"Let me help you with that."
"Oh no, my lord that isn't appropriate."
He leaned in close to whisper in her ear. "We don't have to tell anyone."
She turned so red he thought steam would come out of her ears.
"Where to?" he asked.
She gestured vaguely to her right, and Hotaru juggled the wobbling stack in the direction she had indicated. She hurried to catch up with him, and he tried putting her at ease by filling the silence with small talk. She led him to the kitchens where maids were running in and out and cooks were rushing back and forth, preparing for the evening meal.
One maid passed them on her way out, carrying a tea set, but the aroma of the leaves was nothing he'd ever smelled before. The maid caught him staring and blushed, pausing to bow her head to him. He gave her a smile and she almost dropped the tray she was holding.
"Hurry up and bring that to Lord Fujimori!" shouted a ruddy-faced middle-aged woman who was standing in the doorway.
The maid scurried to do as she was told while the older woman looked him up and down.
"Why is he doing your duties for you?" she asked the maid he had helped.
The girl quickly took the stack from him and rushed inside. Hotaru grinned at the woman who didn't smile back.
"What tea was that girl bringing? It smelled delightful."
The old woman narrowed her eyes at him. "It's a special brew the Lady Fujimori has us make to help his cough."
Hotaru nodded, pretending it was of interest. The old woman turned back to her work. There was a cook-fire a few feet away, with a large pot boiling over. He didn't dare enter the kitchen, fearing the contents of the pot would end up on him if he did, but he lingered in the doorway to chat with the woman.
"Have you worked here long?" he asked her.
She wouldn't face him as she said while she stirred a pot of soup. "My whole life."
"A pretty girl like you?"
The old woman scoffed. "What is it you want?
"I have some questions, if you don't mind answering."
"I do and I won’t." She turned to cut up vegetables on a nearby table. Hotaru took a chance and followed her into the kitchen. She glared at him but didn't tell him to leave. He was still a visiting elder after all, it wasn't her position to tell him what to do.
"What is this illness the young lord has?"
One of the assistants brought a ladle over to her. She took a taste of some sauce, nodded her head and gave instructions to change it to her liking.
"What's it matter to you?" she said when Hotaru didn't take a hint and leave.
"Like I said, I'm curious."
The old woman turned to look at him, hands on hips, her eyes narrowed as she scanned him up and down.
"If you think I'm going to betray the family whose service I've been in for decades, then you're more a fool than you look."
"Decades? You don't look a day over thirty."
"Get out of my kitchen." The old woman picked up a very large knife. Hotaru put his hands up in the air, a sign of surrender as he slowly backed out of the kitchen. He was turning around to leave, when he found Yuki standing in the doorway.
She looked like she wanted to be mad, but was amused by the cook kicking him out of the kitchen.
She bit her lip and then cleared her throat. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I was wondering when you were going to come out of hiding." He smirked.
She flushed but didn't drop her gaze. "Why are you sneaking around the kitchen? Are you going to poison my brother next?"
He brushed past her on his way out of the kitchen, not giving Yuki the satisfaction of an answer. He didn't need to explain himself. But to his surprise, she chased after him.
"I asked you a question," she said in a huff.
He turned to look at her. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me."
She scowled. "You've been asking around about me."
"I have."
"Why?"
"As you heard me telling your lovely cook. I'm curious. Why would anyone want to kill you? You seem nice enough. Though you do have a bit of a temper."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "No one wants to murder me."
"Clearly someone does." And there it was, the hint of doubt he had been hoping for. It was a relief to know she hadn't completely written him off.
"Alright, I'll bite. Say someone is trying to kill me. What does that have to do with the maids?"
He held up his hand and then looked around, crooking his finger to tempt her closer. She leaned in toward him. There was an earthy floral scent to her, and her lips were tantalizingly close. He needed to tread carefully if he didn't want to get slapped. But he couldn't resist the urge to tease her, if only a little.
"The maids can get anywhere in the palace. They see everything."
She pulled back. "That's it? That's your big secret."
He shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't say it was revolutionary."
"And for a moment I almost believed you hadn't planned this all from the start."
His ploy had backfired and he blurted out his thoughts. "I gave those things to you, it's true. But I swear they were untainted when they left my hands. I wouldn't stoop so low as to risk your life just to trick you into falling in love with me. I have some dignity."
She froze and for a moment he thought she was going to slap him. But she turned to face him. "Go on."
He exhaled in relief. "Who would have had access to your room?"
Yuki pondered this for a moment. "Well any of the servants or my family. But none of them would have."
He shook his head. "That is your first mistake. You have to look beyond yourself. Anyone could be the culprit here. Even those you trust more than anything."
"My brother would not have done something like this!"
Hotaru held up his hands. "And I am laying no blame here. I just want you to keep an open mind is all."
She eased back a bit but there was wariness in her eyes.
"Even if you do prove your innocence, it won't change anything."
"Noted. So what do you say? Do you think you can work with me?"
