Chapter eight
Haruko: And here is the eighth chapter!
Petitefeeme (trying to get out of a mountain of revision paper): Too much…dates…too much…names…I'm gonna die!
Haruki: You can't! You have to post new chapters!
Petitefeeme (grumble under her breath): Egoistical child (out loud) If I have to post then help me out!
Haruko: Hehe…well, enjoy this chapter! By the end of it we should have extirpated the author out.
"I think it is better to go see the Northern Lord first." I said to Toga.
We had eaten dinner, and I had just finished quizzing Haruki about climates in some parts of Japan. She was currently reading the first chapter of a book on the Western countries' economy and from time to time would ask me some clarification.
Toga didn't say anything, but seeing his lips so closely held together, I knew he was against it.
"If we continue on his land any longer without his permission, we're gonna be tracked like bandits." I explained for what seemed like the hundredth time "If we have his permission, it would be better. I'm sure I can convince him."
He snorted, showing that he was very annoyed with this decision. It took one whole hour and some interruptions from Haruki before he agreed.
By that time Haruki was already asleep so I joined her after tidying up things a bit.
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Finding the Northern lord wasn't that complicated. The moment we stepped within a mile from the northern shiro, we were intercepted by a patrol.
They were immediately hostile when they saw Toga but I stepped in and they almost grovelled at my feet when I let a bit of my aura leak out (dragon yokais were quite rare in the Northern court).
We were led into the castle and servants gave us rooms before telling us the Northern lord wanted to see me at dinner.
This engendered another argument between me and Toga. He wanted to accompany me at the banquet but I wanted him to stay with Haruki.
I won again (I don't know how I did it however) after much arguing (one sided from me of course, the demon only glared at me or said no occasionally) and pleading.
Servants came to me early to get me ready and Haruki made me promise to bid her goodnight before going to eat.
The servants helped me bath and after helped me dress (it took hours and I was sure they tried to drown me under layers of kimonos and kisodes). After much suffering from me (all the layers were heavy and uncomfortable), they finished with an apricot orange coloured kisode with a wormwood green coloured scenery woven on it showing a forest and an equally coloured, complicated obi.
All of the layers were made of silk, and I knew each were hand made, a true art peace of art each of them. This is why I was uncomfortable, afraid to wear them out.
The next thing was my hairs. I absolutely refused that the maids put oil in them (it was the style at that time) but I let them amuse themselves with my 'strange hairs' (hairs at that time were thick and heavy, mine were thick but really light compared to them, and of the lighter brown they ever saw (all the females with brown hairs have them really dark, mine were chestnut)).
They pulled them back into a complicated bun and ornated them with orange opals and a few equally orange chalcedonies. They put a white jade comb with a few green jades and light green sapphires imbedded into it, and they finished with pastel green and light orange sticks with some stones mentioned above dangling down.
I vehemently fought against the white paste they wanted to spread on my face like butter and only agreed to paint my lips light red and my eyelids pastel green.
They put orange bracelets made of the stones mentioned above and I let them give me a pair of tabi socks and a flexible pair of sandals. I refused the rings they wanted to put on my fingers and went to say goodnight to Haruki.
"Wow, okaa-san!" exclaimed Haruki when she saw me "You look like a princess!"
"Thank you dear." I said, smiling and bending to her little to kiss her cheek, the gesture taking much more time because I was mindful of my clothes and the red on my lips "Now it's time to go to sleep."
She smiled and hopped in her bed. I noticed she had been bathed and dressed into a pastel green yukata tied with an orange slash.
'Green and orange must be the tendency.' I though humorously before heading out, nodding to Toga before letting the servant waiting for me outside lead me to the dining room.
The dinner was uneventful, most of the nobles present looking at me with curiosity, fear, admiration or wonder.
To my surprise, the Northern lord, a cayman yokai, was agreeable to talk with, and his mate was very polite and intelligent, if not a little stiff.
The only bad point was a second, or perhaps even third zone dragon yokai seated only a few seats from me.
