CHAPTER 2
Rinsing potatoes.
Cleaning the pans.
Peeling carrots.
Cleaning the dishes.
Shelling peas.
Cleaning the cutlery.
Mind numbing.
Takara blinked back a weariness that was not born of physical fatigue. No, this was a tiredness that descended upon her due to lack of stimulation. The change in circumstances was too abrupt and her mind struggled to comprehend the alteration. To go from living on edge daily, always watching the shadows and hiding who she was, to spending her days in a routine of drudgery was almost incomprehensible.
To make matters worse she felt unsure of her standing with the people around her. It wasn't that they were hostile, but it seemed as if they didn't know how to deal with her. Speech was stunted, conversations ended before they began, and eye contact was nonexistent.
She supposed she should have expected this. Her interactions with other people had never been of the usual variety; most often she was attempting to escape the company of some unwanted suitor, so even if everyone in the castle was as kind as could be, she doubted she would know how to socialize in a normal way.
One of the pitfalls of living on your own, and purposely shunning the institution of socialization, was that when the day inevitably came that you had to be around people, you didn't know how you ought to conduct yourself. She was sure her personality would be thought to be standoffish and cold, but perhaps that really was her innate way of being.
If not by nature then nurture had been given free reign.
She couldn't recall ever being one for affection and even now she didn't desire friendship, so the treatment she received had little impact on her state of mind, but it did make for a difficult working environment. Still, as long as her tasks were completed she didn't think it much mattered what her level of camaraderie was.
For three days she'd done what was expected of her. For three days she'd been closed off on a lower floor of the castle, where the kitchen was located, doing only the most menial of tasks. For three days she'd contemplated throwing Prince Izana's generosity back in his face and making a break for it because this amount of mindless toil was difficult to stand, but so far she'd been able to resist the impulse to drop the knife and run far away without looking back.
Despite her complaints, and they were numerous, she'd never once in her life felt so secure about her place in the world. She'd always been in one precarious position after another. If she wasn't being held against her will, she was hiding who she was to avoid that same problem. When she was young she felt unloved and burdensome. Looking back she could see that the servant woman had truly cared for her, but at the time she just felt unwanted.
That had been her inaugural experience with the ways of the world. A rich man and his son had come to stay in the house of the noble man and wife. The son, at least four years her senior, had been inappropriately attracted to the thirteen year old; when he insisted on taking her away with him the servant woman sent her off. Out a back door during the night, a poorly stocked pack all she could carry, and Takara was officially on her own.
Four years later, in the Wistal Castle kitchen, her duties weren't many and she questioned if that was because no one was willing to tell her to do more, or if this had been the skill set of the worker she'd taken the place of.
On the fifth day she'd had enough of the plodding and brought her objection to the man charged with doling out the duties of those in the kitchen.
"I am capable of doing more. If this is where I am needed then I will not speak of it again, but if there is more to be done give me the responsibility."
He did not argue with her. His quick assent was a welcome surprise, but she was concerned that he would not have so easily agreed to the requests of anyone else. She'd heard grumbled complaints about Aoi-san before, about how difficult he was to speak to, and the way he refused to change the schedule without at least three days notice. Why had he been so agreeable?
Takara soon learned that she was not the only one skeptical of his actions. A week after she entered the employment of the castle she overheard the stirrings of rumors about everything from how she came to be there, to the way she'd supposedly influenced the kitchen supervisor.
The whisperings of the laborers spread far and wide within a matter of hours, morphing from something close to the truth into wild narratives with almost no basis in reality.
Shirayuki was worried by it and, as Zen had more than once implored of her, she brought her troubles to him.
"Takara wouldn't do anything like that!" the apprentice pharmacist insisted. "I didn't speak to her for long, but I know she wouldn't. Not only that, but everything is twisted at this point. Even though we know exactly what led to her coming here... There are stories sprouting up all over the place!"
For the second time in only a matter of days Zen found himself within his brother's chambers on behalf of a girl he'd not met.
"I know of the rumors making the rounds, however I think it would be interesting to see how our newest employee handles this controversy before stepping in."
Zen was sent away with that unsatisfactory answer, unable to argue against the will of his elder brother, and later explained to Shirayuki what he'd been told. Neither was content with the response, yet accepted that they would have to wait and see how the situation would be resolved without making a fuss.
/~/
After the departure of his sibling Izana returned to pursuing the missive sent by the man he'd dispatched to look into Takara Hinoson's background.
As far as he could find her story was true. The girl's father was still living, had apparently broken down in tears when he heard of her recent brush with capture, and was easily persuaded to explain his actions.