She looked at him for a moment before nodding her head. "Alright. Let’s work together."
17
Yuki paced the length of her room. Why had she agreed to work with him? It was clearly part of his convoluted plan to seduce her. But as much as she tried to convince herself this was the truth, she couldn't shake the look in his eyes. He seemed sincere. If he were planning on trying to seduce her, would he really go to such lengths?
There was a knock at the door and she almost jumped out of her skin.
"Yuki, it's me," Hotaru said from the other side.
She glared at the door, wondering if it was too late to change her mind about trusting him.
"Are you going to let me in?" Hotaru said.
Yuki exhaled heavily before going to open the door. He greeted her with a grin, that damn smile. It would be her undoing. It left all her defenses at her feet and made her stomach flop uncomfortably. Get it together, don't fall for his charm.
"Shall we?" He gestured down the hall and she followed him out.
"Where are we going exactly?"
"We're going to follow the staff around."
She shook her head. "What good will that do?"
"The only people who have had access to the presents were my men on the transport and your servants."
"Perhaps you should question your own men."
"I have, and I've found no evidence of their involvement."
"I highly doubt the servants here would want to hurt me. They're practically family."
He shook his head. "Let's just watch and see."
She sighed heavily. But she'd agreed to work with him, the least she could do was play along. Perhaps she'd find evidence to condemn him—she hadn't completely ruled out his guilt.
His grand plan was not sophisticated. They mostly followed around the serv
ice under the guises of Yuki giving him a tour of the palace. When they were in an empty room where a servant was cleaning, she was showing him a mural. When a servant was wiping down a hallway, they were admiring the barren trees in the nearby garden. It was foolishness, all of it. All she got were strange looks from the servants who must have thought she'd gone mad. Everyone knew she had no interest in marrying, and that she'd even entertain a suitor was completely out of character.
After hours of fruitless spying, Hotaru made an announcement. "This won’t work if they know we're watching."
"Clearly." Yuki rolled her eyes.
"I think we should set a trap."
Yuki narrowed her eyes at him. "You're not going to use me as bait, are you?"
He waved away her concern with a flap of his hand. "I wouldn't dream of it. The would-be assassin is trying to make me look like the culprit, so all we must do is give you another gift and wait for it to be tampered with."
"How do you intend to do that?"
"You'll see. Wait here."
Hotaru jogged off, leaving her standing in the middle of the hallway. She watched him go with a confused expression. They weren't far from his rooms, and when she saw him go into his chamber, she started to get an inkling of what he was planning. Hotaru returned a few minutes later with a present for her. It was a jade bracelet with a dragon carved into the band.
"Let me put it on you." He held it out.
After his first two presents had nearly killed her, she was hesitant to try on another. What if he had done something to this one too?
"I'd rather not," she said, looking at the bracelet dubiously.
"Want me to try it on first?"
He slipped the bracelet onto his wrist and flapped his wrist around in a dramatic fashion. "What do you think? Does it suit me?"
The flamboyant way in which he fluttered his eyelashes was her undoing and she burst out into peals of laughter. She covered her mouth, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
But the smile on her face and his accompanying laughter only made it worse. When they had both gotten over the giggles, he took her wrist and put the bracelet on her. His hand lingered for a moment, his thumb pressed against her pulse. She should pull away, but there was something warm and comforting about his grip.
"See, I'm not so bad." He smirked at her.
She yanked her hand away, clutching her wrist, which was still warm from his touch. "I suppose not."
They returned to her room, and said their goodbyes. When she was alone, Yuki spun the bracelet around her wrist. She hated to admit it, but Hotaru could be charming when he wanted, and so far, she felt no ill effects from his gift. Maybe he had been telling the truth. She took it off and set it down on one of her chests before leaving the room.
What if nothing happens? Then what? If they couldn't find another culprit, then it had to be Hotaru. And she didn't want to think about that. As she headed down the hall, someone grabbed her wrist. Yuki spun, ready to defend herself, but saw Hotaru crouching in the shadows, a finger pressed to his lips. He pulled her down next to where he was hiding. The bush they were sitting in gave them the perfect view of her room door. If anyone were to go in, they would see them.
"Now what?" she asked.
"We wait." He grinned at her.
And so they sat and watched her room, more than once someone walked by. But each time they tensed and prepared to apprehend them, the person walked on by.
Feeling restless, Yuki shifted from foot to foot. It wasn't just sitting still, she was dangerously close to Hotaru. The heat of his body and his masculine scent were driving her to distraction. Why did he have to smell so good?
"This is terribly boring, aren't you uncomfortable?" She looked over at Hotaru. He'd hardly moved a muscle since they'd began.
"I'm good at staying still. It's something my father made sure to beat into me at an early age." It was such a casual comment, she thought it might be a joke. But he wasn't smiling. His mouth was a firm line, his gaze forward.
"Did he hit you often?"
He shrugged. "Only when I earned it." He turned and gave her a cheeky smile. "Which he felt was often."
