Chapter Six
"Good morning, Sakuya-chan!"
Sasami poked her head around the door of the Infirmary side room, letting out an exclamation as she registered her new friend's appearance. Still pale as the moon, and with her fluffy dark hair pulled back in tails either side of her face, there was still a fragility about the child that hinted at the terrible ordeal she had been through. And yet, despite this, she was up and dressed, a faint flicker of pleasure crossing her aqua eyes at the Princess's entry.
"You're out of bed!" Sasami grinned companionably at the other girl. "Does that mean that you're feeling better?"
"Yes, so long as I don't have palace officials here asking me all kinds of nasty questions." Sakuya grimaced, shrugging her shoulders. "I just don't want to think about what happened – I want to be left alone. But they won't listen. That Prince Takeru has been here, and Princess Ayeka and Lord Haru and other people…all wanting to know what I remember. I wish they'd just go away."
"They only want to help find out what happened to your Father." Sasami said gently. "But I can understand how that would upset you. Still, I'm not here to ask you those kinds of things. I came to see how you were – if you're feeling so much better, surely you can come out into the grounds with me and I can show you around? You must be bored, stuck away up here. And you do look better, Sakuya-chan."
"I would love to get out of here." Sakuya said fervently, getting to her feet. "Thank you, Sasami-hime. I'd like that very much."
"You don't have to call me Princess, you know." Sasami said reflectively. "I don't mind if you don't – it sounds so formal when it comes from a friend."
"Are you sure?" Sakuya looked startled, and Sasami nodded.
"Most of my friends just call me Sasami or Sasami-chan." She agreed. "And we are friends, aren't we?"
"Yes, we are." A thoughtful expression crossed Sakuya's features, but it was gone in an instant and the girl smiled. "Then I'll call you Sasami-chan."
"Good." Sasami dimpled, holding out her hand to her new ally, but Sakuya hesitated, shaking her head.
"I…still…" She faltered, and Sasami looked sheepish, dropping her arm to her side.
"I'm sorry. I forgot." She said ruefully. "Never mind. Follow me, okay? I know a short cut out of the Infirmary and you won't have to go past all the stuffy nurses. Some of them are nice and all, but some of them are really strict about patients and visitors and they wouldn't even let you out on my authority. That's the thing that sucks most about being a Princess, sometimes. Everyone calls you silly titles but they don't listen to what I say or think all the time because I'm only thirteen."
"Being a kid can be a nuisance." Sakuya agreed, as she followed her deft companion along the hallway and down a side corridor towards a second exit. "But it can also be good, too. Noone suspects a child, after all. Surely you can have fun, with a home as big as Jurai's royal palace?"
"Yes, I suppose so." Sasami nodded her head. "And I'm lucky, too. I have Suki to spend time with and now I have you too, while you're here."
"Are you not close to your sister, then?" Sakuya looked surprised. Sasami nodded.
"Ayeka and I are very close." She agreed. "But Ayeka is always busy at the moment, with work for Uncle. She's going to be Empress of Jurai one day, so she has to learn all these really boring, annoying things about running the planet and everything else. I'm glad that won't be my job. I never wanted to be Queen of Jurai and I'd still hate it, if someone offered it to me now."
"I think maybe you don't want to grow up." Sakuya remarked astutely, and Sasami blushed.
"Sometimes." She admitted. "Things change when you grow up. But in other ways I do – people will listen to me more then."
"Noone listens to you now?"
"It depends." Sasami shrugged her shoulders, pushing open the big oaken door and skipping out into the palace grounds. "Through here, Sakuya-chan. This leads right around the back of the palace and we can go sit in the shade of the trees and talk, if you like."
"That sounds nice." Sakuya owned, nodding her head. "But what do you mean, it depends? I don't understand."
"Father and Mother are protective of me, and in some ways I'm glad they are." Sasami considered. "Father is determined that I'm not getting married till I'm eighteen and I'm happy about that – there are a lot of rich and nasty men who want to marry a Princess even if she's only thirteen. But sometimes it means they don't listen right away, if I tell them something important. And that can be annoying."
She shot her friend a sidelong glance.
"Isn't it that way for you? I mean, well, you must have family on Kanemitsu who worry about you."
"My mother…" Sakuya was silent for a moment, and horror flooded Sasami's young heart as she registered the genuine sadness in the aqua eyes. She bit her lip.
"I'm sorry, did I say something I shouldn't?" She asked anxiously. "I didn't mean to talk about your family, Sakuya-chan. I didn't mean to remind you."
"Oh, it's all right. It's nothing." Sakuya shook her head, offering a faint smile. "I suppose I'm just homesick. And, you know, missing my…my mother."
"Well, I'm sure that now you're well, Uncle will arrange for transport to get you home." Sasami assured her. Sakuya sighed, shaking her head.
"Until they get to the bottom of this, I don't think anyone is going to let me leave Jurai." She said sadly. "I'm the only one who survived, after all. The only witness."
"I know, but surely they'll let you go to your family?" Sasami asked. Sakuya shrugged.
"We'll see." She said simply. "It might not be that easy."
"I'm sorry I made you think about it again."
"It's okay. It's pretty much always in my mind anyway." Sakuya said quietly. "Don't worry about it, Sasami-chan."
"If you're sure." Sasami sent her companion a troubled glance, and for a while they walked in silence beneath the clear blue Juraian sky. As they drew nearer to the copse of trees Sasami had mentioned, a movement in the branches of one of the wood giants made her glance up, letting out an exclamation as she recognised the space pirate perched up above them.
"Ryoko! Oh, come down and say hello to Sakuya!" She called. There was a rustle of leaves and Ryoko materialised on the ground in front of them, casting the young princess a smile.
"Hi, Sasami. I didn't see you coming." She said amiably.
