Roiyaru, if truth be told, loathed politics far more than one who would soon take rule over an entire world should. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to rule, he just hated the process through which he had to work to get there. However he had always taken great pleasure in his sparing classes, they helped him to better control his strength plus she always came to watch him. While when he was stuck in a class that seemed to drone on without end she could never come.
Roiyaru sat back in his chair hoping when this was over she would be waiting for him out in the courtyard by the cherry blossom tree.
She would most likely be standing in her usual pose with her hands held behind her back looking up into the sky. Her eyes always seemed to be searching or contemplating some difficult theorem, to be honest, Roiyaru was never able to read her like she could him. But she would always come, her hair would gently rise and fall with the breeze and her smile would be brighter than ever.
Yet he knew she wouldn’t be there, not this time.
Ever since the trials started she could never come and wait for him like she once did. Actually he had to attend another abhorrent trial today; even so he found thinking of her calmed him.
It was then Roiyaru felt as though he was wandering into sleep, which all things considered, was probably not the best course of action, but he didn’t care. Roiyaru wanted to dream and see her face bright and happy, always laughing even when something wasn’t all that funny to begin with. Then he fell.
- - - ------- - - -
“Rio, come on! You are so slow, are you actually going to let a girl beat you?”
Ookawa always challenged him to a race up the hill and over to the courtyard after his classes were over. She thought it was funny to watch him struggle to keep up with her quick pace. Roiyaru always lost to her even after he began his battle training, she was just so darn fast.
He kept pushing forward but as he went on his vision began to blur and Ookawa’s steadily running figure started to disappear as his eyes fell closed and he toppled forward.
“Rio?!”
Ookawa ran back to find Roiyaru had fallen down in exhaustion. Unfortunately he now had his sparing classes last, leaving him out of breath and tired everyday.
“I’m ok,” he said sitting up slowly and giving her a reassuring smile. Obviously she never believed him, and sat down beside him glaring straight into his eyes with an accusing look.
“Rio, you are being far too sluggish now a days. Did your father change the time for your warfare classes? You know, if that is the case I can just wait for you under Sakura instead of competing with you.” She smiled at him, evidently showing her pride in deducting his dilemma correctly.
“How do you always seem to guess what my problems are? It’s like you can read my face or something!”
“Of course I can not read your face that is pure futility. I merely observe your current state of being and make an educated guess as to what is ailing you.” Ookawa stated to him directly then sat up straight to cross her arms.
She never seemed to understand things unless they were said accurately; it was one aspect Roiyaru always found interesting about her.
“Yes you’re right; you can’t actually read my face.” He chuckled a little and observed as her eyes watched him; then smiled, noting that she had apparently won.
“So we can meet under Sakura, ok?” She had leaned forward again and had almost a puppy like expression waiting for his answer.
“Who’s Sakura?”
Ookawa could see the bewilderment hidden in his blue eyes. She really loved his eyes they always looked so warm and kind, complimenting his glossy blonde hair. She continued to look on at his handsome face when she realized she had forgotten to answer Rio.
“What did you say?” she asked him with her usual gleeful voice.
As far as Roiyaru could tell, she had been messing with him or daydreaming, both were plausible though quite rare in her case. He never could see what she was thinking and as for what was going on with her sudden pause and loss of thought completely escaped him.
“I asked, who’s Sakura?”
“Not who, what. Sakura is the name I gave the large cherry blossom tree in the courtyard garden. It just seemed appropriate, do you not agree?”
“No it’s fine to name a tree…just unexpected.”
She sighed in frustration.
“I am not referring to the fact of naming a tree that is appropriate but the name of said tree. Sakura is a Japanese word meaning cherry blossom and it seemed only fitting to entitle the cherry blossom tree with it. I do not see what is so hard to understand about that,” she huffed.
It did make sense though Roiyaru would never have thought about it that way. Even though Ookawa’s general nature was odd enough, it was more so what she did that was worthy of being strange. Just having a conversation with her could send your head into never ending loops of confusion, let alone trying to figure out her train of thought.
She continued giving him a searching glare.
“We’ll meet under the tree then?”
Her question pulled Roiyaru out of his short reverie and he realized that he had yet to answer her initial inquiry.
“Oh, sure. I don’t mind meeting there instead.”
Her eyes lit up as a smile stretched across her face and she lunged forward to give him a big hug. For Roiyaru this was a real treat, bearing in mind Ookawa rarely gave any physical contact, he found her embrace to be far more comforting than expected.
