by Kate Grove
“Of course not, my lord! I’m on duty!”
Katsuo looked skeptical but shrugged.
“Well then, find out what happened, if you can.”
That was a challenge Taiki couldn’t refuse. He bowed deeply.
“As you wish, my lord.”
“And please stop with the bowing and the ‘my lord’ thing. You’re my friend. No, you’re my family. Stop it.”
“Right… sir.”
“Eh, better. Good night.” Katsuo said as he stood up abruptly and headed back to his room. The night was cold.
“Good night… my lord.”
The next morning found Ciara asleep in her futon. It wasn’t as comfortable as her bed back home, but once she put half a dozen blankets underneath the sheets, it was almost as good as a mattress.
A knock startled her awake. Ciara stretched and opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. She shot into a sitting position and looked around wildly.
“Damnit.”
Will this nightmare never end? she silently asked, sighing heavily. She closed her eyes, willing reality away. Another knock sounded on her doorframe.
“Milady? I’m here to help you prepare.”
That didn’t sound good.
“Prepare for what?”
“You are to spend breakfast with Milord and his vassals in the conference room.”
Great, an audience to her empty stomach, just what she needed. At least she slept well.
“Come on in.” She waved as she stumbled out of her bedding. A servant girl slid the door open and let herself in. She shut the door securely before walking to Ciara and bowing deep.
“My name is Yura, I am here to assist you.”
“I’m Ciara.”
“Yes, Milady.”
Ciara balanced her weight from one foot to another. It was fancy to be called ‘Milady’, but it made her feel awkward. The pain in her feet reminded her she was still injured.
“Feel free to call me by my name.” She saw the girl opening her mouth, probably to protest, but Ciara cut her off before she could begin, “Please.”
“As you wish… Ciara-sama.”
That was better. Whatever “sama” meant, at least Yura was calling her by name. Ciara smiled at her.
“So what shall we do?”
Yura perked up. She straightened, and that’s when Ciara could take a better look at her. She had black hair and brown eyes, a kind face, and seemed to be the same age as Karen. Ciara felt a pang in her heart reminding her how she missed her little cousin.
“I’ve brought some water to wash your face, then we can do your hair and makeup, and I can help you into a kimono. I’ve picked a purple one. It’ll bring out your eyes, Ciara-sama.”
“Wait, wait, too much info, I haven’t had my coffee yet,” Ciara massaged the bridge of her nose. She held up her other hand and pointed each of her fingers at the ceiling as she counted. “One, thank you, and please show me where the bathroom is. Two, I do my own makeup. Three, how do you know I have purple eyes? Four, I’m sorry if I’m grumpy, but I need my coffee. Please tell me you have coffee here.”
“Ko-hi?” Yura asked, hesitant. Ciara sneaked a glance at her.
“You’ve never heard of coffee.”
It wasn’t a question, but the girl nodded anyway. Ciara let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes heavenward.
“I’ve never believed in hell, but if there is one, this must be it.”
Yura paled at that. Flustered, she bowed repeatedly.
“I’m sorry if I somehow offended Milady. Please forgive me!”
“Oh, no, no, no! Please don’t do that!” Ciara immediately bent down to grab the girl’s shoulders and help her stand up. “It’s not your fault. Don’t worry. I’ll get by… somehow. What do you use to wake up in the morning?”
“Tea, Milady.”
“Ciara.”
Yura blinked at her, not understanding.
“I’ve told you to please call me by my name.”
“Ciara-sama. Tea is the best in the morning.”
“I see. Is there any chance you can get me some tea before breakfast?”
A bright smile appeared on Yura’s face as she nodded, enthusiastic.
“Sure, mil—Ciara-sama!”
“All right, let’s do this!”
Tea was better than nothing. She might need a very strong tea to make it through the day, however. She knew cola wouldn’t be available, but then, what else had caffeine? How did people get their energy this day and age?
Ciara was helpless on the matter but decided to find it out. After all, she had an entire month to survive here. Without caffeine, it was bound to be hard. She already felt light-headed, just thinking about it.