Sasami grinned.
"And you've been climbing trees again – Ryoko, you've got leaves all in your hair." She scolded, reaching up on tiptoes to pull the offenders out. "There. Sometimes I think you do things like that just to annoy my Uncle and my Father."
"Perhaps I do." Ryoko bantered back. "So who's this? Sakuya, did you say?"
"Sakuya Kumashiro." That girl said quietly, meeting Ryoko's curious gaze with an opaque one of her own. "Pleased to meet you, Ryoko-san."
"Ryoko is a sort of cousin of ours, Sakuya." Sasami explained, amusement glittering in her crimson eyes as she considered the nature of the connection. "We have the same ancestry…kind of."
"Then perhaps I should say Ryoko-hime?" Sakuya looked apprehensive. "I don't want to be rude."
"Ryoko-san is just fine." Ryoko said frankly. "I'm no Princess."
She frowned, eying the stranger carefully.
"So you're Sakuya Kumashiro." She added. "The miracle girl who survived a ship full of murder unharmed."
Sakuya flinched, and Sasami shot Ryoko a reproachful glance.
"Ryoko, Sakuya's Father died on that ship." She said, and there was on mistaking the reproof in her tone. "She didn't escape it unharmed. She lost people she loved, so don't talk about it so bluntly. She doesn't want to think about it at all."
"I see." Ryoko pursed her lips, eying Sakuya keenly. "I'm sorry. I tend to speak my mind…no offence meant."
"None taken." Sakuya said softly, and Ryoko frowned.
"I'm sure you probably want to get off this rock as soon as possible, don't you?" She remarked. Sakuya nodded.
"If they can arrange it, yes."
"Aren't you afraid that something might happen again?"
"Why would it?" Sakuya looked startled. "They already killed my father – what else could they do?"
"Well, there's still you." Ryoko said casually. "Although you were there the first time – so I suppose if they'd really wanted to finish you off, they would have done so. Don't you think that's remarkable, that you managed to hop off that vessel without any serious injury? And yet so many grown men and women perished…right in front of you? I think it's remarkable. You must be made of pretty stern stuff."
"Ryoko, stop it!" Sasami exclaimed, as tears glittered on Sakuya's lashes. "You're upsetting her…leave her alone!"
"I just find it interesting, that's all. Don't you, Sasami?"
"I don't know how I survived. I don't know why Father died and Mr Toyonaga and all the other people did. I don't remember anything about it!" Sakuya exclaimed, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Why does everyone on this planet think I'm hiding something! I'm not hiding anything! I'm just a kid – leave me alone!"
With that, she turned on her heel, fleeing across the grass towards the safety of the dense trees and Sasami wheeled on the pirate, sending her an angry glare.
"Why did you do that? Ryoko, she's unhappy!"
"No, she's hiding something." Ryoko said frankly. "Can't you sense it, Sasami? With your connections to the Goddess, I'm surprised you haven't seen it already. Sakuya knows exactly what happened on her father's ship. She's just not telling anyone, that's all."
"You're being mean and paranoid!" Sasami put her hands on her hips. "Please, Ryoko, not everyone is mean and keeping secrets. Maybe she does remember – maybe it was too horrible for her to talk about. You don't know – she probably saw her father get killed! Did you think of that? There are thousands of reasons why she doesn't want to talk about it, and it's not at all suspicious to me!"
"You don't feel it? The strangeness around her, like something isn't right?"
"Of course something isn't right, Ryoko!" Sasami looked exasperated. "And yes, I feel it and so does Tsunami. It's because she's been through such a horrid time and it's hurt her! Not because of anything else!"
Ryoko was silent for a moment, turning this over in her mind. Then at length she shrugged.
"Well, whatever you say." She said at length. "If you ask me, she knows a lot more than what she's revealed so far. You should be careful with her – who knows what they sent her here to do."
"What do you mean?"
"Ah." Ryoko sent her a humourless smile. "Learn to spot a spy when you see one, huh, Sasami? If you don't understand, ask Tsunami and get her to explain it to you. But be careful with Miss I Stared Death In The Face And Lived. Something doesn't add up about all this."
"I think you're wrong." Sasami shook her head. "I think Sakuya survived because she hid and she's been through something horrible so she doesn't want to talk about it. Not everyone has an agenda, you know!"
"Not everyone is who they claim to be, either." Ryoko said archly. "Just keep it in mind, kid. That's all."
With that the pirate was gone, flickering and blurring out of sight and Sasami clenched her fists, fighting against the waves of indignant anger that welled up inside of her.
"Sometimes Ryoko is too cruel." She muttered, turning on her heel and heading off in the direction that Sakuya had fled. "But she doesn't understand. She never really had a proper family so I guess she can't see what it would be like to lose them. I would hate so much to lose Mother or Father or Ayeka so I know how awful Sakuya must be feeling. And so what if she does remember and she just can't talk about it? It's not like Sakuya killed those people, after all. Uncle will solve it and it will be fine – Ryoko didn't need to go make my friend cry."
As she entered the copse, she heard the sound of crying and she hurried forwards, finding the other girl huddled at the base of one of the trees. At Sasami's approach, Sakuya raised her head, and Sasami hastened down to the girl's side.
"I'm sorry. Ryoko can be blunt sometimes – and strange, too." She said softly. "I didn't know she'd say all those things – Sakuya, I'm really sorry."
"Why was she so mean to me?" Sakuya asked helplessly. "What did I do to make her hate me, Sasami-chan?"
"Nothing. Ryoko just…she gets ideas and when she's got them, she doesn't shift them." Sasami sighed, dropping back against the trunk. "I guess she's helping Ayeka and Uncle to figure this mess out, so she wants to find out what you know as well. But it's all right, you know. Even if you do remember something, you don't have to tell them. I mean, if it hurts too much to, you don't have to. I'm sure they'll figure it out even if you don't."