“Under Sakura…” she whispered and Roiyaru nodded in agreement as they sat on the lush grass, holding each other as if time stood still.
- - - ------- - - -
Ever since that day she has always waited for him beneath that tree. She would look so peaceful, so beautiful, so innocent…in fact she looked very unlike her.
In truth she was beautiful, probably the most beautiful he had ever seen, and she was innocent, technically, but she never had the naïve innocence that so many of the girls at their school did.
Ookawa had forever been incredibly smart and experienced in almost any kind of thing you could possibly think of. But she wasn’t very sociable around her classmates or anyone even; appearing bored in every activity, and there was nothing that could dissuade her from that state. Except each day under that tree she would smile and be bright…for him only. Their meetings were secret, lasting until the orange sun hovered in the west with the hazy evening drifting into night.
Roiyaru found that she was very different from her usual persona especially when she laughed. She looked as if she glowed when he was with her, while during classes he was told she appeared as lifeless as one ever could. It made him inwardly smile knowing she was entirely herself when she was with him.
- - - ------- - - -
On a warm spring afternoon Roiyaru exited the dojo where he held his annual combat simulation practice, and was informed that his father wished to speak with him.
He knew this must be important or bad…or importantly bad, either way he knew nothing good would come from this discussion. He headed down to his father’s chambers and told his guard he was here to speak with Shukensha, the twenty-fourth Chosen.
Roiyaru found having to say such a thing to address one’s own father was stupid but he knew only to well the punishment for thinking the rules didn’t apply to him merely because he was the son of the current ruler of Senkyou. He brought his hand to rest on his left arm where under his war attire hid the long scar he received from his father’s blade after rudely talking back to him in a rather heated argument during one of his first assembly gatherings.
Roiyaru never thought the incident had been nearly bad enough to merit a long gash on the arm, but his father was well…him. And to his father rules were to be strict and adhered to. Anyone who would dare violate these warranted an equally austere punishment, which he unfortunately learned the hard way.
*knock*
“Enter!”
“Sir, your son is here.”
“Good, good. Please send him in.”
“Of course.”
“You may enter now,” the tall guard said to Roiyaru after returning from his father’s room.
“Yeah, thanks.” He walked in and proceeded to close the door behind him, then turned to face his father, who was sitting in a large chair behind an old mahogany desk in the corner of the large room.
“Roiyaru,” the sound of his voice startled him slightly but he knew that was his cue to take a seat.
“I have been thinking about your future and the future of Senkyou. Soon you will reach your 15th and be in training to take over after me. So in preparation for this I have decided you need to take a wife.”
Roiyaru was traumatized. He had always known that this could happen, but after meeting Ookawa he never really stopped to think about it, plus he was so young!
“I know this may be surprising considering you are still young, but I am ill and will never recover from this unusual disease. Nonetheless I could never rule with it, therefore you will begin your training to gain control of Senkyou on the eve of your 15th after marrying your bride.”
“But…uhh….” He couldn’t wrap himself around this plan and despite all the many questions buzzing around in his head he couldn’t seem to find the words.
“I know this will be hard for you, but it is what’s best for Senkyou. Don’t worry about any of the arrangements, I will find your wife to be and the work to prepare the kingdom for this change. All you need do is concentrate on your studies.”
Roiyaru had nothing to say and no way of saying the nothing that couldn’t be said. It was like he had been drained of all thought and speech capabilities. This he did regard as rather funny despite the fact this occurrence was happening to him, but it caused a slight problem seeing as he had so many important unanswered questions.
“Go now, my son.”
Roiyaru lifted himself from the hard leather chair he had been seated in and headed for the huge double doors. Turning the handle he thought he must look so pale and ethereal right now as he perfunctorily left the chamber and headed out of the structure housing all the main assembly rooms.
Once out of the building he began to run straight to the garden, hoping her kind face and warm laugh would make everything go away. He knew logically that could not really happen, but he wanted to believe it could. He felt like crying, not that he would, this was just all occurring so fast! And worst of all it was the thing that would tear Ookawa from him…forever. That was defiantly not an option!
- - - ------- - - -
“Ookawa!” he yelled while running up the hill that led to the cherry blossom tree hidden deep within the emerald foliage of the courtyard garden.
She turned with grace, hair blowing slightly across her lovely features and if he didn’t know better, a questioning and concerned look in her large aqua eyes. She was so beautiful, so sweet he just didn’t know how to tell her.
