The Castle's Curse ~ Chapter 1 and 2
Chapter 1
Deep, in the majestic mountains of Europe, dappled with lush greenery, hidden in foreboding shadows high above the common man’s own world, lay a mist of secrets equally dark and seductive.
The early morning gray fog covered what was normally a clear path through the woods - but the end of which, almost no traveler had beaten to for well over a hundred years…
“Ah… goshujin-sama,” a solemn, clear-faced young man with low-lidded eyes entered the cavernous room, dressed in a butler’s regalia. He carried in a tray of tea and seemed to act as if still asleep, even if he was not.
At the crackling hearth was a plush, wine-red velvet chair, whose occupant sat lost in the maze of his own thoughts. The thick, slashed eyebrows of the master were furrowed together. There was a long silence, and the butler began to doubt whether the master had heard him - or if he had even spoken for him to hear.
The man moved to look at the butler. “That is fine, Ohno. Leave it here and go,” he said, and then continued into his dark, pensive mood.
Ohno, relieved at the master’s words, went to leave, but hesitated before asking, “Isn’t it already late, sire? Shall you not retire to bed?”
His master glowered to himself for a brief glimmer and then said, “Sleep has long since lost its appeal to me. You may go. Now.”
Ohno quickly hurried out of the room, the door mysteriously slamming behind him. He leaned against it for a minute and exhaled. “Jun-sama sure is scary,” he mumbled to himself, and departed.
Ohno’s duties were of course always over when the dawn broke. It was a tiring job, but it paid well, and Ohno had a family to keep. He changed out of his black and white regalia, trading it for a more comfortable, albeit less fashionable faded brown slacks, patch-worked waist coat, and a brown newsboy cap. He got in his dogcart, and with a flick of the reigns Nelly neighed and carried him over the hills and home.
It was going to be a glorious day, the pearl-gray morning seemed to promise. Ohno, although always slightly depressed by his morbid master’s moods, seemed slightly cheerier as he traveled down the path to his own little cottage. He even whistled a few bars of his favorite song as he made it home.
The hearth was on, and a cozy little fire crackled to life. His wife, he gave an endearing, indulgent smile at the sleeping figure there. He heard a little moan, and found his tiny daughter mumbling in her sleep, in bed. He bent over to kiss his child and then his wife, before removing his shoes and stockings, and going to bed.
* * *
Aiba always loved mornings. He could feel the sun streaming its light and warmth all the way down the pores of his skin, through his clothes as he strode to the castle. He loved the contrast of the cool air and the hot sunlight and the smell of the damp earth. In heavy overalls, he had already rolled up his shirtsleeves, revealing strong, tanned forearms that were ready for the hard work ahead that day. He heaved open the large, heavy stable door where the horses stirred awake.
He clicked his tongue, and reached to get a bucket of meal and millet. The horses neighed eagerly for breakfast. Aiba chuckled at their eagerness. Once everyone had his or her respective food in front of him or her, Aiba climbed atop one of the wooden dividers, and sat in peacefully satisfaction watching the animals eat in the quiet early morn. This, he thought, is happiness.
***
Very few knew that a castle lay there, far beyond the woods which man’s eyes could barely penetrate through. One of those few, privileged men was Sho Sakurai. Dressed in a stylishly cut suit, white-gloved, which a Derby hat, he was making his annual trip to the Mastumoto Castle. He was Jun-sama’s solicitor. Occasionally, when needed, he was there to give consulting advice to Matsumoto in legal and financial matters, as well as take care of the financing and taxes of the Matsumoto estate.
Sho thought that the current owner was a very curious man. He was surrounded by an air of mystery and misery - although he seemed to be the same age, nay, younger than Mr. Sakurai himself. How the property fell into Master Matsumoto’s hands was also a very curious circumstance, although according to Jun-sama, he inherited the estate when his uncle had passed away. The legal records certainly didn’t disprove Mastumoto’s story, still… Sho had never heard of an uncle - or really anyone else who had lived there before Jun suddenly appeared and claimed the castle his own, five years ago.
Still, Sho was a wise enough man to know when to ask questions and when to leave things alone. This seemed to be a case of letting sleeping dogs lie. Certainly, he had no reason to complain, as a solicitor. Mastumoto always agreed to pay his fees - no matter how much Sakurai insisted on charging - and paid the sum, in full, before Sho’s visit was over.
Ah… but if there was any issue with working with Jun Mastumoto, it was that Sho had to stay at his hauntingly empty castle each time. As usual, Sakurai could never get home fast enough. But alas, he thought, pained, this time he had to stay at least an extra two days because there was a matter that needed to be discussed. Apparently the local villagers were feeling uncomfortable about the recent happenings in the pine forest, claiming visitations of the devine or paranormal.
Sho certainly didn’t believe those stories, but nor did he like them either. In fact, it made staying at Matsumoto Castle all the more daunting and difficult. “Arienaitsuno,” he mumbled to himself as his carriage pulled up to the grand front doors, and Master Matsumoto walked out to greet him.
Chapter 2
Detective Kazunari Ninomiya’s forehead was wrinkled in contemplation. His thick black mess of hair was standing on end, which he did not pay any mind too, as he thought and thought carefully.
“You are trying to trick me,” he said slowly, raising his eyes. “You think I’m going to fall for your ruse, but you cannot fool me.” He slammed down his hand of cards.
“Four aces! Read it and weep in your little corner, my friend.”
The dealer was alarmed and shocked. “That’s - that’s impossible!” The man sputtered as Ninomiya collected his earnings from the table.
“Ah: improbable, maybe - but impossible? Never.” Nino put on his black blower hat, and turned to leave.
