Falling Through Glass

by Barbara Sheridan

  ‘I know as surely as I know my own heart that my brother will drag us into the thick of it to support his rebel friends. My retainers and I will commit seppuku before we follow him on that path, but I can’t ask Emiko to do the same. I beg you to agree to this union. With you, as a member of the court and your father’s house, she will be safe no matter the outcome. And, perhaps you can help her return to where she belongs…’

  The soft sound of a sliding wall panel brought Kae from his thoughts, and his hand went at once to the sword tucked under the futon’s edge. When he realized who the intruder was, he sat up and bowed deeply before speaking.

  “You honor me with such a late visit, my prince. Are you having another sleepless night?”

  Crown Prince Mutsuhito, who still liked to be called by his earlier name of Sachi, plopped onto the empty futon as any child might and shrugged.

  “Where is your new wife?”

  “In the next room, changing and dressing for bed.”

  Sachi grinned. “Will you still have many mistresses like my father? Will you take turns with them sharing your bed?”

  “I don’t have mistresses. I am too busy helping my father gather information to better advise yours.”

  “Will you and Emiko have many children? Will they be my friends?”

  “My children would be as honored as I am to be considered your friends.”

  “Emiko said she would be my friend.”

  “You’ve met her? Through Kojima-san?”

  Sachi frowned at the mention of the snakelike courtier, and Kae hoped his opinion would remain the same when it was his time to ascend the throne.

  “No, I met her in the park. She was writing bad poetry. I told her you were my only friend, and she said she would be my friend too.”

  Kae smiled at the mention of bad poetry. He would have to see some of this for himself. His smile faded.

  “Emiko is not yet well versed in the ways of the court. I respectfully ask that you excuse any small lapses in etiquette that may occur.”

  Sachi shrugged and got up. “She seems kind. I will let her be my friend.”

  Kae bowed again, and the prince disappeared once more into the secret passage.

  Lying back down, Kae wondered if Emmi had any idea who Sachi was. He should tell her. Then again, perhaps not. If she knew he was the emperor’s heir, it might make her nervous, which might cause her to make potentially fatal mistakes of protocol. She needed to fit in here as much as possible. He would simply tell her that it was important to show everyone the proper respect, no matter how young that person might be.

  He smiled to himself. So she wrote bad poetry, did she? Did she write bad poetry about him?

  Remembering the gift he had for her, Kae got up and went to the four-drawer chest across the room. He removed a cloth-wrapped package and untied it. Inside were the strange undergarments that belonged to Emmi as well as similar silk ones he’d had made. The seamstress hadn’t been able to duplicate the strange, delicate metal fastenings on the top piece, so she’d used silk string ties instead. In the absence of the unusual, clingy, stretchy material that the originals used, she’d used more silk ties as well.

  He set the package on her futon then went to the shoji separating their rooms. He slid it open, laughing softly when he saw her asleep before the table, bits of sugared cake stuck to her delicate chin.

  * * * *

  Kojima-san’s eyes and voice were hypnotizing. Emmi shivered with delight from the touch of his fan on her shoulder. She murmured when he touched the fan to the skin showing at the vee of her yukata front then giggled when he playfully kissed her chin.

  “That tickles. You shouldn’t. What will people say?”

  “They will say nothing because I am your husband and this is my right.”

  Hello! Emmi’s brain screamed through the alcohol fog cluttering her dozing mind. That sexy voice was not Kojima’s!

  Her eyes shot open and she sat up, bumping Kae’s nose hard with her head. “I’m sorry! I was dreaming! Are you okay?”

  He nodded, blinked a few times and rubbed his nose, wincing as he did so.

  She stared at him and hoped that it wasn’t broken, that blood wouldn’t start gushing out of his nose. He had a straight nose, and she didn’t want to be responsible for screwing it up. And she couldn’t forget those cheekbones that led down to a strong chin. And nice eyes too. Not as hypnotizing as Kojima-san’s but still fantastic—an intense dark brown with faint flecks of gold in them.

