Falling For Them: A New Adult Reverse Harem Collection

by C. L. Stone

  “You’re profiting from the emperor’s mandatory registration,” Sota said. “He’ll be displeased you aren’t giving a fair chance to everyone.”

  “Don’t pretend to have the emperor’s ear, foreigner. You insult the Son of Heaven with such talk.” He turned away from Sota and stormed off.

  “Good going,” Ryuu said. “You insulted him. We’ll be lucky if he lets us on the next ship.”

  Sota’s face was stone, unreadable as he stared out at the ship. “People like him are why the new emperor wants a new court.”

  “You talk like you know what he’s thinking,” Ryuu said. “Might want to curb that.”

  I was relieved, but now also worried Sota was right. “I thought we weren’t in a hurry?” I asked. “Is getting there first the best thing to do?” I didn’t say it out loud but Mrs. Satsu had mentioned early registration wasn’t that important. “It’ll take at least a week. We could walk there in that amount of time.”

  Sota didn’t say anything, only stood there looking at the ship and then out toward the market, thinking.

  “I’m only taking a guess,” Ryuu said, scratching at coarse hair growing at his chin. “But there were a lot of names on this list. I imagine people think being the first there will impress the inspectors overseeing the registration. I wasn’t aware punctuality was part of the test.”

  “Showing up early doesn’t guarantee anything,” Sota said and he motioned to me to follow him. “But we need to get to the city so you can begin training. I’ve got an idea.”

  The idea of training for the inspection interested me. What could I learn in two weeks before registering that would impress the Son of Heaven enough to allow me to join the court? I was a dingy mouse compared to even those around us now trying to get to the city.

  The market, while previously silent, now was the center of attention. There were many talking about how arranging carriages, or possibly taking some of the fishing ships up the coast. It would still take time to get to the city, and the roads were more dangerous, but waiting for the next ship would take longer.

  Sota ignored the crowds, and instead headed to a young man with a rickshaw.

  Ryuu spotted this and ran ahead, cutting him off. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “What are you going to do, run her to the city on foot? You may as well just walk.”

  “We’d get there at least a little faster,” Sota said. “And shouldn’t you be on your way?”

  “Unlike you, I’m not in a hurry. I’m only going because registration is mandatory for honor’s sake.” Ryuu looked at me. “Do you have anything valuable? I can see if we can’t trade for a decent ride to the city. We’ll get there faster the more we can offer.”

  I had Sota give me back my pack, and I showed Ryuu everything I had, food and his coins and the books, and the wood comb and the cloak. “Nothing significant,” I said.

  He left me the comb and cloak and took the rest and looked at Sota. “What about you? That rabbit pelt, for instance.”

  Sota squinted at him and reached into his pack, bringing out a small leather pouch, with a handful of taels inside, along with a small dagger. “I can get another one later,” he said.

  “Give me a few minutes,” Ryuu said, taking everything and his own pack and heading into the market.

  Sota stood close to me, looking on to where Ryuu disappeared into the crowd. “I’m not supposed to let anyone join us on the way.”

  “We may need to bend a few of these rules,” I said. “Let Ryuu try. He’s a trader, after all.”

  Sota met my eyes with questions, but I offered a small smile to note I trusted Ryuu. We didn’t have much choice if we wanted to get there without walking the whole way.

  Sota said nothing, but his face returned to his light smiling, relaxed state. I concluded this was his way of telling me he’d let me take the lead on this.

  In an hour, Ryuu returned, his pack mostly empty, and all of our items gone.

  “That took ages,” he said with a satisfied grin, and his dark eyes lit up. “But I got the best ride out of town.”

  It was still morning, and the crowd had mostly dispensed. Some walking, some in carriages and some waited for the next ship. Ryuu guided us to the edge of the village, to a hill overlooking the docks. For a moment, I was worried he had traded everything for coin, and was tricking us. I didn’t know there was anything beyond the hill.

  At the top was a small hut, inconspicuous, and almost appeared derelict. The walls and roof were various sized branches strung together with vines. Some were cracked, gray and rotting from time.