"You're really sweet to me." Sakuya observed softly. "I suppose I never realised Princesses of Jurai could be like this to people from other worlds."
"Of course we can." Sasami said comfortably. "We're friends. And you know what? Just to prove it, I want you to come to the court tonight with me. It'd be nice to have someone my own age there, and Suki has to take care of her mother, so she won't be attending. It's nothing too exciting – just a quarterly gathering – but I'd really like it if you came. And if you don't have anything to wear, I can lend you something of mine. You're about my height, after all. I have lots of dresses and we can go to my chamber and pick one out, if you want."
"Really?" Surprise flickered into Sakuya's aqua eyes, and Sasami nodded.
"Really." She agreed. "Come on. Let's go."
----------
"I'm really not sure that this is such a good idea, Tokimi."
Seiryo leant up against the doorway of his sister's bedroom, a frown crossing his features as his gaze flitted between the two women. "Suki, is it really wise to encourage her? You didn't see how badly those kids were teasing her – I don't want her to get hurt."
"Well, she needs to know that not everyone on this planet is nasty, and besides, she seems to have taken you on as her personal protector." Suki said pragmatically. "I can't go – Mother has been worse today, you know that, and someone has to stay with her. You've taken a hate at these things since you came back to Jurai but the Emperor will expect you to be there. At least this way you won't be on your own."
"But Tokimi is still so fragile." Seiryo objected, and the room's final occupant raised her head at the sound of her name, offering the nobleman a warm smile.
"Tokimi is going with Nii-chan?" She asked. "Suki gave me a pretty dress to wear. Do I look pretty?"
Seiryo sighed.
"You look very pretty, Tokimi." He admitted, and as he spoke the words, he realised how true they were. Her thick brown hair had been styled back out of her face in a classical Juraian style, lovingly combed and fastened with ribbons woven by Suki's clever, deft fingers. One of Suki's own Juraian gowns had been carefully selected for the former Priestess to wear and its gentle pastel shades highlighted the delicacy of Tokimi's fair complexion. Her sapphire eyes glittered with excitement and anticipation, and as he took in her expression, Seiryo felt his resistance begin to wane. He grimaced, shaking his head.
"All right. She can come." He said at length, and Tokimi let out a shriek of joy, flinging herself on him with little regard for her outfit or the expensive silver jewellery Suki had fastened around her throat. "Woah, Tokimi, calm down! It's not going to be that exciting, you know. It's just a gathering – there's one every season and all that happens is that people get together, representatives greet one another from the quarters of Jurai and that's about it. Sometimes there's dancing and speeches and things of that nature – but it's not really even a party. Just one of the mundane things that Council members are required to attend, even if they don't ever attend any other court functions. You might be very bored."
"But Tokimi can go with Nii-chan?" Tokimi raised questioning eyes to his, and Seiryo nodded, gently disentangling himself from her grip.
"Tokimi can go with Nii…I mean, with me." He corrected himself, a rueful look touching his expression as he caught Suki's eye. "After all, you look too pretty to stay home. But you must stay with me, Tokimi. No wandering off, all right? And if I say we go, then we go home. Is that understood?"
Tokimi nodded her head, eyes shining.
"Then it's settled." Suki laughed. "You're taking Tokimi as your date to the Council Quarterly and I'm taking care of Mother."
"It is not a date." Seiryo said frankly, shooting his sister a reproachful look. "And that's not particularly elegant language, Suki, for a lady of Jurai."
"I'm sorry." Suki did not look at all peturbed. "I suppose I acquired it from Sasami. She knows all kinds of fun words, Seiryo, and Jurai is so fussy about high society language. It gets boring."
Seiryo snorted, and Tokimi stared at him, confusion in her blue eyes.
"What is date?" She asked. Seiryo shook his head.
"Never you mind. Suki is being silly." He said firmly. "Well? Are you all ready? We should probably make a start, if we're going to walk over that way before it begins."
"One more touch." Suki said thoughtfully, plucking a flower from the vase on the windowsill and cutting the stem short with her fingernail. Carefully she slipped the blossom into Tokimi's gleaming hair, offering her a smile.
"There. Now she's ready." She decided. "You both have a good time, and say hello to Sasami for me. I'm glad I'm not going – all those people – but I've abandoned her and I'm sorry."
"I'll pass the message on, don't you worry." Seiryo assured her. "I'm sure Lady Sasami will understand that at times like this, family has to come first."
"Seiryo, is Tokimi going to stay with us permanently now?" Suki asked, perching on the windowsill as Seiryo carefully fastened a warm cloak around Tokimi's shoulders, following suit with his own. "Because I know you brought her here on a whim, but…well…"
She faltered, her cheeks pinkening, and Seiryo grinned.
"You like having her here?" He asked playfully. Suki nodded self-consciously.
"Even though I know she's older than both of us, it's like having a little sister." She admitted. "I was an only child for so long, when you were away – it was so lonely. And I know Tokimi is hurt and she might not get any better than this. But she is happy and cheerful and enthusiastic about things. I like her being here. She makes things seem easier – especially when Mother's health has not been so good."
"Yes, it's strange, but she does have that effect." Seiryo eyed Tokimi thoughtfully, as that girl ran curious fingers over the fastening of her cloak. "Almost ironic, that even now I feel tied to her in some way. Isn't that strange? You would think it'd be the last thing I'd want – having her constantly around. But I don't know…I suppose that it does feel like she's another sister. Especially since you both now call me Nii-chan."
He spread his hands.
"We'll see." He added. "I don't mind her staying here and if she's happy, it seems to be a logical solution. She can't stay at the palace and Washu-sama won't be here forever. I suppose it just remains to be seen whether Lady Washu will take her back to the Earth, now she's recovered. But so long as she's on Jurai, Suki, I have no objection to her making her home here."
