The Princess and the Paige
By: The Dreaming Fangirl
Chapter Twelve: The Rush of Footsteps
The sunlight streamed into the Inner Sanctum's banquet hall slowly, and as the minutes passed, the individual beams of light vanished until only its source remained visible. The table was set, and the princess yawned as she gazed at her food. The rice was steaming and an exquisite shade of white. The soup's salty aroma rushed to her nose, and her mouth watered as she caught the smell of green onions. She dug into her smoked mullet; the perfect blend of alder smoke and fish umami. She paused. Under normal circumstances, she would have thought of no better way to enjoy her breakfast; however…
The princess sighed.
Her grandfather looked up from his breakfast as he asked, "What's wrong, Izumiko?"
The princess lightly poked her mullet as she replied, "The fish is cold."
"That simply means that the poison-checker was being thorough. Now dig in. The food is delicious."
The princess sighed again.
"Is there something you're not telling me? What else is bugging you?"
"It's nothing."
The former emperor's eyes were sharp with scrutiny for but a moment; however, with the growl of his stomach, his eyes went back to his food, and he continued to eat.
The princess continued to eat her mullet, but her first answer remained painfully obvious in her mind: It is much too quiet here. The air of the Inner Sanctum's dining hall was empty, save for the sounds of the morning birds and their own chopsticks. The servants had their own dining quarters, and, as such, propriety dictated that members of the royal family were to break their fasts by themselves.
"Grandfather, when does Mother plan on joining us? Her food is going to go cold if she doesn't hurry."
"I imagine that your mother will be joining us very shortly. It's just that the crown keeps her so busy; It is quite possible that she just overslept."
"Maybe. She didn't get the chance to join us last night for supper either. She invited me here to enjoy the festival with her; I don't want to have the festival be over before I even get the chance to see her."
"I'm certain that your mother doesn't want that either. Don't worry. She'll find a way to see you before all of this is over. I guarantee it."
"If you say so…"
The princess could hear the sound of rushing footsteps as the banquet door flew open.
"Sorry, I'm late! Is that? Izumiko!"
"Mother?!"
The empress rushed to where Izumiko was seated. Strands of brown hair came loose from her mother's signature ponytail, and for a time, she seemed to pant for breath. She raised her arms up as she said, "Well, don't just stand there. Give your mother a hug!"
The princess rose up from her seat, and, within a matter of moments, the empress wrapped her daughter into a warm embrace.
"You've grown so big since I last saw you. How long has it been now?"
"About three months."
"Three months is too long. If I had my way, you would never leave my sight again. How was your trip to the capital?"
"It was tiring, but well. We didn't have any real delays, except for the occasional tea house. You should have seen the dango shops we passed by. Aunt Ume would have gone to town."
"Knowing your aunt, the moment she saw the dango shops, she would have eaten them right out of business. By the way, did you hear the news from aunt Akemi?"
"What news?"
"She's going to have a baby! Isn't that wonderful?"
"That's great!" Before the princess could continue speaking, a cough erupted from her grandfather.
The empress released the princess before giving a quick bow to the former emperor. "Apologies for being late, Lord Takaeyomi. I'm afraid I overslept."
"There is nothing to worry about, dear; however, breakfast has been served, and it would be a shame to let this perfectly good food turn cold. Don't you agree?"
"Oh. Of course, sir."
The empress soon sat at her table. She raised her hands, and clapped them twice before falling into a deep stillness. After a moment of silence, she clapped her hands once again and said, "We are receiving."
The royal family continued eating, though both the princess and the former emperor had done significantly more progress on their meal. That said, it didn't take long for the empress to catch up with them.
"Now, Izumiko, in terms of the Floral Festival, I have arranged some very special seats for us to watch the festival. There is this outpost in the Outer Quarter that provides the most spectacular view at night. You won't believe your eyes."
"Mother, I was actually hoping that we could spend some time in the capital during the festival. I've heard that the shops down there are magnificent."
"Unacceptable. The capital is far too dangerous for a princess to be walking about. If you want something from the shops, simply call one of the servants and they will go and get it for you."
"Mother, that isn't the same! I want to actually go there and experience the capital with my own eyes."
"You'll be recognized immediately."
"Not necessarily. The people may recognize you because you are in all of those paintings with Father, but the public has never seen me before. If I go in disguise, the people will be none the wiser."
"I see. And what would you disguise yourself as?"
"I'll disguise myself as a servant from the palace. I'm certain Haruna will have some spare clothes that she'll let me borrow."
"All right, but on one condition."
