The Princess and the Paige
By: The Dreaming Fangirl
Chapter Twenty-One: A Conversation and A Call From The Palace
The trek to the palace's guest house was slow, and as the paige opened the sliding doors, he let out a yawn and proceeded to remove his shoes. His eyes were heavy, and he stretched his arms before he yawned once more.
The knight was quick to follow him, and within a matter of moments, both pairs of shoes were laid on the floor. He yawned as well, and just as he was about to head to the door of his room, he stopped at the sound of his son's voice.
"Hey, Yukimasa."
"Hmm?"
"You were the one who made sure the safehouses were properly stocked, correct?"
"Normally, that is left towards the head watchman, but, when Lord Takaeyomi was scheduled to come visit, I took some extra precautions in making sure the safehouses looked presentable, so yes, I made sure they were stocked."
"Brown-nose."
"No, it's called making a good first impression. Why do you ask?"
"When we were at the hut, the princess spread a salve on my injury. She told me it consisted of honey, garlic-"
"And wormwood?"
"Yeah, she said there was some of that in there too. Just what else was in there that could have healed my wounds so quickly? It makes no sense. Under normal conditions, that injury should have kept me out of it for a few weeks at least, and yet, after a few hours, there is nothing here but a scar. Is there some kind of secret ingredient or something?"
"While I do not know the full extent as to what goes into a physician's brew, I can assure that that salve is not what made your wound heal so fast."
"Why do you say that?"
"That salve was nothing more than a standard antiseptic. In terms of your quick recovery, I believe that was due to the hands of the one who dressed your wound."
The squire's eyes widened. He looked downward, and as the young man stepped back for a moment, Yukimasa smiled. The squire had grown quiet.
For a moment, there was silence. Yukimasa did not move from his spot, instead choosing to cross his arms as he waited. It would not be long before the squire spoke again.
"Just what the hell is she?" His voice came out like a whisper and his eyes turned up towards his father, still as wide as when he had looked down the first time.
Yukimasa held a snort. Miyuki was still the same boy that he remembered all those years ago. The knight opened his mouth; however, before a word could come from his lips, there was a knock on the door.
The knight was quick to answer, and he opened the door revealing a young man. Yukimasa's eyes scrunched; he knew this messenger.
"You're Aki, right?"
"That is correct, milord. Her majesty has requested that she speak with you immediately."
"Where is her highness now?"
"She is waiting in room 9-2."
"I'll be right there." The knight began to place his shoes back onto his feet before he said, "Miyuki, get your shoes on. You're coming too."
"What? Why?"
"This is urgent. Now hurry up and get your shoes on."
The young man was quick to let out an exasperated gasp; however, it was not long before he had his shoes back onto his feet. The messenger had already left, and the young man was quick to follow his father as the knight said, "Let's go."
Chapter Twenty-Two: Room 9-2
"Thank you for coming."
The shutter doors closed behind them, and as the empress rose from her seat, both the knight and the squire bowed their heads deeply. The empress moved closer to the knight, but he did not move until the empress had managed to grab one of the knight's hands.
"You may rise."
The knight stood his body straight, and as the man stared at his liege, the empress let out a small smile before covering his hand with her other one. The squire remained completely still; his eyes were closed, and it is likely that he would've stayed that way for hours, had a younger voice not chimed in.
"Miyuki?"
The squire raised his head, and the princess was quick to his side as she asked, "Miyuki, you're alright? How's the wound?"
"Much better, thank you. The salve really helped."
The princess's face broke into a soft smile and she said, "Thank goodness. Sawa made some tea for us. Would you care for a cup?"
"Tea sounds lovely right about now."
The two moved towards the center table, and as the princess began to pour the squire a cup, she nudged a tray of sweet buns towards the young man.
"Did Sawa make these too?"
"No, she had managed to get them from the cooks. Sadly, they're not warm, but I find sweet buns taste just as good cold." She passed the cup to the squire, and she said, "Your tea's ready."
