Luncheon With His Highness I
Thread. Pull. Tug 'til taut. Thread. Pull. Tug 'til taut. Check the seam. Feels pretty good. Not much longer now. Thread. Pull. Flitter, flap. Madame Pheasant was assisting Meioshi in her hand-stitching tasks while Kirameku Ha and his comrades were helping around the property. Hasumi was so busy admiring all of the demons and humans working together to fix Meioshi's home for the festival that she wasn't even paying attention to what Meioshi was doing. It felt like her old home in Sozosora. Her father, Manzo, would be either speaking to the royal court or training the soldiers at the barracks while her mother, Yonamine, did more domestic tasks like making toys for her and the baby to come. Though Hasumi was sad that she didn't get to be a big sister like she planned, she did find a sister in Chiura from the grapple bear gang while her rival, Kyoko, found a little sister in Juba. She even had Liuxian's kids, Delan and Xinya, to add to her family. She liked living with the monks and the doctor. They spoiled her as much as they wanted but had no problems in disciplining her when needed. She picked up a bit of bad language and minor misconduct during her slave years to Azumamaro. While Meioshi and Liuxian do cuss, they were a proper family unit when it came to correcting her behavior and use of language. Hasumi found she didn't mind it. They explained their reasons for why cussing was inappropriate in certain environments. It was best to be respectful of them and the people within them than to ignore it all for the sake of sounding tough or acting out.
In truth, she was just happy that she had a real family again. Though she sometimes wished that they all could live together in the same home, Liuxian and the others weren't far from Meioshi's home at all. It was a few minutes' walking distance away, and she realized that Meioshi's home was actually housing a small village itself. She questioned often if Meioshi was really a princess in disguise, but the doctor was quite sure that she wasn't and usually denied such a title. From what Hasumi understood, Lord Aka's home was the halfway point between the kingdom grounds and Meioshi's lands. The youkai district, marketplace, and other such places of amenities started at that line and sort of curved out to the west where the farmlands were located. The kingdom farming grounds were obviously much larger, but that marked where the kingdom had been moved. Miss Yuko lived the furthest away, but she and Yamashi had their home built along the tip of the curve. Really, you could get to their home in less than half of an hour. Meioshi's herbal shrine was just outside of their home on the side. Hasumi and Homugi visited that place for different reasons, but they had a sense of peace when looking at it or plucking flowers around it. They meet Yuko there every now and then. Meioshi inherited the oldest parts of the village where the hell travelers lived with the other villagers and trained in the Forest of Lurking Beasts, so she claimed it all as a heritage site and Lord Aka acts as the land's guardian and messenger to the hell traveler family. The people living in Meioshi's lands were all people that she knew. Some used to live on the kingdom grounds but decided to move closer to Meioshi for safety like Miss Chiyumi and Miss Fuyū Joō. They were the mothers of Kijiro and Chiura, respectively. Madame Pheasant and her family all live next door to Meioshi's small farming area. Well... Hasumi could say it was small, but the truth was it was a decent size for just one person. All produce from there was separated into rations for traveling, patients, and personal use.
Either way, it was a lot of land, and it was being decorated beautifully with snowbell tree stands holding flags and oil lanterns along the ground to light the way. The younger men and women, probably the older men's children, were rolling and stitching the longest and largest rug that Hasumi had ever seen. The older women like Grandma Anju and probably the older men's wives were all working on stitching kimonos or pants. The older men were preparing armor and weapons. The children, of course, were mostly playing, but they visited the bestiary museum often to marvel at the statues. A parent chaperoned them every now and then. Hasumi was able to learn a lot of new things at Meioshi's museum. She thought she was an expert at catching demons and knowing how each one worked, but Meioshi's archives were something to behold! The little miko was excited for next year, though. She might be going to school with the grapple bear gang next spring! She might even train with Shishou and go to him for therapy. It was a big adjustment, but it sounded like it would be worth it.