"And what condition would that be?"
"You are to have an escort of my choosing."
"That works for me."
"I'll need to arrange a place where you and I will rendezvous before we go."
"How long do you think it will take?"
"At least four hours," she raised her hand to her chin as she spoke, "I'll have another meeting shortly after that. I should be able to send a courier to let you know the full details."
A servant popped into the door, "Excuse me, your ladyship, but you have a council meeting in about five minutes."
The empress swallowed her food as she spoke, "And that is my cue to go." She turned her head towards the servant, "Tell the ministers I'll be there shortly."
The empress was almost out the door before she said, "Goodbye, Izumiko. I'll see you tonight."
"I'll see you tonight."
The door closed, and just as quickly as the empress had entered, the rush of footsteps followed her as she left.
Chapter Thirteen: The Spark
Time passed, and the sun, having grown weary of her long journey, ventured back to her home on the western shores, and as the sky began to darken and the clouds changed into hues of pink, purple and nectarine, the candles were lit, turning the city aglow.
"This is your last chance, folks! Fresh pork-buns straight from the oven! Get 'em while they're hot!"
"Candles, Wicks, we have them all here! And at a price you can't get anywhere else!"
"Precious jewels, fine silver, all for a great price!"
The princess stared at the courier's letter in her hands. She did read the message right, didn't she? She cursed herself for not bringing her reading bifocals as she squinted down onto the characters. She looked at the house behind her as she searched for any clue as to the current address.
The more the princess continued to search, the more the princess felt that something was wrong. She was at the right address: 3 Sakura Lane, but her mother was already fifteen minutes late and had yet to appear. She couldn't see her supposed "bodyguard" anywhere either.
This is all a big mess, she thought to herself as she poked her foot into the soil. She was about to turn around and head back when a voice called out her.
"Hey! Are you even listening to me?!"
"Miyuki?!"
The squire was dressed in a navy-blue kimono. His hair was ruffled, though still within its ponytail. As she continued to look at him, she observed a linen bag attached to one of his wrists. It is much too large to be a coin-purse, she thought to herself, has he come to enjoy the festival too?
The princess took in a small breath of air before speaking, "So, I take it you came here to get some shopping done?"
"Not really. Your friend Haruna dragged me down here. She said something about needing a date, and before I knew it, I was stuck playing chauffer. You still haven't answered my question."
"You asked me a question?"
"Gods, I swear you can be such an airhead!"
"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention before! What was the question?"
"What are you doing here and why are you dressed like a peasant?"
She stared down at her kimono. It's true that Haruna's clothes were a little bit bigger than she had expected, but she didn't look that bad, did she?
"I wanted to spend some time shopping here during the festival. Mother and I were supposed to meet up here, but she still has yet to show up."
"I can't believe this. Do you have any idea as to how dangerous this is? What if somebody recognizes the two of you?"
"Nobody was supposed to know," she looked down to her hands as she continued speaking, "and either way, that's why I'm dressed up like this. You wouldn't be able to tell that I'm a princess just from looking at me, right?"
"Yes, I would."
"What?!" She lifted her hands over her mouth to muffle the gasp that threatened to escape.
"For one thing, there is your posture. While most peasant girls tend to slouch and are loose in general, your movements are as stiff as a board."
"Oh. I see." Her vision started to become cloudy as tears threatened to escape. This really was a foolish idea, she thought to herself. What did she expect? Her eyes became heavier as the squire continued.
"Then there's the hair, not to mention the accent. Hey, are you crying?"
She wiped at her eyes as she tried to hold in a sob, "No, I'm not. I'm not crying."
"Aw shit." One of the squire's hands went to his hair as he let out an exasperated sigh. "Princess, look at me."
She stared down at the ground.
"I said, look at me!"
The princess's eyes went to him in an instant. He placed each one of his hands on her shoulders. She was about to look back down to the ground again when he spoke again.
"Eyes up here please."
"You can't just go crying whenever things don't go your way, and you certainly can't start crying whenever you start to get embarrassed. Now, look at me."
The squire paused for a moment as the princess wiped the tears away from her eyes. She looked at him. His eyes were intense, the oak browns seeming to stare into her soul. She flinched, and was about to turn her head before the squire spoke once more.
"Grow up."
"Excuse me?!"
"You heard me. Grow. Up. You're going to be the ruler of this nation one day. It's high time that you started acting like it, so grow up. You understand what I'm saying?"
The princess let out a chuckle, "Yes, I suppose you're right. Thank you. It's not often that I am treated so," she lifted her hands up as she began to fix her face, "candidly."
