In the early hours of the morning, during the few minutes before dawn broke
over Konan, Sora managed to drag herself away from the now spotless dining
hall and back to the servant's wing of the palace. Thankfully, everyone had
been asleep, so there was no one there to stop her from sinking into her
inviting bed. Parting the screen, she silently slipped into her room,
letting down her hair as she passed the threshold and closed the door
behind her. Crossing to her bed, she found that a kind soul had left a
plate of food and a pastry on her bed, along with a note.
Sora, I know you're tired, but eat something now. You never eat breakfast, and I don't want you to be hungry all day tomorrow. Reijun
Sora smiled softly as she grabbed a small dumpling off the plate and began to eat. As the food passed her lips, she realized how truly hungry she was, and eagerly dove into the rest of it. A warm feeling filled her as she ate. It was comforting to know that while she spent the entire day looking out for everyone else, someone was looking out for her as well. Especially someone like Reijun.
Absently, Sora changed out of her robes, carefully hanging them back on its rack before donning her sleeping gown and plopping down into her bed. Oh, but the sheets felt inviting! She snuggled into her pillow for good measure and finished the last of the pastry that had been left for her before extinguishing the candle by her bedside and falling into a blissful sleep. And as the sun rose on her sleeping form, life in the more elaborate corners of the palace began to stir.
A young man with sandy hair woke in mild confusion, wondering how he had come to be in his room.
A small cat gently pawed at his master's face, awakening him in search of companionship, and more importantly, breakfast.
A fiery youth woke, wincing as the morning's light enhanced the pain of his hangover.
A monk sat meditating as the morning light illuminated his still figure, seeming to infuse him with the light of Suzaku.
A young fighter stirred from his dreams of home, and the family that awaited him there.
A priestess' stomach loudly lured her from repose in search of an early morning feast.
A regal young man awoke with a slight frown, noticing the tangles in his long mane and wishing them gone.
A beautiful man sat pondering a new garment, and dreading the day to come that would be spent wearing it.
Servants who had been dismissed earlier in the previous evening were already quite awake, purposely roaming the halls to attend to the daily activities. Watching them on their way, it was almost impossible to tell that the seven warriors beloved to Suzaku had arrived only a mere day prior. It seemed entirely as if all fuss had died down. Life goes on, and heroes become more real.
Reika was pondering this exact same thought as she directed herself through the halls in the morning light. Lord Tasuki was the last person she wanted to see this morning, especially after she had spent a good hour cleaning his mess out of the carpet in the hallway. But duty called, and she knew from experience that she would have to get him something for the nasty headache he was going to have this morning. Thankfully, the kitchen staff was already brewing a large quantity of herbal tea to treat the remaining hung-over guests, saving her the trouble of doing it herself. A small pot of tea and half a loaf of bread, and she was on her way through the halls again. On her way, she passed Lords Mitsukake and Chiriko, and noticing ruefully that they both looked to be in rather high spirits, furiously envied Meilan and Ying.
"Of all seven, why do I get this one?" She muttered under her breath as she approached Tasuki's door. Rapping softly, she placed her ear close to the screen, listening for any sound of life. Not hearing anything, she rapped again one more time before a loud groan was heard. Sighing, she slid the screen aside and entered.
"Bright...!" A muffled voice yelled from under a pile of pillows. Apparently, when she had opened the door, he had retreated to the blissful dark of the heavy silk covers.
"If you'll come out, Lord Tasuki, I have some tea that will fix your headache." She coaxed him as gently as she could without sounding condescending. She didn't like him much, but that didn't mean she could be rude. He was still a guest, no matter how much he offended her.
"Don't wanna..." He retorted childishly. "...head hurts." Reika sighed. She had to get him up, and she didn't have a choice.
"Lord Tasuki, if you would please try. You'll be needed at a royal conference in an hour, and you can't go with a handover." She stepped closer to the large mound of what she assumed was Tasuki, hoping the scent to the warm tea would help lure him out. The pile of blankets merely became more compact. Reika used every ounce of control she had to resist smacking the idiot.
"Go 'way..." He groaned at her. Reika was losing her patience.
"Lord Tas-"
"For Suzaku's sake, woman!" He roared, thought a faint 'ouch' followed the noise. However, that was the last straw. Reika had had enough. She stormed the remaining distance, tearing the blankets off of Tasuki's compact form. Grabbing him by his collar, she sat him upright.
"You listen to me, Lord Tasuki. You have to meet with the Emperor in less than an hour." She thrust the tea into one of his hands. "You WILL drink that tea." She thrust the bread into the other. "You WILL eat that bread, and I will not hear another word about it!" She stormed to his wardrobe, pulled out the first clean robes she could find, and tossed them across the room to land haphazardly on his flaming hair. "Then you will bathe, put on a clean shirt, and meet His Highness in the audience chamber, do I make myself clear?" She leaned in front of him, eyes glaring into his. He blinked once or twice. "I said, do I make myself clear!?!"
"Yes ma'am..." Tasuki winced back a bit, and Reika gave a satisfied smile as she gathered her tray and turned to leave.
"Good. I trust you'll be more compliant from now on." She made her way towards the door. She heard a mumble behind her, and turned quickly. Tasuki gave a faint squeak and began jamming the food into his mouth to avoid getting yelled at again. Satisfied, she slid open the screen, exited the room, and closed it behind her.
Once out in the hall, she leaned against the wall, sighing.
