Aozora's Song (2/12)
Previous: Aozora's Dream
02. Aozora's Betrothed
She looked into the golden gilded mirror on her large dresser. A young woman stared back at her with large eyes fringed by dark, long lashes; a small nose; full, red lips; a smooth, slender neck; and an unblemished complexion. Her maid stood behind her coiling her long, silky black hair around her head and pinned it into place with jeweled pins. Ao blinked away from her reflection and her fingers drummed on her dresser.
"Your highness must be excited to be meeting Lord Sakurai," her maid observed.
Ao forced on a smile. She removed her hand from the dresser, out of the maid's field of vision, and told herself to keep still.
"It's not often that a perfect match is made," the maid continued.
"Thank you," Ao said as the maid finished and stepped back to stare appreciatively at her work.
"Sister?" A child's voice sounded from the door. A young boy stepped into the room.
The maid saw him and bowed to the heir. "Your highness."
Ao addressed her. "You may leave."
The maid hesitated. "Princess, you must dress."
"I am aware," Ao told her. "I will call for you shortly. For now, the prince and I wish to be alone."
The maid bowed deeply and left through the door the prince had entered, closing it firmly shut behind her. Immediately, Ao opened her arms and her brother rushed into her embrace. She squeezed him tightly.
"Sister, just now they told me he was coming," he breathed into her shoulder. “I will stay with you as long as I can."
"Thank you, Masaki." She moved back and stared into his dark eyes. "I could not survive without you."
Masaki's lips trembled. He squared his jaw and balled his hands into fists. "Sister, when I become king, I am going to change the rules. I will save you from Lord Sakurai and bring you back to the palace, and we will live here happily together forever."
Ao drew him back into an embrace and closed her eyes, revelling in his warmth. She refrained from voicing to him, an innocent child, the truth of the world.
*
Her betrothed was the prodigious son of General Sakurai, a man with unprecedented military strength and the man who held the true power in the kingdom. Ao's maid had said the undisputed truth about their perfect match; Lord Sakurai was only ten years her senior while young girls her age usually married much older men. He was handsome, talented, serious, and he came from a noble family line. She knew she should consider herself fortunate, but she did not.
While she sat across from him in the large hall, Ao managed to convey an image of calmness. Normally, she wouldn't even be allowed in the hall where the men ate, but today Lord Sakurai had appeared at court for her sake, to show himself to his bride before he would take her away shortly after, so she had been granted the privilege to dine with the male officials at court. Sitting next to her at his request, Masaki reached across the small gap between them and clasped her hand. Hers were cold, the only indication that she felt fear.
Throughout the meal, Lord Sakurai glanced at her only once and met her eyes, which she quickly averted since staring back could imply that she was stubborn and disobedient. She knew that women were often beaten into submission by their husbands and Ao wanted to present herself as passive in case he had such inclinations. Lord Sakurai did not try to speak to her and spent much of his time in close discussion with his neighbors, to her relief.
*
Long after Masaki had been put to bed, Ao was dismissed.
She made her way down the glaring silence of the corridor outside the hall, her steps soft and cautious in case she slipped on the long hem of her kimono. She was so concentrated on being careful, she did not notice his presence until he walked next to her. Once he appeared at the edge of her vision, Ao stiffened and stopped moving completely.
"Why have you stopped?" Lord Sakurai inquired.
Ao clenched her teeth and started forward again. She increased the space between them.
He spoke suddenly. "I will send for you in two weeks."
In her shock, Ao stepped on her hem and she stumbled. Only her quick reflexes saved her from unsightly tumbling at his feet. No one had informed her that it would be this soon. She knew the wedding preparations were not even finished. Her mind raced, searching for an excuse to delay the wedding.
Lord Sakurai continued, pacing steadily at her side as if he had not noticed her surprise. "I do not believe you should be kept ignorant of the dangers you face, and you must know why your trip in two weeks will be done in secret without fanfare. In order to do so, I must first inform you about the trouble brewing outside the palace."
