Aisuru

Chapter 2: Kazuki’s Reality

Chapter 2: Kazuki’s Reality

Throklana, First Kingdom of Jalathumesa

“My Prince! My Prince! Prince Kazukiarama!” Reito’s call was almost as sharp as the clicking of his heels as he stalked down the hall. Some people swore he put nails into the bottoms of his boots to make them so loud. “My Prince, hurry please. There is much to be done.”

As Reito walked, he scribbled something in the faded leather-bound book he was perpetually writing in. As the king’s attendant, the red-furred kitsune[11] was meticulous about keeping records of the king’s schedule, reminders to be given, and anything else he felt would be of use. While Reito temporarily served the same role for him now, Kazuki suspected the notes being scribbled were for when his father returned, a report of his sons’ performance (or lack thereof) while he was away.

It had been four months since King Toramaru had announced that he was going on a pilgrimage alone. No one knew where he’d gone or why. Even Reito, who had served as the king’s right-hand man for every one of the 950 years of his rule, had been left behind, despite it being well known that they were close friends as well as master and servant. If being kept in the dark like the others bothered him, he wasn’t letting on. From the way Reito had calmly continued his general duties, Kazuki suspected he knew exactly where the king was if not why. But no amount of begging, or t*****e at the hands of an enemy, would ever make Reito betray the king’s confidence.

With a heavy sigh, Kazuki moved out from behind the pillar where he’d hidden when he first heard those boots clicking. “Yes, yes, I’m coming. Must you call my full name? Kazuki is sufficient.”

Without breaking stride, Reito turned and led the way back toward the throne room. Though the motion caused Reito’s bright auburn tail to whirl around him, it quickly settled back into place behind him as if it dared not act unruly or disorderly.

“Now then, Prince Kazukiarama, there are citizens’ concerns to be addressed. You have the weekly meeting with the advisory council, and some correspondence to respond to.” Reito glanced back down at his book. “Oh, and Princess Aya has come to visit, so you must properly greet her later.”

Kazuki mentally cursed Yuji for leaving him to deal with this mess. Why his brother loved this stuff was beyond him. If something didn’t change soon, Kazuki might be stuck doing it for a millennium. The thought made him shudder.

“Reito, has there been any word from Yuji?”

“No. Nor have we found any sign of where he might be staying at the moment.”

“I see.” Why had Yuji left the castle so suddenly? The last thing he’d said to Kazuki was that he’d never forgive him, but for what? Try as he might, Kazuki could not think of any wrong he’d done against his brother.

Kazuki paused while Reito opened the door to the throne room then continued inside down the rich blue carpet, which acted as a path to the front of the room and to the royal receiving area, where three thrones sat. Normally, their father would be sitting in the large, dark wood and velvet throne in the middle. Yuji would be sitting to his right, watching as his father handled matters of state. As Yuji approached full adulthood, the two had started having even more discussions, with the king soliciting his son’s opinion in some matters as a way of evaluating him. Some days they would be together from sunup to sundown.

A lesser man might have been jealous of the time and attention their father gave his younger son, but Kazuki didn’t mind. It was all in preparation for Yuji’s ascension to the throne, and it gave Kazuki more free time to pursue his own interests. The only thing he missed was the time with his brother, but he knew that they were reaching the age when they couldn’t spend all their time playing and having fun. Once Yuji ascended the throne, he’d practically need an appointment to even see him. He used to worry about losing that close relationship, but now it seemed he, somehow, already had.

Without the low hum of conversation and their father’s imposing presence, the empty throne room seemed especially large. The sound of their footsteps bouncing off the walls only made it worse. Kazuki walked over to his own seat, to his father’s left.

“My Prince.”

Reito stood beside the large center throne. Of course. Kazuki was acting king now, so he must sit so that he was directly facing whomever he might be giving audience to. He hesitated a moment before settling into the throne. Even after two weeks of temporary rule, he still felt like he was a young child again, feeling so small and unworthy of sitting there. It wasn’t where he belonged.

“Now then, first the concerns from the citizens,” Reito said as he placed a lap table across Kazuki’s thighs then dropped a stack of files on top of it.

“What? This many? But I did nearly as many yesterday.” All citizens of Throklana were free to bring questions, problems, etc., to the king’s attention. These concerns were received by special liaisons, who sorted through them and did any research that might be useful, adding it to the request, which was then passed to the king. If a concern seemed especially dire or important, they could escalate it directly to the king through Reito. On the whole, the system worked well, with most concerns being presented to the king within a day or two. Which meant that most of the ones in the foot-tall stack had been filed just yesterday.

