Chapter Eighty

The Worst Matchmaker in the World

 

 

Nekohiko woke up in the small inn behind the gambling salon he'd hidden in yesterday. He blinked into a tiny, dreary room. Hard floor, thin blankets. And a person snuggling next to him as though this was how it was supposed to be.

He squeezed his eyes back closed and let out a tired sigh.

Aomi.

He kind of remembered how she'd gotten inside his room. By that time, the Parades in the streets had seemingly come to an end. It had been very late, and Nekohiko had been long asleep in his bed here, readying for the most important day of his life.

But then, the window of his room had creaked open -- and inside, had stumbled Aomi, overdressed and over-excited and absolutely refusing to leave or to piss off.

Apparently, Kasuga had tracked him down to the place where he'd last dispelled her air shield. And because Aomi had bothered and annoyed Kasuga so much, the Nagare Queen had nothing better to think of than to dump Aomi onto Nekohiko like Aomi begged her to do for hours.

Too bad for Aomi -- Nekohiko had been sleepy as hell. And just as cranky.

He hadn't even bothered to wake up fully and only acknowledged her presence in his room. Then he'd turned on his other side and had gone back to sleep.

He needed a lot of rest, all right? No time for little girls overloading him with their stupid questions and sexual innuendos regarding the girl's older brothers. He needed to get his rest before his wedding!

But now, of course, he was finally fully rested.

And the little girl with all her stupid questions and innuendos was not gone. Not at all. Here she was, cuddling close and comfy to him, sleeping as soundly as a little heavenly Spirit -- with her cute sniffing through the nose and a pleased smile on her lips.

She was probably dreaming of something nice.

So happy, in her sleep. To be next to Nekohiko, to clutch one of his sleeves in her fingers with such ferocity...

He studied her peaceful features in the feeble pre-dawn light filtering through the window shutters above them and couldn't help but sigh again.

But this time -- not so tiredly.

He no longer felt quite as annoyed at the girl. On the opposite. With her being so close and so trusting toward him... She was fully aware of who he was and that he wanted to marry her brother with some insidious goals in mind. And yet, she still trusted him enough to snuggle up to him and sleep so vulnerably in front of him.

Rather than feel tired, he felt tender toward her. He didn't want to wake her up. Not yet. A few more minutes, just cuddling next to this sweet child and appreciating the fact that she had obviously known who he was ever since she and he had been introduced to each other months ago in the Red Stone estate.

Even back then, she'd made her first innuendos and suggestions about his true identity. Nekohiko had been unable to trick her into acknowledging that she knew who he was. But deep inside, he was still certain.

The girl had always known.

How? Why? From whom? He had no idea.

But it didn't even impress him that much compared to this:

She hadn't given his identity up -- to anyone. No matter what had happened. No matter how dark his presence in her life had become or how mad she had been with him sometimes.

All of it. She had persevered, completely alone. Without sharing with anyone else, not even with Nekohiko himself.

Why? He struggled to understand. But he appreciated it nonetheless. He wouldn't have been able to come here all this way without Aomi's aid. However invisible and subtle it had always been -- it was one of the primary if not the sole reasons he had arrived at this day: her protection, her nudging, her guiding him along the path.

Thank you, he whispered at her as he inclined his head to watch her sleep on his shoulder.

Then, after a while, he added, even quieter -- thank you and sorry, Aomi.

He had a lot to be sorry for. His marriage to her brother would not make her happy, in the end. Nekohiko didn't plan on fulfilling any of his marital duties and was only focused on getting the legal benefits from it, then discarding Abihiko afterward.

No doubt Aomi would hate it if he knew. So the least he could do for her now was give her a few more moments to dream in peace, then awaken her to the cruel reality.

Um, literally, and only so. He wasn't going to actually tell her the truth about his intentions. He wasn't an idiot to believe she would accept that all he wanted from this wedding was to humiliate and torture Abihiko...

"Hey, sleepyhead," he told her when it was finally time to wake. "We have to go. Sakami and her entourage are soon arriving at the Spring Sunlight Shrine and we have to be there before them."