"Good." Suki looked relieved. "I wasn't sure if you brought her here just because you had to. I'm glad you want her to stay too."
She reached up on tip-toes to give him a kiss goodbye, then squeezed Tokimi gently by the hand.
"Be good tonight." She said softly. "All right?"
Seiryo chuckled, slipping his hand into Tokimi's as he reached for the door, pushing it back.
"I almost wonder if that advice was for me or for her." He said wryly. "Good night, Suki. Take good care of Mother for us – we won't be back too late."
As he led Tokimi out into the bright, clear moonlight, Seiryo shot his companion a pensive glance, taking in her childlike curiosity at her surroundings and the contrast of the silvery moon against the midnight sky. Inwardly he wondered whether she would ever be all right again, and his mind flitted to the encounters within her base on Kihaku, where the clinical, decisive Goddess-in-waiting had given so many firm commands. He frowned, pursing his lips.
"But which one is the real Tokimi – or is it neither one of you?" He murmured aloud. "And if you do get better, what then? Will you continue to be this person – or the one you were before?"
There was noone to bring him his answers, and as they reached the lamplit entrance to the Royal grounds, he hesitated, wondering once more whether this was really such a good idea. Tokimi had no such qualms, however, and she offered him a grin, pulling him towards the music and lights that led the way inside.
"All right, I'm coming. Calm down." He chided. "We don't run riot around the palace. The King of Jurai will be here, no doubt, and other members of the Royal Family, also. You need to be on your best behaviour – these are the people who let Tokimi stay on Jurai, so make sure they see you're being good."
"The King of Jurai?" Tokimi's eyes became big for a moment, then she nodded. "I would like that. To see the King of Jurai."
"Well, I doubt you'll be able to miss him, this evening." Seiryo said ruefully, as they stepped in through the elaborate archway and into the huge function hall. "He's over there, on the stage at the far end – dressed in maroon and cream and with a coronet on his head. Do you see him? That's the Emperor Azusa. He's the King of Jurai."
"Azusa, the King of Jurai." Tokimi repeated this thoughtfully, then she nodded. "And he lets Tokimi stay on Jurai?"
"That's right."
"I must say thank you."
Before Seiryo could react, Tokimi had pulled free of his grip, hurrying across the hall towards the stage where Azusa and his younger brother were deep in conversation. Despite the merriment of the occasion, the black and maroon of Haru's robes indicated that technically the court were still in mourning for the Sumire deaths. Azusa's expression was entirely in contrast with the vibrant robes he wore as indication of his status at the Quarterly gathering, and as Tokimi reached them, both men started in surprise, staring down at her with very mixed expressions.
As Seiryo caught up to her, he was able to see the non-plussed look on the Emperor's face as Tokimi bowed her head before him, then raised her gaze to meet his.
"Thank you to the King of Jurai." She said, in slow, proper tones. "To let Tokimi stay here."
"Tokimi, I told you once already that you weren't to leave my side." Seiryo took her gently by the arm, offering the Emperor an awkward smile as he made his bow. "Azusa-heika, I'm sorry. She…she…"
"Wanted to say thank you." Azusa said softly, tilting his head on one side as he regarded his ward carefully. Then he rested his hand hesitantly on Tokimi's shoulder.
"You're feeling better, then, Tokimi-san?"
"I am well. Thank you, King Azusa of Jurai." Tokimi said seriously. Azusa smiled, nodding.
"That's good. I appreciate your thanks." He said gravely. He was rewarded with a wide beam, and Seiryo pursed his lips.
"If you run off again, Tokimi, I'm taking you home." He said warningly. "You're lucky that the Emperor is an understanding man – it's not polite to go running around official halls and accosting Kings without ceremony."
"I did something bad?" Tokimi stared, and Seiryo sighed, shaking his head.
"No." He said resignedly. "Come on. You've said thank you to the Emperor – now let's go and find Lady Sasami and pass on Suki's message, okay?"
"Okay." Tokimi nodded her head, and as he led her away from the dais, Seiryo was aware of the two senior princes of the realm discussing them as they moved away.
"I didn't think he'd bring her to an event such as this." That was Lord Haru, and instinctively Seiryo bristled at the censure in the man's words. "We don't know how much we can trust either of them, in truth, my brother. Is it wise, letting her roam so freely around Jurai?"
"Lady Washu assures me Tokimi is of no further threat, and Lord Tennan has done nothing to alert my suspicions." Azusa's answer was more comforting. "If you don't forgive, Haru, you turn lukewarm allies into hot-blooded enemies. And even if her mode of address was unusual, she wanted to thank me. The girl is impaired – we know that her experiences have probably scarred her for life. That she is able to be up and around is a miracle enough in itself. Let it rest. We have enough troubles to contemplate without adding a Kii refugee to the list."
"Perhaps you are right." Haru conceded, but to Seiryo it did not sound like the Chief of Security was convinced. "I would still have liked to have used truth serum on Tennan-dono. I'm still not convinced over the death of his good father...and his continued association with that woman makes me uneasy - impaired or not, I am unsure she should be so easily trusted."
"The matter has been closed." Azusa's tones warned there would be no further discussion on the matter, and Seiryo felt a sudden surge of appreciation for his King's strong will. "For now, we must resolve the Kanemitsu murders and lay those ghosts to rest. We are dealing with a present demon, not past ones. And for tonight, perhaps we can let it all rest and try and remember other matters."