The glib way in which he spoke of his father's cruelty broke her heart.
"That's awful."
Hotaru shrugged. "It's in the past."
"That's no way to treat his heir..."
"I wasn't the heir. My older brother was set to rule after my father..." He hesitated. “But he gave up his place to me."
There was more to the story, she was certain, but the telling warranted a greater level of intimacy than they shared.
"Oh," she said, feeling awkward having pried.
"You don't have to pity me." His eyes met hers, she saw pain and a longing for someone to understand, to care. She looked away.
She shifted again, and wanting to fill the silence, she said, "My father never struck me, but I don't think he really knew what to do with me."
He cocked his head to one side to listen to her better, while keeping his eyes on the door. She wasn't sure why she was telling him other than to repay him for his own story.
"My mother died giving birth to me. And my father was much better at being a fighter than anything else. So he raised my brother and I the same. But everyone thought I was strange growing up. Not a lady, too wild, too in love with the forest. My family has always felt a connection to the forest, but for me even more so."
"That's what I like about you though." He said it casually without looking at her.
"I thought you promised not to talk about those sort of things." Her entire body was as tight as a bowstring, while her stomach twisted in knots.
"I promised not to talk about marriage. I never said I wouldn't admire you." He gave her another cheeky grin.
She was about to scold him when they heard footsteps on the walkway nearby. A shadowy figure was creeping toward her room. Their backs were to the person and she couldn't see if it was a man or a woman, let alone who it was. The figure looked both ways before opening the door just wide enough to slip inside.
"Well, there's our cue."
18
They burst into the room. A woman had her back to them. But as they entered she turned around to face them. It was the same maid he had run into in the hall carrying the large stack of dishes.
"Who are you?" Yuki challenged. "You're not one of the clan."
The maid dropped the jade bracelet onto the ground and rushed toward them, her mouth unhinging as she did, revealing rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth. The yokai lunged for Yuki, but Hotaru leaped in front of her, putting up his arm to block the attack. Her jaws clamped on his arm. He grit his teeth as the sharp teeth tore into his flesh.
He had not thought to bring a weapon. At worst he thought they'd be dealing with a traitorous servant. As he wrestled with the monster its strength overpowered him and blood rolled down his arm.
It pushed him backward, almost knocking him off his feet. Hotaru searched the room for some sort of makeshift weapon.
Then a song cut through the chaos. The notes were beautiful, high, and clear. The yokai let go of him, falling backward as it covered its ears screeching. Hotaru turned to see Yuki, her eyes glowing with power, as the entire room vibrated with the energy of her song. The creature turned and fled, breaking through the round window at the back of the room. Hotaru chased after it, watching it scurry across the garden and over a nearby wall.
Yuki's song ended and she was about to collapse when Hotaru rushed to her side and put his arm around her shoulder.
"What was that?" Hotaru asked, looking toward the broken window. He'd never seen anything like it though he'd heard stories of shapeshifters before.
"Get out!" Yuki shouted as she shoved him away.
He turned to look at her, confused.
Tears were rolling down her cheeks.
"I don't think you should be alone. What if that thing comes back?"
"I can handle myself." She shoved him hard, pu
shing him toward the door. He couldn't make any sense of her reaction. Maybe she didn't want him to see her cry. But he did not press her.
She slammed the door shut once he was out in the hall. He stared at it, trying to process everything he had seen. So, this was why he needed Yuki. With her power, Lord Fujikawa wouldn't stand a chance. With Yuki by his side he would be the most powerful leader of all. With that mystery solved he uncovered another. Why had she pushed him away? What had he done to upset her? It seemed like any time they made progress, they took another two steps back.
He should leave her be but with the thought of that thing coming back through that open window and hurting her, he wouldn't be able to rest.
He knocked on the door. "Yuki. Can you tell me what I did?"
There was no reply.
"I don't know how I upset you."
Silence.
"Answer me or I'm coming in."
Again there was no response. He pushed open the door and rushed in and found it empty. There wasn't a sign of a struggle. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.
There was only one place she could have gone. He climbed through the window, and over the garden wall. Much slower than that monster had. Once he was over the wall, he came face to face with the nighttime forest. It was even more terrifying in the dark. Yuki didn't have much of a head start, so he ran after her.
He wasn't sure what led him to the tree, but it was as if the forest had brought him there. The large oak looked ominous in the night. And Yuki sat against its trunk, looking like a ghost from some fairy tale.
"Go away," she said as he approached.
He stood a few feet away. "Your brother doesn't want you out of the palace," he said, as if that was the only reason he'd come out here. Why had he come here? She hated him, and yet he couldn't stand the idea of her being this miserable or in danger.
She ignored him. And her cold silence was worse. He took a step toward her but she turned to face him with fury in her face.
"Don't come near me, or I'll do to you what I did to that yokai."
Hotaru froze, blinking at her. "I'm not afraid of you, Yuki." He kept his voice low, and calm.
Yuki: A Snow White Retelling Page 8