Through A Looking Glass
By: Aisaki Sumi
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Chapter Two
Inevitable meeting, a gentle brush of shoulders
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Flung their smoke into the laquearia,
Stirring the pattern on the coffered ceiling.
Heian Jidai – Heian Period, 1179, Autumn, Heian-Kyo
The soft morning light filtered through the tiny gapes of the paper screened sliding doors and scattered onto the well-polished wooden floor of the bedroom. The rays bounced off the highly reflective material and created a strip of golden tint.
Sakura straightened out her white kimono with pale blue patterns studded across the fabric. Her long auburn hair was breaded together and entwined into a bum of which was then covered up by a hat, wore by males from wealthy families only during the Heian Jidai.
Looking into the mirror, she saw a blurred and distorted image of a beautiful face which could light up an entire room and mesmerize its beholders. The entire heavy make up from yesterday was gone, and all the ridiculous smudges of colors were washed away as if they were never there in the first place.
Pale and smooth skin like porcelain, slightly rosy cheeks, small and cherry red lips, a delicate nose, and lucid emerald green eyes -- those features belonged to the heavenly beautiful maiden in the mirror.
Sakura inherited this rare beauty from her mother, yet she was never a day conceited with what she had. Her mother was often the center of her father's other concubines' and wife's jealousy because of her beauty, but Nadeshiko didn't know how to use her beauty for her own benefit.
Running a finger down the right side of her flawless visage, a small calculating grin slowly unveiled itself. A woman's beauty could be her fatal destruction if used incorrectly, but it could also be the ultimate weapon if put to good use. In time, this beautiful face of hers would come in handy.
Miyuki stood silently behind Sakura, watching silently with her lips pressed tightly together. Miss Sakura asked her to take out the male kimono especially designed for her small size late last night after Master Syaoran had left their master bedroom.
She didn't know exactly what happened in there, but she knew Master Syaoran didn't recognize Miss Sakura as his lawfully wedded wife. However, strangely enough, Miss Sakura didn't say anything about it. Rather, she seemed awfully relieved and cheerful about it.
And then, she was told to take out the male's kimono. Miyuki didn't question Miss Sakura's motives or the reasons behind her contentment but she knew Miss Sakura had her own reasons.
"Miyuki," Sakura suddenly called out, startling Miyuki who was lost in her own contemplation.
"Ha-hai." Miyuki quickly responded, lowering her head to hide her embarrassment. She was starring at Miss Sakura again. Even after so many years, her beauty still managed to steal away her breath. And Miyuki secretly wondered what Master Syaoran would say after he sees Miss Sakura's face.
"You're going to be me today."
This almost made Miyuki eyes pop out. Her mouth hung wide open in shock and her jaws nearly dropped to the floor. What? How? Why? All these unanswered questions bombarded her mind all at once as she gaped at Sakura in bewilderment.
Sakura chuckled softly at Miyuki's dramatic reactions. "Don't worry, just cover yourself with heavy make up like what I did yesterday and stay here. Milord already informed the Taira family that I wasn't feeling well and can't be visited by any guests in these days."
"So you don't have to worry about anything." Sakura stood up gracefully and turned around, revealing her new look to Miyuki. "Besides, you're rather tall for your age. We have the same height, the same color of eyes and hair and the same figures. You're like another copy of me."
Miyuki blinked blankly and Sakura continued on.
"From this day on, you will be Taira no Syaoran's wife while I'm out during the day. And I, will be Sakuma Ryuichi, a poet who have traveled across Japan and have only recently settled down in Heian-kyo." Sakura announced with her voice slightly lowered than usual which added masculinity to her soft voice. Even Miyuki couldn't recognize her new voice for a moment there.
Instead of seeing the fair maiden from her memories, Miyuki saw a young handsome looking childe, smiling charmingly at her. Double identities… she finally understood why Miss Sakura kept her head down and had such a heavy make up on.
Calculative and confident and intelligent and beautiful were what Miss Sakura was.