By this time they were out of earshot, and Seiryo sighed, turning his attention to scanning the room for the younger Princess. An exclamation from his companion told him that Tokimi's bright eyes had spotted her first, and he turned, meeting Sasami's gaze and acknowledging her wave with a bow of his head. Tokimi waved back, and as Sasami approached, Seiryo saw she had someone else in tow. It was a young girl, no older than the Princess herself, and try as he might Seiryo was unable to put a name to her face. He frowned, his brow creasing in confusion. Was she from one of the colonies? A representative's daughter from a noble house that did not usually attend?
A sudden shriek from Tokimi brought Seiryo back to the present with a jolt and as he glanced at his companion, he saw that she had gone rigid, colour draining from her face as she brought her hands up before her in a curious gesture of protection. She said something but it was in words he did not understand, and he frowned, following her gaze as he tried to work out what it was that had startled her. Try as he might, however, he could only see the Princess and her young companion in Tokimi's line of sight.
"Tokimi?" He murmured. "Tokimi, what on earth is the matter with you? It's only Lady Sasami – why are you so upset?"
Tokimi repeated the strange words, adding to them a string of others as she became increasingly agitated. She took a step back against the wall, her hands held up before her as if to defend her from some unseen enemy. The pitch of her voice rose and Seiryo was aware that where there had been a hum of chatter before, there was now nothing but silence as every gaze in the room turned to the former Priestess and her sudden fit of panic.
"Tokimi? Tokimi, what's wrong with you!" Immediately Sasami hurried forward, grabbing the woman by her hands but Tokimi pulled away, terror in her sapphire eyes. In her fright, she had lapsed completely into her native tongue, rendering her words incomprehensible, and suddenly Seiryo wished that Washu were here. A quick glance around the chamber, however, told him that the scientist was nowhere in evidence and he cursed, slipping his arm around the distraught girl's shoulders as he urged her to calm down.
Tears glittered on Tokimi's lashes as she buried her head in Seiryo's shoulder, gripping hold of him tightly as if afraid to let him go.
"Lord Tennan, what is wrong with the girl?" Lord Takaya's imperious voice broke the silence and Seiryo turned, eying his council colleague with thinly veiled dislike.
"If I spoke Kii, I'd tell you." He said quietly. "Although if you'd like to have a go at translating, please, be my guest."
Takaya bristled, glaring back at his equal, but before he could respond, Tokimi glanced up at Seiryo, pulling desperately on his arm as she tried to get his attention.
"Nii-chan, demon." She sobbed. "Demon kill Tsunami. Demon kill Tsunami!"
This last proclamation was loud enough for the majority of the hall to overhear and a loud gasp went up from those near enough to see Tokimi's wild gestures and distraught state. In her panic, she had flung her free arm in Sasami's direction, and in the hotch-potch mixture of Kii and Galactic tongue that followed, even Seiryo had trouble trying to piece together what his charge was trying to tell him.
Sasami, for her part, had frozen at Tokimi's words, colour draining from her face as she digested them.
"Tokimi?" She whispered. "What...what do you...?"
"Lady Sasami, please, step away from her!" Takaya stepped neatly between the Princess and the former priestess, his hand hovering over his sword hilt as he did so. "Lord Tennan, you shame the court by bringing this creature into our midst! Did you not hear the words from her own lips? She means evil towards Jurai's noble Goddess Tsunami, even as she seeks shelter within our own walls!"
"No! No, Lord Takaya, she didn't say that!" Sasami protested, but Takaya was well into the swing of things by now and he took no notice of the girl's words. "She should have been put to death for her crimes when the Tsunami-fune brought her back to Jurai!"
Tokimi stared at the angry lord with big, frightened eyes at this, and Seiryo could tell that she understood. He frowned, stepping forward and holding up his hands.
"Tokimi is wounded." He said quietly, but his words were pitched so that they would carry as easily as the belligerent tones of his fellow Lord. "Her mind is impaired. She doesn't understand the crimes you talk about, Lord Takaya - nor does the guilt rest with her for any of them. She is not capable of launching an attack on anyone. She is scared, that's all. Something frightened her - are you so paranoid about the antics of one scared girl that you are willing to spill blood over it? That's little better than spilling the blood of a child!"
"You would know about spilling blood, Lord Tennan!" Lord Hirata shot forward now, eyes blazing with indignation as he recognised a chance to raise a personal grievance. "You threatened my own boy with violence within this palace conclave within the last few days! Or do you deny that you promised to silence him if he dared speak his mind about the demon within our midst?"
"I advised him it would be better to keep his mouth shut about your opinions regarding our noble Emperor's choices of counsel." Seiryo's eyes flashed dangerously at this. "And that if he dared lay a finger on Tokimi, I would speak for him. No man of honour would act aggressively towards an injured foe, whatever their nature or their crimes. Tokimi is a woman with the mind of a child. To attack her would be compounding those crimes threefold."
"Are you claiming I have no honour?" Lord Hirata was incensed, and Seiryo spread his hands.
"You tell me, Lord Hirata." He said darkly. "You tell me."
"Stop this! Stop this, all of you!" Azusa strode between them at this moment, and even Lord Hirata's indignation was quelled into silence by the presence of the Emperor himself. "Lord Tennan, what is the meaning of this disturbance?"
"Tokimi saw something that scared her, my Lord. That's all." Seiryo said quietly.
"Demon kill Tsunami, King of Jurai." Tokimi added brokenly, her eyes big and uncertain as she tried to work out what was going on. Her gaze flitted across the room, as if searching for something, and Sasami took her gently by the hands.
"Tokimi, stop it." She begged. "Stop being scared. There's no demon. It's all right. It's really all right."
"You heard her, my King. She seeks to undermine the principles upon which this world is founded!" Lord Takaya exclaimed, and Azusa frowned, meeting Seiryo's gaze soberly.
"Lord Tennan?" He asked softly. "How do you interpret Tokimi's words?"
