I've been tremendously busy lately because I lost my job and I'm going freelance, which means I had to ditch being lazy and work non-stop to earn money. I might move for Malaysia soon but I still don't know yet… Haha. So far, I'm in Manila and enjoying the pace here.
I hope you enjoyed reading the previous chapter. I'm posting this chapter for clarity's sake. Haha. I realized too that it's hard to increase the energy of this story because Saiunkoku is not the most energetic manga-anime out there. Oh well. Please enjoy this chapter!
LeeRaRa: Oh yes, Seiran has the same aura as Nakago. Only, he's not vengeful and he's the complete opposite of the blonde general! :D For starters, Seiran is an exiled prince who returned with a different identity.
ThePinkMartini: Thanks! But I haven't written in a long time—my writing's very very rusty! I realized that after reading the previous chapter.
Disclaimer: FY and SM are not mine.
Forgotten Lands
By Slavedriver2008
Yui-sama… Yui-sama… Yui…
The voice kept calling her, begging for her. It was a deep sorrowful voice, one that sprung from someone in agony. Yui looked around but she could only see the darkness. There was no one before her, behind, or even around her. Where did the voice come from? Who was it? Rustling leaves filled her ears alongside numerous other sounds: fleeting panicked voices, shuffling feet, cold water in basins. These sounds drowned the voice. She needed to hear that voice again. Maybe this time, she'll know who and where he was.
"Nakago—is it you?" she called. Her eyes were shut, heavy. She couldn't open them even though she wanted to. Her body was burning and sweat filled her skin. "Nakago?" she called again.
Yui… Come to me… Yui-sama…
"Where are you? Nakago—" she screamed, forcing her body to dispel the heaviness that filled it for the longest time. Numerous figures appeared before her view and as her eyes adjusted to the dim light of a room, she realized she was on a bed, surrounded by faces she doesn't know.
Was she in her chambers in Kutou? Where was Nakago? He always sleep beside her, especially when she badly needed him. Right now, with her body aching in various places and her consciousness easily drifting from dreams and reality, she needed him the most. Where was he? She needed to find him. She needed him.
"She's awake, but she's still burning!" a girl said aloud, forcing her to return to bed. "Juusan, she won't stay still—"
"Nakago… where is Nakago?" she asked the girl, probably one of her court ladies. Her voice was rasp and heavy and her eyes were fluttering closed. "Is he in the battlefield? He can't leave me… I must… ride with him… Where is he?"
"Please stay still and return to sleep…" Another girl told her, forcing her to the bed. She hit the cushion and she moaned from the pain. Every muscle was aching and even the slightest force seemed to break her. Anger filled her. How dare they stop her!
"No—I need Nakago! Summon Nakago!" she screamed. If her shogun was nearby, he would hear. He would come inside the room and wrap his arms around her. He would shield her from this pain. "Nakago! Nakago!"
"What's happening?" Ryuuki asked. The screams have been troubling him. He had never heard such painful agony before. He eyed his older brother, Seiran, and his face was filled with worry.
"She's having lucid dreams… probably of memories," Koyuu said. He heaved a sigh. "In her state, she won't be able to differentiate reality and dreams… The sword is poisonous after all…"
"This is already the second night but her fever's not going down… Will she survive?" the Emperor asked.
"The doctor said we will know when morning comes… if she can regain her strength. I do hope she will calm down… She's wasting such beautiful voice," Shuuei said. Ryuuki made a face. When the girl dropped from the sky, Shuuei was the first to note that she has beautiful legs. Well, he would have noticed it too, except that those legs were wrapped around his brother's hips.
The Kou household was turned upside down when this girl suddenly appeared the other day. What was more troubling was the company she attracted the moment she stepped in the garden. The god of the underworld had shown himself, after millions of years. The sight surprised everyone that Chou-san, the head of the household, invited priests to bless the estate. Ryuuki was troubled for something else. Does his presence mean a plague is coming? Or probably to mark the end of his reign?