Unknowingly and silently, Miss Sakura was putting her plans into motion. "Saa, I'll be going now."
……
After wandering around on the street to enjoy the shortly lasted freedom while she still could, Sakura stepped into the closest inn she could find to fill up her empty stomach a little. She hadn't eaten at all since the night before her wedding, and she was starving to death.
Finding an empty table on the right corner near the window, she sat down gracefully. The waiter boy who was serving someone else a moment ago strolled toward her and bowed deeply to show his respect. But when the waiter boy looked up and was about to ask her what she would like to order, he froze on the spot with his eyes wide open.
Sakura smiled heartwarmingly at him instead of using fans to cover up her face and blush in embarrassment like the other women during that era. "I'd like some wasabi sushi please and a cup of green tea." Sakura made her order, and watched the waiter boy snapping back into reality and scratching his head in embarrassment.
The boy bowed apologetically and dashed away as quickly as possible which she would like to assume that he was in a hurry to get her food. Before he was gone out of sight, Sakura caught the supposed unintelligible mutter from him "How can a man be that beautiful…I must be seeing things…"
Sakura shook her head lightly and tilted her chin toward the window to observe the passing by people in a lackadaisical manner. It was then an interesting conversation from the table some distance away from her caught her attention.
"Niichan, it is true that Emperor Takakura is going to take Bomon Shokushi, the daughter of Sadaijin (minister of right, a relatively high position in the Imperial court) Bomon, as his new imperial concubine?" The young boy asked urgently. Judging by the hints of the naivety revealed in his question, Sakura made an educated guess on his current age.
He's probably around nine of ten years old, still a little kid. Sakura thought to herself. A spoiled little brat too. She added disdainfully. When she was around his age, she already learned the ways of surviving in the Kinomoto household which forced her to mature quicker than the others.
"Atsumori, what have I told you about keeping your voice down and thinking before you speak?" The little boy's older brother scolded him. His deep voice sounded awfully familiar to her ears. Sakura paused for a moment and frowned, trying to remember where she had heard that deep steady voice before.
"But Syaoran-niichan! The Emperor married Tokuko-neechan for eight years already and they just had their first son, Prince Tokihito, how can he marry someone else so soon? I thought after Prince Tokihito's born, Tokuko-neechan's position as the Empress would be secured for sure--"
Before the boy could babble on any further, his older brother cut him off. "Know your position Atsumori, we are in no position of discussing the loyal family's business even if Empress Tokuko is our sister."
Sakura caught the young boy's loud exclamation of "Syaoran-neechan" and smiled faintly. So that little brat is the great Taira no Kiyomori's youngest son…and the man whom he referred to as "Syaoran-oneechan" must be the husband she had never met before.
Curious of what the two brothers were like, Sakura stole a glance at their table from the corner of her eyes. There, she was astonished by what came into view.
The soft rays which scattered through the open window cast upon him made the ends of his chestnut hair glow with such splendid golden glimmer. The shorter strands of these golden threads framed his delicately shaped face
He had large and cat-like sharp golden eyes and strong handsome features which made him stand out from the other men occupying the inn. His face was mature and his expression was calm and collective, almost unreadable in a sense. While the boy who was sitting across him still carried that puerility which belonged to kids only.
The difference between a boy and a man…was rather interesting to look at.
The boy named Atsumori fell silent for a moment, just for a fleeting moment though. His eyebrows were furrowed to form a knot in the center and he glared at his older brother in defiance. "But how can he do that?! And I heard Sumon Shokushi is the number one beauty in the entire Heian-Kyo! What if Emperor Takakura falls for her beauty--"
"Atsumori!" The quiet hiss was enough to make the babbling boy shut up for good this time. The temperature of the atmosphere suddenly dropped a few degrees as a ghastly silence slowly filled up the space between them.
Even Sakura had felt the oppressive and powerful aura emitted by Syaoran which clearly spelled out "shut up, right now" for the boy.