When the little miko felt arms on her shoulders and an obi sash around her waist, she turned to her new "mother" and tilted her head out of curiosity. Meioshi smiled gently at her before lifting her up and bringing her to the small ikou that was built for her. Meioshi and Liuxian made the ikou as decorative and unique as possible. It had the traditional, simplistic structure of a stand, but there were little sunflower amulets and Shinto papers that hung at the ends. Hasumi wanted to be there when they built the next one. For a different design, of course. One that matched her new family, a yin-yang sign and perhaps a vine to represent her new parents, respectively. She wanted the three grandmas to help her make a special shrine for her family in the afterlife. She wanted to one day make a dress like her mother's, a coat like her father's, and a crown like her grandfather's, but only when she was ready. Meioshi said that the shrine and clothes would be perfect for the coming-of-age ceremony, so Hasumi looked to the stars at night with hope that she'd be ready on that day. For now, she would see what Meioshi was up to with those needles.
Seeing a gorgeous green and blue kimono showing an image resembling the sunlit canopy of trees, Hasumi gasped and blushed at the details of deep pink to lavender purple cosmos flowers along the bottom and the seigaiha textile pattern on the obi she was to wear. It reminded her of the vacation she went on! She slapped her cheeks with obvious excitement before taking notice to her collection of hairbows increasing. One of them had a small sunburst tiara on it! It was beautiful! She squealed with joy and ran over to her new formal kimono.
"Eh!" Hasumi cheered, stars in her eyes as she snapped from one side to the other to observe her new dress and bows. "You made all of these for me, doctor?"
Meioshi giggled before saying, "Of course, Lady Fukuyama! This is your first festival as a free princess and a new resident of Heiwa. You must look your best for the occasion. Madame did an excellent job in choosing that tiara. Make sure you thank her."
"Madame Pheasant, you're the bees' knees!" Hasumi said, kneeling in front of the brown bird. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Oh!" Madame replied, giggling and nuzzling the girl. "Your welcome, darling. What will you do with your hair? Your crown must sit just right."
"Hm? Oh! Meioshi's cutting it again. I want it shorter this time," Hasumi said, crossing her arms over her head. "Not having those mats all in it feels so good!"
"You know, Lady Meioshi had a short cut when she was about your age. Got sick of those sticky vines getting 'trapped in her tresses'," Madame said, joking about the words Meioshi used back then.
"Sure did," Meioshi said proudly. "Made adventuring much easier! Just to give you a little extra flair, I made your sashes the same way my grandmothers used to make them."
"You don't talk about your family much. How'd your grandmas make your clothes?" Hasumi asked, fully invested in this new bit of information.
"My grandmothers stitched and pleated my obi in the back to make wings like a dragonfly or butterfly. They didn't wrap it in the traditional way. Same with my obijime. They tied the rope cords around fish bones to make them structurally sound but still maintain a bit of flexibility. Whenever and wherever I ran around, I always looked like I was in flight. They took exception to my boots wearing out with all my running and riffraff!" Meioshi said, putting her hands on her hips.
"I can imagine," a familiar voice said with a small smile. It was Homugi. "Everyone's so busy for this festival. It must be a big deal."
"You've only just begun to see the chaos that comes out of this silly party," Meioshi remarked. "But your kimono is ready, too, my Homugi."
"I get to go? Really?" Homugi asked, jetting to Meioshi's face and holding her hands with eagerness.
"Of course, my darling!" Meioshi giggled. "You represent both me and the House of Inu."
"But I'm not with them anymore," Homugi replied, not understanding.
"All of the demons here no longer serve their respective clans," Meioshi explained. "You are not the first rogue to come here, and you won't be the only one in the years to come. It was important, to me, for the good-natured demons like yourself to be able to take pride in who they are and honor their journey to becoming citizens just as we, humans, do when we celebrate the birth of this village. You might not think you're important, but my forefather saw an inu just before he moved into the camp that became Heiwa. Where we are now, and where you're living, is that camp. You don't just represent yourself in this festival, you represent the hell traveler's beginning. This is your time to prove your worth as a guardian spirit, not just some demon I happen to know. You're not the latter, my Homugi."
"Oh, no pressure!" Homugi remarked, blushing profusely.