"Don't mention it."
The sky darkened, and as the clouds continued to move, they soon gave way to the countless stars. The princess sighed. No matter how many times she gazed upon that silver river, it seemed as if it was calling out to her, beckoning her to the other side. The noise of the city slowed into a quiet lull, and the people stared at the river-delta expectantly.
"Looks like the fireworks are getting set up. Guess that means the festival's almost over."
"What?"
"Right towards the end of the festival, the city likes to shoot off fireworks to officially welcome in the spring and they pray for another productive year. Either case, if you want to get some shopping done, you best do it now. Once the fireworks are over, most of these guys close up shop."
"But, Mother hasn't arrived yet! I don't want to start the festival without her!" The princess scanned the street. Still no sign of the bodyguard either.
"If she hasn't shown up after all this time, it's a good bet that she's not going to show up at all. It would be best if you start counting your losses and head home."
"But, she promised we would go this time…" The princess kicked the ground in a soft pout, "My mother asked that I not go unescorted to the festival. She had arranged for me to have a bodyguard during the festival, but I haven't seen him anywhere."
"Maybe the bodyguard is keeping his distance and trying to let you enjoy the festival yourself."
"If that is the case, then he is doing an excellent job." Normally, the princess could tell when someone was watching her, but this time, she just felt nothing.
"Indeed. You know, I imagine that Haruna would be willing to take you into the festival if you need someone to go with you."
"No, I would just be a third wheel. After all, technically you two are on a date."
"I was not out on a date! She dragged me down here against my will!"
"Oh. So, the great Miyuki is so weak that a girl can easily overpower him and drag him all over town?"
"No! Oh, forget it! I'm heading back!" The squire lifted his satchel over his shoulder as he turned his body back towards the castle.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I was just teasing, I swear. Please don't go."
Miyuki paused for a moment and turned his body to face her. She was staring at the ground again, her hands gripped tightly together as she fidgeted under his gaze.
"I was actually hoping you would be willing to go into the festival with me." Her face turned red as she continued to speak, "It wouldn't be a date of course! But, I find that festivals are better enjoyed with friends, so please?"
"Okay."
"Really?!" She looked up at the squire, and her face lit up in a big smile. She moved towards his side as she said, "Let's go then."
Even with the flickering of the candles, the festival still retained its life as dealers were rushing to get what they could sold, and the crowds walked at a leisurely pace. The streets smelled of sweet dango and spices from the land of Paradosia. Some vendors prepared carnival games and lottery pools. The shrine of the river guardians was clean and lined with various offerings of grilled fish, sake and squid. Truly, the Floral Festival on Sakura Lane was a sight to behold, but as she got closer to the river and made her way towards the bridge, a feeling of nausea came over her as the smell of something foul made its way into her nose.
She covered her mouth as she coughed. "What is that smell?"
The squire covered his nose with his arm, seemingly able to breathe through his sleeve as he continued to speak, "Oh that, probably shit. When the poor can't dump their crap on the streets, they throw it into the river to wash downstream. That's one of the good things living in the palace. They get their water straight from the source."
"That sounds awful."
"Well, the shit has to go somewhere. Either way, let's try not to stay here any longer than we have to, so, what shop do you plan on visiting first?"
She pointed towards a small dango stand. The wooden boards were uneven, the nails were so exposed that Miyuki wondered how it was that the shop still stood. The squire chuckled as he eyed the sign. If the calligraphy was any indication, the owner's mind was as sturdy as the shop itself. What on earth could the princess be thinking?
"Princess, I don't think this is such a good idea."
The princess smiled as she said, "Trust me. I've got a good feeling about this place. Besides, what could it hurt?"
"Fine but don't blame me if the shop collapses on us while we're in there. Coming in here was your idea."
The princess and the squire lifted the cloth doors and, as a small bell began to chime, a small man popped out.
"Come in! Come in! Don't be shy. Come inside!"
The small man's skin was as brown as tanned leather, and his gray hair gathered in wisps around his head. He was dressed in a gray kimono lined with images of black bamboo shoots. He clapped his hands and spun as he spoke, "Welcome, the people 'round here call me Noko. Now then, what can I get you? I have all sorts of dango here. We have festival dango, dango with red bean paste, and my specialty surprise dango."
"What's in the surprise dango?"
"I can't tell you, young lady. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" The old man covered his mouth as he began to giggle.
The princess giggled as well as she began to speak, "That is a fair point."
