After a long day in the fields, all Kiku wanted to do is take a long, quiet bath and relax, but his mother had other ideas.
"Kiku!" she called from the door as he walked up the path to their home, "I need you to go to town to get me some things," she handed him a list and some money, "and stop by my sister's house and giver her this." She handed him a small bag filled with about 2 kilos of dry rice.
Kiku sighed and looked down at the items listed on the piece of paper. He suspected that the supplies weren't as important as giving the rice to his aunt and getting the latest gossip in return. He agreed resignedly and quickly changed out of his farm clothes and left for town, his dog Pochi running around his ankles.
Pochi was excited to finally be allowed to run and jump and play as much and as far as she wanted, as she was usually discouraged on the farm and especially in the house, lest she uproot any of the crops or break something. Her happiness rubbed off on Kiku, even he had to admit it was a very pleasant day to enjoy the two kilometer walk. He wasn't too tired, and he could always catch a ride home from his father or one of the other farmers returning to the countryside after selling their crop.
As he walked on, he passed the small school he used to attend as a child, the garden in front in full bloom and he smiled as he planted quite a few of those flowers himself. He also saw the fields where he used to play and even the river his cousin Yao had taught him and his other younger relatives how to swim in, and he produced one of his rare smiles.
Some might think his life as simple or boring, but looking at the places he loved, filled with memories he held dear, he felt warmth. He thought back to a two months ago, when Yao did his annual visit now as the Jack of Spades, and even though he and his family were captivated and amazed by all the stories of the splendor of the other kingdoms, and that of his own capital, he still felt that he was lucky to live here, to have this life. Even if it was as a lowly rice farmer.
He loved his quiet, productive little farm in his quiet, productive part of the Kingdom where there were no real problems and children could be left to explore the land around them without their parents worry. He had a hard time imagining children running through the noble filled streets of the capital city barefoot and practically naked, dripping from a summer dip in the river or watching the sunset over the mountains that divided the Kingdoms with a cup of tea in with a cat in your lap in an apartment near the city.
Pochi barked and snapped him out of his thoughts, who had returned to his side with a stick in her mouth and a fresh coating of mud in his fur.
"You definitely wouldn't be welcome in the palace like that." he said as he took the stick and threw it as far as he could. Pochi barked happily again and ran off, only to return again with the stick in her mouth. They continued this game, the boy and his dog, until they reached town.
Kiku was surprised when he reached the outer boundaries of the small hub. Even though it was nothing like the capital, this town still had a decent population and all sorts of goods, and of course its own nobleman appointed by the king to help enforce the laws and keep the peace. But now, even though it was only about two hours until sunset, the streets were still as busy as they would have been near day break. People were standing outside in groups, talking excitedly to each other. It was odd, there wasn't this much fuss when Yao came. Granted he came every year, but in this small town bordering the most rural of places no one really expected any Suits to come here, so it is always a pretty big deal when he came.
But Kiku didn't really care for the reason for all this excitement, he was getting tired and the bag in his hand felt heavier with every step. He decided to go to his aunt's house first, it was on the way to the shops and if she wanted to keep him for longer than necessary, the he could always use the 'I need to leave before the shops close' excuse. He loved his aunt, but she had a habit on rambling on and on and Kiku had no interest in the gossip from town or even the capital. And he was tired from the day and his walk.
"Kiku!" he heard her call, sounding like his mother. She was sitting by the window and was watching as Pochi and her master walked up the road to her home. It was small, smaller than his and his parents, and modest, but she was a childless widow with only small laundry business to sustain her. There had been talk about her moving in with Kiku and his parents but Kiku didn't think she would like their quiet slice of the world, and plus where else where his mother get her gossip from? She looked a little thin, but otherwise healthy, but Kiku was now glad he brought the rice.
"Kiku, hurry hurry! There is news! Oh the news!" she exclaimed, now from her doorway, with a mixture of excitement and sadness. She gave Pochi a look before ushering Kiku inside. "I'm sorry but the dog is too dirty to come in. She will have to wait outside." She said as she closed the door in the dog's face. Kiku felt a little bad, but then a bird flew by and Pochi took off after it. His mind was elsewhere anyway, focusing on what his aunt just told him.
"What do you mean the King is dead?" he asked sitting down in the small kitchen. He was surprised, sure the King was old but he hadn't heard about him being sick. He couldn't believe it, dying so suddenly.
