Jack settled in the pallet laid out in his tent, the brazier casting warm security against the chilly night. They were making camp on their journey back to the capital. A few days ago, they had arrived at the distant hamlet to look into the recent attack. Just as Jack suspected, it bore similarities to the initial one. A group of armed men terrorizing the civilians while a far more skilled set of warriors infiltrated the temple.
Again, something had been taken and Jack was finally able to understand the reason for his father's behavior. An ancient artifact had been taken. One that had been safeguarded by the royal family for centuries. Jack and his men had searched for a trail that could lead them to the culprits but it was in vain. They had covered their tracks and the bandits would not betray a word of who hired their swords. Something that would have to be remedied, even if it meant whipping it out of them.
Jack bent an arm behind his head, staring up at the canvas of his tent, his mind restless as crickets played their nighttime melody. It was as though they were trying to put him at ease and send him to sleep. But there was only one person that could bring him solace. A small smile tugged his lips, recalling the contents of the letter he kept close to him at all times. He'd already memorized the words, taking it out so many times that the edges of the paper had begun to tatter.
you are a cruel man,
who keeps me by my window
as I wait for you
Jack sighed, wondering if she was doing exactly that right at that moment. Would she have a wistful look in her eyes? Or did her brows furrow in annoyance? He chuckled, wagering on the latter.
His good humor was short-lived when one of his men urgently called for his presence outside. Jack put away all thoughts of Ashi as he exited his tent and took in the white-eyed horror that passed among his men.
"Your highness…" His second spoke slowly, as though to carefully absorb his own words. "Two scouts came in from different directions bearing the same report. All the men we took captive for the raids...they're all dead."
The first of the spring rains arrived, bringing lushness to the gardens with an aftermath that saturated the greenness of the trees and adorned sparkling diamonds to flower petals. Ashi would have given anything to sit out in the engawa and soak up the scent of wet grass and feel the cool air on her skin. She closed her eyes, imagining she was enjoying the very things in her mind. Unfortunately, her Oka-san's constant chattering continued to penetrate her ears and Ashi gave up, opening her eyes back to the present.
Oka-san arranged the kanzashi into her hair with great care so as not to damage the soft silky petals that resembled a cascade of wisterias. Ashi held up the mirror to her face, angling it slightly to catch the reflections of the three maiko sitting at the back, observing the ritual with little interest. A slight smile formed on her lips, at least she had comrades in her boredom.
"There now!" Oka-san beamed, leaning back to admire her handiwork. "You're all ready!"
A chorus of relief sounded behind them. Ashi gracefully stood, allowing Oka-san to check for any unseemly flaw on her sky-blue kimono, dyed and embroidered with bamboos and branches of blooming flowers.
The girls murmured their approval as Oka-san grabbed hold of Ashi's hands. "Now then, dear." She said. "Make sure the new lacquerware is nothing short of perfection."
Ashi was being sent to check on the progress of the lacquered materials they had commissioned for. If it seemed like such an unnecessary task for someone like her, it was. There was no reason for the geisha herself to set out on such a trivial errand when servants and messengers could be sent, especially on a day with gray-cast skies that looked to promise more rain.
"Why does Big Sister have to go?" Fumiko asked as they proceeded to the genkan. "It might rain again."
"Oh nonsense!" Oka-san said. "She has her ama-coat and parasol to protect her. Isn't that right, dear?"
Ashi nodded with a smile. "It's no trouble at all." Especially when Oka-san's intent coincided with Ashi's own. The prince had returned from his trip, and Oka-san's own grapevine had learned that he would be in the same area as the lacquer shop. While the matriarch did not betray a word of such, Ashi could read her plain as day.
Fumiko looked ready to protest again but Satomi gave the young girl's head a shove with her fingers.
"Shush it! As soon as Big Sister leaves, you have to prepare Chiyo and me for music practice. I feel like playing near the gardens today. What about you, Chiyo?"
"Yes!" agreed Chiyo with a giggle. "I'm not yet sure which one I want to practice on though, so might as well bring out all the instruments to be safe."
Fumiko's color darkened with rage, but she did not dare complain as Oka-san cast a stern eye on her. Ashi pitied the young girl, who had to pay for the kimono she tore by waiting hand and foot on her maiko sisters for a full week. Needless to say, the two older girls reveled in their roles of her punishment.
