I want to thank my touching reviewers and apologize, once again, for the fact that this update took a long while to perform.
Disclaimer: Nothing.
-Chapter 9 – The castle-
Rei offered his greeting with a timid smile, too friendly perhaps to the impassive and sweaty face. This master looked at him with weary eyes, from the long battle his army won and conquered but the orbs, as red as the blood he shed stared him down intensely. The twitch in his dark rose lips finally uncurled into a thin line and as it faded, the armored man brushed past him uncouthly.
He wondered for a long second just who this person was. The legion of horses all before him dispersed with loud cheers and hooves clattering upon the ground. He barely heard that deep, accented voice address him again and when he turned to speak with the taller man, that timorous grin he wore graced his facade.
''Sir Kon, in apology for your prior treatment, I request that you join us at our dinner table.''
His leer broadened in response to the invitation he could not refuse and nodded his head vigorously, a tad too eager. Though, an unsettling and cruel smile was returned to him as the man lead him towards the castle's vast entrance. A shiver crept up his spine as he approached the destination and while they briefly halted; his heart skipped a beat.
He had now infiltrated the targets domain. The entry way was riddled with a large amount of guards patrolling. They all bowed as this authoritarian figure walked by, ensued by his curious stature, glancing in all directions. The ocher depths scanned over the long hallway and counted every door, storing the information in the back of his mind.
Not a single detail could be overlooked when attempting to achieve perfection. Rei refused to commit a single error on his journey. Failure and mistakes were not options. They neared the main hall and as they stepped into the giant room, his jaw fell agape. Quickly, he began counting the numbers of floors and stairwells while the digits baffled him.
The empire was immense and elaborate. The darting of his eyes was scattered. He had to look everywhere and did not have enough time. This was not sufficient nor would it result in being adequate or accurate. It would take patience to map out the location from what he could see. This maze threatened to consume him if he dared make a fast attempt at resolving it.
For the time being, he could only marvel like a simple guest into this new world and follow his host to the dinning room. He ensued the man, turning down each corridor as if it were etched in his head since birth. His thoughts then began to return solely on this member of royalty. Men quivered at the sight of him, thus, he knew his position was powerful.
His ponders were abruptly cut as the hall they traveled stopped with two great, undoubtedly oak doors with golden hinges and knobs. The old, bony hand latched onto it and turned, pulling it open with force. They squeaked a hollow noise, echoing amid the four large walls as it revealed the dinning table within.
Chefs were already scurrying inside from an adjoining door as they entered with a silence enveloping them, looming and uneasy. A thick, unsettling atmosphere nestled itself around them. There was hesitance and an unsure hush smothering them, veiled by wan visages acting pleasant.
''See chas, (Now) please show our guest to his seat.''
As ants in a colony would, the servants dispersed and molded, under the tone of his voice, into workers doing their jobs. Two men came up to Rei and escorted him to a chair on one side of the lengthy, stretched dinner table, whilst the inviter sat across. Napkins dropped onto their laps as the young boys; roughly, his age; placed wine glasses and filled the cups with liquor, clear and translucent.
The smell intoxicated his nostrils. The alcoholic substance was, without question, a potent and traditional drink, vodka. Unlike the pronunciation in the English language, the Russians referred to the drink as votka even when they spoke in the prior and not latter. He carefully lifted his glass between the middle and ring fingers, against the flesh webbings and sipped at the rim.
''The only better way to commence a hearty meal than with votka is with a proper introduction.''
''I concur.'' He raised the goblet in a toast that only the distance of the table kept from actually clanging the glass sides together.
The older male cleared his throat, a resonance that rumbled against his Adam's apple and escaped past his cracked lips.
''First, I welcome you to Russia, in the name of our great Emperor, his highness and Excellency, Lord Hiwatari. His presence will be absent from this meal due to the affairs he is attending with at the current moment but I, Sir Balcov, head advisor welcome you the same.''
''The honor is all mine.'' The words felt disgusting as they passed his wanly smiling lips but it still sounded natural and genuine.
He was in the least bit honored to meet this man, the King's conniving snake but he lied nonetheless. This was his role and he would play it out perfectly until the end, when blood would be shed. Balcov smiled at him; just like the serpent, he was and extended his arm across the table. Rei met it with his own, and they shook hands like gentlemen.
That is when the door opened, abruptly and in stepped, with hollow footsteps, that leader he felt brush past him. The cold stare focused on him, as he entered the main hall and strode for the seat at the end, wordlessly and stoic to all the servants gushing around him.
''Master Kai, I am pleased to see that you have joined us this evening of your return.''
He was dressed in the finest woven silks the world had to offer, of colors similar to his hair. The blue vest was buttoned up the middle as the ivory lapel contrasted against it. His pants matched the hues of the darkest shadows, ebony only rivaled by the bottomless depths of his pupils. The attire was befitting of his ranking position as the militia's leader, Rei gathered.
However, why would the King's personal and leading consultant address this youth with a term slaves called their owners?
The thought disappeared when Balcov addressed him again.
''You are just in time for Sir, Kon's introduction.'' He gestured to their assumed Japanese guest.
''I am, Kon, Rei of Japan, member of the Daimyo Tokugawa clan of the Eastern lands. I am thankful and grateful for your sincere welcomes from this foreign country to myself.''
Through his whole speech, Rei glanced but once in the direction of this master and found his gaze wandering, barely listening to his words. His eyes narrowed slightly as he turned back to the advisor. The room was plunged back in a silence as not a sound was spoken. A daring waiter came in though, and offered a drink to the last to join them.
