http://clampfix.fanworks.net/rgv-fix/smile7.txt </head><body><pre> And To See Him Smile Part VII A RG Veda Story By Myranda Kalis "You seem distracted, Ryuu-ou." Lord Duryea's soft, pleasant, well-modulated voice brought Ryuu-ou from her thoughts, all of which were dire contemplations of the vagaries of cruel chance. If the universe were a fair place, she knew, she would be in the banquet hall now, mostly emptied by the lateness of the hour and the usual evening activities that were relegated to the smaller side chambers and private quarters of Naga-jou's inhabitants. She would be, subtly as she could, drilling the Raijin Taishakuten for every scrap of information she could get out of him-the true reason for his coming, what was going on inside his inscrutably male head. She would be merciless, yet cunning, her verbal traps wrought with art enough to make even Ashura-ou weep in appreciation at the sight of her strategy. She would reduce him to the truth, once and for all. The universe was not, however, a fair place for gods or men, and she was not in the main hall grilling the unfathomable Lord of Thunders. She was attempting in her fashion to entertain one of the endless horde of suitors brought to Naga-jou by her marriage-happy relatives in an effort to force her into the bonds of respectable matrimony. In the artfully lit and arranged gardens, which, in the glow of dozens of elegantly placed lamps of cut glass and colored paper, had the unmistakable ambiance of romance. Ryuu-ou ground her teeth. "Affairs of state weigh heavily on me even in the off-season, my Lord," she managed, politely enough. "I'm afraid I never inherited the knack of letting politics roll off my back." "Your affairs have been so unsettled, then, of late?" He inquired, equally polite, golden lamplight glinting in his blue-blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. He really was, Ryuu-ou thought distractedly, not at all ill-favored. "I have been unsettled in my affairs, rather than the other way around." She laughed lightly. "It seems I cannot turn around without something new happening to distract me from what I was just doing." His eyes rolled heavenward. "Oh, believe me, I can understand that. My father is always finding something new for me to do-usually before I have finished the first thing he set me to do-" "And it's never anything small that you can delegate to someone else-" "And it always takes much more time than there are hours in the day-" "And if it is not one thing it is the other-" "My parents' most recent project is attempting to convince me to marry." His eyes sought the sky again; Ryuu-ou almost choked on her tongue. "I am not even the Heir! I think they just want more grandchildren." Ryuu-ou managed to dislodge the object cutting off her air and croaked out, "Truly? My family-" "I know." Duryea smiled wryly-his smile, Ryuu-ou noted, did not ruin his face at all, but rather brought it to life, crinkling the skin around his eyes and mouth, already marked with laugh lines and other signs of his good humor. "I had wondered when we would arrive at this point. My Lady, I've no wish to be another unwanted suitor to plague your peace-I came to Naga-jou primarily to placate my mother and your aunt. This walk has been...pleasant...but it need go no further if you are not of a mind to humor your relatives. I am certainly not of a mind to humor mine." A smile twitched at the corners of Ryuu-ou's mouth. She slipped her arm through his. "I think, my Lord, that we have more in common than is usual for me and my suitors." Overhead, the sky flashed as lightning leapt from cloud to cloud. Ryuu-ou's sea-green eyes narrowed as she glared at the offending heavens, and Duryea laughed helplessly. "Perhaps we should continue this inside...Humoring our obnoxious relations, that is?" "Of course, my Lord. Let us, by all means, repair indoors and humor them until they are quite certain we are betrothed." The portico that ringed the guest quarters was wide enough for them to walk comfortably close or as far apart as liked, and had the additional advantages of a solid roof and the opportunity for the countless spies no doubt set to watch them to get an eyeful. ("You are absolutely awful, Lord Duryea." "Years of practice, Ryuu-ou.") Bearing all this in mind, they sprinted for it as the rain began to pound down in earnest, and managed nevertheless to be thoroughly drenched. Ryuu-ou ran her fingers through her short-cropped red hair and wrung some of the excess water from it, flicking it at the grinning Lord Duryea, attempting the same task with his dripping cloak. "That certainly came up quickly." "The disadvantage, perhaps, of having the God of Thunder beneath your roof," Duryea suggested impishly, and she smacked him. "Bite your tongue-and do not give him any ideas!" Water flung back and forth between them for a few minutes until they were entirely convulsed in mirth. "For all I know, he is part of some insanely elaborate plot designed to