"Emperor Takakura is a smart man. He knows what he's doing. Besides, all beautiful women bring misfortune to their countries. Emperor Takakura wouldn't fall for her so easily.
Look at how many of those beautiful women caused China's different dynasty's downfalls. It's history, and Emperor Takakura knows them by heart." Syaoran sneered as he paused to take a sip of this green tea.
This comment made Sakura scoff lightly but this almost silent scoff was picked up by Syaoran's ears. He turned his chin slightly to look at the young, seemingly fragile boy sitting at a table away from theirs.
Just then, the boy turned around, revealing an unrealistically beautiful face – a face that was too feminine to be a man's, yet the boy possessed it.
Judging from the expensive-looking fabric of his kimono and his concinnity of his movements, Syaoran was sure he had to be a childe from a wealthy family in Heian-Kyo.
"Women shouldn't be blamed for men's downfalls. Being beautiful isn't their fault. Besides, why don't you look at how lechery those men were? They succumbed themselves to alcohol and sex all day long, treating women like dirt. They weren't meant to be great rulers in the first place, so their failures were only a matter of time."
The voice was slightly higher and pitchy for a grown man Syaoran noticed, yet too deep for a woman. Like a silk sliding over a blade, he could hear the underlying animosity in the boy's voice which could be easily overlooked because of the gentle and soul-calming manner he spoke in.
"Men are too conceited to admit their own mistakes and their lack of abilities which caused their own downfalls, so they blame it on those beautiful women who were forced to become their wives." Sakura tilted her chin upward and spared Syaoran a scornful glance before walking off in an elegant manner.
Money was left behind on the table she previously sat at for the food that she ordered. The waiter boy came a moment later after she left with food in his hand and was taken aback when he found her table empty again.
"I wonder where that childe went…" The waiter boy murmured to himself.
Syaoran inhaled in the soul-calming scent of the green tea in his cup before taking a sip of it. A small amused smile tugged on his lips as he recalled the way that boy left the inn. Decorous and had that little edge to him.
He liked that kind of personality.
The boy was like a rose, dangerous, occult, but unbelievably pulchritudinous. Comparing to him, Bomon Shikushi, the supposed number one beauty in Heian-kyo, was a lot more inferior.
"Oniichan…was that-that person…really a man?" Atsumori asked in disbelief, still stunned by what he saw.
"Saa…(we'll see)" The ambiguity of Syaoran's cryptic remark made Atsumori cock his head to the right in perplexity.
……
Sakura sighed heavily as she left the inn. Her stomach grumbled its protest. Oh well, I'll just have to ask Miyuki to make me something nice once I get back. She told herself as she strode down the street with her head up.
But she soon realized that the people who were passing her by stared at her openly and rudely. Frowning in displeasure, Sakura decided to take a short-cut down a small ally where there would be less crowded.
But as she rambled down the creaked road of the small ally, she felt a pair of eyes trained on her and observing every single movement of hers. The intensity of the stare sent shivers down her spine.
Clutching her small hands into fists, she counted to three as she swerved around to see who the stalker was. But all she caught was a glimpse of dark blue before she was held in place with her head down and something icy cold against her neck.
"Don't move." Was all she heard before the man forced a small pill down her throat.
II. Amber and emerald, it's a small world
Footsteps shuffled on the stair.
Under the firelight, under the brush, her hair, spread out in fiery points
The silence between them was deafening, persistent and unstable. Even the drop of a needle could potentially shatter it completely and total chaos would take over. Sakura wanted to push the mysterious man away and throw up in a corner to see if she could get the pill out of her throat.
But she couldn't. If she moved an inch right there, her throat would be sliced and everything she worked so hard for would come to an end. Tightening her fists, she felt her nails digging into the flesh of her palm, cutting through it like a dull knife. The sudden pain kept her head clear.
She would never allow herself to die here. Never. She closed her eyes for a moment to adjust her uneven breathing pattern and calm down the frantic heart that was bouncing hysterically against her ribcage. Only when she was calm could she find a way out of this.