Aomi tossed around. "Piss off, I'm sleeping."

But then, she realized something. With a yelp, she jolted in bed, smacking her elbow into Nekohiko's face in her panic.

"The WEDDING!" she cried, blinking madly at the faint light peeking in from the outside. "Did we oversleep?!"

Grouchy after being hit, Nekohiko shrugged her clingy limbs off and rolled out of the bed. "We still have tons of time, don't worry."

Aomi was still too bleary and groggy to fully comprehend where she was, so she rubbed her face furiously and kept gaping at their surroundings and Nekohiko who slowly pulling his outer robes on.

Suddenly, he felt his leg being shackled by a mighty full-body embrace. Aomi perched on top of his foot, clutching his right leg to herself with both her arms and legs. Her face turned upward, peering at him with a very miserable pout.

"I'm not ever letting you go," she grumbled like giving a blood oath. "The only person I'll give you up to is my brother, and nobody else."

"So, Kataji?" Nekohiko said innocently.

Aomi's pout intensified. "Oh! Good that you remember about him, too!"

Swift and merciless, she swung her small fist at Nekohiko, aiming at --

Oh, come on, Aomi!

Nekohiko didn't bother to dodge because it was her problem if she was punching a wooden dummy's crotch. Let her break her hand if she liked, ha. But then--

Her knuckle actually landed, with such a hollow wooden sound. But the pain still blinded Nekohiko, punching all breath out of him.

OW!

What the hell?!

Why was he feeling the exact and precise sensation of being hit in the balls when he was... just an artificial dummy?!

Then again, he had been able to weep as a wood block and able to be tickled. He guessed he could feel many, many things of this sort -- but this was not the way he had ever wanted to discover it!

Being punched in the dick by his future sister-in-law! On his wedding day!

He doubled down, catching air with his mouth. Tears smattered his eyes, but he still saw clearly that Aomi was gasping in pain, too. Her fist was red and her eyes squeezed tight from pain.

Good. Good, you little brat!

Aomi was lucky she was a child and that Spirits of the land protected her from harm! Nekohiko had never minded teaching misbehaved people some necessary discipline.

"Why--" Nekohiko breathed, miserable. "Why would you do something like that! That was cruel! I'm getting married in two hours!"

"That was for Kataji!" Aomi spat at him, shaking her fist to relieve the pain but smiling through her tears nonetheless. "Sorry about your fake manly regalia, but you kinda deserved that."

"I did not!"

Aomi had already mellowed back to her usual self, but Nekohiko's denial brought back her anger. "I talked to Mikawa on the Parade and demanded to know everything you three did in the capital! And what did he tell me? That you and Kataji are now a thing of some sort?!" Fuming, she looked like she would punch him again. "And today, you're marrying my other brother?!"

Nekohiko blanched away because she really did look dangerous.

"You... slut!" Aomi said grimly, sticking her finger toward his face. "You can't just go around and break people's hearts, you know. I will find you and I will kick you! Now, be serious. Kataji had no idea about your stupid wedding today, so I assume you didn't tell him? And he still thinks you and him are together? Nekohiko!"

Ah, there it was. His real name that Aomi, for some reason, knew so naturally.

Yet he had no time to focus on that. Aomi was right. He did fuck up the whole issue with Kataji so horribly... But at the same time -- he didn't know how it had even happened.

He had never misguided Kataji into thinking he wanted romance.

He had rejected all of Kataji's romantic advances. Every single time it had taken place.

He had told to Kataji, repeatedly, that he was not interested, warned him not to have a crush on him, told him the two of them could never end up together.

Right? This wasn't some hallucination he'd had. All these things had happened, and Nekohiko had been very careful not to lead the poor young man on when there was no chance in hell Nekohiko would reciprocate.

But then again, hadn't it been kind of similar to his relationship with Abihiko when they were young? And also, to think of it... Morokata had kissed him. Why? What if Nekohiko had been acting in some way that felt like he was... leading Morokata on?

And then, Hibiki groping him. Had Nekohiko done something to invite that?