work us into a compromising situation from which marriage is the only escape...." "I take it, then, you were not expecting us to arrive on the same day?" Duryea asked wryly. "Not at all," Ryuu-ou admitted, caught half-way between amusement and irritation. "He did not even send a messenger to precede him. He simply turned up." "From the rumors I have heard, he seems to have a talent for turning up where he is least expected. Not another pre-scheduled suitor, then." Ryuu-ou snorted. "Not a suitor at all! He came seeking a place in my Court-" "The West is famous for its hospitality." Ryuu-ou paused and scrutinized him for a moment, then continued on. "Indeed, the Court of Naga-jou is known for its hospitality-but I've a feeling he hadn't thought two thoughts about coming here before...." "Before?" Lord Duryea prompted after a moment of silence, in which Ryuu-ou's eyes narrowed dangerously and she began chewing thoughtfully upon her lower lip. "You are, of course, aware that the Raijin was honored before the Heavenly Court for his conduct of the war." Another, lengthier pause. "He asked, as his reward, a fencing lesson from Ashura-ou." Duryea made a soft sound that was almost approving. "Bold. And, of course, quite arrogant-he's said not to lack, though he was cordial enough tonight." "He does not lack at all, though he can wear as fine a courtly face as any when it comes to that." She ran a hand through her drying hair and began pacing down the portico, Duryea shortening his stride to keep pace with hers. "What I was going to say, Lord Duryea, is that I do not believe he strung two thoughts about coming here together before he learned that Ashura-ou was taking his leisure here away from the Heavenly Court...." "You think he carries...what? A grudge?" Duryea looked puzzled a moment. "Was there anything between them before the Raijin's return to Zenmi-jou?" "If they ever met before, I have not been aware of it. You know how rare it is for Ashura-ou to actually leave Zenmi-jou for any reason, and Taishakuten rarely favors the Heavenly City with his presence, despite his rank in the armies." A wry smile that faded quickly. "I do not know what the Raijin wants, but I do believe that it is more than what he told me. I wish I knew more." "Perhaps you should ask Ashura-ou? Have you confided your fears in him?" "No," she said slowly. "No, I have not. Yet, at any rate. He and I are much in each others' confidence, but I am half-afraid that he will laugh at me over this-I do not think he believes the Raijin is dangerous to him." A long, mulling silence. "Let us go to him now." Duryea blinked. "Now? The hour is late-" Another snort. "Ashura is a night-owl, my friend. I do not even know if he actually sleeps any longer! He is almost certainly still awake and taking his evening reading in his chambers. Besides," a sly grin, "I think you would like one another, given time, and he would almost certainly aid and abet us in whatever prank we choose to pull on Aunt Lakshimi tomorrow morning." He chuckled. "A trickster God of War?" "He has a spark of well-hidden mischief in him-he will deny it vigorously if confronted about it, of course, but it is true." She smiled. "Here is his door...." Ryuu-ou reached for the doorknob; Duryea's hand found her wrist before she could even touch it. "Wait!" He breathed at her surprised look. "Listen. Do you hear....?" Soft sounds emerged from behind the barrier of the thin door and walls. Ryuu-ou and Duryea both listened intensely, their eyes widening, and Ryuu-ou at least paling several degrees. Her horrified gaze found his, and they both moved at once, crouching low and crawling on their hands and knees to peer through the window, slightly ajar, through which a lance of pale golden light was falling. Ryuu-ou's mouth fell agape in pure shock and horror. Duryea could only stare in sheer astonishment. They watched for several moments while the initial mental paralysis wore off. Duryea recovered first, gripping Ryuu-ou's shoulder tightly and giving her a gentle shake. She came out of her trance with a soft squeak of dismay and incredulity, the look in her sea-colored eyes frankly stunned as she turned to look at him. He nudged her over, and, in the enormity of her trauma, she did as he suggested, crawling further down the portico before pushing back to her feet and leaning, at a loss, against the wall. "Well," Duryea observed dryly, "you have your answer about what the Raijin wants here...." Ryuu-ou's mouth moved soundlessly for several seconds, before managing to blurt out, "They were--!" "Yes, they certainly were." Duryea confirmed, a sort of admiration creeping into his tone. "And they both looked like they were enjoying themselves mightily." "Ashura and Taishakuten!" Ryuu-ou squeaked through an unusually tight throat. "Yes," Duryea replied agreeably. "I need a drink. A strong drink." "Shall we find one, milady?" "By all means, Lord Duryea-let's." </pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>