Revelry and Fealty
By Saltwater Romance
Chapter Three
I felt his fingers dig into my chin after he decided that I hadn't paid him enough attention, and he pulled me in until I could feel his breath fan across my face. His cold eyes glittered with a promise that unsettled my stomach. I tried to yank my head back, but his hold on me was too tight. Natsume's voice deepened, "I plan to take very good care of you, Sumire."
This is a joke, right? A stupid sick joke?
His tone. His touch. His innuendo. All of it made me feel like I was powerless—was designed for me to feel powerless—which heightened my indignation! Just last night I was out celebrating a fresh new start! I was never supposed to be in this position of vulnerability again! My hands instinctively balled into fists. If he thought that I was the type of woman to meekly obey commands and accept abuse, then he had another thing coming!
I slapped his hand away, so I could escape from his grasp, "Then you can start by keeping your hands off of me!"
My voice—louder than intended—bounced from the walls. Suddenly, everything was still. Natsume stared at me, stunned. The quiet chattering of the other warlords halted… Until...
"...Do you know what you just did."
It wasn't a question. It was an icy statement from Natsume's right hand man, Kokoro Yome. His golden eyes hardened as they surveyed me.
I snarled in response, not appreciating his tone, "I defended myself from unwanted groping hands just like any normal person!"
Emphasis on normal. Warlords of this time period were definitely anything but.
"You think striking our lord is normal?!" he was practically frothing at the mouth, shouting at me.
I barely nudged Natsume away—the element of surprise moved him more than my actual strength—but the way that Kokoro was shaking, you would have thought that I had hacked off Natsume's whole arm with a chainsaw.
To my right, Youichi sighed in disgust, "Wonderful. The new girl just set off Koko."
Before I could even react to that little comment, Kitsuneme advised me, "This would be a good time to apologize to Koko, sweetheart."
My eyebrow rose. I didn't even lay a finger on Kokoro, and I have to apologize to him? These people were twisted. How could they expect me to apologize to that pitbull when I adamantly refuse to apologize for slapping Natsume? Kokoro literally had no part in this ordeal; he just inserted himself! I snorted at their ludicrosity.
I felt multiple sets of eyes on me as I challenged, "For what?"
"A thousand deaths couldn't atone for your crime!" Kokoro decried, jabbing his finger in my direction.
The fury that was building within me came bubbling out in a strangled laugh. I sounded unstable, but the cackling kept garbling from my throat. This was too much for me. How is that I'm treated like the villain when Natsume was the one getting into my personal space? The cacophonous noise was the only one in the room until those golden eyes pierced me with a murderous glare. The laughter died as realization struck me.
"Oh God. You're serious, aren't you?"
Kokoro leapt to his feet and took a menacing step towards me. I rose to meet his challenge.
"Koko, not on her first day," Mochiage warned; both he and Youichi grabbed hold of him before he could come within striking distance.
"You seriously need to calm down," Youichi agreed.
"Let go of me," he snarled, "You saw what she did! How am I supposed to remain calm?!"
"Dramatic much?" I muttered under my breath, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. So, it seems that it's not just me; even among these deranged lunatics, this behavior is an overreaction.
"People would kill to be in your position! Serving Lord Natsume is a privilege! What are you hiding?!" he flung his second accusation at me, hatred bleeding into his eyes.
"How could I be hiding anything?!" I spat out, refusing to back down, "You've been watching me nonstop since I've arrived!"
"Fine! Play innocent! I'll get the truth out of you!" he leapt out of Mochiage and Youichi's grasps.
A sickening metallic sound slashed the air.
Before I knew it, I had a blade at my throat.
The tip of the sword so close that if I even so much as gulp, the steel would nick me.
"This is your last chance to explain yourself, Sumire."
I prayed.
I prayed because there was so much fury in me; I was trembling with righteous anger. I prayed to God to give me the patience and the strength not to strangle this man. If I were to do so, it'll be a much more private affair where no one could be a witness. The sound of my own heartbeat filled my ears as adrenaline coursed through my body.
How dare he! How dare he try to cow me into submission!
Undeterred from shedding my own blood, I yelled back, "Do it. I dare you!"
I saw shock in his eyes, but his sword stayed at my neck. I could feel a trickle of blood descending from the wound the blade caused.
"Enough of this!" Natsume finally intervened with a boom of his voice.
Kokoro froze at that command, and he had the decency to look abashed. Huh. Now it was his turn to look out of place. Thank God.
"Put your sword away, Koko. This woman is to remain by my side, unharmed," Natsume's voice brooked no argument, "That order stands whether you find her suspicious or not."
"Yes my lord. My apologies," he spoke through clenched teeth, his eyes angrily boring holes into my skull. He sheathed his sword and dropped on a penitent knee.
It was amazing to see the swift change; he still despised me and so his demeanor remained the same, but there was no longer a sword held against me. I suppose that the same dogged loyalty that almost got me killed, also just saved me. I briefly wondered if he would attack me in secrecy to cover his tracks. I shivered at that thought as my mind raced for methods of self-defensive. Just in case.
"Our formal introduction is over. Yuu, see Sumire back to her room," with a wave of his hand, Natsume dismissed me from the meeting room.
I could have skipped out of that godawful place from sheer relief. The earlier adrenaline sapped the energy out of me as I meekly followed Yuu to my quarters.
Lesson One: Things are different here. Including the crimes that merit capital punishment.
"That must have been a troubling experience for you. But please, don't feel bad," Yuu's gentle eyes pleaded with mine for understanding, "Lord Kokoro is a very kind man. Almost too kind, some might say. You'll come to see it, I'm sure."