She waited for a moment, to see if her opponent was planning to talk at all because if he really wanted to assassinate her, he could've done so a long time ago and wouldn't haven wait until now. After assuring her life wasn't in immediate danger, Sakura felt calmer than before; though her back was still soaked in cold sweat.
It was rather ironic how she was being stalked and held hostage when it was bright and sunny out there. But what was more ironic was that no body even noticed this man stalking a young boy. Even she didn't notice it until a few moments ago.
He had to be a skilled fighter. And Sakura knew, she shouldn't underestimate his capability.
They stood there in the same position for a few more minutes but Sakura kept her cool even though her patience was waning rapidly. Suddenly, her ears picked up something. Drip. Drip. Drip. A liquid of some sort was dripping onto the floor from where he stood.
Since her head was being kept down, it wasn't hard for her to steal a quick glance at his feet. There, she saw a brilliant scarlet liquid mixed with the muddy water puddle. It was blood. She recognized it right away. He was hurt, and pretty severely too.
This put the trademark smile back onto Sakura's face again. "Are you going to talk or are you planning to stand here with me all day long and bleed to death?" She drawled lazily, showing no signs of fear.
Eriol stared at the young boy before him in shock and wondered how he could still be so calm in a life and death situation like this. If he was scared and nervous at that moment, he certainly managed to hide it unbelievably well.
Cringing a little, the burning pain shooting up from his abdominal area felt like something was clawing at his wound. Eriol used his other freehand to hold onto the area of his wound to keep the blood from gushing out of it.
But he still held his sword in place. It was the only thing he had with him that could bring him some safety and a shelter. He breathed heavily, panting and sucking on the air almost greedily. His throat was on fire and he felt exhausted and dizzy, but he knew he had to stay clear-headed.
The boy in front of him was his only ticket out of Heian-kyo alive and he wouldn't pass this good chance so easily.
"If you can get me somewhere safe to stay at, I'll give you the antidote for that poison." Eriol offered a bargain. They both wanted to live and Eriol knew the boy would not throw away this offer because if he did, he would die right now.
When their lives were being gambled in the game, they had to think twice about what they would do.
"But how do I know the pill contains some kind of poison? What if it's just some candy that looked like a pill?" She challenged him fearlessly. "What if you're just bluffing here?" Pressed Sakura provocatively.
"You'll get your answers shortly." He sneered darkly. And within a minute, Sakura felt something crushing her heart and the pain was unbearable. She couldn't breathe and her hands were shaking uncontrollably.
"This kind of poison would only attack your body five minutes after you've swallowed it, and then it would attack you every six hours. When 24 hours is up, you will die." He narrated the process of her death in such a relent manner, without any remorse. (The Japanese people don't use hours back in those days, their time system is rather complex, and I don't wanna confuse anyone here. So let's pretend they use hours.)
The pain slowly faded away and Sakura straightened herself up again, keeping her face expressionless. "I'll just have to search the entire Heian-kyo to find the antidote then. Don't underestimate what I am capable of doing."
She could just use the power of the Taira clan to find the antidote that could cure her. After all, Syaoran promised her he would give her anything she wanted as long as it wasn't love.
"I know you're probably from a powerful family here in Heian-kyo. But that poison you've just swallowed is very rare. The recipe to make it and to cure it was passed down from my family. You won't be able to find it that easily within a day."
Sakura bit her lips for a moment. "You don't have a choice but to agree to the deal." He pressured her gently, a triumphant smile tugging on his lips.
Of course she didn't have any choice. Her life was in his hand and if she didn't help him, she would die and he would die.
"Deal." She agreed to it smoothly without any sign of reluctance in her soft but still masculine voice. But her hands were still in tight fists, hidden under the long sleeve of the kimono she wore.
Eriol let out a small sign of relief.