Miyuki grabbed the princess by the arm as he began to speak, "I think it is best that we leave."
"No, no, no. There is no need for that dears. My surprise dangos are always delicious."
"Come on, Miyuki. There is no need to leave just yet." The princess managed to unhook her arm from Miyuki's grip. "We'll take three of your surprise dango. How much will that be?"
"That will be six coppers please."
The princess reached into her pockets. She knows she put that coin purse down somewhere in there. Finally, she pulled out the purse and placed six copper pieces into his hands.
"Here you are sir."
"Three surprise dango coming up!" The old man retreated to the back of his shop, and when he returned he handed the princess four sticks of dango, each covered with a light red powder.
"But Mr. Noko, I only ordered three surprise dango."
"For you, my dear, the fourth is on the house."
"Thank you very much sir."
The princess and the squire turned to the exit, and the old man gave a small wave as he said, "Have a nice day now."
They closed the cloth doors behind them, and they headed out back into the festival.
The princess smiled as she took a bite out of her first dango stick. She quickly took a bite out of the second ball, humming with approval as she went for the third.
The squire stared at her for a moment, his stomach beginning to growl as he asked, "So, what does the surprise dango taste like?"
"It's delicious. From what I can tell, it has pheasant mixed in with garlic, green onions and curry. Here try some." The princess passed a stick of dango out to the squire.
The squire stared at the dango for a moment, his eyes lined with skepticism, before his stomach growled again and he took a bite out of the dish. He closed his eyes, and the thought that came to his mind could best summed up in one word: Damn.
He greedily ate up the rest of the dango stick, and when the stick was over, the princess handed him another with a smile.
"Good thing we got four here. We can each have two."
The two continued to walk along the festival road. The festival had managed to quiet down again somewhat since they had begun their adventure. The squire smiled. Getting dragged down here wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. He turned his head towards the princess as another voice popped up.
"Excuse me, can I have some food?"
The two looked to see a little girl dressed completely in rags. Her hair was disheveled and her arms were as thin as twigs. Looking closely at her, this girl could be no older than twelve years old. Her eyes were a dull green, and both the princess and the squire wondered which was more broken: her body or her spirit.
"Please sir."
The princess was the first to speak, "Where are your parents, little one?"
"My father died while he was out at sea and my mother passed away looking after my little brother and me. He's sick, so I have to bring food home for the both of us. Please, may I have some food?"
The princess handed the little girl her second dango stick as she said, "Of course. It isn't much, but I hope this helps."
"Thank you so much, miss." The little girl turned to Miyuki.
The squire placed a hand to his head as he sighed.
"I ate the last of my dango, but I think this will serve you longer than that will anyway." The squire rummaged through his coin purse and pulled out a singular gold piece, "Spend it wisely now."
As comprehension dawned on the girl's face, the little girl's eyes widened and she bowed her head fully, "Thank you so much sir! I will not let this gift go to waste!"
"I imagine the silk companies could always use an extra set of hands. It may take you some time, but if you go to," he leaned into the little girl's ear as he began to whisper for a little while before continuing, "Go to those mountains, and you won't need to beg for food anymore."
The little girl bowed over and over again. "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!" And with those words, she went running into the distance. She paused for a moment before adding, "I promise you, sir. I will not forget this!"
She continued running, and within a matter of moments, the little girl disappeared as quickly as she had arrived into their lives.
"That was very sweet of you."
"What?"
"What you did just now, Miyuki. That was very sweet of you. You not only gave the girl the metaphorical fish, but you gave her what she would need to learn how to fish too. Thank you."
The squire's face began to blush as the young man continued walking, "Well, I couldn't just leave her like that! She wouldn't have survived long if she kept on begging. I had to do something."
"I see."
The festival crowd turned their heads towards the base of the river, each one of them waiting in anticipation.
"Fireworks time."
The sound of a fizzle echoed throughout the air, and within a matter of seconds, the fizzle transformed into a massive boom, coloring the skies in hues of fiery red, white and green.
BOOM!
Another firework erupted.
BOOM!
The booms kept coming over and over again. The princess covered her ears, partly because of the noise and partly for fear of growing deaf, but she stared at the blasts with her eyes wide and filled with wonder.
Suddenly, the princess felt a dark presence arise from within the crowd, and perhaps, if her ears hadn't been clogged, she would've heard what came next.
"For Adjacentia."
The next thing the princess knew, she felt herself being pushed to the ground as Miyuki stood between herself and her attacker, and, for that brief shock-filled moment, what thoughts she had found themselves replaced with a singular word: Ambush.
