Ch 13. A Cold Glare in Moonlight

It took effort.

A lot of effort. She recited the poem in that cool, unwavering voice of hers. And though she strained from beneath, the mask was in place, without fail.

Then she blundered. Her tongue tripped over a word. To be exact, the word was 'love', and as short as it was, to Anna it was inexcusable nonetheless. She could have sworn she even heard him snicker, which lead to the second mistake.

She looked at him.

Hao was grinning at her with that suffocating grin of his; her hands itched to slap it off his face. She felt her body burn, the sensation starting from the pit of her stomach and creeping its way up to her face. It had a dizzying effect. She swiftly returned her gaze to the scroll but found the words in front of her blurred. She tightened her grip on the fabric, just enough for her knuckles to turn white, yet not enough for her audience to notice.

The audience was originally the king and queen, but it seemed he slipped into the room, much to her chagrin. His eyes roved over her face---she felt it---with deliberate measure, keen on pushing her into discomfort. She also pushed on, in her own direction, getting past each line, articulating every single syllable until she reached the last. Unfortunately their happy reunion didn't end there; they stayed a while to discuss the implications of the poem, a subject she couldn't care for.

He even directed a question at her, to which she replied with as few words as possible. She kept her head up and her gaze constant. Anna had dignity; staring at the ground was simply not her. He gave her an artificial smile to go along with the guise of a gentle prince. She nearly choked on it in front of his royal father and stepmother. But being Anna, she got through it.

When she gave a polite departing bow to the superiors in the room, she heard him excuse himself for the night as well. He'll accompany Anna, he had said, because he needed to be assured of her safety. She thanked him for his courtesy, but refused him politely, saying she already had the handmaidens to escort her. Even when they walked through the doors he persisted on pestering her. What was she to do? They were in front of others after all. She reluctantly agreed.

"Kyouyama-san, your talent matches your beauty. It's no wonder her highness favors you at her side," he hummed.

Che. One of his goddamn games, and he was forcing her to play along. He even addressed her by a different honorific this time. "You flatter me as the compliment doesn't suit me; however, I am much grateful for your kindness."

"Ha ha! You're much too humble. The compliment suits you perfectly. And I even heard her highness had something to do with your marriage arrangement. I feel so rude for not having congratulated you properly yet. So here goes: Congratulations! What a splendid match you have with Oyamada-kun." He flashed her a sly smile and leaned in slightly, adding in something else through a low whisper. "As splendid a match as a rose sitting on top of dung."

Slapping him wouldn't have been enough. Wringing his neck would have been much more satisfying. She eyed him fiercely and spoke through a painted smile. "You're being much too kind. Again."

They carried on in this manner the long rest of the way. Their servants trailed behind them from a short distance, with Anna's maids in particular, gushing over the prince through unsuccessful whispers. This would be a long walk, Anna thought dreadfully to herself.

And the hardest part of all…

She couldn't help but steal a glance.

…Was to concentrate…

It had really been a while.

…Concentrate on feeling annoyed and irritated…

Since her heart beat so fast.

…Or else the quiet happiness may seep through.

Was she losing her sensibility or simply losing to it?

He wasn't deaf to the quiet shift in her mood. Neither was he blind to the changing lines on her face. It was quite intriguing, actually. She changed so much since he last saw and spoke to her on the morning he proposed marriage. No. Retract that statement. The morning wasn't the last time he'd spoken to her, but during the same night, when he came back attempting to reason with her. He had made a mistake then, letting enough of his emotions get to him that he nearly forced himself on her.

Physical coercion would have been a great crime against his pride indeed

Nonetheless, at this moment her heart had already begun to budge. He thought about how soon till he permitted himself to taste the silk of her skin or devour the shrewdness of her mouth. Perhaps just a bit longer. Just a bit; he wasn't a rash man to begin with—at least not normally. In fact, he enjoyed prolonging the inevitable.

And he also enjoyed making the inevitable known.

At her door he whispered to Anna, "I find it a shame for a woman to be widowed so young."

She exhaled at the realization that she had held her breath. As she watched his retreating back, she noticed pale moonlight coldly glaring off his hair.

The next week Oyamada Manta came down with a cold. His regular visit was further delayed the following week when his illness failed to subside. His condition again worsened in the few days after. The doctors no longer referred to it as "just a stubborn cold."

That same week Anna stormed into Hao's private summerhouse unescorted in the night. There was an absence of manpower, save for the few guards who stood by the entrance. They permitted her entry without blinking or questioning.

The blind could tell her arrival had been expected.

Her footsteps were heavy on the wooden floorboards as they lead her to a room in the furthest wing. The doors slid closed behind her and she calmly gathered her surrounding: a large, nearly vacant room, walled by calligraphy scenes of stars overlooking a terrain. She pulled her hood down from her head and eyed the figure perched upon the corner chair. Dim lighting threw shadows over his face but his identity could be discerned by the arrogant posture and loose, long tresses cascading down around his shaded face.

"Explain."

"You've come much later than I anticipated, Anna." He addressed her with a leisurely drawl.

She contrasted him with a sharp, impatient tone. "And I don't plan on staying any later, so be succinct."

"Alright then, I want your answer, as there's no need to ask a question you already know."

"The answer remains 'no.'"

"Then the consequences will be severe."

"Threats don't work on me."

"It has so far. You ARE here."

"The consequences can't be so bad that you can think you've got me backed into a corner."

"Dear Anna, you're putting on a very thin bluff. Even you can't be so cold as to let him lay on his deathbed."

"I can."

"You are so stubborn."

"You are very pathetic."

