Yatagarasu Series
Volume 1:
Ravens Shouldn't
Wear Kimono
Author: Chisato Abe
Part 3: Autumn
Section 5
Listen to this chapter!
Later that morning, Asebi received a summons from Wisteria Hall. She was dressed properly this time and didn’t rush to reach the hall.
By the time Asebi arrived, Hamayū and Masuho no Susuki were already there. Shiratama hadn’t come yet.
Masuho no Susuki appeared pale and drawn, but she gave a faint, genuine smile to Asebi. Asebi glanced at Hamayū, who paid her little attention. The expression on the Nanke duchess’ face was grim and defiant.
Takimoto went to the center of the hall. Her eyes passed over Asebi, Hamayū and Masuho no Susuki. She nodded to herself and then said, “The Hokke duchess is not here, but shall we begin?” she asked.
The three duchesses present nodded in assent.
A lady-in-waiting standing by Takimoto offered her a folded piece of paper. Takimoto unfolded the paper, read it, and then spoke.
“First, I feel I must explain what happened here today. As you all know, an intruder entered Sakura Palace. He was a commoner who had recently come of age. He escaped after Masuho no Susuki discovered him in the Autumn Hall, but was later found hiding in the courtyard of Wisteria Hall. We tried to apprehend him, but he transformed and attempted to fly away. The Fujimiyaren caught him and executed him by beheading.”
Asebi winced.
Takimoto glanced at her briefly but kept speaking. “It seems this man had some connection to Samomo. This may not have been his first time infiltrating Sakura Palace. Without assistance from someone inside, it would be difficult to enter. If he had already found a way in on his own, though, then that’s an even bigger problem.”
Takimoto unfolded the paper in her hand. “This is a map of Sakura Palace. Due to security concerns, we were not permitted to create one until recently.”
Some of those present gasped in surprise upon learning that the Fujimiyaren had acted independently, going against previous precedent. Takimoto ignored these reactions.
“After Samomo went missing, the Fujimiyaren created the map. Empress Oumurasaki commanded its creation.” She pointed to a corner of the map. “This is where Samomo was found,” she said. “There is a steep cliff here that is difficult to climb, but not impossible. Anyone approaching from this direction in bird form would be noticed immediately, but a lone man might be able to sneak up the cliff and not be noticed.” She shook her head. “We believe that it is possible for someone to slip past the Yamauchishu and enter the palace if they use this route.”
Stunned silence in the hall.
Ukogi broke it, her face pale but her voice steady. “Are you saying that anyone who knows that path could enter Sakura Palace without being stopped or discovered?”
Asebi couldn’t believe that. It sounded impossible.
Murmurs of distress and shock echoed in Wisteria Hall.
“I cannot believe that this gap in our defenses was not noticed before,” Kikuno said. “I am stunned beyond speech.” She held Masuho no Susuki’s hand, squeezing it for reassurance.
“It is fortunate that nothing terrible happened to Masuho no Susuki,” Asebi said. She shuddered and then covered her mouth with her sleeve.
Hamayū remained motionless, her expression troubled.
All the color had drained from Masuho no Susuki’s face.
“So, what happened next?” Hamayū asked bluntly.
Takimoto looked over at the Nanke duchess.
“That’s not the end of your report, is it?” Hamayū asked
“Of course not,” Takimoto replied firmly. “As I mentioned earlier, this was not the first intrusion. However, that doesn’t mean he’s succeeded at getting in multiple times. The intruder didn’t seem experienced. It didn’t look like he knew that he would need to hide in Wisteria Hall today, which is why he was so easily caught. His movements through the palace were careless.”
“What was his goal?” Hamayū asked,
“Robbery,” Takimoto declared decisively, pulling a hairpin from her own pocket. “A single hairpin has little value here, but outside Sakura Palace, this hairpin would be worth as much as a common person’s pay for half a year. From a commoner’s perspective, Sakura Palace is a mountain of treasure waiting to be plundered,” Takimoto said with a mocking smile. “Everyone here comes from wealthy families. Items of little consequence go missing all the time, and no one really searches for them. Samomo likely targeted such items and committed the thefts.”
“Samomo wasn’t a thief,” Asebi protested, but Takimoto’s stern gaze made her shut her mouth. Her shoulders drooped.
“I am not saying that Samomo wanted to be a thief, or that she always was,” Takimoto said. “I believe the intruder may have forced her hand. And then she was discovered in the Autumn Hall and received even more scrutiny. Perhaps Samomo told the intruder that she wanted to quit stealing, but he would not allow this. As they struggled, Samomo could have fallen from the cliff into the mountain valley below. The man hid until things calmed down somewhat, and then entered the palace himself to steal something.
