Ch 12. On the Road Towards Power

Anna dismissed the young messenger without looking at him, before he could hand her the thin slip of paper. She had grown accustomed to messengers appearing daily, bearing their master's love confessions. Her curiosity in whose interest she peaked diminished from little to none.

Seeing Anna turn her back to him, the messenger demanded her attention with a bold statement. "He says you will read it if I ask whether you've gone swimming in the cold ocean lately." His words immediately stopped Anna and inclined her to turn around and look at him. When she did, she saw a mere boy, appearing no older than twelve. She nodded to her handmaiden, indicating she would accept the note after all.

"Shall I read it to you, Anna-sama?" her female attendant asked.

"No, I will read it myself. There is nothing more I need right now. Please leave us in private."

"Hai." With a low bow, the handmaiden excused herself.

"Wait. On second thought, bring me some ink and paper, and then you may leave."

"Hai."

Anna looked back and forth between the boy and the note, hesitating to read what was inside.

"My lord says I may not leave until I bring back a decent answer from you, thus I will wait patiently until you have formed an appropriate response. He says you will take more time deliberating over why you should respond than thinking about what to say. Looks like he's wrong this time, since you've already asked for ink and paper."

Anna stared at the boy, dumbfounded by his remark. "How old are you, boy?"

"I will be eleven by the start of autumn."

"And already he's taught you to say these sorts of things."

"No, I'm speaking on my own. In any case, please do read the note. I know he deeply anticipates a good answer, although he doesn't admit it."

"You not only know too much for your age, but you say too much too."
"Please excuse my rudeness." Despite his apology, it was clear the boy took her words as compliment rather than complaint. She said no more and slowly unfolded the piece of paper.

Days have grown warmer

With the changing of seasons

Fruits emerge from where

The last pink petal has dropped

Anticipating ripe yields

OOO

Surely all has thawed

Giving way to lush green life

Leaving none untouched

Even ice that guards the heart

Will have to dissolve sometime

OOO

"I was too quick to say he gave up," Anna said, to no one in particular. She sat down and picked up the writing tools set down before her.

Plucked from the wrong tree

The apple will taste sour

Picked by the wrong person

It will leave a bitter taste

Perhaps you have the wrong fruit?

OOO

Nature may bring change

Shading leaves different hues

But do remember

It is only four seasons

Repeating the same cycle

OOO

Change is a fixed thing

As it occurs in patterns

Fixed like women's heart

Refusing to budge and be

Warmed by love from the wrong man

OOO

"I'd be lying if I said this wasn't the sort of response I was expecting. Still, it disappoints me a little."

"Will you be paying her a visit later then, Hao-sama?"

The prince grinned and ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "Ha ha. You make a fine apprentice. But I wonder if you know too much for your age."

"That's what she said."

"Ha ha. Did she really? So what did you think of her?"

"She's quite pretty and very different from the others."

"She's different, indeed. That's why I won't see her just yet. There more I see her, the more she seems to hate me. I'll make her miss me instead."

The boy ran his fingers over his hair, tidying up the places that the prince left disheveled. "I see. That's a very smart way of doing things," the boy said cheerfully."

"Hao-sama," resounded a stern voice from the nearby distance.

A lofty man twice Hao's age stepped forward. He bore a small mustache on his gentle, unwrinkled face. A long black beard outlined his chin and jaw. The prince coolly acknowledged him. "Have the arrangements been made already?" inquired Hao.

"Yes sir. Everything is right on schedule and the 'obstacles' should be removed by sunrise," answered his trusted subordinate.

"Good. Now we just sit back and watch how things stir themselves up."

The crickets had already started chirping to one another when Kanna arrived. She followed the wooden walkways leading through the imperial gardens to reach the grand rectangular shaped building that loomed before her. Artificial hills and mountains enhanced the surrounding landscape, making it appear more massive than it already was. The stone paths off on the sides were lit by ecru paper lanterns; its lights mirrored in the ponds, softly illuminating the area and creating a dreamlike ambiance.

Kanna took a few more steps before she gasped and placed a hand over her heart to steady herself. Before her towered the grandiose Imperial building. Seeing it for the first time, she felt overwhelmed by its sheer size. So this was the kind of place her Hao-sama resided! She had finally gotten to see it for herself, having found the opportunity when she heard about the "small" banquet being held by the queen. So there she was, after bribing her way in (only those with formal ties to the court received an invitation). All the court ladies were assembled, ranking from high importance to low, meaning Kanna would get to see the face of her much hated rival without alarming Hao-sama with her own presence.