  An old man stood near the door, and when he saw Ryuu, he motioned to him to come. He was as thin as the branches of his home, and just as knobby, that he seemed a part of the hut.

  “What’s this?” Sota asked. “You’ve been tricked. This poor man has nothing.”

  “That’s what everyone else thought,” Ryuu said. “But trust me.”

  Ryuu hurried ahead, greeting the old man with a head bow. “Thanks for letting us borrow your wagon,” he said.

  “I’ve already saddled the thing,” the old man said. “The cart is ready to go.”

  We followed him around the tiny hut.

  In the back were four creatures I’d never seen before standing in front of a wagon cart. Each was a broad beast with hooves and a snout of an ox, yet wispy like a ghost, and appeared to be floating. They were strapped together like horses with a fine silver rope.

  “I hope one of you knows how to drive,” the old man said. “But they’re faster than anything they’re selling down at the market. They’re dead ox who worked so hard, they don’t know they’re dead.” He pointed at Ryuu. “And I’m only lending them to you. This is a rental. I’ll be on the next ship to the city and I’ll bring them back.”

  Ryuu put his hand over his heart and bowed to him. “We’ll take good care of them.”

  The ghost oxen made me nervous. Ghosts weren’t that common, and I’d only heard of them in the books Dr. Aoi had me read. There was lots of magic and mystery in the world I hadn’t encountered. We hadn’t left town yet and here was something I didn’t know about my own village. Ryuu had been right. I’d closed myself off from everything when my parents died.

  Sota didn’t seem surprised at all by the ghost oxen. “I’ll help you up,” he told me.

  I wasn’t sure I wanted to be the first, but I let him give me a lift into the back of the cart. I was satisfied staying in the far back away from the oxen and letting them drive.

  He threw my pack in the back, followed by his own. There was a rattling, like pans clanging together in his things.

  The creatures bucked, and the wagon jerked. I was thrown on top of the packs, causing more rattling. The creatures began to run, dragging the cart behind them.

  I was tossed into the corner of the cart, legs up, on my back, losing my sandals in the process as they were shaken from my feet. When I managed to right myself, we were still at full run. Sota and Ryuu were behind the cart, running to catch me but falling behind quickly.

  The creatures followed the road down the hill, faster than I’d ever seen a horse or bird. Their hooves never really touched the ground, and seemed to merely glide silently.

  However, the wagon took time to stop bouncing from the momentum, and once it evened out, it was like the cart floated, too. When it did, I could crawl toward the front, and found the reins still tied to a wooden knob near the seat.

  I sat on the seat, and tugged the reins, like I’d seen other people do with their horses.

  The creatures slowed. I tugged again, and called to them. “Slow down,” I cried.

  To my surprise, they slowed even more, and bobbed their heads, as if acknowledging that I had spoken to them.

  I got them to halt and then waited for the others to catch up, rather than risking trying to make a turn on the road. There didn’t seem to be much damage to the cart. I hoped the older man didn’t rethink his choice in letting Ryuu borrow his dead oxen.
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br />   Sota caught up first, his broad chest heaving as he looked up at me. “I’ll give him credit,” he said, motioning to Ryuu coming up behind him. “He was right. They are fast.”

  Ryuu got to the end of the wagon, pushed himself over into the cart part, and landed on his back, his chest and stomach filling and deflating as he caught his breath. “I dislike this running. I hope that’s not part of the inspection.”

  “Tell me the way,” I said to Sota, and gave him a hand to help him get up into the seat next to me. “I’ll drive.”

  Sota sat beside me, motioning for me to keep going on the road ahead. “Through the forest. We’ll try to stick to the main road, unless it gets overcrowded.” He glanced at my feet, now bare. “Where did your shoes go?”

  “They flew off back there somewhere,” I said, and shook the reins, clicking with my mouth. Somehow, this seemed natural. I’d paid attention to riders more than I thought. The creatures huffed, but then walked slowly, following the road.

