Royal Intrigue

Secrets In The Dark

At just a few inches taller than me, Tsukimine wasn't a particularly large girl. Once I saw that it was she who had pulled me into the adjoining hallway I relaxed. She seemed sweet enough and I doubted that she was going to hurt me. She had just put herself on the line for me, meaning I owed her a favor. I was worth more to her alive than dead. 

I didn't expect her to bow low and apologize from grabbing my person. 

"Princess, please excuse the boldness of this one, I have been instructed to bring you to my brother by any means possible." 

Her voice was much clearer now, gone was the confusion over our language that she had showcased in the chambers of my father. It seems I was not the only one keeping secrets. Still, a woman who knew how to make herself look less threatening would survive longer in the palace. I was glad that she had already learned that much. My job would be much easier if she was able to pick up the rules of the palace this quickly. 

I nodded to her, not wanting to speak in hallways that had already proven they were filled with spys. She led me back towards here quarters, sending a maid ahead to prepare us tea and open the screens. The lovely moon in the sky would be a nice backdrop to the conversation we were about to have. 

Her chambers adjoined her brothers, connected through a series of screens as was only appropriate for her guardian. It was late enough that her ladies withdrew after we had been served tea, going to the room behind hers that could only be accessed through the main room. No-one would be able to leave and summon someone to oversea our conversation. I noted that all of her ladies had come with her from Liuqui, she had not yet taken in anyone from the palace. This made our privacy much more protected. 

I sipped at the tea offered, glancing at the moon and deciding to test her with poetry, seeing if she had picked up any of the arts that would be necessary for a lady to thrive within the court. 

"In the winter moonlight, my bones too..." I trailed off here waiting for her to finish the popular poem that had been passed around the palace in the last few days. 

She concentrated hard before answering in a clear voice; "They are transparent." 

"Very good, I see that you pay attention to what is going on around you." I tipped my teacup at her slightly, motioning with my sleeve for her to drink as well. 

"Thank you your highness, I desire to do my best in this court. A happy life in which I can thrive is all that I seek." 

"You do know that you may have made an enemy of a powerful woman today?" I couldn't help but ask, making sure she realized that Naishi was not someone to be trifled with. 

"There is none so powerful as your mother the empress and in the newer generation you, the beloved of her father. You are known to be kind and curious, smart and full of life. It is not an enemy I seek to make, but a friend." She bowed her head slightly at the end of her statement, a bit too bold for the taste of the court, but refreshing. I felt that she would make a great lady once she had been here long enough. 

"I have to say, I haven't heard who you are to be married to. Do you know the position of your husband?" 

"I do. My husband is the keeper of the imperial records. My marriage is part of one of the latest treaties. His rank is not particularly high, but neither is mine. I am led to believe that he won a boon from the emperor and has been paid with a marriage." 

I was surprised to hear who she was marrying. I had of course met the man who kept the records of our family and the kingdom. He had a number of workers under him and would secure her a good position at the court. My surprise however was due to him having a long term lover, a man who worked in the record binding rooms. While it wasn't uncommon for a man with a lover to take a wife, I hadn't heard that he was doing so. Still, a marriage of convenience where she was free to be one of my ladies and would not be expected to attend to her husband would well suit my needs. 

"You are aware of his current attachments, are you not?" 

Her eyes widened a bit over the cup as she drank, but once she placed it down and hid her face slightly behind her sleeve she replied. "I am, before my family agreed to the marriage we received reports. I am not expecting a marriage filled with love, but I am told that he will respect me and I will be secure in life." 

Ambassador Kaiki chose that time to enter the room. Bowing slightly to me and smiling at his sister. 

"I see that you have already been talking." 

"Yes ambassador. Thank you for your actions earlier today, you have saved me from an awkward situation. I would be grateful to know what you expect in return." If his sister was any indication, this man would appreciate a direct approach, favoring clear communication rather than the euphemisms favored by the rest of the court. 

