Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Life in the Imperial Court ❯ Stolen Moments ( Chapter 5 )

This short story with my original character is dedicated to his number one fan, Miss KittyLynne. I offer up his services to her brilliance.

 

Disclaimer: Penpaninu does not claim to own Houki, Boushin or Fushigi Yuugi. Nor is making any money off of this. Does own the character of Shuntaka however.

 

“Stolen Moments”

by penpaninu

 

Purple hair lying with brown. Strong limbs entwined intimately beneath crimson silk blankets. Shuntaka lay half awake to the scene before him, noting how good his lean strong arms looked lying around her Highness' slim middle. He could make out the small telltale signs of childbirth around her thighs and on her stomach when they were this close and bare from their stations. One lean but firm hand pressed against such a mark and tenderly caressed the natural mar of his lover's beauty. Her Supreme Majesty the Dowager Empress in Regent was as still trim as a young courtesan, and she carried the aftermath of bearing the Imperial Heir with grace and aplomb.

Her poise never lagged, her speech never faltered, and her passion…. well her passion never failed to bring Shuntaka to his knees in dedication, and in supplication that she would seek him out.

 

No matter how close they were in private, oft times his royal lover would demand a soft-spoken decree that he try to melt her reserves. But Houki always joked when she said this. It was this task that brought out the knowledge that Houki enjoyed having her feet rubbed. It was a first step into their intimate secret relationship even before a kiss would be exchanged. It was almost the first sign that all outward appearances could be dropped between them. Shuntaka and Houki were rarely alone throughout the day, and to even try could be a severe breach of protocol.

 

But being summoned by a young foot runner in the middle of the night, or being visited by Houki while Shuntaka cared for her son, well those…. those were within bounds Shuntaka was certain.

 

Houki sighed and stretched against the tall slim serving man. His eyes clouded as he smoothed his arms tightly around her, offering unspoken protection in these brief moments alone. It was the only moments they could be a man and woman and both reveled in the secrecy Houki's position could allow, but feared the outcome if it were common knowledge. Not even the Prime Minister, Houki's strong right hand for many years, could know.

 

While Shuntaka could almost hate his position being so close to his Empress and not being allowed to touch, he would never trade it to another as long as he could live. He secretly and dearly loved Boushin, the small boy growing to be a strong man and one day, a just ruler. As just as Celestial Suzaku Star Hotohori had been, all whispered and nodded.

It tore Shuntaka's heart that he knew the boy as a mere boy where others saw him as a living god. He was the future ruler of Konan Empire under Suzaku's will. He was bred to rule, he was taught to be wise, and he was drilled with knowledge and fact and the proper schooling. Boushin was years off from taking the first governor's exams even every Emperor must take to be deemed worthy of Suzaku's throne; and sometimes Shuntaka wondered if the boy who turned into Konan's ruler would remember him when he turned into the man who would no longer need bedtime stories, his hand held when he had a nightmare, or a kind fatherly word from a servant he liked merely for being there for him.

 

It was Shuntaka's job to be there for Boushin, but while others would carry out their duty remaining detached emotionally, it was beneath Shuntaka to fathom locking his heart away from the boy he served. He wished the prince were his own son. He wished he could give Houki another son, a piece of both of them to proclaim to the lands that they loved one another. But it was not for Shuntaka, to know the joy of an infant given him by the woman he loved. And sometimes it tore at his heart.

The only imperial mannerisms Houki took into their bed were that he finish apart from her, spilling his seed upon her belly. It was only a few times a month she fervently asked this of him, when she did not drink special herb teas to ensure a pregnancy was not instigated. Shuntaka could only bow on one knee and promise he would ensure her protection.

 

Then they would come together, almost attacking each other with unleashing passion, undressing and moving towards the wide low bed Houki slept in. It was the bed she had shared with Celestial Star Hotohori, Shuntaka knew, and the first time he was pulled there he almost faltered, his passion going limp at the mere thought. What right did he have to be here? For a mere tumble with a lonely empress? He couldn't dishonor his Empress or his late Emperor! This was not his place and the rich trappings of the room mocked his every move. Shuntaka had tried to leave that first time, to leave a large change undone for the better, or how he saw it at the time.

Houki saved that rather bad moment with low whispers, hungry kisses and ready hands. It was true she wanted him, and Shuntaka was flattered. He tried not to let his heart show through, for it would be his undoing he was sure. It would hurt him too badly.

 

When they had come together, Houki's hands clutching Shuntaka's back from the savagery of his passion, he was shocked at the depth her eyes showed him. She did care for him, and not just in the manner of a lover. She cared for him. She loved him. Even if these moments were only too few throughout the days, he would take them as he could.

 

Shuntaka leaned on one elbow, hand rubbing Houki's belly as he spooned her from behind. It tamed his heart that she moved so readily against his touch. Shuntaka's eyes slit in tenderness and he leaned down to kiss her temple. His lips slowly moved down to her neck and Houki moaned appreciatively. Her eyes slit open and she arched an arm back to wrap over his hip. Houki turned her head back to reach him.

