PART 19
"Lord Hotosashi, may I have the honor to be introduced to the fair Lady Miyakaede?" Riyota Miyagi asked, his eyes locked on Rukawa, desire had struck him, obviously. Rukawa didn't notice this, he never thought of Riyota Miyagi, being madly in love with Ayako, behaving this way. What a sly perv, he thought.
The emperor hesitated but said at last, "Lady Miyakaede, this is Lord Miyaboshi, Captain of the Second Fleet of the Third Battalion, Lord Makigo's most prominent soldiers."
Rukawa just nodded but disgust flooded through his veins as the boy took his hand and kissed it. How dare he even touch me? He was nothing but a sick bloke who flirted with their glamorous team manager; that and nothing more, Rukawa thought No reaction was evident accross his face though.
Taskuragi and Tamakira on the other hand were not enjoying as well. Taskuragi kept asking beautiful women to dance which gave him no luck at all. Tamakira couldn't help watching Emperor Hotosashi for fearing someone might strike behind him, he was so jumpy that Taskuragi found a way to enjoy himself.
"Tamakira, that guy over there has a dagger in his robes, I just know it, he'll stab The Emperor any minute now."
"It's not funny, I'm serious here...er why don't you join Chichitoru, Chirikoshino and Mitsugami over there?" Tamakira suggested irritably pointing at the three who were solemnly discussing something.
"Them? Never. They're boring, I'd rather stay with you and be vigilant because danger may strike any time. It would be valiant of us to die side by side, and people will remember us for our noble-" Taskuragi was cut short by Tamakira who was at the peak of blowing up. Now that was some nasty temper.
"Ok ok, mock me all you want i'll stand by." Tamakira scowled
Taskuragi's smirk faded into a serious frown. "I really can't convince you out of this, can I? Well you know what, Tamakira? I hate you. I hate you so much right now I wont talk to you for the whole evening. We should be having the times of our lives here, with all these pretty ladies and exotic food-"
Taskuragi didn't finish what he was saying, for before him stood a lady, or it seemed to him, so majestically pretty that his words trailed off its path. Tamakira didn't seem to have heard Taskuragi's rambling for he as well was stunned by the way Kiyota Nobunaga looked that night. Beautiful as the twilight from the inviolable forests of Shohokuto, yet peaceful like the rivers therein; until conspicuous irritation assumed the form of her,rather, his face.
He was wearing a green robe and on his head was a diadem with diamonds dangling on it. His hair was tied very elegantly and it was so shiny he was fit for a commercial model; if there were televisions or any of the kind that day. He was staring at Taskuragi as though he head seen a ghoul.
"Saru, you're here as well?" Kiyota asked Taskuragi who had just snapped out of it.
"He means you, Tamakira...why didn't you tell me you know of such a hot chick?" Taskuragi asked Tamakira innocently.
"We only met this morning...it's a long story and i didn't even catch her name...and I think he means you." Tamakira said.
Kiyota grew impatient, "Aargh do I have to be surrounded by idiots? This world is pathetic." He was talking to himself and turned to go.
"Look what you have just done?" Taskuragi blamed Tamakira.
"I thought I heard someone said he wouldn't speak to me for the whole evening?"
"I hate you."
Kiyota Nobunaga was eyeing the main party of the evening, he positioned himself away from the luncheon where no one could notice him, so he could watch Makigo and Soi-ichiro freely.
"You wait Makigo, for I will destroy everything you have hoped for. This is what you get for hooking up with a cross-dressing walking stick..." He exclaimed furiously ignoring the people who had just heard him.
He was so keen in watching the couple that he didn't notice that Taskuragi had followed him.
Kaede Rukawa was bored to death by the conversation the party was having. He excused himself only to Hotosashi and stood up before the emperor gave his consent. Hotosashi tried to follow him but Rukawa had gone to soon. Miyaboshi saw this and looked for Rukawa. It took him 20 minutes to locate the latter.
"My lady, why wont you join the celebration? Everyone wants to meet you."
"I'm sick of this. Go away Miyagi." Rukawa hissed.
"Why do you call me by the name? Didn't i make myself clear in introducing myself?" Miyaboshi asked patiently.
Rukawa had had enough. He had grown restless over the week for he hadn't played basketball ever since he got there. It would have been better if he could be with Hotosashi but days wouldn't go by without the emperor being busy and Taskuragi and Tamakira bugging him off like pen salesmen. He looked straight at Miyaboshi's eyes with flesh-piercing glance the shorter boy was taken aback.
Miyagi tried to compose himself,
"If you wish...but you will listen to this, you seem to be very unaware of what your role is for the two kingdoms. Besides the fact that you're so indifferent, that I've noticed for the first time i laid my eyes on you, some things are kept hidden from you. You will be the one to deliver the outcome of the battle that is inevitable, thus Lord Hotosashi holds you so dearly, and nothing more than that. He keeps you as a weapon, not an object of his desire...now you are no longer oblivious to everything." Miyaboshi finished and left.
Rukawa wasn't listening at first but when the emperor's name was mentioned, he attended. He didn't want to believe that he was no more than a bridge to victory for Mitsui.
