A loud knock woke Sora unceremoniously from her slumber, and she groaned in
a most unladylike manner at the sound, turning over and burying her head
deeper in her coverlet. The knock sounded again, louder than before, and
much to loud to ignore. Sleepily, Sora rose to answer it, seemingly caring
nothing for her disheveled appearance.
"What is it?" She mumbled. Meilan stood in front of her, laughing hysterically.
"Sora, you...it's time to..." The child could barely speak, she was laughing so hard.
"What on earth is so funny?" Sora frowned slightly, wondering what had the servant girl in such hysterics.
"You have cream all over your face." She answered, almost deadpan, before bursting into another fit of giggles. Sora bolted back into her room, leaving the door open so Meilan could follow. She made her way to her mirror and gazed at her reflection. Pastry cream indeed adorned half of her face, as well as a good portion of her hair.
"Damn..." Sora muttered, submerging her face in the wash water on her nightstand. "I'm going to kill Reijun next time I see him."
"Oh, was he here last night?" Meilan giggled as she hid her face behind her palms. Sora raised her head indignantly, looking like a drowned bird.
"Indeed not!" Sora sputtered, blowing her wet hair out of her eyes. "And even if he was, it's none of your business! You shouldn't be worrying about those things." She sat in front of her mirror, where she could fix her hair and keep an eye on Meilan at the same time. That girl could be so much trouble ... Swiftly, she ran a soft brush through her hair, smoothing out the wet tangles before sweeping it up and securing it with a simple silver comb. When she looked in the mirror again, Meilan's reflection was staring at her. "What is it?" Sora asked softly as she rose from her seat, more than half of her attention on donning her garments for the day. She rummaged to her wardrobe and slid a hand over a robe of soft red material, grateful that her higher rank allowed her the simple luxury of fine clothing. She pulled it off its hanger and began to dress.
"Why do you look so different from the rest of us?" Sora dropped her robes as Meilan spoke, and blushed fiercely. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that I've asked everyone and no one will tell me." Suddenly, her shoes seemed to be the most interesting thing in the room, and she studied them fiercely. "I was just curious..."
Sora bent over, retrieving her garment and seating herself on the edge of the bed, patting the soft coverlet and inviting Meilan to sit beside her. "Mei, my mother was a fine servant. So fine, indeed, that she was often placed at the service of the most important guests to ever stay at the palace during her lifetime. And one of those guests was my father. She was very much in love with him, and from what she told me while she was alive, her feelings were returned. When his stay at the palace had ended, he asked her to join him. To leave and return to his homeland as his wife. But she was bound to this life of service, and refused to run away from the palace and her duty like a coward. And so he left...and I was born some time after." Sora looked up from her hands to see Meilan staring directly at her.
"So, you don't know who he is at all?" Tears were on the edge of her voice, but none dared to fall down her cheeks. "Didn't she ever tell you?" Sora sadly shook her head.
"No. Perhaps she was afraid I would leave her too. I was all he left behind for her when he sailed away. All I know is that I resemble him and bear his name."
"But that's not fair. Your mother loved him, right? What about love? Doesn't that mean anything? I'm sure if she had asked the Regent Empress she would have allowed your mother to go!"
"Meilan, listen to me. In our line of work, there is no place for impossible love. We are meant to serve, not to love." Sora argued softly.
"But what about Li Fan and Reiko. They were married and happy!" Meilan was on the verge of tears now. Sora couldn't blame her. There was a time in life when her station infuriated her as well, but she had overcome that. Calmly, she explained the situation as bluntly as she could to the young girl.
"Li Fan and Reiko were both servants. Their love was allowed, and even encouraged, as it increased the number of palace born servants. But it is forbidden for women of our station to marry men of nobility. It simply isn't done. We are here to serve their needs, nothing more, and nothing less." She tried to find the most delicate way to put her next statement, but she feared no spoon of sugar would make it go down easily. "There are eve times where we have to pretend...to love them. In any way of their choosing. This is something that, well, that we are trained to do. You will be soon as well." As matter of fact as she tried to be, she could see she had frightened the poor girl. But this was something that she had to learn. Meilan was almost of the proper age now anyway, and it was only a matter of time before the guests would be allowed to ask for her as well. But poor Meilan, those terrible tears had finally started to flow.
"No, tell me you're lying. It's not true. Please, Sora, tell me you didn't...that you've never..." She was unable to finish her statement and collapsed, crying, on Sora's bed. Silently, Sora moved to the girl's side, pulling her up into her shoulder and stroking her soft hair gently. Meilan sobbed until her eyes ran dry, and found her voice once more. "What happens if we refuse?"