"You must return to your palace, your majesty. The guards will eventually notice you are missing," Seiran told him and he heaved a sigh. He had been wary of the girl's condition since the incident in the garden. He hoped she could give them clarity but in her current state, that was far from happening.
"This matter is making me uneasy…" he said. None of the men spoke. They felt the same. Before he could say more, the sliding door of the room opened and Shuurei's tired figure walked out.
"Help us—she's not calming down… We can't stop her—" she said in a panicked voice. Ryuuki pitied the girl, the woman he loved more than anything.
"Shuurei—help!" Juusan's voice called inside the room and all the men hurriedly stepped inside. The doctor had forbidden them to enter in fear that they will agitate her.
Inside, Ryuuki gasped when he saw the girl, standing on the railing of the window, looking out into the cold night sky. The moon was high and waxing and it lit her ivory skin, making her glow beyond its rays. Her short blond hair was in disarray and the robe she wore were loosely clinging to her body, showing off pale shoulders. With her back to them, Ryuuki swore she would have been mistaken for the moon goddess. Ryuuki wondered briefly: Was the heavens at war for the god of the underworld to kill this woman?
"No—don't jump!" Shuurei screamed.
Seiran hurriedly ran toward her, heart on his throat. He managed to clutch her wrist before she gave in to the pull below. "Don't jump! Yui-sama!" he screamed, remembering the name uttered by the demon when he attempted to kill her. She stilled and slowly turned to him. Her eyes, which were the color of the deepest parts of the ocean, lit up and her face softened, showing off a tired but breathtaking smile.
"Nakago…" she whispered in a very soft voice. Seiran instinctively wrapped his arms around her slim waist and carried her down from the window railing. She was stunningly beautiful and if her hair were longer, she would be perfect for the harem. She easily snuggled to his arms, cheek leaning on his chest. "Don't leave me again…" she whispered before completely losing consciousness in his arms.
"She fell asleep…" Koyuu noted.
"I guess the problems are solved just like that," Juusan said, laughing lightly.
"And don't try to leave her side, Seiran," Shuuei said, laughing. "Looks like we found Seiran a wife. She did fell from the sky after all." The other men laughed but he couldn't help but frown. This girl? His wife? Shuuei saw his reaction and snickered. "Don't worry, if she grows her hair longer, I'm sure she will rival the prettiest girls in the harem!"
Seiran heaved a sigh. Baby-sitting a stranger was far beyond his expectations of marriage. When he told the others he will only marry a woman who will fall from the sky, he never anticipated this girl to actually fall into his arms. He remembered it vividly, there was a bright flash of light above him and when he looked up, he saw her outline. The stupid thing was, he raised his arms to catch her. With another sigh, Seiran carried her from the floor and laid her softly on the bed. He'll stay with her for the night and probably sneak out before she wakes up.
From afar, hidden in the shadows of trees, a white-haired man gnashed his teeth, looking up at the window where his priestess used to stand. "You will come to me, Yui-sama… I swear you will be mine…"
The sound of chirping birds filled Yui's ears. She slowly opened her eyes and found two sparrows playing in the window of her room. The sky was bright outside but they were casted off by the light yards of cloth that covered the sides of the bed where she lay. She closed her eyes and turned to other side of the bed, snuggling in a strong warm chest. She was still sleepy and she doesn't want to wake up yet.
The arms pulled her closer and she felt warm breathing hit her face. She moved closer, the tips of their noses eskimoed together. "Good morning," she whispered in a soft voice as she slowly opened her eyes.
"Good morning," he answered and Yui's eyes shut open. Her eyes met dark pools that also widened and she immediately sat up, moving away from his arms and covering herself with the blanket. He also moved away, looking at her with shock.
"Who are you?"
"Don't scream, you'll wake up the household," he answered. He rubbed his temple and after realizing he hadn't answered her yet, cleared his throat. "My name is Seiran… You mistook me for someone last night…"
Yui's eyes widened and she tried to remember what stupidity had gotten into her. She had an inkling of who she mistook him for but she doesn't want to acknowledge it. It's been three long years. She was over Nakago. She was done thinking of him, anticipating him to live in her world. Nakago was merely a memory. But last night… if Seiran did say the truth…
"You're in Kou Chosu's house. You fell in the garden the other day—" he continued, realizing how preoccupied she was with the shogun. "You were attacked by a shadow afterward."
