"She would have been proud of you, you know." Reika stood in the doorway,
already dressed for the banquet. All the servants in the palace bathed and
ate well before serving the guests. It was always easier to serve the most
wonderful food you've never tasted on a full stomach.
"So, planning on dressing any time soon?" Reika raised an eyebrow, watching Sora run her hands over the folds of black silk hanging over a simple wooden frame. The one thing Sora wished her mother had never had to give to her, her formal kimono.
"Yeah..soon." Sora whispered. Reika crossed the room quietly, gently pushing Sora down onto a chair before gathering her slightly damp hair and beginning to drag it into the elaborate style all the female servants work. Snow white silk overlapping and weaving, layer upon layer. It was easy for Sora to lose herself here. The memories always returned to her in her still moments.
"You have your father's hair. His eyes too. One day you will be a beautiful woman."
"Your mother was a beautiful woman." Reika finished Sora's hair with a flourish before gathering the kimono and holding it out in front of her. Sora blinked a few times, focusing once again on reality.
"Yes. Yes, she was." Sora smiled softly.
Reijun and Li Fan were the first to return to the kitchens that evening. Across the hall, they could hear the serving maidens finishing the last of the preperations. Reijun tugged at his collar, uncomfortable in formal attire. Li Fan tapped his hand away, stilling his fidgeting.
"One gets used to it, son." Li Fan smiled at Reijun, impressed by the handsome image he made. Like most of the servants, Reijun wore a lavish arrangement of crimson and gold, with a golden Phoenix on the left breast. To stand out above the other servants, the heads of each serving order wore individual designs of the darkest black silk. Li Fan himself wore an impeccable cut ebony male kimono, tied with a red sash at the waist. It was extraordinary in its simplicity, and in his eyes you could see how Li Fan had been in his prime.
Slowly, the kitchens began to fill. Both cooks and serving women began to flood into the small area, gathering in small groups and chattering excitedly amongst themselves. Ying and Meilan happened to be the center of attention in one group. However, Ying and Meilan also happened to be directly serving two of the seishi.
Li Fan excused himself to make the final check on the food. Reijun opted for a chair instead of joining his father, sitting quietly and surveying the room. Within a moment, Reika had skipped to his side.
"Where's Sora?" He asked, looking around quickly. Reika frowned.
"She..needed a moment to herself."
Sora wandered the hallways, taking the way to the kitchens. It was a good excuse to check on straggling servants anyway, although she doubted that anyone would want to miss this dinner. The halls were empty, and it was here that she gathered her thoughts. Although, tonight, she wasn't the only one.
"Heika." Sora inclined her head respectfully, stepping aside to let Hotohori pass.
"Sora," he inclined his head back at her, stopping at her side, "care to walk with me for a few moments?" He asked quietly. Sora merely placed herself into stride next to him as they walked through the halls together, silent as specters. Neither had to say a word. In a way, they were both alike. Both were in charge of more than they thought they could handle. Hotohori ran the country, keeping it in balance and order, and Sora ran the rest of his world, keeping his palace in the same state. The burdens of responsibility were fully understood by both.
"This is what it's all about, isn't it?" Hotohori broke the silence. "This is our destiny."
"Heika?"
"To serve.." Hotohori's words struck a chord within Sora, and she didn't know whether to feel angry or saddened by his words. Half of her felt that this man, who had every aspect of his life catered to him, had no right to feel he served anyone. But the other half remembered than an entire country relied on him for safety and guidance. Yes, in a way he was a servant, just like her.
"Yes Heika. So it always was, so it shall always be. Serve wisely, Heika.
"Your mother told me that once. To serve wisely..." They walked in a pregnant silence for a few more moments before Sora spoke again.
"Pardon me Heika. I must take my leave of you now." Sora excused herself as she neared the kitchens.
"Of course." He nodded and rounded the corner, leaving Sora to fall against the wall, crying silent tears.
Li Fan returned to his son and daughter, finished checking the food for the evening and content with the order of the kitchens.
"Has Sora joined you yet?" He questioned his daughter, who was worrying a nail with her teeth in a most unbecoming manner.
"Nohw.." She answered, nail still between her teeth. A sharp glance remedied that. "No, she needed a moment to herself." Li Fan raised an eyebrow, but said no more.
"It's getting late. Where is she?" Reijun was beginning to worry. This wasn't like Sora.
"She's right here, you idiot!" A light voice chuckled behind the trio. Sora stood behind then, fully garbed in her formal attire. Ebony silk pooled around her feet, embellished by small golden flower petals which cascaded down the fabric, seeming to land at her feet. A golden sash held her kimono modestly closed, and the crimson of her bodice was barely visible through the overlapping fabric. And of course, topping her midnight ensemble was her snow-white hair, which Reika had pulled into the elaborate style all the female servants wore, accented with two simple gold combs, each one embedded with a single perfect pearl.
"Sora, you look lovely." Li Fan took her hands and kissed her cheek. "Just like your mother."
"Yeah, you look great." Reika chimed in. Li Fan and Reika both looked at Reijun. After a moment, Li Fan cleared his throat. After another moment, Reika "accidentally" elbowed him in the gut.
"Wow..I mean..uh.."Reijum stammered like an idiot. Sora chuckled, giving him a friendly hug.
"Thanks Reijun."
"You look beautiful." He whispered into her ear, almost inaudible, as her arms began to leave him, causing her blue-green eyes to momentarily widen. She looked at him a moment before retuning her attention to Li Fan and Reika.
"Well, uh, I need to borrow Reika now. I promise I'll have her back by midnight." Sora winked at Li Fan and cast a quick sideways glance at Reijun before walking off to give the serving women their last minute instructions.
