed. I love him as my dear friend.. and as the only person I have left of the one I truly love."
"The one you truly love..? That means there's another guy?"
Houki smiled sadly and nodded. "Hai.. He's Hotohori's brother.. Tendou. Tendou Shu."
"Euiko.. Have I disturbed your rest?" Hotohori inquired politely of his friend.
The beautiful sea serpent, gleaming with blue and green scales, looked into the emperor's eyes with beautiful orbs of blue. "Hotohori.. I am pleased you have come to visit me.. It has been a while.." Though the serpent's voice was inhuman, it had a warm softness to it.. and sounded serenely pleasant.
Hotohori smiled fondly at his friend of fifteen years. "I have been here often.." He gently protested.
The sea serpent seemed to smile. "Yes.. but only with your advisors.. why do you come now? Are you sure you can't use this time more.. wisely?"
The emperor smiled cheerfully. "What are advisors for? They advise me on several matters, why can they not make some minor decisions themselves? Besides, I could use the break."
"What has happened, my child?"
Hotohori sighed wearily. "I look over prospective empresses on the morrow. As you know, I am not really looking forward to it."
"It is just another chore that needs to be done."
"Indeed." Hotohori agreed.
The friends were quiet for a moment, before the serpent spoke again. "The girl who swam in my lake.. who is she?"
Hotohori blinked. "The girl who.. Oh! You mean Kathryn? She's the second Byakko no Miko, and a seishi of Taittsukun's."
Euiko the serpent looked thoughtful. "Truly? Then it is no wonder I sensed great power from her.. not overly powerful as the others.. but more.. widely-spread.."
"The others?"
"The other girls that were with her.. There was one with short brown hair and one with hair as fiery gold as the setting sun.."
Hotohori immediately realized who they were. "Oh you mean her sisters? They are also Taittsukun's seishi's. Tei-san is the second Genbu no Miko while Kyoku-san is another Suzaku seishi like myself."
"Yes.. that must be them. Their powers are astoundingly powerful.. and this Kathryn's powers are equally great.. but not nearly the same."
"What do you mean?"
"The powers of the two other girls are concentrated into only a few gifts, but the power of this Kathryn is more widely distributed into several gifts.."
"You mean she has more than three powers?"
"I believe so."
Hotohori looked thoughtful. "Yes.. Kathryn never ceases to amaze me.."
The serpent smiled again. "You like this Kathryn?"
Hotohori smiled, genuinely amused. "Well, she is unconventional at times.. but entertaining and unique at the same time."
"She intrigues you?"
"Indubitably."
"Then why not consider her for your future empress?" Euiko suggested.
Hotohori shook his head regrettably. "I'm afraid I cannot. I will only marry for love.. and.."
"And what?"
"And only for the reason that my people accept her. Kathryn is too.. robust for my subjects' taste.."
"You disapprove?"
"No.." Hotohori looked chagrined. "She is a wonderful friend.. but.."
"You believe yourself in love with the Suzaku no Miko."
Hotohori stared at his old friend. "How did you know..?"
"You may not have been to my lake to visit me but I have seen you.. you look at the Suzaku no Miko with such love in your eyes.."
A slight flush stained Hotohori's face. "I did not realize I was that obvious.."
The serpent smiled softly. "You weren't.. not too much. But are you sure you love Yuuki Miaka or the Suzaku no Miko..?
Hotohori looked confused. "But they are the one and the same."
The serpent only smiled sadly. "If you say so.." Suddenly, her serpentine whiskers twitched. "Oh.. how curious. It seems your.. friend is here again.. I will go greet her, I think." With that, the serpent darted away.
"Matte, Euiko!" .. What had she meant.. did he love Yuuki Miaka or the Suzaku no Miko..? They were the same.. weren't they? He turned away. He loved Miaka.. he loved her innocence.. her inner strength.. and the light of joy she brought into his heart whenever she was around.. He loved Miaka. He loved the Suzaku no Miko. And they were the same woman.. It was that simple.
"Nani? You mean.. You already love someone else? This Tendou guy?"
Houki nodded, a sad light flickering in her ghostly eyes. "Yes.. I have always loved him.. But to save my family, I had to leave home.. and my love behind. Tendou is the man I love.. and he is Hotohori-sama's older brother by a year."
