Responsibility Ch. 21

It was a rainy morning.

That didn't stop Tuya from mounting her horse and going on with her retinue of girls.

Someone had reported something frightening, and everyone else was busy. Her mother was busy in her bedchamber, possibly washing her hair or getting ready for a bath. The Emperor was busy in his bedchamber with his new wife, possibly having a nice chat about all the events of the previous day ... or trying to make an Imperial Heir. That meant Tuya had to deal with the problem.

Her cloak tightly tied and pinned over her form, her hood protecting her headrail and short headdress, Tuya rode onto the forest that was mainly used for hunting and riding. Deep into the trees, at a small clearing where many campfires had been made in the past, Tuya and her retinue of girls stopped their horses. A large group of guards were mounted on their own horses, roughly in a circle, facing a figure in the center.

One of Tuya's eyebrows rose.

An under-dressed maiden?

She wasn't wearing a cloak or any protective gear at all. Her black hair was free and wild. Her gown was simple and black. Around her eyes and on her cheeks, there were splotches and smears of blood. Tuya couldn't see any other spots of blood on her, but there were a few bits of splatter on the ground.

Tall. She was amazingly tall, and Tuya had been raised by one of the tallest women in the Empire.

That maiden was unusually serene, considering the circumstances. She stood so calmly, her expression terribly uninterested. She wasn't looking at anyone. She didn't care that a bunch of armed men on horseback were staring her down. She didn't even care that a member of the Imperial Family had arrived to deal with the situation. She looked like she might've been vaguely daydreaming, although not happily so.

"What's happened here?" Princess Tuya asked once her mare halted near the circle.

One of the men answered, "Your Highness, this maiden has murdered a man."

"Oh? Where is the man?"

That man shrugged. "I can't say, but we saw the man run this way, and now he's gone. All that's left is this girl."

Princess Tuya reached up to carefully and quickly rub the tip of her nose with a bit of her cloak. "Where do you think the body's gone to? How can you accuse this maiden of a crime when you don't even know there was a crime?"

Another man spoke up. "Wherever the body's gone, this girl must be responsible for it. He disappeared in her direction, and she's bloody."

Tuya sighed. "Most of the blood is around her eyes. How did she kill the man? Did she stare at him until he burst?"

"I can't be sure, Your Highness," the man said, "but she clearly has blood on her."

"I'm still hungry."

They hushed at that.

Bored and soft, light and uncaring, that was the apparently unmarried woman's voice. Her thin lips seemed to barely even move.

Wait.

"It's raining." That's what Princess Tuya said. "It's raining, and the blood is still there. It's not rinsing away." She said that with a slow and curious tone as she stared at the maiden. "Is she even wet?"

One of her ladies-in-waiting said, "Such an odd question, Madam. She's exposed to the weather. Certainly, she's wet."

Tuya's belly quivered. Something cold flourished in her throat.

She couldn't see any beads of water on the maiden's skin. She couldn't even see water bouncing or dribbling off of her. Her clothing wasn't soaked. She was so dry!

"Ah ... well," Tuya had to keep herself calm. "Regardless, we don't know who this girl is. Somehow, she managed to trespass onto these lands. She must be taken to interrogate. Whatever hole she found must be discussed and patched."

"I'm still hungry," the maiden repeated as she took a step forward, still not looking at anyone, her hands casually at her sides.

One of the men unsheathed his sword and held it out on one side. "You've disrespected the Imperial Family. We can't let you walk around as you please."

Tuya added to that with, "I've said you'll be taken. That means you'll be taken." She frowned as she realized that girl hadn't even looked at her when she said that. That girl didn't care that the damn princess was giving orders! "You'll tell us how you entered and then you'll explain why, or else you'll meet a violent end."

The tall maiden's head turned. Her unpleasant face finally met Tuya's, her eyes too.

Her amazingly dark eyes.

If Tuya didn't know better, she'd have thought that her irises had spread out, taking up more of the white space. Or rather, the pupils? Where the pupils ended and the irises began wasn't clear. The maiden's expression still remained unchanged, but her eyes were so frighteningly eerie.

"I'm going to eat," the maiden insisted, but still with that monotone voice. It wasn't even a very pretty voice.

Princess Tuya's response was, "Are you begging for death?!"

