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31_days2006-01-14 12:05 am
courtesanwrtngs.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2006-01-14 12:05 am
Jan. 13, [12 Kingdoms] Character Wise
Title: Character Wise
Day/Theme: January 13,”Red Letter Day”
Series: Twelve Kingdoms
Characters: Keiki, Youko
Rating: G
Word Count:
Notes: All things "Twelve Kingdoms" belong to Fumiyo Ono, this is a mere fanwork, written for pleasure, and not meant to challenge copyright. Inspired by the story, “By Any Other Name” by canis_m. Once the idea sparked, it wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote it down.
[ETA: Helps when I remember the cut and the spell-check... *blush*]
Character Wise
by Cerise Tennyo
Kei, Mid-Autumn, the 43rd Year of Sekiraku
“Keiki!”
Even after almost half a century, he had not yet managed to impress upon her Majesty the indignity of a queen chasing after even the Taiho like a simple messenger girl. She has a legion of servants willing to bear any message for her, any distance, at any time, and yet she insists on this behavior... He turned around, beheld her Majesty striding towards him, the hint of a smile on her face. The warmth and contentment any Kirin felt in the presence of its master swept over him, strengthened by this show of her apparent contentment.
He'd learned that Youko’s warm smiles usually meant something good for Kei. A curious way to measure progress and recovery, and not part of any aspect of governance he’d learned--but one that had proven more reliable than most.
“Keiki, come with me, if you please.”
“As her Majesty wishes.”
Of course, that didn’t mean he had to set aside all notions of proper behavior. He wasn’t Hanrin, after all. The image of a “proper Empress” he’d carried in his heart and mind for so long had gradually faded over time, re-weaving itself into a mantle that draped now around the shoulders of the one the people called “Sekishi.” He couldn't recall just when he’d stopped measuring her against the specter of Yo-Ou and begun to see her for herself--but it seemed that the lights of Heaven had shown brighter ever since.
She led him to one of the smaller receiving rooms. A tea service had already been set up on the table. From the corner of his eye, he could see the trailing hem of a woman’s garment whisking out of sight, in the colors her Majesty's chief handmaiden preferred. He’d been wrong about the handmaidens losing respect for her Majesty due to her displays of kindness. He wondered if her Majesty realized she had a whole other army to call on now.
He waited until her Majesty had seated herself, then poured for them both, claiming his privilege of personally attending his master. He sat down, rested his hands on his thighs, and waited. Her Majesty sipped from her cup, glancing at him over the rim. Her green eyes sparkled. He shifted, a little uneasy. He knew her well enough now to know this heralded one of her bizarre gestures of 'logic'--one that maddeningly almost always played out well. It seemed the Heavens delighted in mocking a poor Kirin.
“I have something for you,” her Majesty announced. “It finally arrived today, and I didn't want to wait for some state holiday to give it to you.”
“For...me?” He looked at his Empress in surprise. Her Majesty was generous, but his discomfort with such things was known to her.
Still smiling, she produced a small drawstring pouch from inside her sleeve. Working the strings loose, she shook something out into the palm of her hand. “Here.”
He leaned over her outstretched hand. A small oval pin rested in her palm, crafted from red gold. He could see the character of ki, written as ‘spirit’, etched into its center. Above it, a skilled jeweler had mounted a small cabachon-style gem, perhaps a topaz or even a bit of amber. Such a gift made no sense.
“I’ve seen many of the other Kirin with a piece of jewelry on state occasions, like the clasp Taiki wears with his formal robes, or the beads Ro--En Taiho wears every day. I know it’s not an Imperial Treasure, like what the Ren Taiho wears, but I thought you might like something yourself.”
“Your Majesty,” he protested, “it is not necessary--”
She merely arched a slanting red brow at him. He took a deep breath. He liked his plain, sober garments, how they allowed him to pass with little notice. After Yo-Ou's hysterical attentions, he found great comfort in being so overlooked. Yet... he must look drab as common stone beside his Empress at state functions. To diminish her, in any way...
“If it pleases her Majesty to adorn her Kirin in some small way, I will accept this.”
“You're welcome,” she said dryly.
He took the tiny ornament from her hand. It really was a simple thing, he noted with some relief. A small clasp, with the character of “ki”, which he could hardly object--
He looked closer. After so many years, he could recognize the pattern of strokes. This character had been modled after one written by her Majesty’s own hand. Ki, in the form of spirit, with a jewel set above it. Jewel, which could also be written as kei. Keiki. In red gold, a metal that reflected the hair and skin of the woman-child the Heavens chose as his master.
“Your Majesty...” he breathed.
Youko had returned to her tea. A small pile of papers had materialized from seemingly nowhere, and she studied them with apparent absorption. The pin gleamed in his hand. Keiki, written as ‘spirit jewel.’ He’d heard from the En Taiho that the term had some religious significance in Hourai, though he was not sure what. Perhaps he would ask. Perhaps the answer did not matter.
Only those Kirin born as Taika had individual names, save at the discretion of their masters, as indications of favor. Yo-Ou, for all her frenzied declarations of love, had never altered his name. And now her Majesty...
The pin rested easily on his collar. Her Majesty did not look up, but some faint line of tension eased from her shoulders.
“It looks like some of the eastern provinces are fussing again,” she remarked. “I’m pretty sure it's just noise--but it wouldn’t hurt to take a closer look.”