Yura had someone else prepare the tea while she worked on Ciara’s hair and clothes. By the time the tea had arrived, they were almost done. Yura let Ciara sip her tea quietly but couldn’t help fidgeting.
“How much time do we have?” Ciara asked, noticing Yura’s nervousness.
“Breakfast should start any minute now.”
“What? Why didn’t you say so?” Ciara jumped up, put the tea back on the tray, and marched to the sliding doors.
“Mi—Ciara-sama!” Yura stumbled after her. “We still need to do your makeup!”
“Oh. What do you use?”
“I have the coal and the fire ready for you,” Yura gestured to another tray where something resembling a pencil made of coal and a strange device sat. Ciara paled.
“You’re not serious.”
Yura cocked her head to the side.
“I don’t understand, Ciara-sama.”
“I will be fine like this. Thank you for your help,” Ciara slid the doors open and stepped out. She turned to the left then the right, not sure which way to go.
“Let me show you the way,” Yura offered as she hurried to get in front of Ciara.
“Thanks.”
It only took a couple of minutes, but it involved several turns and twists in the corridors to get to the huge meeting room where breakfast was served. Ciara was lost in her thoughts, trying to remember the way, so it came as a sudden surprise when they arrived at the open doors of the meeting room. Yura stepped to the side, and Ciara looked up to see a crowd.
13
There were two rows of people on both sides of the room, sitting on their knees. She quickly found Katsuo, who sat at the dais at the other end of the room. When he noticed her, he gestured for her to… go away?
Confused, Ciara looked at Yura for confirmation, but she was looking at her toes.
“Do I go in?” Ciara whispered.
“Yes, Milady.”
Ciara took a sharp breath. Now was not the time to correct her.
“But he just waved me away!”
Yura looked up, surprised, then glanced at the lord of the castle. Katsuo waved again.
“Milady, he wants you to go to him.”
Ciara looked at Yura, but she looked sincere.
“If you say so. I trust you,” she said and straightened up before marching across the room.
All eyes turned to her as she arrived in her deep purple kimono. She loved the white streaks across the silk, which turned out to be a pattern for white, Eastern dragons. Nervous, she stumbled, almost unnoticeable, but it was enough to warn her to slow down.
Finally, she made her way to her ‘husband’, who stood up when she arrived at the dais. All the men followed his example. Suddenly, the huge room felt very small.
“My loyal vassals, it pleases me to introduce you to my beloved.” Katsuo reached out and took Ciara’s hand to lead her next to him. She smiled at him, covering her nervousness which overtook her as soon as everyone’s attention was on her. “This is Ciara. We are to wed in a month.”
It took all effort for her not to hiss or yell at him. She couldn’t help a sharp glare as she squeezed his hand in warning. Ciara felt her smile turn into a much too sweet and fake one as her thoughts turned to the different ways she could
make him pay for that comment. That was most definitely not what they’d agreed to.
Katsuo’s face was unreadable, making Ciara think he didn’t even notice her harsh grip on his hand. She squeezed a little tighter, and he suddenly yanked her close to him. Ciara lost her grip at his unexpected move, making it easy for him to easily retrieve his hand, which he immediately rested on her hip. She was squished to his side.
How lovely. Ciara put a hand to Katsuo’s side, trying to push him back, but the man was like solid rock. He didn’t even budge. From an outsider’s point of view, it looked as if two lovers were smitten with each other. Only Ciara and Katsuo knew what battle they fought behind the scenes.
Not only does he force me to play the role of his fiancée, he changes the terms at the first chance he gets! Ciara used her free hand to pinch Katsuo’s back.
He covered his surprised yelp with a cough and immediately let go of her. Ciara smiled at him sweetly as he gestured for everyone to sit down. He didn’t look at her until after meal was served.
Half a dozen servants rushed with small tables around the room so everyone would have a tray of freshly cooked food in front of them. Katsuo and Ciara were the first ones to be served.