"He had a heart attack apparently." His aunt said, putting on some hot water for tea. She sat down sadly, as if she had a weight on her shoulders. "All that stress from running the kingdom I suppose. Such a shame, he was a good King. I remember when he was presented, he insisted on taking a tour of the whole kingdom. He even came here."
"I know, I read about it in school." Kiku commented as he poured tea for his aunt and himself.
"Yes I know, it was so historic! Even us country folk got to the chance to see him, you mother and father too. What a day that was! It was years before you were born, of course, dear nephew, even before your parents met! We were just girls then, your mother and I! We felt lucky, usually only the nobles of the capital get to meet their King."
Kiku wondered what it would be like to meet the King, what he would say or do. He probably be flustered for such a great honor.
"Oh and it wasn't just him, the Queen and Jack too! Such beauties, both of them. And such a lovely couple, the King and Queen. So much in love." She signed dreamily. "And the Jack, she was ever so charming. All the young men and even some of the young ladies were hoping to catch her eye. Even your mother put on her best dress and a little rouge. We were too young of course, but it was harmless. She didn't pick anyone though, she just stayed at the King and Queen's side! I always wished I was a bit older, though, maybe she would have chosen me. I could have been an Ace. Could you imagine Kiku dear? Someone from all the way out here living in the palace. Someone from our family!" She laughed and laughed, but Kiku did know. Yao was a distant cousin on his father's much richer side but he still felt shock when the news of his mark came to him. But he didn't have time to comment as his aunt's face turned solemn.
"I should not be laughing. Our kingdom is in mourning. Our King has died. You know what this means."
Kiku shifted in his seat. He remembered most of his lessons from school as he was an excellent student, but he never was as attentive to the Sacred Scrolls or the Suits as he should have been. He knew the basic story about the wizard and magic marks and five kingdoms, but honestly he didn't feel it affected him at all. Of course he would be under certain rulers that made the laws he had to follow, but it wasn't like he was even going to be a royal suit. So he had a hard time feigning interest in the stories and regulations and he had long forgotten the finer details like if one of the Suits dies. Could the Queen and Jack still rule if their King was dead? He couldn't remember.
"Oh yes. This will be a trying time for the Queen and Jack." He answered vaguely over a sip of tea.
"Indeed." She replied morosely, "The poor Queen must be so distraught! Her husband has left her! They were together for over forty years you know, and she still must rule with the Jack until the new suites are selected! That could take months! When the previous Queen died, it took a half a year before they found all the suits and the King and Jack could step down. How they must have suffered with the waiting!"
Kiku absorbed the information. So that there would have be a whole new Suit set selected. It seemed a little extreme, but then again the current Suits had been ruling together for almost half a century, a new person could never replace their bond. Plus if he remember correctly, the mark eventually fades when a ruling term needs to end as new Suits are selected, the previous King and Queen and Jack becoming regular subject. They stilled in the palace however, and they trained and often advised the new rulers until they died.
"Hopefully this time will be different aunt." Kiku looked out the window at the rapidly setting sun. He had stayed longer than he planned. "Thank your for the tea, but I must be going if I plan on going to the store before it closes."
His aunt smiled a little sadly, "Oh that's quite alright my dear. Thank you for taking the time to sit and talk to an old woman. It is lovely to talk to someone as attentive as you. Please give your parent's my regards."
Kiku gave her the rice and bid his aunt goodbye and left, closing the door behind him and was greeted with an even dirtier Pochi on the doorstep. He felt a little guilty for planning a quick escape from his aunt before. Sure she was a bit much sometimes, but he suspected that she was just lonely and he could understand that. He made a decision to visit her more often. Perhaps he could offer todo some chores when he came if he wasn't too tired.
But right now he had to hurry to the shops and find a ride home soon. Pochi desperately needed a bath or she would have to sleep outside, as his mother wouldn't let her in the house that dirty. He much rather wash her while it was still light out instead of by firelight.
So he walked the rest of the way to the shops, bought his mother's items and caught a ride back into the farmland with one of the last farmers leaving town. He had to help him load his surplus vegetables in to the cart, but he didn't mind, there weren't many and the farmer even let his filthy dog on.
As they headed back on the road home, Kiku thought about his conversation with his aunt. About the dead King and the upcoming search for the new Suits. He wondered if this King would want to tour the Kingdom like the previous one did, and if he would be lucky enough to meet him. He thought of Yao, how shocked he and all his family where when they heard that their goofy relative was the new Jack in his kingdom and he thought of the new suit's families and how they would feel losing one of their own.