  And don’t forget how good his mouth feels…

  “Emmi,” he said softly, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. He pulled her to him, leaned in for a soft, slow kiss. It made her hot and shivery all at once.

  When the kiss ended he stood and pulled her up with him. The sake from earlier hit her all over again and the room went one way while she went another. She practically collapsed, but Kae grabbed her. He wrapped those strong arms of his around her and scooped her up as though she were nothing. He carried her into another room and laid her down on a thick, cushy futon. He slid something out of the way then lay beside her.

  Kae looked so gorgeous in the soft glow of the floor lantern, and she kept her gaze focused on his. She placed her hand atop his as he caressed the side of her face.

  “I will care for you, Emiko. I will protect you. I will help you go home.”

  “I don’t want to go anywhere,” she said, pulling him down for another kiss.

  God, but he was an amazing kisser. His kiss was possessive and fierce, yet he was tender in the way he stroked his tongue across hers. As he loosened the thin belt closing her yukata and slid his hands over her flushed skin, she knew he wasn’t going to stop. And she certainly didn’t want him to.

  She was nervous, but it was a good fear, an exciting fright that she was more than willing to experience. And what an experience it was.

  The slutty part of Emmi’s brain was thoroughly sated and silent when Kae moved off her and cradled her in his arms. Emmi let the pleasant exhaustion, including the effects of the long day and many cups of sake, relax her into a drowsy state. She realized that, for the very first time in her life, everything was perfect, absolutely perfect.

  She’d been an idiot to be so afraid. Whatever was responsible for her blast into the past had been a good thing, a great thing, and nothing could spoil it. Not now.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  A light but noticeable ache behind her eyes greeted Emmi when she woke, alone. The pain in her head gave her a sharp nudge and she closed her eyes again a moment before a familiar voice teased her.

  “The sleeping beauty awakens as in the foreign folk tale,” Kae said with a grin as he stepped in from an adjoining room that she hadn’t yet entered.

  She sat up and gave Kae a smile. “Something like that.”

  He smiled back as he came closer, his look more intense than it had been the night before. Despite the ache behind her eyes, Emmi was ready to let Kae lead her into anything at all.

  Unfortunately he didn’t lead anywhere, because he all but ignored her. He finished getting dressed and pulled his damp hair up into a ponytail. Emmi pouted. He should have woken her up, too. She might have enjoyed a nice bath together so she could see if underwater sex really was extra hot.

  When he took his swords and slid them into his belt, Emmi felt her pout turn to a frown. “Are you going somewhere?”

  “I have work to do,” he said.

  “But not all day. Just for a while, yes?”

  He gave her a questioning look.

  She looked around for her yukata and pulled it on. “What am I supposed to do?”

  “Not get into any trouble. Call no attention to yourself.”

  He was gone before Emmi could think of a snarky reply through her growing headache. The next thing she knew, the older ladies-in-waiting came in. One went to the tansu cabinet where clothing was kept, while the other started clearing the rumpled bed things.

  “Wait,” Emmi said when
the woman pulling up the blanket grabbed a small, tied bundle. Emmi took the cloth packet and opened it. It was her underwear and more bras and panties.

  Not modern lingerie, of course. These looked a bit like string bikinis. They were made from silk, the primo silk like her wedding clothes. One set was ivory, another pale blue, one purple and the last cotton candy pink. The panties had little Maeda family crests embroidered on the front that matched the ones stitched into the bra cups just below the ties. The older women were staring, and Emmi wrapped the lingerie and shoved it into one of the tansu drawers. She took her Victoria’s Secret clearance set and muttered that it was part of a “Kaga marriage custom.”

  One of the women seemed about to question her, but thankfully another lady came to escort Emmi to the private bathhouse. She felt weird with someone helping her bathe, but was glad for the help when it came time to wash her hair. She didn’t even mind that the woman tugged hard with a wooden comb to get out the tangles. After all, she’d been ordered not to get into trouble or draw attention to herself, and this was all she had to look forward to.

