She gave her brother a gentle slap. He smiled before turning to speak with her stepmother.
She peeked at Hotaru from the corner of her eye, and he was still watching her, mouth agape.
"You're going to catch flies if you keep your mouth open like that," she teased.
He clamped his mouth shut.
No man had ever looked at her that way before. Was this why women dressed this way? But none of the clansmen were looking at her. There had been some good-natured teasing when she entered the room, but Hotaru couldn't take his eyes off her. And the idea made her chest tight. Almost as if she couldn't breathe. She turned away, too embarrassed. Just for tonight, she'd like to pretend to be someone else. The kind of girl who was admired by men, who was beautiful without trying. And who could believe in love.
Across the room musicians played softly, and though Hotaru said nothing, she kept catching him watching her.
As she ate she found she had less appetite than she thought. All the layers of fabric were pressing down on her. Her face was clammy and she was struggling to keep her eyes open. Suddenly everything around her swayed.
I must be too hot in this. The magic of the kimono was wearing thin. She needed to get back in her own clothes. She got up to make her way to the door, but as she walked the constricting feeling only got worse.
She lost balance again and had to lean on the wall. She hadn't even heard Hotaru come up behind her, but felt his hand on the small of her back.
"What’s wrong?" he asked.
She shook her head and kept going but the edges of her vision were going dark. She stumbled and fell. She couldn't breathe. She tried to take a deep breath but couldn't. It felt as if something was pressing down on her chest. It's the kimono, it's too tight. She clawed at the obi, but couldn't pull it loose.
She slid down the wall, collapsing onto her knees. Each attempt to breathe wasn't enough, it felt like hundreds of daggers piercing her insides. Hotaru grabbed her shoulders, his face filled her vision.
"Yuki, what is it?"
She couldn't make a sound. Even her movements were sluggish as her body was deprived of air. Her vision was going black as she slumped over into Hotaru's arms.
14
"Yuki!" Hotaru shook her and her head lolled back and forth. She wasn't breathing.
The clansmen gathered around him. They were all whispering, making accusations.
Hotaru, in a panic, scanned her body, wondering what had caused this. She'd been clawing at her kimono. He removed a knife that he kept hidden and laid Yuki on the ground.
"What are you doing? We need to get a healer." Lord Fujimori had pressed to the front of the crowd.
Hotaru shook his head. "There's no time for that."
His knife caught under the edge of her obi and sliced through the delicate silk. It was harder to tear apart than it should have been. It was his first indication something was very wrong. Hotaru pulled back the layers, slicing them one at a time until she was in nothing but her underlayer.
She gasped for breath and coughed violently. Lord Fujimori collapsed at her side, pulling her into his embrace.
"Yuki, are you alright?" She clung onto her brother, taking a few moments to catch her breath. When she saw Hotaru she pointed her finger in his direction.
"You did this to me?"
All eyes turned as one on Hotaru, and he felt their collective stares upon him.
"I just saved your life, again!"
The healer arrived just then and before they could continue their conversation, Yuki was whisked away to be examined. The party was broken up, but Lord Fujimori wasn't done with Hotaru. He placed his hand on his shoulder. "We need to speak, alone."
Hotaru bowed his head in understanding. He was escorted by a few of the clansmen. His own men rose up to defend him but Hotaru raised a hand to still them. This was all a misunderstanding, surely.
He was brought to Lord Fujimori's chamber and left there to wait. Sitting alone in the dimly lit room, he felt a bit like a prisoner. He had to find out who was trying to frame him. Could there be a Fujikawa spy somewhere in the palace?
The door slid open and soft footsteps crossed the room. But Hotaru kept his gaze forward, he would maintain some dignity.
"Thank you for meeting with me," Lord Fujimori said as he sat down. He leaned over and coughed, his entire body shaking.
Hotaru watched him, wondering if there were something else he could be doing other than just sitting here. It seemed in just the short time he'd been there, Lord Fujimori had gotten worse. Even now he looked as if he were being propped up like a puppet. But who was pulling the strings? That's what he wanted to know.
"Yuki has said the kimono was cursed. She did not realize it was trying to suffocate her until it was too late. And that you gave it to her."
Hotaru clenched his teeth together. "It troubles me that the gifts I brought were used in this way."
The lord met his gaze. Despite the illness that was withering his body, he had steel there.
"That is what I wanted to speak with you about."
Hotaru's hand clenched into a fist at his side. Just as he had feared, they thought he had been the one who tried to kill Yuki.
"Are you asking if I tried to kill your sister?" Hotaru could hardly keep the snarl out of his voice. "I came here with the intention of making an alliance." He tried to keep his voice calm but found it rising nonetheless.
The lord just stared at him for a moment. "I am making no accusations, but I cannot let you leave until this matter is settled. The entire palace will be questioned."
But he was the prime suspect of course. This had to be a plot from Lord Fujikawa, trying to ruin his negotiations. When he embarked on this war, he had always envisioned bringing glory and honor to his clan. Now everything was falling apart.