"Aomi." He swallowed, throat parched. "Do you think I'm leading people on?"

She frowned. "Eh? Why? No."

"You just said that I'm a slut." He slowly drew his knees up to his chest on the floor. "Did you mean that?"

"Tsk, of course not! I was just hurt on behalf of... both of my brothers. You did hurt them. And will hurt at least one of them even harder with this whole... wedding stuff." Aomi slumped down, visibly aggrieved. "They are both my brothers. I can't help getting frustrated when I see that somebody hurts them so."

"But there are plenty of people around me who fall for me and pursue me and want something from me," Nekohiko mumbled on. "I never want to lead them on. I am just being myself. But somehow, I end up making them obsess over me. They can't all be in the wrong. Therefore, I am...?"

"What?!" Aomi crawled closer, grabbing hold of his lapels and giving him a shake. "Moron. It's not your fault that others project their own desires on you! Stop talking nonsense. It is their fault entirely."

He wanted to believe that, but--

"Hey." Aomi squeezed his cheeks in her hand, pretty rudely, to be honest. Then turned him to herself, eye to eye. "You are the woodiest piece of wood I've ever seen in my life. You are not leading anyone on, trust me. I have zero clues on why anyone would ever fall for a numb, apathetic, and cold-hearted dullard like you. But oh well, I guess my brothers have a really bad taste in love."

Nekohiko listened, his lips bitten. Aomi wanted to make him feel better; he understood. And it worked. Even when he felt she was lying just for the sake of it -- that still helped.

But then, just as quickly as her support came, her other fist flew into his shoulder.

"Oww!" Nekohiko gaped at her, betrayed. "What was that for?!"

"You still lied to Kataji even if you didn't lead him on." She narrowed her eyes in revenge. "He will end up hurt, so... you know. So should you! Even if it's only a shoulder. And you also have to promise you will deal with him after the wedding, all right? I don't want you to keep lying and hurting more people!"

Lying?

Yeah, you're the one to talk, Aomi.

 

 

---

***

 

He only managed to ask her about that after they'd sprinkled some water on their faces, paid for their stay, and left the inn to find their way to the Shrine. Nekohiko had wanted to buy some food in the noodle soup stall but Aomi told him she'd be fine with just a small rice bun she could eat on the go. The faster they got to the Shrine, the safer she'd feel about the wedding plans commencing as they should.

She wanted absolutely nothing wrong to happen today, so -- come on, Nekohiko, faster, faster! Move your legs, dammit! she would hiss at him after every other step.

Her concerns were unfounded. The day was so early, it was still dark in the streets, and most of the lanterns were still glowing. The chill seeped to the bones, and the morning dew lent a dreary, damp feel to everything. Bakers, milkmen, and maintenance Binders had already woken up, trudging along the streets as dazedly as Nekohiko and Aomi were.

But the closer Aomi came to the Shrine, the happier and more awake she became.

Once she perked up completely, hugging Nekohiko's arm and hanging off it as they walked, he asked.

"How long have you known?"

"Mmm? About you, sweet Neko?" she giggled.

Sweet Neko.

...

"I am your senior," he said, displeased.

But of course she ignored him.

"Ever since you told me that sappy story about being killed by your best friend," she drawled, tone mocking Nekohiko's manner of speech. "And the fact that your name was -- Itsuki! Itsuki, out of all the names in the world! I mean, I get it, you were trying to hide your identity. But why, then, would you name yourself a damn 'tree' if you are literally -- a tree?! Have you any idea how fake such a name sounds?"¹樹 (Itsuki) = "Spring Tree".

"There are people named Itsuki in the Empire," Nekohiko protested.

"Not if they're logs, no! Then you also had the Eldest Brother's seal on you, and you are an Emerald Fir -- and I've seen one in Eldest Brother's vault once." Momentarily, she shuddered but never stopped chattering -- so fast, Nekohiko had a hard time following. "He got really mad when he found out I saw his fir tree there. Really, really mad. Brrr. So, you know. It all just fit together. And then again, it could be such a cute coincidence, too. But when I hinted on knowing who you were and about Eldest Brother -- mwaa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! You should have seen your own face back then or have heard the meek, choked way you sounded after that!"