“What is…”
She barely had time to get out her question before finding herself being pulled into an embrace so warm she could hardly think. Uncertain of what the circumstances were she decided it didn’t really matter at this moment since all she wanted was to stay this way; bringing her hands up around him she leaned closer into his body, returning his embrace with her own.
“Ookawa…my father…” he uttered, suddenly drawing her closer into him, hoping he could bring her so far in they could never be drawn apart.
Her eyes widened when she heard him begin to stumble over words, whatever it was he came to say it was bad enough to cause him to have difficulty speaking. He had done this before though his tone was different, not deep and calm but trembling and sad.
Pulling back slightly with her hair ribbons catching lightly on his thick haori, she looked into his eyes for an answer but found exactly what she didn’t want. His father had chosen something for Rio, something that would take him from her. Somewhere she couldn’t follow…something she knew she could never change.
“Rio, what is it?”
He didn’t answer and began stoking her hair gently and stared down into her face. Yet he wasn’t really looking at her, his eyes seemed to hold her in while keeping her so far away.
“Roiyaru, what has happened? What did he tell you?”
He knew she was either very upset or immensely concerned since she used his full name, instead of the epithet she typically used.
“My father has…has decided I will begin training to become ruler of Senkyou on my 15th…”
Ookawa was slightly puzzled. That hadn’t sounded that bad really…why could he be so upset over such a thing? He was young, except there had been young rulers before. She figured there was something he hadn’t said, something much worse.
“And?”
He knew she would discern that there was something missing from his announcement, but he didn’t know how to say it.
“He…he has…decided to…UHH! I just can’t say it!”
Roiyaru had let go of her and spun around to sit despondently upon the cool lawn, cradling his head in his hands. He just didn’t, no couldn’t tell her…it would hurt her and that was something he truly didn’t want.
Ookawa’s eyes lowered into a worried and sad expression, one she very rarely wore. She watched him drop his head and knew he must be so unsure of what to say or what to do.
Opening her mouth, she had wanted to say something, anything to help him but all words escaped her. All she knew was this feeling deep within her gut, she didn’t understand it but she followed it.
He felt a warm hand settle on his shoulder and glanced over to see Ookawa sit down next to him and lean into his side resting her head against him. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. Coming closer to his face she inclined her head a little and kissed him softly on the lips. Roiyaru hadn’t been expecting this turn of events at all. Knowing her, he thought he would have been yelled at by now since she usually was very impatient about situations like this.
Ookawa drew back slightly and whispered to him, “you do not have to tell me until you are ready.”
After her perplexing statement she smiled again and leaned back against him. Roiyaru didn’t quite understand what was going on but he held her in return, and they stared up at the darkening orange sky as the sun set on another day.
“Whatever the problem is I will always be here for you, under the Sakura tree.”
After saying this, her eyes flickered shut and he just held her close staring on at the falling sun.
- - - ------- - - -
It had been fifty years since that night when he couldn’t tell her. And his father had chosen a girl from his school named Kisoku, she was nice but he didn’t want her.
Occasionally he would go to the tree in the garden of the courtyard and she would be there smiling with her natural warmth. However his studies kept him from going to her and he missed her touch and her tenderness when she would speak to him…he missed everything she had reserved for him.
Roiyaru had stayed late after his last class and the sun had now been setting as it used to when they were together, but now he never had time. Though she probably forgot about him, it had been decades since he was even able to go to the tree, let alone speak with her. The sun was now exactly half way down and he had been heading out across the empty paths of the grounds when he heard something.
He stopped and listened, someone was singing and it sounded sad. Unsure of whom it was he set down his things and began to follow the beautiful voice. Roiyaru hadn’t really been paying attention to where he was walking and found himself in the garden of the courtyard, a place he hadn’t set foot on for nearly forty years.
Pushing past a bush he found the person singing the sad song, it was a young woman. She was standing under the cherry blossom tree looking into the sunset and crying. Her small tears were caught in the wind as well as her long black hair and the long, white ribbons held in it. Then the girl turned somewhat in a graceful manner and he suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia as he watched her. She reminded him of a girl he used to meet here…she had the same graceful movements, the ones that gave her a look as though she may be walking on air. That’s when he saw her face, it was that girl…it was Ookawa.
Roiyaru was stunned. She was doing things that were so very uncharacteristic of her, in fact he didn’t even know she could sing so beautifully or ever cry.