“It was two days ago. With the king away, the citizens are growing more anxious. Unfortunately, rumors of Prince Yujinasanarama’s departure are starting to leak outside the castle as well. Most are minor things. It is only ninety minutes until the advisory council arrives. These must be handled before then.”

“You want me to get through all of these that quickly?”

“Had you arrived earlier of your own volition, you would have had more time. The pile would also be smaller if you did them daily as your father does.”

“Fine, fine, where’s my pen?”

After handing him the quill and ink, Reito reclaimed the top third of the files, which had been turned perpendicular to the rest. “These are predominantly basic questions of law or the like that do not need a personal answer. I shall handle them.”

“Thank you, Reito.” For all the droll lectures Reito had treated him to in the last few weeks, Kazuki realized that he never left him hanging in the wind. It was probably more for the people’s sake and his loyalty to the king that Reito supported him, but still, Kazuki knew that without him, the kingdom might well be in ruins by now.

Reito nodded then carried the files to his desk to the right of the throne area, setting to work without hesitation. Letting another sigh escape, Kazuki picked up the first folder from the stack and flipped it open.

“To our beloved king…”

King…I am no king, nor do I wish to be. Hurry home, Father.

Kazuki was signing the last of his responses when the throne-room doors opened. His attendant, Karasu, ducked inside and hurried the doors closed again. Karasu had been with them since the day Kazuki found the young tengu[12] badly wounded and starving in the streets. He was a dear friend to his brother and him, and they both doted on him like they would a baby brother.

“Master Kazuki! Lord Reito! The advisers are gathering.”

“Finished just in time then.” He handed the stack of files back to Reito as Karasu sprinted across the room to throw his arms around him. Kazuki stroked his hair with a smile and returned his hug. “How did it go?”

Karasu grinned up at him. “Not too bad. Today I got to try a wooden sword! Master said I showed good promise.”

To keep the boy occupied and to try to make up for Yuji’s absence, Kazuki had named Karasu as his attendant. Though he was too young yet to assume his full duties, it allowed him the freedom to stay with Kazuki most of the time while he was temporary king. The advisers had grumbled a bit at first, as Karasu had no formal education, but had relented on the agreement that Karasu begin training immediately. As such, each morning was spent on various lessons, including the fighting skills necessary for one expected to protect his master.

Reito coughed under his breath in warning before making his way down the blue carpet road to admit the advisers.

“I guess it’s time.” Kazuki straightened himself in his chair while Karasu darted over to Reito’s table to watch and learn from Reito.

Led by Matsushita, the mujina[13] who served as head adviser, the eight council members filed into the room and stood in a semicircle in front of the throne. The two recorders strode to the two tables positioned opposite Reito’s. The tables were set at an angle from one another, with low, thin pieces of wood framing the front and sides so that neither recorder could see the others’ notes. This ensured both would take full, accurate dictation of all that was said and done in the meeting, as the notes would be compared later and discrepancies had to be explained by both.

The council was infamous for their long-windedness. After one council meeting had droned on for over eight hours, Kazuki’s father had decreed that all council meetings would be held with the council standing, to encourage them to keep it to a minimum. Thus far, it had worked quite well, encouraging the council to not only keep their reports to the point, but also to discuss the issues thoroughly amongst themselves to avoid hashing out their thoughts before the king.

Still, Kazuki wouldn’t mind if they were even shorter. An hour was too long to listen to their babbling.

The council members knelt down, their left hands on their chests as they said in unison, “My Prince.”

Once they were on their feet again, Matsushita took two steps forward. With his spectacles set on his snout just in front of his eyes, Matsushita looked every bit his meticulous self. He was the sort of person who answered a simple question, like whether it was raining, with a long answer on all the conditions of the atmosphere that contributed to the current weather before actually giving the desired answer. He was a chief reason for his father’s standing rule.

The thick chunk of paper flapping around in his gesturing hand made Kazuki groan inwardly. Definitely not going to be a short one.

“My Prince. Fruit production appears to be going well, due to a mild cold season and a good amount of rain during the growing season. We have received reports from 80% of the fruit producers that indicate we will have an above-average crop. Though we have only received reports from 43% of the vegetable and herb growers, they have been reporting similar results. Thus plant-based foods should be in good supply this year.” As he droned on in that thin voice, he would glance at the papers in his hand to consult whatever notes he’d made. “There are some concerns regarding meat foods, however. An unidentified malady has appeared in the kagorin bird hatcheries. It seems to have no lasting effects on the birds themselves, but according to the reports, infected parents are producing eggs with thin shells and stillborn chicks. If the cause of this disease is not found soon, we may face an egg shortage as well as a shortage of new birds.”

