Every Monday Dottie over at Tink's Place posts a picture and on Friday we share a story to go along with the picture. The story has to be about 350 or so words.
This was meant to posted earlier today, but I forgot to schedule it. Hahaha. Well, here's my FFF for an older picture. When I seen it, I knew I had found a picture to go along with my tale of Lady Chou. This story is special to me and perhaps one day I'll share her whole story with the world in the form of a novel, but for now I shall just give you this little bit. Hope you enjoy.
Lady Chou
by: CaroleRae
“My son, Isao, has dishonored you and
this family. I am truly sorry Lady Chou.” Said the honorable Lord
Hiroshi Hideki.
Lady Chou sat in silence for a moment.
Her stare bore into the table. All her plans were dashed. Everything
she worked on was finished. Everything she hoped for and worked
wholeheartedly for was over. Where did that leave her?
Finally she took a deep breath, she
never moved her eyes, but she softly replied trying to not cry,
“Honorable Lord Hiroshi there is no reason for you to apologize. I
shall pack my belongings and return back to my father. He has missed
me.”
Lord Hiroshi gave a weak, “You do not
need to leave right away.”
With a nod Lady Chou replied, “Thank
you Lord Hiroshi for your hospitality. You have been ever so kind to
me. Please do excuse me, for I would love to walk in the gardens.”
He nodded and waved her away. She stood
up and as gracefully as she could manage left the room and made her
way to the gardens she so loved since the moment she came here. All
the past Lady Hiroshiss added to the garden. The garden was one of
largest gardens in all of the kingdom. She would bet it was one of
the most beautiful too, perhaps a good contender to the Emperor's
garden. Certainly she would miss this garden. With all the
different colored flowers and all the lovely butterflies and other
winged creatures that visited her on her walks. Sure she would miss
the garden with all her heart, but she would mostly miss him...she
stopped herself before she thought of him.
With a sigh she picked a flower and
smelled it. It helped temporarily eased the pain in her heart from
the destruction of her plans due to Isao and his betrayal. She knew
she wasn't the most beautiful girl in all the land. Her nickname had
been Lady Ga, Lady Moth. They said she wasn't pretty enough to be
named after the butterflies. Sometimes she was still called that by
others, even though she was an adult and so were they. She took
another whiff of the flower before letting it fall to the ground. She
turned and found her face to face with him....the man she wished was
Isao, but he was unfortunately the second son and not the first son.
“Hasimoto-san” Eiji bowed and
looked up at her with a shade of sorrow in his eyes.
“Hiroshi-sama, it is an honor to see
you again.” She bowed in return.
Dropping the formalities Eiji grabbed
her hands, “Chou, I am so sorry. I know how hurt you must be.”
She smiled, “Eiji...I am fine. I will
go home and see if I Lord Komatsu will reopen negotiations for my
hand in marriage.”
Eiji frowned, but said nothing. They
looked at each other. Since she had arrived two months ago she has
been oddly drawn to him. At first she thought it was just friendship
and soon to be brother and sister bonds, but she found she truly
liked him. In the back of her mind the word “love” swam around.
Yes, she was everything she looked for in a man. He was tall,
strong-shouldered, strong featured, and with kind eyes that lite up
with laughter. He was one of the few who could make her truly smile
and giggle. The only thing that kept them apart was the fact that he
was the second son, not the first.
“Well, I must begin packing. Good
day.” Chou tried to pull her hands away from his, but he tightened
his grasp. She looked away. She prayed he wouldn't try to persuade
her to not try and marry the elderly Lord Komatsu who was nearly
sixty.
“Chou...”
“What?” She snapped and looked at
him.
His eyebrows came to gather and watched
her for a minute. Like she, he was very observant, so when the blush
grew on her cheeks, she tried to pull away again. However, he didn't
let go. Instead he bent down and brushed her lips with his lips.
Unintentionally she moaned and stepped closer to him. Eiji deepened
the kiss and wrapped his arms around her. Chou allowed herself a few
minutes of pleasure, because she doubted any man could make her feel
like this. Feel like she was floating in the sky. Feel like her knees
would give way. Make her feel like all those lines in the love poems
she highly enjoyed.
Finally, she pulled away. If she wasn't
in love with Eiji she would smack him. She wanted to say something
witty, but she could only gap like a fish, so she ran off. As she
reached the house, she slowed her pace. With a deep breath, she
gained her composure and entered the house that was suppose to be
hers when Isao returned from business in the north. However a
different lady would walk these halls and it would belong to her.
Chou felt more helpless then ever, but she would remain strong and
find another husband who wasn't Eiji and made her feel such feelings.
~*~
“Damn him.” Groaned Chou. All night
she was tossing and turning, but she couldn't sleep. The moments in
his arms kept flashing in-front of her eyes. She jumped when a voice
responded to her curse.
“Thats not very nice Hasimoto-san.”
She gasped, “What are doing here!? In
my room!”
Eiji smiled at her and set his cup
down, “I'm here to convince you of your foolish plans. I can
support you. I maybe a second son, but I have my own earnings. Though
it is a little less, it is better then nothing.”
She glared, “You may try, but you
will fail Eiji.” Chou could barely believe that she was encouraging
this! Her ancestors must turning in their graves.
~*~
“Hasimoto-san.” Bowed Eiji.
Lord Hasimoto looked at Eiji, “Ah. It
is good to see you young Eiji. The last time I seen you you were just
a little baby. Barely a month old.” He chuckled and motioned for
Eiji to sit. The chuckle turned to a cough, “You seem very
distraught my boy.”
Eiji looked down and took a deep
breath, “I am. I am...I will not waste anytime. But Lady Chou must
not marry Lord Komatsu.”
Lord Haimoto lifted an eyebrow, “And
why ever not?”
“She, well, she....she must marry
me.” Eiji looked up after a moment into the kind eyes of Lord
Haimoto. Eiji didn't understand where Chou got her serious demeanor
from, because her father was cheery man and was more bound to laugh
then get angry.
With a chuckle, “I agree. However, my
little Chou is bent on marrying the old fool. I can force her to
remove herself from this path if you give me a good reason.”
“I love her.”
“And? Love means little when it comes
to life.”
“I have money and I can support
her.”
“Yes, so? Lord Komatsu can support her and love her too.”
“I...she...I do not mean to dishonor
you or Lady Chou. But I must be honest. I love her and want her. She gave
herself to me, so I must make it right and marry her.”
“Figured as much. Though I am
disappointed that she used you thus, I shall deny her marriage Lord
Komatsu and have her marry you. You were brave to come here with such
honesty. Lucky I am not a vengeful man and she doesn't have brothers,
so the worst punishment I can bestow is Chou's anger, because you are
to be the messenger and inform her. Hope she doesn't kill the
messanger.”
Eiji grinned widely, “Thank you so
much Hasimoto-sama!”
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<3CaroleRae