Gleeful, she skipped alongside him, pointing fingers at him and laughing. "Neko, you exposed yourself to me right there and then -- it was so hilarious!"

"Yeah, yeah, I got that," he said with a sour mien. He took both her pointy fingers in his fists and gently pushed them aside, reigning Aomi back on track and on their road to the Shrine. "That's not what I meant. I don't have a lot of pride in my own acting abilities, trust me. I want to know how and when have you ever found out about who I am and about... me being murdered by your Eldest Brother, apparently? You know that, too?"

"Mn."

And she looked at him, wide-eyed and smily as though acknowledging he had been murdered by her sibling was somehow a positive thing in her mind.

"Sorry, Aomi, but you are fully aware I am now marrying the same person who has killed me. Right? I am unsure of how you can keep so ecstatic about that, or how you have never wanted to expose me to others, including your brother -- before?"

"He loves you," she blurted out. "So he won't hurt you. And you love him and thus won't hurt him either. What would I have to worry about?" Yet even as she said it, she fell into a sort of a reluctant worry, biting her lip and quietening down beside him. "And why I haven't told him about you or never hinted more explicitly at me knowing who you were... I think, whatever Eldest Brother does with saving you -- is a fragile thing. And that, perhaps, people trying to worm into it unasked wouldn't be welcome. Or might even endanger his whole plan entirely. If I told him back then about you, he would have panicked and tried to get you as soon as possible. And back then, you were clearly not ready to get anywhere close to him. He would have butchered any chances at ever getting a good nice conversation with you. Without you attacking him before ever listening to what he has to say.

"You were obviously very angry when you just came to be. Very... resentful. Understandably so. You wanted revenge and were blinded by this feeling. So you needed to cool down and live among people. Among friends. To see that there are more facets to everything than just revenge and that gathering more information is crucial to understanding things. If I told you I was his sister right away, you would have shut me down and lied to me and wouldn't let me try and change your mind. I mean, you went out and murdered people. And then lied so nonchalantly about that."

Nekohiko listened impassively, watching the road they walked and the lightening sky in between the tall houses. He did not interrupt. Mainly because he... kind of agreed with everything she was saying. But he still disagreed with her premise.

That he had somehow "cooled down" during the past few months.

Well, perhaps he had lost his desire to use any means necessary to get what he wanted, but he did not "cool down". How could anyone ever cool down after being betrayed and murdered by someone so close to them?

By "cooling down", Aomi obviously meant "forgave", or maybe even "forgot".

Nekohiko hadn't done either. And probably would never. So, deep inside, he was already sorry before Aomi and her sweet hopes of reconciliation between him and Abihiko.

The girl was smart and resourceful; he'd give her that. But she was also painfully naive.

"Eldest Brother..." She paused suddenly as if encountering a tender topic. "He had told Kataji and me about you when I was very little. Four or five years-old. All I knew was that there was this girl, Nekohiko, and that he considered her his best friend. Later, he stopped talking so much about you. Only when I asked. Kataji obviously wasn't interested so he never asked, but I did. A lot. I thought you'd come over to our family castle in the north of Utsuro and be my friend. But then, a lot of things changed."

Nekohiko could almost predict what she'd say next.

"Dad died, then mom, too," Aomi said simply. "Then the war broke out and Abihiko stopped visiting us altogether. He gave Kataji and me away to Great Aunt and Uncle and never talked about anything outside our private family matters."

"He was trying to protect you," Nekohiko said. "From all the people who hunted me and him."

"Yeah, I figured so. The last few times when Mom was alive and she and I talked, I asked her what Abihiko was doing and whether he'd be all right or if he were in danger like Dad. And Mom told me -- 'Nekohiko is with him. Everything will be fine'."

...