"How is that possible?" Kathryn was incredulous. "How did that happen?"
"Hotohori also has another younger brother and two sisters.. but there whereabouts are unknown.. They might not even be alive.. But long ago.. when Hotohori was still very young, a conflict arose surrounding the question of which son should be the future emperor.. Of the five children, Tendou, the eldest, and Hotohori, were the ones of which the prophecies spoke. Tendou was to be the Suzaku King.. the one who was to be doubly blessed and protected by Suzaku himself.. and Hotohori was to be one of the most powerful of Suzaku's shichiseishi. The advisors wanted Tendou to rule, for he was to be the more blessed in Suzaku's eyes, while Hotohori's mother wanted Hotohori to become emperor. Of course, Tendou would be blessed, but Hotohori was the one with the actual power of a seishi.. You see, the empress was of Kotou descent, and was married to the emperor in hopes of peace.. The empress was the sister of Kotou's present emperor. But Kotou's emperor is much too greedy, and peace is the farthest thing from his mind right now. Anyway, the empress wanted power.. peace wasn't the highest priority in her mind. And she wanted to take her brother's country as well. She was a very ambitious woman. She didn't want Tendou.. who was to be blessed by the gods.. to simply ensure peace in Konan.. she wanted pure, raw power. And she saw that it Hotohori. So she had Hotohori's other siblings tossed into the river."
Kathryn's eyes were wide with horror. "But a peasant and his wife happened upon Tendou in the river and rescued him. They raised him in a village very far away from here.. Tendou and I grew up together and.. we fell in love."
Kathryn still didn't understand. "But Keisuke said you and Hotohori had a baby.. Boushin.. and.."
Houki sadly shook her head. "Yes.. I befriended Hotohori-sama and became very close friends.. but my love for Tendou never died. As did Hotohori-sama's love for Miaka-sama never diminished."
At that, the light in Kathryn's eyes dimmed. "He.. still loved Miaka.. until the end?"
Houki nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so. He never stopped loving her.. and I never stopped loving Tendou. But when Miaka rescued Tamahome-sama from the drug Kodoku, and the lovers were reunited, I saw Hotohori sadly turn away from them.. I was so heartbroken for my friend that that night.. I made a promise. I promised to stay with him.. and love him no matter what. Then.. my village was destroyed in a raid by Kotou. I hurried home and found that the only survivor was my Tendou. But I couldn't love him anymore. Hotohori mattered very much to me and we had become very close.. I needed so stay with him.. I couldn't just leave him. So.. I made the greatest mistake I had ever made in my life.. I said goodbye to Tendou. I made him think I had fallen in love with Hotohori. He was shaken.. yes.. and furious. It was then that he told us his story.. Three months later, he stormed the palace as a rebel and tried to kill Hotohori." Houki's eyes shone with tears. "I couldn't let him kill Hotohori.. so I stood between him and the sword. It was then that Tendou 'realized' the truth of my love for his brother and his will for revenge was broken." Houki bit her lip and closed her eyes. "I can never forget the look of sadness in his eyes.. he really thought I had stopped loving him.. Then this mad prophet.. a disgraced man who had manipulated Tendou's feelings of rage and revenge.. struck him from behind when he hesitated to kill the emperor."
Kathryn's eyes widened. "He.. killed Tendou?"
"Yes.. In his grief and with love for his elder brother, Hotohori slew that madman.. But Tendou.. was already dying.. He wished me and Hotohori happiness in the end.. but I.. I.. Tendou died before I could tell him the truth.. that I still loved him.."
"You never told him..?"
"No.. But I still loved Hotohori.. and he was the only thing left of my Tendou.. So I became his true empress.. and I gave him his heir. In time, I grew to love Hotohori more in the way that I had loved Tendou.. but I could never really give him my heart the way I had given mine to Tendou's.. Hotohori was hurt terribly, Shoshi-sama.. and he was hurt more than once. He loved Miaka-sama and lost her to Tamahome. For a while, I believe he started to love me, but my heart had always belonged to Tendou. I know it's selfish of me.. But I beg of you.. please don't hurt him again.. I know he feels something for you.. and even if he would not be aware of it.. I would not want him to be hurt.. ever again."
Chapter 5
"Shoshi!"