"Thank you." The young man grasped the cup, and he closed his eyes as he felt the warmth reach his fingertips. He let out a deep breath, and within a matter of moments, the delicate scent of jasmine tickled the tip of his nose. He took a sip of the liquid, and as the warmth trickled down his throat, he let out another breath of air as it spread throughout his chest.
He opened his eyes and helped himself to a sweet bun. The dough was chewy, and as the squire let the treat rest in his mouth for a little while, he couldn't tell which he liked more: the creaminess of the bread or the sweet tang of the honey that followed. He took another sip of the jasmine tea, and the squire smiled as he sighed once again.
"Tastes good, right?" The princess smiled at him and, as he gazed at her, he realized that she held the same dishes placed in front of her.
He said, "It's not bad."
The princess released a small giggle, and it was not long before the empress and the knight sat at their seats. The princess rose up and passed each of them a cup of tea, and it was not long before they had also partaken in the sweet buns. She sat back down again, and after a moment of silence, the empress was the first to speak.
"Ser Sagara, was it necessary to bring your son here?"
"The more he knows now, the less I have to fill in for him later. I can assure you that he is of a fine character, though his temper leaves much to be desired."
"Hey!"
"My point exactly. If he is to assist me effectively, I believe he needs to know what you have to say."
The empress nodded, and she said, "Very well." She turned her head towards the squire as she continued," Young man."
"Yes, your grace?"
"It goes without saying that none of the information being shared tonight is to be released from this room. You are not to speak of this to anyone, save those of us here. Do you understand?"
The squire nodded his head.
"Good. Izumiko, the same goes for you as well. Am I clear?"
"Yes, mother."
"That's good." The empress's head turned back towards the entirety of the table. She let out a small cough before she spoke once more. "It has become apparently clear that there is a mole within our midst, though we can only guess as to how many of them they are and how deeply they have managed to infiltrate our ranks. I've sent word to Madame Hitomi, though I'm not sure when she will be arriving."
The former emperor smiled as he said, "Oh, so that old bat is still kicking, is she?"
"Business has been keeping her busy. That said, she doesn't move as well as she used to."
An older voice spoke out, "Speak for yourself!"
The former emperor let out a chuckle. "Speak of the devil."
The doors shuttered open to reveal an elderly woman with golden copper skin. One of her legs was raised, poised to strike; however, as she gazed into the room, she was quick to drop her leg to the floor. She fixed her appearance, shifting her kimono to what the princess assumed was a more comfortable position. She was taller than most women her age, and as the woman began to walk into the room, she got down onto her hands and knees and bowed before the royal family.
She said, "Forgive me for my outburst. I let myself get a little carried away back there."
The empress bade the woman to stand before she said, "Apology accepted."
"You're looking as lively as ever I see." The former emperor motioned his hand towards the princess, and within a matter of moments, the princess returned to the former emperor with another cup of tea and a plate.
She laid the two items onto the table next to her grandfather, and she bowed as she asked, "Is there anything else that you need, grandfather?"
"Yes dear, would you please be so kind as to place some sweet buns onto this woman's plate?"
"Of course, grandfather." She was quick with her task, and as soon as she was finished, it suddenly came to the princess's attention that she was being watched. She turned to the elderly woman and she found that Madame Hitomi's face was cracked into a wide smile. The princess fought the urge to squirm, but she was still slow to ask, "Is there something I can help you with?"
"You've gotten so big since I last saw you." The madam placed a sweet-bun into her mouth, and as she took a sip from her tea, the madam hummed as she said, "Delicious."
One of the princess's eyebrows raised up and the young lady asked, "You and I have met sometime before?"
"Oh yes." She lifted a hand up to her sides and pointed towards the middle of her stomach before she continued, "I've known you since you were this big. You were quite the adorable little toddler."
The princess's face heated up, but before she could speak, the former emperor let out a cough before he said, "Izumiko, why don't you go ahead and sit down? I think it is high time that we got this conversation started."