She passed him one of parchments. He accepted it, lowering his head a fraction more than formality required. “As her Majesty wishes.”
--end--
Day/Theme: January 13,”Red Letter Day”
Series: Twelve Kingdoms
Characters: Keiki, Youko
Rating: G
Word Count:
Notes: All things "Twelve Kingdoms" belong to Fumiyo Ono, this is a mere fanwork, written for pleasure, and not meant to challenge copyright. Inspired by the story, “By Any Other Name” by canis_m. Once the idea sparked, it wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote it down.
[ETA: Helps when I remember the cut and the spell-check... *blush*]
Character Wise
by Cerise Tennyo
Kei, Mid-Autumn, the 43rd Year of Sekiraku
“Keiki!”
Even after almost half a century, he had not yet managed to impress upon her Majesty the indignity of a queen chasing after even the Taiho like a simple messenger girl. She has a legion of servants willing to bear any message for her, any distance, at any time, and yet she insists on this behavior... He turned around, beheld her Majesty striding towards him, the hint of a smile on her face. The warmth and contentment any Kirin felt in the presence of its master swept over him, strengthened by this show of her apparent contentment.
He'd learned that Youko’s warm smiles usually meant something good for Kei. A curious way to measure progress and recovery, and not part of any aspect of governance he’d learned--but one that had proven more reliable than most.
“Keiki, come with me, if you please.”
“As her Majesty wishes.”
Of course, that didn’t mean he had to set aside all notions of proper behavior. He wasn’t Hanrin, after all. The image of a “proper Empress” he’d carried in his heart and mind for so long had gradually faded over time, re-weaving itself into a mantle that draped now around the shoulders of the one the people called “Sekishi.” He couldn't recall just when he’d stopped measuring her against the specter of Yo-Ou and begun to see her for herself--but it seemed that the lights of Heaven had shown brighter ever since.
She led him to one of the smaller receiving rooms. A tea service had already been set up on the table. From the corner of his eye, he could see the trailing hem of a woman’s garment whisking out of sight, in the colors her Majesty's chief handmaiden preferred. He’d been wrong about the handmaidens losing respect for her Majesty due to her displays of kindness. He wondered if her Majesty realized she had a whole other army to call on now.
He waited until her Majesty had seated herself, then poured for them both, claiming his privilege of personally attending his master. He sat down, rested his hands on his thighs, and waited. Her Majesty sipped from her cup, glancing at him over the rim. Her green eyes sparkled. He shifted, a little uneasy. He knew her well enough now to know this heralded one of her bizarre gestures of 'logic'--one that maddeningly almost always played out well. It seemed the Heavens delighted in mocking a poor Kirin.
“I have something for you,” her Majesty announced. “It finally arrived today, and I didn't want to wait for some state holiday to give it to you.”
“For...me?” He looked at his Empress in surprise. Her Majesty was generous, but his discomfort with such things was known to her.
Still smiling, she produced a small drawstring pouch from inside her sleeve. Working the strings loose, she shook something out into the palm of her hand. “Here.”
He leaned over her outstretched hand. A small oval pin rested in her palm, crafted from red gold. He could see the character of ki, written as ‘spirit’, etched into its center. Above it, a skilled jeweler had mounted a small cabachon-style gem, perhaps a topaz or even a bit of amber. Such a gift made no sense.
“I’ve seen many of the other Kirin with a piece of jewelry on state occasions, like the clasp Taiki wears with his formal robes, or the beads Ro--En Taiho wears every day. I know it’s not an Imperial Treasure, like what the Ren Taiho wears, but I thought you might like something yourself.”
“Your Majesty,” he protested, “it is not necessary--”
She merely arched a slanting red brow at him. He took a deep breath. He liked his plain, sober garments, how they allowed him to pass with little notice. After Yo-Ou's hysterical attentions, he found great comfort in being so overlooked. Yet... he must look drab as common stone beside his Empress at state functions. To diminish her, in any way...
“If it pleases her Majesty to adorn her Kirin in some small way, I will accept this.”
“You're welcome,” she said dryly.
He took the tiny ornament from her hand. It really was a simple thing, he noted with some relief. A small clasp, with the character of “ki”, which he could hardly object--
He looked closer. After so many years, he could recognize the pattern of strokes. This character had been modled after one written by her Majesty’s own hand. Ki, in the form of spirit, with a jewel set above it. Jewel, which could also be written as kei. Keiki. In red gold, a metal that reflected the hair and skin of the woman-child the Heavens chose as his master.
“Your Majesty...” he breathed.
Youko had returned to her tea. A small pile of papers had materialized from seemingly nowhere, and she studied them with apparent absorption. The pin gleamed in his hand. Keiki, written as ‘spirit jewel.’ He’d heard from the En Taiho that the term had some religious significance in Hourai, though he was not sure what. Perhaps he would ask. Perhaps the answer did not matter.
Only those Kirin born as Taika had individual names, save at the discretion of their masters, as indications of favor. Yo-Ou, for all her frenzied declarations of love, had never altered his name. And now her Majesty...
The pin rested easily on his collar. Her Majesty did not look up, but some faint line of tension eased from her shoulders.
“It looks like some of the eastern provinces are fussing again,” she remarked. “I’m pretty sure it's just noise--but it wouldn’t hurt to take a closer look.”
She passed him one of parchments. He accepted it, lowering his head a fraction more than formality required. “As her Majesty wishes.”
--end--