He kept his gaze straight ahead, rigidly solemn as he spoke. "Many of the king's treasonous enemies have banded together. Very soon the kingdom will erupt into civil war. Our marriage, tying my father's might behind the throne and ensuring our allegiance, is the king's only hope of survival. Our enemies will try to destroy this alliance and rid one of us through any means. Therefore, we must marry quickly."
Finally, Lord Sakurai stopped and turned to Ao. She did not meet him and looked to the dark floor as the information he revealed swirled in her mind. Often trapped with the queen and her ladies-in-waiting, everything he had told her was new and frightening.
"I am well trained and guarded by many, but you are not,” he said. “The palace is filled with allies, but also enemies and spies. Even so, once you are out of the palace and outside the magical wards you will be in the most danger. In two weeks, two of my strongest warriors will come for you and, as discreetly as possible, escort you to my castle. A double will take your place here. We will marry quietly and our bondage will only be publicly announced afterwards."
*
In the darkness of her room, hours after midnight and after her maid had left her to her privacy, Ao sat on her bed fully awake. She cupped her hands and a bright orange flame flickered to life over her palm, illuminating her face and the tired lines under her eyes, then died when she recalled the flame. The queen had forbidden her from learning magic even though she had magical talent because princesses had no use for magic, but she had secretly taught herself the small spell from a stolen magic book she kept hidden.
The flame flickered to life again over her palm. Something stirred in her mind, the memory of a smile that temporarily engulfed her in warmth, but the brief feeling died. She recalled her flame and sat in complete darkness. Seconds later, Ao invoked the spell again. Again, the memory stirred and the smile traced across her mind. Again, it vanished. Again, she stopped her spell. And invoked it again to draw upon that faint, comforting smile that spread warmth throughout her body whenever she called the flame.
She had realized, a long time ago, that the invocation of fire brought forth the soothing memory in her mind. Since then, she had drawn on it for strength in her loneliest hours.
Ao continued to call the small flame until the use of magic depleted her energy and she fell asleep.
Next: Aozora's Escorts
02. Aozora's Betrothed
She looked into the golden gilded mirror on her large dresser. A young woman stared back at her with large eyes fringed by dark, long lashes; a small nose; full, red lips; a smooth, slender neck; and an unblemished complexion. Her maid stood behind her coiling her long, silky black hair around her head and pinned it into place with jeweled pins. Ao blinked away from her reflection and her fingers drummed on her dresser.
"Your highness must be excited to be meeting Lord Sakurai," her maid observed.
Ao forced on a smile. She removed her hand from the dresser, out of the maid's field of vision, and told herself to keep still.
"It's not often that a perfect match is made," the maid continued.
"Thank you," Ao said as the maid finished and stepped back to stare appreciatively at her work.
"Sister?" A child's voice sounded from the door. A young boy stepped into the room.
The maid saw him and bowed to the heir. "Your highness."
Ao addressed her. "You may leave."
The maid hesitated. "Princess, you must dress."
"I am aware," Ao told her. "I will call for you shortly. For now, the prince and I wish to be alone."
The maid bowed deeply and left through the door the prince had entered, closing it firmly shut behind her. Immediately, Ao opened her arms and her brother rushed into her embrace. She squeezed him tightly.
"Sister, just now they told me he was coming," he breathed into her shoulder. “I will stay with you as long as I can."
"Thank you, Masaki." She moved back and stared into his dark eyes. "I could not survive without you."
Masaki's lips trembled. He squared his jaw and balled his hands into fists. "Sister, when I become king, I am going to change the rules. I will save you from Lord Sakurai and bring you back to the palace, and we will live here happily together forever."
Ao drew him back into an embrace and closed her eyes, revelling in his warmth. She refrained from voicing to him, an innocent child, the truth of the world.
*
Her betrothed was the prodigious son of General Sakurai, a man with unprecedented military strength and the man who held the true power in the kingdom. Ao's maid had said the undisputed truth about their perfect match; Lord Sakurai was only ten years her senior while young girls her age usually married much older men. He was handsome, talented, serious, and he came from a noble family line. She knew she should consider herself fortunate, but she did not.