"Oh. Okay." The princess's face went down towards the floor, and it was not long before she headed towards her seat. She folded her legs underneath the table, and it is likely that she would have been absorbed in her own thoughts, had she not heard the voice of a young man calling.
"Princess?" The squire raised his hand up to her; however, before it could reach her shoulder, he stopped himself and lowered his hand back to his side.
The princess's eyes fluttered with recognition, and it was not long before she said, "Hmm?"
"Are you all right?" The squire took another sip from his tea, and when he turned to face her again, he was greeted by a small smile.
She said, "Yes. Everything's fine."
"What were you guys talking about?"
"Just the past. Nothing too special." Her hands went to her tea cup, and just like that, she was silent once more.
The paige stared at her, and he let out an inaudible huff as his mind kept drawing a blank. Her ears were normally shaped, and when he looked at her hands, he saw no traces of anything alien there either. In all outward appearances, she looked just like any other normal girl.
So then, he thought to himself, just what is she? He leaned in closer; however, before he could take a closer look, the empress began to speak.
"I'm glad to see everyone could make it." The empress turned her head towards the princess and said, "Izumiko,".
The princess lifted her head to the empress. "Hmm?"
The empress raised her hand towards the elderly woman as she continued, "This is Madame Hitomi. She works as the head spy-master here at the palace."
The princess turned her head towards the elderly woman. The madam dipped her head in a small bow, and she smiled as she said, "Nice to make your acquaintance. I also run some of the world's finest inns and bath-houses."
The squire's face turned slightly at the news and he asked, "Oh really? Which ones?"
The woman stood up and pointed towards an area on the legs of her kimono. The princess and the paige stared at the image as it showed an image that neither had seen before.
The image revealed a scene located near a body of water, and lining the surface of the water, there stood a grove of trees that neither the princess nor the paige recognized. That said, it was not the trees that which caught their attention, but rather, the colorful birds that seemed to fly up along the cloth. Their beaks were in the shape of long arrowheads and were as black as charcoal, and their wings shone with a combination of beautiful shades of ebony white and light turquoise colors.
Out of the two of them, it was the princess who spoke first, "What is all of this?"
The old woman responded, "This is a pretty common scene in Keves de Kasugoka (1)." She spoke some more sentences in a foreign tongue; however, upon seeing the blank expressions on the children's faces, the old woman let out a cough before she said, "Oh, my apologies. That's a bad habit of mine."
Both the princess and the squire shook their heads, and the princess said, "There's no need to apologize! I just wasn't expecting you to talk so fast."
The madam's eyebrows raised up in acknowledgement. She spoke again, this time slower and as each syllable escaped the woman's lips, the words became clear in the princess's mind, "Pukraet kala-saeat Tieso den Bili de Pegotie ya Kasugokale (2)?"
"Yiet.(3)" the princess raised her hand up to the back of her head as she continued, "Mr. Abian has taught me some of your Tieso (4); however, I doubt I would be able to hold an in-depth discussion."
"Well, just keep practicing and you'll get there in no time." The old woman turned her head towards the squire, "What about you, young man? Can you speak the Tieso?"
The squire shook his head, "Just a couple of words. That said, my knowledge on The Children of Sun and Sea is primarily focused on their history and culture."
"A squire and a scholar?" The woman placed her hands together before she said, "How wonderful."
The princess said, "You never explained what that embroidery was."
The madam answered, "Oh yes. In your tongue, the trees are known as mangroves, and as for the birds, they are called kingfishers. I always keep an image of one of these birds located within each of my inns, so if you see one of these guys at the inn that you're staying in, it's probably one of mine. That said, I also use a fox from time to time."
The princess's eyes widened, and she turned to the squire, "Miyuki, there was a stone fox at the hut where we stayed! Is that how you knew it was a safehouse?"
"No. I just remembered passing by the hut when Yukimasa took out me out on one of his patrols. If anything, the fox was new." He took a sip out of his cup, and his mouth frowned when he realized that the last of his tea was gone. He finished the last of his sweet-bun, and if he had been paying more attention, he would've heard Madame Hitomi as she let out the following words under her breath.