Sakura used this as a chance to move away from his sword so it wasn't aiming at the critical area on her neck anymore. She titled her head to his direction and looked straight into her "stalker's" eyes. The other's eyes widened in shock, but just very briefly.
Endless blue like the beautiful and enigmatic ocean, yet crystal clear at the same time, Sakura had to admit that the sight of those eyes made her breath hitch. He was very pretty if pretty could be used to describe a man. His features weren't as handsome as Syaoran's and had a slight feminine touch to it.
But only fools could be deceived by his somewhat fragile appearance. Because she saw the harshness in those icy blue crystals, like cutting diamonds; he was a man capable of killing if his existence was threatened. Dangerous, beautiful, and proud. Sakura smiled warmly. Her smile was blindingly beautiful.
As deceiving as it was beautiful.
Eriol continued to scrutinize the young boy before him. He was short and slender, somewhat svelte. And when he turned his way, Eriol felt his heart skipping a beat. A face as delicate and as beauteous as that shouldn't belong to a man. And his smile… how could a boy smile like that?
"Saa…you can stop staring at me now." A light, soft giggle interrupted Eriol's thought. Usually, he would've been disgusted by men who were too feminine to be considered as men. But for some strange reason, when se chuckled – or rather giggled—like that, it felt so natural and enchanting.
"Since we've already struck a deal here, can you please remove your sword from my neck so we can get that wound of yours cleaned up? Or would you rather stay here instead and chat?" She questioned him with a hint of playfulness added to her tone, leaving the answer to her inquiry rather obvious.
"But if you want to stay here, I don't mind." One of her long slender fingers brushed aside the strand of auburn hair that fell lose from the grip of her hat (which was supposed to keep her hair in place).
Eriol blinked, feeling slightly bewitched but he quickly shook his head to regain his consciousness. "Let's go." He mumbled, putting his sword away.
……
Sakura took off the outer most layer of clothes she wore and gave it to Eriol to cover himself up, especially the red stain from his wound. At this moment, she was almost thankful for her decision to wear a somewhat jacket-like kimono layer to hide her feminine curves.
Sakura and Eriol kept their heads dipped low as they made their way through the crowd and eventually arrived at one of the biggest and renowned tavern in Heian-Kyo. Sakura paid for a room and settled Eriol down first before their actions raised any suspicions.
Then, she called in the waiter-boy and paid him a large sum of money to get the best medicines and herbs he could get before sending the boy out. Closing the door behind her tightly and locking it up, Sakura let out a small sigh as she made her way to the inner part of the room where the bedroom was located.
"I sent out the waiter-boy to fetch some herbs and medical supplies so you can clean up that wound of yours." Sakura explained as she took a seat beside the bed he was lying on. His face was unnaturally pale she noticed, from a great loss of blood.
He rested there with his eyes closed. The bandage wrapped carelessly and very unprofessionally was soaked scarlet red and she knew, judging from the way he dealt with his wound, that he was running away from someone.
"Mind telling me your name?" The faint and curious tone she spoke in sounded strangely comforting to him.
He didn't reply right away. She could see the hesitation in his expression. "Well I was just curious you know…but you don't have to answer--"
Before she could finish her sentence, he gave out his name. "You saved me and deserve the right to know my name. It's Minamoto Yoshitsune. But most people call me by my childhood name, Eriol."
Sakura's heart skipped a beat as she studied the young man who looked no older than twenty years old. Just her luck… Minamoto Yoshitsune, the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, was on Taira clan's most wanted list. No wonder he was hurt so badly, for god's sake he was a frigging runaway prisoner!
She heard about the news on the night of her wedding from Miyuki. No body knew about it except the Taira family members, and she wasn't supposed to know about it either. But Miyuki heard the gossips from a servant girl who served Taira no Kiyomori and immediately reported it to her.
Apparently, the Minamotos were a rising rebel clan and they were Taira clan's biggest threat. But luckily, Syaoran caught Minamoto Yoshitsune in a one on one combat when Minamoto Yoshitsune tried to assassinate his father.
