Sword and Mirror

by Kate Grove

  “Okay,” she said, looking him in the eyes. “Talk to me.”

  “Let’s sit down, shall we?” Katsuo asked, gesturing toward the pillows.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Fine.” Katsuo let out a small sigh and stayed on his feet. Gathering his thoughts, he continued. “As I was saying, that woman had helped me find you when you were kidnapped. I went back to pay my dues.”

  “And she had a debt and you paid it off,” Ciara supplemented. “See? I listened.”

  “Indeed. Then I intended to send her on her way with some allowance, but she refused to do that. Instead, she insisted on being employed by me.”

  “Why?”

  Katsuo blinked.

  “I’m a daimyō.”

  “And?”

  “It’s an honor to be employed by me,” Katsuo said, puzzled at her reaction. There was no arrogance in his voice, he just stated a matter of fact.

  “Oh,” Ciara nodded, understanding dawning on her. “So? You have plenty of servants and soldiers here.”

  “She insisted.”

  “And you felt like you had to comply, because…?”

  “At first, I didn’t want to, but she was very persistent.”

  Ciara waited for the rest; however, Katsuo seemed to have said what he wanted.

  “That’s it?” she asked in disbelief.

  “Yes. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  “I still don’t agree.”

  “I didn’t seek your permission.”

  Ciara tensed for a moment. Of course he wouldn’t. What was she to him? Just a convenient excuse for unwanted marriage proposals. She wasn’t his partner, not really.

  “I see,” she said with some difficulty. “Well, if that was all—”

  “Ciara.” Katsuo grabbed her hand as she turned to leave. She glanced back at him over her shoulder. “Are we on good terms now?”

  She felt blood rush to her head at the question. Her eyes narrowed. “Far from it.”

  “Why?”

  “I still don’t understand. I feel like there’s something you’re still not telling me,” she replied.

  Katsuo looked into her eyes with a serious expression.

  “I’m not the only one with secrets.”

  “What?” Ciara swayed a little. “What do you mean?”

  Katsuo could feel her heartbeat pick up under his fingers on her wrist. Ah, so he was right.

  “You refuse to talk about your past. Every time I ask about what happened to you or about your homeland, you shut the conversation down. Why can’t you talk to me?”

  “That… you wouldn’t understand,” she replied, looking away. She tried to retrieve her hand, but Katsuo refused to let go. His grip was gentle but firm.

  “Try me, or are you a spy?” he said as his eyes flashed gold for a moment.

  “There!” Ciara pointed at him. “What was that?”

  “What was what?” Katsuo asked, letting go of her suddenly. He even took a step back.

  “Your eyes. Sometimes they’re brown, and sometimes they’re gold like Yuki’s. Why do they do that?”

  He immediately clammed up.

  “See? And you ask me why I don’t tell you everything. Trust goes both ways, Katsuo,” Ciara said, twirling around and ramming straight into the cupboard.

  “Ow,” she massaged her painful nose and glared at the furniture, but at that moment, the basket on top, which had been balancing on the edge, had toppled over and spilled its contents on her.

  “Are you all right?” Katsuo asked, immediately moving closer.

  “I’m fine,” Ciara held out her free hand. The other was still nursing her nose. “What was in there, anyway?”

  She looked down to see white balls rolling around the floor. Plenty were still intact, but there were some which had opened during the fall.

  Ciara was just about to dismiss them, when she realized she was seeing dragons. All the opened balls had a dragon symbol inside them. Slowly, she squatted down and picked up a closed ball.

  “Ciara—” Katsuo tried to get the ball from her, but she turned away, quickly opening it. It had a dragon inside, too. Her eyes flashed with rage. She held up the ball for Katsuo to see it.

  “I bet you have an explanation for this, too?”

  Katsuo opened his mouth then closed it. He tried again, but no sound came out.

  “Have a nice life with Orihime,” she said as she threw the ball at him and marched out of the room.

  Katsuo stood there frozen, looking after her.

  “Hells!”

  That was not how he imagined the evening would go.

  53

  Ciara ran to her room, but when she got there, she had no idea what to do. She wanted to scream, to break something, to cry, to do something and get revenge on Katsuo for tricking her into an unfair agreement.

  How dare he? How dare he? He never intended to play by the rules. The game was rigged before it started. It was all a game to him, while for her… she truly believed their feelings were mutual. That she had finally found someone who would be a partner. Someone she could trust.

  She screamed in frustration.

  “Screw it!” She picked up a vase and hurled it at the wall.

  The clatter echoed in the room, and when it died down, the silence hurt. She walked over to the low table in the corner of the room and rummaged around to find some paper and a writing utensil. She found a brush and a block of solid ink.

  “How do I even—?” Ciara tried to figure out how to use it, and her gaze landed on the broken vase. Water seeped to the tatami mat beneath it. She stood up and went to the water basin on the other side of the room. She carried the jug back to the desk.

  She found a small dish and put the block of ink in it before pouring some water over it. The ink slowly colored the water. Too slow for her taste, but there was nothing she could do.