Katsuo waited until everybody had their own tray in front of them, before shouting, “Itadakimasu!”
Ciara jerked in her seat at the loud voice, but it was lost in the sea of ‘itadakimasu’ echoing around them and with the movement of grabbing the chopsticks.
She looked at her own tray. A bowl of rice, a cup of pickled vegetables, and a few small grilled fish waited for her on a square plate. Next to them, she found a fork and a knife. She looked around and her suspicion was proved correct when she saw that everybody else had chopsticks. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked around, hoping to catch the eye of a servant, but she didn’t have to wait, because at that precise moment, tea was served.
“Excuse me—”
“Yes, Milady?”
“Could you please get me chopsticks?”
The servant girl looked confused. She looked at her lord for confirmation, who looked at Ciara with an expression that said he had found something intriguing.
“Chopsticks, Milady?”
“Yes, chopsticks.”
It looked as if the girl wanted to say something, but thought better of it. She bowed and quickly hurried away.
“I thought you would be more comfortable using European cutlery,” Katsuo said as he sipped his tea. He was slurping. Everyone was slurping and it was slowly grating on her nerves.
Ciara forced a smile on her face. He couldn’t have known she loved Asian cuisine and frequently used chopsticks. She had to remind herself that he must be comparing her to European people a few centuries earlier than her time. Still, she was a bit annoyed with him from earlier.
“Thank you for your concern, dear husband, but I’m fine with using chopsticks,” she replied.
He grinned at her comment.
Maybe it was a bad idea to put sharp objects within her reach because all she could think of at that moment was to grab the knife and—
“Here you go, Milady.” The servant kneeled next to her as she handed over the cutlery wrapped in a thin cloth. She reached out with both hands as she gave the bundle to Ciara.
“Arigatō,” she said as she accepted the chopsticks with one hand and unwrapped the cutlery. The servant girl bowed and scurried back to her place near the wall.
When Katsuo noticed her as she appeared at the entrance, he was caught off guard. She looked completely different from before when she wore servant clothes. The lavish kimono suited her, and he didn’t expect her not to wear any makeup. Even with the small, yellowish hues on her face, which had been caused by Kawayuki’s rough hands, she looked stunning.
He forgot for a moment that she only agreed to be his bride for a month, nothing more, and did so under pressure. He suddenly wanted her all for himself. Later, he realized she had a strong hand. Her grip was crushing, quite unexpected from a woman.
Katsuo’s instincts took over as he slipped his wrist out of her grip and held her against his side. The pinch in his back was the third thing that caught him off guard. One thing was for certain. He never had to guess where he stood with this one. If she was upset, she wouldn’t leave him in the dark.
He glanced to the side as Ciara carefully unwrapped her newly delivered porcelain chopsticks. With the movements of an expert, she quickly gripped them and started eating. Katsuo was impressed. He could count on one hand how many Europeans he had come across who could use chopsticks.
For some odd reason, it made him feel proud. He turned back to his own tray of food and continued eating. Breakfast was a peaceful matter as his vassals chatted among themselves. Katsuo took extreme care to finish after everyone else. When he was done, all the dishes were taken away.
“Gochisōsama deshita,” everybody murmured at that.
“Hey, I’m still—” Ciara started, but cut herself off when all voices suddenly ceased to murmur. Hesitating, she looked around at the cause of the sudden silence. Katsuo realized he forgot to check her plate. It was rare someone was seated next to him. Ciara still had half a fish on her plate, as she was the last one to start eating.
Silently, he berated himself, but there was nothing to be done. Ciara cleared her throat and put her chopsticks down, quietly enduring the awkward atmosphere that enveloped the room. Katsuo made a note to keep it in mind he had one more person to take into account now.
He sipped his tea, and everyone’s cup was refilled after his, but no small talk ensued in the following minutes. Everyone was slurping peacefully, but it was awfully quiet next to him. He risked a glance at the strange woman to see she was drinking the tea in silence. No slurps, no spills. Was it not to her taste? He raised his eyebrows in question. Maybe it was a Westerner thing.
