Chapter 9:
Lee groaned. It seemed as if somebody had been hammering inside her head .She cracked her eye open. Reality returned to her with amazing speed.
' Wait a minute.silken bedsheets? I... I am dressed in a silk robe... wait ...where is my dress? What is this room?' Lee gasped ' Where the hell am I?'
She looked around. It appeared that she was sitting on a bed, her copper colored hair spilling in a tangled mess around her shoulders. Soft light green silken bed sheets covered her body. It must be dark outside as muted lamplight shone through the white veils that surrounded her bed. Slowly the memories of the previous events came to her mind.
'Oh shit Faraco ' Lee flung the bed sheets off her .The last thing she remembered was Faraco fighting with that awful man. What could have happened to him? Did they put him in the dungeons again? Or ...Lee shuddered as increasingly depressing prospects of what could have happened to Faraco rose in her mind.
' I have to help him!' Lee decided.
In her hurry to get up she somehow managed to entangle herself in her bed sheets and by some miracle of clumsiness managed to rip off the curtains around her bed and land on the floor in one messy heap.
' This is just peachy!' Lee struggled to untangle herself.
"You are awake my Lady " Lee managed to turn her head towards the source of the sound.
A rather handsome man stood at the threshold of the room, his lips twitching in an obvious attempt to control his amusement .Lee felt the faint stirrings of anger in her stomach as an embarrassed flush covered her cheeks. Then she recognized him .He was one of the men she saw this morning in the temple of Suzako!
Her eyes widened a little "You!"
The man walked in .He knelt in front of her swiftly helping her untangle herself from the offending bonds. His eyes twinkled with laughter as he helped her get up.
Lee smiled a little gratefully. He did not seem half bad .He had behaved nothing but gentlemanly towards her uptill now.
"Forgive me my Lady " the man's voice was pleasing and warm "It was not my intention to startle you! Perhaps it is best that I introduce myself. I am Hotohori."
Lee was surprised "Prince Hotohori?"
Hotohori executed a graceful bow " Your humble servant my Lady " He said gently flashing her one of his more dazzling smiles " Can I have the honor of knowing your name my Lady?"
Lee blushed a little
" My name is Lee " She said nervously said twirling one of her lovely copper hair in her slender fingers.
"Lady Lee "Hotohori held out his hand "Would you do me the honor of joining me for some tea?"
Lee looked at Hotohori. Nervously she put a small hand in his warm calloused ones and allows him to lead her outside.
' He is exceptionally handsome. But then Grandma did say that the Prince of Konon was very handsome. Perhaps it runs in the family !' Lee thought ' but why is he being so nice to me? Maybe because he thinks that I am the maiden of Suzuku! Am I the miko then? '
"Please take a seat, " Hotohori said quietly.
Lee complied sitting down on one of the soft cushions provided for the purpose. They were currently sitting in a small shed that was situated in the middle of a garden. Paper lanterns cast a soft glow on the surroundings and a cold breeze wafted over them bringing with it the heavy scent of exotic flowers.
Hotohori sat down on another cushion on the opposite side of the low tea table. He nodded to a waiting attendant .The attendant retreated and appeared a moment later with a tray carrying teapot and cups. Putting it down on the table the attendant bowed once before retreating.
"Allow me." Hotohori gave Lee a charming smile as he bend forward and poured Lee some tea in delicate china cups.
Lee's hands shook a little as she picked up the cup.' I am in a different world and a prince is pouring me tea! '
Hotohori sipped a little of his tea watching Lee broodingly over the steam that wafted up from the cup. She was indeed different from all the other girls he knew. He understood that she was nervous .But he also understood that she was more nervous about being in an unfamiliar place than being in the presence of an emperor. Of course he still wondered how she knew that he was a prince .She could not have known that he was prince if she came from another world . Right ?
" Forgive me Lady Lee ,but I must ask you this question ."Hotohori put down the cup on the table "Where are you from ?"
Lee's hand shook a little .What could she say ? What would she say ? Would he understand ?