I snorted derisively. Kind? Maybe—in an alternative reality. But for me to be the recipient of that 'kindness?' Please. Hell would sooner freeze over. Disregarding my disbelief, Yuu spoke in a hopeful tone, "It is always possible to make up for a bad first impression. Soon, things between the two of you will be right as rain."
"I'm not so sure; this is more like our bad third impression," I murmured; his hazel doe eyes were so sweet and pure. I couldn't bring myself to voice my actual thoughts like 'hell no' or 'I would rather have Satan lick my butthole than get along with that jerk.'
"Hmm?" Yuu looked at me with a gentle smile.
Argh. That smile. It was hard to look at it and remain angry.
"I hope so."
For Yuu, I managed to get those words through clenched teeth and gave the prettiest smile that I could. His face was so angelic and so heavily contrasted the malevolent looks of his comrades.
He waved to me goodbye.
But deep in my gut, I'm pretty sure Kokoro meant every word he said. I don't think we'll ever be friends. I'd be lucky to survive another hour here without him attempting to murder me.
I was proven to be correct that same night.
I heard a hard knock at my door hours past sunset.
"I'm coming in, Sumire."
The hairs on the back of my neck rose. Out of all people.
I sighed in disgust. Of all the misfortune in the world… Where was Natsume when you needed him? I needed a diffuser in case he tried to stick a sword in me again.
Desperately, I reached for my purse. I needed to find my pocket knife. I refused to die here and especially by his hand!
Clearly, the hours since our last encounter were not enough time for Koko to cool down. He stormed in with his golden eyes glittering with rage.
I found what I was looking for and hid it in my sleeve as I stood up in greeting.
"Do you need something Kokoro?"
"Yes, I need to talk to you."
"Fine," I spat out icily.
He stared. Hard. I realized that he wanted me to remedy myself; I had to fight back my eyes from rolling out of my head.
"I mean, what is it that you would like to talk about?" I batted my eyelashes and forced a smile.
"Don't feign civility to me. Good manners won't buy my trust."
I had a feeling that he was holding back a 'you wench.'
But then what was up with that pause? My lips twisted in disdain. Warlords and their powertrips. His silence indicated that he demanded politeness from me, did it not? I scowled. He probably was just egging me on just to have an excuse to behead me.
"I'm not here to apologize for what I did this morning. I came to explain," he continued without giving me time to respond, "You appeared at the exact moment of Lord Natsume's need, instantly won his trust, and got a position very close to him. I don't believe any of this to be a coincidence."
"This is my room," I was infuriated. How dare he?! "You barged in here in the middle of the night just to—!"
He held up a hand to silence me, "I am still talking."
"You just came to intimidate me, then?" I crossed my arms, secretly readying my knife, "If you're not here to apologize, then—!"
"Shut up and listen."
Oh! I know he didn't! I pressed open my knife, gripping it until my knuckles turned white.
Before I reacted rashly, let's hear what this maniac has to say. It's not right to kill the mentally unwell.
"Lord Natsume is forgiving, and if he wishes to keep you near, then near you will be," he made a face of disgust, as if he couldn't believe his lord's decision, "But I refuse to let any harm come to him. Regardless of how pretty the source of danger may be."
With a stony look, he promised harshly, "I'm going to keep you under constant surveillance."
"You've got to be kidding me! I have a right to my privacy."
"No. You don't," he looked down at me from his nose and sneered, "And the next time I catch you doing anything remotely suspicious, we won't be having a 'talk' about it. Have I made myself clear?"
"Get out," I snapped unable to contain my rage from another one of his threats.
"I have listened to your drabble for long enough," I didn't care if my head barely cleared his shoulder. I didn't care if he was taller, bigger, or meaner. He was out of line. I closed the knife. It mattered not the victor or loser of the ensuing fight if I drew it. What would matter was that I carried a weapon, and I harmed a close confidant of Natsume, asshat or not. I took menacing steps closer to him, and when I was close enough, I jabbed a finger into his shoulder.
"Don't you dare barge into my room in middle of the night just to hurl more insults at me," I hissed as I followed each word with a puncture of my finger, "Speak ill of my character again, threaten me again, or even breath in my general vicinity again, and we will see what will happen!"
His eyebrows rose at my threat. Surprised from my reaction, he stumbled back and out of the door.
"Now, have I made myself clear?" I gave him a saccharine smile before slamming the door in his face.
I could hear a sharp bark of laughter from the hall, no doubt from him.
I sighed as I crawled into the futon laid out for me. I wondered idly if I had made a mistake by not sticking the knife into his thigh or an even more precious anatomy. Ugh, I pictured Yuu and could already see the disappointment if I had done so. I had only been in their company for a handful of hours, and yet Yuu was already my moral compass. It had be his angelic face. That face of his had the power to turn strangers into friends of his within mere seconds.
He had to be some type of wizard.
I yawned.
Sleep was hard to come by tonight despite being up for more than a full day.
But as soon as my mind drifted away from drowsiness, my eyes snapped back open.
Did Kokoro say that I was pretty?
Author's Note: This was the first chapter that I ever wrote for this story. So, if the tone doesn't quite match the rest of it, that's the reason why. I loved writing it so much that I couldn't bear to re-edit it. I hope you enjoyed the feisty street-wise side of Sumire; she's hot-headed and gutsy, but she's a survivor above all else.
For those who are new to Revelry and Fealty, this is based off of the game Ikemen Sengoku (Hideyoshi Toyotomi's route). For more information, please refer to the author's note at the end of the Prologue. Thank you.