Opulence spilled forth from every detail of the palace. All the rails and posts were painted a vibrant shade of red, along with the beams that held up roofs over the walkways. Round rice paper lanterns hung from the beams like multiple moons orbiting the palace. In front of the large wooden steps, Kanna stopped to straighten out her robe, a juni hitoe Hao had tailored for her. She caressed the stiff fabrics of her clothing and mentally compared her attire to the other ladies she saw strolling along the parameters of the building. Satisfied it wasn't inferior, she proceeded towards the entrance.

Perusing through the sea of women, she glimpsed into the aristocratic life she never had. Everywhere she turned, conversations revolved around poetry, music, and other arts. An old woman and a young maid squinted over an obtuse looking vase in front of her. "Obaa-san, why is an unevenly shaped vase like this being displayed in the palace?"

"To the west the Chinese love their symmetrical forms, but we find beauty in irregularities. Mai-chan, there is no life in things that are flawless, because real people aren't flawless."

Where there wasn't talk about fine arts, it was gossip about someone's personal affairs. Kanna passed by a trio of women and they whispered, a little too loudly amongst themselves. "Who is she? Never seen her before," said the lanky looking one. Another one, appearing to be the leader of the three, sharply retorted, "Looks like no one important. Probably just another one from the bottom of the tier trying to move up."

Upon hearing the insult, Kanna scowled at the three. "Meanwhile there are some who have reached the top but still don't look the part. Even the finest powder will look like ash when smeared on an ugly visage."

They shot back a look of shock, followed by disgust. "She seems so vulgar," they complained amongst each other.

Never mind them, she thought, and moved on. Finding her rival was more important. The longer Hao-sama delayed visiting, the stronger her desire at seeing her opponent's face. That moment was no exception. Searching through the large room again, her attention drifted towards a young woman with pale golden hair and a porcelain complexion. The naturally light hair and skin puzzled her; she had never seen anyone with such coloring before. Amidst the plethora of vibrant dresses, the golden-haired one wore a jet black robe with trailing cherry blossom patterns. She somehow stood in the middle of the crowd while simultaneously standing apart from them; she simply radiated. But what's with that dull expression on her face? Though she's strikingly pretty, she's probably just another stuck up aristocrat in the end…In any case, at least I'm certain that's not the face of my rival.

Kanna made her way down the room, until she came to another group of women, this time flocking over an array of robes. "Splendid!" the girl next to her gushed. "These are all made by the great tailor Iwasaki. How lucky we are to have him traverse from the other side of country, ne? Jeanne-sama?"

Kanna halted on the spot. Jeanne-sama?

"Indeed, they are splendid." It was a faint, calm voice that replied.

That's how she sounds? So soft and so demure?

But it is her. Get a good look. She's the one to stand in the way of my happiness. She slowly positioned herself to look.

And found her rival to be surprisingly much younger than she had imagined.

Her rival wasn't even a woman, but a girl, one who looked no older than sixteen. The girl was clothed in white, a subdued color that complimented her graceful visage.

Long lashes. Pink cheeks. A delicate nose.

She emitted such purity, as if she has lived her whole life protected from the entire world's debris.

But never the less, this was the one person who stood between her and Hao-sama. Her anger only increased further from remembering her hate.

An opportunity came when a maid came passing by. Kanna bumped into the maid with little effort. With a clatter, the tray that that carried court delectables came scurrying down. The hot tea doused Jeanne's robe while food fell around her in crumbles. The girl gave a loud yelp and jumped back in bewilderment as the poor maid scrambled to apologize. Then, as if her instinct kicked in, Jeanne looked up in Kanna's direction. She eyed Kanna coldly and opened her mouth to speak when a loud voice burst through the room.

"Your highness, bad news just came in!" All eyes turned to the source of the interruption, a frenzied looking messenger appeared before them. The entire room parted, creating an aisle in the middle, allowing the queen to step towards the messenger.

"What kind of news is it? To have you suddenly barge in and forget all your manners? The appropriate way would be for you to notify me discreetly, rather than announce it to entire room."

The messenger fearfully began to kowtow in front of the queen, spouting out, "I'm sorry! Terribly sorry!"