 

“Good morning,” Shuntaka murmured and leaned to kiss her lips. Houki stretched luxuriously with a small moan.

 

“It's almost time for Boushin to be up isn't it?” she asked softly. Shuntaka nodded, mentally assessing how much more time they truly had before he had to be dressed and in the other royal bedchamber. His Imperial Majesty held a staunch routine and schedule and would expect to see Shuntaka first hand.

“Yes…. Will you take it easy on your feet today?” Shuntaka asked, his eyes twinkling. Houki smiled and turned in his arms to press against him. Nothing stood between them but their naked flesh.

 

“But if I don't, I get you to rub them for me later,” she laughed. Shuntaka rubbed her back, letting her rest against him.

“How long before your maids come to you?” he asked. His loins stirred against her and Houki smiled with a knowing look.

“The sun is not quite up, my love. Please don't leave me yet,” Houki requested in her lilting voice. When she pressed against him that way and spoke such loving words, Shuntaka couldn't find it in himself to begrudge her passion. Or his, for that matter.

 

“I wouldn't leave you alone, ever….” Shuntaka murmured. He pressed Houki's arms above her head and leaned down to kiss her.

 

* * * *

 

Boushin's tutor droned on and on. Boushin's tiny brows furrowed as he tried to concentrate, tiny fingers clutching a calligraphy brush. Shuntaka stood at his elbow and stifled a yawn, his eyes blurry from lack of sleep. It was his own fault for giving Houki his amorous advances, but Shuntaka reflected he didn't get any real sleep unless he were abed with the other attendants of the prince in their male dormitory right off of the royal bedchamber.

Shuntaka touched the side of his neck, feeling his lover's passionate kiss there even through his high collar. He coughed and stood at attention behind his prince, ready for any command, yet aloof so he could pay attention to his schooling. Hearing the frustrated small exhale from his prince told Shuntaka that he was just as bored with this lesson as he was. And he had to sit straight and tall and learn all of it, every single word.

Shuntaka pitied his prince, but knew he had the fortitude to get through a day's lessons of boredom. Boushin continued to amaze everyone with his self-control and diligently went through his lessons with ready conviction. He grit his teeth and applied the right amount of pressure with his brush. Shuntaka allowed an indulgent fatherly smile to grace his lips, but quashed it quickly before Yash, ever at his side, could notice.

 

“Well done, Boushin-sama,” the tutor bowed. Yash tugged at Shuntaka's sleeve as a group of dignitaries swept into the classroom. The Prime Minister and Houki herself were among the high-ranking officials and Shuntaka bowed down on one knee beside Yash and his other colleagues.

The tutor kowtowed but Boushin only greeted his mother with a happy word. Shuntaka looked up at his Empress under his bangs and was rewarded with a momentary private gleam in her eyes. He blushed and smiled beatifically, lowering his gaze once more.

 

“How is he progressing today?” Houki asked serenely. The tutor stammered the prince's marks and lessons, indicating a more than average advancement. Houki nodded as the Prime Minister beamed.

“I knew he was a good idea to hire for the prince's lessons,” The Prime Minister exclaimed grandly. The tutor stuttered, thanking him for the compliment.

 

“Indeed he was,” one of the dignitaries backed him up. Like a well-trained parrot, Shuntaka thought idly. He was sure his older brothers would have laughed about that joke, and kept it to himself. He had briefly told Houki of his own family, and he was certain she would understand the joke as well.

 

“Carry on, then,” The Prime Minister suggested and his dignitaries flocked behind him in a loud rustle of robes crinkling against bustling men. The Prime Minister kept a vigorous pace that he only slowed for Houki and Boushin, and the courtiers were hard-pressed to keep up or be left behind.

Shuntaka smiled about that and kept his gaze lowered respectfully. Only Houki and her maids remained and his Empress stood over her son's shoulder and quietly conversed with him. She did not kiss him in public but she did pat his shoulder. Shuntaka's charge grinned to himself and held his brush ready over the ink stone.

 

Shuntaka stayed down on one knee beside Yash, both thinking the end of that visit. Shuntaka was duly surprised when one of the younger maids stopped before the male attendant and giggled. Shuntaka looked up through his long brown bangs, curiosity in his gaze.

 

“Do you require anything?” he asked eloquently. Houki was just now leaving with the rest, what did this woman want? Shuntaka would feel bad if he had to repel her advances if that's what she intended. He was a one Houki man.

The maid blushed and offered a tiny wrapped parcel. It was small and fit in her small palm. Held in Shuntaka's large hand, it looked dwarfed.

 

“Someone close to your heart wanted you to have this,” the maid dipped a curtsey and shashayed off after the Empress' entourage. Yash guffawed and elbowed Shuntaka in the side. His elbow jarred the slim man's wiry muscles.

“Oh, one of those maids has a crush I bet! Come on, what'd she give you?” Yash demanded. Shuntaka had no choice but to excuse himself from Boushin and the lesson, putting another of their colleagues to watch their prince. Yash dogged his steps all the way outside to a garden.

