Chapter 12:
The door to the summer room opened to let Hotohori and Lee in. Menesku and Faraco both rose to greet them.
"My Lord "Menesku bowed a little towards Hotohori a small smile tugging at his otherwise stern lips.
Then he turned towards Lee and executed a perfect bow "And my Lady."
Hotohori inclined his head a little to acknowledge him. Then he turned towards Menesku's golden haired partner.
He smiled "Faraco "
Faraco flushed and executed a very deep bow "At your service my Lord "
Hotohori chuckled "Be at ease Faraco. From what I heard from Lady Lee you acted very bravely and you saved her life as well .For that, it is I, who should thank you!"He bowed his head only slightly.
Faraco blushed vivid red and glanced at Lee.
Lee was smiling at him " I told Hotohori how you helped me when I first came here." She said happily "Hotohori agrees with me that you should not be blamed for your brother's fault."
Faraco scratched his ear" Your highness is too kind."
"Nonsense "Hotohori shrugged "Let us sit down for dinner without wasting anymore time."
They all sat down around the low table as the attendants began to bring in the steaming bowls of aromatic delicacies .Lee couldn't help but drool a little as the aroma teased her imagination.
Happily she picked up her chopsticks "Let's dig in! "She shouted.
Surprised the three men looked at her. Lee colored.
"Oh he..he ..It's just an expression used in my world to indicate that we start eating ."Lee tried to explain utterly embarrassed .
"Here we simply pick up the chopsticks and start eating "Menesku 's expression was stoic
If looks could kill Menesku would have been a smoldering pile of ashes right now .But Menesku was made of sterner stuff . He calmly continued to eat his own food totally unaffected by Lee's death glare .
"Never mind him "Faraco told Lee in a loud whisper " He is permanently cranky ."
Menesku heard Faraco but gave no sign of the fact ,other than the slight twitching of his eyebrow.
Lee couldn't help but giggle. She glanced a little at Faraco .She was surprised at how well Faraco had cleaned up .His hair shone like spun gold in the dancing candlelight's and the newfound security brought a sparkle in his kind brown eyes .
' Oh would you look at that! I had a nagging suspicion that there was a handsome boy under all that grime ." The irritating voice in her head spoke up .
Lee colored " Shut up ! " She yelled vehemently at the voice in her head .
' How can I ? Fifteen whole years without one single tolerable looking boy ...and now one boy too many ! Come to think of it if you cancel out Menesku's temper ..he isn't half that bad looking either!" the voice in her head babbled on .
Lee took out a humongous hammer and crushed the voice in her head .
" Take that "She cried triumphantly .
"Lee "She felt Faraco calling her "Lee ..Are you well ?"
Lee colored and tried to cover her embarrassment under the guise of anger "Of course I am all right Faraco ! Why shouldn't I be okay ?"
Faraco looked confused . He couldn't understand why Lee was suddenly so angry with him .
' Awww.. doesn't he look cute when he is all confused ' Her inner voice spoke up ' Let's scold him some more ! '
" You are still there ! "Lee wondered incredulously .
" Of course I am still here this is my home after all . I have been here since you fell from that tree!"
The voice shrugged .
" I knew it ! When I fell from that tree I must have suffered brain damage !.I knew it ! I knew it ! It is all Tori's fault ! It was he that challenged me to climb that cursed tree after all ! " Lee fumed .
' So I guess were stuck together !' The voice said gleefully .
Menesku looked at Lee's dreamlike face with some misgiving ' That girl is odd ! '
Hotohori's lips twitched as he observed the scene . Never before was he so amused during dinner . Usually he partook silent lonely dinners in this very room that now seemed to bubble with life . And during those times he hardly savored the feast that was laid down before him . Eating under those circumstances was merely to sustain him . A necessary task .Like everything else . The court , the meetings , and the polite words ...the fake smiles ...
Hotohori's brow creased into a small frown .Once it was known that Lee was the Suzaku no miko she will earn herself many friends ,but more than friends she will earn herself enemies . He looked at Lee's smiling innocent face and felt a small tinge of anxiety in his heart .
' Does she understand the implications of her choice ?' Hotohori looked at Lee fondly ' Does she understand that in agreeing to be the miko she has taken the weight of a country's hopes and wishes on her delicate shoulders ? Does she understand that there shall be many who will look up to her ...idolize her ? Does she understand that there will be still many who will want to use her ...hate her ...and even try to kill her !'
Hotohori's eyes held a brooding look as he watched Lee talk animatedly with Faraco ' It is only natural that she be so innocent ..' He told himself ' She has never awakened to the sound of battle drums ..She has never seen a royal court ...or walked in its slippery annals ...watched the fake smiles and glitter of jewels that hid draggers ...always ...waiting ...watching ...plotting ...'
His face hardened and his eyes flashed red for the barest second ' I will not allow that ! I will not allow any harm to come to her ..This I swear ..'
" Hotohori " Lee's timid call broke the chain of his thoughts .
Hotohori smiled at her " My Lady ."
Lee twirled her hands a little nervously " Ummm...a minute ago ..you were in deep thought ...umm ..something flashed on your forehead ..."