Takara had inherited her eyes and hair type from her mother, in fact when her current appearance was described Hinoson-san's complexion had turned ashen and he produced a portrait of his late wife. A small copy had been provided with the letter and Izana could see that this girl was a near perfect duplicate of her mother.
Distraught as he was with the death of his beloved wife Hinoson had been unable to imagine caring for a child who looked so like her. He gave her up instead, to the Lord he served under on the farm lands. As Takara had explained the noble couple was childless, but her father had not been aware of what transpired as the years progressed. As far as he'd known she was still living in the 'big house', perhaps lately married off.
The man was not intelligent, but he'd not had malicious intent in giving his daughter to others.
The Willow's were less forthcoming with information and none of the current household staff had any knowledge of Takara, but that was to be expected. Certainly neither the Lord nor Lady would wish to have a secret like that brought into the light.
Takara's trail ran from the house. There were old stories of a girl who'd been nearly kidnapped or sold, more than once, for miles.
It was a strange, sad tale, yet he did not feel too badly for Takara. She was a person of rare quality. After living on her own and physically defending her honor without assistance, she surely did not need anyone to step in over something so ridiculous as gossip.
With those diverting thoughts he took up his sword and left his work desk. He'd spent the last several hours steadily moving through all the papers upon his hardwood table and there would soon be more proposals to accept, reject, or put aside for further consideration, but while he had the chance a short tour of his domicile was in order.
His footfalls echoed throughout the halls, caused those within earshot to stand at attention and bow as he passed, murmuring their greetings.
He'd made his way to the lower floors when he happened upon a scolding in progress. It was a moment before he could place the voice, but as he stood still, leaning against the stone wall listening to the rebuke, he realized that the speaker was none other than Takara.
"–what's been said exactly, but I can tell you that this type of gossip points not only to your character, but that of your employers, who would be your rulers, correct? I have been here for eight days, eight days, and what have I learned about this, this place? That the workers are immature! Hardly more than children who will take what they've heard, be it true or not, and make no effort to find the truth before spreading rumors-"
What the faces of his employees looked like before he turned the corner Izana did not know, but the moment their eyes landed upon his person embarrassment took hold. As well it should. To be rightfully chastised by a young woman, a new workmate no less, was something to be humiliated over.
Takara did not notice his appearance so, when his hand came down upon her shoulder, she froze momentarily before her head jerked to appraise him. Shocked she was, but he had little time to spare and it was more important to address his wayward workers.
"It is as Takara-san has said. Your poor behavior reflects upon myself and my brother. I would hope you've learned a lesson in all of this, that you will pass it on to any other rumormongers who may be among us. Time used speaking of matters on which you have no knowledge can surely be better spent."
Downcast gazes attested to the mood he left behind, but Izana felt confident that his guidance would be heeded. This mistake would not soon be repeated.
/~/
Thoroughly humbled by the words of their respected leader more than one culinary assistant requested the forgiveness of Takara. She was not inclined to concede, but pardon was reluctantly given when she considered the fact that she would be in the company of these people for some time to come. It would be a folly on her part to remain on uneven ground just because she was angry.
In the following days she gained more acceptance by those around her, they now sought to include the new addition in discussions and as her character was revealed, along with a few thrilling tales of past troubles, respect for the woman with violet eyes grew.
She saw little of Izana during her first month in the castle and after that he left for several weeks. The day of his return saw the kitchen in upheaval as they prepared for a homecoming feast. A few foreign dignitaries would be in attendance, having come to complete talks about some policy Takara knew little about. It was not in her nature to clutter her mind with details that did not pertain to herself.
"Suzuki, Lowel, and Dina will be serving along with Takara. Keli fell ill in the night and is restricted to the infirmary so we're short, but I think we'll be fine down here."
This would be her first foray beyond the kitchen for official duties and she was debriefed by each of the veteran servers.
"No eye contact is necessary," Lowel was straight to the point.
"All you have to do is take the covered dish to it's recipient. Obviously you'll be assigned only one person to serve, so don't worry about that," Suzuki tried to be soothing.
"Once your assignment has been given their food, step back to the wall and wait for them to indicate that they've finished. They'll place the tableware on the edge of the plate and when that happens remove their dishes, and then return to the floor. Here everyone is served at the same time, some countries have different customs, but the men who are visiting have been here before so they'll know what to expect," Dina took the task of explaining with precision.
By the end of it Takara was preparing for the worst. It wasn't that she couldn't follow direction, or even that the rules of engagement were complicated, she was worried for another reason.
