Summary: Drabbles from the Love, Lies n Empire universe. All characters. Situations and events referred to in the main story. Read n Review.
Disclaimer: Disclaimers are meant to distract people from the actual business of reading the story. But oh well…Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro.
Rating: T
Drabble 12: Kamatari's first meeting with Shishio. I wrote this a long time back but it somehow got lost somewhere in my computer. I hope you like it!
Thanks very much to all the people who have read, and reviewed these drabbles. Even if you haven't reviewed, thanks for sticking around as far as this to read. Thanks.
Annals of Empire
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Drabble 12: First Sight
The wind blew madly, making the flags and banners twitch and stretch at a sudden whim before running away and letting them fall limp. Clouds raced past the horizon, overhead in the burning sky scalded by the heat of the sun. The sentries who stood on the battlements peered into the distance. Their eyes were trained to pierce through the vista to seek what they searched for. They stood like grim statues; their tall spears gleamed in the sunlight.
Suddenly one of them started. What their eyes had sought for so long had finally swerved into view. A large company of mounted horsemen could be seen in the distance. It was following the road that led straight to the castle. The sentry paused for a moment, just to be certain. Then he saw the banner held aloft by the horseman at the head of the column. There was no mistaking it. The lord of Konan had arrived.
The sentry swiftly ran down the stairs to his commanding officer. After communicating his news, he made his way back up to the battlement. A tiny girl, one of the maidservants from the palace within had been standing there. As soon as she heard what the sentry had to say, she turned on her heel and ran back towards the palace. The girl kept running, past the stables, the armory, the training grounds till she came to a huge iron gate. The guards on duty laughed in amusement as she madly waved her arms around gesturing to them to get out of the way. Inside the gate, there was a long walk before another gate that finally led to the palace where the Shogun's family resided.
The girl stopped for breath and then began to run again, past the manicured gardens and perfumed orchards till she reached the entrance to the palace. She tore through the halls to her destination. Stopping to catch her breath outside her master's room, she quickly knocked. The door was flung open; a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.
A young boy, several older than her, richly dressed looked at her with eager eyes. There was a katana at his waist and determination in his eyes.
"What did you find out? Did anyone see you? What happened?"
Still panting, the girl sat down on the floor and crossed her legs. "My lord should not doubt my capability to learn things. He's here."
"What!! Already?"
"Yes. He'll be at the battlement soon. Must be pretty eager to see Lady Yumi, ne?"
The boy stiffened. He was angry and there was nothing he could do about it. He had been punished by his father earlier that week and was under orders to stay inside his room and not venture out till the esteemed guest arrived. He frowned. He just couldn't stay inside while some stranger rode into his life and took his sister away.
"Meirou, listen. I need you to do something for me."
"I've already done you a favor today my lord. You weren't supposed to be told when King Shishio arrives but I told you. I could get in real trouble over this you know..."
Kamatari chuckled. "Well then you can add more gold to that little pile I've been contributing to."
The girl's eyes gleamed with excitement and she smiled broadly. She bent at the waist. "My lord is too kind."
"Now listen, if anyone asks for me; tell them that I am asleep. I'm going to climb out the window and go to the battlements; you just tell everyone inside the palace I'm unwell, got that?"
The girl nodded in assent. The two quickly tore up the bedclothes and rolled a few blankets to look like the young lord was fast asleep. The boy then nimbly climbed out of his window and jumped down onto the walkway in the garden below. He raced towards the battlements. The guards were startled by his sudden appearance but didn't stop him. He reached the battlement and looked down.
The company had reached the castle. The wind was making it very hard to keep the flags and banners straight. A tall and proud warrior sitting at the head of the column reeled his unruly stallion around, and nudged it forward toward the gate. A gust of wind threw his hair into his eyes; he tossed his shoulder and shook his face free. His eyes opened and found the boy standing on the battlement looking at him with amazement.