"Can I see her kimono, doctor? I know she'll look so cute! Does she have spots on hers?" Hasumi questioned, stars in her eyes again. "Oh! What about a hairbow? I can loan her one of mine! She'll be gorgeous in a bow!"
"I think Lady Homugi has a much bigger part to play in this festival," Madame Pheasant said, tilting her head and smiling brightly. "She has to rehearse a dance."
"D-D-Da-Da-Dance? What dance?" Homugi questioned, snatching her hands out of Meioshi's. "I didn't know about any dances!"
"All of the women perform a small dance during the march! Rehearsal starts tomorrow," Meioshi said, smiling brightly.
Homugi argued, "Don't you get cute with me! Why didn't you tell me about that sooner? I need time to prepare for that!"
"The dance is simple, my lovely," Meioshi said, waving a hand nonchalantly. "Your kimono is lightweight for the occasion. You'll be gorgeous!"
"Not the point!" Homugi shouted with a stomp. She turned to the audience to plead with them, "Tell her you need to mentally prepare for stuff like this!"
"Oh, my goodness! I forgot to check on Yuko. She's supposed to be in rehearsal with you, too," Meioshi commented. "Let's show you to your kimono, then we'll give her a visit. I think Yamashi is at the shipyard this afternoon."
"Sister! You're late," Chiyumi called.
"Ah, so much stitching to do and no time to do it!" Meioshi said in a rush. She gathered her sewing equipment then led everyone to Homugi's room. Pulling off a sheet that Homugi didn't even notice before, the blue merle beauty was rendered speechless. The fur trim at the sleeves, pastel pink of the kimono, and tatewaki textile pattern of the obi all came together to make an interesting scene. It looked like... a representation of the night she stayed with Meioshi for the first time. The small cloud details must have represented her when she rushed to clean up her mess, yet... the textile on the obi was orange like the scent of the steamed towel Meioshi used to wipe her tears. The start of her journey...
"Doctor, I can't - !" Homugi tried, feeling tears creeping out of her eyes.
Meioshi captured Homugi's small face into her hands and wiped the tears away with her thumbs. She smiled gently and whispered, "Yes, you can. You are ready."
"Mama Mei-Mei!" Kijiro called. "Guests!"
Meioshi gave Homugi a small hug, nodded at her, and then left the room to see the commotion. Well, her eyes were still absent, so the most she could do was hear the commotion. Probably a good thing since Zakaza had returned. She could smell that perfume from a mile away. Zakaza was one of very few women in the upper class who would wear it. It came from a rather dangerous plant but smelled heavenly. Horses were stomping on the ground as she approached them from the engawa. Before she greeted the emperor's messengers, Meioshi walked over to the kitchen and retrieved some treats for the horses. When she stepped down from the engawa, she clicked her tongue to gain the steeds' attention. The chariot horses excitedly trotted over to her to eat the treats. Cheeky beasts! The driver chuckled a bit before nodding with a blush. He found the gentle doctor to be quite the cutie.
That "O, so lovely" voice belonging to Zakaza reached her ears just after she cleared her throat. Meioshi knew her actions from memory. She politely bowed, sure to keep her eyes closed until she said something a bit more insulting, and then used the softest and most pleasant tone she could muster begrudgingly. Zakaza said, "Well, good morning, doctor! You're just as busy as the rest of the kingdom, aren't you? So many men here!"
"Ugh, you've no idea how much stitching and weaving had to be done this morn! I'm probably covered in dye! Good morning, Lady Zakaza," Meioshi greeted, bowing low. "These men are my grandfather's soldiers and their families as you may know. They wanted to help me prepare. The palace must be running amuck now with the date closing in on us. You have to be worn out!"
"Palace life is busier than you can imagine during this time," Zakaza said with a giggle. "It's our most grand event. I heard your clinic was booming with business as of late. Must be nice to be able to work so steadily."
"Puts bread on the table and wine in the cups," Meioshi joked, laughing a bit. "I take it the emperor has a message for me."
"You know his highness so well! As you know, tradition must be upheld to keep the village's morale. The emperor requests your attendance to the family luncheon as history has shown us. You are an important piece to the trifecta of protection this village has thrived on. We are here to escort you there," Zakaza said.
