Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Legend ~ Book One: Girl of Legend ❯ Eleven: Turning Tables (the Emperor Way) ( Chapter 11 )

   "They're taking too long." Nuriko paced the hallway and absently chewed a thumbnail. "How long does it take to confess somebody else's love, anyway?" She peered around the corner and glared daggers at the emperor's door as if trying to pierce right through it and impale the irritating little git of a girl on the other side.

   "And exactly who is confessing who's love to whom?"

   Nuriko released a squealing yelp and leaped a good two feet down the hall. "D-don't sneak up on me like that!" She whirled to glare furiously at a very bemused Tamahome.

   "And why are you skulking around like a bandit trying to sneak into the treasury?" The Seishi eyed her suspiciously. "Waiting for someone, are we?"

   Nuriko pouted when she realized he wasn't about to just go away as she silently willed him to do. "If you must know, Her Eminence is presently speaking with His Majesty on my behalf," she sniffed haughtily. "If all goes well, I should be the new empress by the next full moon."

   One of Tamahome's eyebrows shot into his hairline. "She didn't go in dressed like that, did she?" He skeptically eyed Nuriko's ensemble, which caused the woman to scowl fiercely and clutch the robe protectively around her throat, even though it was already as tightly closed as it could get.

   "Just what are you staring at?" she growled. "And so what if she did?"

   Tamahome wisely held back an amused chortle. "Do you even realize how His Majesty feels about her? Even I can tell. And rumors have been flying all over the place." His eyes narrowed. "I'll bet my entire salary that you're the one who put her up to this," he accused. "She'd never have the guts to try and set him up with another woman by herself. So, what'd you threaten her with?"

   "I did no such thing!" Nuriko sniffed, but the heat crawling into her face belied the protest.

   Tamahome casually scratched his chin as a sly grin touched his lips. "You know, I never realized it before under all those robes, but you've got even smaller breasts than KC. That must make her happy."

   "Shut up!" Nuriko roared.

   And Tamahome abruptly found himself flying down the hall, courtesy of her fist.

   Brushing her hands in a satisfied manner, Nuriko eyed the closed door again, then started determinedly forward as she pushed up her sleeves. "I'm goin' in," she growled. "She's been in there far too long. She'd better not have chickened out on me!"

   Tamahome, after prying himself from the Tama-shaped crater he'd made in the wall, hastily followed. Not to stop her from spying, of course, as that would have been highly suicidal on his part. He just wanted to see for himself what the heck was going on.

   Keeping a careful eye out for passing guards, the pair put their ears to the door and—after various mutters and shoves and elbowing each other out of the way—finally settled to listen in on what was happening on the other side.

~*~*~*~*~

   KC found herself drifting on waves of heightened sensation, sinking ever deeper into the rising tide of emotion that Hotohori invoked with his kiss. She had never been kissed before, so she had no comparison except for snatches of conversation between friends and classmates, various chick flicks, and the occasional cheesy romance novel stuffed well beneath her bed. But, as far as she could tell, Hotohori blew them all out of the water.

   It was dangerous, this kiss. Kisses, her mind corrected hazily. It had far surpassed the point of a single kiss; his mouth fluttered across hers with the breathy softness of butterfly wings, pressed over and over, slow and sensual as stronger and darker longings slipped into her subconscious. She found herself wanting more, and it seemed Hotohori understood her silent wishes, for the soft pressure of his lips grew heavier, deeper, making her senses swim. She felt intoxicated by his taste, his scent, his indescribable warmth as he skillfully coaxed her uncertain response.

   She was no fool. She knew enough about this sort of thing to realize—even if said realization was currently banished way, waaay in the back of her mind—that she was treading dangerous waters. The problem was, the pleasure far outweighed the knowledge that it needed to end soon. It was just so hard to think, especially when Hotohori made that particular little noise in the back of his throat, like half a purr and half a moan…

   She heard him murmur softly through the kiss, suckling at her lower lip in a way that made her toes curl. She slowly realized it had been her name he'd whispered, and she struggled through the pleasant haze clouding her mind. She managed to land in reality just long enough to figure out that his hand, which had once rested innocently beside her head, had begun to softly caress her throat beneath her loosened robe, made its way steadily southward in a heated trail.