  Apparently the sense of perfection that she’d felt last night had been nothing but a fleeting dream.

  When she returned from her bath, Emmi tried very hard not to behave like some difficult Hollywood diva. She struggled to follow Kae’s advice and not draw attention to herself.

  But the headache was still nagging at her, and she didn’t want to be weighed down in twenty layers of kimono and that ridiculous long skirt. She was certainly not in the mood to get more greasy goop dumped in her hair, or let them totally pluck away her eyebrows and plaster that deadly Goth makeup on her face again.

  Even if it was customary for married women to do it, no way would she bring herself to put that stinky black crap on her teeth. The ladies-in-waiting seemed pissed, though they didn’t say anything. They simply bowed and left, quietly muttering among themselves, and Emmi hoped this wasn’t going to cause some great ruckus with Kae.

  Yes, this world was very different from the one she was used to, but she couldn’t change who she was. If being stuck here meant having her entire personality crushed, then what was the point? She’d just as well just curl up under a rock and die.

  Heaving a defeated sigh, she sank down onto one of the thick floor cushions. Total boredom settled in shortly thereafter with only the painted folding screen and the ikebana flower arrangement there to occupy her attention. She refused to think about the nice, thick futon mattresses and how Kae made love to her. The night before seemed a long time gone, making her more aware of the sudden emptiness surrounding her.

  She got up and went to the suite’s main room, where a breakfast tray waited on a low table. Emmi took small bites of the smoked fish and rice and drank the tea in half sips to make the meal last as long as possible, which wasn’t long at all.

  The bell tolled the time. It had rung last right after Kae left that morning, and it was ringing again when she finished that last bit of rice on her tray. That was two hours of non-excitement down and way too many of more deadly boredom yet to come. What she wouldn’t give for her cell phone or tablet about now.

  Things picked up slightly when a maid came to take the breakfast tray away. She had a letter with her, a letter for Emmi from Takehito.

  Emmi opened the letter and groaned inwardly. Takehito and Sadanori were soon heading back to Kaga. They wished her a long, happy life with Kae, and Takehito said he’d try to schedule an audience with her before they left. He had to schedule an audience? Crap. She supposed this meant she couldn’t just go over to Katsura Villa to visit them for something to do.

  A long, happy life with Kae. Somehow, she had a feeling that might not be the direction her life would be taking. She tucked the letter away then looked around. This room didn’t have much more in the way of entertainment or distraction from boredom either, so she decided to check out the room on the other side of the bedroom, the one Kae had come from that morning.

  “Excellent,” she said when her gaze fell on the floor model Go board in the alcove to the right then found the row of books on the red lacquer cabinet. The thought of playing the chess-like game against herself would normally hold no appeal, but the option felt quite inviting this morning. Fabulous, her life had boiled down to playing games alone, if today was any indicator.

  She pushed that depressing thought away and went to check out the books Kae owned. Great. Of course, they were in an old-style writing done by hand, which was much harder to decipher than the modern printed kanji. She leafed through the book anyway.

  When she’d first arrived, he had mentioned going through “foreign” books for some governmental agency, so perhaps she’d find one contraband Western book here somewhere… Ancient kanji, ancient kanji, ancient— Oh. This last one was so not ancient kanji or even some boring English or French tome. She’d found a picture book. And what a picture book it was! It was similar to the woodblock porn she’d thrown up on at the Shinsengumi compound.

  At least Kae’s book wasn’t totally like the miserable vice-commander’s prints—it didn’t contain any yaoi guy-on-guy sex. It was just good old men and women. And women and an octopus? Emmi laughed. So this was where the whole hentai squid and tentacles jokes in anime and manga came from? She winced. Those were some nasty-looking sea creatures in all senses of the word. She closed the book. Even she wasn’t bored enough to look at babes with obscene seafood fetishes.