She raised her tremulous stormy blue eyes to meet his sharp dark ones " I really ...can't say .."
Hotohori smiled kindly at her "Please Lady Lee ,trust me ."
Lee smiled a little sadly "You would not understand ."
Hotohori put out a hand to cover her trembling white ones . "Try me ."His voice was calm and reassuring .
Lee looked at him "I came from another world !"
Hotohori let out a breath that even he did not know that he was holding back . She was from another world after all !She was indeed the miko !His lips twitched a little as he remembered the conversation he had with Menesku earlier this evening .
" My Lord " Menesku bowed a little upon entering Hotohori's chambers.
Hotohori looked up at him smiling a little .He was looking at the frayed picture of the former seven seishis and their miko.
"You look happy today " Menesku sat down.
" I am ." Hotohori grinned boyishly " But you don't look too convinced that the girl we saw at the temple we saw at temple of Suzuku is the maiden of the legend !"
Menesku remained silent for a while .His face was unusually grim.
"Go on Menesku " Hotohori said quietly "Spill it !"
" It could be an illusion !" Menesku blurted out.
" An illusion ?" Hotohori raised an eyebrow "Explain ."
" She could be a spy ." Menesku said grimly " All we saw in the temple of Suzuku could be a cleverly manipulated illusion created by Suraco to catch us off guard ! "
" And pray tell how Suraco managed to get inside this castle through all the defenses ,managed to do such an elaborate illusion and then sneak out without anybody noticing ?" Hotohori's lips twitched with suppressed laughter.
Menesku looked more grumpy than usual " I don't know that yet ." He admitted grudgingly " But I have seen the kinds of illusions that Suraco can pull off ."
" Menesku you are just being paranoid !" Hotohori said in a long-suffering voice.
" And you trust too easily my Lord !" Menesku glared at Hotohori , but recovered a moment later to add a mortified apology " Forgive my impudence my Lord ! "
Hotohori gave a dismissive snort .
" Fine Menesku ,I will question the lady personally and try to verify her identity " Hotohori said calmly .
Menesku wasn't pleased " If you say so my Lord .But would it not be better if I were to question her ?" He ended hopefully .
"Menesku ,I don't wish to scare the poor girl" Hotohori smiled " And I just wish to question her nicely, not interrogate her !"
"Ah " Menesku gave a dissatisfied nod " If you will excuse me ,I will go and review the palace defenses"
Hotohori nodded his head and allowed Menesku to excuse himself .
Remembering the conversation Hotohori chuckled to himself .It wasn't everyday that he got to tell Menesku
" I told you so ! "
Lee looked at Hotohori. She was mortified .
' He is laughing! He does not believe me !'
Her lips trembled " I can understand if you do not believe me ..."
Hotohori looked at her ,surprised " I never said I did not believe you my Lady !"
"But you were laughing " Lee lowered her head .
Hotohori smiled " It is not what you think Lady Lee. I allowed my mind to wander awhile . Forgive for I did not wish to cause you any undue distress ."
'He is so well mannered ' Lee smiled at him and then her face darkened ' Faraco ! I have to find a way to help him !'
But before she could speak ,Hotohori spoke again " The boy who was with you ...Faraco ..."
Lee stiffened a little . What did they do to him ? Was he unharmed ?
"Where is he ?" Lee blurted out ,her eyes flashing.
Hotohori raised an elegant eyebrow. Never before had he been so abruptly interrupted in the middle of his speech . It was an ...interesting experience." He is safe . At present the royal doctors are attending to his wounds. He will be joining us for dinner tonight ."
" You forgave him ! " Lee broke into a relieved smile ." Oh thank you !"
" Why wouldn't I ?" Hotohori was surprised " He has done nothing wrong !"
"I know. It is unfair to chase him like that !He is nothing like his brother ! He is very nice " Lee gushed happily " He saved my life ! Twice!"
" Indeed .Then he has done Konon a service of great importance." Hotohori said quietly .
"Oh " Lee blushed " How so ?"