She'd heard tell that one of the visitors hailed from Mariquet. She'd not been in her home country for near two years, but she'd left a path of intrigue in her wake and from what she remembered, of the common people at least, they had a tendency to hold on to things of interest. Not much happened in Mariquet. They were not a large producer of anything useful and they rarely played host to anyone of consequence. Any happening that was out of the ordinary would be told and retold for years.
All she could do was keep her head down and fulfill the duties assigned to her. Besides, her experience with palace rumors led her to take everything she heard with a grain of salt. It was possible there would be no visitor from Mariquet.
/~/
The first prince arrived with all the fanfare appropriate to his station in the early afternoon. Dinner was already in preparation and Takara received as much instruction as her fellows could provide. By the time the hour struck five she felt she'd prepared as well as could be expected with such short notice.
To her immense relief she was assigned the second prince, Zen. He was the more approachable of the brothers and, considering his relationship with Shirayuki, Takara thought him the more open minded of the two.
The salad was served without incident and each dining-room attendant breathed a sigh of relief; however their comfort was short lived when a guest of the first prince recognized the girl with vibrant orbs.
"Takara?"
She knew the voice and, to her silent horror, found that it was as she suspected. This man, though she no longer remembered his name, was the first to demand that she be given over as property. The son of the rich man in Mariquet. There could be no mistake, his face had not changed, and as the shock wore away his countenance changed. An angry sneer came to his lips; he'd not forgotten her as she'd forgotten him and he'd held onto his upset. She imagined he'd felt humiliated, cheated, when they found her gone the next morning and apparently he hadn't ever forgiven her for it.
Izana watched the scene unfold over the rim of a tea cup; it was as he'd thought. This young man, barely twenty-one in years, was the first to attempt to lay claim to Takara.
It was an interesting exchange, largely silent, and fortunately for everyone present Kain Tallow was able to gain a hold on his emotions before an outburst claimed him.
The rest of supper passed in relative calm, though Kain sent poorly concealed glares to Takara throughout the evening, who was then obliged to explain her past in more detail to Lowel, Dina, and Suzuki. They were shocked to hear that such a thing had happened to their workmate and privately resolved to stand as her guard for the duration of the Guest From Mariquet's stay.
Zen confronted his brother about the strange behavior of their guest later in the evening and his suspicions were confirmed. Izana knew full-well the reason for Tallow's behavior, but he would not speak of it except to say that he, "...was sure everything would be fine. Probably."
If he were to be honest, and Izana often found reason not to be, he would admit that he held a small worry over the disposition of Tallow. However, he would have little chance to interact with Takara so even if his fury simmered there would likely be no chance for it to boil over. Should the boy attempt to do harm to any of the staff he would have him thrown out.
/~/
Kain Tallow thought highly of himself, had been raised to believe that he was above most, and just as deserving of praise as any, so when he was seventeen years old and found himself completely taken with a servant girl, he demanded that she should be given to him. It never occurred to him that she may have a will of her own. Those of lower station were hardly to be counted and he'd been sure that what he wanted would be his. When she was nowhere to be found the next day, when a week passed and word came that a female matching her description had been seen many miles away, he was furious. He felt a fool, betrayed even. It was his first true disappointment and he'd not yet forgotten the bitter taste of dashed desire.
For four years he'd not been able to put away the thought of her, the servant, thirteen year old Takara with her purple eyes and hair black as ink. He'd not yet seen another who compared to her and doubted he ever would.
Age failed to improve Kain. He remained spoiled and his ego was bloated with a false sense of importance. The wealth of his family had little to do with him, yet as the only child and son it would all pass into his hands; this was common knowledge among the noble's in many regions and the Tallow's had been approached by more than one family hoping to make marriage arrangements.
In his estimation any woman should be glad for his attentions and they all had been, except for one and now, after years of failing to rid himself of her memory, she appeared before him again even more beautiful than she'd been four summers back.
He was of a mind to take her for his own, but this was not his land. He was only a guest in another kingdom, a powerful one at that, with two princes of great strength who would be on her side.
As full of himself as Kain was, he was not stupid. It would be foolhardy to attempt to take her away from Clarines while she was under the employment of the castle. Unless she left of her own volition he had no hope of bringing her back to Mariquet.
It was a fruitless wish and yet he could not give it up. His decision was made: Upon his return to Mariquet he would send some of his men to Clarines to watch for the day when Takara left this palace.