  Looking at the closed shunga book, Emmi wondered if Kae ever sat and masturbated while looking at it. A tingle formed deep inside at the thought of watching him pleasure himself and an even more delicious tingle at the memory of having him pleasure her. True, she didn’t have any experience to compare, but she was sure he would be considered one hell of a skilled lover.

  She felt a twinge in her nipples, something like the type she’d get when her hormones were in overdrive before her period. When she scratched herself through her kimono, the action sent one of those electric chills down between her legs. She pressed her thighs together and fought the urge to touch herself and have her own masturbation session. It would be a nice way to pass the time, but it would be better with Kae. Besides, with her luck, one of those ladies-in-waiting would pop in, since she hadn’t seen any latches on the doors.

  A chill shot down Emmi’s spine, and it wasn’t one of those exciting sexually charged ones. This one was cold fear. ‘Safe sex’ was not a concept here. Kae hadn’t used a condom or anything like a condom. What if that hooker friend of his had given him some foul, unseen STD? Even if she didn’t get herpes or sores, she wasn’t on the Pill. Pregnant was not good.

  Of course, a baby made with Kae would be a cute little thing…

  No. She was not going there. It was one night. It was her first time. Maybe, just maybe, nothing would happen. But what about tonight and tomorrow and…

  Emmi screwed her eyes shut and balled her hands into fists. Thinking about all this was not doing her any good. She’d always been one to plan things out, but all she could do now was take a wait and see attitude, and pray to high heaven that she hadn’t contracted anything disgusting.

  She needed air. Yes, a walk should be a safe enough thing to do…if only she could remember exactly where outside was. She wished she hadn’t been half drunk last night and concentrating so hard on not tripping over the layers of clothing.

  She returned to the suite’s main room and went out the door that the maid had used earlier. Another servant, an elderly man, came scurrying out of nowhere like a mouse coming out of his hole after a piece of cheese. He immediately fell to his knees and begged Emmi to allow him the honor of serving her. She wanted to tell him that he had the wrong Maeda here—that he was her mother’s kind of butler—but of course she couldn’t, so she did her best to tell him she wanted to go out for a walk.

  His forehead went to the polished wood floor, he beseeched her respectfully to go back inside so he could fetch the appropriate ladies-in-waiting to assist and accompany her. E
mmi touched his shoulder, mostly to get him to just stop rambling and look at her a minute, but from the way he jumped—jumped while still kneeling no less—she’d have thought she’d dumped a stinging scorpion on his back.

  “I’m sorry. I want to go outside to take a walk alone. Please, just show me where the door is.” And please wait to keel over until after I leave.

  He was still shocked, but he finally got up and showed her to a long corridor lit only by the light filtered through the shoji panels that led out to the porch surrounding the building.

  Freedom. Yes!

  Emmi thanked him and bowed, and he scurried away again, backward, bowing the entire time until he disappeared into the shadows. Hearing no thud from him passing out, she picked up the long hem of her kimono and headed for the beauty of the flowering bushes that she could see just through the opened door at the far end of the corridor. Crap. She’d forgotten her shoes and had to go back to where the servant had set them before he took off. She was bending to pick them up when a familiar, sexy voice came from behind her.

  “Kuni no miya-sama?”

  Emmi stood up and looked around but didn’t see anyone else besides herself and the speaker, Kojima-san. He stood just inside one of the open doors on the side of the corridor.

  “Did you mean me?” she asked with a smile. And it was a big smile, because it felt great to talk with an actual person she knew. At least for a little while.

  He folded his arms inside the wide sleeves of his haori and smiled. “Indeed I did, Emiko-gozen.”

  “Gozen?” A woman of title? The idea still seemed strange.

  She felt frozen to the spot when he came closer. He unfolded his arms with a sleek, smooth motion and took his fan from his hakama belt. He smiled that killer smile and touched the tip of the fan to her cheek.

  “You are so new to the world of nobility and its endless conventions that you come across as utterly naive. Charmingly so, of course.”