It happened before anyone had the time to blink.

The woman moved so swiftly. It seemed that she teleported from inside the circle of men and horses to the outside, right in front of Tuya's mare. That horse was so startled that she whined and took a few paces back against Tuya's wishes, which only made her even more incensed. In fact, she was too incensed to care about how this maiden had moved like a damn ghost! Yes, the men seemed more nervous at this sudden change, but not Princess Tuya.

The maiden spoke before Tuya had another chance. Her head tilted back only by a hint, since her height probably made it easier on her neck, and those confusing eyes met Tuya's.

"Have you threatened me?" That was what the girl asked.

"How else are you meant to interpret it?!" Tuya hadn't been thinking very logically when she'd said that. Her face had heated up and her fingers trembled.

Right after that, the maiden asked, "Do you knit? Do you embroider? Do you weave? What do you do when you're bored?"

Some of the men dared to lean to one side and mutter things to other men. Tuya snapped at them, "Diligence! Never let your eyes leave her!"

Her maid-in-waiting asked a lady-in-waiting, "Why did that maiden ask Her Highness about her hobbies?"

"I'm not certain," answered the lady-in-waiting. "Perhaps she wants to find a teacher?"

"I wouldn't teach her to weave even if someone had a blade to my throat!" That was what Tuya barked out.

"Then," the tall maiden said, "from now on, whenever you complete a weaving project, it will quickly fall apart. You'll never be able to make any sheets of fabric again."

She seemed to step to one side.

And she was gone.

Tuya hissed out, "Where did she go?!"

Everyone looked this way and that, even to the sky. They couldn't find any hint of that tall maiden.

***

As Princess Tuya worked at her loom, pushing pedals and slamming bars, arranging threads and telling that story, Rahela's belly turned colder and colder. Her fingers quivered and she had to tightly hold her hands under her bosom. She even let her teeth lightly bite at the inside of her lower lip.

"That was ... a nearly unbelievable story, Your Highness," Rahela said once the tale was finished.

"The rumors will be wild," Princess Tuya said as she packed the last few threads in. Then she started knotting up and snipping at certain threads. It was a small project, but it seemed well designed. It wouldn't take long for her to finish it up.

Rahela nodded. Then she changed the subject to her sister, Gabi. She discussed Gabi's wonderful progress in learning the Yahsin language. It seems that being immersed in Yahsin speakers was truly the strongest method in teaching her.

Princess Tuya smiled and nodded often. She even took a moment to put a doting little pat of her hand on Gabi's head. "Ah, this child is very bright. I should've expected nothing less from Her Majesty's little sister."

Gabi seemed to at least understand the "very bright" part. Her posture improved and she smiled. Rahela patted her head too. "This child is indeed bright," she said, "but she's imperfect as we all are."

More innocent, pleasant time went on. Eventually, Princess Tuya had her small project complete, and she held it up to show it off. She was so proud.

And it fell apart, collapsed into many loose threads in a pile at her feet, as if it had never been weaved at all.

Gabi gasped.

Yana made a confused little noise in her throat.

Oksana whispered something to Ammas, who shooed her away with a wave of a hand.

Princess Tuya's ladies and maid-in-waiting kept silent, their eyes popping.

Rahela's palm rose and hovered near her lips. She turned her eyes away and said, "You should have a rest."

Princess Tuya's voice was quiet and chilly. "I must have ... I must have made a mistake. I should begin anew."

Rahela shook her head and put her hand back to her belly, the fingers slightly curled. "You need to rest. You've been working so much. Even enjoyable activities will stress one's mind and body. Have a bath, a meal, and perhaps a nap."

Rahela and her retinue left Princess Tuya alone then.

She didn't want to be anywhere near that princess if that problem happened again.

***

Another system of screens and panels were arranged, this time in the Emperor's lovely glass bathing chamber. Behind their own little sections, Rahela and her husband were being washed with the assistance of their servants.

The screens were meant to keep the servants from seeing anyone but their master or madam in the nude. They were of different genders, after all, and many of them were still considered to be children.

The couple had their hair washed, dried, and wrapped up beforehand. Rahela wondered if His Majesty would comment about the bacon scent in her hair.

