Stop to Smell the Roses [complete]

[yuki]

It really was just any other day in the palace. Some people were moving about quickly, usually these were the lower ranked officials and servants, and others were going on at a snails pace, these were usually the higher ranking officials. Among them was a young woman who refused to let others classify her, she was born of a slightly lower rank and yet she had been fated to marry the Prince since her birth, giving her one of the more higher ranks by default. The slim figure she represented could be seen at this very time perusing the garden area alone.

Yuki was tired today; she had been waylaid several times by other people on her way down here. A normal 20 minutes trip had taken her over 2 hours. Some people were just ridiculously nosy anymore. Most of the questions surrounded her upcoming marriage to the Prince and her feelings about it. Smartly she kept her real thoughts on it to herself and played the blushing bride to be perfectly. Now she was alone to try and not think about it if she could help it, it had to be done for her country and frankly she did not trust any of the half-witted females that would happily throw themselves at her Prince.

This was something she did to relax, one of those rare times when she was completely unguarded. Not many people came to the garden area just to sit and contemplate anymore. The Reitosuru girl did. Carefully she sat herself on a bench and trailed her odd gaze out over the well manicured area, it really was a thing of great beauty and more people should enjoy it like she did. Hands curled demurely in her lap and a pleasant almost serene smile trailed across her pale face.

Today she had chosen carefully what she would wear, wanting for all the world to be practically invisible in the gardens. Her kimono was of a deep green shade that had piping in a golden shade; her obi itself was also golden. The hardest part had been deciding on what to do with her hair leave it down or work it up. Since she couldn’t decide she did half and half. The sides and front were pulled up into a low ponytail and the rest trailed down her back and currently pooled itself upon the bench.

[Seyfi]

There is something a bit cruel in the design of such a place, Seyfi mused as he trekked through another unmarked hall, that one would not be able to trace is own footsteps from the time one had entered...Lord in heaven, sometimes, I am thinking, you are giving me poor memory on purpose...

A fellow such as himself really had little business in such a grand place, and he would not have been there, had the man who was supposed to be delivering to the palace not strained his ankle and begged him to do it in his stead. It was not too much of an ordeal; an order of fabrics that came from Spain through Anatolia--it was just...

He sighed. He left his shop open, under a comrade's watch. But he did not much like that comrade--the man could not bargain, and he was all too assertive. It does not give a good impression to the people. By midday on the morrow, that man would be taking leave back to a port in India, and he would not have to deal with him for a few months. Knowing this made Seyfi feel a lot better about the situation. Trade one inconvenience to trade off another; perhaps it is not as bad as one would think.

"Lord," he muttered, stopping again and looking around, then turned down another way that looked promising. The last time he halted someone to ask which way was out, the man did not even glance at him and kept walking. He started following people until they departed into other rooms with hopes of an exit, but it bore no fruit.

Before he had registered a sense of where or how, he had stepped into a bright opening--a garden? I am not remembering seeing one of these coming in, he considered hoplelessly. He saw another entry--or exit?--across the way. Well, eventually there would be a way out, so why not?

He proceeded to walk through the well-kept beds of foliage; it was not at all bad to look at, all things consid--

"Oh, excuse me!" he said with a bit of a start, glancing over at the young lady who sat nearby. He'd hardly noticed anyone in here at all. Perhaps it was not at all a good idea to just start wandering into places..

[yuki]

Startled by the sound of another’s voice she jerked herself into a standing position and turned to face the intruder…no Yuki just because he was in the gardens did not make him an intruder. Though a quick glance at what was obviously a male and the title foreigner placed itself firmly in her head. Crimson colored eyes looked the much taller person up and down and she tilted her head at the man. “Do you have business here?” She didn’t want to be too rude, at least not yet. Having no idea who he was or why he was here made her antsy but it did not call for her normally sharp tongue. What if he was here on important business?