Kiyomori, the head of the Taira family, planned to behead him another day then report it to the emperor that Minamoto Yoshitsune intended on assassinating the emperor and the empress.
It was a flawless plan, using Minamoto Yoshitsune as a scapegoat. This way, Kiyomori would seem like the hero of Japan because he protected the Emperor from a possible assassination. But at the same time, he also got rid of the brother of his opponent. One stone for two birds, it was a brilliant plan.
Except Kiyomori underestimated Minamoto Yoshitsune's abilities and he also miscalculated the part about his son's new wife aiding his enemy in his escape.
Eriol reopened his eyes quickly after hearing no reply from the boy before him and glared at Sakura warily. "What?" He demanded, keeping his guards up again. No body in Heian-kyo should know the name "Minamoto Yoshitsune", unless he was from the Taira family.
Kiyomori planned to kill him tonight and then report it to the emperor the next day so he wouldn't even get the chance to speak for himself. A part of Eriol really didn't want to kill the young boy who saved his life, but if he knew his name somehow it would mean that he was an ally of the Taira clan. Thus, his enemy.
Sakura saw the iciness in his blue eyes and knew the way she acted raised his suspicions. Smiling casually again, Sakura replied. "Oh nothing, I was just curious why you told me your childhood name." Her gaze aslant as her penetrating green eyes fell on him again.
Eriol looked away and said nothing.
"Maa, my name is Sakuma Ryuichi, and it's a pleasure to meet you." Sakura introduced herself in a light and cheerful tone of voice which eased up the tension that filled the air between them a moment ago.
Just then, they heard a loud knock on the door. Sakura dropped the smile on her face and gestured him to hide under the bed quickly. The knocking didn't ease up, it only became louder. The loud bangs blended in so easily with the frantic beating of her heart.
After Eriol crawled under the bed, Sakura straightened out her kimono and headed for the door. But when she opened it, she saw a handsome man with golden amber eyes. It was none other than the husband who had never seen her before. And behind him, stood soldiers in the Taira clan's uniforms.
If she guessed it right, they were searching for Minamoto Yoshitsune, who was hiding right under the bed not far from where they stood.
She couldn't possibly show any signs of nervousness now. If Minamoto Yoshitsune died, she would die too and she couldn't let that happen.
Keeping her expression as naturally and as sincerely as ever, the corner of her mouth lifted upward just slightly and a faint smile bloomed on her lips. "Maa, what a small world we live in."
……
III. A touch of finger tips, the spark of nerves
Over endless plains, stumbling in cracked earth
Ringed by the flat horizon only
Syaoran's eyes were widened slightly in surprise as his vision aligned with those pairs of enthralling orbs of lucid emeralds. It was none other than the boy from the inn who left an everlasting impression on him with his sharp and provocative speech.
His smile, no longer as disdainful and cold as before, stirred something deep within Syaoran's heart. His eyes traced the perfect rondure of the boy's smile.
"Maa ne. (I guess)" He agreed, staring straight into Sakura's eyes. Suddenly, he broke off their eye contact and stepped aside to let the soldiers behind him enter the room. Five soldiers came in while twenty more surrounded the tavern, guarding it and making sure nothing could come in or out of the place.
"We're on a search for a dangerous escapee who plotted to assassinate the Emeperor." Syaoran explained with his hands folded neatly together on his back. Sakura tilted her head to his way. There weren't any signs of lying on his face. It remained sincere, solemn and just.
"I hope you won't mind us looking around a bit."
Sakura scoffed coldly deep down side. If she didn't know the truth before hand, she might have believed his fabricated "truth" as well. But then again, she was just as good of a liar and pretender as he was. Pretending to be noble wasn't her thing, instead of seeing lying as immoral she saw it as a way of survival.
"Oh really?" She cocked her head to the right and asked him in surprise. "What is he like? Do you have any portraits of him? Maybe I've seen him somewhere today since I've been doing a lot of wondering around in Heian-kyo."