"Indeed, let me just say that I think we can create a mutually beneficial partnership. You seek free access to this part of the palace and knowledge. I want someone who can ensure that my sisters place in the palace is secure and I wish to ensure that my own position is safe. The best way I can do this is to ensure that the treaties that are already in place and that we are working on succeed. I cannot commit to any specific needs yet, only that you be an ally to my cause." He inclined his head and looked me over shrewdly. I wasn't exactly pleased with his explanation, but his request that I ensure his sister be well taken care of was already in my plans. 

"I was just asking after your sisters future. She has not yet secured herself a position beyond a wife in the court. I should like for her to join my circle after her wedding and as such I will ensure that she has everything she needs. Will this please my lord?" I kept my speech with him formal, not wanting to give him or anyone the impression that we were familiar. 

"It does please me, it would also please me for you to watch your steps in the coming days. You are being watched, even more so than usual. Someone is invested in your ruin, something that would disrupt a number of my plans. Please, take extra care and only come to this section of the palace to visit my sister, your friend can come here and entertain you both, I can vouch for my sister's silence." 

"But my lord, why do you care? Surely the dramas of the palace women are of no concern to you. Furthermore, you speak of plans but do not give details? Should I be concerned?" I felt that he was up to something, he wanted me to trust him, but he wouldn't tell me what was going on. 

"As I stated before, in the future I will need a favor from you, I cannot capitalize on that if you are not in favor. The working of palace women are often more important than the workings of men, it is well known that a good woman is the power behind even the most powerful of emperors, leading him towards compassion and understanding when he would otherwise seek war and retribution. As for my future plans, I fear that I cannot reveal them to you are this time, but I do hope that we can continue to speak and learn to regard each other as friends, building a mutually beneficial relationship that can stand against the torrent of attacks one is prone to experience in the palace." 

"I see, I thank you for your help today and will seek to be the ally you need. If that is all, I fear that I must retire for the night. The hour is late and I have much to think about. I shall return in the morning to eat with the lady and begin teaching her about the many different cultures within this kingdom. Should you have need of me during the day you shall find me with her. I trust that you can be discrete and not create unnecessary rumors that would damage the trust of my father?" I raised any eyebrow at him with my last words, hardening my voice and making it clear that I expected him to behave appropriately. While he was not a member of my father's court, he had been here for several years and the treaties were likely to make his position permanent. It would not do to have him damage the reputation I had fought so long and hard to create. 

"Of course my lady, let me summon a servant to escort you back to your chambers. You will find that the ladies who have come from our lands are loyal to my sister and as she seeks to cling to you they shall be to you too." 

With that he left the room, leaving the screen between the chambers slightly open. I assumed that he would come back in and speak with his sister about our conversation when I had left. A few minutes later a lady who had been positioned outside the door with a small lamp slid open the outside screen, beckoning me to follow her. Lady Tsukimine bowed to me as I exited the room. 

Her lady did not talk as we walked through the halls, moving on quiet feet that put many women in our court to shame. The small light that she carried made it clear that she was not sneaking anywhere, but instead escorting me, a good cover for my nighttime outing. It seemed that the people in the employ of the Liuqui delegation were well trained and mannered, bringing into question the rumors of barbarity and primitive nature that had been spread around the court before the treaties had been established. Their culture was just as refined as ours, but seemingly a bit more free. 

I was pleased to see that several of my own ladies had stayed awake in my chambers despite the late hour. They helped me undress, unpinning my hair this time and rubbing my skin with creams. I dismissed them quickly, taking a small lamp to my bedside and choosing to read a new book of poems that I had been lent by one of my mother's ladies. 

Some time before the light of dawn I managed to put out my lamp, falling into a fitful sleep. I dreamed of chasing someone through the palace, trying to catch them and question them about what they were doing. No matter how fast I ran they were always a step ahead of me. When I finally could run no more they seemed to stop. Their sole purpose seemed to be driving me towards an invisible goal. 

I dreamed of meetings with the ambassador and his sister, conversations where an objective was hidden from me and I could not uncover what they wanted. Even in my dream I felt that I could trust them, but I didn't know why. I woke feeling frustrated and not very well rested. A headache threatened to form behind my eyes and my frustration mounted. I needed answers, but I did not think that they would come.