"I am in so much trouble..."
Notes: I've had this one done for a while, and have decided to leave it be. I wrote it so long ago that no amount of editing will change it, and it's a nice reminder of where I need to go with this story.
Anyway, read on and crit yo...
Sora, I know you're tired, but eat something now. You never eat breakfast, and I don't want you to be hungry all day tomorrow. Reijun
Sora smiled softly as she grabbed a small dumpling off the plate and began to eat. As the food passed her lips, she realized how truly hungry she was, and eagerly dove into the rest of it. A warm feeling filled her as she ate. It was comforting to know that while she spent the entire day looking out for everyone else, someone was looking out for her as well. Especially someone like Reijun.
Absently, Sora changed out of her robes, carefully hanging them back on its rack before donning her sleeping gown and plopping down into her bed. Oh, but the sheets felt inviting! She snuggled into her pillow for good measure and finished the last of the pastry that had been left for her before extinguishing the candle by her bedside and falling into a blissful sleep. And as the sun rose on her sleeping form, life in the more elaborate corners of the palace began to stir.
A young man with sandy hair woke in mild confusion, wondering how he had come to be in his room.
A small cat gently pawed at his master's face, awakening him in search of companionship, and more importantly, breakfast.
A fiery youth woke, wincing as the morning's light enhanced the pain of his hangover.
A monk sat meditating as the morning light illuminated his still figure, seeming to infuse him with the light of Suzaku.
A young fighter stirred from his dreams of home, and the family that awaited him there.
A priestess' stomach loudly lured her from repose in search of an early morning feast.
A regal young man awoke with a slight frown, noticing the tangles in his long mane and wishing them gone.
A beautiful man sat pondering a new garment, and dreading the day to come that would be spent wearing it.
Servants who had been dismissed earlier in the previous evening were already quite awake, purposely roaming the halls to attend to the daily activities. Watching them on their way, it was almost impossible to tell that the seven warriors beloved to Suzaku had arrived only a mere day prior. It seemed entirely as if all fuss had died down. Life goes on, and heroes become more real.
Reika was pondering this exact same thought as she directed herself through the halls in the morning light. Lord Tasuki was the last person she wanted to see this morning, especially after she had spent a good hour cleaning his mess out of the carpet in the hallway. But duty called, and she knew from experience that she would have to get him something for the nasty headache he was going to have this morning. Thankfully, the kitchen staff was already brewing a large quantity of herbal tea to treat the remaining hung-over guests, saving her the trouble of doing it herself. A small pot of tea and half a loaf of bread, and she was on her way through the halls again. On her way, she passed Lords Mitsukake and Chiriko, and noticing ruefully that they both looked to be in rather high spirits, furiously envied Meilan and Ying.
"Of all seven, why do I get this one?" She muttered under her breath as she approached Tasuki's door. Rapping softly, she placed her ear close to the screen, listening for any sound of life. Not hearing anything, she rapped again one more time before a loud groan was heard. Sighing, she slid the screen aside and entered.
"Bright...!" A muffled voice yelled from under a pile of pillows. Apparently, when she had opened the door, he had retreated to the blissful dark of the heavy silk covers.
"If you'll come out, Lord Tasuki, I have some tea that will fix your headache." She coaxed him as gently as she could without sounding condescending. She didn't like him much, but that didn't mean she could be rude. He was still a guest, no matter how much he offended her.
"Don't wanna..." He retorted childishly. "...head hurts." Reika sighed. She had to get him up, and she didn't have a choice.
"Lord Tasuki, if you would please try. You'll be needed at a royal conference in an hour, and you can't go with a handover." She stepped closer to the large mound of what she assumed was Tasuki, hoping the scent to the warm tea would help lure him out. The pile of blankets merely became more compact. Reika used every ounce of control she had to resist smacking the idiot.
"Go 'way..." He groaned at her. Reika was losing her patience.
"Lord Tas-"
"For Suzaku's sake, woman!" He roared, thought a faint 'ouch' followed the noise. However, that was the last straw. Reika had had enough. She stormed the remaining distance, tearing the blankets off of Tasuki's compact form. Grabbing him by his collar, she sat him upright.
"You listen to me, Lord Tasuki. You have to meet with the Emperor in less than an hour." She thrust the tea into one of his hands. "You WILL drink that tea." She thrust the bread into the other. "You WILL eat that bread, and I will not hear another word about it!" She stormed to his wardrobe, pulled out the first clean robes she could find, and tossed them across the room to land haphazardly on his flaming hair. "Then you will bathe, put on a clean shirt, and meet His Highness in the audience chamber, do I make myself clear?" She leaned in front of him, eyes glaring into his. He blinked once or twice. "I said, do I make myself clear!?!"
"Yes ma'am..." Tasuki winced back a bit, and Reika gave a satisfied smile as she gathered her tray and turned to leave.
"Good. I trust you'll be more compliant from now on." She made her way towards the door. She heard a mumble behind her, and turned quickly. Tasuki gave a faint squeak and began jamming the food into his mouth to avoid getting yelled at again. Satisfied, she slid open the screen, exited the room, and closed it behind her.
Once out in the hall, she leaned against the wall, sighing.
"I am in so much trouble..."
Notes: I've had this one done for a while, and have decided to leave it be. I wrote it so long ago that no amount of editing will change it, and it's a nice reminder of where I need to go with this story.
Anyway, read on and crit yo...