Beauty and the Hanjyuu
Chapter 1: Prologue
Disclaimer: I don't own Twelve Kingdoms.
Her smile was magic.
The gentle vestiges of the morning sun gave her an almost ethereal look, and for a moment Kantai wondered if the young girl standing before him was an immortal from the revered Heavens than a fellow officer of Kei. But then again, everything about Shokei whispered of something enchanting. After all, she was not known as Gyokuyou for nothing. (For the blissfully ignorant, it means beautiful girl.) The ritualistic morning sessions that they had assembled for had just ended. It had been an exceptionally long one, and it appeared that Shokei was more than happy to be out again in the fresh air. It seemed, being cooped up all day in the palace hall discussing endlessly about new policies wasn't all that high on her itenary after all. As the various officers began shuffling back to their individual posts, Shokei had grasped him by the arm to accompany her for breakfast. So much for getting back to work, as he listened to her rattle on about the new chef from Ho in amusement.
Shokei shook her head as she watched Kantai poke about his plate, making the initially delectable-looking pastry look like some congealed gunk that she was once made to eat when she was still living in the shelter. She frowned, as she suddenly reached over and removed the offending chopsticks from his hands. That unexpected gesture promptly shook him out of his reverie as he looked at her.
"Kantai, you really should learn to take a break from work once in a while. You're still thinking about Shojyuu said this morning, ne?" she leaned over and took another piece of pastry. Maneuvering with the greatest of ease, she separated it into four small bite-size portions in her plate before placing it in front of a nonplussed Kantai. He sighed, and broke into an apologetic grin in reply.
"Gomenasai, my mind was indeed in someplace else. I still cannot believe that Shojyuu is going to increase the taxes of the people twice fold during the winter solstice. It's already difficult for the people to gather sufficient food and funds for themselves; and now this is to be added to their burdens?" His brows furrowed as he took a sip of tea from his cup, before hesitantly raising a morsel to his mouth. Shokei could feel the increasing frustration emanating from him.
'He's a truly good man at heart, albeit one that judges another a little too fast,' she thought.
She toyed with a stray strand of violet, wondering if she should tell him what she knew. Yoko had pulled Suzu and her into her quarters before the morning assembly, intending to brief them on her latest policy. Both were somewhat taken aback at first, but as she weighed the pros and cons she knew that Yoko was doing the right thing. But she promised that she would help her keep it a secret till the time was ripe….yet seeing how bothered the man that she had come to regard as one of her closest friends, well, she was torn with indecision. The kingdom and the Queen that she was serving now was the utmost priority, as she pushed back her uncertainty to the back of her mind. "Have faith in your Queen, Left General." She said simply, flashing him yet another amazing smile. Kantai felt his lips reluctantly curve, and for that moment, his worries were put to rest.
At Kimba Palace…
Yoko folded her arms on her writing desk, resting her head on them. Thank goodness Keiki wasn't here now, she'd probably hear no end of him going on endlessly about the mortal sufferings of the people. Despite knowing fully well that it was in the Kirin's nature to be merciful, it was a little too much for her to bear. It was already enough that she had faced the majority of her ministers and officers voice their disapproval. "At least I still have Shokei and Suzu on my side," she mused silently as she tugged the golden hairpiece that held her crowning glory in place. It was a basic protocol for one to appear prim and proper during assembly, but it had begun to feel like a lead weight after wearing it for almost a whole day. After a few futile yanking and pulling, Yoko decided that it an impossible task. Sure, she had faced a tricky battle against a fake queen and joined a rebellion for her throne, but her own accessory had beaten her. How ironic.
She began to rise out of her chair to call for Gyokuyou, but a familiar pair of hands suddenly eased her back down. Yoko resisted the urge to turn around and 'greet' the new arrival the only way she knew possible. 'Two can play at this game,' she thought cheekily. She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound as natural as possible. "Is that you, Gyokuyou? I'm a little exhausted so I'd like to retire to bed soon. Can you remove my hairpiece please?" Now this would be pretty interesting; the hairpiece had a intricate clasp that required a series of turns and clicks before it would release. Only Gyokuyou knew how to handle it.