Offering her help as if she as just a kind childe from a wealthy family, she could ease up his suspicion of her—if he ever suspected her. Smiling flawlessly as she saw him raising an eyebrow and looking contemplatively at her.
Letting out a light-hearted and cheerful laugh that sounded like the dangling sound of wind bells, the ringing resonated in the room. A few of the soldiers who were flipping through the stuff in the closet and other places in the room stopped on track and whipped their heads around to look at her.
How can a man laugh at that…was the only thing occupying Syaoran's mind during that fleeting moment when he watched her laugh.
"I wonder around a lot to search for new sources of inspiration." She clarified and added, "'cause I'm a poet", with eyes set up the darkening sky outside of the half opened window. There was a pleasant tranquility around her which added onto the mysteriousness of her aura.
A small part of Syaoran told him that this boy wasn't whom he claimed to be, but Syaoran didn't find any evidence that would suggest otherwise. Shrugging off the strange feeling tugging in his heart, Syaoran pulled out a stroll from the pocket of his sleeve and flipped it open in front of Sakura.
"Here's a portrait of him," he held out for Sakura to take a closer look at it and focused his eyes on her face to discern any subtle changes in her facial expression.
Sakura looked down. The portrait confirmed Eriol's identity as Minamoto Yoshitsune. She could feel Syaoran's penetrating eyes on her and she knew she couldn't show any signs of familiarity with the person in the portrait.
Nodding lightly in comprehension, she looked thoughtful for a moment and shook her head at Syaoran apologetically. "Sorry, can't help you on this one. I don't recall seeing anyone who looks like him today."
The boy's expression was still as sincere and as calm as ever, Syaoran realized and gestured Sakura it was alright. "But we still have to search your place a bit to clear you off, I hope you don't mind."
"Of course, Heian-kyo's safety comes first." Sakura replied back understandingly and Syaoran nodded in return. There was an interlude of silence between them and the only sound detectable by their ears at the time was the rattling sound of the furniture in the room.
Sakura quickly surveyed the soldiers in the room and saw them scattered out throughout the entire place. But when she saw one of them searching the area only one meter away from the bed, her heart almost skipped a beat.
Eriol was still hiding under the bed.
There was no time to come with another strategy, she would just have to take a risk and gamble with their lives. Calming inner self down a bit, she enlarged her gentle, harmless smile and inquired casually, showing neither signs of panic despite the chaotic state of her mind at the moment. "How long have you guys been searching for this guy?"
Syaoran paused, recalled the approximate time they left the Taira household and did a quick calculation in his mind before responding. "For about a few hours already."
"Ah, must be tiring eh? Running around the entire Heian-kyo from house to house and from store to store just to look for one guy…" She trailed off, eyes glistening like frozen pond of emerald under the lights.
"Hn." Syaoran usually didn't like these kinds of small chats. But around the younger boy, everything just seemed so natural and the events flowed together so smoothly.
"Come and have a seat, you must be exhausted." Like the perfect hostess, she took his roughened and callused hands into hers and led him to the seat beside the bed. It was a crucial part of her plan. If he agreed to sit there, the soldiers would not search the area hear the bed because their general was sitting there.
It was a huge risk, she knew it. But there was no time left to waste. And so she took a chance with no hesitation at this point. Any signs of unnatural or unusual behavior would rise his suspicion in her.
Besides, the most dangerous place was often the safest place. And she was willing to bet her money on his blind spot. If he spotted anything unusual there, she would be doomed. But if he didn't, both she and Eriol would be saved. Under time limit and pressure, this was the only choice she had.
When their finger tips touched, Syaoran felt something warm and soft and smooth. He lowered his gaze and saw a pair of beautiful hands. Soft and creamy white skin – those were a woman's hands he recognized. A bundle of unknown feelings surged from his heart and everything became manifest now.