Once they were scrubbed and dried off, they put on light robes to hide their bodies while the servants put the screens and panels away. Rahela stood close to one of the grand windows to admire a flower under the sunlight. It had been a few days since the incident with Princess Tuya and the mysterious girl in the forest. Rahela didn't want to think about it, but even with the beautiful scenery she couldn't be distracted.

When the servants finished and left the couple alone, Rahela heard her husband's bare feet against the floor. Closer and closer. Then they stopped. "Little Bacon?"

Rahela blinked twice. "Yes, My Lord?"

"The water's warm and sprinkled with pretty things. Come." He took one of her wrists and gently pulled her away from the window. Rahela felt the tiles and grout on the balls of her feet. At the water, they shucked their robes away and carefully descended. Herbs and rose petals slid along, putting sweetness into the hot and moist air. Rahela thought it didn't blend well with the bacon aroma.

They sat down on a ledge under the water, side by side, facing away from the exit door. It was a quiet moment until the Emperor suddenly said, "My sister hasn't been well."

"It's highly unfortunate," Rahela said.

"Weaving all hours," the Emperor said as he lifted his palm, a wet petal balanced in the center, "hardly ever resting, barely eating. When I last visited her, she wouldn't speak. She was already haggard and pale."

Rahela folded her arms over her bare chest and looked out at another plant through a window. "I hope her next project won't require too much time."

"The story dancing around the castle is shocking." The Emperor flicked the petal away and started cupping water in his hands, then letting the water fall and splash. Some drops splattered onto Rahela. "A strange woman with a bloody face appeared in the hunting grounds? And not only couldn't she be kept, but she spoke as if she could control what Tuya could do?"

"It's difficult to form a complete opinion on this matter," Rahela said.

"The fact that one of Tuya's projects burst is disturbing," the man went on as if Rahela hadn't said anything. "It implies there might be at least a morsel of truth in that tall one's words, or perhaps there's a form of psychological manipulation at play."

Rahela turned her body around and reached for a wooden slab that had been placed some time before they'd even undressed. On top of the slab was a few wooden boxes and bowls with lids, along with some plates and eating utensils. She dragged the slab closer and opened up a box. Carefully tucked inside, there was a pitcher of water with a lid and some cups. She kept herself busy by pouring a cup of water.

"I remember hearing a story when I was a child," the Emperor said, still looking ahead. "I believe it was about an unusually tall woman with an uncovered head that walked alone. She lingered in the woods bordering a small village for days. Many people and animals disappeared during that time. Then one day, she seemed to have disappeared. Nobody in the village saw her again."

Rahela slid a cup of water in the Emperor's direction. "Have a drink, My Lord."

Even as she poured a cup for herself, he seemed to ignore his cup. "The Traveling Tall Maiden. There are more stories, aren't there?"

"I've heard some vague tales," Rahela said as she started unpacking some other boxes. There was food inside. "I can't say I know very much, however."

"Some have said they've heard stories from their grandparents' childhoods," the Emperor went on. "That would mean whoever this maiden is, she can't be the original one."

Rahela was arranging a plate of food. "There might be impersonators trying to keep the story alive." She moved the plate close to the Emperor's cup of water.

"What could one gain from that?"

Getting her own food, Rahela suggested, "Entertainment."

After a rather snobbish sniffing noise, the Emperor twisted his torso a bit to look down at the meal. "That might be true. As for the issue with Tashkila, at least, I have a plan."

Thankfully, or not so thankfully depending on one's perspective, that prince did eventually wake up and leave Yahsin, his boys and dancers leaving with him. He'd been given a grave warning about how Yahsin was indeed going to fight this war. Rahela had been told he reacted rather ... impatiently. It was as if his head injury had made him more irritable overall.

Using a knife to get a piece of chicken, Rahela asked, "What sort of plan?"

Picking up a little meat pie and examining some decorative scores, the Emperor said, "The admiral in charge of the Tashkilan fleet is a known homosexual."

Rahela thought his spies must've very skilled and very quick, or perhaps this information was taken long ago just in case something would happen.

"Not only that, but that admiral is also known for loving men with cloud-like, golden blond hair." He smiled. His teeth seemed to glimmer, but that could've been Rahela's imagination. "I've met a fairly good looking man with that sort of pretty hair before. I could send him off to comfort that hard working admiral."