"Perhaps it is best that I tell you of a legend ." Hotohori began " You see our world is divided into four regions. Legend has it that a celestial guardian guards each of the four cardinal directions and is the protector of that region. Genbu is the protector of the north ,Byakko is the protector of the east ,Suzuku is the protector of the south and Seiryuu ...Seiryuu was rumored to be the protector of the west ." He paused a while ,then continued " Legends say that a miko will come from another world ,in a time when a country is in grave peril , she who will gather the seven seishis ,and summon the God . It is said that the God shall then grant the miko three wishes and thus save the dying country ! "
" I know !" Lee said in a small voice .
Hotohori frowned " Pardon my rudeness , but how do you know of this ? You couldn't have known of this legend if you were from another world ! "
" Well I ..." Lee wondered how to tell him " My grandmother used to tell me a story . When she was of my age she and her friend found a magical book in the library. She was transported through that book into a strange world ! There she was told that she was a legendary miko , and she became the maiden of Suzuku !"
"Yes indeed " Hotohori's eyes shone with excitement " It was during my great-grandfather Hotohori the first's rule that the miko of the legends did come ! Her name was Miaka !"
Lee looked up shyly " She ...was my grandmother !"
" Really ?" Hotohori nearly dropped his cup in surprise .
" I know that it is strange . " Lee smiled sheepishly " My grandmother always told this story to us ,about the adventures she had here ,her friends ...her trials .." Lee's face was sad ,then she perked up again "And even though I couldn't bring myself to completely believe in her tales ..I ...I always wanted to have an adventure like her ...And now ..."Her face was downcast as she absently twirled one of her copper locks .
"And now .."Hotohori prompted .
" I... I don't know what to do !" Lee chewed her lips .
" I understand what you are feeling .This world is completely new to you and we are but strangers " Hotohori said gently " And yet we ...I am asking you to take up the enormous responsibility of being the maiden of Suzuku. This is a difficult choice for you...but I will stand by you no matter what decision you take." He smiled warmly at her "If you wish to be the maiden of Suzuku then ...if not then we shall journey to the abode of Taiskun and ask her to help us send you home !"
Lee felt his warm smile infectious .A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth ."Do you mind if I ask something Hotohori ?"It was out before she realized that she had left out the customary honorary title before his name . She turned vivid red and repeatedly smacked herself inside her head with a gigantic hammer.
' Brilliant Lee ! Really brilliant ! ' It was that irritating voice in her head again ' He is so well behaved and a prince ..a really handsome well-mannered prince ..and you go and address him like you never learnt any manners ...ever ! "
Hotohori watched the emotions play on Lee's face . It was refreshing to see a girl so transparent .He understood her obvious mortification when she blurted out " I ...I am so sorry Prince Hotohori ."
Hotohori gave a small chuckle " Don't be sorry lady Lee .After all we intend to be friends ...So I guess... you are free to call me Hotohori ."
Lee blushed " Thank ..thank you Hotohori ."
Then her face turned grim "You said that the maiden comes in a country's darkest hour ...might I ask what kind of problem assails Konon ?"
"You have every right to know about the present condition in Konon ."Hotohori said gravely " Especially since we are asking you to be the maiden . During the Great War my great grandfather Hotohori the first fell in battle .My grandfather Boushin was not even born then ! Consequently ,Konon was in a very delicate and vulnerable position .One had to assume that Kutou would take advantage of this and crush Konon . But something happened in Kutou . Their Emperor vanished and their shogun was killed by the Suzuku seishi Tamahome . Kutou was thrown into chaos ."
Hotohori paused a while before continuing " Various sections fought to gain control on Kutou . Warlords spilt the lands into numerous regions with each warlord declaring himself emperor ! One could question as to why Konon did not annex Kutou during this time ? It was simply because Konon was in no condition to wage war after the great war .We had suffered heavy losses and much of our resources had to be diverted towards the rebuilding of our resources . Besides my grandfather was only a child then ...And one must not bite off more than one can chew in any case ."
