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sub_dividedAnother Saiunkoku thing. Edited from a version I left ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lazulisong in comments. Probably not any more coherent though. >_>
"Well, I'm off to Sa province! See you later Dad, uncle. I don't know how long it will be before I can see you again, but I'll be sure to write." Shuurei hefted the last -- and smallest -- of the bundles that had been laid out neatly by the front gate, but even that was politely -- but firmly -- appropriated by Seiran.
"It's my job to carry these, my lady," he said, gently-but-deftly relieving her of the burdensome weight of a half-dozen apples and sweet bean buns (for the carriage ride).
"But the cart is only-"
"I insist." He smiled. "If you'll excuse me, sirs." He bowed politely to Shouka and Kurou, who stood beside Shuurei. Behind the three of them, a straight cobbled path missing rather too many cobblestones lead to the rundown exterior of the Kou satellite household. Shuurei would miss the house, but not the constant repairs. She would also miss her father, her students, and her friends at the palace, but what had to be, had to be.
"Lady, we'll leave whenever you're ready. I'll be waiting with the horses."
"Thank you, Seiran, I'll be there in just a moment." Seiran smiled and departed. Shuurei and Shouka watched him go, Shuurei with fondness edging on exasperation, Shouka with calm indulgence. Kurou didn't bother scrutinizing the hired help.
"I was very glad to finally have met you," he said to Shuurei. "After all these years. If you're ever in any trouble, please don't forget that the family is behind you." He bowed, and Shuurei returned the gesture.
"I'm very glad to have met you too," she said graciously. "And I thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Well, if that's all, I should be catching up with-."
Kurou coughed. "And about the, ah, arrangement we discussed?"
"Arrangement?" Shuurei cocked her head to one side -- still gracefully, of course.
For some reason, Kurou looked embarrassed. "If you recall, the head of the Kou clan (who sends his most sincere apologies at having missed last night's dinner), has asked that he be kept apprised of the situation...er, he asks that you write to him as well."
"Oh, that. Yes, of course I'll write. A letter or two is the least I can offer the main house in return for your unexpected generosity these last few weeks."
(Unexpected?)
"Then, I'm off!"
Shouka and Kurou watched her go, Shouka with calm indulgence, Kourou with pride edging on puzzlement.
"Such a...self-possessed young woman. She'll be a real asset to the clan one day. It is curious, though -- she seems completely unaware of her status as the eldest daughter of Kou. Neither does she seem the least bit curious about it, or about our exact relationship."
He'd spoken to the air. Now he turned to Shouka, and his voice roughened with undisguised scorn. "But you wouldn't know anything about that," he said
***
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
"Mommy, Daddy's from Kou Clan right?"
Shunkun looked up from the stew she was (experimentally) seasoning to smile at her darling daughter. "Of course, dear heart."
"Then why haven't I ever met the rest of-"
"Oh, that's a very boring story. Wouldn't you rather hear the story of the Rose Princess?"
***
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO
"Why don't we live with the rest of the Clan?" Shuurei said out of nowhere one night. Shunkun paused, then laid her spoon neatly on the table.
"Dear?"
Shouka calmly finished the last of his soup. "The Clan and I didn't agree about something, and I thought it would be better if we lived here. You like it here, don't you, Shuurei?"
Shuurei smiled, showing off the gap between her front teeth. "Yes!"
***
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO
"Daddy?" She'd wandered into his study during "work," but Shouka made a point of always keeping his door open. He beamed at her from behind the stack of official documents he'd brought home.
"Yes, princess?"
Shuurei dug a toe into the carpet. "Doesn't your family ever worry about you? Seiran says his family (his real one) doesn't worry about him, but if I never saw you, I would worry."
Shouka just smiled. "Oh, I see them from time to time. My brothers and I have our differences, but we've never truly lost touch. Our split was a simple disagreement, there was nothing exciting or dramatic about it."
"Oh." Shuurei faced showed relief, but then her brow furrowed, as if she'd just thought of something...
"Aren't you happy with mother and I?" Shouka cut in. "And Seiran?"
The look of concentration disappeared. "Yes!"
***
Shouka re-focused on Kurou, clearing the memories away. "I have no idea," he said.