Yui tried to erase Nakago in her memories and focused on the ordeal at hand: She fell into the book again. If that was so, then she had to fulfill her responsibilities as priestess, summon Seiryuu, and make her three wishes. Was he one of her warriors? If yes, at least Seiran seemed to be the opposite of Nakago—he did save her from the mysterious man who wanted to kill her.
"Who is… the god of the underworld…?" she asked, finally looking up to him. She caught him watching her and he immediately looked away.
"You remember…" Seiran said, still looking the other way. "Tenkou... Don't ask me to repeat his name again, it brings bad luck."
"I see…"
"What does he want from you?" he asked again and Yui shook her head.
"I don't know… I don't even know who he is or why I'm here…" She sighed and looked around the room. "Did I… cause trouble?"
"Well, you tried to jump from the window…" he said matter-of-factly and Yui gasped.
"I'm sorry… I'm not in full control of my senses last night…" she explained, earning a light laugh from him.
"We were aware of that…" he said. Yui nodded. Yes, he was very different from Nakago. The shogun never laughed easily in her presence, nor did he avoid his stares. She heaved another sigh.
"How I could have mistaken you for—" Yui cut herself, realizing she just voiced out her thoughts. Seiran turned to her and it suddenly came back to her. She leaned closer to him and picked a few strands of hair from his shoulders. She placed it under her nostrils, closing her eyes. "You smell the same… Yes, I remember this smell…" She moved the hair between her lips, her fingers. It was the same scent—Nakago's smell.
"Musk and sweat and…" She could imagine her blond shogun. This was the same aroma that filled her every night. Sometimes it goes with the smell of horses and oak and sometimes with other scents of the world, but the base were the same. "…a very faint scent of blue flowers…" A lump formed on her throat. Would Nakago still smell the same?
When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her intently. Their eyes met and Yui wondered again why she mistook him as her warrior. His eyes were dark pools of coal but they ignited a fire within her. They were gentle eyes, she noted to herself, and he might be a gentle and kind-hearted man. Unlike him. They were starkly different. Yet…
"I asked the gods to send me to him…" she whispered. "But why was I sent here… to you…?" she asked softly. But her questions were carried off by the chirping birds and the mellow movements of the morning breeze.
Seiran fingered her lips and she instinctively closed her eyes as he crossed the small space between them. Her lips parted on their own, waiting for his. He was a breath away when the door slid open and a shrill voice ruined the gloomy quiet morning.
"Ahhhh—Seiran!" They immediately parted. Yui let his soft gray hair slid from his fingers. Seiran cupped his face, looking away.
"I knew it—Seiran had it in him!" The girl with dark hair and light blue eyes said and they both turned to the door.
"I did not do anything inappropriate," Seiran said in a deep voice. He immediately left the bed and pulled out a darker thicker robe. "I'll help prepare breakfast," he said before completely moving out of the room, leaving her on the bed.
The two girls followed him with their eyes and immediately turned to her. "We didn't do anything," she pointed out. Yui bowed on the bed. "I'm sorry for last night—"
"Ah, you should be. You were acting like a spoiled princess—"
"Juusan-hime, don't say that!" The girl with dark green hair approached her and took her hand. "You don't need to worry… My name is Shuurei and this is Juusan. Your name is Yui isn't it?"
"Hai… how did you…?"
"Seiran called you Yui-sama last night and you calmed down when he did…" she said and Yui felt her cheeks burn. "I don't know how he knew your name, though." Shuurei smiled and pulled her off the bed. "Come, let's have you dressed for breakfast,"
"But I don't have clothes other than the ones I had."
"Don't worry—we have it covered!" Juusan said, opening a wide wardrobe filled with robes and Chinese clothes. She was busy choosing what colors to have her wear and Yui simply eyed the two girls. Were they warriors? Would they have marks in their bodies? It was customary for priestesses to land where their warriors were. "Where did you come from?"