The warrior frowned slightly at the sight of one so young standing with the sentries. He didn't blink nor did the boy's eyes waver. They remained locked in each other gaze till the company passed through into the castle. The warrior turned in his seat to look for him, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. He had disappeared.
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Kamatari sat under the apple tree in his sensei's courtyard. He hadn't returned to the palace but the news had reached him. Shishio and Yumi were going to be married in a month. He let his head fall backwards. Why had this happened to him? Why was he feeling so depressed? He knew it was no longer about Yumi any more.
That man, Shishio, he was like nobody he had seen. He was different. His eyes blazed with an intensity of purpose and such force of character that he had never witnessed in any man of his father's court. Shishio had an aura of unmistakable majesty around him. He wore no embellishment or ornament yet his position amongst the delegation of men and women who had accompanied him was unchallenged. He was a king and he looked it. Shishio needed no external artifice to display his power. Power radiated from his face.
He had tried to look away but he couldn't. He just wanted to stay like that, staring at him. What did that mean? Was he…in love?
And even if it was, it did not matter even in the slightest. This was not right. It was so wrong, wrong by every count. He wasn't supposed to feel attracted towards a man, and that too a man who was going to marry his sister. He was sick. He knew what people would say if they found out. He would be called a freak, an anomaly who went against the laws of nature, the decree of the gods. Having such feelings for Shishio was wrong. It was treacherous, and downright obscene.
Kamatari tore at the grass blades and wild flowers growing at the base of the tree trunk. His long fingers mercilessly uprooted the leaves from the stalk of the flower before taking it apart, petal by petal and blowing them away in the wind.
"You seem upset. Am I so unsuitable for your sister?" A deep voice floated out from behind the tree. Kamatari froze. Slowly he turned around to find Shishio sitting beside him, leaning against the tree, his eyes carefully trained on him.
Kamatari looked away in embarrassment. He bit his lip and prayed to the seven gods of heaven that he wouldn't blush. Please please make him go away. Make him leave before I do something even more stupid than what I've done already.
Shishio coughed gently. Kamatari looked at him questioningly.
"You weren't present earlier so I couldn't ask you, but your absence told me that you aren't completely satisfied with my suit."
Kamatari pulled his knee up and rested his chin on it. "There's nothing like that."
Shishio tilted his head to one side. "You can tell me, you know. I'm not going to be offended."
"I wouldn't care even if you were." He stood. Dusting his clothes off, Kamatari turned to face Shishio. Pulling himself to his full height, he spoke arrogantly. "Look, you may be king of all Konan, but there's something you must understand right now. There's nobody who is good enough for my sister. Neither you nor anyone else." Kamatari flicked an imaginary speck of dust from his shoulder.
"Our parents have seen fit to tie her fate to yours so I must accept it, but I warn you. If you ever make my sister unhappy, I promise that I will make you regret the day you rode up this gate. Are we clear?"
Shishio blinked. He was taken aback by the almost-ferocious manner in which the boy made his claim to punish him for any neglect towards Yumi. He kept a straight face, trying hard not to laugh, and solemnly nodded in assent.
Both men stood and regarded each other carefully. They turned and began to walk slowly towards the interior gate of the palace.
"You can come visit whenever you like."
"Hmmm."
"Would you like that?"
"Hmmm."
"Yumi will be happy to know that."
"Hmmm."
Kamatari stopped. Shishio kept walking. At the turn of the passage, Yumi was waiting for him. Kamatari watched as Shishio took her hand in his own. His eyes stung as she smiled at him and led him away.
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The flames in the lanterns were slowly dying out. The stars receded as the sun rose once more to wash the world in light. The palace wore a deserted look after the wedding procession had left. Even the dust rising from the wheels of the caravan accompanying Konan's nobility and king had settled. Kamatari shut the door to his room gently and slid to the floor. He buried his head in his arms and wept.
"You can visit us whenever you like."
"Hmmm." I won't come.
"Would you like that?"
"Hmmm." No, I can't stand being near you. It hurts too much.
"Yumi will be happy to know that."
"Hmmm." Yumi will never know.
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