Oka-san began picking through the shoes arranged on the compartmented shelves. She took out Ashi's usual pair of ama-geta but frowned at the unsightly mud stains that caked the sides of the wooden teeth. "This won't do!" She fumed, shoving it back in disgust before drawing out another pair. "You will just have to borrow Satomi's for now."
As she laid the wooden slippers on the floor, Fumiko let out a loud squeak. All eyes turned to the wide-eyed girl, whose sudden paleness rivaled a ghostly apparition. "S-sorry…" She stammered. "I uh...thought I saw a spider….Anyway! I can just clean Big Sister's slippers! It's not a problem!"
Oka-san nodded curtly. "You may. But we don't have time to wait." She helped Ashi ease into Satomi's slippers and gave the geisha one last look-over before hurriedly sending her on her way.
Fumiko looked on the verge of death as Ashi bade the girls goodbye.
The visit to the lacquer shop was short, barely passing a quarter-hour as Ashi reaffirmed the orders. The streets were filling up, people dashing around to get things done before the next onslaught of rain. Ashi bid her time, strolling in front of the shops and pretending to peruse their wares. Occasionally, she came across a client and she paid the usual respects and was grateful that the looming rainclouds cut short any idle chatter.
In every step and smile she made, Ashi tightened her awareness. Inconspicuously watching for any sign of the prince, her ears strained to capture even the tiniest murmurs of his voice. He had to be around here somewhere.
Ashi's mouth thinned as she passed the vendor selling roasted yams for the second time. She had exhausted the length of the street and was thinking she had overestimated her Oka-san's connections. To make matters worse, the foot traffic had softened the damp earth, making the walk increasingly difficult. Ashi sighed through her nose. She was about ready to concede defeat when she caught sight of someone exiting an establishment. She hadn't seen him in a while but there was no mistaking the strong build of his body and the square jaw of his face that was half concealed by an equally familiar straw hat.
Ashi felt a surge of indescribable emotion, her heart banging wildly against her ribs. Quickly, she pinched her cheeks to bring color to them and swiped her tongue to her lips to add a subtle shine. He was heading in her direction. Perfect.
Readying a smile, she lined him in her sights as she took a step forward—and came crashing headfirst into the cold dirt. As Ashi pushed herself up to her hands and knees, her world spun. Her mind desperately trying to find a teapot or a paintbrush. She had to be somewhere else, in the confines of a tearoom, entertaining a guest perhaps, because there was no way she could reconcile being disgraced in public like this.
"Miss, are you all right?"
To add to her humiliation, of course the prince would be the one to come to her aid.
"I'm fine…" She sputtered as she kept her gaze to the ground, wishing it would open up and devour her. She felt his fingers stiffen on her shoulders as he guided her to her feet. She gritted her teeth, waiting for the recognition.
"Ashi?"
She swallowed a lungful of air as she lifted her gaze to him. "Your highness."
Jack gaped at her with eyes large as moons, his hands still clasped on her shoulders. She did not blame him in the slightest for she must have looked a fright. She could feel the mud caking on her face and neck, her hands equally soiled with her fingers twitching to be rid of the dirt lodged beneath her nails. Ashi could not even bear to look down to see the full extent of the damage dealt to her kimono.
"Oh…" Jack blushed, having had his fill of gawking. "I'm sorry….I didn't expect to see you again...like this."
Ashi clenched her teeth into a tight smile. "Yes, neither did I."
She stumbled slightly when he released her and she had to grab on to the front of his gi for support. This caused her to groan in embarrassment. She not only extended damage to her reputation but to the prince's clothes as well. Jack did not seem to care in the least. Neither their appearances nor the amused onlookers they attracted. He lowered himself to his haunches as Ashi laid a steadfast hand to his shoulder.
He picked up one of her slippers and concluded his investigation briefly.
"The strap is broken." He said, holding it up for her to see. Ashi peered through her lashes clumped with mud debris. True enough, the fabric that secured the slipper was frayed beyond redemption. However, there was something suspect with the way the strap wore down near the knot.
It had been tampered with.
Fumiko immediately splashed to her mind. Obviously, Ashi had not been the intended victim but the damage was done and the young maiko would learn a new kind of ire when she returned.
Jack picked up both her sandals and parasol, grabbed her hand, and led her away from the street. Ashi had to hobble after him, flinching with disgust at every squishy, sinking step her tabi-clad feet made against the clinging wet mud. She withdrew her hand from his once they were aside.