   Sparks of desire flushed her skin wherever he touched, and she felt herself melt further as his weight pressed heavily into her, a muscled leg slipped between hers to pin her down. But then his seeking fingers lightly grazed her breast, his palm softly caressed over its peak and sent a shock of pleasure from her chest all the way down her arm into her fingertips, and common sense abruptly reasserted itself. Along with no small amount of panic. She released a choked-off cry and finally found the strength to shove the emperor off of her as she sucked in much-needed oxygen through burning lips. "H-hold your horses there, pal!" she panted heavily. "Wh—You—Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

   Hotohori sat up very slowly, his eyes dark and liquid with arousal as he regarded her. His lips looked as swollen as hers felt, soft and red and oh-so-kissable. She was sorely tempted to pull him back to her again, could barely resist the urge to give in and let him have his breathtaking way with her.

   "Forgive me," he murmured, his voice a husky rasp that grated against her senses like rough velvet. She shuddered at the sound of it. He had the grace to look embarrassed, stared at his offending hand as though he didn't recognize it. "I … I never meant to allow myself get so carried away. It's just that I've waited so long to find you, and now that you are finally here…" He trailed off, shivering slightly as he wrapped both arms around himself. His liquid eyes met hers with unnerving intensity, silently telling her in no uncertain terms what he truly desired.

   KC swallowed audibly, self-consciously straightened her robe as she slowly sat up, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. "I—That is—I wasn't expecting you—Um…" She gave up trying to talk and nervously plucked at the silken sheets. She spent a few moments weighing her options. One: make a mad dash for the door and hope she didn't permanently offend him. Two: stay and allow herself to be thoroughly seduced.

   Decisions, decisions…

   "Has my confession frightened you?" Hotohori's softly-voiced question jerked her out of her musings. He cupped her chin with a gentle hand and raised it so she would meet his eyes.

   "No! Um. W-well, maybe a little. I-it's just that—I mean, you took me totally by surprise! We barely know each other and I never thought you'd ever—Well, it's not like I'm anyone special or anything and—" She cut herself off before she really began to babble.

   Hotohori smiled brilliantly. "There is plenty of time for us to come to know each other." He took her hand, earnest. "KC, I know you said that you wished to return to your world when Suzaku has been summoned, but it is my wish that you remain here, instead, and become my empress."

   KC's jaw dropped and she gaped at him in complete shock. "I … I—Wait, marriage? Become an empress? I can't do that! I'm too young!"

   "You are sixteen, are you not?"

   "Yes, but—"

   "Then you are certainly of a legal age to wed. In this country, there are women who marry as young as thirteen. It is not at all uncommon."

   "It is where I'm from!" she blurted, panicked. "I just—I can't marry you! Or anyone! I've gotta go home and—"

   "It's all right," he interrupted, gently running his fingers through her hair. "I do not expect you to decide immediately. I understand this is … something of a shock for you."

   Talk about the understatement of the millennium! KC didn't think her senses would ever stop spinning.

   "Please, consider my proposal carefully," he continued, eyes serious. "It will certainly be a large adjustment in your life, but I will be with you to help you through it. KC, I have always loved you, more than anyone. I hope that, in time, you will come to love me, as well."

   "But—" KC found herself caught in his hopeful, pleading gaze and realized that she just couldn't outright refuse him, even if common sense dictated otherwise.

   There was no way she was ready to get married. She was still trying to make it out of high school in one piece, and she had barely begun to consider what she wanted to do afterward. An empress had certainly never figured into the equation. Besides, she hated politics—The Presidential speeches she'd been forced to endure in Social Studies had put her to sleep enough times for her to acknowledge this—and what did she know about running a country? Especially one in an entirely different universe?

   So why was it so difficult to just say no?

   She was saved, however, when Hotohori abruptly stiffened and glanced at the door with a narrowed gaze. Without a word, he rose and padded on silent feet toward it. Surprised and more than a little confused, KC leaned over as far as she could to watch as he pulled the heavy door open with a sharp jerk.

   Nuriko and Tamahome tumbled into the room, sprawled ungracefully at the emperor's bare feet as startled exclamations colored the air.

   KC yelped and promptly fell off the bed. Scrambled to her feet and hastily readjusted her skewed robe, trying to look as though she hadn't just been in the middle of a hot-and-heavy make-out session.

   Hotohori merely stood there and glowered, clearly not caring that he also looked as if he'd been in the middle of a hot-and-heavy makeout session that his rather mussed appearance failed to hide.

   As for the two eavesdroppers, as soon as they figured out just who stood over them, they promptly closed their eyes and began snoring loudly.