Aomi turned to Nekohiko, and though her tone hadn't changed and she still spoke evenly, he could still see tears in her eyes. "I wanted to know a lot. About what was really going on. Our family castle was destroyed in the war, our parents were killed. Lord Okinaga's whole family was slaughtered. My Eldest Brother was far away, doing hell knew what, and the only person near me at all times was Kataji. I felt like I was going insane with not knowing, not being able to predict what other new tragedy would happen, when, or why. You know? So I gathered all the scraps of knowledge I could about you and Eldest Brother. From Mom while she was still alive, from Great Aunt and Uncle and whatever distant gossip they knew. From Uncle Daichi when he visited to give us brief snippets of news.

"It was literal scraps, but it was better than nothing," she said, grave. "I knew that Nekohiko was a boy and that he was the real Emperor, and that was why all these terrible things had befallen our family." She raised eyes at him. "Because Eldest Brother had gotten too close to you and since you were alone and had no other family and no other dear people for your enemies to kill and torment you with, they chose... the next best thing. To destroy the family of the one you loved."

Nekohiko hadn't noticed when he and she stopped. He struggled to reign in his breathing.

Gods, this poor girl's life was so sad. Not only hers. Kataji's, and Lord Okinaga's...

These people had all suffered so greatly for him, and in the end, it had all been for nothing.

"Aomi..."

"It's all right," she sighed, waving him to go on. "It's all in the past. If I were ever angry, I've long grown beyond it. Besides, it's not your fault, is it?"

No, it wasn't. But he still felt as though it was.

Nothing he could do about it. However much he and Abihiko had tried to keep away from harm, their enemies had still found them. At least, Aomi and Kataji had survived. Perhaps, partly because they and Nekohiko had never even met or known each other.

Damn it, sometimes he felt as though his mere existence brought doom to others...

"When it all ended, and Eldest Brother got crowned in the Emerald Palace, Great Aunt and Uncle took Kataji and me to witness the ceremony and to hang out with him one last time. He was... not himself," Aomi said, blinking hard as if the memory itself pained her. "I sat with him in his rooms after the ceremony and hugged him because I'd felt how tired and lonely and sad he was. And he... allowed me to."

After being crowned.

So, a few days after he'd murdered me, Nekohiko thought, his mind in turmoil. He didn't want to hear this. He hated the idea of hearing something so disturbing and frustrating.

His very murderer being consoled after the crime. As though it was Abihiko who was the victim in that whole situation. And the way Aomi told it... it pulled at Nekohiko's heartstrings, too.

Couldn't help but do it.

"He broke down, crying, which is funny to think about." Aomi shook her head stubbornly, her one hand pressed in a fist to her chest. "I've never seen him do that afterward or before. But then again, he was only fifteen back then, and already the Emperor. He was just... so... weak. So beaten and lost.

"I asked him, 'Shouldn't Nekohiko be the Emperor now? Why were you the one crowned, Eldest Brother? Where is Nekohiko? What happened to him?'"

Abruptly, she went quiet, and Nekohiko half-wanted to scream at her to go on.

What had Abihiko said to that? 

"And then, he just smiled," Aomi said, frowning. "Even though he was in tears, he was smiling so widely and creepily. 'Where is he? Well, I killed him, Aomi. That's where he is', he told me, then started laughing maniacally."

Well.

...

All right.

And this is the man you want me to marry so much, Aomi? Why, thank you! He sounds so healthy and sane!

"Then he descended into rage and... ordered his servants to take me away. He wouldn't talk or come to me again for days afterward. That was madness, utter madness. And the way he looked those days when I glimpsed him from afar -- he was on the verge of breaking down every single time. I know him. I knew him when he was with you. Hurting those he loved wasn't what he'd ever do," Aomi went on, shaking her head. "So I did the only thing that calms down my panic and anxiety."

She jumped, animated. "I researched! In the Emerald Palace library, while we were there. It was all worthless in regards to you, but I did find so MUCH amazing stuff about the Great Lords' families and their histories! So -- much!" she gushed, choking with joy. "But not important right now. The only really relevant piece of information about you was years later, when Kataji and I visited Nara again to celebrate the Emperor's twentieth birthday."

Here, she gave Nekohiko the cringing little smirk that looked like both fear and shame. "I overheard him talking to that small Fir tree in his vault."