He had light purple hairs and dark red eyes. He never stopped to scrutinize me, even when I bowed to the Northern lord and lady before following a servant back in my room.
After struggling out of all the layers, removing the ornament in my hairs and washing my face, I brushed my hairs a bit before braiding them and going to check on Haruki.
The servant had given me a simple apricot coloured yukata and I put on another yukata, this time wormwood coloured, to cross the corridor, the night being fresh.
The little angel was sleeping soundlessly and smiled at her before turning to Toga who was sitting in front of the fire.
"Was everything alright?" I asked, straightening to go sit near him.
He was silent a moment before answering me:
"Someone tried to enter Haruki's room."
Immediately worried, I turned to her but he reassured me:
"She is unarmed and barely woke up. I suspect someone put some sleeping powder in her food. The individual was masked and didn't reveal his scent or aura, but I was able to defeat him."
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"I am uninjured." He replied shortly.
I nodded before getting up to go check on Haruki. I kneeled in front of her and my hands glowed green.
I passed them lightly on her body, checking for any poison in her system. Fortunately I only found a sleeping powder and erased any trace of it before stopping and pinching my nose, a headache forming quickly.
I excused myself and returned to my room to take some headache medicine.
When I returned, I sat on the bed and stroked Haruki's hairs.
"I was able to get an audience with the lord tomorrow morning." I told Toga "If everything goes well, we will be able to go tomorrow afternoon or the morning after."
He nodded silently and I stopped here, not wanting to talk about the purple haired dragon demon. After all he only stared at me longer than politeness permitted. Perhaps he would stop tomorrow.
I ignored the gut feeling telling me otherwise and laid with my daughter, not wanting to leave her side after what happened.
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I was woken up early this morning to once again be prepared (to me, it was closer to torture than anything else).
This time the last kisode they put on me was apricot with mahogany brown birds and mountains woven on the fabric. They put my hairs into a complicated braided bun decorated with the same orange opals and chalcedonies, but they changed the green ones for some brown topazes and jaspers, and the comb they put in front of the bun was made of gold with a few brown citrines imbedded into it.
They put golden bangles on my wrists and painted my eyelids golden this time.
I really felt like a doll, but I couldn't much protest so I let the maids giggle and their imagination run wild before letting a servant show me the way to the Lord's study.
The lady was also there, reading some scrolls on a low table beside her mate's.
I bowed and sat as much as I could with all those layers around my body.
"So, Haruko-san." Said the lord, looking up from his papers to look at me "What is your request?"
"I simply wish to travel within your land without problems from your patrols. I do not wish to fight your soldiers every day because one of my companions is an inu."
"I will give orders." Agreed the lord "You will not be bothered during your travel in my lands. That I swear."
"When do you plan on leaving?" asked the lady.
"Probably this afternoon." I answered "We need to depart as soon as possible."
"Then I request that you and your daughter have lunch with me." Asked the lady "I haven't seen her yet and from what I heard she must be a sweet little one!"
I smiled good heartedly and agreed before taking my leave.
I was going back to my rooms to see Haruki and Toga when a servant stepped in front of me before bowing low.
"My master, Ryukotsusei-sama, invite you in the garden for a walk."
I hesitated, I didn't know this man (err…demon), and I wanted to go find Haruki.
"He also told me it wouldn't be long, that he had just a few questions to ask you."
"Well…how can I refuse a noble's offer?" I said uncertainly, asking it more than stating the fact.
I let the servant lead me to a public garden (which reassured me a bit). There I saw the purple haired dragon (and my worries resurfaced tenfold). After asking the servant to go search for Toga and Haruki, I gathered my courage and stepped forward.
I stopped beside and bowed politely.
"Ryukotsusei-sama." I greeted politely "How can I be of assistance to you?"
"I must apologize for bothering you while, I'm sure, you are extremely busy." He said in a horrible sugar coated voice, taking my hand and kissing it "But I was merely curious about the presence of a powerful dragon demoness such as you in this court. I though that your kind lived away from the world."