   "You may as well get up," Hotohori said flatly. "You're not fooling anyone." He turned on his heel, readjusting his garments as he went.

   Tamahome coughed into his hand and sat up. "Uh, I just came along to pick up KC," he said nonchalantly. "Nuriko's been waiting for a while and … er … she was getting a bit worried about her, that's all."

   Nuriko looked as though she'd like to rip Tamahome's tongue out of his head. She also looked as if she'd like to rip off KC's head. The Priestess felt her stomach drop to her feet as she realized the Seishi had probably heard, well, pretty much everything.

   I'm not gonna live to see the next sunrise, am I?

   So much for her plan to win the woman over.

   "While I have given you permission to visit my chambers as you wished, perhaps, in the future, you both might use a bit more discretion," Hotohori advised grimly.

   "Er, duly noted, Your Majesty." Tamahome not-so-subtly attempted to propel Nuriko down the hall. "G'night, KC! See you in the morning!" He flashed an obnoxious wink before he managed to drag the balking woman around the corner.

   "Uh, wait a sec! I'll go with you!" KC sputtered, scrambling after them.

   "KC." Hotohori's soft voice brought her up short. "Please remember what I told you. Perhaps you are unprepared to seriously consider my proposal, but I promise that I'll do anything to win your love." He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to protest. "I would never order you to stay against your will," he assured her, "but that does not mean I won't spend my time courting you properly. I shall do my very best to woo you, and make you fall as much in love with me as I am with you."

   She opened her mouth several times, for once at a complete loss for words. His serious gaze softened as he took in her uncertain expression and pale features. "You seem tired. You may sleep in my chambers tonight." He stroked a hand softly over her hair.

   "Uh, no, that's okay. I-I'll just go back to my room." She backed hastily away from him. Her entire body was still sparking with the heat of those few passionate minutes; she wasn't sure she trusted herself to resist should he decide to pick things up where they'd left off. She knew she didn't trust him not to try. No matter how good or noble he was, he was still a man, after all. As Brady always said, one could always count on a man to possess a one-track mind, and most times that track ran straight through the gutter.

   She stepped into the hallway with the full intention of leaving. However, the first thing she saw was an angry, red-violet eye peering around the corner. Said eye narrowed dangerously when it set its sight on KC, and she squeaked and hurriedly jumped back into the room, slammed the door and leaned on it heavily.

   Upon noticing Hotohori's startled frown, she grinned weakly and scratched her head. "Uh. M-maybe I'll take you up on that offer, after all. I am sorta tired. Dunno if I have the strength to make it all the way down … the … hallway. I could, you know, sprawl out on the floor. A few blankets, maybe a pillow or two. It'd be just like a sleepover!" She cleared her throat and attempted to look less nervous than she felt.

   "I would never dream of making my beloved sleep on the floor," Hotohori scolded with a playful smile.

   "Well, I'm not gonna share your bed, if that's what you're thinking!" she blurted and quickly slapped her hand over her mouth.

   Hotohori's cheeks darkened. "I—No, that isn't what I meant," he stuttered. "Please, don't think I'd take—Just come with me." He led her across the expansive room toward another doorway, opened into a smaller chamber decorated in shades of cream and gold. Though less lavishly furnished, it was still beautiful and elegant in its simplicity. A smaller version of his elaborate bed graced the middle of the floor. "You may sleep in here."

   Why on earth anyone would need two bedrooms all to themselves was a mystery, but she peered curiously into the apartment. "It's beautiful. A bit too feminine for you, though." She glanced up at him. "Is this room meant for your, uh, future empress?"

   He chuckled softly. "No. It is merely a spare room. The empress shall have apartments prepared for her in the Seraglio, with the other wives."

   "Other wives." KC frowned as she recalled what Nuriko had told her during their first meeting. She hadn't thought much about it at the time, but suddenly, it seemed a whole lot more personal. "The emperor takes more than one wife?" she asked uncertainly.

   "Traditionally, yes."

   "But the empress is…"

   "She is First Wife, held in esteem and preferred above all the others."

   "So I would be … First Wife?"

   "Yes."

   Her frown deepened. "No."

   "I … beg your pardon?"

   "I don't want to be a First Wife. I want to be an only wife. Someday! Not right now," she hastily clarified. "Besides, in my country, being married to more than one woman at a time isn't even legal. Not to mention it's generally frowned upon by polite society. Guys who do that sort of thing are nothing but scum."