Kathryn watched the emperor walk past her. Aligning herself with the tree, she closed her eyes and tried to breathe. Instead of fury rushing over her like an all-too familiar wave, she felt.. self-loathing. But that feeling was familiar, too. The advisor's words rung in her head like angry bees. 'Her mannerisms leave a sour taste in one's mouth.. She is outspoken and ill-mannered.. As a prospective empress, she cannot possibly be considered!..'
She had first wanted to be angry at the advisor.. but she was only.. hurt.. because every word he had said was true. She was no lady.. And she could only dream of becoming Hotohori's empress. Tears gathered in her eyes. Not only that.. but she always had to fall in love with guys who would never love or even like her for who she was. She pined after men who were gentle and compassionate.. but she was temperamental and impulsive.. She wasn't fit for those guys whom she truly fell for.. and certainly not fit for an empress. She could never be compatible with them.. even less so with.. Hotohori. Her closed her eyes again. And the worst part was.. she was already falling in love with him.
"Shoshi? Are you here?"
Startled, Kathryn opened her eyes, and carefully, lifted herself off the ground. Slowly and quietly, she floated upwards until she came to the higher branches of the tree, when the leaves were thickest. Settling on a particularly sturdy branch, she waited until Hotohori would inevitably give up the search.
All was quiet for a moment, then suddenly, she felt a finger tap her shoulder. Kathryn turned and her eyes popped. "Hotohori!" He was right behind her! Startled, she lost her balance and fell of the branch. "Aah!" Hotohori sweatdropped.
"Aaah!" Kathryn tried to get herself afloat, but she was too frightened about the concept of free-falling, that she couldn't manage to concentrate her energies. "Waaah!" Waving her arms, she tried to fly, but she continued to fall like a rock. If only she had chosen a lower branch..
Then suddenly, she was in Hotohori's arms. He landed on the ground gracefully, with Kathryn in his arms. Kathryn should have been thinking grateful thoughts, but she was only thinking sour ones. Even Hotohori was graceful! And he wasn't even a lady! How pathetic could she get?
"Shoshi?" Hotohori sweatdropped. "You can let go of me now."
Beet red, Kathryn jumped out of his arms and backed away until there was at least fifteen feet between them. "Sorry." She muttered, her eyes downcast.
There was an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Hotohori began to apologize. "I am sorry for the way my advisor insulted you. He does tend to become quite bold with his tongue at times. And.."
".. It was most unfortunate I was there to witness it." Kathryn finished for him. "Uh-huh. If I hadn't been there, you wouldn't be apologizing, would you? You'd just keep silent, accepting his verdict as truth." Her eyes hardened. "Just like everyone else.." She muttered so low that Hotohori couldn't hear her.
Hotohori looked chagrined. He wanted to deny it, but how could he deny the truth? He didn't really know Lady Shoshi all that well, so he really would have accepted his advisor's verdict as truth.. But looking at her now, he realized there was more to her than what appeared on the surface.
Both of them were silent for a moment, Kathryn feeling more worthless by the moment. He hadn't denied it.. She didn't know why it hurt.. she had felt this way countless times before. She should be used to it by now. She turned away. "I had better be going. Houki should be finished by now.."
"Houki?"
Kathryn's eyes widened. Oops. "Er.. I mean.." Stupid, stupid Kathryn! Damn her loose tongue! "Oh, don't mind me.. I was just.. blabbing random stuff.. heh.. heh.." Kathryn's fake smile wobbled. The look on Hotohori's face was highly skeptical.. and inquiring. Uh-oh.. Kathryn sweatdropped. "I.. uh.. have to go now! G'Night!"
"Shoshi?"
Kathryn stopped dead in her tracks. This really was too annoying. She wasn't Houki.. well.. that wasn't exactly true.. but she was really still Kathryn.. right? She shook her head. Of course she was! She wasn't Houki! And Shoshi may be her seishi name, but why couldn't people just call her plain ol' Kathryn? She turned around. "Hotohori-sama.. I don't mean to be rude, but do you think it'll really be too hard to call me by my real name?"
Hotohori blinked. "But you are Shoshi, a real seishi of Taiitsukun."
Kathryn sweatdropped. He had a point. "I know that.. but I'd really like to be called Kathryn. Or Kate, for short."
Hotohori looked thoughtful. ".. Very well. May I call you Kathryn?"