Her dainty hands slid out of sight, but instead of grabbing at her hidden weapon she just clasped them together in the small of her back while she kept her odd eyes on his own. That was one thing about Yuki; she had no qualms about keeping eye contact and usually bothered others to look away from hers. It was something of an amusement for her, to see if anyone could keep her gaze.

During the time it took her to stand up and to ask the question she had mentally tabulated all the guests she knew were supposed to have come today. All the messengers, dignitaries and servants…along with a handful of people she wasn’t even supposed to know were coming here. This one was not on the list, his looks did not fit the bill, his name there was no way she could know it either. Placing an innocent smile on her face while she contemplated him was easy; she was used to being grossly underestimated. But such was the way of things in her country, for the females at least. He didn’t seem like a bad sort…perhaps he was just lost? Getting lost in the palace was easy if you hadn’t grown up in it.

(wow someone replied. I will now love you forever ^^ Thank you)

[Seyfi]

The abruptness of the young lady's question startled Seyfi a bit--she had quite an authoratiative voice hiding under that smile. It wasn't something he was prone to expect from this country, but it wasn't..exactly..bad. Just surprising.

It took him a moment to order his thoughts and redirect them into the language. With a hand over his heart he bowed and said, "Forgive me--I didn't mean to" he fished for the word, "..intrude."

Six years in country and you forget half the language?! a voice in the back of his head cried.

Straightening, his hands clasped together--for where were they supposed to go after such a rude run-in?--as he regarded her stance and expression.

"I am hoping...I did not interrupt anything--you seemed to have come straight out of the flowers, ha ha.."

He had to kind of laugh weakly at how ridiculous his thoughts came out; how is it you try to pay a bit of a compliment, and now it is sounding like some sort of insult, eh?

She had very striking eyes, he noted as he cleared his throat a bit--he worked on keeping his accent a little under check this time, now that he wasn't so off-guard.

"But please, I am just in the middle of finding my way out...a bit. I seem to have gotten turned around..." he glanced up and over his shoulder, then around the scope of the garden before back at the young lady, smiling awkwardly, "..many, many times. I hope you understand; I apologize again, miss."

(I couldn't leave you hangin' here all by your lonesome, now! :D )

[yuki]

She almost laughed at him, but years of practicing at holding in her laughter and her snide remarks for the sake of diplomacy stopped such an outburst, but it did not stop her from cracking a real smile. He was having a hard time with the language and his accent and she found it rather amusing, more like funny though not crude humor. Several steps brought her a bit closer, so that she could speak with him in a quieter tone, sometimes she could be a bit paranoid but it wasn’t like it was unfounded. People had been caught following her around before, but she knew it had something to do with whom she was supposed to marry.

“You are not intruding; I was just relaxing by myself. Enjoying the gardens. People seem too busy or too preoccupied with themselves to truly enjoy such things anymore, it seems.” Surprising herself with just how much she spoke caused her eyes to widen, usually she was curt and to the point. Maybe it had something to do with the fact of him being obviously foreign.

Right out of the flowers? It made her let out a very quiet laugh and she placed one of her very pale, dainty hands over her mouth to stifle herself. Aha! She had been right to assume he was lost, mentally she gave herself a pat on the back, her facial expression didn’t change at all though, except for a gleam in her eyes.

“So, you’re lost then?” Her hands slid back down and stayed at her sides and she followed where he looked. It would probably take him forever to get out of here if he had already been lost. “I could escort you out, if you wish. I live here so I know it well enough. Just tell me which entrance you came in at and I will take you there.”

Yuki being nice and helpful was not a normal thing. If her Prince heard about this he would probably not believe it, then again neither would her father. But he was lost and she was bored so it gave her the opportunity to have a little fun and meet someone knew and very different.

(Wee! *hugs* Much appreciative. BTW I love your icon of him.)

[Seyfi]

Seyfi glanced about slightly, bowing his head a bit to listen more carefully. The laugh caught him off guard a bit, but..but at least it was a laugh!

Upon hearing her offer he looked back down at her, genuinely interested in what she had to say, but knowing well enough to keep from being too nosy; it is not a stranger's place to be as such, of course.