"That is quite true." I said, taking my hand from his clutch and discreetly rubbing in on my inner sleeves "However, I am not like most dragons."
It was a known fact for me now that people tended to forget I wasn't entirely a dragon demoness. I wasn't showing a lot of hanyo's traits. My ears were normal and my scent and aura were hidden most of the time by reflex.
"How so?" he asked curiously.
I wanted to share my past with him as much as I wanted to declare my love for him.
"I wasn't traditionally raised." I simply said.
Seeing his curious wondering eyes sparkle, I added:
"Ryukotsusei-sama, while I am flattered by the interest you are giving me, I don't want to share my life with anyone. Now if you'll excuse me."
I began walking away but he held me by the wrist, quite harshly might I had.
I turned to him again and narrowed my eyes dangerously.
"Let me go." I said slowly, stressing each word.
"Who are you exactly?" He asked me none to gently "I sense your demonic powers but there isn't only that."
I began to scowl at him and tugged on my wrist, only to have him holding it tighter.
I was beginning to be afraid when I heard someone call my name.
A moment later, I was shoved behind Toga, who had Ryokutsei's hand in a crushing grip, growling threateningly at him.
"Okaa-san!" exclaimed Haruki, throwing herself in my open arms "Are you alright?"
I nodded while smiling reassuringly at her before turning to the two males.
Ryokutsei had taken back his hand and was slowly walking away backwards.
He sent one last glare before turning, which earned him a dark glare from me and a growl from Toga.
He finally disappeared from our view and I sighed before saying:
"Thank you."
Toga turned to me with a reproachful look.
"Why were you with him?" he asked me in a disapproving tone
"I'm sorry." I apologized "He invited me and made so that I couldn't refuse. I did sent a servant to warn you though."
He growled softly (perhaps in annoyance) before turning, walking back inside.
Haruki and I followed him.
"The lady wants Haruki and I to share her lunch with her." I said to Toga and my daughter "After that we will be able to go."
I heard Toga grumble ahead of us, in resignation or relief I didn't know. A few hours later, Haruki was working her charms on the Lady of the Northern lands, who seemed totally bewitched.
I looked at the serpent females as she smiled fondly at my golden haired daughter who was actively describing the exciting things she saw on our travel, which with her could be anything and everything.
I personally looked upon the maids dressing her, and was able to direct them so that my little girl wouldn't suffer the same fate as me.
The green eyed child had on fewer layers than me, the last one being a mahogany brown furisode with apricot orange leaves falling around the sleeves and shoulders, tied with an apricot orange obi (the child wanted to look like me so the maids humoured her).
I insisted that they put no heavy decorations or make up, so they simply put her hairs in a bun with a mass of flowers woven into them. I recognised some orange cosmoses, pale orange gerberas; orange, almost red marigolds and orange poppies.
But she absolutely wanted a bracelet like me so I allowed her to wear a pair of thin gold bangles like me.
Lunch was pleasant enough (though I wondered how Toga's stay here was), and soon we were back in our simpler travelling garments, ready to go.
The Northern lord apparently understood I was a scholar and gifted me with a few precious scrolls and the Northern lady offered me a comb.
It was actually practical, made of demon bones with a bit of gold imbedded into the hems.
I thanked the couple and we departed.
Toga hadn't received anything, but at least they were polite to him and he was well treated during our stay, so I was glad (and he didn't really need anything after all).
Haruki was allowed to keep the golden bangles on her wrists. She apparently loved them and decided to wear one of them on one ankle.
She giggled and twirled, the bangles glinting under the late autumn sun.
I smiled and I swear I saw a ghost of a hint of a smile on Toga's lips for a fraction of a second.
Haruko: Well? What did you think of this chapter? The author mainly wanted to introduce Ryukotsusei, but the dragon will not play an active role until much, much later. Do you have anything to add Petitefeeme?
Petitefeeme ( T_T ) : …Do you think that I should say 'hello' to the examiner and teacher or 'Ave, morturi te salutant'?
Haruko ¨_¨! : …okaaayy…t'ill next chapter! ^_^