Kathryn smiled, puzzled. People just liked to call her, simply, 'Kate'. But, why not? She shrugged. "Sure.. but in return, when I use your name, could I drop the –sama?"
Now it was Hotohori's turn to look puzzled.. and chagrined. "That's asking a lot. I'm sorry if you don't respect me as the emperor.. but.."
Kathryn's eyes widened, chagrined. "Oh, no, no! I don't mean it like that! Well.." How to explain..? "It's just.. in my country, we like to look at each other as equals.. and I'm kind of partial to that idea. I respect you as a leader, but I also respect you as a human being.." Was she making any sense? Probably not. ".. It's just that calling you –sama is very.."
"Uncomfortable?"
"Yes! That's the word!" Kathryn nodded, relieved. Then she hesitated. Would Hotohori be angry..? Well, she was in an ancient Chinese world, and maybe they weren't as amenable to the idea of equality as Americans were. She sweatdropped. She suddenly felt like Alice confronting the Queen of Hearts. The words 'Off with her head!' echoed like death bells in her head. Oh dear.. And Miaka's head had nearly been cut off for just being rude.. She was so lost in her terrible imagination, that she didn't notice the emperor's eyes soften. Kathryn slumped. "Could you give me a moment to tie back my hair?" She asked the emperor miserably.
Hotohori was confused. "What for?"
"To make cutting off my head easier for you. Or would you rather have Tasuki-san cremate me? It'll be way more convenient."
Hotohori sweatdropped. This girl had one crazy imagination on her. "No one's going to cut off your head." Then he frowned. "Who is.. 'Tasuki'?"
Kathryn sighed with relief. "Oh, good. I really don't want to die while I'm still young and beautiful, you know." Then she paled. Oops. Not again. "Er.. Tasuki is the name of .. of.. a guy in a boy band back home.. Er.. During concerts, he uh.. burns up the.. stage..?" She grimaced. How lame was she?
Hotohori frowned. "Boy band..?"
Kathryn laughed weakly. "Hah hah.. yeah.. Oh, look at the time! I'll get going now while you go feed your sea snake, k? Bye!" Lifting her skirts, Kathryn ran down the hall. How was Byakko expecting her to keep her mouth shut? Wasn't he her father? He should know better than to entrust her with so many secrets! She was Kathryn, for crying out loud!
She knew better than to go looking for trouble, but this was an exception, Kathryn decided. She was bored through and through! She needed a break! And she also wanted to check out Hotohori's pet snake..
Houki chuckled inside her head. "You really can't keep out of trouble, can you?"
Embarrassed, Kathryn pretended not to hear her. "Ahh.." Then she gave up. "Well, how can I? There's something in that lake.. something I've only heard about in legends, and it's right in front of me! How could I resist that?"
"By imagining the possible razor-sharp teeth, sharp claws, and a possible appetite for human flesh?" Houki supplied helpfully.
Kathryn sweatdropped. "Thanks a lot." Now that Houki had mentioned it for what was about the umpteenth time.. her little escapade didn't seem so alluring. But still.. Hotohori had summoned the sea snake right..? Then.. that meant there was a good chance he would be around the lake, too..
Houki sounded curious. "How delightful! You're falling in love with Hotohori-sama! Oh, how perfect!"
Kathryn sweatdropped, confused. "How can you say that? Aren't you his wife.. Hm.. I mean.. you're supposed to be his wife in the future.. but.. I'm getting confused here."
Houki chuckled. "What do you really know about me, Shoshi-sama?" She asked curiously.
Kathryn shrugged, turning the corner. "Not much. Keisuke told me you looked a lot like Korin.. er.. I mean, Nuriko, and you loved Hotohori and had his baby. Like I said, I don't know that much about you, really."
For some reason, Houki's joviality dimmed. "He said I loved Hotohori?"
Now it was Kathryn's turn to be curious. She barely noticed that she was already near the lake. "Didn't you?"
Houki sighed, if with a hint of resignation. "I suppose you have the right to know.. Of course I loved Hotohori.. who couldn't love that man? He's so.. gentle.."
Kathryn had reached the lake, but she decided this was more important. Instead, she settled on a short rock ledge. Houki's spirit separated from her body, and stood before her. Again, Kathryn was struck by Houki's.. aura.. of grace and elegant beauty. She was what a lady.. was supposed to be.