Nekohiko sighed. "Oh."

"Yep. He called it your name and he actually talked about waiting till you come back to him... It was a very long conversation between a man and a tree, so I'm telling you: nobody talks that way to a tree, Nekohiko. Those were the words directed at a lover, and a lover he still considered alive and well. And guess what? He was right!"

She stuck her hands into Nekohiko's face with a celebratory little beam. "He's a Binder, for Spirits' sake. Of course if he was talking to a tree, it meant something more than him just spontaneously going insane and having an imaginary plant boyfriend--"

"I would beg to differ!" Nekohiko held a palm up.

"Yeah, but you're here after all, aren't ya?" Aomi bent down to peer at his face from below. So much mockery, so much mischief in her eyes. "Which means, whatever the Eldest Brother was doing -- he succeeded. And then, only a year later, I found some random, but totally not random Emerald Fir log in our workshop in Red Stone that made up a sappy and very obviously fake story about being betrayed by a best friend whose name, for some bizarre reason, this log couldn't say no matter how much we asked! Ah, and also this log had no family, no friends, no past, apparently, and didn't want to be sought by records or in archives about Binders. As if this log was very, very afraid of a certain omni-powerful person who ruled the entire Empire. Hmmmmmmmm, hmmmmm, now who might this mysterious log be, I wonder?"

"You made your point already," Nekohiko said, blank-faced. "My lying and story-making skills suck. Whatever. Not everyone can be you."

Aomi hopped around him, merry beyond even her usual level. "Say it. Say that I'm smart."

"You are, but also annoying," he grumbled, climbing the first steps of the Shrine path.

"And you are a murderer," she countered. "Everyone has flaws."

"I'm not a--!"

"DAICHI!" she roared into his face even though she had to stand on her tip-toes to go that. She clamped her tiny fist, lifting it menacingly up to Nekohiko's chin. "You think I forgot? You think it was so easy to let you off the hook back then? Not only am I smart -- I am also a damn saint of patience and understanding!"

Erm... yes, she had a point there.

"He attacked me," Nekohiko said, hushed. "He was thoroughly convinced I needed to be killed. I had no choice but to defend myself."

"Yeah, well." But she fell back, once again maintaining her casualness. "You likely deserved it anyway, so Daichi might not have been too wrong about that."

...

Wow. Sure. But now you're marrying a supposedly-ruthless murderer to your very own brother, Aomi.

Overall, your matchmaking skills are terrible, aren't they?

"Not that I know everything about you and others. I wouldn't rush my judgment on anyone. If I don't know things, then I don't know them. And I can't act on what I don't know. I have to gather more information first. Aaah, if only other people were patient and smart like meee," she moaned, following close behind Nekohiko as they scaled the stony steps in the gently-rosying light of the dawning sun coming in through the trees. "Nobody would have issues whatsoever."

"You know what? You're probably right."

"...probably?"

 

 

---

***

 

At the mid-point of the steps, they finally reached the other members of their preparatory group. Without them, going in would be troublesome.

Nekohiko didn't doubt that Suminoe or Morokata or whoever would still put up guards around the Spring Sunlight Shrine, monitoring anyone who would come too close to where the future Empress would be readying for the ceremony. So disguise was in order.

By now, the daylight already pierced the forest and the lantern trees, so Nekohiko saw the small group of three from afar.

On the weathered steps, sat Kotone in the ceremonial clothes of pearlescent-white and some unfamiliar young girl in the Spiritway nun's clothes. Behind them, Kasuga paced with her arms crossed on her chest, also dressed up. Albeit still in a uniform. But a very fancy uniform, today!

Kotone broke out into a beautiful smile and waved with both hands. "Ah, Nekohiko, you are so pretty! Just imagine you in both the wedding dresses! I've personally hung them out in the morning in the dressing room -- they will look perfect on you!"

The young nun beside her grew ashen with fright and covered her face with her hands when Aomi and Nekohiko approached. Only when he was a mere step away from her, Nekohiko realized the reason.

"Mikawa?" he asked, aghast.