No insult? No sour words? Impossible! Meioshi rightfully grew suspicious and said, "Yes, of course. Thank you. I hope you don't mind waiting a few minutes for me to clean up and dress myself accordingly. I've one last detail to mend in my preparations and we'll be off without a hitch."
"Oh, but those colors look so becoming of you!" Zakaza complimented, tone changing to that icy one Meioshi was familiar with. There she is! Much better. Meioshi was starting to panic a bit. The maid then said, opening her eyes, "No one can best you at weaving such fine fabrics other than a jorōgumo! Surely you've learned some quality sewing techniques from the youkai of your village here."
Meioshi raised her brow at the insult and said shrewdly, "How else could I entangle his highness into the safety of my arms?"
Zakaza flinched at the comeback before she felt a familiar presence in the distance. This could work in her favor if she played the game right. Sesshomaru came in at perfect timing when it came to Zakaza's insults. How he managed to do this twice? Meioshi would never know. He was accompanied by quite the cavalry. Reijiro and Sanraku seemed to have returned. The Green Pheasant wasn't with them, though. He must have gone home first. The horses were a bit spooked from Ah-Un approaching them for a sniff, but the chariot driver calmed them down.
"Ah! The young man I met some time ago! Good morning, Lord Sesshomaru," Zakaza said with a polite smile and bow. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance twice."
Unimpressed by the maid's pleasantries, Sesshomaru ignored her and said, "Homugi."
"The maid there is named Zakaza, my lord," Meioshi corrected, turning slightly to his voice.
"We're looking for Lady Homugi, you silly woman!" Jaken demanded, stomping his foot. "Where is she? She's in danger."
"A moment Lady Zakaza. This seems serious," Meioshi said, bowing and walking over to the sound of Jaken's fuming. It was easy to listen for. "What's going on?"
"Homugi made a report about Norihisa that's missing from the House of Inu's archives. We need her help to formulate a plan to investigate," Reijiro explained curtly.
"Ah, you mean the ambassador she said went missing some weeks before the House was attacked?" Meioshi asked to clarify the information.
"You know about that?" Reijiro asked, eyeing Meioshi with strong suspicion.
"She told me just before we were attacked at the Mujina Woodlands. We went back to investigate the area for information. The elders of the Anaguma clan said a wildfire had suddenly started and they were evacuated by your lord and Lord Jaken to safety," Meioshi said. She smiled softly before turning to Sesshomaru and saying, "Thank you... for repurposing the haven. Those villagers... really like that old place, don't they?"
Sesshomaru said nothing to her, but his features did soften. She knew about that, huh? After the argument with Homugi, she must have gone in that direction to help investigate since she was listed as a suspect. If the elders explained what happened during the fire, Meioshi and Homugi had to have arrived just after he confronted Rakuyama. So, Homugi left the Mujina Woodlands and raced home. Now, it all makes sense. His family dismissed Homugi from the case to protect her from Norihisa, who was working with Rakuyama, but Meioshi knows Rakuyama from personal experience. She would know how to defend Homugi from those kinds of demons. Homugi is safest with her, so she must've left to live with her because of that. His grandfather mentioned that he visited the rivaling clans at the estate, so he must've been investigating who was actually with Homugi. When he came here...! Was he still investigating? He might have been! Homugi was with Meioshi when she "died", so, when Hikozaemon II came to the funeral, he must have tried to see if Homugi was in danger. That sneaky old bastard! But, then... wait! He saw Meioshi's flag at the camp when Sesshomaru received that mission at the Akabeko Temple. Is he going to come here again? Her flags are everywhere right now.
"I'm glad," Meioshi said, interrupting Sesshomaru's thoughts. "I hauled some serious ass to build that place for my little ones. I thought I'd be a little sadder when the House Mother didn't want to take it, but... I'm glad she didn't. After so many years of praying and wishing to be freed, she's able to live out a life she can be proud of now. That old estate was just going to fade away. Unused and unwanted. You gave that estate to some very sweet youkai. I didn't tell them that I built it. It was nicer... hearing you be so adamant about protecting it... more than any show of gratitude they could've given me. Thank you... taisho."