Rahela didn't give much of a response. At the most, she put her piece of chicken in her mouth and nodded.

A more quiet amount of time went on. Eating, drinking, and relaxing in scented water. Rahela found no reason to complain nor panic. This was a safe and gentle time.

Once they were full and properly soaked, they got up and dried off. Then they put their robes back on and went to the Emperor's bedchamber. Yana was there with a chambermaid. She put a cloak over Rahela and escorted her off to her own bedchamber.

As she was getting dressed, Rahela wondered about all the rumors she'd heard. Ammas had found out plenty of them on his own, but some of them drifted to Rahela quite naturally.

Mentally unstable.

That was the insult of the month, it seemed.

That foreign woman! How could the Emperor cater to her so much?!

It didn't matter that her homeland was now part of the Empire and she couldn't technically be considered foreign anymore.

It didn't matter that Prince Jalil had demanded to take her sister off to a horrifying fate. Rahela should've kept a better composure. She shouldn't have attacked him.

Wild, crazed bitch!

After she was dressed, Rahela pouted down at her poisons. She prodded and stirred herbs, berries, and fungus about with tweezers, barely even thinking about them.

***

Later, in the evening, Rahela got her stack of new linens that Princess Tuya had weaved and went to the princess' bedchamber with them. Inside, she found Princess Tuya kneeling at her bed, her arms on the mattress. She was weeping. Her girl attendants didn't seem to know what to do.

Rahela put a hand on her shoulder and gently asked, "Your Highness, are you unwell?"

The princess continued with her weeping. She didn't answer, didn't even look up at Rahela. A maid-in-waiting cautiously said aloud, "Your Majesty? My Madam's latest project loosened and fell at her feet. She's worried that might happen every time she finishes weaving."

With a sad little sigh, Rahela said, "That's so distressing, but since Her Highness has been so upset lately, I thought I could comfort her." Yana put the stack of linens on the mattress as Rahela spoke to Princess Tuya. "Perhaps the best thing for your mental health would be to try a different hobby. You could spin or embroider. You could even knit. In the meantime, I'll let you have these sturdy linens you've made. You must remember them."

She patted Princess Tuya's shoulder again. "They were a kind present for me, but I'll let you use them. It's my most earnest hope that you'll be comforted by past memories of your fine skill, and when you next weave you'll have more inspiration."

None of that was a lie.

Princess Tuya's head didn't rise, but her sobs did quiet down a bit, and one of her arms shifted. Blindly, her fingers sought out the stack of linen fabric, and she pinched a section into her fingertips and rather affectionately caressed the piece.

"You're a talented weaver," Rahela continued with honey coated words, "but every artist has a scratchy patch in their work. I believe you only need time to let your brain rest. Something new will reinvigorate you."

The princess' head rose only just enough for Rahela to have a glimpse of her face. She yanked a cloth over to herself, toppling the stack. She put some linen to her eye and pressed her face back down to her arm.

"The Empress Dowager would love to have you play more board games with her," Rahela said, "and perhaps the voice of someone that knows you much better will put a balm over your nerves. I know I'm terribly inadequate, and I apologize."

The princess whimpered in her makeshift, overly large kerchief.

Rahela put her hand to her bosom. "Would you be more comfortable if I left?"

She thought she heard the princess whine out, "Yes."

Rahela sighed. "Very well."

***

Rahela had been repairing some old clothing belonging to the Emperor when his squire, Borys, appeared before her and bowed. "Your Majesty," he said, "the Emperor has said that once you finish whatever row of stitches you're making you should meet him in the garden."

With a light sigh, and after she knotted and cut the loose thread she'd been stitching in, Rahela carefully put the garment she'd been darning on a little wooden tray. It was one of his long stockings. Those sorts of stockings would be tied up to the man's braies when worn properly.

"If His Majesty has called me, then I must appear." She put her still threaded needle in a pin cushion in her sewing kit.

Ammas stepped towards her. He seemed very relaxed this day. "Madam, he might wish to give you an earnest farewell."

"Ah." Rahela closed her kit's lid. "His Majesty is going to leave soon. I'd already forgotten."

Oksana passed by Ammas to get closer to Rahela. She was already smiling, but when her sleeve brushed against Ammas' her cheeks flushed. "Your Majesty," she said, "had you truly forgotten?"