“A cheat!” the man blustered. “He’s a ruddy, bloomin’ cheat!”
The gambling hall quieted to a hush at the man’s accusations. Ninomiya slowly turned around to face him, the hat low on his brow, making his icy glare all the more terrifying. “I, sir, am not a cheat. Nor do I take well to those who accuse me of being so.”
Ninomiya took two steps forward and grabbed the man by the collar. “I would not have my friends think I am a cheat, simply because you do not like to lose.”
The dealer shivered under Ninomiya’s gaze as he quietly threatened, “Do not blotch my honor, sir. For it will be the last thing you’d ever do.” before letting go of his chokehold on the man.
Ninomiya exited the gambling hall in the early morning of London; the pavements were glazed to a slick, obsidian sheen on which the quiet clamour of hoofs on the streets clattered along, hidden by the thick fog.
Ninomiya fixed his hat on his head and straightened out his gloves before hailing a cab. His mind was up in a buzz for some strange reason, and although he did not like it, Ninomiya knew he needed to get back to his case.
Kazunari Ninomiya was an unusual detective of sorts. Most detectives worked with the local police, Scotland Yard, or were hired by some local lords or ladies to spy on an unfaithful spouse. In either respect, the detectives were assigned cases. Nino, unfortunately, had the knack of stumbling onto cases, and solving them out of his own discretion, rather than being hired by anyone.
Sometimes, the grateful party would give him a lump-sum reward after the job was done. Other times, Nino was out on his luck. Either way, it was a hard job, and living on ends-meet was Kazunari’s way of life.
If only he didn’t gamble so much, he sighed. But the winnings were lush, and he had always had a winning streak in every game he learned to play. His hands had a mind of their own. Sometimes Kazunari would carry around a deck of cards, with which he’d fumble and deal automatically when his head was too full of other things.
“Ace of spades says I go to Westchester,” he mumbled, and cut the deck three - no, four - times. He picked out the card and slowly turned it over. “Damn,” he whispered. He knocked on the roof of cab.
“Driver!” he announced. “Here is fine.”
He got out and paid the man, noting the restless horse, which snorted irritably. “You and me both,” Kazu sighed. This would require more than a cab to get him that far…
“Westchester, was it?” he grumbled, and disappeared into the streets.
* * *
“I’m glad you made it down here so early,” Marquis Jun Matsumoto said to his guest with a nod. Sho Sakurai sat in one of the fine, velvet chairs in the library, watching him uneasily as the marquis effortlessly strode across the room to the redwood cabinet. “Some wine, Mr. Sakurai?” he offered.
“No, I thank you,” Sakurai replied somewhat quickly.
Marquis Matsumoto poured himself a glass and handed the papers over to Sho to examine at the desk.
“Your finances seem to be in good order,” he looked through the papers, adjusting his spectacles before looking up at Matsumoto. “I assume you are paying your employees fair wages and are providing them comfortable lodgings if necessary?”
“Of course,” Matsumoto tipped his head graciously.
“Good,” he said, straightening out the sheets of paperwork and opening the books. “Very good. Now all there is left is the matter of calculating the taxes for this season. And also-” he hesitated.
“Yes?” the marquis looked politely curious.
The words remained in Sakurai’s throat. “As for lunch…” he inquired instead.
“I have instructed my servant to bring you a tray meal whenever you wish to ring for it,” Marquis Matsumoto bowed.
“Ah, very good,” Sho smiled and laughed unevenly, relieved as the marquis then turned and left Sakurai to his work, alone.
***
It had been several hours that Sho had sat quietly in the library, going through the meticulous writing and book keeping of Marquis Matsumoto. He was a very exacting man, Sho had found out, early on. He liked to keep things neat and tidy, almost to the point of annoyance.
Sho rose up from his chair, and stretched his stiff back. It was not yet lunch time, and he wasn’t hungry, but he could certainly use a break from the books.
He stared out the window for an instant before resolving what to do.
Being out of doors was never quite as refreshing as after a long day in doors, Sho noted as he flicked his cane along a thicket of shrubbery.
Although the house and the master were in equal parts gloomy, the grounds were startling fresh and green. He wondered if a patch of daises next to a prison felt thus.
So lost in thought was Sho that he didn’t hear the sound of beating hoofs and a scratchy voice call out.
At once, he found himself sprawled on the ground, almost nose to nose with one of the prettiest faces he’d ever seen.
He was so startled by the encounter it took him two whole seconds to realize that the face wasn’t that of a girl’s but of a man’s.
“Ah! I’m sorry!” the clumsy young man got up and dusted himself off. “Are you alright?” He extended his hand out to Sho, who took it and pulled himself up. The man’s grip was strong. He was definitely not one of those gentle, effeminate men that he had heard so much of. The fall must have scrambled his vision, Sho thought pensively. “This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t forgotten to close the stable door! Shimuken is such a stubborn horse, and rather likes his freedom. Now if you do excuse me, sir,” he bowed. “I must continue chasing after it!”
Sho looked in amazement as the stable man ran after the horse. Surely a man could not outrun a horse?
Feeling compelled to do so, against his better judgment Sho called out, “Good sir!”
The man stopped running and turned around.
“Wouldn’t it be more expedient if you chased after that horse using another horse? Surely riding would be faster than running.”
The man seemed thunderstruck for a moment, realizing, “By George, you’re right!”
Sho couldn’t help laughing as the man ran back in the other direction, presumably to saddle up another horse to ride.
Marquis Matsumoto sure kept interesting employees that was for certain. Sho chucked all the way back to the castle. The whole experience, he had to admit, was rather refreshing.