"In the same way as any rational man, my Lord King. In the way in which she said them." Despite the fact he was speaking to his Emperor, Seiryo could not keep the rancour out of his voice. "Tokimi saw something that upset her. There are a lot of things on Jurai she doesn't yet understand. Kihaku was a world lacking in technology and many Juraian customs are alien to her. Her memories were damaged in the explosion of her planet, and she doesn't remember anything beyond the death of her father the Priest. That's all."
He bowed his head towards Azusa, then,
"I'm sorry for the disturbance, my King, but Takaya-dono and Hirata-dono are keen to blow the matter out of all proportion."
"Well, I think..." Azusa began, but at that moment, Tokimi let out another blood-curdling shriek, exclaiming wildly as she gestured desperately once more in the direction of the Princess and her startled companion. As Sakuya stepped out from Lord Takaya's shadow, Tokimi's actions became even more agitated and Seiryo was aware that his companion was physically shaking with fear.
"Tokimi! Stop this!" The nobleman said firmly, but Tokimi wasn't listening to him. In rapid Kii she repeated the same sentences over and over again, her hands fluttering in curious gestures as she backed further and further across the room towards the door.
"Why is she pointing at me?" Sakuya was becoming upset now, her eyes widening with alarm. "Why...what's wrong with her? Is she mad?"
"She's quite, quite mad." Hirata said in disgust. "And probably just as dangerous now, putting curses on innocent children."
"She's not putting a curse on anyone!" Seiryo objected, but the other lord snorted.
"You tell me then, what she's doing." He said, a nasty tone edging his voice. "Putting a curse on poor Sakuya-san after she's already suffered so much. It would be no surprise to me if Tokimi wasn't responsible for all of those murders, and she seeks to finish what she's begun!"
"Sasami, I'm scared! She's scaring me!" Sakuya swallowed hard, tears in her own eyes. "Maybe...maybe Lord Hirata is right. I think...I think I saw her...somehow..."
"There, you see!" Hirata exclaimed, triumph in his eyes as he gestured towards the near-hysterical Tokimi. "A witness! Tokimi is our killer, Lord Azusa! She should be arrested forthwith!"
"Nobody is arresting Tokimi." Seiryo said blackly. "She hasn't done anything and she didn't commit any murders on the Sumire. You are sensationalising a young girl's tragedy, Hirata-dono, and it's a base tactic at the best of times. Miss Kumashiro doesn't remember what happened aboard her father's ship, and you seek to pervert justice by putting ideas into the child's head."
"I seek the truth!" Hirata began, but Tokimi let out another wail of terror, drowning anything else the Lord might have added to his self-important speech.
"Tokimi-san, please!" Azusa tried, but it was to no avail. With a final heart-wrenching cry, Tokimi turned on her heel, fleeing the chamber altogether and Seiryo muttered a curse, pushing past Hirata as he hurried after her.
"I knew this was a bad idea. I knew she wasn't ready for all these people." He muttered. "But what about what she said? Did she really see a demon? Am I right in thinking that she has the power to see the thing that Detective Makibi is hunting? Or is she just a frightened, deluded child?"
Behind him he could hear chaos erupting, as many voices clamoured for the ear of the Emperor, but Seiryo was beyond caring.
"They already hate me beyond repair, and I don't care enough for any of them to bother about their good opinions." He reasoned aloud, surprised by the truth of this statement. "But I do care that Tokimi is upset, because...well, why do I? Why is she so important to me? Is it because of everything we've both been through together? Because I'm the only one who understands how that magic poisoned her soul? Or is it what Suki said - she's become like a sister in the short time we've cared for her, and there is nothing I wouldn't risk to protect Suki from harm? I wish I knew. And right now I wish I could tell which way Tokimi had gone. She might get lost so easily, when she's upset, and Suki will be cross with me if I don't bring her home safely. I have to at least try and calm her down."
"Tennan-dono! Stop right there!"
A determined voice came from the darkness behind him and he swore under his breath, swinging around to find Lord Hirata glaring at him, his face silhouetted by the gleam of the Juraian moon. He returned the glower with one of his own, his stance stiffening as he registered the glint in his foe's eye.
"What do you want, Hirata?" He demanded flatly. "I have more important things to do than talk to you."
"You have to find your demon and do homage to her, instead of honouring your Emperor here, where you are bound by oath to attend." Hirata said coldly. "You are a traitor and a villain and you should have been so sentenced when those crimes were brought against you six months or more ago. Azusa-heika was lenient on you, and you abuse his generosity. Now you not only consort with demons, you seek to protect them within the walls of the Palace!"
"The only demon I see is you." Seiryo spat back. "Strutting around like a peacock, pretending to be important. Just like my father. Just like all the others. I don't care what your opinion is of me. It's never mattered anyway."
"Your father was a good and honourable man who sought justice for Jurai against Kain and who was brought down in his prime by your hand!" Hirata snapped. "We all know it, even if we cannot prove it. Seiji-dono was a true Lord of Jurai. You are a poor comparison."
"But a better swordsman than you, I'd wager." Seiryo said quietly. "Since I trained with the best at the Galaxy Police, and I'm not afraid to use my weapon if I have to. I don't seek a fight, Lord Hirata, and I am not going to dishonour my Emperor by scrapping with you outside the palace. But until you have some firm evidence other than your own superstitions to lay at Tokimi's door - or at mine, for that matter - keep your mouth shut. Treason comes in many forms, and accusing without proof can be seen as a crime in itself."
His eyes narrowed.
"My father's records indicated many conflicts with you over land and title, in the distant past." He added softly, his eyes glittering with dislike as he spoke. "Including at one point a negotiation for your son to marry my sister Suki, which my mother thankfully blocked from taking place. No wonder you have such animosity towards me...although hanging onto a grudge such as that is pitiful to say the least. Surely you know that it would have meant Suki married beneath her? Do you really think a Tennan would ever consent to that?"