While she sat across from him in the large hall, Ao managed to convey an image of calmness. Normally, she wouldn't even be allowed in the hall where the men ate, but today Lord Sakurai had appeared at court for her sake, to show himself to his bride before he would take her away shortly after, so she had been granted the privilege to dine with the male officials at court. Sitting next to her at his request, Masaki reached across the small gap between them and clasped her hand. Hers were cold, the only indication that she felt fear.
Throughout the meal, Lord Sakurai glanced at her only once and met her eyes, which she quickly averted since staring back could imply that she was stubborn and disobedient. She knew that women were often beaten into submission by their husbands and Ao wanted to present herself as passive in case he had such inclinations. Lord Sakurai did not try to speak to her and spent much of his time in close discussion with his neighbors, to her relief.
*
Long after Masaki had been put to bed, Ao was dismissed.
She made her way down the glaring silence of the corridor outside the hall, her steps soft and cautious in case she slipped on the long hem of her kimono. She was so concentrated on being careful, she did not notice his presence until he walked next to her. Once he appeared at the edge of her vision, Ao stiffened and stopped moving completely.
"Why have you stopped?" Lord Sakurai inquired.
Ao clenched her teeth and started forward again. She increased the space between them.
He spoke suddenly. "I will send for you in two weeks."
In her shock, Ao stepped on her hem and she stumbled. Only her quick reflexes saved her from unsightly tumbling at his feet. No one had informed her that it would be this soon. She knew the wedding preparations were not even finished. Her mind raced, searching for an excuse to delay the wedding.
Lord Sakurai continued, pacing steadily at her side as if he had not noticed her surprise. "I do not believe you should be kept ignorant of the dangers you face, and you must know why your trip in two weeks will be done in secret without fanfare. In order to do so, I must first inform you about the trouble brewing outside the palace."
He kept his gaze straight ahead, rigidly solemn as he spoke. "Many of the king's treasonous enemies have banded together. Very soon the kingdom will erupt into civil war. Our marriage, tying my father's might behind the throne and ensuring our allegiance, is the king's only hope of survival. Our enemies will try to destroy this alliance and rid one of us through any means. Therefore, we must marry quickly."
Finally, Lord Sakurai stopped and turned to Ao. She did not meet him and looked to the dark floor as the information he revealed swirled in her mind. Often trapped with the queen and her ladies-in-waiting, everything he had told her was new and frightening.
"I am well trained and guarded by many, but you are not,” he said. “The palace is filled with allies, but also enemies and spies. Even so, once you are out of the palace and outside the magical wards you will be in the most danger. In two weeks, two of my strongest warriors will come for you and, as discreetly as possible, escort you to my castle. A double will take your place here. We will marry quietly and our bondage will only be publicly announced afterwards."
*
In the darkness of her room, hours after midnight and after her maid had left her to her privacy, Ao sat on her bed fully awake. She cupped her hands and a bright orange flame flickered to life over her palm, illuminating her face and the tired lines under her eyes, then died when she recalled the flame. The queen had forbidden her from learning magic even though she had magical talent because princesses had no use for magic, but she had secretly taught herself the small spell from a stolen magic book she kept hidden.
The flame flickered to life again over her palm. Something stirred in her mind, the memory of a smile that temporarily engulfed her in warmth, but the brief feeling died. She recalled her flame and sat in complete darkness. Seconds later, Ao invoked the spell again. Again, the memory stirred and the smile traced across her mind. Again, it vanished. Again, she stopped her spell. And invoked it again to draw upon that faint, comforting smile that spread warmth throughout her body whenever she called the flame.
She had realized, a long time ago, that the invocation of fire brought forth the soothing memory in her mind. Since then, she had drawn on it for strength in her loneliest hours.
Ao continued to call the small flame until the use of magic depleted her energy and she fell asleep.
Next: Aozora's Escorts