"Lord Hotosashi, may I have the honor to be introduced to the fair Lady Miyakaede?" Riyota Miyagi asked, his eyes locked on Rukawa, desire had struck him, obviously. Rukawa didn't notice this, he never thought of Riyota Miyagi, being madly in love with Ayako, behaving this way. What a sly perv, he thought.
The emperor hesitated but said at last, "Lady Miyakaede, this is Lord Miyaboshi, Captain of the Second Fleet of the Third Battalion, Lord Makigo's most prominent soldiers."
Rukawa just nodded but disgust flooded through his veins as the boy took his hand and kissed it. How dare he even touch me? He was nothing but a sick bloke who flirted with their glamorous team manager; that and nothing more, Rukawa thought No reaction was evident accross his face though.
Taskuragi and Tamakira on the other hand were not enjoying as well. Taskuragi kept asking beautiful women to dance which gave him no luck at all. Tamakira couldn't help watching Emperor Hotosashi for fearing someone might strike behind him, he was so jumpy that Taskuragi found a way to enjoy himself.
"Tamakira, that guy over there has a dagger in his robes, I just know it, he'll stab The Emperor any minute now."
"It's not funny, I'm serious here...er why don't you join Chichitoru, Chirikoshino and Mitsugami over there?" Tamakira suggested irritably pointing at the three who were solemnly discussing something.
"Them? Never. They're boring, I'd rather stay with you and be vigilant because danger may strike any time. It would be valiant of us to die side by side, and people will remember us for our noble-" Taskuragi was cut short by Tamakira who was at the peak of blowing up. Now that was some nasty temper.
"Ok ok, mock me all you want i'll stand by." Tamakira scowled
Taskuragi's smirk faded into a serious frown. "I really can't convince you out of this, can I? Well you know what, Tamakira? I hate you. I hate you so much right now I wont talk to you for the whole evening. We should be having the times of our lives here, with all these pretty ladies and exotic food-"
Taskuragi didn't finish what he was saying, for before him stood a lady, or it seemed to him, so majestically pretty that his words trailed off its path. Tamakira didn't seem to have heard Taskuragi's rambling for he as well was stunned by the way Kiyota Nobunaga looked that night. Beautiful as the twilight from the inviolable forests of Shohokuto, yet peaceful like the rivers therein; until conspicuous irritation assumed the form of her,rather, his face.
He was wearing a green robe and on his head was a diadem with diamonds dangling on it. His hair was tied very elegantly and it was so shiny he was fit for a commercial model; if there were televisions or any of the kind that day. He was staring at Taskuragi as though he head seen a ghoul.
"Saru, you're here as well?" Kiyota asked Taskuragi who had just snapped out of it.
"He means you, Tamakira...why didn't you tell me you know of such a hot chick?" Taskuragi asked Tamakira innocently.
"We only met this morning...it's a long story and i didn't even catch her name...and I think he means you." Tamakira said.
Kiyota grew impatient, "Aargh do I have to be surrounded by idiots? This world is pathetic." He was talking to himself and turned to go.
"Look what you have just done?" Taskuragi blamed Tamakira.
"I thought I heard someone said he wouldn't speak to me for the whole evening?"
"I hate you."
Kiyota Nobunaga was eyeing the main party of the evening, he positioned himself away from the luncheon where no one could notice him, so he could watch Makigo and Soi-ichiro freely.
"You wait Makigo, for I will destroy everything you have hoped for. This is what you get for hooking up with a cross-dressing walking stick..." He exclaimed furiously ignoring the people who had just heard him.
He was so keen in watching the couple that he didn't notice that Taskuragi had followed him.
Kaede Rukawa was bored to death by the conversation the party was having. He excused himself only to Hotosashi and stood up before the emperor gave his consent. Hotosashi tried to follow him but Rukawa had gone to soon. Miyaboshi saw this and looked for Rukawa. It took him 20 minutes to locate the latter.
"My lady, why wont you join the celebration? Everyone wants to meet you."
"I'm sick of this. Go away Miyagi." Rukawa hissed.
"Why do you call me by the name? Didn't i make myself clear in introducing myself?" Miyaboshi asked patiently.
Rukawa had had enough. He had grown restless over the week for he hadn't played basketball ever since he got there. It would have been better if he could be with Hotosashi but days wouldn't go by without the emperor being busy and Taskuragi and Tamakira bugging him off like pen salesmen. He looked straight at Miyaboshi's eyes with flesh-piercing glance the shorter boy was taken aback.
Miyagi tried to compose himself,
"If you wish...but you will listen to this, you seem to be very unaware of what your role is for the two kingdoms. Besides the fact that you're so indifferent, that I've noticed for the first time i laid my eyes on you, some things are kept hidden from you. You will be the one to deliver the outcome of the battle that is inevitable, thus Lord Hotosashi holds you so dearly, and nothing more than that. He keeps you as a weapon, not an object of his desire...now you are no longer oblivious to everything." Miyaboshi finished and left.
Rukawa wasn't listening at first but when the emperor's name was mentioned, he attended. He didn't want to believe that he was no more than a bridge to victory for Mitsui.