Li Fan smiled at Reijun, gave his son a pat on the back, and went to join the other cooks. A dazed Reijun followed as the royal fanfare sounded, announcing the start of dinner.
"So, planning on dressing any time soon?" Reika raised an eyebrow, watching Sora run her hands over the folds of black silk hanging over a simple wooden frame. The one thing Sora wished her mother had never had to give to her, her formal kimono.
"Yeah..soon." Sora whispered. Reika crossed the room quietly, gently pushing Sora down onto a chair before gathering her slightly damp hair and beginning to drag it into the elaborate style all the female servants work. Snow white silk overlapping and weaving, layer upon layer. It was easy for Sora to lose herself here. The memories always returned to her in her still moments.
"You have your father's hair. His eyes too. One day you will be a beautiful woman."
"Your mother was a beautiful woman." Reika finished Sora's hair with a flourish before gathering the kimono and holding it out in front of her. Sora blinked a few times, focusing once again on reality.
"Yes. Yes, she was." Sora smiled softly.
Reijun and Li Fan were the first to return to the kitchens that evening. Across the hall, they could hear the serving maidens finishing the last of the preperations. Reijun tugged at his collar, uncomfortable in formal attire. Li Fan tapped his hand away, stilling his fidgeting.
"One gets used to it, son." Li Fan smiled at Reijun, impressed by the handsome image he made. Like most of the servants, Reijun wore a lavish arrangement of crimson and gold, with a golden Phoenix on the left breast. To stand out above the other servants, the heads of each serving order wore individual designs of the darkest black silk. Li Fan himself wore an impeccable cut ebony male kimono, tied with a red sash at the waist. It was extraordinary in its simplicity, and in his eyes you could see how Li Fan had been in his prime.
Slowly, the kitchens began to fill. Both cooks and serving women began to flood into the small area, gathering in small groups and chattering excitedly amongst themselves. Ying and Meilan happened to be the center of attention in one group. However, Ying and Meilan also happened to be directly serving two of the seishi.
Li Fan excused himself to make the final check on the food. Reijun opted for a chair instead of joining his father, sitting quietly and surveying the room. Within a moment, Reika had skipped to his side.
"Where's Sora?" He asked, looking around quickly. Reika frowned.
"She..needed a moment to herself."
Sora wandered the hallways, taking the way to the kitchens. It was a good excuse to check on straggling servants anyway, although she doubted that anyone would want to miss this dinner. The halls were empty, and it was here that she gathered her thoughts. Although, tonight, she wasn't the only one.
"Heika." Sora inclined her head respectfully, stepping aside to let Hotohori pass.
"Sora," he inclined his head back at her, stopping at her side, "care to walk with me for a few moments?" He asked quietly. Sora merely placed herself into stride next to him as they walked through the halls together, silent as specters. Neither had to say a word. In a way, they were both alike. Both were in charge of more than they thought they could handle. Hotohori ran the country, keeping it in balance and order, and Sora ran the rest of his world, keeping his palace in the same state. The burdens of responsibility were fully understood by both.
"This is what it's all about, isn't it?" Hotohori broke the silence. "This is our destiny."
"Heika?"
"To serve.." Hotohori's words struck a chord within Sora, and she didn't know whether to feel angry or saddened by his words. Half of her felt that this man, who had every aspect of his life catered to him, had no right to feel he served anyone. But the other half remembered than an entire country relied on him for safety and guidance. Yes, in a way he was a servant, just like her.
"Yes Heika. So it always was, so it shall always be. Serve wisely, Heika.
"Your mother told me that once. To serve wisely..." They walked in a pregnant silence for a few more moments before Sora spoke again.
"Pardon me Heika. I must take my leave of you now." Sora excused herself as she neared the kitchens.
"Of course." He nodded and rounded the corner, leaving Sora to fall against the wall, crying silent tears.
Li Fan returned to his son and daughter, finished checking the food for the evening and content with the order of the kitchens.
"Has Sora joined you yet?" He questioned his daughter, who was worrying a nail with her teeth in a most unbecoming manner.
"Nohw.." She answered, nail still between her teeth. A sharp glance remedied that. "No, she needed a moment to herself." Li Fan raised an eyebrow, but said no more.
"It's getting late. Where is she?" Reijun was beginning to worry. This wasn't like Sora.
"She's right here, you idiot!" A light voice chuckled behind the trio. Sora stood behind then, fully garbed in her formal attire. Ebony silk pooled around her feet, embellished by small golden flower petals which cascaded down the fabric, seeming to land at her feet. A golden sash held her kimono modestly closed, and the crimson of her bodice was barely visible through the overlapping fabric. And of course, topping her midnight ensemble was her snow-white hair, which Reika had pulled into the elaborate style all the female servants wore, accented with two simple gold combs, each one embedded with a single perfect pearl.
"Sora, you look lovely." Li Fan took her hands and kissed her cheek. "Just like your mother."
"Yeah, you look great." Reika chimed in. Li Fan and Reika both looked at Reijun. After a moment, Li Fan cleared his throat. After another moment, Reika "accidentally" elbowed him in the gut.
"Wow..I mean..uh.."Reijum stammered like an idiot. Sora chuckled, giving him a friendly hug.
"Thanks Reijun."
"You look beautiful." He whispered into her ear, almost inaudible, as her arms began to leave him, causing her blue-green eyes to momentarily widen. She looked at him a moment before retuning her attention to Li Fan and Reika.
"Well, uh, I need to borrow Reika now. I promise I'll have her back by midnight." Sora winked at Li Fan and cast a quick sideways glance at Reijun before walking off to give the serving women their last minute instructions.
Li Fan smiled at Reijun, gave his son a pat on the back, and went to join the other cooks. A dazed Reijun followed as the royal fanfare sounded, announcing the start of dinner.