[Saiunkoku Challenge 60] Red as the Rose
Red as the Rose
Author: Amber Michelle
Rating: K
Genre: gen-ish
Warnings: n/a
AU/Canon: canon.
Pairing/Characters: Shuurei, Juusanhime
Words: 838
Prompt: #60 - rememberance (100+ words)
Notes: eh.
Cross-posted at saiun_challenge.
...............................................
Among the jewels delivered for Shuurei's use when she entered the palace to marry Ryuuki in truth was a rose hairpin, the length pure gold, and the petals painted with red enamel - bright red, like benihana, almost orange, just the color of her mother's lips before they went pale and blue. Jade leaves peeked from beneath the blossom. Tiny gold chains dangled from the back, jade beads on the ends. Auspicious colors, she thought, reminded of Juusanhime's crimson adornments the night her status as empress was formalized: red pleated trousers, a darker red robe, another red over that, camellia blossoms fresh from the vine, woven into her braids, and red enamel on her fingernails. Shuurei had painted each one herself to make sure the color was perfect.
Three other, identical pins nestled in the black wood box between layers of white silk. She set them aside.
White flowers greeted her in another box, and a collection of cherry blossom beads, bracelets, and combs in another. Seiran had found a set of lilac pins when he sorted the riches with her the day before and stared at them a long time before he passed the shallow box to her and asked to be excused. My mother favored the color, and the flower, he told her later, but shrugged and deflected her questions afterward. Shuurei kept them in a drawer beneath her closet just in case; if it were her mother, at least, she would want to keep them.
Night fell. Two maids came in to light her lamps, lay tea on the table and straighten the pink cushions, change the linens on her bed, lay out her clothes. Juusanhime came to help Shuurei dress in her own layers of red, which lightened to shades of magenta and pink, saying she was lucky House Kou claimed red, as it meant she got to wear her own colors on the night of her marriage. It glared at me all night, Juusanhime said, and he took his time procrastinating. Shuurei knew how she felt; wearing Ran colors those days they lived together in that distant villa, fearing assassination, she'd felt like someone had doused her in the winter canals again and left her blue and shivering.
So. Juusanhime helped her sit at the center of her bed once they applied Shuurei's perfume - lily, honey - and spread her wide sleeves out to show the deepest of the reds. Juusanhime fussed with the rose hairpins until they slanted just right. Think it'll be awkward?
Shuurei looked at her hands, spread on her knees, tipped in red. Yellow light danced on the shiny color. Yes.
The Ran princess stepped back and stretched her arms back, hands clasped, sleeves blue and white. Never thought of him that way?
Shuurei opened her mouth to say no, but nothing came out. That wasn't strictly accurate; it wasn't that she'd never thought of Ryuuki as a potential husband, or never had the potential, but that she tried not to. The picture flared into her mind the first time he came to visit her at night, when they met under the barren cherry trees, when he made the law that allowed her to take the civil service exams. It came to her when Sa Sakujun grabbed her wrist and kissed her, and once when she made a speech before the court and saw him sitting in splendor upon the golden throne, flanked by Shuuei and Kouyuu in their ceremonial robes.
She liked purple. A long time ago she thought it because of Seiran. Now it reminded her of silk and cherry blossoms.
Is that a yeeeeees, you have?
Shuurei blinked, felt her face go hot. Don't be stupid! She grabbed her pillow, but Juusanhime hopped out of range, laughing above the jingle of Shuurei's jewelry. Come over here and say that again!
The other girl's grin split wide, showing perfect white teeth. If I do that, you'll ruin all my hard work.
Shuurei glared, but lowered the pillow.
Juusanhime propped a hand on her hip. Red really suits you. She turned around, took a few steps toward the door. Then she looked back. It'll be okay. She waited a few breaths for Shuurei to nod. I should go now. I bet he'll be on time for you.
Juusanhime smiled to show she didn't mind, and her parting wave was a long, pale arch of her arm. The door clattered shut behind her, and Shuurei wished she hadn't gone - that she could stay and hold her hand. She reached up to touch one of the red rose pins. It wasn't out of place, surely, to think of one's mother at a time like this.
If only she hadn't left. If only she were here to hold Shuurei's hand, as she would do for Ryuuki.