He stopped and looked up over his spectacles. Kazuki hesitated, knowing without it being said that his response would be evaluated by the council after the meeting.

“What progress are our researchers making?”

“They are still gathering reports from all the farms in which it has appeared to try to trace all movements of involved parties and animals. Meanwhile, they have studied samples from the infected birds and the ruined eggs, but thus far have not been able to determine much about its nature except that it does seem to be isolated to domestic kagorin at this time.”

“I see. Ensure the researchers have quick access to any resources they need for their studies. If necessary, I will authorize the capture of a limited and controlled number of wild kagorin birds and their eggs to compare to our domestic flocks, but they must submit a formal request specifying the number of birds that will be affected beforehand. We must keep the conservation of wild populations in mind and I fear excessive harvesting could cause contamination of the wild flocks, which would be disastrous. Send out advisory notices to all hatcheries summarizing what we know and urging them to report any appearances of the disease in their flocks. Look into what we can do to aid anyone who might suffer catastrophic losses, in the form of financial compensation and helping them in recovery.”

Kazuki waited to see how the council would respond. Had he adequately addressed those who would be affected? Were his commands an appropriate balance of leadership and compassion? He was relieved when Matsushita nodded.

“Yes, My Prince.” He flipped to the next page. “Mining of precious stones remains steady overall. However…”

Nearly two hours later, Kazuki was ready for the meeting to be done! In addition to addressing the kagorin situation, Kazuki had listened to the reports on every other meat animal, major crop, and raw material of importance. He’d also given his approval for the expansion of a small town in the western part of the kingdom, based on the earlier reports already heard by his father. Requests were made to expand the lakmanine mining operations, but he’d asked for further studies on the potential impacts it would have first. Surely they had covered everything by now?

“Any other matters to attend to?” Kazuki tried to keep a hopeful lilt from staining his voice as Matsushita flipped his notes closed.

“Yes, My Prince, there is the issue of Prince Yuji. People are beginning to express concerns over not seeing him in the castle or about in the town. We considered letting it be known that he was traveling, perhaps with the king, but then today no less than three reports came in saying that he had been seen near the outskirts of town.”

“I see. No one would believe the story if he is seen again, and it would only make them wonder more if a lie is told. And Yuji has made no attempt to contact me at all, so I can’t be sure when he’ll return.”

Matsushita gave Karasu a pointed glance. Kazuki was well aware that some in the council believed the boy knew where Yuji was hiding.

“He has not attempted to contact anyone at all,” Kazuki continued with a firm tone. “For now, continue sending out the messengers with the request that he at least come talk. If he doesn’t want to come to the castle, we can meet somewhere else. As for the people…you said he was seen near the outskirts of town. Near the mining area?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Good, then if anyone questions, he is inspecting the mines himself to consider the option of expansion. Yuji has always been a hands-on leader, so people will believe that, and it should help keep them calm a while longer.”

“Very well, My Prince.”

Finally free from the advisers, Kazuki made his way back to the living quarters of the castle, Karasu close at his heels. Before they left the meeting place, Reito had quietly patted his shoulder. Kazuki took it to mean that Reito had approved of his handling of the meeting. It was a small consolation at least.

“Master Kazuki?” He could detect the worry in Karasu’s voice. “Master Yuji will come home, right?”

“I hope so. If only he would contact me. I’m certain whatever is wrong we could fix it if he would just talk to me.”

“I wish there was something I could do.”

Kazuki smiled at him and ruffled his thick black hair. “No worries. I’d much rather you not get put in the middle of whatever argument this is. Just keep praying for us and be ready to welcome him home when he does return. This will all surely blow over soon enough.”

“Okay.”

“Meanwhile, I think I’ll rest a bit before dinner. Those meetings are exhausting.”

“No kidding! I thought they’d never finish the way they kept going on and on.” Karasu held up his hands and mimicked talking heads while rolling his eyes.

“Just imagine, it used to be even worse!” They were still laughing as they reached Kazuki’s chambers. “I’ll see you in a few hours for dinner, all right?”

“Have a good rest, Master Kazuki!” Karasu darted off, probably eager to go practice the maneuvers he’d learned earlier in the day.