“My lord, may I?”
One of his generals raised his cup, and Katsuo nodded. The man walked over to them and introduced himself to Ciara. One by one, all his vassals did the same, except one. Katsuo’s eyes sought his ninja.
“There’s one more person I need to introduce you to,” he murmured as the last samurai had left the dais.
“Where is he?” Ciara asked, playing with her teacup. She didn’t drink during the introductions. In fact, she was all smiles and pleasant, even to his most grumpy vassals.
“Probably on duty. He’s my chief of security and never rests,” Katsuo replied, silently wondering the same. Where was Taiki?
“Anyway, thank you for breakfast,” Ciara said as she moved to go.
“Milord!” A shrill voice cut through the room. Ciara looked up, half-standing in an awkward position because her legs felt like jelly. She had never in her life before sat on her knees for so long. This was going to kill her knees. She needed to find a chair or something, otherwise she would be a cripple in no time.
Ciara straightened up just as Katsuo stood up. She smoothed imaginary wrinkles on her silk kimono.
“Orihime-dono,” Katsuo said in greeting. Ciara looked more closely at the woman standing in the doorway. It was indeed the person who greeted them at the gate. Orihime hurried up to them with small steps. Ciara had to bite back a laugh as she saw the other woman wobble. She reminded her of a penguin. Ciara quickly sobered as she realized she must’ve been more clumsy than this woman in a dress she wasn’t used to.
“To what do I owe the… pleasure of your visit this fine morning?” Katsuo asked politely. There was only a small pause mid-sentence, a most impressive act, considering the circumstances.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Whatever do you mean, Orihime-dono?” Katsuo asked. He stood next to Ciara at the dais, looking down on Orihime. On one hand, Ciara felt awkward. On the other hand, she agreed to play the part. So, she did.
“Oh my, have you come to congratulate us? How sweet of you!” Ciara widened her eyes innocently and even managed a sincere-looking smile.
“What?” Orihime
barked, clearly not expecting this reaction.
“We’re honored you’re one of the first ones to congratulate us on our upcoming wedding! Aside from these fine gentlemen present in the room.” Ciara smiled at Katsuo and grabbed his hand. She jokingly added, “Although I’ve yet to receive an engagement ring, the matter is as formal as it can be.”
“Engagement ring? What is that?” Orihime asked, distracted by the strange words.
Ciara noticed Katsuo looking at her with a puzzled expression.
“Oh! In my home country, when a man asks a woman to be his wife, he gives her a ring. That’s called an engagement ring,” Ciara explained then shrugged, still holding hands with Katsuo. “Of course, at the wedding, both man and wife give each other rings, but until then… there’s the engagement ring! Exciting, isn’t it?” She smiled, looking between Orihime and Katsuo.
“Yes, of course,” Katsuo replied after a small pause. “I will arrange for a ring for you, I mean, us.”
“Brilliant, thank you, darling!” Ciara hugged him quickly, then stepped back. “I’m sorry, but we have some matters to attend to. It was lovely to meet you, Orihime.”
“Wha—” The woman couldn’t get one word in and she looked clearly upset. Ciara grabbed Katsuo’s hand again and dragged him through the side door that the servants had used during breakfast to make a quick escape.
She led him through several corridors until finally, he stopped her.
“What was that?”
Ciara felt her hand shaking and quickly let go, but Katsuo grabbed both her hands. He turned her to him and looked into her eyes.
“Answer me.”
Ciara glanced to the side, not meeting his eyes.
“I just did what you asked me to, acted as your bride. Hopefully, she’ll get out of your hair soon.”
“Was it only that?” His tone was sharp, making her look at him. She was momentarily distracted by his penetrating gaze.
“Yes. What else would it have been?” Ciara huffed and tried to retrieve her hands in vain. “Let go of me!”
“Not until you stop trembling.”
“I don’t have all day to wait here. Let go. Now.”
