jychan: I don't own Saiunkoku Monogatari so no suing please….
7. A Lost Empress?
"These days. I feel like Seien-sama's with me. But then, how could it be possible? He's supposed to be dead already, right. I must be getting tired from what happened today in the court. Seriously, I need to improve with speaking with other officials. I just got used to speaking with to officials from Shinyen and also, I send Kaori-hime to other countries. But then, I wonder why I wanted to go here..."
Himeko whispered to herself as she was walking around the pond,
"But then, I really do feel Seien-sama's presence here. Oh. I don't know. Probably this was because Saiunkoku is where I met Seien-sama. But then, why was it that when I was in the celebration of Ryuuki-ten'no, years ago. Why didn't I feel Seien-sama's presence."
She said before pausing, and then sighing,
"It's all in my head. I'm just dead tired."
She mumbled to herself as she sat down, leaning on the trunk of the tree,
"Anyways, tomorrow we'll be back to Shinyen, so I must clear my head up since I won't be seei..."
She added as her eyes widened in surprise.
'No way.'
She thought as she saw an adult-figure of Seien.
"Seien-sama?"
The figure turned to see Seiran, who was surprised that he was seen by the Empress of Shinyen.
Now, there is definitely escaping,
Himeko blinked.
She's not wrong. This was Seien-sama that she has grieved for most of her life.
The Seien-sama whom she still longs for.
She bit her lip.
"I must be dreaming."
She whispered to herself as Seiran raised an eyebrow,
"D-Dare desu ka?"
Himeko asked as she looked at Seiran, who sighed in relief as soon as the Empress asked for his name,
But for Himeko, who had been longing for Seien's presence, there was of course a part of her that hoped that he would say that he was Seien, while she was also hoping not as if he says so, she is already crazy, as Seien-sama is already 'dead'.
"Shi Seiran, Kogo Himeko-sama. I am one of Ryuuki-shujou's men."
Himeko sighed in relief.
She was really not crazy after all.
She was still sane.
"I see..."
She mumbled as she looked at the sakura trees, which were in bloom as it was Spring Time.
"Please excuse me, Kogo Himeko-sama."
Seiran said as he was already in a tight situation with his old flame,
"Chotto matte, Shi-san, would you stay here for a moment?"
Himeko asked him as she was afraid that she might get lost again,
"Eh? Eto... Hai, Kogo Himeko-sama."
Seiran said as he sighed and went back to his former position,
"I wonder what would happen if... never mind."
Himeko mumbled as Seiran looked at her,
"Is there any problem, Kogo Himeko-sama?"
"Iee. Betsuni. It's just that... oh, never mind. I might be such a bore. I wouldn't want to bore someone who I have already bothered in staying with such a boring person like me."
Himeko said as she stared at the blue sky,
"Sou ka. But then, Kogo Himeko-sama, you are not a boring person to me."
"Maa, maa, Shi-san, it's OK. No need to flatter me. Even Hidari-hime tells me that I'm such a boring person. Such a shame, noh?"
"Saa, Kogo Himeko-sama, I would want to disagree with Hidari-hime-sama."
Himeko blushed at what he said.
This was the first time that a person, aside from Seien-sama, told her that she was not a boring person. Even her suitors seemed to be bored with her.
"Arigato, Shi-san."
"Kogo Himeko-sama, earlier, it seems you were problematic..."
"Oh that. It's just because of some past things. But fate has already taken its course so, all I can do was relive what happened in the past and not regret anymore of what happen. Instead, I must learn from the mistakes that I have done in the past."
Himeko said as she stood up,
"Eh? Mistakes? But I doubt if you made any mistakes, Kogo Himeko-sama, as Shinyen is in a very good state, in a very impressive speed, that is."
"Maa, it's not about Shinyen, Shi-san. It's about some mistakes that I made as a person and not as the Empress of Shinyen. Heck, I would be killed by Kaori-hime if I would make a mistake."
Himeko said as she chuckled on her last statement,
"So, what are those mistakes that you have done in the past, Kogo Himeko-sama?"
"Those are mistakes that I did because I was very much carefree and never thought about what may happened in the future. There was a time that I had a chance, but I failed and now, I am living in a state of depression since I missed the chance."
Himeko said as she sighed, afterwards.
Seiran looked at her and then said,
"Will I be rude if I asked what was that chance?"
"It was a chance to be together with an old flame. It was a chance and I failed. I failed because of my cowardliness. I failed because I was scared."
Himeko closed her eyes at this as she started walking near the pond and then took a lily.
Silence reigned with the two as the time passed by and soon it was late afternoon already.
"Maa, I guess it's time for us to go back, Shi-san. The sun would be fading out soon. It would be bad if we are to stay late."
Himeko said as Seiran nodded with what she said,
"Say, Shi-san do you have a wife already?"
Seiran nearly choked on her question as he replied,
"Iee."
"Sou ka. I was kinda wondering that if you had a wife she might get jealous if she saw us together."
"That would not be possible, since no outsiders are allowed in the palace as the guards and soldiers are strict all-over here."
"But then, if so, I wonder how Hidari-hime went inside. Well, I had used my power as Empress to get in."
Himeko said as she saw Seiran raising an eyebrow,
"I suppose she has her own ways like before."
"Before?"
"Eto, I mean, probably she was like that before when she was young since she seemed to be used to getting inside without being caught."
Seiran quickly replied and sighed in relief when it seemed that Himeko bought his excuse,
"Sou ka... Well, about earlier, I was not stating about inside the Palace..."
Himeko said as she winked at Seiran,
"Eh?"
"Seriously, Ryuuki-nii, I am getting impatient with Onee-sama. She really gets lost often."
Hidari grumbled as she was sitting down,
"Maa, maa, Hidari-hime, I suppose she's just somewhere around the Palace."
"And most of all, Seiran-san's not here. How am I suppose to roam around the Palace and look for her?"
Hidari muttered as she rolled her eyes,
"Eh? Seiran's not here?"
Ryuuki asked as his eyes widened,
"Geesh... Took you long enough to find that out..."
Shuurei said as she rolled her eyes,
"Saa, let's go together and looked for Kogo Himeko-sama, Senshi-hime."
Shuuei volunteered as Hidari rolled her eyes and muttered, "Fine... Geesh... 'Nee-sama getting lost and I have to go with him..."
"Unless you might want to get lost with him?"
Shuuei asked her as he pointed at Koyuu, who twitched at this,
"No thanks. Come on, Ran-san. We have to look for the missing Empress."
Hidari said as she stood from her chair and went out with Shuuei,
'Matakun, Aniue... You really can't deny Himeko-nee's requests from before...'
Well, again, luckily, I've got reviews!
Stelra Etnae: Yup... Ryuuki's kinda weird for sending Koyuu to Himeko... LOL... Oh the two met here! They met in this chapter... But then, again, his secret being Seien was sealed... Geesh... Himeko's totally oblivious... Like Hidari...
unknown player: I such in English. Period. Thanks for making me realize these mistakes. I'll try my best to minimize the grammar errors... Hontou ni gomen nassai..
jigokunooujo: Hi there! Hope you had fun with Shinyen as with my other story, Bumped, was it? Thanks for liking my two stories! Thanks for appreciating my job. I hope you'll like this chapter as you had with the last chapter.
^_^