"Enough of your groveling. Since you already gathered so much attention, go ahead and say it aloud. I'll hear it along with everyone else."

"Hai." He looked nervously around before proceeding. "Fujiki-sama has been murdered outside of Heian Kyo, along with Nakajima-sama! An organization of countryside robbers probab—

A deafening shriek echoed through the room. "That's can't be! A lie! Father left yesterday with fifteen soldiers escorting his carriage. How could some measly bandits ambush them?" The princess wailed and screamed at the same time.

"Even so, it appears they were still outnumbered."

"LIES! ALL LIES! IT CANNOT BE! FATHER IS NOT DEAD!" Several women rushed to ease her sobbing and pull her away. "Let go of me!" The princess flailed wildly from their grasps, taking a few steps away from them before suddenly collapsing. Her handmaiden caught her before she hit the ground.

The queen looked forlornly at her feet as the princess was carried away. Numerous murmurings arose.

"How terrible! That's a great loss for the crown prince, losing both his father-in-law and at the same time, two very important backings in the court!"

"Poor Namie-hime! How distraught she must be to faint without warning!"

"Such atrocious beasts! To have the audacity to attack a royal carriage!"

"Now only the queen is left to advise the crown prince!"

"How inconsiderate to use this tragedy as an excuse to lose your manners," the queen reprimanded, audible enough for her voice to carry through the entirety of the vast room. "This regalia shall be called off since it can no longer be a merry affair." She walked off, with several maids trailing from behind.

Anna watched as the events unfolded with a deadpanned expression on her face. But then another scene soon caught her attention. "What's the meaning of this?"

Several meters away, two women glared at each other, short of baring their teeth at one another. "What's the meaning of what?"

This time the maid serving the young woman interjected. "I clearly saw you push the servant into Jeanne-sama. It was intentional. How dare you!"

"So what if it was?"

"To behave in such a way towards her. Do you not know your place?

"Such words to come out of a mere servant's mouth."

"That is enough Sanshi. Do not waste your breath on such an uncivilized person." The young woman spoke with severity in her voice. She turned her austere face towards the older one, her eyes coldly piercing. "I am certain we have never met before, so I do not understand the reasons for your hostility. However, I will forgive you stranger."

The other one scoffed. "I don't forgive you. Just remember that."

The penetrating eyes narrowed beneath furrowed brows. "You are spouting nonsense now," she said painstakingly with a trace of warning. "Go ahead and continue by yourself, I will not waste my time with you."

"I wonder why he wastes time on you."

She had already begun to walk away but the last words stopped her. The frown lines slowly faded and her face emerged flawless once again. But it was an expressionless face, one devoid of life and filled with resignation. "You must be one of them. A mistress of his."

"You insult Hao-sama, titling the woman he loves his mistress."

"Remember this well, you foolish thing. He does not love."

"You don't understand him then."

"IT IS YOU WHO DOES NOT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING." It was a voice unaccustomed to shouting, and its owner looked appreciative of the fact that the commodious room was now nearly deserted. "But you'll understand soon enough when you come out with your heart broken into pieces."

"Jeanne-sama!" the maid called after her master. The older one continued to scowl at the young woman walking off, but in a weakened way, as if she found some truth to the enemy's words.

Anna had already grown bored of the scenery and decided to leave. He does not love? Well, neither do I.

Anna hadn't felt like retiring right away---something she fully regretted and cursed herself for later.

She ventured too far this time in her exploration of the palace grounds. Four long months since she'd first arrived and she'd only encroached upon a tenth of the public gardens, not including the private spaces and the rest of the interiors. Not to mention that this was her regular nightly excursion, the careless meanderings and the constant discovery of how public taxes paid for unnecessary lavishness like these. And this was her home now, at least till she married Oyamada, but even so, her new home would not be much different than this. Their family came from a long line of merchants after all, and if any one knew how to use commodities well, it would be the merchants. It eased her to know that she would be able to live a comfortable life. She cared not for all the opulence in the world, she could live without silk dresses and glittering hair ornaments, but she wanted stability, she wanted to live easily. Boredom, she could worry about later.

There she was, alone again, in the middle of the night in some foreign area within the royal infrastructure, after having forcefully relinquished her maids from their duty in escorting her from place to place. A desolate place, she had thought. Then she heard them; it initially came to her as incoherent murmurings in the distant. The longer she stood there, the clearer the sounds became, clear enough for her to recognize the voices that lent themselves to the words being exchanged.