*************
I'll get to the book reviews. Eventually. ^^;
lazulisong in comments. Probably not any more coherent though. >_> "Well, I'm off to Sa province! See you later Dad, uncle. I don't know how long it will be before I can see you again, but I'll be sure to write." Shuurei hefted the last -- and smallest -- of the bundles that had been laid out neatly by the front gate, but even that was politely -- but firmly -- appropriated by Seiran.
"It's my job to carry these, my lady," he said, gently-but-deftly relieving her of the burdensome weight of a half-dozen apples and sweet bean buns (for the carriage ride).
"But the cart is only-"
"I insist." He smiled. "If you'll excuse me, sirs." He bowed politely to Shouka and Kurou, who stood beside Shuurei. Behind the three of them, a straight cobbled path missing rather too many cobblestones lead to the rundown exterior of the Kou satellite household. Shuurei would miss the house, but not the constant repairs. She would also miss her father, her students, and her friends at the palace, but what had to be, had to be.
"Lady, we'll leave whenever you're ready. I'll be waiting with the horses."
"Thank you, Seiran, I'll be there in just a moment." Seiran smiled and departed. Shuurei and Shouka watched him go, Shuurei with fondness edging on exasperation, Shouka with calm indulgence. Kurou didn't bother scrutinizing the hired help.
"I was very glad to finally have met you," he said to Shuurei. "After all these years. If you're ever in any trouble, please don't forget that the family is behind you." He bowed, and Shuurei returned the gesture.
"I'm very glad to have met you too," she said graciously. "And I thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Well, if that's all, I should be catching up with-."
Kurou coughed. "And about the, ah, arrangement we discussed?"
"Arrangement?" Shuurei cocked her head to one side -- still gracefully, of course.
For some reason, Kurou looked embarrassed. "If you recall, the head of the Kou clan (who sends his most sincere apologies at having missed last night's dinner), has asked that he be kept apprised of the situation...er, he asks that you write to him as well."
"Oh, that. Yes, of course I'll write. A letter or two is the least I can offer the main house in return for your unexpected generosity these last few weeks."
(Unexpected?)
"Then, I'm off!"
Shouka and Kurou watched her go, Shouka with calm indulgence, Kourou with pride edging on puzzlement.
"Such a...self-possessed young woman. She'll be a real asset to the clan one day. It is curious, though -- she seems completely unaware of her status as the eldest daughter of Kou. Neither does she seem the least bit curious about it, or about our exact relationship."
He'd spoken to the air. Now he turned to Shouka, and his voice roughened with undisguised scorn. "But you wouldn't know anything about that," he said
***
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
"Mommy, Daddy's from Kou Clan right?"
Shunkun looked up from the stew she was (experimentally) seasoning to smile at her darling daughter. "Of course, dear heart."
"Then why haven't I ever met the rest of-"
"Oh, that's a very boring story. Wouldn't you rather hear the story of the Rose Princess?"
***
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO
"Why don't we live with the rest of the Clan?" Shuurei said out of nowhere one night. Shunkun paused, then laid her spoon neatly on the table.
"Dear?"
Shouka calmly finished the last of his soup. "The Clan and I didn't agree about something, and I thought it would be better if we lived here. You like it here, don't you, Shuurei?"
Shuurei smiled, showing off the gap between her front teeth. "Yes!"
***
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO
"Daddy?" She'd wandered into his study during "work," but Shouka made a point of always keeping his door open. He beamed at her from behind the stack of official documents he'd brought home.
"Yes, princess?"
Shuurei dug a toe into the carpet. "Doesn't your family ever worry about you? Seiran says his family (his real one) doesn't worry about him, but if I never saw you, I would worry."
Shouka just smiled. "Oh, I see them from time to time. My brothers and I have our differences, but we've never truly lost touch. Our split was a simple disagreement, there was nothing exciting or dramatic about it."
"Oh." Shuurei faced showed relief, but then her brow furrowed, as if she'd just thought of something...
"Aren't you happy with mother and I?" Shouka cut in. "And Seiran?"
The look of concentration disappeared. "Yes!"
***
Shouka re-focused on Kurou, clearing the memories away. "I have no idea," he said.
*************
I'll get to the book reviews. Eventually. ^^;