   He appeared startled at her vehemence.

   She looked down, blushing. She really ought to watch how she spoke to him; he was still the emperor, after all. "Why would you even need more than one wife, anyway?"

   "In the possibility that the First Wife is barren, there must always be another who can bear the emperor an heir. More than one, if possible, as … accidents tend to happen to those closest in line to the throne, and often to their mothers."

   A slightly bitter twist to his mouth made her wonder if he spoke through personal experience. Come to think of it, where were his parents? Or siblings? Or even cousins? She considered asking but thought the better of it. It wasn't any of her business. Besides, she was really having issues with this whole wife thing. "So, what if it's the emperor's fault the First Wife can't have kids?" she challenged.

   He hesitated. "I … am not certain I understand your meaning."

   "I mean, what if his boys aren't swimming upstream?" At his obvious confusion, she rolled her eyes and said bluntly, "What if he's sterile? You know, his sperm is dead? You do know what I mean by sperm, right?"

   He flushed, offended. "KC! Th-this is hardly an appropriate—"

   "Oh, come on," she sighed. "You brought all this up! And I'm not six. I've had all the sex ed classes. Don't look at me like that! I'm not saying you're the one who's sterile, but hypothetically, it's just downright sexist to push all the blame on the woman when the trouble could just as easily stem from the man! So what happens in that case? Does the empress get to pick a harem of gorgeous men and have a lie-in with them until one of them impregnates her?"

   As Hotohori sputtered for a reply, a bit of KC's World History lessons suddenly flashed through her mind in regards to this very issue, and she blanched. "And don't you even tell me that the lady is exiled or imprisoned or killed over it as if it's all her fault! It's happened in my world's history! If that's the case here, then you can definitely forget it."

   She thought for a moment that Hotohori might actually pass out from lack of oxygen and prayed she hadn't offended him too badly. "It's something you ought to think about," she mumbled. "Anyway, if you're so intent on marrying me, I guess I should warn you that I don't share. There will be no second or third wives, no consorts on the side, no secret lovers in the garden. If I ever caught my man cheating, he'd be out on his ass in a heartbeat. 'Til death do us part' means me and him. Not me, him, and all of his whores."

   Hotohori looked at her as if she'd just kicked his puppy and she sighed. A small, grim smile slid over her lips. "I'm sorry. I know I'm being terribly rude to you. You're still my friend and I don't want to be mean, but you need to consider my feelings, too." She gave an offhand shrug. "Although maybe you've changed your mind now. Nuriko probably is a better choice for you. She understands how things work around here, and she seems perfectly willing to play by the rules. She'd probably make a great First Wife, come to think of it. She's awfully good at being bossy. She'd keep everyone else in line, I'm sure."

   KC fell silent and waited. She fully expected him to launch into a lecture about speaking so rudely on such a personal topic. She wouldn't have been surprised if he kicked her out on her ass for it. She supposed she couldn't blame him if he was angry; she just hoped she hadn't pissed him off enough to throw her back in that dungeon for awhile.

   It was all the more surprising when, instead, she felt her face gently cupped in large, warm hands, her chin tilted to meet the soft pressure of his mouth. She barely stood her ground, legs trembling as his lips caressed hers for long, heady moments until he withdrew to level a searching gaze on her bewildered face. There was no anger in his eyes, only sincere affection touched with admiration.

   "Thank you for your honesty." His breath ghosted across her lips, made her breath catch. "Your feelings are certainly something I shall keep in mind." His smile was faint. "But perhaps I might ease your mind. Although I understand the practicality and even the necessity of it, I have never once considered taking more than one wife."

   Her eyes narrowed. "Then why do you even need a harem?" she pointed out.

   The smile reappeared. "On my advisors' insistence. It keeps them content and out of my hair. On this matter, at least."

   "Oh." She supposed that made sense. She'd seen how pushy those crabby old men could be. She honestly wondered why he even kept some of them around.

   Hotohori's thumb caressed her cheek, drew her gaze helplessly to his. "Since I first learned of your existence, you have been the only wife I've ever wished to obtain," he murmured. "I do not desire to bed anyone other than the woman I love most, and that woman has always been you alone."

   She stared up at him, flushed and flustered all over again, nearly swaying on her feet. "Oh," she squeaked. And it seemed the only thing she could say as he led her into the chamber, tucked her carefully into the bed, pressed a final lingering kiss to her mouth, and left her to her own befuddled musings.