"If you've nothing else to say." Hotaru stood up.
"I mean no offense, but she is all I have. I've got to protect her."
"Then maybe you should start looking for the killer, instead of targeting the wrong man." He let his tongue get away from him.
As Lord Fujimori stared at him, Hotaru knew he'd already made up his mind. He would have thought the same if it were to happen in his household. The most obvious suspect was usually the right one.
Hotaru stormed out of the room, brushing past servants who shrunk away from him, as if he were a monster. He'd already questioned his own men after the comb had been poisoned and he had no reason to doubt them. The gifts were locked in his room. No one had gone near them since they'd arrived.
While he was scowling and considering his problem, he spotted Yuki down the hall. The healer had released her already. She'd changed into her plain brown haori and hakama and was walking in his direction. But when she spotted him, she froze like a frightened animal. He waved to her. She returned it with a cold and unfeeling stare. It hit him like a knife to the gut.
After their ride through the forest, he thought they'd grown closer. A foolish part of him had hoped she would trust him enough to let him explain his side. But just like her brother, she'd already made up her mind.
She turned and walked the opposite way. He didn't try and chase after her this time. He stalked back to his chamber. He threw open the door and slammed it shut again. And stared at it for a moment. There was so much riding on this alliance. His reputation, namely. But how could he prove his innocence?
There was a cold chill on the back of his neck. He wasn't alone. He should have known. He turned to see the witch waiting for him, that infernal smile on her face. The witch always appeared when it suited her. She'd come to him when he'd taken control over the clan. Her assistance had been invaluable—at first. She knew things about his enemies, and about the yokai.
He was too weary for her riddles today.
"We'll need to find another girl; the alliance isn't going to happen," he said.
"There is no other girl. There is no other way."
"If you want her so badly why don't you try and get her to marry you?
Because she thinks I'm trying to kill her."
"Proud Hotaru, you wanted more than anything to be an elder. And now that you are, you give up so easily. Will you let one obstacle stop you from achieving all you hoped for?"
"I don't see what's so special about these people. And a tiny territory in the middle of the forest."
"This place, these people, are blessed by the divine. No one more so than the girl. That is why it is imperative we get her. Her gifts could win your war."
Hotaru scoffed. He'd seen what the witch could do. Yuki was a little strange, but she did not have any power like the witch. "I think you have the wrong girl. She's just a wild woman."
The old woman shook her head, and the bells on her staff jingled.
"There is more to this family than meets the eye. That is why someone is trying to force you apart."
"Do you know who it is?"
The old woman shook her head. "Their identity is hidden from me, but I can guarantee we are not the only ones looking for power here."
"Why can't you just sing a song and summon me an army?"
She chuckled. "Even my power is not limitless, and it has been many centuries since I last replenished it. I am growing weaker in my old age."
"Even so, I don't think she'll trust me again."
"Isn't that what you're good at, making women fall in love with you?"
"She's not like other women." Hotaru ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. "You're a woman, what would you suggest?"
She smiled in a way that made his teeth chatter. "Maybe you should try getting to know her better."
"Thanks, real helpful."
"Don't waste time. Lord Fujikawa's army draws ever closer."
He turned once more to the witch but she was gone. Hotaru stared at the place where she had been. She was as useless as usual. He was going to have to resolve this himself by finding out who was trying to frame him.
15
By her brother's orders, Yuki was forbidden from going into the forest. Being trapped within the palace walls only made her more restless. She tried to stay in her room to avoid running into Hotaru, but in the end she was pacing the length of her room, tripping over tanuki who were trying to get her to play.
In the end, she went to the garden. Sitting beside the pond was a sad shadow of the wild, untamed places outside the palace walls. But what other choice did she have? Normally she would have disobeyed her brother's orders, but his health was a concern. She couldn't help but feel like it was her fault the circles under his eyes had gotten darker and that his cough was getting worse. He couldn't rest and recover if he were worrying about her. So she succumbed to her imprisonment. But it didn't mean she'd like it.
Footsteps approached from behind her. She spun around, expecting a masked assassin holding a blade, but saw Hotaru instead.
"What are you doing here? Are you going to push me into the pond and pretend you didn't so you can save me from drowning?"
There was a pained look on his face, as if she had slapped him. But he held her gaze, not looking away. It felt very much like hunting a predator. The first one to look away would be the one to lose.
"I want to help you find out who did this."
She forced a laugh. "Very clever. I'm sure you've already picked out some innocent among your men to frame for your crimes. Are you hoping once this little charade plays out I'll leap into your arms and want to marry you?"
"This isn't about the marriage," he snapped.
"I know your type. I know what you’re after. You want the power we have to wage whatever wars you will. But I'm not going to be some prize."
"You have no idea what I'm up against."
"It must be very hard to be a spoiled lord. You've gotten everything you've ever wanted your whole life. But you can't have me."
His face flushed with anger, and it gave her a thrill to see it. She had almost fallen for his games. And that's what bothered her the most. To think she felt sorry to see him go.