"It was like the time you sent me roses during your extended absence; you knew very well how little I would enjoy looking at its ephemeral existence. To watch how it wilts and exhausts its petals each day, till it becomes nothing more than a pile of dried lifeless waste. It was not the thorns that stung me."

"I thought its sweet fragrance would liven up the place a little." Full of amusement and lacking in sincerity, as to be expected of him.

"I am not as daft as you think. You enjoy hurting me too much. That is why you sent that woman out to humiliate me tonight." This came out slow and strained.

"I had nothing to do with it. She went to you on her own."

"Why do you have to be so callous?"

"I said she went to you on her own." His tone was free of sympathy and other emotions comprising human warmth.

"That is not what I am talking about."

"Well my dear, you need to be much clearer then." No retaliating speech came forth from the young woman, only the sound of stifled sobbing was returned. Without her mind's consent, Anna's feet traversed the moss laden pathway and stepped behind the densely foliaged rose bushes, increasing her view of the troubled couple while obscuring their view of her.

His lengthy mane streamed incandescent in the moon's luster. Husband and wife faced the lunar body pinned high in the night dressed sky. Jeanne, she was called. And this Jeanne trembled, moving him to surround her with his arms. He faced a little resistance at first, but she eventually sank into his embrace. "I hate you Hao," Jeanne squeezed out between meek sobs.

"I know, but you love me also."

"You know, yet you trample over my feelings."

"A bad habit amongst my other bad habits."

Inside Anna, something plummeted abysmally. An immense throbbing began saturating her body, dimming her sight and blazing her head. She felt immobile by the mixture of discomforting sensations, yet her mind screamed at her. Move!

And move she did, but she failed at retreating quietly, her sleeves extending like butterfly wings and catching on the thorns of the rose bush. It ripped from her hasty tugs, leaving the edges of her sleeve frayed. Hao twisted his head around early enough to glimpse long golden locks gliding away, as it did the first instance she appeared in his life.

AN: Hi it's me again! I went back to read the first chap—boy was that weird. It sounded completely different from the following chaps so I had to revise a little, replacing 'lady' with 'woman,' and etc to make it sound less archaic.

Anyhow I hope you like this…I'm not sure what the think of it myself. Please tell me which parts are boring, because I'm working so close to this thing that I can't tell good from bad.

10/06/05

11/12/05—corrected misspelling of the name Kanna

Ails: Where are you? sniff sniff

Silverfeathers: yup near coughs the marriage…but beware of the insertion of plot twists! Muwhahaha!

Kariisme: about AnnaxRen…note my response to asn water below…there's a glimmer of hope for you!

Miakoda13: Yup, that's what Hao is doing w/out Anna…he's being evil…hint hint points at the title of this chapter

Starian Princess: bloopers! That's a good way to put it. And in the anime there always seemed to be a strange hint of possibility between Ren & Anna…I wouldn't mind seeing that in canon.

Asn water: I'm not sure myself about Anna & Ren…he's falling for her…and maybe Anna thinks she's capable of falling for him too…but only she doesn't…at least not yet..I think….

White artemis: you must have been multi-tasking when u wrote a review for ch 10 ;D "maybe life can't really entail through…" please finish your thought! I'm curious what you were trying to say! & I also wnted to say thnx for reviewing Passage of Seasons too.

Hao's Baby Girl: Goodness, how many times has the admins deleted your account? NE how, thnx for your review. That's so cool you thought of the same concept, were u thinking about writing SK in Heian period or making Hao a playboy?

Bunny of death: first off, love your pen name, the images it conjures! Right on! Anna wants Hao to leave her alone and she wants the stability Manta can provide.

Hannami08: oh no! I feel my love for YohxAnnaxHao fading….I wish Takei would continue the manga or at least fill in some of the blanks….

k-chan: thnx :D sorry for updating so slow.

pendulumxswing: yes, he did get served….but it's too hard to punish Hao….

Chuchu Skyrider: hmm..skyrider..i like that word…I'm gonna try to incorporate that into the next chapter somehow. Seems we're on the same page. I always intended for Kanna to be the jealous woman, but she is only aware of Jeanne as a rival. In fact no one knows about Hao wanting Anna but Ren.

Clarisse: Welcome! Thnx for the congrats and the compliment. I will try my best!