Her tears shimmered in the now moon lit sky and her black hair shown brilliantly as it danced in the breeze. Her lips moved delicately to the word flow and her eyes were closed but when she would open them he felt as though they were peering into his soul.
He had never seen a more stunning sight until he become conscious of the fact that although its beauty was mesmerizing he had caused it. But why was she here? Then he remembered her last words to him.
“Whatever the problem is I will always be here for you, under the Sakura tree.”
He couldn’t believe that she had been coming here everyday for the last fifty years just waiting for him. So he decided that he would come back again to see if she would be here.
Presently the next day, Roiyaru had stayed late again. He packed his few things and set them outside the entrance to the dojo and began heading towards the garden. It wasn’t quite as late like it had been the night before, though he didn’t think it mattered.
As he arrived at the spot he stood in previously, he saw she was there sitting under the tree. She was watching the sun set…alone. When the sun was in the exact position as before he gazed at her as she gracefully stood and walked forward a few paces, then began to sing. The song was different but the feeling he saw in her and felt in himself was the same. The sadness flowing from her body was enormous, where a few minutes ago he could have sworn she was smiling a little.
He continued this same process for the next few weeks and found that she came everyday and when the sun set exactly halfway she would begin to sing and every time she sang a different song.
It had been three weeks since he started watching her. And recognized just how much he had missed her and wanted her back. So he had to choose which difficult task to accomplish first, telling his father he will not comply with the arranged marriage; or speak with Ookawa again. He opted for his father first, this way when he went to her he could say how he feels without guilt.
- - - ------- - - -
After a rather unnecessary argument with his father’s guard, Roiyaru was finally able to enter and broke through the doors without bothering to close them.
“Father!”
“Yes Roiyaru, what is your reason for bursting into my chambers unannounced?”
“I wish to ask you something of severe importance.”
“Ok. What is this strictly significant thing you feel compelled to ask so late in the day?”
Roiyaru forcefully swallowed the lump in his throat. “….May I choose another woman for my bride?!”
Directly after saying this, rather loudly in fact, he bowed before his father, waiting to be reprimanded for his recent actions. When nothing happened Roiyaru opened his eyes and looked up to find his father with a smile from corner to corner. Taken aback he asked the only things he could think to ask in this bizarre predicament:
“What?!”
Roiyaru received a hearty laugh from his father before he answered his befuddled inquiry.
“Took you long enough!”
“Huh!” He was now so confused nothing could smack him back to normal.
“Can’t you at least come up with a decent reply when you’re shocked by something?”
“Pardon me…this is just a little shock-ING! What do you mean by ‘took you long enough’?”
“Son, I know you have found someone. I was simply waiting for you to realize how special this person really was to you.”
“So this was like a test?”
“You could look at it that way. Now calm down and don’t worry, you still have fifty years until your 15th. Enjoy it.”
“Ok, thank you father.” Roiyaru exhaled a breath he didn’t even realize he had been holding.
“Yes, now go on and tell her!”
Roiyaru had already run through the open doors and down the hall. Once he departed the building he started for the garden. The sky was dark with glimmering stars over head by the time he got to the Sakura tree. She was just sitting there staring up at the stars with her aqua eyes still shining from the recently shed tears.
Ookawa felt better after she sang, like she was letting out her feelings through the lyrics. She knew singing could never heal her aching heart, but at least it help her cope with everything. Love was a new fixation to her… she wished she could have learned more of it and him.
Inhaling deeply she smiled while remembering her last moment with Roiyaru. She missed him, his warm embrace, and the way he let her be herself around him. That’s when she found a pair of strong arms drape around her, holding her close. She turned in her seat to find him there looking into her eyes with his own. She inadvertently let a tear fall as she smiled at him and tilted up to kiss him.
He remembered her lips. They were soft and gentle; he wondered how he lived on without her with him. When they drew apart he looked at her again before he spoke.
“Ookawa, I’m sorry I never came back.” He held her small face in his hand and wiped the lone tear from her eye.
“It is alright. I discovered what happened a long time ago.”
“You did?” He guessed he should have expected that.
“Yes. I knew you were having trouble, but I still came here. Just in case.”
“I wish I had come to you earlier.”
“You still came.”
- - - - - - - - - -------------------------------- - - - - - - - - - -
Roiyaru, still fast asleep on his desk, smiled and continued to dream of the past. He would see her again soon, because today he had clandestinely arranged a special surprise. After fifty years of trials they could be together again.
“Ookawa…” he whispered.