"Thank you, your highness." She said unflinchingly, trying to salvage what little pride she had left. "If you would be so kind, could you fetch me a rickshaw? I would like to go home."
Jack was taken aback by her request. "Ashi, I can't just send you home like this. Come, we'll find a place for you to clean yourself up first."
She tried to protest but he would have none of it.
They arrived at an inn with its own bathhouse, indicated by the thick smoke billowing from the fires that heated the bathwaters. They were almost denied entry until Jack pulled out a scrap of fabric containing his family seal. The change was instantaneous. Suddenly they were honored guests and Ashi was led by two female attendants to the bathing area.
They peeled the mud-blackened clothes off of her and insisted in scrubbing off the grime with cakes of sweet-scented soap. They also washed her hair as mud had latched onto it. This made Ashi despair, as she had just recently had her hair sculpted and set that week and now would have to go back to the hairdresser to endure the hours-long torture of hot greasy wax and hair-pulling all over again.
When they finished washing every inch of skin, they assisted Ashi into the waiting bathwater, scented with drops of fine perfume. There was no doubt in her mind that they were pulling out all the extravagant arsenals they could for the prince's coin. Ashi was relieved when they finally left her in peace, promising fresh clothes when she finished.
She sighed, soaking deeper into the water, luxuriating in the delicious warmth and the fragrant vapors. She tried not to think, as her thoughts would only drift to the shame of her earlier debacle. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall in contentment.
Only a thin bamboo screen with tactful gaps separated the onlookers from the man and woman performing the oldest ritual in mankind. Ashi's mouth was a thin line as she tried to watch impassively. It was a disgusting display, she thought, as the fleshy man all but covered the woman like a giant blob. All Ashi could discern from his unfortunate partner was her head and limbs. They merged together like some fictional creature and the sounds they made only added to the imagination.
"Hard to watch, isn't it?" said her aunt seated regally beside her. "One would think breathing is only optional with the way he ruts her."
Ashi cringed as the woman made a strangled cry.
"Don't be faint now, Ashi." Her aunt laughed, enjoying the young girl's discomfort. "The art of pleasure is an important skill. You are already at a disadvantage not being able to practice your touch, so your eyes must take in all they can."
Ashi swallowed with an imperceptible nod. She trained her focus on the performers again but her mind took her elsewhere. To that moment in her aunt's weekly lessons and the argument that broke between her aunt and Ashi's own mother. Ashi had not meant to eavesdrop, especially knowing the consequences of displeasing her mother. But it had been impossible to turn away when she heard her own name tossed around as they argued about whether or not Ashi should take on sexual training like her sisters.
"She has eighteen years now. Firsthand experience is imperative. I don't see how keeping her missish benefits us nor anyone else for that matter." It was the first time Ashi heard her aunt raise her voice with such a hardened edge.
"Ashi will be exempted." Ashi's mother said acridly. "It is the will of Aku that she be untouched. You know I never make decisions unless they serve the purpose of the Order. She is our chosen one."
For some reason, Ashi had felt pride lump in her throat at her mother's words. Something about her was special enough to be chosen by both her mother and Aku.
"Ashi." Her aunt brought her back to the present. "Your eyes are forward but I know the glint of distraction. You must pay close attention to the male form. In matters of pleasure, it is the men that find the most enjoyment. Women are only a means to provide it, and we must stamp a smile on our faces as we do so."
Ashi felt a shudder, the same moment the man squealed out his climax into his partner.
"Must I do such a vile act with a man?"
Ashi did not know she had voiced out her thoughts until her aunt surprised her with a reply.
"Not just any man, my dear..."
Ashi realized she had stayed too long in her bath, evidenced by the sound of heavy rainfall. Once she dressed, she set out to find Jack. She did not have to search far, finding him in the hallway wearing clean clothes, in conversation with a well-dressed man she assumed to be the innkeeper. They did not notice her, allowing her to listen from her corner.
"It would be no problem, your highness. Your comfort is of utmost importance"—
"No!" Jack interjected, "I will not have you turn out any of your guests on my behalf, especially with this rain."
"But we only have one room available. If the young lady takes it, where shall you keep?"
Jack sighed. "It's fine. I'm no stranger to being without a bed. Perhaps you have a storage room available that I may"—
"No!"