"I came from Japan. Do you mind if I ask where I am?" she asked hesitantly and Juusan turned, holding a few pieces of long robes in shades of blue and lavender. She handed it to Yui who took it and looked at it uneasily. She was not very familiar with wearing Chinese clothes, they require too many layers.
"We're in the capital, Shi. This is Saiunkoku," Shuurei said. "Here, I'll help you wear it." In the next minutes, the two girls assisted her in wearing the robes, helping her tie ribbons and the edges and the layers. When they were done, the two looked at her from head to foot, nodding.
"I don't think I can wear this…" she told the two. The robes were heavy and she doesn't think it suit her short boyish hair. "Maybe I should wear boy's clothes instead. Do you have male retainers?"
"Why not? My brother is right, you could rival the prettiest girls in the harem. We seldom see women with light hair and eyes, you know. Seiran will be surprised to see you!" Juusan said while Shuurei giggled. Yui smiled thinly.
"You have been teasing me to Seiran… Does it have to do with last night?" Yui asked and the two shook their heads.
"We're forcing him to get married a few days ago and he said he'll only marry a woman who will fall from the sky," Juusan said and Yui's eyes widened. "And you just did. Pretty coincidental don't you think?"
"Seiran is old enough to have his own family. We figured he should get married so he'll live a happy life…" Shuurei added. Yui shook her head.
"Happiness is not something you dictate on a person," Yui told the two and the girls looked at her intently. "It's something a person wants for himself. If Seiran wants to be happy, he'll find his own way toward that happiness. You don't have to force him to take the path you want."
"Oh Yui… you don't know who Seiran is…" Juusan said, walking toward her to put a silver pin on her hair. "He'll never choose to be happy… No woman has ever made him feel that he should want happiness for himself."
"Then I'm not the woman for Seiran," Yui said finally. "Because I don't want to be happy too…" she said softly. It was the truth. After the book, happiness was not something she deserved. "Right now… What I want is to go home…"
Yui had never been very uncomfortable with eating. Eyes would constantly watch her and she continued to look down on the bowl, trying to dispel the stares the men in the table were giving her. Everyone was present in the table: Koyuu, the assistant librarian of the Imperial Palace; General Shuuei, Juusan's half-brother; the playful Ryuuki who won't tell her what he does inside the palace. Then there was Juusan, Shuurei, Chosu-san, and of course, Seiran.
"Stop staring at Yui!" Juusan told the three male guests and Yui was slightly relieved. "Only Seiran can stare!" Her shoulders lagged, the younger girl was really eager to pair her with the quiet man.
"I'm not staring," Seiran answered. "And I don't intend to—" She looked up and their eyes met. She looked down immediately at the same time he turned away. Shuurei's father laughed lightly.
"Chosu-san… Thank you very much for your hospitality," she said immediately. The old man nodded and smiled wider. "I don't want to ask for more help but I badly need to return home… And to do so, I need you assistance."
"Well, if we can give it to you, we will be glad to help," he said and Yui smiled. "What kind of assistance do you need?"
"I would ask for horses and a few sustenance, and a guide to Eisei, the capital of Kutou," she said and the man frowned.
"Kutou?"
"Yes, the country east of Taiitsukun's Holy Mountain. The one overlooked by the god of war, the dragon Seiryuu," Yui said eagerly. "From here, it is in the East, where the morning star shines. It's probably a few days travel—"
"You're asking for the impossible, Yui…" Koyuu cut her and she looked at the man, blinking. Chosu-san nodded and the other men listened intently.
"Kutou… I don't think you'll arrive there," Shuuei said.
"Is Saiunkoku at war with Kutou? If you can help me send a letter to the shogun—"
"Kutou no longer exists…" Chosu-san said and Yui's eyes widened. "It perished years ago, Yui. Even if you travel to the East, you won't find it."
A/N: Still not much has happened in this chappie except for some relationship developments. Hopefully, the pace will improve as the story progresses. Thanks for reading!