Aomi's mouth banged open. "Oh holy Spirits, Mikawa, you are also a cross-dresser, huh!"

"It's to get inside safely," Mikawa whispered through his fingers. "Please don't look at me."

"No, it's so that I have my eye on you through the entire thing," Kasuga replied from the back, still pacing. "No way I would allow you to go to the Groom's side and meet with all those traitorous elements, and while I'm too far away from you."

"I don't want to be on the Bride's side," Mikawa said miserably.

"Well, it isn't!" Kasuga said, pointing at Nekohiko. "Does he look like a bride to you?"

For the first time, Mikawa glanced up at Nekohiko. A chill coursed through Nekohiko's chest when he saw the distrust and concern in Mikawa's gaze, and frankly, he agreed with it.

He might have promised Aomi that he would sort his issues with Kataji after the wedding, but he hadn't done the same to Mikawa. The poor boy was probably thinking that Nekohiko was some kind of a player who toyed with people's hearts like no big deal.

Ashamed, Nekohiko averted his gaze. Kotone was holding up a set of Spiritway nun's robes for him as well. Clumsily slipping out of his clothes in the presence of so many other people, Nekohiko put the nun's outfit on himself. Nobody watched while he was changing, of course, but he still felt exposed.

Whatever would happen later, when he'd have to put on Sakami's wedding dresses due to how elaborate they were? He wouldn't be able to do it alone...

"I hope you hung my outfit as well -- did you?" Aomi demanded, clinging to Kotone's arm as the whole group ascended the stairs. "It's crucial that it's handled perfectly. I must look the best out of all the women at this wedding, you hear me? I am the Emperor's sister!"

"Mikawa," Nekohiko called, walking behind the two Nagare siblings. "I think I owe you an explanation..."

"No, you do not. Elder Sister explained everything to me yesterday," Mikawa hurried to reply. But Nekohiko still noticed how Mikawa's gaze flickered to Kasuga and how Mikawa's hand squeezed shut the collars of his robes.

Ah, he guessed Kasuga had told him the plan and why they were helping him marry Abihiko. But Mikawa hadn't told Kasuga what he knew. Or about those terrible bruises on Mikawa's neck Nekohiko had given him the previous night.

Not yet, at least.

"We are here to help you get your throne back, and then you will help us with the Trial about the Fuji battle issue," Mikawa added, turning away from Nekohiko. His shoulders looked rigid. "I understand. I... will do my best to serve you... Your Majesty."

Kasuga shot Mikawa an encouraging smile and Mikawa returned it, albeit shakily.

Nekohiko's soul churned. "Thank you, both of you. And especially you, Mikawa. I don't know what I'd do without you these weeks here in Nara."

"Mn. You're... welcome," Mikawa whispered.

The early sun dappled the front courtyard, and the sunny freckles even peeked inside the Shrine halls where the adepts shuffled back and forth in an agitated rush before the important event: the readying of the Emperor's Bride in the blessed halls.

The bathing pool to cleanse her, the Shrine altar for her to meditate in before she would need to be dressed and made up. Her personal servers and maids would follow her as would the Shrine Maiden Haehime who was responsible for guiding the bride through all the needed rituals. Once she was ready, she would emerge out of the Spring Sunlight to be taken to the main Shrine inside the city. There, her future husband and the wedding ceremony would await her.

And in the flying cavalcade of carriages that would take her there, would be her future sister-in-law -- Lady Iokirihime, and Sakami's parents.

So far, nobody from the Hisomes was here, so Nekohiko had arrived right on time.

Kotone and Aomi giggled, sharing some obnoxious secrets between the two of them as they sped up down the shadowy wooden corridors. Kasuga went in the middle, as stoic and well-behaved as ever, while Nekohiko and Mikawa, the two insignificant nuns, followed after, their heads bowed and hands folded before their chests.

Kotone slid open the door of the room where Sakami would be dressing up. And right when Nekohiko wanted to enter -- out sprang the pearlescent-white blur of Haehime.