His ears twitched at the name, but Jaken took note of his lord's reaction and was quiet. A new level of respect had been reached between his lord and the lady. Those rivaling clans really enjoyed living at the estate, huh? It was a shame that Meioshi couldn't see Sesshomaru's eyes. They glowed like the center of a wildflower. Her eyes... It was almost an insult for her to be hurt like this. Though impressed by her ability to move like she had eyes, Jaken continued to stare at her for a moment. Reijiro and Sanraku weren't sure of what to make of the exchange. It looked like they were old friends from the gentleness of their features, but standing shoulder to shoulder like that made it seem more like...
"Are you two rivals or something?" Sanraku asked. "Oni girl has that tanto strapped on. She's always stood kinda strong, though."
"That obvious, huh?" Meioshi said with a chuckle, making Sesshomaru close his eyes with a huff. "Well, if you want to question Homugi or plan out another investigation, I'd wait after today's luncheon. She's going to be rehearsing for the festival soon. She's representing the House of Inu. You all are a symbol of change to my family. It would be an honor for you to participate. You're more than welcome to it. We'll be having a feast tomorrow evening as well. Kirameku Ha-sensei is taking out his old armor to wear for the festival! You might like seeing him in his battle garb."
"Really? Grandpa Kira still has it?" Sanraku asked, earning Reijiro's surprised response as well.
"Sword and all," Meioshi said, nodding. "I think his sons will be coming, too! It'd be wonderful for you to meet them. You'd get to see how he was as a father and the second in command to the army! Take a moment to think about it."
"... Did he protect women and children a lot back then?" Reijiro asked, looking down at the ground. "His Bushido code. Did he follow it back then, too?"
"Very much so," Meioshi replied. "If you're in doubt that he did, ask the men who look about his age. They can tell you best of all. I, however, must get cleaned up for this luncheon for the emperor. I'll be late."
"Ah, why don't you invite his lordship there?" Zakaza suggested, watching Meioshi clap her hands and walk back towards her. "The emperor could use the lesson in establishing a relationship with such a high-class gentleman, yes?"
Like the first time Sesshomaru came here as she was talking to that maid, Meioshi was covered in soot. Colorful soot, though. She must have been dyeing something. Well, more like a lot of things. Her estate was being decorated on all sides from the looks of things. She was obviously busy. Couldn't the emperor just wait? On the other hand, this gave him an opportunity to see how easy it was to take over Heiwa and claim it as territory. He... may leave Meioshi unharmed in the process. She proved to be useful.
"I highly doubt his lordship would want to - "
"Go wash up," Sesshomaru said, interrupting Meioshi's talk. He made everyone's mouths hit the ground.
"And we're off."
Sesshomaru and Jaken turned to see Meioshi walking out... in a beautiful rose-pink kimono with gold embroidery and accents. She even had a matching hood and jewelry! Her jewels were different, though. She wore them on her head like a headpiece but draped across her forehead. Her ears had gold earrings dangling beautifully, and a gold ring was attached to her lip. She had small marks on her forehead that must've symbolized some version of beauty. A red mark on the forehead was traditional of Nihon, but... she didn't have one red mark. Her eyes were hypnotic. Pink feathers and kohl were attached to her lash line, or just above it, to make her appear like a mysterious bird. Her lips were colored pink as well, but there was gold powder along the lip lines. She was... different.
"You look good, doctor," Jaken complimented.
Meioshi giggled before replying, "Thank you, Lord Jaken. Oh! I got you something. A snack!"
Jaken was handed a treat before she led the way to the kingdom grounds. Moeru must have shown them only a piece of the village because these grounds were riddled with busy humans. The palace, however, was a beacon among them. There were smaller homes resembling the palace, so they must have been the homes of nobles who worked at the palace. The marketplace was quite colorful, though. Flags for the emperor and an unfamiliar entity were present at the town's center. When they approached a luxurious okiya, a woman dressed in a black and purple kimono just so happened to be outside. She huffed at Meioshi's presence and called out to her.
"Well, if it isn't the lover of all things demonic," the woman said. Meioshi stopped and merely turned slightly to her. "What are you doing dressed so nicely?"