“The identity of the intruder is being investigated by the Yamauchishu,” Takimoto said. “Until the investigation is complete, we cannot say for certain that this is the truth, but this is generally what we believe happened. As for the issue of lax security, that is also under investigation. I’ll make another report when that is resolved.”
A collective sigh of relief moved through the room. Takimoto’s firm tone and straight shoulders inspired confidence. What she’d reported seemed reasonable.
There were many things that Asebi wanted to ask, but she wasn’t sure that her questions would prove necessary. It was possible that the investigations that were currently going on would answer all of her potential inquiries.
The tension in the room eased, but Masuho no Susuki remained distressed. She looked down, hiding her face as if she was afraid she would burst into tears. Hamayū looked around at the assembled ladies-in-waiting with an expression of helpless frustration.
“Fools. Use your heads! They aren’t hat racks!” Hamayū didn’t speak aloud, but Asebi saw her lips form those words.
Hamayū stood up suddenly and left Wisteria Hall without excusing herself.
“Duchess Hamayū, please wait!” Asebi called after her. She hurried to catch up to Hamayū, weaving her way between surprised maids and servants. Asebi dashed through the courtyard and into the hallway. She found Hamayū walking briskly toward the Autumn and Winter Halls.
“Duchess Hamayū!” Asebi cried out again.
“What is it?” Hamayū asked, turning to face her. “There’s no need for all this shouting. You’re giving me a headache.” She gave Asebi an irritated look. “Why are you following me, anyway? If you chase after me, so will other people, and then I’ll be like a goldfish trailing droppings behind me.”
Hamayū made it clear that she considered Asebi a nuisance, but Asebi was not so easily intimidated.
“Then keep swimming, and ignore what’s behind you,” Asebi suggested.
Hamayū rolled her eyes. “Have it your way.” She took a few more steps until she was standing in front of the door to the Winter Hall. “Shiratama! I’m coming in!”
There was no response, so Hamayū forced the door open.
Servants and ladies-in-waiting witnessed Hamayū’s break-in, but no one stopped her. Hamayū shoved frightened women aside and strode boldly into the reception room of the Winter Hall. Asebi hastened after her, not as brave as Hamayū but just as determined.
“Duchess of Nanke!” a lady-in-waiting exclaimed.
“Excuse me, I’m coming through,” Hamayū said.
“Sorry, could you please clear the room?” Asebi asked.
“The Duchess of Touke is here as well!” a servant called out.
Asebi felt a bit guilty for just breaking in like this, but she felt no desire to reassure or calm Shiratama’s servants. She ignored them in favor of taking in her surroundings. The layout of the Winter Hall reminded her somewhat of the Spring Hall.
Hamayū also oriented herself, aiming like an arrow at Shiratama’s private quarters.
Before Hamayū could barge in on Shiratama in her personal space, Chanohana intercepted her. “Duchess of Nanke, Duchess of Touke, what is the meaning of this? What are you thinking, behaving in such a manner?”
Hamayū showed no hint of remorse as she took a step closer to Chanohana. “I am here to see your mistress. Let me through.”
“I cannot allow that!” Chanohana stood her ground with exceptional stubbornness. “Duchess Shiratama is unwell. You will not see her.”
Hamayū brushed off Chanohana’s obstinacy and sneered at her tightly pursed lips. “I can guess what’s going on. Stop trying to hide it. I will see your mistress, so get out of my way.” She pushed past Chanohana as she’d pushed past several other servants and ladies-in-waiting. She slid Shiratama’s door open and stepped into her room.
“Well, Shiratama. So this is how you choose to deal with things?” Hamayū’s question was gentle, not angry.
Asebi peeked over Hamayū’s shoulder. She was startled by the strangeness of what she saw and took a few involuntary steps back.
The other doors were shut tight and no lamps were lit, so the room was shadowy. Shiratama sat on a raised platform in a simple white garment, her black hair falling loose down her back. The platform was high enough that stairs were needed to access it. Sunlight streamed in through a window, illuminating Shiratama as her hands moved with quick precision.
Shiratama was folding paper cranes. She wore a crown of small ones around her head and there were more stuck to her garments and even more scattered on the floor. Asebi tried to count them all but there were too many. The floor was completely obscured by origami cranes. Each one was made of different-colored paper: no two were alike. Many of them had words written on the wings.
“What is this?” Asebi asked quietly.
Alone on the platform, Shiratama dipped her head as she measured the paper she would use to create her next crane. She was using a letter that had been written to her some time before. She cut the rectangular sheet of paper into a square with a short knife, and then she began to fold.
“Shiratama!” Hamayū said sharply. Her voice conveyed deep sorrow.
