_____ would be wondrous (answer: C&C) ^_^ . I wasn’t feeling too well when I wrote this, so I hope it at least makes some amount of sense.
By Kat
Chapter 5: Grains of Sand
Standing back from the embrace, she let her eyes wander over the figure of her childhood friend. She was beginning to notice that the changes he had undergone were simply living proof that it had been far too long since they had last seen each other. A wistful smile crossed her face as she pulled him into another embrace. “It’s been far too long, Sano. Seven years is too much time passed…”
“For once, I agree,” he returned with a small smile. “I’m very glad you were finally able to work up the courage to return here.”
“So am I,” she rejoined, pulling away from his arms and slapping him lightly on the back. Suddenly, her eyes became wide as she looked back and her gaze fell on her silent companion. “Oh, how could I be so thoughtless?! Takani Megumi, meet the emperor of Kahaktri and all around dim-witted guy, Yukishiro Sagara Sanosuke.”
The dark haired woman chuckled as her friend’s mild slander elicited a mouthful of insults from the dignified ruler. “It’s a pleasure,” she greeted him, hoping to mitigate the current situation.
Taking her proffered hand, he kissed it lightly. “I assure you, the pleasure is all mine,” he responded coyly, smiling a little as he took in her features. “Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are, Ms.Takani?”
Reclaiming her hand from his grasp, she replied sweetly, “Has anyone ever told you your hair resembles that of a rooster? And you can call me Megumi.”
Stunned at the outright familiarity with which she had spoken, Sanosuke could only blink in response. When he had finally regained his composure, he calmly replied, “And you can call me Sanosuke.”
Sensing the possible argument that was bound to take place between her two most stubborn friends, Kaoru quickly smiled in apology at Sanosuke. Then, muttering an excuse about unpacking their belongings, she grabbed Megumi’s arm and headed for their room, assuring him that they would be at dinner. This left a dumbfounded emperor staring at their retreating backs.
No…no one has ever spoken so…rudely to me before upon first meeting me, he thought, recalling the insult Megumi had dealt him. He glanced at the spot where the two had stood just a few minutes before.
And he allowed a small smile to overcome his face.
*-*-*-*-*-*-
“What were you thinking?!” Kaoru demanded as soon as she had closed the carved wooden door of their room firmly behind them. Although it was one of the finest rooms in the palace, she had no interest in admiring its beauty at the moment.
“What was I thinking? That he’s an egotistical, arrogant, vain man who thinks he’s the gods gift to the world,” she replied coolly, opening one of her trunks and beginning to sort through her clothes.
“Well, yes that’s true, but it’s beside the point,” the shorter girl returned with a smirk. “What I’m trying to say is that your tongue is going to get you in a lot of trouble one of these days, Megumi. Do you realize that if the emperor were, say, Sano’s brother Enishi, your head would no longer be a part of your body? Or at least, an attached part, anyway.”
The older woman simply rolled her eyes at Kaoru’s morbid suggestion. “And do you realize, my friend, that if the emperor were anyone else besides Sanosuke I would not have said that? Besides, anyone else would not have tried to make such a blatant show of attraction towards me.”
Both girls smiled at each other before continuing to unpack their belongings. A comfortable silence hung in the air until the sun could no longer be seen above the desert sand, and the two changed their clothes for dinner.
In any case, Megumi thought sullenly as they made
they’re way towards the dining hall, it seems that the famed emperor is no
better a man than any other I’ve met. To them, I’m nothing but a pretty piece
of flesh…
*-*-*-*-*-*-
Sanosuke grinned and motioned for Kaoru to take the seat beside him as soon as she entered the room. Megumi smiled a saccharine smile as she placed herself across the table from them, and the sovereign merely snorted at her all too derisive expression.
Shortly after the girls had seated themselves, a young boy with dark, spiky hair entered the dining hall and clambered loudly across the floor to the seat on the other side of Sanosuke. Following a safe distance behind him was a tall man with gray hair who quietly settled down next to Megumi, never once looking up until he was comfortable on the plush pillows. There was one seat left, next to the gray-haired man, and Kaoru looked around expectantly.
“Where’s Tomoe? I don’t ever remember her being late to anything…” she wondered aloud, not noticing the flicker of deep pain that coursed through the tall man and her friend’s eyes.
“Tomoe’s…Tomoe’s dead, Jou-chan,” Sanosuke whispered, his gaze falling to the floor.
Shocked, Kaoru could only stammer, “I…I had no idea…you never said…I’m very, truly sorry…”
Smiling sadly, the ruler replied kindly, “Please, don’t apologize. You didn’t know because I never wrote to you about it. I didn’t tell you…Tomoe’s death…”
“You didn’t know because you didn’t need to. The circumstances surrounding my sister’s death are not something outsiders should be familiar with.”
All eyes turned with astonishment to the mysterious figure beside Megumi.
Hoping to alleviate some of the tension in the air, the dark-haired woman announced cordially, “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we’ve met. I am Takani Megumi, may I know your name?”
The man’s harsh eyes fell upon her as he returned curtly, “Yukishiro Enishi. I am Sanosuke’s brother.”
Refusing to allow the stun she felt to become apparent, Megumi smiled as she nodded politely and turned her gaze back to Kaoru. But the younger girl could see it in her friend’s eyes that she was appalled.
After a few minutes of silence, and to pass the time, Kaoru and Sanosuke began talking of their childhood days in Sumaktra and the many adventures they had experienced within the palace walls. “So, Jou-chan, what happened to you after you and your mother left the capital? Did you ever find the perfect suitor?” he teased, winking at his friend.