"Oh, so that's where he went."
The empress let out a cough, and it was not long before she said, "Can we please get back to business?"
The room went silent, and for a moment, the empress smiled as she said, "Thank you." She took in a small breath of air and continued, "Ladies, gentlemen, I'm not going to mince words with this. We have a gaping hole in our security. This latest assassination attempt has proven that there is a mole within our midst, and judging from the scale of this attack, we do not know how many of them there are or where they came from."
Her eyes went down to the table for a moment, and after releasing an audible breath, she lifted her head back towards the group as she continued, "We know far too little about this enemy, and I have called you all here to figure out what it is that we do know." The empress turned her head towards the knight and she spoke again, "Ser Sagara,"
The knight bowed his head slightly before he said, "Yes, your majesty?"
"What information could you gather from the men who attacked us?"
The knight lifted a hand to his head as he said, "Unfortunately, we were unable to take any of the men alive. Shortly after capturing them, each of the men swallowed one of these."
The knight rifled through his pockets, and when he placed his hands to the table, he opened his palm to reveal a sewing needle about the size of the princess's pinky finger. The needle was black and caked with rusted blood, and as the princess continued to stare at the grisly object, her face blanched. Her hands rushed to her throat, and, for a moment, she struggled to breathe. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from the scene.
For a few seconds, there was silence. That said, it was not long before she felt the touch of a hand on one of her shoulders. A young man's voice called out to her, "Princess, you can open your eyes now."
The princess opened her eyes, and the squire's hand fell from her shoulder. He added, "Yukimasa put away the needle."
The young man's face was a little pale, and his breathing was a little fast; however, he turned his head to face the table once more. The princess let out a small smile, and she wondered as to why it was that she could draw comfort knowing that someone else was just as scared as she was. She turned to face the table again, but it was not long before she said, "Miyuki…"
The squire said, "Hmm?" He turned to face her once more before he added, "What's up?"
The princess said, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it." He turned his head back to the table again, and it was not long before the silence was interrupted once more.
The empress took in a breath of air. She exhaled as she said, "So, you were unable to get any information from these men, Yukimasa?"
The knight said, "Not quite. While we were unable to interrogate any of them, we were able to get some information based off what they left behind. The men who ambushed your grace had little in terms of documentation or anything resembling personal effects; however, the weapons with which they carried were distinct."
"Distinct?"
"Yes, of the weapons we were able to uncover, we discovered a bow, a crossbow, fifteen arrows, at least thirty bolts, and three daggers. The crossbow is standard Adjacentian military issue. Same with the bolts and the daggers."
The former emperor's face turned a fiery red, and he said, "Those damn Adjacentians! So, they mean to start a war with us, then?" His face smiled, "Fine. Let them come. They will feel the might of Kami no Yukarikago!"
"Lord Takaeyomi!" The empress raised her hand out to the table. Her breathing slowed, and it was not long before she spoke again, "Now is not the time to rush to conclusions. We have received reports of a splinter group within the Adjacentian military for the past several months. They are mostly consisted of Adjacentian nationalists, though the Adjacentian public mostly refer to them as the Army of the Deliverance."
The former emperor let out a large breath of air before he said, "What are the Adjacentian royal family's opinion about this?". The princess didn't know as to when the former emperor had managed to rise from his seat; however, upon the utterance of these words, she could've sworn that she saw her grandfather deflate as he gradually sank back into his seat.
"I'm not entirely sure. Whenever I try to speak with them, they refuse to respond to any of the messengers I send them, and from what I have been told, our ambassadors there haven't been having much luck in contacting them either. That said, there is some good news."
"Good news?"
"One of their princes will be coming to the capital to serve as an ambassador soon, so that means there is still some way to maintain peace between us and the Adjacentians. In the meantime, I've ordered our embassy there to be on their toes." The empress turned her head towards the princess and she said, "Izumiko, you and I will be there to meet him when he arrives."