Ashi clapped a hand to her mouth, her mind wheeling with opportunity. They would have to stay here until the rain passed, which could last late into evening, at which point they would have to spend the whole night here. Ashi tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, knowing she could not let such a rare chance slip away.
"Jack." Ashi called out meekly, revealing her presence to them. "I've been looking for you." She smiled, approaching them. She did not miss the way his eyes assessed her, his mouth parting and closing in wonder. Even in the simple robes provided by the establishment, he nonetheless found her comely, especially now that she was clean, her soft hair swept up in a pile with loose tendrils framing her face in innocent allure. Ashi bit back a grin of satisfaction at the knowledge that she could still affect him so.
"We're so grateful you could accommodate us." said Ashi, standing in front of the innkeeper. "This weather has been dreadful but your hospitality has brightened our dispositions greatly." She fluttered her lashes and the man was a goner.
"My lady." The innkeeper almost swooned. "We are happy to be of service."
"Then perhaps you can show us to our room?" She said it so naturally that Jack almost didn't register her words, lost in his own admiration.
"Wait…" Jack blinked. "Our room?"
Ashi giggled, as though he had just shared something amusing. "Why, of course." She stared at him innocently in wonder. "What else would I mean?"
The innkeeper eyed them back and forth. Though he was confused, it was outweighed by the relief that the prince would not have to sleep with the storage supplies. "That's wonderful then!" He declared.
Jack opened his mouth to protest but Ashi took his arm and his intent was forgotten.
When they stepped into the threshold of their accommodation, the innkeeper delayed Jack, whispering a message Ashi did not miss, "Do not worry, your highness...We will guarantee absolute discretion." She smirked as Jack fumbled with a nonsensical reply before shutting the panels closed.
Ashi studied her surroundings, the interior was small but sufficient. There was a writing desk in a corner and a provision of parchment and inkstone. A lantern hung from the ceiling, providing a warm yellow light and a large futon was laid out on the tatami, taking up most of the space.
It was the only one.
"My!" She took small, deliberate steps forward and turned to her companion. "This is certainly cozy."
Jack did not move from the panels, his back pressed against them. He looked like a cornered animal with his eyes frantically scanning the room. Ashi could see them swing wildly from the futon to her person.
"Was the bath to your liking, Jack?" She asked, as though nothing was amiss, sinking to her knees in front of the desk.
"Y-Yes…" Jack answered as he shifted the weight of his feet, his hand carefully moving behind him. "I...uh...think I shall go outside and have tea…"
Ashi was not about to let him get away.
"Oh, can't you stay?" she cajoled. "We haven't seen each other in a while. Unless of course, you've grown weary of my company?" She pursed her lips and lowered her lashes to the floor.
Jack was instantly at her side.
"Of course not!" he said, enclosing her hand in his. "I could never tire of you."
Ashi gifted his declaration with a beguiling smile.
Dinner was brought to their room courtesy of the innkeeper. Jack's apprehension ebbed away as they gorged on delicious grilled fish with pickled vegetables and hot sake. Ashi filled him in on what he had missed in his absence, mostly her sisters' antics. Jack laughed along, his eyes crinkling in merriment. He did not share much about his trip, answering minor questions that skirted the topic. This did not go unnoticed to Ashi.
When the trays were collected, Ashi returned to the desk, clearing the space and taking out the small grooming box underneath. She set up the mirror and removed a wooden comb from the box. Unpinning her hair, she smoothed down her raven tresses with her fingers before combing it out. Humming a song in her task, Ashi pretended not to notice Jack ogling her from the futon. She observed him from the corner of her eye, taking note of his stiff-spine posture and his hands clenching on his knees. His reddened cheeks and unblinking eyes made him look younger, like a guilty boy who stumbled upon his first shunga.
She put down the comb and abruptly faced him, causing him to flinch back in surprise.
"Should we retire early?" She asked, her lips twitching in amusement, watching him squirm.
There was a hard set in his jaw as he avoided her gaze. "You can go ahead, I'd like to stretch my legs out on the veranda and err—get some fresh air."
"There's no need for that!" Ashi gleefully shuffled crosswise across the futon on her knees to open the window, thwarting his attempt to escape. A draft of cold air infiltrated the room, sputtering the light for a brief moment as the sound of rain intensified. "There. Isn't that refreshing?" She let the breeze play with her hair.
Jack did not look refreshed.
"I um…"
"Oh!" Ashi exclaimed, planting her hands on her lower back as she arched up, breasts straining against her robe. "My back hurts. I suppose the effects of the bath are wearing off."