  Ciara grabbed the brush and made her best effort to write down a note with the items available to her. When she was done, she quickly read through it once more. Uncertainty filled her chest. What if no one could understand? She didn’t know Japanese and still wasn’t completely sure how it was possible that she could speak it. It probably had something to do with that Kawa-something person with the black teeth.

  “Bleh,” she grimaced as she remembered. Damnit, but it was the only chance she had. She had to go back there and find the mirror if she wanted to get back home. She wasn’t even sure how long it would take or which direction to go.

  She couldn’t even remember that guy’s full name!

  Ciara folded the note and left it on the desk. She turned around the room that had been hers for weeks. It was nice while it lasted. Too bad her experience ended like this.

  She realized there was nothing she could bring with herself. She was already wearing comfortable clothes. The only thing she might need on her journey was money. She went back to her desk where she knew Yura had hidden the pouch full of money they had been using when visiting town.

  She shook it and could hear the coins jingle inside. Nodding, she hid it in the folds of her clothes and headed out. She did not spare another glance to her room. Her confident steps led her to the courtyard and toward the gate. It was already dark, and a chilly wind swept through the castle grounds.

  “Halt! Who goes there?”

  “Ciara.”

  “My lady! Forgive me, I did not recognize you,” the soldier bowed. “How can I be of service to you?”

  “I want to go to town.”

  The guard exchanged a glance with his partner.

  “At this hour?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry, but no one leaves the castle grounds after sundown unless they have special permission from Milord,” he replied.

  “I have.”

  “May we see it?” The other soldier asked.

  “Oh. You didn’t say written permission.”

  “That’s what he meant.”

  “I see. Well, then, I’ll be back soon
with his special written permission,” Ciara said, turning around.

  “Milady,” the guards bowed as she walked away from them.

  Damn. How do I get out of here? It really is like a fortress. Can I climb the walls, I wonder? Ciara took a right turn and investigated her chances. Unfortunately, guards patrolled the walls every few minutes, and it had been a long while since she had climbed a tree, which was way easier than scaling a wall.

  She was just weighing her chances when someone unexpectedly spoke to her.

  “How unusual to see you outside the main castle after dark.”

  “Oh, Orihime,” Ciara acknowledged her. Great, just what she needed.

  “Why the sour face?”

  Ciara didn’t reply. Her attention was on the walls, contemplating. Orihime followed her gaze, and it took her only a moment to figure out Ciara’s intentions.

  “Do you want to leave the castle grounds? I might know a way.”

  “What?” Ciara snapped her head to the side to look at Orihime. Her need to get out overwhelmed the suspicion she felt toward the woman. “What did you just say?”

  Orihime smiled sweetly. “As you may be aware, my accommodations are at the guest house, tucked in the other corner of the courtyard. However, that means less patrolling guards. I can show you the part of the wall they ignore.”

  “Really?”

  “There’s even a tree reaching outside.”

  Ciara narrowed her eyes.

  “Where’s the catch?”

  “Catch? I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Orihime inclined her head. Her eyes were wide, innocent.

  “Why would you help me, when we both know you don’t like me?”

  “Well… you escaping means one thing. You want to be as far away from Katsuo-sama as possible, which coincides with my will. So why wouldn’t I help you?”

  Ciara though for a moment then nodded.

  “You have a point. Okay, show me the way.”

  “Follow me,” Orihime said, taking the lead.

  54

  “You can do this. You can do this,” Yura told herself as she walked along the abandoned corridors. She held a flask in her hand, filled with the freshly brewed oolong tea. “Just ask him if he’d like some tea. If he says no, you can just give him the flask and go away.”

  She stopped mid-stride.

  “Wait, no, that isn’t quite right!” She shook her head. “I’m so confused!”

  Yura hid her face behind her free hand. She was nervous, but a deal was a deal, and she wasn’t going to bring shame to her name by not holding up her end of the bet. She took a deep breath, straightened, and opened her eyes.

  “I can do this,” she whispered as she marched on toward the pagoda, where fate awaited her.

  “We’ll have a celebratory drink together later, and you can tell me about it,” Shizuru told her at dinner.

  “But we don’t know if he’d agree.”

  “Why wouldn’t he?” another servant piped up. She was a few years older than Yura. “He’s crazy if he doesn’t go out with you.”

  “Either way, we’ll be having a drink,” Shizuru ended the argument. “Whether it be in celebration or to drown our sadness, it depends on you.”

  “What? Our sadness? It’s my heart on the line!” Yura protested.

  Shizuru smirked at her. “Go make him yours.”

  “Shizu!”

  Yura shook her head as she remembered. Shizuru sometimes came off as demanding, maybe even aggressive, but her heart was in the right place. Soon, Yura saw the pagoda and could make out the figure standing guard near the path leading to it.

  Damnit, her nerves were acting up again.

  “Keep calm, deep breaths,” Yura told herself. “You can do this. I can do this. Here I go!”

  She stepped toward the path confidently. She made it to a few paces before she was distracted by nearby voices.

  Is that Ciara-sama? What is she doing here? Yura stopped and altered her course, following Ciara’s voice. Soon, she heard someone else. Orihime-dono? Yura’s eyes got big. She had to do something to help her lady!