Now it was her turn to be the Rose Princess.
.
Author: Amber Michelle
Rating: K
Genre: gen-ish
Warnings: n/a
AU/Canon: canon.
Pairing/Characters: Shuurei, Juusanhime
Words: 838
Prompt: #60 - rememberance (100+ words)
Notes: eh.
Cross-posted at saiun_challenge.
...............................................
Among the jewels delivered for Shuurei's use when she entered the palace to marry Ryuuki in truth was a rose hairpin, the length pure gold, and the petals painted with red enamel - bright red, like benihana, almost orange, just the color of her mother's lips before they went pale and blue. Jade leaves peeked from beneath the blossom. Tiny gold chains dangled from the back, jade beads on the ends. Auspicious colors, she thought, reminded of Juusanhime's crimson adornments the night her status as empress was formalized: red pleated trousers, a darker red robe, another red over that, camellia blossoms fresh from the vine, woven into her braids, and red enamel on her fingernails. Shuurei had painted each one herself to make sure the color was perfect.
Three other, identical pins nestled in the black wood box between layers of white silk. She set them aside.
White flowers greeted her in another box, and a collection of cherry blossom beads, bracelets, and combs in another. Seiran had found a set of lilac pins when he sorted the riches with her the day before and stared at them a long time before he passed the shallow box to her and asked to be excused. My mother favored the color, and the flower, he told her later, but shrugged and deflected her questions afterward. Shuurei kept them in a drawer beneath her closet just in case; if it were her mother, at least, she would want to keep them.
Night fell. Two maids came in to light her lamps, lay tea on the table and straighten the pink cushions, change the linens on her bed, lay out her clothes. Juusanhime came to help Shuurei dress in her own layers of red, which lightened to shades of magenta and pink, saying she was lucky House Kou claimed red, as it meant she got to wear her own colors on the night of her marriage. It glared at me all night, Juusanhime said, and he took his time procrastinating. Shuurei knew how she felt; wearing Ran colors those days they lived together in that distant villa, fearing assassination, she'd felt like someone had doused her in the winter canals again and left her blue and shivering.
So. Juusanhime helped her sit at the center of her bed once they applied Shuurei's perfume - lily, honey - and spread her wide sleeves out to show the deepest of the reds. Juusanhime fussed with the rose hairpins until they slanted just right. Think it'll be awkward?
Shuurei looked at her hands, spread on her knees, tipped in red. Yellow light danced on the shiny color. Yes.
The Ran princess stepped back and stretched her arms back, hands clasped, sleeves blue and white. Never thought of him that way?
Shuurei opened her mouth to say no, but nothing came out. That wasn't strictly accurate; it wasn't that she'd never thought of Ryuuki as a potential husband, or never had the potential, but that she tried not to. The picture flared into her mind the first time he came to visit her at night, when they met under the barren cherry trees, when he made the law that allowed her to take the civil service exams. It came to her when Sa Sakujun grabbed her wrist and kissed her, and once when she made a speech before the court and saw him sitting in splendor upon the golden throne, flanked by Shuuei and Kouyuu in their ceremonial robes.
She liked purple. A long time ago she thought it because of Seiran. Now it reminded her of silk and cherry blossoms.
Is that a yeeeeees, you have?
Shuurei blinked, felt her face go hot. Don't be stupid! She grabbed her pillow, but Juusanhime hopped out of range, laughing above the jingle of Shuurei's jewelry. Come over here and say that again!
The other girl's grin split wide, showing perfect white teeth. If I do that, you'll ruin all my hard work.
Shuurei glared, but lowered the pillow.
Juusanhime propped a hand on her hip. Red really suits you. She turned around, took a few steps toward the door. Then she looked back. It'll be okay. She waited a few breaths for Shuurei to nod. I should go now. I bet he'll be on time for you.
Juusanhime smiled to show she didn't mind, and her parting wave was a long, pale arch of her arm. The door clattered shut behind her, and Shuurei wished she hadn't gone - that she could stay and hold her hand. She reached up to touch one of the red rose pins. It wasn't out of place, surely, to think of one's mother at a time like this.
If only she hadn't left. If only she were here to hold Shuurei's hand, as she would do for Ryuuki.
Now it was her turn to be the Rose Princess.
.