Sixth Chapter
Secrets
"DARN!"
YELLED THE voice from underneath the pile of paper. All right, so that is a tad
too inaccurate. For starters, there wasn't just a pile of paper. There was a
whole mountain range of it. Besides, the person was surrounded by it, not
underneath it. At least, not yet.
Koenma kicked
his desk furiously, sending a tremor passing through his general vicinity. The
force sent an avalanche of papers tumbling down, thereby undoing work done for
nearly seven hours.
The young man
emerged from the chaos, clutching a dirty book of some sort. He ignored the mess
around him and headed out of his office, searching for a less tense place.
He headed for
the garden. It’s the perfect place to relax, unless some pesky gardener comes
around to "watch" him. Isn't he a little too old to have a babysitter?
He finally
arrived at his favorite spot where he could enjoy his break without all those
secretaries running about. He quickly reclined into the hammock hanging between
the two adjacent trees. This is the very same one Botan helped him set up a few
years ago. It was intentionally situated some distance away from the palace so
that he can have some excuse of not hearing the panic stricken entreaties of his
subjects.
"Ow,"
he yelped, as the needles that have accumulated through the passage of time
pricked his butt.
He jumped off,
clearing away the various plant materials. He frowned a bit. It reminded him of
how long it has been since he sat on that thing for a little rest. It reminded
him of how long it has been since a certain ferry girl he dotted upon had been
relocated to a new workstation.
He plunked
himself back into it again, eyes wide open and arms flailing momentarily as he
nearly slipped from the stretchable mass of woven plant fibers. Muttering
murderously, he attempted again. Thankfully, he was successful.
"Koenma no
baka," he said playfully to himself. "That silly duck will kill you if
she finds out you're researching while supposedly resting. Perhaps, her leaving
has its ups, too. Breaks are now more productive than they've previously
been."
His voice
hinted sadness and dread, as if he had betrayed her for pointing out the
obvious.
"Never
mind," he said fiercely, shaking his head in determination.
"Concentrate."
With a resigned
air, he sighed deeply and flipped open the book. He frowned again, this time
with annoyed puzzlement.
What's
this, he thought. This is a journal or a diary.
He searched the
book, scanning the yellowing pages, looking for a year or some author's name.
There was neither. He went back to the first page after the flyleaf, the one
with January 1st written on it.
"January
first," he read aloud easily for the handwriting was classy and elegant,
somewhat old fashioned. "I shouldn't be reading this."
The last phrase
he didn't read from the diary. He gazed up to the barely visible treetops above
him, as if expecting help in deciding from up there. In the end, his insolent
curiosity prevailed. After all, being prince of Reikai gives him little
opportunity to practice the virtue of respecting a neighbor's privacy.
He began to
read.
January 1st
A new year, a
new life and for me, a new journal. I've decided to write down my thoughts, my
feelings, everything. And you, my friend, are the lucky one.
Tamara
Lavinia's diary? Hmmm… Everyone will be eager to get his or her hands on you.
No, this is only for my child. For my future child, that is.
This is the
first secret I wish to share with you. I am with child. I am certain that he is
the king's son (who else could have sired the child?). But is he/she the heir to
the throne? I do not know.
I write to you,
o diary, so that someone might know who I really am, how I really feel, what I
really think. Because of this, I name you Redmond, for you shall be my
counselor, one I've never had all my life. Also, you shall be the one to
introduce to my child his mother, so that he/she may know me in case… in case,
I shouldn't be there.
You ask why I
seem bleak. It is New Year's Day for Reikai's sake. After all, we are in heaven,
aren't we? The celebration is glorious and ostentatious, as usual. Many people
were happy. Perhaps, I, too, was happy.
Sometimes, I
don't know. Not anymore. Perhaps, I've stored all the emotions too much inside
that they have run into each other like spilled paint. Now, they're one,
uniform, indistinguishable.
You will help
me. Please do, for the sake of the child. Please do.
Koenma stopped.
He searched again the cover of the journal, searching for something to indicate
the year it was written. Nothing, of course.
He scratched
his head. "I wonder who owned this," he mused aloud. "This is a
diary of some queen or maybe a concubine a long time ago.
"Duh. I
wouldn't know So much for Koenma who has unimaginable information at his
fingertips. Even with the name "Tamara Lavinia", I wouldn't know. I am
in a society, after all, where male dominance has flourished in it's past.
"I don't
even know the name of my own mother, and she's queen. At least, she should have
been queen before she passed away. I always assumed that it's too painful for
father to talk about but…" He frowned. "I don't remember at
all."
He went back to
reading. He flipped through the pages, skipping those he thought uninteresting.
Her name is
Catalina…
"Catalina?"
repeated Koenma aloud. "Who is that? It has to be a clue to the author's
identity. Maybe, I should read the whole entry."
He started
turning back a few leaves. He stopped when he finally came upon the beginning of
the said entry.
January 17th
What can I say?