"We're cast out to the street." Meilan blanched, she didn't remember the streets well, but she knew that she didn't want to end up there. She swallowed audibly. "Did it hurt, Sora?" It was barely a whisper.
"Oh no, dear." Sora sighed softly. "The first man I went to bed with was very gentle. Most noble men are. No, he was a fine gentleman, and very kind." Meilan sniffled a few times and looked at Sora again.
"Lord Mitsukake won't ask for me, will he?" Fear loomed in her large black eyes, and Sora was more than happy to shoo them away. "I don't think so, dear. In fact, he seems to have taken quite a liking to you the way a brother would to a little sister." She scrubbed her eyes, allowing a small smile to brighten her tearstained face.
"Really?" Sora nodded, smiling as well.
"Of course. He was very worried about you last night. He seemed quite relieved when I told him you were resting safely. He thinks very highly of you, Mei. Now up with you, go wash your face and get back to work." She rose and helped the girl to her feet, sending her to her washbasin before shooing her out of the door. Swiftly, she poked her head back in the doorway.
"Thank you, Sora." Meilan was smiling again, large and genuine.
"You're welcome. Now shoo, and tell everyone I'll be up and about in a few moments." Sora called after her as she scurried down the halls and out of sight. She heaved a large sigh and returned to her room, dressing herself swiftly and checking herself once more in the mirror. As she sat, she pulled up the left sleeve of her garment, noting several pale scars running haphazardly across her upper arm. The faded memories of her first encounter with a man. She had felt terrible lying to the girl, but it was something she was compelled to do. Unfortunately, most noble men were indeed pigs, violent and slovenly. She almost wished that Lord Mitsukake could be Mei's first encounter, if only for the fact that she knew he would be kind. But no, he was too good of a man to take advantage of a young girl. For now, all Sora could do was keep Meilan safe and out of sight until she was strong enough.
Dressed to satisfaction, Sora rose and strode purposefully out into the hall. The seishi would be free of their meeting soon and there was lunch to prepare.
Notes: Whoa, two chapters in two days...how about it? Ok, just character development here. No seishi or anything, but this story isn't really about them anyway. But I promise, we'll get back to them eventually. And thank you to everyone who left reviews on chapter 8. They were appreciated.
Enjoy...and critique yo!
"What is it?" She mumbled. Meilan stood in front of her, laughing hysterically.
"Sora, you...it's time to..." The child could barely speak, she was laughing so hard.
"What on earth is so funny?" Sora frowned slightly, wondering what had the servant girl in such hysterics.
"You have cream all over your face." She answered, almost deadpan, before bursting into another fit of giggles. Sora bolted back into her room, leaving the door open so Meilan could follow. She made her way to her mirror and gazed at her reflection. Pastry cream indeed adorned half of her face, as well as a good portion of her hair.
"Damn..." Sora muttered, submerging her face in the wash water on her nightstand. "I'm going to kill Reijun next time I see him."
"Oh, was he here last night?" Meilan giggled as she hid her face behind her palms. Sora raised her head indignantly, looking like a drowned bird.
"Indeed not!" Sora sputtered, blowing her wet hair out of her eyes. "And even if he was, it's none of your business! You shouldn't be worrying about those things." She sat in front of her mirror, where she could fix her hair and keep an eye on Meilan at the same time. That girl could be so much trouble ... Swiftly, she ran a soft brush through her hair, smoothing out the wet tangles before sweeping it up and securing it with a simple silver comb. When she looked in the mirror again, Meilan's reflection was staring at her. "What is it?" Sora asked softly as she rose from her seat, more than half of her attention on donning her garments for the day. She rummaged to her wardrobe and slid a hand over a robe of soft red material, grateful that her higher rank allowed her the simple luxury of fine clothing. She pulled it off its hanger and began to dress.
"Why do you look so different from the rest of us?" Sora dropped her robes as Meilan spoke, and blushed fiercely. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that I've asked everyone and no one will tell me." Suddenly, her shoes seemed to be the most interesting thing in the room, and she studied them fiercely. "I was just curious..."