No wonder the boy seemed so feminine and had a delicate frame. "He" was a teenage girl disguised as a man. While Syaoran was lost in thoughts, Sakura already led him to the chair right beside the bed, where she had sat before when she found out about Eriol's identity.
Sakura saw him pausing on the spot and staring at her peculiarly, her blood instantly ran cold. Could it be that he saw something suspicious? Struggling to maintain her smile, she waved a hand in front of his face and gestured him to sit down.
The action snapped Syaoran back into reality and he took a seat. He saw the hints apprehension glinting in her eyes when he stared at her and realized she probably worried about him seeing through her disguise.
So what if she was a woman? She probably had her reason for cross-dressing as a boy. He fully comprehended the pressure placed on women in this era. They weren't allowed to have any freedom. Dressing up as a man was their only way of gaining that freedom.
This reminded him of the time when Tomoyo and he sneaked out of the house to watch the festival outside. Tomoyo had never seen it before because a lady like herself wasn't permitted to leave the household. So he suggested she could cross dress as a boy.
They were still kids at that time, young, carefree and content, living the moment while it lasted. Pushing aside the memories, he returned his attention to her.
He didn't see the need to disclose her real identity in front of all these people. Besides, she didn't do anything wrong. Why not let her enjoy this freedom while she still could?
Sakura let out a silent sigh of relief when she saw him settling down on the chair. Taking a seat next to him on the bed herself, she sat in a position so that her long kimono sleeve draped over the bed and to the floor to cover up Eriol's hiding place.
"I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation with your younger brother today." She suddenly brought up the little meeting they had in the inn.
"It's quite alright. You did have a good point there though." Syaoran assured her as he recalled how sharp and glib the "boy" was. Besides, "he" did have a rather good point.
Casting a seemingly nonchalant look at her way, everything started to link together now as to why "he" reacted so strongly to his comment of "all beautiful women bring disasters".
After all, the "boy" "himself" was a woman, a very beautiful and witty one.
His answer caught Sakura off guard. She was expecting more of a "humph" from him. After all, she did insult men in general and from the men she knew in her life, it should've been a big blow to their pride and ego.
Syaoran saw the stunned look in her eyes and the disbeliefs written all over her face, and felt the corner of his mouth lifting just slightly.
Just then, the soldiers lined up in the center of the room and one of them stepped forward and reported their findings. "General, we've searched the entire place and didn't find the assassin."
"Alright, on to the next room." Syaoran stood up straight and sent out his new order, his voice emotionless, stern and powerful.
But before leaving, he hesitated for a moment on whether or not he should bid the "boy" a goodbye. Before he could reach a decision, he heard a melodic "take care", and when he looked over his shoulder, he saw "him" smiling, like the sun.
Like spring.
Even as he walked off into the night, the "boy's" smile still remained fresh at the back of his head.
Perhaps permanently.
After watching Syaoran and the soldiers disappearing out of the fringes of her sight, Sakura let out a small sigh of relief as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulder. Swerving around to where the bed was, she notified Eriol who was still hiding under the bed.
"You can come out now."
Slowly, Eriol crawled out from his hiding place with one of his hands covering his wound. Blood was trickling out from where his hand was and seeped through the gaps between his fingers, dying his pale hand scarlet red.
"The waiter-boy will be back in a few moments and bring you the stuff to clean up your wound with." Sakura narrated mildly. "I've kept my part of the bargain, now you need to keep yours."
Eriol fell silent for a moment and forced out a bare whisper, but it wasn't the answer Sakura wanted. "I can't give it to you."
The unwavering smile plastered on Sakura's face a moment ago cracked. Immediately, the air between them became thicker than before and the temperature of the room dropped by at least a few degrees.
"Not right now."
Narrowing her eyes with her friendly smile frozen in place, Sakura demanded. Even though her tone of voice was still as smooth and as soft before, Eriol knew she wasn't happy with his answer. He could hear the underlying danger vibrating in the air.
"And why is that?"
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to be continued
please ignore all mistakes, blink and you'll miss it