"You live here?" he repeated, folding his arms after moments of trying to figure out what the heck to do with them. "It is surprising to me that you are not rushing around yelling like the rest of this place--ehh, but I am not saying it is bad that you are not, of course. Oh, but I'm not wanting to take up your time so much, but.."

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked about again, then back down at her with a sheepish, but appreciative smile.

"But I would be very grateful to you if you would help, miss..And I will, of course, be willing to make it up to you somehow, ma'am. Miss." He squinted a bit and laughed it off weakly, shaking his head and clearing his throat. Anything to be quiet and stop sounding like such a fool...Lord.

(Aaa thank you muchly for that!)

[yuki]

Nodding she confirmed his question, debating on elaborating or not on it. It wasn’t as if like her identity was some sort of secret, everyone in here and most of them out there knew who she was, but she kept the finer details to herself. “I am not the kind that goes rushing about like the others. But yes I do live here.” He did talk a lot once he started and seemed to trip over his words fairly often, it was amusing her a great deal. “You are rather funny. If I did not want you to take up my time I wouldn’t be speaking to you now.” Said so simply but with conviction.

She had never been around someone with such dark skin, and was half tempted to reach out and touch him but that would not only be rude it might make him think something else about her.

“Would it be easier if I told you my name? But I will expect yours in return.” Weighing her options she figured he would tell her his name just by the way he acted so giving him hers was going to be no big deal. “Reitosuru Yuki, that is me…and you are?”

He was so…well it was nervous, jumpy or just confused. She was leaning more towards nervousness. He didn’t know who she was or where he was, that tended to lead to a case of nerves.

[Seyfi]

Her reasoning seemed to help; at least he wasn't being a nuisance--at least, from what he was told. It was kind of odd that she spoke so easily to him, well, by comparison to others, and it was a bit of relief.

She said her name and he squinted a little; he kind of recalled hearing a name similar or just like it, but only from half-heard gaps of gossip. Hopefully it wasn't too bad that he wasn't quite sure. But still, he did make a note to remember it. Though he never really could catch on to the whole multiple-names thing..it made remembering names with faces all the trickier.

"Reitosuru Yuki.." he repeated, then bowed his head a bit with a hand over his heart. "I am Seyfi, of Erzurum--but Seyfi is all you really would have to remember, I suppose." He lifted his head and smiled, "I am glad to be meeting you, Reitosuru Yuki."

It was easier to speak to her, now that he knew her name; it was always easier to converse that way. At least some things never change, no matter where one may find one's self.

[yuki]

“Well Seyfi or Erzurum I will just call you Seyfi then. You make call me Yuki if you wish; the whole name thing is a bit stuffy. Some may expect me to be that way but I am not all that bad.” Her right hand lifted and she pointed off the way he had come from. “This is where we will need to go since you wish to leave here. Just follow me and I will have you out quickly.”

Without waiting for him she started walking off that way, not too quickly because if he ever came here again she didn’t wish him to be lost. People did stop and say hello to her, being very polite about it, but most of them she ignored. She was used to this treatment from them and had no real friends among the group. Along the way she pointed out a few landmarks and which ways to turn just in case he did get lost here again and she wasn’t around.

“I do not mean to be rude, but where are you from? Your skin is so dark and your eyes are so different. I have not been out of my country nor do I get to see many people from other countries.” Curiosity was her main goal, it was better to ask then to wonder and not know. So she asked, simple as that. They were still walking the massive halls with people rushing past them, some stopping as before.

[Seyfi]

"Oh, ah, of course." He fell into step beside her, but would linger behind as she was beset by the indistinguishable people that inhabited the building. He'd nod respectfully as they were dismissed and would walk right back into pace beside Yuki as she pointed out the various features of the place. It was something he would have liked to have had the leisure of spending a great deal of time with; the palace, of course, would have plenty of history and the like all over.