As the heavy door closed behind him, Kazuki began unclasping his jacket. He walked through the sitting area, pausing to snag a ringa fruit from the bowl on the table to snack on. Continuing to his bedroom, he froze as he spotted the woman sitting on his bed. Dafnikar, forgot she was here.

“My Prince.” She stood, her long red hair flowing down to nearly her knees. Her pale skin was as smooth as a kagorin eggshell, with the same luminescent quality. The red stripes that lined her cheeks and neck were striking without being too flashy. No one would find fault with the curves of her body. The well-modulated tone of her voice spoke of her high breeding and class. She was beautiful, a desirable woman by most any yokai’s standards, and she was probably the last person he wanted to see.

“Aya, what are you doing here?” Kazuki didn’t bother hiding his annoyance.

“Oh, Kazuki, don’t be that way.” She walked over and kissed his cheek. “I’m your future mate after all.”

“That hasn’t been decided yet. Either way, it doesn’t mean you can just walk into my bedroom whenever you wish.”

“But I never get to see you! You haven’t come to visit in months, and when I come to see you, you’re always ‘too busy’ to even say hi.” She pouted in a way that seemed designed to be cute.

He brushed past her to drop his sash on his dressing table. “I am busy. You know my father is away. There is a lot to be done in his stead. Now go back to your room, please. I’m tired and want to rest a bit.”

He finished taking off his jacket and dumped it beside the sash. He moved to the edge of the bed and sat to remove his soft leather boots. Instead of the door closing as he anticipated, a sniffle filled the room behind him. Dafnikar!

“Kazuki, do you hate me that much? Am I such a burden to you?”

With a heavy sigh, he stood and walked over, laying his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t hate you, Aya. You know that. We’ve been friends since childhood. I just don’t love you that way. To me you have always been like a sister, not someone I could view as a lover. As such, I want to see you truly happy with a man who will love you and treat you the way you deserve. That man just isn’t me.”

“But I love you!” She leaned her head into his chest as she cried. His arms went around her naturally, and he rubbed her back with slow strokes, as his mom had always done for him when he’d been upset or frightened. As her tears dampened the front of his shirt, he wished more than ever that Yuji would hurry home. It should be him here comforting Aya, him here so she could see that it had always been Yuji, not Kazuki, she was meant for.

Once her sobs quieted, he set her gently away from him and handed her his handkerchief. “I am sorry, Aya.”

“I know.” She wiped her face, but it did little to help as fresh streams continued escaping.

“Please, return to your room for now. I would hate it if people started smearing your reputation because you’re in my chambers like this. I promise I will join you for dinner later, after I’ve rested a bit, okay?”

“Yes, you’re right. Father will yell at me. I’m sorry.” She nodded toward him then walked back to the door, still wiping her face to try to remove the evidence of her crying. She paused just inside the frame and turned back. “You promise?”

“Promise.” He held up his hand with his first two fingers pointing up, pressed together. She smiled at the gesture, a hold over from their time as kids. It was how the three of them had always signaled a binding promise between them.

Moments later the door to his chambers closed behind her. Relieved, he quickly locked it then returned to his bedroom and finished changing into his sleeping pants. He lay down, but found himself tossing and turning. He was still tired, but now it seemed the sleep he wanted was in an elusive mood. A cacophony of thoughts demanded attention, from the kagorin bird issue to Aya to Yuji. He longed to have his brother home, he longed to be free to while away the day in his studies, having fun as he used to.

Frustrated, he rolled onto his back and shifted his hands behind his head while he stared at the ceiling. It was covered in a mural of his own design, featuring his favorite scenery and snippets of favorite memories. Many featured Yuji, of course, with a few of Karasu that he added after the bird had joined their family. One or two scenes even included Aya, though from long ago, when they were Karasu’s age.

His eye was drawn to a small scene where a younger version of himself stood beside a young boy, a human boy. Their arms were around each other’s shoulders with big smiles on their faces as they stood in front of a pale-yellow house.

“Hiro.” He smiled to himself as the liquid warmth of nostalgia flowed over him. How long had it been since that visit to the human realm, the realm where he’d met his friend and promised to return? Many years, to be sure.

“I wonder how you are doing, my dear old friend. I suppose by now you must be done with school, out working in the world somewhere. Did you ever ask that girl to go out with you, eh? Do you still remember me even? Once Yuji agrees to talk and comes home, I’ll come see you again and beg forgiveness at my taking so long, I promise.”