"But, Mother, I'm not going to be staying at the capital. I live at Tamakura Castle."
"And I believe your father wrote you a letter saying you won't be living there anymore." The empress's eyes turned cold, and in that brief instance, the empress seemed to be more weasel than woman in the princess's eyes. "Your father and I both agreed that this is the best step towards the empire's successful future. As soon as you have arrived at Tamakura Castle, you are to pack your things and travel back to the capital."
The princess's voice came out as a strangled gasp, "But, Mother, I-"
"I will be hearing no 'but' 's out of you, young lady." The empress took a sip out of her tea before she continued, "You are to live here in the castle. Is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am." The princess lowered her head to face the table, and the squire watched as the young lady seemed to wilt before his eyes. The squire moved himself closer to the princess. He moved to say something, but all the words that came from his mouth were quickly covered by the tempered anger resting in the former emperor's voice.
He said, "Now, hold on a minute."
The empress said, "What is it, Lord Takaeyomi?"
"You mean to tell me that you intend to make Izumiko stay in the palace?" The former emperor's fists became clenched, and with each syllable that passed, he rose higher and higher out of his seat.
"Yes, what about it?" The empress put her cup down, and she laid eyes upon the older man.
The silent challenge made the air tense, and with each second that passed, the squire felt as each of the hairs on Miyuki's arms stood on end. He swallowed a breath of air, and after a few painful seconds, the silence was broken by the sound of the former emperor's palm slapping a table.
"That's dangerous! We know there is a mole, probably a multitude of moles, hidden throughout the castle. The palace's defenses could be vulnerable to any type of attack, and you think, out of all the times, that now is a good time to have her live in the capital! Have you lost your mind?"
Yukimasa said, "She was going to have to go through this someday-"
The former emperor interrupted, "No! I won't have my granddaughter thrown in with the wolves!"
The empress lifted her hand, and after a minute, all was still once more. She said, "Lord Takaeyomi, I wouldn't have done this if I felt I had any other choice." She took in a breath of air before she continued, "We are in a delicate position with all of the other nations right now. It is important that the empire continue to look strong, not just for the other nations but for the people as well. If Kami no Yukarikago is to prosper, the world needs to see her now."
The former emperor nodded.
The empress turned her head towards her daughter, "Izumiko."
The princess lifted her head and she said, "Yes?"
"I know this isn't what you wanted, but I promise you that I will do everything I can to keep you safe. Okay?"
The princess said, "What about my friends?"
The empress said, "I'm afraid you are going to have to leave them all behind. That said, I'm sure you'll be able to make a whole bunch of new friends. There is plenty to do here in the castle."
"Will I get to see you more often?"
The empress took in a breath before she answered, "I can't guarantee that. There are plenty of times when work has to take me away from the palace for a few days;" she exhaled, "however, I will come to see you as often as I am able." The empress flashed her daughter a warm smile before she said, "All right?"
The princess smiled and nodded.
"Good." The empress rose from her seat and turned, motioning for Madame Hitomi.
The old woman said, "How can I serve your grace?"
"I want you to sweep through the palace and find the moles. Given how well one of them was able to imitate my handwriting and my signature, I would recommend searching through the scribes first."
The madam bowed and said, "As your ladyship commands."
"Yukimasa."
"Yes, my lady?"
"I am leaving you in charge of beefing the palace's defenses with Ser Oshiro."
"As you command."
One by one, those within room 9-2 began to rise from their seats and, it was not long before everyone was standing.
The empress spoke once more, "As I stated earlier, all information that was shared here is not to leave this room. Watch who you trust and keep your eyes open."
The adults nodded, and after a moment of silence, the empress said, "Dismissed."
Author's Translations: (This is a language I made up. It's not really based on anything; however, most of it isn't gibberish either.)
1 Salt-Water's Forests = Mangrove Swamps
2 You understand the Language of the Children of the Sun and Sea?
3 Yes.
4 Language