Hirata bristled, reaching for his sword, but Seiryo was too quick for him, drawing his own blade and knocking his foe's weapon cleanly from his hand with one flick of his wrist. It clattered onto the ground, and with a pointed look, Seiryo returned his sabre to it's scabbard.
"I'm not fighting you." He repeated. "You're not worth it, and I need to find a frightened girl who has nowhere but here to call home. Go back to the Emperor and tell your tales on me. I will prove my loyalty to my King with actions, not with tattled words about my superiors."
With that he turned on his heel, his cloak fluttering around him as he headed purposefully across the palace conclave, leaving his rival standing staring after him. Though Hirata called his name once or twice, Seiryo remained oblivious, his attention wholly on seeking out his frightened charge and at length his persistance was rewarded, as he caught sight of a stretch of dark fabric pooling on the ground beneath one of the big Conclave trees.
"Tokimi?" He said softly, and there was the sound of a muffled sob.
"Tokimi, it's Seiryo. It's all right. Please, come out. I'm all alone and noone is going to hurt you." He said gently, and with a rustle of clothing and tree branches, Tokimi stepped out from her hiding place, her cheeks stained with tears and her beautiful hair pulled loose around her shoulders. Despite himself, Seiryo felt a tug as he saw the genuine anguish in the girl's blue eyes and he held out his hands.
"Shall we go home?" He asked. Tokimi hesitated, then slowly, she nodded, taking his hands in hers.
"They didn't want me there." She said soberly, dropping her gaze to the ground. "They were angry. Like the others. They don't like Tokimi. Tokimi isn't wanted on Jurai, is she?"
"Tokimi, there are some very stupid people on Jurai." Seiryo said with a sigh. "Believe me, they don't like anyone. Don't take it to heart. They don't even like each other most of the time."
"Does Nii-chan like Tokimi?" Tokimi asked plaintively, and Seiryo nodded his head.
"Of course I do. And so does Suki. And Washu and Lady Sasami, of course." He replied. At the mention of Sasami's name, alarm flickered into Tokimi's sapphire eyes.
"Tsunami!"
"Shh...not now." Seiryo shook his head. "Tomorrow you can tell me what happened, but right now you're tired and upset, so we'll get you home and not worry about it. Okay?"
"Okay." Tokimi looked relieved. "I am tired. But...but you will tell Tsunami? What I said?"
"Well, I..."
"Please!" Tokimi begged, and Seiryo sighed again.
"All right." He agreed reluctantly, inwardly wondering how on earth he was going to keep such a promise. "Now calm down. It's quite safe out here...just you and me. Nothing to be afraid of."
"That's probably a matter of opinion."
A voice from behind them startled them and Tokimi let out a shriek, gripping Seiryo's hand so hard that he winced. There was the sound of laughter, and Seiryo spun around, annoyance glinting in his malachite eyes as he met the interloper's amused gaze.
"Detective Makibi, why are you following me?" He demanded. "Do you really trust me so little that you have to stalk me everywhere?"
"No, not at all." Kiyone shook her head. "Actually, I came to offer my help. And I hope, to make sense of what happened tonight, too."
"You were there?" Seiryo stared at her, taking in for the first time his companion's unusually formal attire. He frowned, absorbing the fact that not only was the Detective wearing a very feminine, form-fitting dress, her thick dark hair had been braided back with ribbon in a delicate style and she looked completely unlike the woman who had accosted him about the Sumire earlier in the week. Kiyone snorted at his question, gesturing at herself as she did so.
"No, I dress like this for fun." She said sarcastically. "Sasami invited me. Ayeka didn't go, because she and Takeru are still working on this Kanemitsu business, and Sasami guilted me into attending. I certainly didn't expect to see Tokimi there - but at least now I've seen for myself what her situation is."
"Are you a friend?" Tokimi eyed Kiyone curiously, reaching out a hand to touch the detective's cheek. "Friend of Nii-chan?"
"Friend of...?" Kiyone blinked, and Seiryo looked rueful.
"Well, I guess you could say we used to work together, Tokimi." He said vaguely. "This is Detective Kiyone Makibi. She's a Police Officer...she helps to catch criminals."
"When I'm not forced to take leave on Jurai." Kiyone muttered, smoothing down the skirt of her gown and then bending to fiddle with the heel of her shoe. "I hate formality. If Ayeka hadn't bullied me, I would never have been badgered into wearing this. But she said that one of us might as well go there and look pretty...and I guess I got talked into it. I feel like I'm being strangled."
"You don't look like it, if I may say so." Seiryo looked amused, feeling a tiny flare of malicious pleasure at her discomfitted blush. "So what is your decision, Detective, regarding Tokimi? Are you going to join the court hysterics, or are you going to remain true to form and forge your own path?"
"I think it's blatantly obvious she saw something in that hall." Kiyone said bluntly, abandoning her shoe as she considered his question. "And that any fool can see that Tokimi isn't capable of hurting anyone. Which I'm glad of, because it rules out in my own mind any risk of her being involved. Or you, for that matter. I guess I knew you weren't, but it's nice to put the idea to bed once and for all."
"Your faith in me is overwhelming."
"Do I need to answer that?"
"No. It wasn't a question, as I'm sure you noticed." Seiryo said simply. "And Tokimi? Fling your hate at me if you like, but not at her. She doesn't understand it, so it will do you no good."
"I don't hate Tokimi. I'm not angry at her." Kiyone said primly. She turned to the former Priestess, offering her a smile as she held out her hands.
"I'd like to be friends, Tokimi." She added. "If you want."
"Friends." Tokimi's eyes lit up and she squeezed Kiyone's hands in return. "Yes. Detective Makibi, we'll be friends."
