The Crimson Files: Chapter 22d
"You really don't need to worry, Takumi-sama," Akira said. "Sachiko-san is more than competent, and there hasn't been a threat against the royal family since you were born. I assure you, even in my absence, there is no possibility that harm might come to you. I will stake my life on Sachiko-san's skill." More than that, I would stake your life on it, Akira silently added. It didn't seem proper to say that aloud, though.
"Hmm?" Takumi said. He turned from his desk and looked up at Akira in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You're worried," Akira said. The prince might have been good at keeping a stoic expression in public, but in private, it didn't even take the skills of a kunoichi to be able to read his expressions. "You don't need to be. I'm sure you'll be fine."
This didn't seem to reassure Takumi. His expression softened, and he said, "I'm not worried about myself, Akira-kun. You're the one heading into possible danger. I know Fuuka is supposed to be relatively safe now, but I just want to make sure you're prepared for anything that might happen there."
Akira raised her eyebrows, almost imperceptibly. "Your Highness need not be concerned for my safety. It is my job to face danger in your stead, Takumi-sama, and I have already faced risks much greater than this for your sake without regret. I can imagine no greater purpose for my life."
"No... I know," Takumi said. He smiled softly at Akira. "I should apologize. I'm allowing other factors to cloud my judgment." Takumi pushed his chair out and stood up. After straightening out his clothes, he turned to Akira. "Akira-kun," he said. "If I were to ask something of you which made you uncomfortable, would you tell me?"
Akira narrowed her eyes. "I could do so if you wish me to, Your Highness."
"Please," Takumi said. "Particularly for this next request. You do not need to answer if you do not wish to, but I feel I must ask. I recently became aware that Lord Morihiro Konoe had proposed that his son be wed to you, but you had declined - rather vehemently, if I am to believe Konoe-san." Takumi gave a soft smile and looked away from Akira. "I confess that I find this matter most baffling. I suppose it is a sign of the changing times that Konoe-san would be looking for a suitor on the basis of merit rather than blood, but I must ask you: What made you so opposed to this arrangement?"
Akira had been waiting for this question. The Konoe family was second only to the royal family itself in prestige. Traditionally, members of the imperial family could only marry those with noble blood, and so marrying into a family such as the Konoe was the highest a commoner such as Akira could ever climb up the social ladder. It granted her prestige, the ability to spend the rest of her life without working, and the remote possibility - which Konoe-sama had strongly hinted at nevertheless - that she might one day mother the wife of an emperor. Even a few decades ago, the Konoe family would never have considered a marriage to a commoner, but opening international relations had led to efforts within Zipang to appear a bit less rigid in their ways. Even so, the only reason Konoe-sama would consider a commoner such as Akira as a suitor was because she was the bodyguard to the future emperor, and thus would have a great amount of influence on him, should she choose to exercise it.
That was the catch. Akira would be granted de facto nobility, but only if she were to betray her friendship with Takumi to advance the goals of the Konoe family. She'd known that word of this refusal would soon get to Takumi, and so she'd readied an answer for when she was asked this question. She would explain that she did not wish to be manipulated, and that the proposal came with strings attached which she could not abide.
Akira opened her mouth to explain, but a lump caught in her throat. She swallowed it and tried to figure out why her body was disobeying her at this moment. It should have been simple. She'd prepared for this. But with Takumi standing in front of Akira, the speech she'd prepared seemed disingenuous. Every word she'd prepared was true, but it didn't touch upon the true reason she'd objected to the marriage.
"I..." Akira said, forcing the words out, "...could not bear to leave his Highness."
"Hmm?" Takumi said. He turned from his desk and looked up at Akira in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You're worried," Akira said. The prince might have been good at keeping a stoic expression in public, but in private, it didn't even take the skills of a kunoichi to be able to read his expressions. "You don't need to be. I'm sure you'll be fine."
This didn't seem to reassure Takumi. His expression softened, and he said, "I'm not worried about myself, Akira-kun. You're the one heading into possible danger. I know Fuuka is supposed to be relatively safe now, but I just want to make sure you're prepared for anything that might happen there."
Akira raised her eyebrows, almost imperceptibly. "Your Highness need not be concerned for my safety. It is my job to face danger in your stead, Takumi-sama, and I have already faced risks much greater than this for your sake without regret. I can imagine no greater purpose for my life."
"No... I know," Takumi said. He smiled softly at Akira. "I should apologize. I'm allowing other factors to cloud my judgment." Takumi pushed his chair out and stood up. After straightening out his clothes, he turned to Akira. "Akira-kun," he said. "If I were to ask something of you which made you uncomfortable, would you tell me?"
Akira narrowed her eyes. "I could do so if you wish me to, Your Highness."
"Please," Takumi said. "Particularly for this next request. You do not need to answer if you do not wish to, but I feel I must ask. I recently became aware that Lord Morihiro Konoe had proposed that his son be wed to you, but you had declined - rather vehemently, if I am to believe Konoe-san." Takumi gave a soft smile and looked away from Akira. "I confess that I find this matter most baffling. I suppose it is a sign of the changing times that Konoe-san would be looking for a suitor on the basis of merit rather than blood, but I must ask you: What made you so opposed to this arrangement?"
Akira had been waiting for this question. The Konoe family was second only to the royal family itself in prestige. Traditionally, members of the imperial family could only marry those with noble blood, and so marrying into a family such as the Konoe was the highest a commoner such as Akira could ever climb up the social ladder. It granted her prestige, the ability to spend the rest of her life without working, and the remote possibility - which Konoe-sama had strongly hinted at nevertheless - that she might one day mother the wife of an emperor. Even a few decades ago, the Konoe family would never have considered a marriage to a commoner, but opening international relations had led to efforts within Zipang to appear a bit less rigid in their ways. Even so, the only reason Konoe-sama would consider a commoner such as Akira as a suitor was because she was the bodyguard to the future emperor, and thus would have a great amount of influence on him, should she choose to exercise it.
That was the catch. Akira would be granted de facto nobility, but only if she were to betray her friendship with Takumi to advance the goals of the Konoe family. She'd known that word of this refusal would soon get to Takumi, and so she'd readied an answer for when she was asked this question. She would explain that she did not wish to be manipulated, and that the proposal came with strings attached which she could not abide.
Akira opened her mouth to explain, but a lump caught in her throat. She swallowed it and tried to figure out why her body was disobeying her at this moment. It should have been simple. She'd prepared for this. But with Takumi standing in front of Akira, the speech she'd prepared seemed disingenuous. Every word she'd prepared was true, but it didn't touch upon the true reason she'd objected to the marriage.
"I..." Akira said, forcing the words out, "...could not bear to leave his Highness."