"Out to lunch, my dear," the doctor said simply.
"Who is he?" the woman asked, walking up to Meioshi to inspect her. She took notice to her eyes not opening and sniffed the air. She must have caught the scent of medicine on Meioshi's person because she took a step back to fold her arms. She then turned to Sesshomaru with some interest and repeated the question.
"None of your business," Sesshomaru replied with a snippy tone.
Meioshi was not happy with his answer in the slightest and snapped her head to him with obvious displeasure. He winced internally, remembering what she did when he spoke that way to Homugi, and let her correct him. "Have you no courtesy? That's no way to speak to a lady. I beg your pardon, Sister Miki. I volunteered him to be my escort for the hour. He's... just hungry from his trip."
"Ha!" Miki responded, clicking her tongue and stepping to the side to poke a lovely, shaped hip out. "And you didn't give him food poisoning? I'm shocked."
"Well, you do have a gift for charming men with specific tastes. I can't argue with that," Meioshi complimented, smiling gently. "I imagine your services would be more appealing than mine."
"We cater to high-class patrons if you prefer actual food," Miki said confidently, lifting a soft, manicured hand. She was quite a beautiful woman up close. Soft, pale skin, perfectly round lips, feline eyes, a swan neck, hair as dark as the midnight sky. A fine choice for a woman among the humans and perhaps some lusty demon. He was not one of them. "Whatever she has is obviously inferior to your tastes."
"Her food wasn't that bad. I like her snacks," Jaken said, chewing on the remains of the doctor's offering. He was now sad that he had no more.
"She specializes in appetizers and party favors," Miki explained, giving Meioshi that small compliment. "Her cooking skills become questionable beyond that."
Meioshi nodded and said, "This, I can agree. Sister Miki's dishes are astounding from preparation to presentation. You should try her roast pork with the orange and mint sauce. Mm! Never a disappointment."
Jaken then grimaced at something and asked, "Is that why she smells like onions?"
This made Miki blush from embarrassment before she collected herself and said, "Precisely why. All fresh food. I tolerate nothing short of perfection."
Meioshi arched both her brows in response and said, "Well, that's quite the selling tactic. If you wish to eat here, lordship, I'll pay for your meals in advance and you can be properly entertained here instead of the palace."
"You're going to see the emperor?" Miki asked with shock evident in her widened eyes and a hand on her chest.
Meioshi then answered, "Of course. It's practically the only reason why I dress so formally."
The gong of the hour rung loudly, alerting the doctor's attention.
"Oh, hell, I'll be late with this foolishness. Decide carefully, gentlemen. I'm leaving," Meioshi said quickly, bowing to Miki and then waving her goodbyes in a hurry. "Good day, sister!"
"If you're paying, then I'll order - " Jaken started, receiving a bop from Sesshomaru.
"Nothing from here. Let's go," he ordered, walking away for a moment before Miki stopped him. He caught up to Meioshi with ease as she hopped over a puddle of mud. She was going to ruin those beautiful slippers with all this running about. "Why don't you fight these women? They enjoy dishonoring you."
Meioshi slowed her pace to say, "I wouldn't worry yourself, Lord Sesshomaru. Zakaza has a droopy eye condition, which will get worse and cause blindness if left untreated, and Miki actually has a disease that causes fungal infections, specifically starting on her foot and is going up to her scalp. It'll spread sooner than she thinks. I'll let nature take its course should they remain so stubborn and rude. You did quite well, though..., handsome."
Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks and pulled out his sword with no hesitation. He then growled, "Flattery will earn you no mercy."
"I asked for none," Meioshi said, hearing the townspeople gasp at Sesshomaru's actions. "That's why those women asked about you. It has nothing to do with our rivalry. You simply are attractive to them."
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and hissed, "I've no interest in your women here."
"Pity. There are some fine catches here," Meioshi remarked, turning to lead the way again. "You're drawing too much attention to yourself, my lord. Put your weapon away. I'm late!"
Author's Footnotes: An ikou is a traditional kimono stand. There are also rods that are used to display kimonos, but I thought the stand was best for the visual.