/~/
The guests of Prince Izana did not remain for long. One week after arriving they were back on the road, departing for their own homelands. Agreements had been reached, papers signed, and there was no further contact between Kain and Takara. All the same the woman in question was not at ease; he'd been visibly upset at the sight of her and she did not doubt that he was the type to hold firm to old grievances. It would have been idiotic to attempt to take her by force and he had to know that she would never agree to leave with him. Perhaps this would be the end of it, but she could not be so optimistic.
For now he'd left her sphere and it would not do to dwell on the unknown. She had responsibilities; though repetitive and sometimes dull she'd grown to appreciate the comfort of following a schedule, without the constant worry of being pulled from the road and locked away in a tower.
"Takara, come and eat now," Suzuki implored. "You have done more than your share of the work today already."
True though the words of her new friend were, Takara found that she was not inclined to spend another minute in her company. Suzuki was too talkative, too apt to tell tales, and after spending years in solitude it was difficult to stomach more than a few minutes at a time in the vicinity of the bubbly blond.
If she was not actively engaged in a task Suzuki was speaking. With her mouth full she was speaking. With a delicate object in her hands she was speaking. There was no subject too dreary, no observation that did not deserve to be made. The smallest change in the castle would be commented on. If the grass grew thicker in the east garden than the west Suzuki would report on it.
"I will take my meal alone today, I think."
"Oh, alright then!"
Fortunately she was also in a state of perpetual happiness. Suzuki took nothing to heart; no insult, no matter how obvious, could harm her.
Alone with her lunch bundle Takara sought a place to have her meal in peace. It was the feeding hour for many castle workers and it seemed every nook was occupied. No matter how far from the kitchens she wandered she could find no place safe from incessant chatter.
It was as she began to backtrack that she met with Izana. He too was in search of a quiet place. Though he'd never been one to shirk duty the Lord Haruka had been especially dire in his warnings against Zen's relationship with the pharmacist Shirayuki; since that morning the man had been attending to work with the first prince, all the while railing against the increasing amount of time that Zen spent with the redhead.
Izana didn't have the heart to tell the man that his brother had already declared an intention to marry her.
He did not make a habit of sneaking around his own home, but when one had as many demands as he did it was sometimes necessary. When productivity began dropping it was beneficial to take a break and rest the mind, but Haruka-dono was not of that inclination. So, slipping from the room and giving orders to every guard he passed not to tell anyone where he'd been was necessary to his peace of mind.
Izana saw Takara before she noticed him; he would later thank his lucky stars for that turn of fate because he'd not been able to help staring for several moments. If she'd turned, if she'd spoken, he wouldn't have responded coherently.
She stood with her back to him, just inside an archway that led to a small courtyard. Even from behind he could see that her time in the castle had done wonders for her health. When Takara first arrived she'd been thin in the extreme, an understandable condition, but three months of consistent nutrition, better hygienic care, and decreased physical labor led to significant change. She stood taller, her hair fell in spirals, and from this vantage point he could perceive that her figure was fuller.
He understood now why so many had attempted to take her captive. Upon his first look the only feature to stand out were her eyes; those who'd tried to steal Takara had seen potential he'd missed.
Izana approached silently. Again he would surprise her with his appearance; this would be the third time.
He was not disappointed. Takara felt as though her heart ceased to beat in the moment that his hand rested upon her shoulder and she was sure she almost jumped out of her shoes at the fright.
"Stop doing that," a wild gasping. She nearly choked on her words when her mind caught up with her mouth. This was the first prince to whom she spoke, not some common worker!, but he did not appear offended by her informal speech.
"I would, but you are too easy to surprise. If you learn to be more observant you will hear my step and be able to prepare yourself." Though, secretly, he hoped she never would. There weren't many who reacted to his presence so forcefully and he felt it would be endlessly entertaining.
She couldn't help but argue for herself against his accusation. "I am an observant person, it was a necessary skill. You do this to me purposely and I cannot defend myself against an attack of this sort." Short of looking over her shoulder at ten second intervals and even that might not be enough. His silent way of walking was obviously an ability he'd worked to develop.
Her defense saddened him. Indeed the power of observation would have been essential to her life outside his domain. However, he did not tell her this; instead he dismissed himself. "I see that you are taking a spell away for lunch, I, however, have no such time for leisure." He thought he saw her roll her eyes as he swept away.
Thoughts of Takara remained with him for many hours and he did not attempt to dislodge them; they were a welcome distraction from the warnings of Lord Haruka. Truly Izana was tempted to support Zen's inclination just to see what the man would do when the red haired girl became a more permanent fixture in their lives.
It was an amusing idea at least.