Read Online Emperor of the Eight Islands: Book 1 in the Tale of Shikanoko (The Tale of Shikanoko series) by Lian Hearn - Free Book Online
Authors: Lian Hearn
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when her mother was voicing her concerns. “You know my father has taught me how to defend myself.”
“You can hardly fight off a young nobleman with a sword,” her mother exclaimed. “That would be a terrible scandal.” Then she added with a sigh, “Sometimes we don’t want to defend ourselves. Men can be very persistent. But at least if that happened we could keep you at home.”
Aki could see her mother was close to tears. “You will still have Yoshimori, and Kai, who is like a daughter to you.”
They both looked over to the veranda, where Kai was playing with Yoshimori. They had been born on the same day and were inseparable friends. Yoshimori was in his seventh year. He was an intelligent child, popular with everyone, adored by his father. When he was two years old a physiognomist had pronounced that he would reign as emperor. It had made a deep impression on him.
“Yoshimori will soon be lost to me,” her mother said. “But I suppose I will never lose Kai, as no one will ever marry her.”
“You can’t see her ears when her hair covers them. I think they are charming, like a little bird or a gecko.”
“A gecko! Don’t say such things!”
Kai’s mother, one of the women of the household of whom Aki’s mother had been particularly fond, had died in childbirth. Her baby girl had tiny ears like the whorl of a shell. When the midwives saw her they had exclaimed in fear, and the baby had been wrapped in a cloth and left in a corner. It had been a terrible day, with the deaths of a mother and a child and the birth, earlier than expected, of the young prince. Kai’s mother was buried the same day as Aki’s little sister, while the baby prince was given to Aki’s mother to nurse. Everyone forgot the other baby, but she clung to life until Aki’s mother heard her whimpers and demanded to see her. She was moved to pity and insisted that she would bring up both children together.
They were afraid she might be deaf, but she could hear perfectly well though she had a way of frowning and looking intently at people’s mouths when they spoke to her. She was prettier than Aki, with a sweet, plump face and delicate limbs, and the women of the household often bewailed the fact that she might have made a wonderful marriage or other alliance, maybe even with Yoshimori himself, but for her ears.
No one knew what the future would bring for her, but Yoshimori adored her, insisted that she be with him at all times, and often would be calmed and consoled by only her. She had a lively imagination and made up stories and games, keeping him entertained in what was otherwise a tedious existence for a young child. He was not allowed outside—the veranda was as far as he went—and he was carried everywhere within the palace. He saw his own parents rarely and then had to be carefully trained in the correct etiquette and elaborate language of the court. Already he was expected to take part in the long, complicated rituals that were part of life in the Imperial Household and, though he was not yet seven years old, sometimes Aki saw on his face an expression of resignation and world-weariness that moved her to pity. Only with Kai did he behave like an ordinary child. He ordered her around, squabbled with her, threatened to scream if he was separated from her, but they ate from the same bowl and slept side by side.
Aki knew his father, Crown Prince Momozono, a little, though she was not allowed to speak of how. Her father had taken her to Rinrakuji several times. She had made her preliminary vows there and begun to learn her duties and the many rituals in the service of Kannon. She was taught self-defense, how to ride a horse, and how to use a bow. Her father practiced sword fighting and studied the art of war with an old monk who had once been a famous warrior. Sometimes Prince Momozono was there, too, in disguise. Rinrakuji’s monks had the reputation of being bold and belligerent, and Aki knew without being told that
“You can hardly fight off a young nobleman with a sword,” her mother exclaimed. “That would be a terrible scandal.” Then she added with a sigh, “Sometimes we don’t want to defend ourselves. Men can be very persistent. But at least if that happened we could keep you at home.”
Aki could see her mother was close to tears. “You will still have Yoshimori, and Kai, who is like a daughter to you.”
They both looked over to the veranda, where Kai was playing with Yoshimori. They had been born on the same day and were inseparable friends. Yoshimori was in his seventh year. He was an intelligent child, popular with everyone, adored by his father. When he was two years old a physiognomist had pronounced that he would reign as emperor. It had made a deep impression on him.
“Yoshimori will soon be lost to me,” her mother said. “But I suppose I will never lose Kai, as no one will ever marry her.”
“You can’t see her ears when her hair covers them. I think they are charming, like a little bird or a gecko.”
“A gecko! Don’t say such things!”
Kai’s mother, one of the women of the household of whom Aki’s mother had been particularly fond, had died in childbirth. Her baby girl had tiny ears like the whorl of a shell. When the midwives saw her they had exclaimed in fear, and the baby had been wrapped in a cloth and left in a corner. It had been a terrible day, with the deaths of a mother and a child and the birth, earlier than expected, of the young prince. Kai’s mother was buried the same day as Aki’s little sister, while the baby prince was given to Aki’s mother to nurse. Everyone forgot the other baby, but she clung to life until Aki’s mother heard her whimpers and demanded to see her. She was moved to pity and insisted that she would bring up both children together.
They were afraid she might be deaf, but she could hear perfectly well though she had a way of frowning and looking intently at people’s mouths when they spoke to her. She was prettier than Aki, with a sweet, plump face and delicate limbs, and the women of the household often bewailed the fact that she might have made a wonderful marriage or other alliance, maybe even with Yoshimori himself, but for her ears.
No one knew what the future would bring for her, but Yoshimori adored her, insisted that she be with him at all times, and often would be calmed and consoled by only her. She had a lively imagination and made up stories and games, keeping him entertained in what was otherwise a tedious existence for a young child. He was not allowed outside—the veranda was as far as he went—and he was carried everywhere within the palace. He saw his own parents rarely and then had to be carefully trained in the correct etiquette and elaborate language of the court. Already he was expected to take part in the long, complicated rituals that were part of life in the Imperial Household and, though he was not yet seven years old, sometimes Aki saw on his face an expression of resignation and world-weariness that moved her to pity. Only with Kai did he behave like an ordinary child. He ordered her around, squabbled with her, threatened to scream if he was separated from her, but they ate from the same bowl and slept side by side.
Aki knew his father, Crown Prince Momozono, a little, though she was not allowed to speak of how. Her father had taken her to Rinrakuji several times. She had made her preliminary vows there and begun to learn her duties and the many rituals in the service of Kannon. She was taught self-defense, how to ride a horse, and how to use a bow. Her father practiced sword fighting and studied the art of war with an old monk who had once been a famous warrior. Sometimes Prince Momozono was there, too, in disguise. Rinrakuji’s monks had the reputation of being bold and belligerent, and Aki knew without being told that
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