  Sota took off his shoes, and handed them to me.

  “I can’t take these from you,” I said.

  “You’ll be able to walk farther, and faster,” he said. “You’ll need to once we reach the city. We can’t take this wagon too far in.” He lined his shoes with a fur pelt in each. He adjusted me as I drove, picking up my feet and putting them on me.

  The shoes were the softest I’d ever felt on my skin as it was lined with fur. Yet, I was embarrassed. I was taking his shoes.

  I looked over his head at Ryuu, who watched us, frowning but he didn’t disagree with Sota, which told me he thought I should take the shoes.

  Once I had them on, I focused on the road, thanking him as politely as I could, but also feeling odd. Was this what an escort was supposed to do? And how long would he be around?

  How long would Ryuu?

  Arrival

  The journey to the Immortal City seemed endless to me. Kuni was an island country with three neighboring kingdoms to the north and west, and the world was much bigger beyond. I’d never stepped foot outside the village, and I’d considered the walk to the docks a long excursion.

  We passed people along the road, most heading toward the city for registration, and this kept us relatively safe. “Bandits are less likely to harass us along the way,” Sota said.

  Despite promising to tell me about rules and what Mrs. Satsu was about, Sota refused to do so around Ryuu.

  “He may have helped us,” he said to me while Ryuu slept in the cart behind us. “But I don’t have permission to tell him what I know. You’ll have to wait until we get there.”

  I disliked the secrecy. Ryuu didn’t trust him either. When I drove and Sota slept, Ryuu would keep me company.

  “Don’t you think it’s a little odd he just showed up at your door?” he asked when I did my best to explain how Sota appeared and without telling him about Mrs. Satsu. “How can you trust him?”

  “How can I trust you?” I asked. “You didn’t tell me I was on the roster.”

  “I honestly didn’t know.” He sat back, his arms stretched along the back of the seat, close enough to my back to warm through my clothes. “I never knew your family very well.” He paused. “I didn’t even know you left school until a week passed and you never returned. I was worried you were sick, but Dr. Aoi told me about your parents.”

  I forced myself not to jerk the reigns in surprise. “You asked about me?”

  He nodded with tight lips, his onyx eyes intense. “I’m sorry about what happened to them.”

  My heart burned, and I bit my tongue to stop myself from saying anything. I appreciated his sympathy, and yet I didn’t want to discuss my parents. It was hard enough not to feel I was leaving them behind.

  The ghost oxen seemed to go on forever, and never needed to stop to eat. I didn’t know how the owner managed to keep them a secret from the village. They were invaluable. I couldn’t imagine what Ryuu must have traded to even grant us borrowing them.

  We stopped at a stable just outside the city. Ryuu was familiar with the stable master, and traded with him to let the ghost oxen to stay until the owner was able to retrieve them. The poor man had never seen creatures like those oxen. He was terrified of going near them.

  “Let them run circles around your fence line,” Ryuu told him. “Make sure you run them at least twice a day. If you don’t, they’ll disappear. We’d take them into the city, but they’d likely get stolen in a heartbeat.”

  From the stable, we walked over hills and past little farm squares on the way to the city. The road became busier with travelers all on their way, a few were traders and merchants, others were heading to register.

  Along the way, Sota managed to strap leather with fur to his feet as makeshift shoes, although not as fine as the boots he’d given me. I’d argued this point with him, but he pretended not to hear me.

  His shoes were the most comfortable, though. I was walking on rabbit fur the entire time and I loved the softness.

  It took us a full morning to get even close to the edge of the city. Sota wouldn’t allow us to take a break.

  “The faster, the better,” he said.

  My limbs were sore after three days in a rolling wagon. This made my muscles tight as we walked. Just when I thought I couldn’t walk anymore and would need a break, the land around us changed from farmland to the outer neighborhoods of the bigger city.

  And before us, over a hill, was the first time I caught sight of the wall.