When Shiratama didn’t respond, Hamayū called her name again, this time louder.
Shiratama blinked. “Oh. Duchess Hamayū. I didn’t see you come in. Have you been standing there long?” she asked. She gave Hamayū a formal greeting and then turned her full focus back on making her paper cranes. “I am sorry if I have caused you to go out of your way,” she said. “Is there something you needed from me?” She tilted her head, guileless and innocent.
Something was amiss. Asebi sensed it, but she could not name what that something was. Shiratama was usually so self-possessed. She was as calm and clear as a frozen lake. There was always tension in her shoulders and around her eyes.
But now… it was like Shiratama had been replaced by a completely different person. Her smile, almost childlike, was striking.
Without another word, Hamayū approached Shiratama and took the small knife from her hand. She knelt down in front of Shiratama. Shiratama blinked again and then looked up at Hamayū, confused.
“You’ve snapped, haven’t you?” Hamayū asked. “Why don’t you request to leave the palace and return home to Hokke?”
Both the content and tone of Hamayū’s words left Asebi so surprised she couldn’t speak. Hamayū sounded genuinely concerned for Shiratama’s welfare. Her usual sarcasm and flippancy were gone. She wasn’t trying to provoke Shiratama in any way.
Shiratama smiled cheerfully.
Asebi’s sense of the wrongness in this room grew deeper.
“That is not possible,” Shiratama said. Her smile was so artless and carefree that it was hard to tell if she’d understood what Hamayū had asked her. She seemed oblivious to Hamayū’s worry and Asebi’s mounting anxiety. When she spoke again, it was in a sing-song tone. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, saying I should go home. I simply must enter the imperial court! Shouldn’t you be the one who goes home now, Duchess Hamayū?” Her smile was bright, but her words were severe.
Asebi sucked in a breath.
Hamayū barely reacted to Shiratama’s gauche question. “Maybe,” Hamayū said. “Maybe. But I know that if you keep going like this, something terrible will happen to you.”
“Oh my, are you worried about me? It might be a little too late for that,” Shiratama said, her voice light. She giggled and then smiled again. It was a truly dazzling smile. “You see, the terrible thing has already happened.”
The shiver that went down Asebi’s spine was cold enough to make her stumble. The girl before her didn’t resemble the Shiratama she knew in any way. Something about her had changed on a fundamental level.
Hamayū’s expression went blank. She gave herself a moment to consider Shiratama, and then she looked the Hokke duchess straight in the eyes.
“It’s not too late, even now. You never should have come here in the first place. If there’s another man you love, you should never, under any circumstances, enter the imperial court,” Masuho no Susuki said.
Asebi turned around in surprise.
At some point during the last minute or so, Masuho no Susuki had arrived in Shiratama’s private chambers. She was pale and drawn, but the set of her shoulders was like Hamayū’s: bold and brave. She glared at Shiratama.
Masuho no Susuki would rather not be here, but she was not so dull-witted or so incurious to allow Hamayū and Asebi to break into Shiratama’s room without following them.
“You came to Sakura Palace even though you already loved another man. Did you really think that would be permitted?” Masuho no Susuki asked.
Asebi hadn’t expected both Masuho no Susuki and Hamayū to confront Shiratama like this. She wanted to ease the tension somehow, but she didn’t know what to say.
Shiratama’s face settled into an expressionless mask. “We don’t even know who the intruder was,” she said. “How could we possibly know if he was connected to Samomo’s death in any way? Takimoto was just making things up to keep people calm. Takimoto serves the imperial family. More than that, she was born into it. Any scandal that could tip the balance of power in Sakura Palace is too dangerous to make public. It makes sense for Takimoto to conceal as much of the truth as possible. With that in mind, there is one duchess whose suspicious behavior stands out.”
“Please stop,” said Chanohana. Hamayū brushed her aside.
“That intruder was… someone you know. Someone you are quite close to,” Hamayū said, narrowing her eyes. She placed one hand on Shiratama’s shoulder and squeezed gently. She didn’t need to ask if her guess was correct: she already knew.
Shiratama’s eyes went round and huge like glass marbles as she broke out into hysterical laughter. “What an amusing thing to say! Do you think I was secretly involved with someone?”
Asebi looked at Shiratama and wondered again what had shifted inside her to make her change so much in so little time.
“Nothing happened between me and Kazumi. Absolutely nothing! After all, I was born solely so that I could enter the imperial court. I would never do anything to put my future at risk.” She laughed brightly like a young child.
Asebi stared at the Hokke duchess in astonishment.
Shiratama laughed and didn’t stop for a long time.
No comments:
Post a Comment