"Have you ever considered what it's like for your brother? What he's up against? The trouble you've caused him with these games?" His words were raw, and angry. But not at her, it was something else.
"Don't you dare speak about my brother." She marched toward him, prepared to strike him but he caught her wrist before she could.
"I'm going to find out who did this to you. Not for you but to clear my own name."
He dropped her hand and stalked away.
"Good, leave!" She shouted. But he did not once look back at her. Even after he was gone, she continued to stare at the space where he had been.
It was all an act. It had to be. She wouldn't consider the alternative.
She sat back down at the pond, more angry at herself for continuing to let him get a rise out of her than anything else. Her brother shouldn't even let him wander around the palace in this manner. He should be locked up for what he did. She watched the koi fish circle inside the pond, her own thoughts following similar pathways.
One of the koi came to the water's surface and spit water into her face.
"Ugh." She jumped up as she wiped the water from her face and shook off her wet clothes. "That's not funny, Happi," she said to the swimming tanuki.
She walked away from the pond and realized what had looked like a decorative plant before turned out to be Okatsu. A rock, a bush, and a bird sitting on the nearby wall all transformed into tanuki as she passed.
"Should we play a game with him again?" asked Okatsu, glaring in the direction he had gone, his small arms crossed over his chest.
She shook her head. "He's not worth the trouble."
"But he made you cry," Shai said. He'd crawled into her lap and brushed away a stray tear from her lashes. She rubbed the palm of her hand against her face to get rid of it. It wasn't him, but what he said. He was right, she never thought about how her resistance to marrying had put her brother in a difficult situation. All the clans of the region were at war, she knew that. And if she were to marry, it could keep the entire family safe. If I get married, it will be anyone but him.
"I don't care about him. All I want is to find proof of what he's done."
"We can do that," Kashikoi chirped.
She looked at the seven tanuki in front of her. They were full of mischief and caused more problems than they solved. Unleashing them on the palace might not be the wisest of ideas. But their ability to disguise themselves meant they could get into places she could not, and learn things Hotaru might be keeping hidden.
"I think we have a little game we can play. Follow the lord around, see what he's doing and report back to me."
They nodded their heads a little too eagerly, and she added on one more instruction. "And don't cause any trouble. I don't want my brother finding out."
"We will be good," they said, crossing their hands over their hearts. Yuki shooed them away. Either this was her greatest idea or her stupidest. At the very least she could cause that arrogant lord a little bit of trouble.
Yuki spent the rest of the day subconsciously waiting for the tanuki to report back to her. She hadn't heard of anything broken, or any great catastrophes, so that was a relief at least. But as the day wore on and there was still no word, she started to get more and more concerned.
She resumed pacing in her room just before dinner, and considering skipping it to go and track the rascals down, when there was a loud pop and seven tanuki plopped onto the tatami flooring in front of her.
She knelt down. "So did you find any proof?" she asked them.
Kashikoi shook his head, a small frown on his furry face. "We followed him all day. But there's no proof."
"He walks around like this a lot," Happi said, transforming into an almost perfect replica of Hotaru, except with a striped tail. The fake Hotaru walked back and forth, scowling as he placed a hand on his chin.
Yuki laughed to see the copy. She tilted her head, examining it. He wasn't as handsome with a scowl and tail she decided. But what was she thinking? He w
as a manipulative jerk!
"And he talks a lot," Shai piped up. "Questions, questions, Yuki this, Yuki that." He waggled his finger this way and that, also mimicking a scowl as he paced.
The other tanuki thought this quite funny and pretty soon she had seven Hotaru's with varying accuracy pacing her room. The sight was too much and Yuki fell over, clutching her side as she laughed.
Once she composed herself, and wrangled the tanuki into listening she asked, "What sort of questions?" Yuki couldn't help but be curious.
"He asks about you. Who likes you, but everyone does."
She nodded. That's what the tanuki thought. She wouldn't correct them. "But he asks about powers. About your sight," said Kushami with a yawn. All the activity had tuckered him out and he was curled up in her lap. She stroked his fur as she thought.
"He knows about my power? How?"
They shrugged. "Maybe he sees too?"
That was possible, though she'd never met someone like her. Everyone in the palace just tolerated her strangeness. They didn't question her. But they didn't really accept her either. But he had known about the yokai, and the forest accepted him. Could it be possible there was someone like her? That doesn't change the fact that he tried to kill me. There was only one way to prove her theory.
"I'm going to watch him too."
16
Talking to the Fujimori clansmen was much more difficult than he thought it would be. None of them were willing to speak about Yuki and it was clear from their abrupt answers and eagerness to get away from him, they were all convinced of his guilt already.
More than once he turned around, intending to explain everything to Yuki. But his pride kept getting in the way. He finally had a stroke of luck when he came across one of the kitchen maids struggling with a large pile of dishes. He rushed over to take the load from her hands.
The maid couldn't see beyond the stack, and when she was freed of her burden her eyes grew wide.
"My lord," she said, blushing at his charming smile and she bowed deeply to him.
Yuki: A Snow White Retelling Page 7