"Call me Kiyone. After all, that's what friends do." Kiyone sent Seiryo a pointed look at this juncture, then, "May I walk with you back towards your estate, Tennan-san? I'm curious to know what exactly Tokimi saw and if it's the thing you said she saw the other day."
"No." Seiryo held up his hands, and Kiyone looked surprised.
"I already said we weren't going to tackle this tonight. Tomorrow, you're welcome...but not now." Seiryo shook his head. "Tokimi's been too badly upset for one night, between those apes Hirata and Takaya and whatever else was in that hall. I won't have her upset again - Suki will be furious as it is."
Kiyone shot him a startled look, and Seiryo was surprised to see a brief flicker of respect dart across the detective's blue eyes.
"You do care what happens to her, don't you?" She asked softly. He nodded.
"Tokimi is my responsibility...and in a way, like my family, now." He agreed pensively. "We've both been victims of the same dark magic, and we've both been ostracised because of it. It gives us something in common, but she can't defend herself as well as I can. So I'll defend her, too...because she needs me."
Kiyone's eyes narrowed at this, and at first she didn't respond. Then, at length, she shrugged.
"I'll still walk with you, if I may." She said eventually. "Help you get her home. It has to be better than going back to that hall, with all those paranoid, clucking nobles making a fuss."
She shivered.
"Or with whatever it was that Tokimi saw still roaming around. No, on balance, I think I'm safer with you."
Seiro shot her a bewildered look, but spread his hands.
"Be my guest." He said simply. "Let's go."
-------
"Well, who would have thought it would turn into such a fun evening."
Back at the palace, Ryoko took a final sip of her drink, setting the glass down on a nearby abandoned tray as she observed the commotion of voices that still occupied the centre of the chamber. "I thought Jurai prided itself on it's sophistication and social restraint…but I guess they can put a show on as good as anyone, when they choose."
"I don't think that's the point, Ryoko." Tenchi chided her, shaking his head slightly as he cast a glance in the Emperor's direction. "I'm almost wondering if I should go help Great Grandpa to calm things down. Lord Takaya and Lord Hirata sure are noisy when they get going."
"They like the sound of their own voices, like most Juraian nobles." Ryoko dismissed this with a flick of her fingers. "And they're too superstitious by far. I've encountered Hiratas and Takayas with similar attitudes in the past – only then it was me who was the demon, not Tokimi."
"What do you think really happened?"
"I think that Washu might have a point about Tokimi." Ryoko said unwillingly. "Not that I like to admit I might be wrong, or that my mother might be right. But one thing is for sure. She isn't the one behind all of this stupid Sumire business. Whatever she was screaming about tonight, she has less subtlety than Mihoshi. She'd never be able to pull it off."
"Poor Tokimi. I wonder if she's all right." Tenchi pursed his lips. "And that child, too – whatever Tokimi said upset her as well…as if she hasn't been through enough."
"Well, if you're going to wade in and join the pity party, I'm going to love you and leave you, I think." Ryoko decided. "You might think that child Sakuya is all sweetness and light but I'm absolutely certain she was sent here to spy on Jurai somehow, and I'm not going to waste my time or my sympathy on her when there are others to do it instead."
"How can she be a spy?" Tenchi objected. "She's Sasami's age."
"So?" Ryoko snorted. "You don't think a thirteen year old can spy? I've news for you. They can and believe me, if the incentive is right, they do."
"So what – her Dad was killed and now she's trying to find out something about Jurai as a form of revenge? She believes Azusa is guilty somehow?" Tenchi demanded. "That does seem a bit farfetched, even for you, Ryoko-chan."
"Thanks." Ryoko pulled a face at him. "And no, I didn't mean that, exactly. I think she was always a spy – that's why that Kumashiro guy brought her along. Sasami might be the Goddess but she has a major weakness for befriending strays. Don't you think it's convenient otherwise, how that girl was here tonight with Sasami?"
"No, I think Sasami has a big heart and she reached out to her. That's all." Tenchi shook his head, and Ryoko sighed.
"Do you never, ever have suspicions about people?" She asked. Tenchi grinned.
"Not if I can help it. I leave that to you – between us we reach a rational middle ground." He bantered. "But in this case, Ryoko, I think that you're seeing things which aren't there. Sakuya might have been brought here in the first instance to help her father's political battle, but in the final analysis, she's now all on her own. She has no communication with Kanemitsu, either…not even with her mother. In light of that, don't you think it's unlikely she's a spy?"
"Perhaps." Ryoko sighed. "But mark my words, Tenchi. There's something odd about that child, and Tokimi saw it too. I have no idea what all that babbling was about, but whatever it was, I'll bet she wasn't freaked out by the colour of Sakuya's dress."
"Tokimi is still very fragile."
"That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with her eyes."
Ryoko sighed, glancing down at her hands.
"But the King will hush it up, because it's not seemly to have such things happen at formal events, so I guess it won't matter either way." She added ruefully. "If you don't mind, Tenchi, I'm going to cut out of here and go back to my room. It's nothing against your company – actually, you're more than welcome to join me, if you like. But while the court of Jurai are on a demon hunt, I'd rather not be their next focus. No wonder Washu avoids these kinds of functions. Clearly they're just an excuse for all of the planet's nutcases to get together and victimise someone."
"I'm sure they wouldn't go for you, Ryoko. Not these days." Tenchi shook his head, but Ryoko shrugged.
"Let's not chance it." She said simply. "Are you staying to help Azusa calm the mob?"
"I think I ought to, since I need to be in his good books, remember?"
"Then I'll see you later." Ryoko kissed him on the cheek, offering him an impish smile. "If you miss me, you know where you can find me – in my room or outside under the stars. Have fun with the round-up. I'm sure it will be a whole lot of fun, trying to talk sense into arrogant rich men!"