As the liquor met his lips, when he raised the cup, Balcov spoke to him in Russian quietly. Rei sat there as he tried to decipher the fast mother tongue passing from mouth to ear. Not even a single word was understood. He identified nothing of the language and remained oblivious to it all.
He berated himself for letting them gain an advantage in their communication. He knew not enough of the vocabulary they had mastered. However, the reply, spiteful towards the older man was spoken in pure English and directed at his presence, from the young man's mouth.
''I am Russia's military leader and heir to his thrown, Hiwatari, Kai.''
In that second, he swallowed hard. The last pieces of the intense moments fell perfectly into place. All three lingered in the silence as the head of raven quickly bowed politely. When he looked up, the kitchen doors opened and one after another, long trays with dishes lidded and others exposed and steaming rolled into the room. Servants cast their eyes low and quietly placed the plates in front of the dinners.
''Please, enjoy the meal, Your Majesty.'' The last slave said and bowed.
The young male had not seen the smirk curling into the heir's lips as his eyes diverted and glanced over the masculine features, serving him but Rei had. Then, with a fork and knife in hand, the men began to eat and hesitantly, he did as well and let the meaty helping of food delight his taste buds.
''Does the meal appease you?'' Balcov casually asked, sipping at his wine glass.
The inquiry was a spur for a conversation to fill in the empty minutes slipping by. He smiled in return and swallowed before speaking.
''Of course. The food is however, much different from my usual meals.''
''Do tell about Japan and your role there. Our countries are now trying to establish a trade contact, which is why we accepted to invite you into our home. ''
This was new information to his ears. He knew of Japan, but none of its official politics. After all, his invitation paper was a forgery, as fake as his smiles and persona. But, if the advisor had actually signed an agree for foreigners to travel upon the restricted arctic lands freely, it only favored his odds of not getting caught.
''I am from eastern Edo which is still under the power of Daimyo Tokugawa, Ieharu. He is the tenth shogun of the shogunate and was my master, for many, long years. I was his…cook and slave, after my father attacked his army.'' He spoke calmly, only slightly disdained as if it really was a distant memory, in his mind that was true and painful to him.
''You were granted freedom, from your duties to your master?'' The older man pried, a spark of interest flickering within him.
''At a price. My father fled to these lands to seek refuge for his mutiny. My responsibility is to seek him out, for my master to inflict his proper punishment.'' The last words to leave his lips sounded somber and grave, as if his chore was a curse upon his soul. ''Or, I shall have to pay for his life with my own.''
''That is quite a selfish burden you carry but life is such a precious thing, isn't it?'' For the first time, willingly, Kai spoke, shocking both underlings, in his presence. ''We shall lend you assistance then, in your quest to... keep living.''
He pushed his plate and dropped his napkin onto the porcelain before he stood and without a gland back, nor another word, headed for the exit as his boots echoed down the hall.
Rei was perceived as greedy and subtly cruel, in their eyes and those were the only things, of the day, that had been real. He smirked to the retreating back before draining his glass of its alcoholic contents. Balcov did the same and they ended the meal in another silence.
Before nightfall, as the weather dropped and the pastel blue sky faded into darker hues, he walked along the streets, hugging his coat slightly tighter. The day had been long and restless. They panicked for so long after, when they watched him ride away on the back of that horse, and like the men, they were, devious to the core and scum to the law, they searched the alleys for information, or people with some.
Yuuri walked into the bar, thankful that a warm and liquored scented air engulfed him. He definitely needed a strong drink but he had business to attend to first. Their sources, the numerous people they spoke with, all sent them in one direction. Boris pushed the thief in his back, forcing him to continue walking forward, his eyes set on his destination.
The far back corner, surrounded by men, drinking and smoking alike, they strode towards the table. One of the men smirked, watching the cherry top walk up to him and nodded for the others to glance. He stopped and looked over them, with his deceitful baby blue eyes.
''Zdrastochye.(Hello.)'' He greeted in his native tongue.
''Why, aren't you a pretty little thing.''
Yuuri smiled at their cheap jests and flirt though, he was far from being flattered. Boris had smirked as well but as he stepped parallel the red head, it disappeared. He reached into his pocket, and like a businessman would, he through a sac of money on the table.
''There are a thousand rubles in there. It goes to whoever can tell us about the gallows.''
''I'm the executioner.'' The largest man spoke, his grubby hand extending for the coins.
You could see the brutality etched into his face; he truly looked like the sadistic being, merciless as he performed one beheading after another, without flinching. The informants were correct about the individual's location, the man they were in search of.
''The prisoners are kept along the inside of the castle's wall, in a jail, under the sturdy watch of the guard. If there crime is meager, a representative can let them free, if not, on their second morning, they are sent to Me.''
''Is there anything else you should tell us?'' Yuuri leaned over the wooden plank and pushed the bag over to the anxious hands.
His wan smile was sly and intimidating, for someone whom they thought was only worth looking at. The executioner returned the leer with one of his own, of sick and twisted perverse thoughts. He leaned over and in a whisper; he spoke the last morsels information into the young one's ear.
''My job has been delayed a week, since the King is away attending to foreign matters.''
''He…has left the throne?''
Things were beginning to get very…interesting.
-TBC-
Daimyo Tokugawa, Ieharu was ruler from 1760 to 1786; so there is more history for you all.
Not much to say except, stay tuned?