It only took less than two seconds for Yoko to confirm her suspicions about the 'intruder'. Fumbling hands fought a discreet battle with the mentioned piece, and not long after, an (intentional or unintentional) growl followed. Letting out a giggle, she whipped around. Using her right feet to trip him, she manipulated his momentum to push him on top of the desk. "Nandayo!" exclaimed a startled voice. The documents and scrolls that were thrown askew revealed the face of a thoroughly bewildered Rakushun. She beamed down at the hanjyuu pleasantly; though the latter was beginning to feel that he was more like a hapless prey before a mighty Youma.
"Well well, what do we have here? You must know that sneaking up on a Queen is a capital crime tantamount to treason against Heaven. Yet you took a risk?" she asked in mock alarm.
So much for the element of surprise, it had backfired brilliantly. He wasn't too disappointed though, as he felt sweet lips press softly against his own. He savored the kiss, parting his lips to allow entrance to her probing tongue. She tasted of sweet berries, he decided hazily. He had come here to discuss about the stuff that she had told him through the bird. The details were pretty vague, and he had felt that it would be better if they met face-to-face. Besides, that wasn't the only reason why he wanted to come. Rakushun bent his head a little, gently breaking the kiss. Yoko still had her eyes closed, her lips still curved invitingly. He really hated doing that, but there were more important things at hand. He sat up gingerly, causing her to stand up and move backwards to give him some space. She sighed in resignation before planting herself on one of the polished wooden stools. Just the perfect timing for him to spring this up on her. She could almost feel the beginnings of a headache form.
"I'm assuming you came after hearing what I said previously…I told you, I can handle it on my own. Besides, don't you have to study?" she asked. Rakushun shook his head, his dark gray hair ruffling a little. "I requested a short period of leave from the Sage on grounds of an urgent matter. He permitted," he shrugged his shoulders, " besides, the University will be closed for the winter in a short while." In spite of being together for quite sometime, Yoko still felt her face grow slightly warm. He regarded her words as an urgent matter? That was just so…sweet. But then again, he was Rakushun.
He could never fathom what girls her age were thinking. One moment she was giving him the most amazing kiss he ever had, the next moment she was flushed and staring into space. Is she ill? Yoko never did know her limits; despite being an immortal blessed with eternal life, it was still important for her to know when to rest. He sat beside her and placed a hand on her forehead.
"Ne Yoko, are you alright? Your face is kind of red…perhaps you're heaty. That's what happens when you stay up so late at night; I mean being a Queen is important, but taking care of your self is just as important too. Standing up, he began to walk towards the door. "Perhaps I could make you some chilled Lotus Root soup, that always worked when my mother made it for me during my exams. I think the Royal Kitchen should have the ingredients…" he continued mumbling to himself, oblivious to a certain astonished-looking Queen. He can cook? And he was going to cook for her? When will wonders ever cease?
Long slender arms wrapped themselves around his waist just as Rakushun was about to step out of the room. He stiffened in surprise as he turned to face Yoko; her eyes closed with a huge grin as she buried her face into his broad back. He smiled.
"Thank you," she whispered.
TBC
A/N: Hi all! This is supposed to be a sequel, inter-related with my first fic; Second Glances. The characters will be more OOC because of stuff they went through in S.C. so don't be surprised. Due to a major glitch, my original computer is officially down so I'll be temporarily unable to update as the documents are in there. I hope you'll like these as much as Second Glances and do leave me a review to tell me what you think.
A few other things: this title has hidden meanings, and it may or may not refer to the pair you're thinking. cunning grin Did a number of fanart for both of the fics, though I don't know where's a good place to post them. Any suggestions?