So Shuntaka grit his teeth and opened the parcel carefully, hoping it wasn't anything too obvious. Yash couldn't know of his involvement with the Empress. He was instantly relieved to see a simple pledge, fancy in silk and smelling of exotic but sensible perfume. It was so non-descript that it could seem it was from anyone BUT the Empress Regent. When Shuntaka turned it over in his large hands, tiny red thread embroidered the most simple lotus blossom. He blushed as he took in the implications of such a symbol. The stitching had to have been in his Houki's hand, implying her position in the seraglio before her marriage to Suzaku Star Hotohori. It was also a blatant symbol for eroticism and what they did together. It was obvious to him to who it was really from, but almost unnoticeable to anyone else if they themselves investigated the anonymous gift.

 

Shuntaka smiled softly and inhaled the perfume. Of course. Houki enjoyed wearing this just for him. Such a bad thing for her to do, to try and take his mind off his daily tasks. He would go mad just with smelling the pledge.

Yash didn't notice and exclaimed loudly over the present. “Man, I wish some pretty maid would send me something like that! Who's it from do you think? Sou Lin? Or Sou Wann?”

 

Shuntaka shook his head, tucking the pledge inside his over tunic. It pressed close to his heart where he intended it to be. “I don't know, Yash! Must be someone special, right?”

 

Yash loudly agreed. Shuntaka mentally made plans to try and drop hints to see Houki tonight.

 

The day was grueling and long. Boushin's generous nature always eased any mood of his, but Shuntaka found himself watching the sun when escorting his prince through the covered hallways near the gardens. If only night would come faster!

Of course Yash told the other men who served Boushin and they ribbed and bothered Shuntaka all night when the prince was not privy to hear. Shuntaka refused to produce the gift, keeping it tucked away from sight. His colleagues called him a spoilsport but let him off easier than expected.

 

All that evening, Shuntaka felt like his spine would break from being so rigid. Houki hadn't come to see Boushin, or him, for the rest of the day. True, she probably had pressing matters, and Master Chichiri could pop in any almost any given moment, but you would think she would give him something to be happy about!

Shuntaka was tucking the prince in when a young boy asked leave to enter the royal chambers. Once Yash let him in, the skinny ten-year-old bowed low, his braid falling over his shoulder.

 

“Master Shuntaka, this message was sent for you,” the boy said, handing the rolled up scroll. Shuntaka took it and opened it. His gaze softened and he almost smiled.

“Thank you. You may go,” Shuntaka said smoothly, tucking the scroll into his sash. He and Yash took up spots on either side of Boushin's bed, turning down the heavy covers. The imperial heir stood ready, dressed in a long sleeping robe, his brown hair loose over his shoulders. Their other colleagues stood flanking him. After the prince climbed in and was tucked away, Boushin smiled and held his small hand up for his nightly ritual,

 

Shuntaka knelt beside the large bed and clasped his prince's hand. “I will be just in the other room as always, my prince. Pleasant dreams, and may Suzaku bless you.” Sometimes he would cringe that the first part of that promise wasn't exactly true some nights, tonight included. But his intentions were meant to be good so Shuntaka hoped his prince would forgive him if he had a nightmare and he wasn't available.

 

Boushin sighed and closed his eyes. Yash and the other men quietly slunk to their adjoining servant's dormitory and Shuntaka took his leave. He slipped away to Houki's private sitting room and was greeted by his Empress. She wore a simpler version of the imperial robe, phoenixes sewn in red silk down the sides. Shuntaka raised an eyebrow, wondering how accessible that robe was if he tried to take it off. Houki stood on her tiptoes, cupped his face in her palms and kissed him. Shuntaka enfolded her in his arms.

All too soon Houki separated from him and rearranged her robe.

 

“I am sorry, Shuntaka, but we don't have time tonight,” she whispered. Shuntaka watched his empress tuck a lock of hair back into its bun. He exhaled raggedly, collecting himself.

“When the messenger came, I thought that wasn't the case,” he said evenly. Houki turned, her eyes alight with mirth and touched his jaw.

“You are wonderful, my darling. I am sorry, but Chichiri-sama arrived earlier than thought. We're to reconvene in one hour's time,” she murmured. Shuntaka took her hand and kissed the back of it.

 

“Thank you for the gift, then. It will keep me company tonight,” Shuntaka winked. Houki kissed him softly.

 

The memory of her laughter kept him company as he lay awake in his dormitory beside Boushin's chambers. The silk pledge was pressed against his cheek so he could keep Houki's scent near. It was a poor substitute than to be pressed close against her soft warmth, but Shuntaka knew it would have to do when the status positions were so apparent as they were tonight.

 

Some moments were more open for the taking after all.

 

End for now

 

Like it? Hate it? Please send a review! It only takes one second, and they feed fanfic authors like you wouldn't believe. Random Chinese names for maids were taken from Jet Li movies I've seen. Do not own or pretend to own.

 

Most sincerely yours, penpaninu 2/27/06