"Haaaah! You're here, at last!" Haehime sang in her melodious voice as she caught Kotone in her arms. "I was so worried, you were too long. Did you get lost?"

"It's only been half an incense hour!" Kotone nodded at the incense burner in the center of the room.

A giant room, this was. Meant to house several people who would bustle and putter all around the bride during her beauty routine. Tall windows drawn over with opaque screens that let light in but didn't show anything that went inside to the onlookers. And so much free space to move in -- at least thirty bamboo mats could fit inside!

A great place to have a tight battle in. Good job, Haehime and Kotone, for choosing it.

"Yes, and that is an incredibly long time, sweet sister. One Ceiling Spirit family has managed to get married, have a Spirit child, and see that Spirit child to its first class while I was waiting here, guarding these dresses," Haehime sighed, vastly disinterested in Nekohiko and the rest of the team. She waded back into the room, dropping to her knees in the center. "I wonder if we have orange tea? Do you want any?"

Kotone chatted away with her, but not before she indicated to Nekohiko and others to step very carefully over the threshold of the room. Why?

Runes, markings, the spell array signs.

Nekohiko should not have doubted these two. This spell array was incredibly powerful, not only keeping all the noises and lights inside, but also the magical auras, detaining everything to this one spot. Just look at this master-craft. The runes were covering the place top to bottom, on the walls, the ceiling, the floor, all around the windows and the door. Most of it in such a feeble, almost invisible script that even Kasuga -- one of the Great Lords -- had trouble discerning it. Doubtlessly, Sakami and her guards would not be able to.

"Did you work the entire night to make this?" Nekohiko asked the two priestesses in shock.

But... Kotone looked so refreshed and perky. Haehime seemed a bit moody, but Nekohiko could easily explain it with her being left alone without Kotone for too long.

"Yeah! And we had so much fun doing it!" Kotone said dreamily. "I miss such big arts-and-crafts projects sometimes... Do you remember how we did some back in School for your classes?"

Nekohiko knelt beside her, instantly happy. "Yes. I would fail all of them without you. And this one, too."

Actually, he felt such deep warmth in his heart, seeing as all the other members of his wedding "team" settle in around the table, leaning to Haehime and asking her to bring them teas as well. Nekohiko had never been this comfortable, with so many people around him.

Why was he now? What changed?

For the first time ever, he felt... among friends.

"And you?" Haehime turned to him, taking orders for teas. "We'll be waiting a while. The bridal group will arrive soon, but they will have to go through the other rituals first. It's at least an hour or so from now. Just waiting." Her tone suddenly grew sullen, even dark. Blank-faced, she stared before her as though reliving some recent trauma. "It will be horrible, and I already pity you, little kitty."

But she quickly regained her sweetness. "A tea will make it tolerable, trust me!"

And as though not noticing that Nekohiko was now a human, not a cat, she pulled him toward her as though wanting to sit him on her lap, and rubbed him around the ear.

Disturbed as he was -- why, whyyyy touch me anywhere? please do not touch me! I hate it! -- he endured it all. Although he couldn't actually climb onto her lap, but the ear-rub thing? That, he could endure.

One of the last small torments before his plan officially went into its execution.

But Haehime was right. Before that, was waiting. A whole hour it, apparently.

Was it such a bad idea to go and spy on what the Groom's side preparations looked like? Just to make sure everything was according to the schedule, nothing more!

Nekohiko settled down in the corner of the dressing room while everyone else drank their teas, then shifted his consciousness to the seashell. And found himself exactly where he needed to be.

On Abihiko's neck, in the middle of what looked like another Shrine.

Ah, good. Great. As planned.

The only problem was that--

"Everything has to be removed, you know," Kataji said to Abihiko, sounding very much annoyed. "Take off those stupid seashells as well."

"They're fine," Abihiko replied.

"Tsk, the Head Priest said -- everything! You have to be naked to properly purify yourself before the wedding, what's so hard to understand?!" Kataji snapped. "Strip and get into the pool already!"

...

Wait, where were they?

And why was Kataji with Abihiko there, in the... cleansing room, apparently?

Did Nekohiko miss something?