She laughed. “No, I never did. None of them were ever perfect enough, you know?” she explained with a grin. “After what…happened with father, mother and I moved back to her birthplace, Toratkiha, when I was nine, as you know. Life there was wonderful, but nothing could compare to our days in Kahaktri, especially here in Sumaktra. But, not even two years after we moved to Pihara, mother became very ill and died shortly thereafter.”
As memories of her mother clouded her mind, she suddenly realized she had ceased talking and her friends were looking at her with concern. Waving away their anxieties, she continued. “After mother passed away, I was put in the care of the royal family’s physician, Dr.Genzai. He was a very kind man who treated me as if I were his own daughter. The emperor of Toratkiha even visited me once in a while; I discovered that he had been a close friend of my father when he still worked as Emperor Hiko’s advisor. Before I knew it, it had been seven years since I had last stepped foot in Kahaktri. Which brings us to the present.”
Sanosuke mulled over his friend’s story and could not help but ask the one thing that struck him odd. “Did you ever uncover anything further regarding your father’s…sudden death?” he asked quietly.
Her eyes hardened a little. “No, we didn’t. I still have not the slightest clue as to who is responsible for my father’s murder.”
“Neither have we regarding Tomoe’s murder, either. It seems there is a very well trained group of assassins running about this country,” he responded bitterly.
“Or just one demonic Hitokiri they call Battousai,” Enishi stated loudly. His knuckles turned white from the great pressure with which he grasped the edge of the table.
Sanosuke’s eyes flickered ever so slightly with fear at his brother’s words. “Enishi,” he began in a hard tone, “there’s been no proof that he was the one who committed these atrocities, and we know that as long as he’s been a Hitokiri he has never killed a single person…”
“Why are you defending that creature?! He deserves our decapitation block, not our sympathy!” Enishi roared in anger, his eyes dancing with a tangible hatred.
Before the fight could become worse, Kaoru stridently interjected, “Just who is this ‘Battousai’ character, anyway? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of him.”
The emperor’s eyes reflected a grateful sign of relief. “He is the leader of the most infamous band of marauders in Kahaktri: the Hitokiris. The name Battousai was given to him by his men. His skill with the sword is unparalleled, as is his success. But there are some very odd things about him, that’s for sure.”
“Such as…?”
“He never allows himself or his men to kill anyone, ever. He has never been seen drinking or seducing women like his men. But, the oddest things about him are his eyes. Some say they are fierce amber and reflect a desire only to destroy; others say they are a deep shade of violet that seem almost concerned. And it seems that, whenever his eyes are amber colored, his attitude and swordsmanship are lethal and ferocious, which is quite the opposite of when his eyes are violet. He is such a vexation upon the military and myself…” he explained, sighing in what appeared to be frustration.
Kaoru was intrigued. Such mysterious men were unheard of in Toratkiha…
“I think it sounds absolutely romantic…” Megumi sighed, her face acquiring a dazed focus. All eyes turned to her questioningly.
“Megumi…” Kaoru prodded, confused. Her friend never spoke of men in such a way…she despised them for their “disgusting behavior”.
“Women are so dumb,” a juvenile voice stated, the disdain evident in his words.
Sanosuke turned to his other side. “Yahiko! Don’t say that when we have two women sitting right here! I know Kaoru would hit you if she could for that…”
“So what? I’d hit her back. Besides, all they’re doing is talking about how ‘romantic’ Battousai is. They haven’t even said a word about his superior fighting ability!” the boy retaliated, glancing at the two girls.
“Um, Sano, correct me if I’m wrong, but is that your nephew?” Kaoru asked coolly, returning the boy’s disapproving stare. “I remember you telling me Tomoe had a son...”
The sovereign sighed in defeat as the glaring contest between Yahiko and Kaoru continued. “Yes, this the nephew I’ve had since I was eleven, Yukishiro Myoujin Yahiko. He was born a few months after you left. Yahiko, this is Kamiya Kaoru and Takani Megumi. They’ll be staying with us for a while,” he informed the boy, hitting him upside the head to end the glares.
“You mean Ugly over there is actually going to be living in the same house as I am? The gods must really hate me,” Yahiko declared in annoyance as he rubbed his head.
“What did you just call me?!” Kaoru shouted, ready to reduce the number of living members of the royal family by one.
Sano restrained his friend as the insults flew through the air between the two. Oh yes, this is going to be so much fun, he thought wryly, sighing as Yahiko reached for the curved blade at his waist. “Now, now, Yahiko, I wouldn’t advise using that. Jou-chan here is pretty good with the sword; I’d back down if I were you.”
The thirteen year-old snorted in derision. “Oh yeah? How good?”
“Why don’t you ask the head of the palace guard? She taught him everything he knows when she was eight,” Sanosuke replied, smiling at Kaoru as she nodded proudly.
The only one not laughing at Yahiko’s apparent state of injured pride was Enishi.
*-*-*-*-*-*-
Nothing but emptiness greeted Kaoru as she stepped out onto the balcony. The crisp feel of the desert night breathed on her skin and the harmonious sounds of the night animals resounded in her ears. Once again her nightmare had kept her from sleeping soundly for the seventh time that month.
She closed her eyes and allowed the soft breeze to play with the loose strands of dark hair that fell about her face from where it was fastened atop her head. Suddenly, her eyes flashed open and darted about as she heard the sound of a rock lightly scraping on the ground beneath the balcony, as if someone had accidentally kicked it…
Shuddering at the sudden chill she felt, she turned and walked quickly across the balcony towards her room and closed the curtains behind her.
A pair of shadowed eyes watched her retreating figure from the gardens below.