"Maybe you should close the window." suggested Jack, his color deepening as he tried not to stare. "The cold will only make it worse."
"It's fine..." said Ashi, adjusting so she sat cross-legged on the futon across him. "My real problem is my feet." With that, she extended a leg and casually dropped a foot on his lap. Jack was rendered speechless, gaping at the tiny foot wiggling its toes up at him. Ashi leaned back on her elbows. "Would you mind rubbing it for me? Just to make it feel better."
Ashi knew it was a bold request and was half-afraid he'd refuse. She watched in bated breath as he hesitatingly cupped her foot in his hands, warming it immediately from the heat radiating from his body. She whistled a sigh of relief as his fingers closed around it.
He kept his eyes trained on his task, working in silence as he pressed soothing circles into the sole and heel. Ashi was pleased.
But it was not enough.
Closing her eyes, she tossed her head back, exposing her throat, and let loose a cry of pleasure.
"Oh, Jack….yes…!"
She felt his hold falter and the involuntary tremble of his fingers. She lifted her lashes, regarding him with a half-lidded sultry gaze.
He stared back at her. And there was no mistaking the desire kindling in his eyes. Ashi was bent on fanning the flames, whimpering suggestively as he resumed massaging her foot. His pulse ticked visibly on his neck and a sheen of perspiration glowed on his forehead. His dark gaze roaming her body.
In a moment of feigned ticklishness, Ashi jerked her foot up, causing it to land on his lips while fully revealing the naked length of her legs and thighs.
Ashi gasped. "I'm sorry."
Jack remained still, frozen like stone. He could almost be a statue if not for the puffs of breath flaring from his nostrils.
There was a disconcerting quiet, the room thickening with the sound of the rain and wind from the open window. Ashi did not lower her foot as she waited, feeling his hot breath fan between her toes. His hands remained where they were, as though they were still clutching her foot and not the empty air. His eyes were squeezed tight, eyebrows twitching beneath his creasing forehead like he was struggling with an inner turmoil, holding on to a thin line of resolve that he was losing grip to.
Ashi made him fall.
With just the tiniest nudge of her foot to his lips, he plunged into the raging waters of the unknown. He groaned, his fingers coiling around her ankle tightly and began a gentle courtship on her foot, kissing every tip and nail before brushing his lips to the sole of her foot. Ashi sighed in breathless encouragement as she discreetly loosened her sash, trying to ignore the strange feeling brewing in her stomach. But it did not settle, only growing as Jack's mouth began to drift downwards, his hands sweeping the shapely curve of her leg.
Ashi pushed herself up, allowing the top of her robe and sleeping shift to fall past her shoulders, revealing a swath of honey-colored skin that beckoned him. Jack unceremoniously dropped her foot, drawn by the more enticing sight. Ashi smiled as she moved to a kneel, welcoming his proximity. Her fingers reached up to touch his face. She traced the curve of his cheek and the outline of his shaky lips, warming her fingertips from his breath as she stared deeply into his eyes that glittered like silver scales in a dark pool. Withdrawing her hand, she raised her chin and closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
This is just an act, she told herself, one she had been preparing for all her life. He would taint her with his touch, but she would be cleansed by the blood of his future death. Death by her hands.
So resolved was she that she barely felt it, a light brush against her cheek, until it happened again, moving up her temple and down her brow. Ashi could scarcely breathe as his teasing, featherlight kisses trailed to the other side of her face. One hand massaged her nape while the other rested on her upper back. Why did he even bother? She wondered. There was no need to pretend in privacy. He could show his depravity and she would allow it.
The wind began to pick up, the cold permeating the air—but Ashi felt none of it the moment his lips touched hers. She had not expected this, anticipating a vile taste that reflected his soul. Not this warm, soft caress with the faint taste of sake. His kiss gradually grew bolder, the tip of his tongue prodding for an entrance and found it when Ashi gasped.
She could not think anymore, her mind trying to keep up with her leaping pulse. She tried will back her control but the haze was intoxicating. Every glide of lips and parry of tongue exposed her nerves to the surface of her skin. Her hands splayed across his chest as she matched the movements, trying not to shudder as he pulled her closer, his arms wrapping her in an intimate embrace that demanded more. She could feel the hard proof of his desire pressing into her abdomen, the layers of clothes between them offering little imagination.