  She hurried over to the scene, catching up to the women quickly.

  “Ciara-sama!”

  Ciara startled as she heard Yura’s voice. She looked over her shoulder.

  “Yura? What are you doing here?”

  “I… I heard you and wondered…”

  “Wondered what, servant?” Orihime bit out.

  “Hey, don’t talk to her like that!” Ciara admonished.

  “Psssh,” Orihime turned her face away.

  “What is it, Yura?”

  “I thought… maybe Milady—I mean, Ciara-sama would need some assistance.”

  “That’s sweet of you, but I’m fine, thank you.”

  “Oh. But…” Yura’s gaze found Orihime who had turned her back on them.

  “Are you coming or not? I don’t have all night.”

  “Sure, your majesty,” Ciara said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “Yura, you don’t need to—”

  “I’ll help!” she quickly jumped in.

  “She doesn’t need your help,” Orihime said, disdain coloring her voice.

  Yura frowned, but her expectant gaze was on Ciara, who was reminded of a puppy. She couldn’t just leave Yura behind, not like this. Ciara sighed.

  “Please don’t tell anyone until morning, but I’m leaving.”

  “L-leaving?”

  “I’m going back home.”

  “Why?”

  “None of your concern, girl,” Orihime replied.

  “I can speak for myself, no need to butt in,” Ciara told her, irritated.

  “I’m helping you. You either come now or you’ll lose your advantage,” Orihime explained. She nodded toward Yura. “That is, if that servant girl can keep her mouth shut.”

  “Yura, please go back to your room, and don’t tell anyone—”

  “May I come?”

  “I’m sorry?” Ciara blinked in confusion.

  “May I come with you?”

  “Why would you do that? You have a life here.”

  “I can’t let Milady go alone. You’re not familiar in these lands. Anything could happen to you!”

  Ciara smiled and walked over to Yura. She put a hand on the top of the girl’s head. “You’re very kind, but I’m an adult. I can deal with it.”

  “I remember when you arrived with Katsuo-sama,” Yura whispered. “You were pale as a ghost. And I can see it in your eyes—”

  “See what?”

  “Pardon me for saying this, Milady, but you don’t know war. You don’t know how to survive here.”

  Ciara gasped in surprise. Yura was far more perceptive than she gave her credit for.

  “Yura—”

  “Oh, gods, I can’t take this anymore,” Orihime groaned. “Take care of them.”

  “What—?” Both Ciara and Yura snapped their head in her direction, but the only thing they could see was a shadow descending on them. It was already too late for them to react.

  Their world turned to black as they lost consciousness.

  Orihime sighed in relief.

  “Finally! That chatter was starting to give me a headache!” She massaged her temples with delicate fingers. She looked at the figure dressed in black who had knocked out Ciara and Yura. His face was obscured by a mask.

  “I see you’ve come to a decision. Good choice, coming to our side.”

  The person inclined their head.

  “Now, we have to get her to Juro.”

  “Consider it done. What about the servant?”

  “Do as you wish. I don’t want to manage such miniscule tasks.”

  “I see,” he said, bending down to pick up Ciara’s limp body. Orihime was already walking away, not sparing another glance at her victims.

  55

  “Where is she?” Katsuo asked a servant he had waved over. They were in the conference room with everyone present – except his dear betrothed. “Get her, now!�
�

  “Yes, Milord,” the servant bowed low and scurried off in search of Yura, who was responsible for Lady Ciara.

  Katsuo frowned and crossed his arms, waiting. Takeru, who sat in the first row, nearest to the dais, looked up at him with question in his eyes. Katsuo glanced away. His vassals seemed to be patiently waiting, but he knew better. It was such an insult, not respecting their precious time and making them wait! If Ciara’s goal was to humiliate him in front of his servants, then she was doing well. His eye twitched as he remembered last night.

  Okay, so maybe it was partly his fault. Still, that didn’t give her permission to make fifty or so hungry men wait. He was just about to stand up and go hunt her down himself when the servant from before hurried to his side.

  “You are alone,” he observed, not pleased.

  “Milord, I can’t find Ciara-sama! What’s stranger, I can’t find Yura, either! She was supposed to assist Ciara-sama.”

  “You checked the room, the bathhouse, the courtyard, everything?”

  “Yes, Milord, forgive me, Milord, I couldn’t find them!” Poor servant went into a dogeza, so helpless that she couldn’t find Ciara.

  Katsuo stood, and the murmur in the room died down. Rage radiated off him in waves.

  “I will not be able to join you this morning,” he said, tenseness in his voice. “Enjoy breakfast.”

  With that, he quickly made an exit through a side door. Takeru was behind him a moment later. Thanks to his sharp ears, he overheard the servant’s quiet words.

  He followed Katsuo out into the courtyard.

  “Brother, what happened?”

  “How would I know?”

  “Did you have a fight yesterday?” Takeru asked, stopping Katsuo in his tracks.

  “How—?”

  “I have eyes,” Takeru sighed. “There was tension between you two last night, but I had hoped you’d clear it up. Apparently, I thought wrong.”

  Katsuo turned around and kept walking.

  “Hey, where are you going?”

  “To the pagoda.”