  The Immortal City was actually a walled city where the emperor and his court resided. The surrounding districts were homes and businesses, creating a semi-circle around it. The sea was to the east, where many ships were docked. From the top of the hill, I could see for miles, but the center of the city, beyond the wall, could not be seen from anywhere.

  Seeing this immense city and the people who lived and worked there, along with the countless coming in to register, made me feel so small and unimportant. Again, the feeling of fruitlessness invaded me. Why were we making this effort when thousands would be registering that were much more experienced?

  Under the sun, the wall seemed to move. From what I knew from Dr. Aoi’s books, it had been carved out of solid rock, and depicted thousands of dragons, each representing an imperial family over all the known prior generations.

  Only the dragons never sat still. They slithered like snakes, weaving and creating the illusion the wall was alive.

  The closer we got to the wall, I heard the constant sound of rock grinding against rock, like a whisper, as the dragons slithered against each other. It could be heard like waves of the ocean, continual and easy to forget, but still always there. I wondered if the sound of the dragons ever bothered His Majesty.

  The road toward the wall’s main gates was wide, leaving plenty of room for market stalls on each side of the road. Other streets sprouted off the main road like limbs of a tree.

  The air smelled of sweet, sizzling meats and jasmine rice. I watched with envy as children shared rice balls with each other, wanting to stop to eat. Food makers fanned their delicacies to attract the hungry. I couldn’t help desiring the sweet, sugared fruits, and exotic spices that wetted my tongue by just their fragrances.

  We huddled together as the density of people grew around us. I stayed arm to arm between Sota and Ryuu, unable to help feeling so small, and that everyone around us was moving too fast for me. Rickshaws took to the outer edges of the streets to run passengers back and forth. Shop owners cried out their specials. A pale man in a thin robe stood on a barrel and called for peace and harmony amid a time of such confusion.

  Sota did not stop for any of it. He walked fast, turning off the main road away from the wall. We came upon rows and rows of buildings for trade workers, tea shops, courier homes, exotic trade shops and more. A few blocks later, we came across established neighborhoods, where homes were bamboo frames covered in hard clay. The roofs were either curved clapboard wood, or made of thatch. One house blended in with the other,
until it was hard for me to establish where one ended and another started.

  The Taka whistled a morbid, low song as we walked. I knew he was unhappy and wanted to fly, but I worried he’d get lost. Sota insisted on carrying the cage, and I imagined it was heavy with the Taka sitting inside.

  After passing endless rows of houses, Ryuu stopped walking to catch his breath, putting his palm against his ribs, and rubbing through his kimono. “Where are we going anyway? Please tell me we’re not walking into a rough part of town. I may need a few minutes to stretch out this cramp in my side if we have to deal with any beggars or thieves.”

  Sota stopped, the cage shaking and Taka squawked in protest. When he quieted, Sota spoke. “I shouldn’t be bringing you. And you should be heading to the registration office, shouldn’t you?”

  “I’m too curious for my own good,” Ryuu said and then winked at me. “Besides, you both owe me for helping you get here so quickly.”

  Sota chuffed. “We all gave up something to get us here. I call us even.”

  “I gave more than either of you,” Ryuu said. “And I just want a peek. You’re both up to something, and I can’t help but want to make sure you’re not taking her to be sold as a slave, or something else horrible.”

  “Can’t we take him?” I asked. I did feel guilty sending Ryuu away after helping us get here. I didn’t want to see him go. I put a hand gently on Sota’s arm. “Can…she…” I wanted to suggest Mrs. Satsu could look at him like she did to me and see if he might be what she wants, only I felt I wasn’t allowed to even talk about her with the way Sota was so protective.

  He gazed at me calmly. “You do realize he’s your competition,” he said. “You’ll be fighting for the same opportunities, and there are limited seats.”

  “I am one of thousands who have come to this city to register,” I said. “One more won’t matter. Besides, he was registering anyway. I still don’t know how what we’re doing makes my chances any better.”

  Sota relaxed his posture, his movements languid. “You can do what you want, but inviting him along means you’re risking your own possible future. I can’t advise it.”