She felt lightheaded, and was relieved when he broke the kiss as she fell back on her heels.
"Ashi…" He spoke, awakening from a spell, reaching behind her to bring a skein of her long hair to him. He rolled the silky black strands between his fingertips before pressing them to his lips and letting it fall away, eyes never leavings hers.
Ashi wordlessly took his hand and placed it over her collarbone, letting his palm absorb the feel of her bare skin. She watched him close his eyes and observed a flash of white teeth as he sucked in his bottom lip while his fingers descended to the dip of her cleavage.
"Oh Jack…" Ashi whispered, rolling her head in satisfaction. "Make me yours. Take me as your lover, your mistress."
Jack's eyes snapped open and snatched his hand away as he shuffled backwards away from her. All traces of lust gone from him as though the rain had broken through the ceiling and doused them with ice-cold sobriety.
"My what?!"
"Your...mistress…" Ashi said, her voice cracking in confusion, a sense of panic dredging up inside of her. This was not the reaction she anticipated. Far from it.
"No!" Jack exclaimed, fixing the modesty of his robe. Strands of black hair falling over his brow as he stared wide-eyed at her disheveled state. "I don't want you as my mistress!"
He might as well have slapped her.
"...What?" Ashi murmured woodenly, her mind not coping with her hearing.
"...Ashi." There was pity in his eyes. And that was all it took for a lump of anger to push through the constricting disbelief in her throat.
"Am I suddenly not good enough for you, your highness?!" She shouted, closing her robe tightly. She reached behind for one of the buckwheat pillows and threw it at him. It bounced off of him with no effect.
"I'm sorry." He said contritely. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."
"What do you mean it wasn't supposed to be like this?!" Her words roared over the still pouring rain.
Jack stood up, one hand dragging down his face in shame as he tripped over to the panels while knocking his head under the hanging light.
"I have to go. I need to fix this." Without another word, he slid the panel open and left.
Ashi was motionless, her eyes following his shadow on the screens until it disappeared. Then she stared into nothingness, her mind numb. He's going to come back. She thought, ignoring the strange stinging behind her eyes. This is a mistake and he's coming back.
But morning arrived and he never did.
Everyone in the karyukai kept their distance from the geisha ever since she had returned from that fateful morning in a different set of kimono. Her countenance scared them off, silencing away any questions that burned on their tongues. Fumiko thought she was the cause for her ire but it did not seem likely, for Ashi was indiscriminate in her anger.
She had no patience for anyone in the following days, slamming panels and windows and refusing to eat with her family. She did not bother with lessons and paced madly inside her room.
Everyone dared not voice it but their suspicion was unanimous. Something had happened with the prince that day she did not come home. Oka-san was fraught with worry. Ashi had never acted this way and was at a loss at what to do, for how could she or anyone help when the young geisha confided to no one?
The matriarch was beside herself in relief when a finely dressed man arrived at their residence, bearing a lacquered box for the geisha. She thought that Ashi would finally be pacified from whatever quarrel she had with the prince.
She was wrong.
Because as soon as Oka-san led their guest in from the entryway, Ashi met them in the hallway. One look at the prince's seal engraved in the box, all hell broke loose.
"Leave."
"Lady Ashi." The man said warily, choosing not to heed her command as he bowed and presented the lacquered box to her. "The prince sent me to speak on his behalf."
The laugh that burst from Ashi was anything but pleasant and sent a chill down everyone's spine. "So he can no longer even bear the sight of me, is that it? And let me guess!" She snatched the box from the man's hands. "This is meant to console me? Or is it to ease his own guilt?" She smiled sweetly but the malice glittered in her eyes.
"Well um…" The messenger had not anticipated such hostile disrespect, especially from someone in the prince's esteem. "I'm here to speak with your guardian about certain matters pertaining to"—
"Get out."
He blinked.
"...I'm sorry?"
"I SAID GET OUT!"
Moments later, a man stumbled out of the townhouse, running away as though the devil were at his heels. It was a close enough match as Ashi stormed out after him.
"MY PRIDE WON'T BE BOUGHT!" screamed the supposedly reputed geisha of the era as she pitched the box at the retreating figure. She made sure it missed, only intending to quicken his haste, which did so. Satisfied, Ashi turned around and stomped back inside, ignoring the first stirrings of the scandal she had just created.
Oka-san, whose pallor was white as chalk, did not say anything, choosing only to head to the altar and pray to the gods for deliverance.