"Pathetic would be wasting yourself on him. It's not like you love him."

"Who I love, whether I love--- none of it is your concern."

"Because you interest me, everything about you becomes my concern."

"Ha! Because I interest you? This is absurd. You are abusing your power; wait until the foundation crumbles beneath your feet."

"It's quite solid; the queen herself can't take it down."

She realized he wasn't bluffing. "Do what you want then. The answer is still no."

"Do you think I'd stop at Oyamada? Do you think you'd still be safe after that?" Anna shuddered at his abrupt leap off the chair. He loomed over her now with his height advantage. She resisted the urge to step back.

He differed significantly from his past self; madness burned in his eyes. His current demeanor was ruthless, unlike the night he almost forced himself on her, when his actions were nothing more than a momentary lapse in judgment. Presently, he was cruel and calculative.

Just then realization slapped at her. "It was you, wasn't it?"

He narrowed his eyes into a dangerous gaze. "Be more specific."

"The crown prince's trusted advisors…You are a wicked murderer."

He laughed. "That? A matter of opinion. However, you are the inspiration for this change."

"Don't try to shift the blame."

"It's nothing to be blamed for. I should thank you for it." He stepped forward. She remained in place, her glowering still fierce. "I'll take you as my queen."

"I have no such desires."

"You don't really have a choice. I only let you believe that you did." She tried to smack his hand away when he moved to pat her head, but his other hand caught her wrist. "You won't lose face. I've already made arrangements." Satisfied she was listening, he continued. "There are illnesses a man can be rid of by living in a covenant and remaining celibate."

She scoffed. "And who would believe that?"

"We do live in superstitious times, Anna. Besides, that's what I'll have the doctors say. They would have no choice but to break off the engagement. In Heian Kyo you can marry a woman to a dead man, but not a woman to a monk."

"And how do you suppose it'll look for me when I easily accept another marriage proposal as soon as the other is broken? You may also unhand me."

He did so without lifting his eyes off her face. "Let's say I felt inclined to propose in order to save your honor. The queen would feel embarrassed for putting you in such a situation so she probably won't have any complaints. Understandably, no one would want to see you jilted."

Her gaze softened at him and she lifted the outer corners of her mouth into a wicked smile. "You're very thorough, aren't you?"

He leaned his face closer to hers and returned the smile. "I am---"

The slap was sudden and furious.

He retaliated with sudden and furious actions of his own. Grabbing a fistful of her maroon cloak, he pulled Anna against his chest and shoved his mouth onto hers. He used his weight to his advantage and pushed her up against the wall, imprisoning her with his body. She fought against his mouth at first, denying entry. But he persisted. He pushed on until she eventually acquiesced, joining in the kiss, letting his tongue roam inside.

Hao knew what she was doing; he wasn't gullible. She was kissing back much too easily when she should have normally put up a stronger fight. He tightened his fingers around her shoulders and pushed harder against her body. Hao wasn't going to ease up like Anna had hoped he would, thinking that she could catch him off guard by returning his fervid kisses. And she seemed to realize it too because she was once again trying to force him off.

He countered with sudden, passionate kisses along her neck. She moaned out in surprise. For a moment she ceased struggling, seemingly debating whether she liked it or not. And that satisfied him enough, so he pried himself away from her.

Face flushed, she briskly wiped at her mouth with her sleeve. Hao nearly laughed at the comical sight. "Why don't you stay the night? It's something you'll eventually get used to."

"I'd rather lie in a serpent filled coffin." She stormed out the same way she had come in, without bothering to slam any of the doors shut.

The prince chuckled jovially to himself. "Of course, I can arrange that for you as well."

AN: It's been awhile hasn't it? Gomen! Gomen! I sort of lost the feel for SK after working on my Bleach fics. Anyway, please do me a favor and nitpick this chap as much as you can. It would help get my SK muse going again (which would mean a faster update). And thanks for readin' and reviewin'.

P.S. Chronologically in the story, chapter 1 took place between chapter 10 & 11. In other words, we are caught up with the present time in the story.

--11/12/05

kittyblah: Nope, no Yoh…but please keep reading…you may get a surprise!

pendulumxswing: Thanks for confirming the spelling on Kanna. I'll go back and get that corrected when I go back for a revision on the previous chaps. Hope you enjoyed this chap!

hannami08: I didn't update soon, but I did update! Hope you didn't forget about me .

Chibi-chanBAFU: I had to look at his pic to remind myself how much I love Hao so that I could update this fic. LOL.

pandorac: woah are you the same pandorac that does the translations/font sets for the SK manga scans? If so…I LOVE U (in the non-crazy way)! Thnx for your compliment…but I think Anna has become ooc in this chap (besides Ren).

Felix-samma: I don't mind requests at all! I do want you guys to be happy after all. And thanks for the encouragement, hope to see you around for more chaps to come.

Starian Princess: Gomen, no Ren this chap…mostly because I'm lazy…but he'll be in the next one, I promise we'll see lots of him then. Of course he'll probably be brooding by then.

asn water: Hao seems to like children with the way he interacts with Opacho, so I had to throw in a little kid just to show that side of him. I couldn't justify having a little girl with an Afro for this story (this is a Heian period and yes I believe she's a girl), although I love the way Opacho talks. Thanks for continually following this story!

Katherat: Again Gomen for not putting Ren in there. As I promised Starian Princess, Ren will star big time in the next chap.

silverfeathers: heh heh, I like the sound of notnow-sempai! I'm so glad you liked the poem, which took like the longest to write because of the restraints on the number of syllables. I hope to see your reviews again and that you haven't forgotten about this fic….