Houki looked out over the lake and smiled when she saw the serpent within, barely noticeable, resting near the shore. "Of course I love Hotohori.. but not in the way you and.. I suppose, everyone else assumed. I love him as my dear friend.. and as the only person I have left of the one I truly love."
"The one you truly love..? That means there's another guy?"
Houki smiled sadly and nodded. "Hai.. He's Hotohori's brother.. Tendou. Tendou Shu."
"Euiko.. Have I disturbed your rest?" Hotohori inquired politely of his friend.
The beautiful sea serpent, gleaming with blue and green scales, looked into the emperor's eyes with beautiful orbs of blue. "Hotohori.. I am pleased you have come to visit me.. It has been a while.." Though the serpent's voice was inhuman, it had a warm softness to it.. and sounded serenely pleasant.
Hotohori smiled fondly at his friend of fifteen years. "I have been here often.." He gently protested.
The sea serpent seemed to smile. "Yes.. but only with your advisors.. why do you come now? Are you sure you can't use this time more.. wisely?"
The emperor smiled cheerfully. "What are advisors for? They advise me on several matters, why can they not make some minor decisions themselves? Besides, I could use the break."
"What has happened, my child?"
Hotohori sighed wearily. "I look over prospective empresses on the morrow. As you know, I am not really looking forward to it."
"It is just another chore that needs to be done."
"Indeed." Hotohori agreed.
The friends were quiet for a moment, before the serpent spoke again. "The girl who swam in my lake.. who is she?"
Hotohori blinked. "The girl who.. Oh! You mean Kathryn? She's the second Byakko no Miko, and a seishi of Taittsukun's."
Euiko the serpent looked thoughtful. "Truly? Then it is no wonder I sensed great power from her.. not overly powerful as the others.. but more.. widely-spread.."
"The others?"
"The other girls that were with her.. There was one with short brown hair and one with hair as fiery gold as the setting sun.."
Hotohori immediately realized who they were. "Oh you mean her sisters? They are also Taittsukun's seishi's. Tei-san is the second Genbu no Miko while Kyoku-san is another Suzaku seishi like myself."
"Yes.. that must be them. Their powers are astoundingly powerful.. and this Kathryn's powers are equally great.. but not nearly the same."
"What do you mean?"
"The powers of the two other girls are concentrated into only a few gifts, but the power of this Kathryn is more widely distributed into several gifts.."
"You mean she has more than three powers?"
"I believe so."
Hotohori looked thoughtful. "Yes.. Kathryn never ceases to amaze me.."
The serpent smiled again. "You like this Kathryn?"
Hotohori smiled, genuinely amused. "Well, she is unconventional at times.. but entertaining and unique at the same time."
"She intrigues you?"
"Indubitably."
"Then why not consider her for your future empress?" Euiko suggested.
Hotohori shook his head regrettably. "I'm afraid I cannot. I will only marry for love.. and.."
"And what?"
"And only for the reason that my people accept her. Kathryn is too.. robust for my subjects' taste.."
"You disapprove?"
"No.." Hotohori looked chagrined. "She is a wonderful friend.. but.."
"You believe yourself in love with the Suzaku no Miko."
Hotohori stared at his old friend. "How did you know..?"
"You may not have been to my lake to visit me but I have seen you.. you look at the Suzaku no Miko with such love in your eyes.."
A slight flush stained Hotohori's face. "I did not realize I was that obvious.."
The serpent smiled softly. "You weren't.. not too much. But are you sure you love Yuuki Miaka or the Suzaku no Miko..?
Hotohori looked confused. "But they are the one and the same."
The serpent only smiled sadly. "If you say so.." Suddenly, her serpentine whiskers twitched. "Oh.. how curious. It seems your.. friend is here again.. I will go greet her, I think." With that, the serpent darted away.
"Matte, Euiko!" .. What had she meant.. did he love Yuuki Miaka or the Suzaku no Miko..? They were the same.. weren't they? He turned away. He loved Miaka.. he loved her innocence.. her inner strength.. and the light of joy she brought into his heart whenever she was around.. He loved Miaka. He loved the Suzaku no Miko. And they were the same woman.. It was that simple.
"Nani? You mean.. You already love someone else? This Tendou guy?"