The next day, there was another visitor.
The maiko who were watching from the second-floor window gawked for only a moment before running off to sound the alarm bells.
The harbinger of peace was finally here.
Oka-san met him at the entrance before he could even knock. The prince's smile was blinding like a godly light parting through the clouds of misery that lingered over the residents of the karyukai. He held a box under one arm. The same box as yesterday, evidenced by the scuff marks on the fine lacquer.
"Your highness!" Oka-san sounded like she was about to cry. "It's so good to have you back! Please come inside!"
They put him inside the receiving room. The maiko barreled over themselves to serve him, pouring him tea and offering to play him a song. Jack conversed gaily with them, showering them with praise the adolescent girls took to heart. Not once did Ashi's name leave his lips and no one else brought it up. But it was pointedly obvious she was the reason for his presence.
The panel to the room suddenly slid open. Everyone stopped at once, watching and waiting. Oka-san's harsh whispers could be heard followed by the shrill voice the young girls had gotten accustomed to.
Oka-san shuffled inside the room nervously, roughly dragging a murderous Ashi by her sleeve. The girls quickly bowed out of the scene gracefully and once Ashi was pushed further inside, Oka-san quit the room as well.
Left alone with him, Ashi did not bow. She crossed her arms and glared down at him like he was a disgusting maggot that crawled out of a carcass. Jack calmly sipped his tea, as though nothing was amiss.
"Please," he said, setting his cup down. "Sit."
"I am not yours to command." She spat.
"We need to talk." His patience remained. "And I'd rather we do so properly."
"You insult my etiquette?" Her eyes turned to slits. "Or did you come here to fling insults at my"—
"Please. Sit." It was no longer a request but a tightly voiced command. Ashi sniffed in disdain, but carefully set herself down on the tatami.
"There is much we need to discuss…" Jack began, his features softening with his voice. "There has been a misunderstanding…about my intentions."
"Your intentions were more than clear, your highness." Ashi snarled, baring her teeth at him like a wild dog. "Next time you encourage a woman's affection, please ensure that she is not beneath your station to avoid such an embarrassing blight to your character."
"You are not beneath me, Ashi!"
"And I never will be." She sneered. "Because you don't want me to be."
The innuendo was not lost on Jack, whose face and ears flushed a furious shade of red. He opened his mouth to retort but decided against it. He instead picked up the lacquered box and gingerly laid it in front of her.
"Here." He said. "This is for you."
"I don't"-
"Open it please."
Ashi did not want to. She wanted an apology, an acknowledgement of his callous behavior the night he left her. She looked down at the box, already resolved to despise the contents as she reluctantly removed the lid.
Her jaw dropped as she looked inside the box.
It was a beautiful fabric of brocaded silk, finely embroidered with threads of gold and beads of jade and crystal, the size of rice grains. But what struck Ashi the most was the color. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before.
"It's Han Blue." Jack whispered, sharing her awe. "From Zhongguo. I had it made especially for you, fashioned as a belt."
Ashi did not listen, unconsciously wiping her hands on her kimono before she touched the dreamy material. She lifted it up, the fabric unrolling like an airy waterfall. It shimmered, changing intensities under the morning light.
"The man I sent yesterday," Jack spoke, trying to gain her attention, "...was to act as an intermediary. I wanted to follow the traditional way."
"Of what?" Ashi absently murmured, still mesmerized by the cloth but trying not to show it.
"Ashi. I rather you look at me first."
"Hm?" She regarded him once more, lowering the source of her distraction on her lap. "What is it?"
He took a deep breath.
"Ashi. I did not convey my feelings properly. I apologize for that." His hand reached for hers. Ashi allowed it but let her hand stay limp in his grasp. "I want you to know...I do not intend to take up any mistresses or concubines...and I shall never let you become one. No wait, please"—! He fought to keep her hand in possession as she began her protest.
"I will not let you insult me this way!" The anger began anew as Ashi tried to pull away from him.
Jack's other hand snaked to her wrist, securing his hold. He met the fires in her eyes with the deep waters to quell it.
"Ashi." He said, his words brimming with a warrior's resolution. "I intend to take you as my wife."
This has been one of my favorite chapters to write, though I'm sure some errors eluded me but I will rectify them at a later time. Thank you to those who left a review, not just here but on my other stories as well. It keeps me going. Woo!