Hotohori smiled " It is my seishi sign Lady Lee . Do not be alarmed ! "
' A seishi sign ? On his forehead ? Could this mean ?' Lee looked at him surprised " You are a seishi ?"
Hotohori nodded "Yes"
"Then you must have the sign of the oni !" Lee blurted out .
" Pardon me ...but how did you know ?" This time it was Menesku who spoke out .
Lee blushed a little " Well you see ...My grandmother Miaka was ..well the Suzaku no miko ..during "
" The time of my great-grandfather Lord Hotohori the first " Hotohori ended Lee's sentence for her .
Lee smiled a little gratefully at Hotohori . She was beginning to feel a little uneasy under Menesku's unwavering gray gaze .
" So you must know what happened to Seiryuu ?" Menesku was never one to mince words .
" Is there a Seiryuu at all ?" Faraco asked surprised
"Well Faraco .." Lee began " There is a Seiryuu ! Actually during my grandmothers time..."
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" Wake up ! Wake up " Sotisku jerked Keeah hard .
"What ?" Keeah jerked up ,still half asleep, her hand instinctively going to the hilt of her sword " Where is the enemy ? "
Sotisku rolled his eyes "There is no enemy ."
"Then get lost Sotisku !" Keeah groaned attempting to go back to sleep .
"Wake up " Sotisku jerked her viciously "I found something .You have to see this ! Get ready while I wake up Suraco ."
Yawning Keeah sat up realizing that the pain in her ribs had lessened somewhat .
"Come " Sotisku called ,holding a torch in one hand and dragging a very grumpy looking Suraco in the other.
' Where did he get that torch ?' Keeah wondered trudging after Sotisku into the hall .
"Here it is ! " He exclaimed triumphantly holding the torch up .
Keeah was fully awake now . Even Suraco had lost his grumpy look and was rubbing his eyes disbelievingly .
It was the statue of a dragon that lay humbled in the dust ...thrown unceremoniously from is pedestal . Its elegant body was covered with dust and creepers had grown over it. It was almost lifelike staring at them with sad lonely eyes .
Keeah felt her heart beat hard .
"Seiryuu !"Suraco's voice held a religious awe .
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" Nakago had tricked Yui into believing that Miaka betrayed her. "Lee's eyes wandered over the faces of her eager audience .
' It feels weird to call my grandma and grandaunt Yui by their name .But I can't keep calling them grandma and grandaunt throughout the whole story now ,can I ? That would be even weirder !' she reasoned .
"Both Miaka and her friend had feelings for the Suzaku seishi Tamahome .Nakago used that very feeling to drive a wedge between them ."She continued "From being her closest friend Yui became Miaka's worst enemy . Nakago meanwhile succeeded in tricking the Suzaku seishi and acquired the holy objects of Genbu and Byako from them . With the help of this they succeeded in summoning Seiryuu first ! "
She paused a while before continuing "With the first two wishes Yui sealed the power of the Suzaku seishi and banished Miaka from this world .But when Miaka was being drawn back to her world Tamahome followed her ! During this time Kuotu declared war against Konon .But conquering Konon was not Nakago's prime objective .The war was merely a ruse . What he really wanted was the in the third wish of Yui . She had promised him that she would grant him the power of a God !"
She gulped some tea to fortify herself and continued " Nakago followed Yui into the her world ...my world ...to get his last and final wish . Meanwhile Miaka succeeded in showing Yui that Nakago was only using her . But then a war had started between Nakago and the Suzaku seishi Tamahome ...and truth to be told Tamahome was getting whipped without his seishi powers . And Nakago threatened to kill Miaka if Yui did not grant him his wish ! Yui in her last wish unsealed Miaka's powers and bestowed upon her the power to call upon Suzaku ."
"Then what happened "Hotohori asked intrigued .
"Miaka then summoned Suzaku and unsealed the powers of her seishis . Her world became a battle ground for Suzaku and Seiryuu ."Lee continued "Then all the Suzaku seishis gave their powers to Tamahome to enable him to fight Nakago .But even with the combined power of the seven seishis Tamahome hardly made any progress ."
"Just how strong was this guy anyway ?" Menesku asked .
"Too strong " Lee said "But then Miaka used her second wish to seal Seiryuu inside a magical scroll When Seiryuu was sealed so was Nakago's powers . Tamahome used that opportunity to defeat Nakago ."
"And what happened to the scroll ?" Hotohori asked curiously
" I don't know . My grandma never mentioned it !"Lee admitted truthfully .
"Ah... I see." Hotohori frowned .
"So you see Seiryuu does exist !" Lee smiled at them "Well according to my grandma he does .."
She yawned a little feeling tired .Hotohori noticed her tired eyes .
He smiled at her "Lady Lee , We have taxed your strength for too long . Perhaps it is best that you retire for the night ."
Lee nodded gratefully "I would like that "She said fighting down another yawn.
"Then allow me to escort you to your chambers ."Hotohori rose to his feet .
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Yusagi : Thanks so much for reviewing
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