Houki nodded, a sad light flickering in her ghostly eyes. "Yes.. I have always loved him.. But to save my family, I had to leave home.. and my love behind. Tendou is the man I love.. and he is Hotohori-sama's older brother by a year."
"How is that possible?" Kathryn was incredulous. "How did that happen?"
"Hotohori also has another younger brother and two sisters.. but there whereabouts are unknown.. They might not even be alive.. But long ago.. when Hotohori was still very young, a conflict arose surrounding the question of which son should be the future emperor.. Of the five children, Tendou, the eldest, and Hotohori, were the ones of which the prophecies spoke. Tendou was to be the Suzaku King.. the one who was to be doubly blessed and protected by Suzaku himself.. and Hotohori was to be one of the most powerful of Suzaku's shichiseishi. The advisors wanted Tendou to rule, for he was to be the more blessed in Suzaku's eyes, while Hotohori's mother wanted Hotohori to become emperor. Of course, Tendou would be blessed, but Hotohori was the one with the actual power of a seishi.. You see, the empress was of Kotou descent, and was married to the emperor in hopes of peace.. The empress was the sister of Kotou's present emperor. But Kotou's emperor is much too greedy, and peace is the farthest thing from his mind right now. Anyway, the empress wanted power.. peace wasn't the highest priority in her mind. And she wanted to take her brother's country as well. She was a very ambitious woman. She didn't want Tendou.. who was to be blessed by the gods.. to simply ensure peace in Konan.. she wanted pure, raw power. And she saw that it Hotohori. So she had Hotohori's other siblings tossed into the river."
Kathryn's eyes were wide with horror. "But a peasant and his wife happened upon Tendou in the river and rescued him. They raised him in a village very far away from here.. Tendou and I grew up together and.. we fell in love."
Kathryn still didn't understand. "But Keisuke said you and Hotohori had a baby.. Boushin.. and.."
Houki sadly shook her head. "Yes.. I befriended Hotohori-sama and became very close friends.. but my love for Tendou never died. As did Hotohori-sama's love for Miaka-sama never diminished."
At that, the light in Kathryn's eyes dimmed. "He.. still loved Miaka.. until the end?"
Houki nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so. He never stopped loving her.. and I never stopped loving Tendou. But when Miaka rescued Tamahome-sama from the drug Kodoku, and the lovers were reunited, I saw Hotohori sadly turn away from them.. I was so heartbroken for my friend that that night.. I made a promise. I promised to stay with him.. and love him no matter what. Then.. my village was destroyed in a raid by Kotou. I hurried home and found that the only survivor was my Tendou. But I couldn't love him anymore. Hotohori mattered very much to me and we had become very close.. I needed so stay with him.. I couldn't just leave him. So.. I made the greatest mistake I had ever made in my life.. I said goodbye to Tendou. I made him think I had fallen in love with Hotohori. He was shaken.. yes.. and furious. It was then that he told us his story.. Three months later, he stormed the palace as a rebel and tried to kill Hotohori." Houki's eyes shone with tears. "I couldn't let him kill Hotohori.. so I stood between him and the sword. It was then that Tendou 'realized' the truth of my love for his brother and his will for revenge was broken." Houki bit her lip and closed her eyes. "I can never forget the look of sadness in his eyes.. he really thought I had stopped loving him.. Then this mad prophet.. a disgraced man who had manipulated Tendou's feelings of rage and revenge.. struck him from behind when he hesitated to kill the emperor."
Kathryn's eyes widened. "He.. killed Tendou?"
"Yes.. In his grief and with love for his elder brother, Hotohori slew that madman.. But Tendou.. was already dying.. He wished me and Hotohori happiness in the end.. but I.. I.. Tendou died before I could tell him the truth.. that I still loved him.."
"You never told him..?"
"No.. But I still loved Hotohori.. and he was the only thing left of my Tendou.. So I became his true empress.. and I gave him his heir. In time, I grew to love Hotohori more in the way that I had loved Tendou.. but I could never really give him my heart the way I had given mine to Tendou's.. Hotohori was hurt terribly, Shoshi-sama.. and he was hurt more than once. He loved Miaka-sama and lost her to Tamahome. For a while, I believe he started to love me, but my heart had always belonged to Tendou. I know it's selfish of me.. But I beg of you.. please don't hurt him again.. I know he feels something for you.. and even if he would not be aware of it.. I would not want him to be hurt.. ever again."