Sora bent over, retrieving her garment and seating herself on the edge of the bed, patting the soft coverlet and inviting Meilan to sit beside her. "Mei, my mother was a fine servant. So fine, indeed, that she was often placed at the service of the most important guests to ever stay at the palace during her lifetime. And one of those guests was my father. She was very much in love with him, and from what she told me while she was alive, her feelings were returned. When his stay at the palace had ended, he asked her to join him. To leave and return to his homeland as his wife. But she was bound to this life of service, and refused to run away from the palace and her duty like a coward. And so he left...and I was born some time after." Sora looked up from her hands to see Meilan staring directly at her.
"So, you don't know who he is at all?" Tears were on the edge of her voice, but none dared to fall down her cheeks. "Didn't she ever tell you?" Sora sadly shook her head.
"No. Perhaps she was afraid I would leave her too. I was all he left behind for her when he sailed away. All I know is that I resemble him and bear his name."
"But that's not fair. Your mother loved him, right? What about love? Doesn't that mean anything? I'm sure if she had asked the Regent Empress she would have allowed your mother to go!"
"Meilan, listen to me. In our line of work, there is no place for impossible love. We are meant to serve, not to love." Sora argued softly.
"But what about Li Fan and Reiko. They were married and happy!" Meilan was on the verge of tears now. Sora couldn't blame her. There was a time in life when her station infuriated her as well, but she had overcome that. Calmly, she explained the situation as bluntly as she could to the young girl.
"Li Fan and Reiko were both servants. Their love was allowed, and even encouraged, as it increased the number of palace born servants. But it is forbidden for women of our station to marry men of nobility. It simply isn't done. We are here to serve their needs, nothing more, and nothing less." She tried to find the most delicate way to put her next statement, but she feared no spoon of sugar would make it go down easily. "There are eve times where we have to pretend...to love them. In any way of their choosing. This is something that, well, that we are trained to do. You will be soon as well." As matter of fact as she tried to be, she could see she had frightened the poor girl. But this was something that she had to learn. Meilan was almost of the proper age now anyway, and it was only a matter of time before the guests would be allowed to ask for her as well. But poor Meilan, those terrible tears had finally started to flow.
"No, tell me you're lying. It's not true. Please, Sora, tell me you didn't...that you've never..." She was unable to finish her statement and collapsed, crying, on Sora's bed. Silently, Sora moved to the girl's side, pulling her up into her shoulder and stroking her soft hair gently. Meilan sobbed until her eyes ran dry, and found her voice once more. "What happens if we refuse?"
"We're cast out to the street." Meilan blanched, she didn't remember the streets well, but she knew that she didn't want to end up there. She swallowed audibly. "Did it hurt, Sora?" It was barely a whisper.
"Oh no, dear." Sora sighed softly. "The first man I went to bed with was very gentle. Most noble men are. No, he was a fine gentleman, and very kind." Meilan sniffled a few times and looked at Sora again.
"Lord Mitsukake won't ask for me, will he?" Fear loomed in her large black eyes, and Sora was more than happy to shoo them away. "I don't think so, dear. In fact, he seems to have taken quite a liking to you the way a brother would to a little sister." She scrubbed her eyes, allowing a small smile to brighten her tearstained face.
"Really?" Sora nodded, smiling as well.
"Of course. He was very worried about you last night. He seemed quite relieved when I told him you were resting safely. He thinks very highly of you, Mei. Now up with you, go wash your face and get back to work." She rose and helped the girl to her feet, sending her to her washbasin before shooing her out of the door. Swiftly, she poked her head back in the doorway.
"Thank you, Sora." Meilan was smiling again, large and genuine.
"You're welcome. Now shoo, and tell everyone I'll be up and about in a few moments." Sora called after her as she scurried down the halls and out of sight. She heaved a large sigh and returned to her room, dressing herself swiftly and checking herself once more in the mirror. As she sat, she pulled up the left sleeve of her garment, noting several pale scars running haphazardly across her upper arm. The faded memories of her first encounter with a man. She had felt terrible lying to the girl, but it was something she was compelled to do. Unfortunately, most noble men were indeed pigs, violent and slovenly. She almost wished that Lord Mitsukake could be Mei's first encounter, if only for the fact that she knew he would be kind. But no, he was too good of a man to take advantage of a young girl. For now, all Sora could do was keep Meilan safe and out of sight until she was strong enough.
Dressed to satisfaction, Sora rose and strode purposefully out into the hall. The seishi would be free of their meeting soon and there was lunch to prepare.
Notes: Whoa, two chapters in two days...how about it? Ok, just character development here. No seishi or anything, but this story isn't really about them anyway. But I promise, we'll get back to them eventually. And thank you to everyone who left reviews on chapter 8. They were appreciated.
Enjoy...and critique yo!