He stopped and smiled at Lee " I hope I am not boring you Lady Lee. "
Lee shook her head vigorously " No ..no Hotohori ! Please continue ."
Nodding Hotohori continued " At this time a new warlord made his appearance on Kutou's political map. His name was Reishi . No one knew where the young man came from . Some say that he was the Prince of a forbidden city . Anyway Reishi swept over Kutou gathering strength and followers ,crushing any that opposed him . Soon he managed to do what others had thought impossible , unify Kutou once more and declared himself king ! One would have assumed that with a new emperor our relationship with Kutou would improve somewhat ...But it was not so ."
Hotohori paused to pour himself some more tea " During my grandfather Boushin's rule an uneasy peace existed between Konon and Kutou . Relationships started detoriating even more during my father's rule. Skirmishes at the border became an everyday occurence . Once again our fields burned and our subjects suffered ! It was not clear who started it but it was evident that both the countries were headed towards another war ."
Hotohori put down his cup .His handsome face was unusually grave and his eyes were hard ."Around this time an emissary of Kutou arrived . He came in the guise of peace inviting my father, the then emperor of Konon to negotiate a peace conference with Emperor Kaminari ,the emperor of Kutou . My father accepted. The emissaries of Kutou and Konon met on the banks of the river of swords for the peace conference . And the treacherous people of Kutou stabbed us on our backs ! "
Lee was surprised to see a red tinge in Hotohori's eyes .But he continued calmly " Something happened during that night , a terrible blood bath ,and morning found every single person in that camp dead ! My father was killed in that bloody battle that took place during the night . The emperor of Kutou was killed as well ...but I find that a very small consolation ..."
" I...I am so sorry Hotohori " Timidly Lee laid a hand on Hotohori's hand .
Hotohori was looking forbidding " It was terrible. The carnage that took place there is to hard to be described in words .Every living thing in the camp were butchered including the horses and other beasts of burden !It was almost as if a mad demon had rushed through the camp killing anything and everything in sight !It was unreal...But it made one thing clear ...there can never be any kind of peace between Kuotu and Konon ! " He continued in that same grave voice " And then this war started ! A war that is sucking the very lifeblood of our country ...So many of our solders have fallen in battle ...so many have been orphaned ...there is so much hatred and mistrust everywhere..." He gave a dry chuckle " You could say that we are back to square one !"
Lee hung her head .She was horrified .It was clear that Konon was indeed in a time of great danger . She may have never personally experienced the horrors of war , but her own world had seen ...and was still seeing enough wars to make her realize the evils of war . It was also very strange that she found herself standing in the same position as her grandmother years ago .Perhaps this was her destiny ...
" Hotohori " her voice was nervous when she addressed the young emperor " I will be the maiden of Suzuku !" She declared, her face determined.
Hotohori was surprised at the determination in her voice "Are you sure?"
" I know that becoming the maiden of Suzuku is an enormous responsibility." Lee's eyes shone with determination " I am not very wise or very strong, but I will do my best. I am here for a reason ...and I intend to find out what it is! I will not run from my destiny! "
Hotohori looked at her " You have a good heart Lady Lee. That is what really matters."
Lee blushed like a tomato.
' Keep this up Lee ' the voice in her head spoke up ' At the rate you are going very soon you will be permanently dyed red!'
Hotohori spoke up, smiling " I am sure that I bored you enough Lady Lee. Perhaps it is better that you retire to your chambers to prepare for dinner. "
A loud rumble from Lee's Stomach answered for him. Lee grinned sheepishly " I ...think it would be better that way as well! "
" Very well." Hotohori rose from his seat " The attendants shall attend to your well being. Then I shall come and escort you to dinner. "
Lee smiled at him " That would be nice."
"Well then, let me walk you back to your room." Hotohori said with a warm smile.
Lee nodded gratefully standing up "Thank you Hotohori."
Yusagi: Thanks a lot for reviewing -----
Keeah and Suraco's skill are skill-based .So, I think that will be independent of the fact that Seiryuu is still sealed. About Sotisku ...well wait and watch -
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