"Mm?" He blinked and glanced over at Yuki when she asked. "Oh, Erzurum--ehh, in Anatolia," he replied lightheartedly, but slowly, as he found the words to describe. "Is...well, after you get past Arabia, but before you make it to Greece...Kind of, a middleground, I suppose. It is not exactly...east or west. Lots of different people from Egypt and Italy...all over. Ah, not Erzurum; other side, where my family moved. We are not in the habit of staying still." He thought for a moment.

"Is...very hot in summer, very hot--I am thinking that is why we are so brown; we cook well! Haha...But is not all bad; very beautiful. The sea..is not very like the one here. It is very bright...Everywhere I have been on that sea is brightest blue I have ever seen. Especially from Greece." He nodded, smiling and the memory.

"Since the blockade, I have not been seeing too much from there...But I still have the maps, ehh, and the vases..they do not sell as good; too big, you know."

Scratching the back his neck, Seyfi smiled over at her apologetically. "I am in the habit of rambling, so sorry, but--excuse me--" he stumbled a bit out of the way of a bustling messanger of sorts, "but I never am able to speak too much of the world; it is not much on everyone's mind, of course, understandably."

[yuki]

She was actively listening to him about everything, completely fascinated. Maybe one day she could see all these places…but she was only fooling herself. What would it be like to just travel, see things no one else had seen, and experience things that no other young woman around here would ever be able to do? Perhaps…but no, again it isn’t possible. She loved her country but sometimes, she just wished humph.

He was making her smile though and let out quiet laughs at his speech and the things he said. They cooked well, that was funny. Maybe she should spend more time with the foreign ones that came here; it seemed easier to speak to them then her own people. That thought saddened her greatly and she looked off for a moment while he spoke.

“That sounds really lovely Seyfi, maybe one day I could see something just as lovely.” Glaring at the messenger she snatched them by the scruff of the neck and spoke in their ear quickly. People were just so rude anymore and she was tired of it. When she let him go the messenger just stammered out an apology to Seyfi and ran back off. “Such horrible manners these days.”

“Ahhh here we are, the main entrance. Do you need anything else?” Standing off to one side of the massive door she looked up into his face with a polite smile, her hands folded back behind her once more.

[Seyfi]

He watched the messenger stumble off after that sudden snatch by Yuki, a bit surprised, but said nothing of it. Upon reaching the exit, looking up at it, as relieving as it was to get there, still...How am I not finding such large doors by myself?

Looking back down at Yuki he bowed his head. "I am grateful to you for the help...Ehh, no, I do not think I need anything else. But if there is something I can do to return the favor, I will be happy to do so. Is not a trouble." He smiled back at her with a bit of a shrug. "Being only brown person in city, is not hard to find. And this being biggest building..ehh...no troubles finding the way back, either."

It was kind of sad--he did enjoy his conversation with her. Or. Just him talking and her listening for the most part, but either way.

"Be well, Miss Yuki," he said went to push the door a bit so he could slip out.

[yuki]

“No this place is not hard to find, but it is very easy to get lost in if you have never been inside before, or do not have a guide.” Laughter that was quiet but real came then and she placed a hand over her mouth, it seemed laughing wasn’t something she did all that often for it to keep surprising her like it was.

She doubted there would ever be anything that she would need for him to do for her, but still knowing that if she ever needed something he would help made her mood a bit brighter then it had been. Her eyes trailed towards the doors as he opened it up some and she gave him a sad smile then. Maybe she was lonely, she was suppose to marry the Prince of her country and yet she didn’t even know him. Talking with Seyfi just this little bit made her wonder what it would be like to talk to Akihito…but he was such a figurehead anymore.

Shaking her head she cleared her mind of such thoughts, these were things she could think on while alone, not while biding what had been good company…farewell.

“And the same for you Seyfi. Maybe I can come see your wares later on in the week.” Nodding goodbye to him she watched the guards eyeing them warily. What were they thinking now? This would probably get back to the Shogun and to the Prince before the day was out, about how she was fraternizing with a foreigner.