I suppose you already know why I write here. You know what made me leave the
cramped office and all my work unfinished. I'm sorry. I have wet your pages with
tears.
I know I am
selfish and discontented. He never fails to mention it. Neither does my mother
or anybody else I grew up with for that matter.
I have fought
with him again and this time, it's for no trivial matter. However, neither is it
a new one.
For the people
of Reikai, the Royal Couple is the model of all the other couples in the land.
They are deceived, however. The king has a secret, a secret perhaps only I know
about. He has a concubine, a woman he had loved since well before our marriage.
Our marriage
has always been faithless and loveless. I've always known that. We were after
all just forced to get married.
None of us did
anything to prevent it. He was too spineless to defy the traditions, to fight
for his love. I am a woman. I have no say whatsoever in such matters. I am to
shut up and go along with whatever decisions the men made.
Her name is
Catalina Grey Yoshio. We had fought because for the first time ever, I had
complained about my husband's illicit affair with this woman. Previously, I had
remained silent as they did their dirty work in front of my own two eyes. But
now is another matter.
I did it for my
child. I did it so that he may have a normal family when he is born. Perhaps, I
do it for her, as well. She has a child, too, for crying out loud. She has her
own family.
Now, I know it
is futile so I no longer care. But mark my words, if these sins affect my baby
one way or another, I will never forgive them. And also myself, for I am too
cowardly to stand for what is right.
Koenma
whistled. "This is red hot stuff," he remarked. "No wonder they
didn't computerize the files. It's too perilous with all these secrets hidden
there about the family and all. I wonder…"
He returned his
attention to the diary.
February 3rd
A great banquet
was held today celebrating the victorious return of the--
"Koenma-sama?"
asked a voice.
"Later,
later," he grunted.
-soldiers of
our great army. We have won the war, so its seems, and the-
"I'm
sorry, Koenma-sama, but-"
"I said
later!"
--Makai armies
have been driven back. Now that Makai has adopted a feudal government system, it
has been harder to--
"Koenma-sama,
I am fully aware I have no right to be here but if you would at least be civil,
then I can get my business over with and leave you in peace!"
Koenma flew out
of his hammock in surprise and guilt. He landed hard on his behind.
"Oh,
my!" exclaimed Masago, darting forward instinctively. "Are you
alright, sir?"
Before she
reached him, Koenma had already pounced on the diary he had accidentally tossed
away a while ago.
"I'm fine,
I'm fine," he muttered as he crawled away. Then, he hoisted himself up with
the help of the springy hammock.
"Well,"
he asked after a few moments later as he dusted his clothes. She stood there
noiseless. "What is it you want?"
"Um,"
Masago started, begin to fidget. "I came to apologize for not being able to
come yesterday. I do hope you can forgive me. I realize I have caused your
Highness much inconvenience."
"It's
quite alright, madam," said Koenma coldly. "Quite right."
He began to
walk away, leaving Masago by herself, motionless.
"Well?"
he said, stopping after a few paces. "What are you waiting for? Is your
driver waiting outsides or do I have to have you dropped off to Castle
Styx?"
He turned
around cocking an eyebrow at her expectantly. Masago, on the other hand, stared
at him in indignant shock, her mouth partly opened. She was forewarned about
this but nonetheless was so unused to this kind of treatment she was unable to
conceal her initial surprise. Still, she didn't come unarmed.
Her
astonished expression suddenly shifted to that of annoyance. Koenma immediately
noticed the change and it became his turn to gawk. He started as Masago's
shapely eyebrows collided, her previously dreamy eyes narrowing frighteningly,
blazing and sending sparks all over.
"Listen,
your Highness," she snapped, clearly having much trouble in controlling her
temper. "Your Grace must be feeling high and mighty knowing I went through
all the trouble of chasing after you and apologizing even though it is all your
fault. Well, I hate to disappoint you but I have no interest at all in your
Majesty. I hate this arrangement a hundred times more than you do. Imagine
marrying a spoiled brat of a prince! I'm doing this for my family and I would
greatly appreciate it if you would please cooperate, o Great Prince Koenma."
Masago stopped,
panting slightly. She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for his reply.
Koenma just kept on staring, his jaw hanging open. He snapped out of it with a
shake of his head.
"Um,"
he stuttered. "I get it. This arrangement sucks. I do this for my father,
too. But I'm busy, alright? I'm not like you. I've no time to spare on this
monkey business. Sorry."
He started
walking away slowly. Then, he returned to disengage the hammock from the trees.
He folded it with a deft motion of his hands, and then faced her.
"Let's
go," he said, starting to move again. "It's going to rain soon. We'll
talk in the receiving room."
Masago waited
until the tall one was at least five meters away. Then she smiled privately.
"What do
you know," she breathed. "It worked."
A few drops of
rain fell from the sky. Masago lifted her face to the heavens, letting the dots
of water wet her face. Then, she jogged after the prince, her prospect spouse.