Treasure (rewrite) 03

[maderr]

Chapter Three


“Prince! Please! Your mother…”

“Is as used to my ‘reprehensible behavior’ as everyone else. I told her a month ago I would not be attending. My schedule certainly has not magically acquired free time since then – quite the opposite.” Kyo finally stopped walking and whirled around, startling his mother’s secretary – one of four, and the newest, which meant she hadn’t yet learned that chasing him down was a futile effort. The woman stumbled back, nearly dropping the bundle of papers she’d been sent to fetch when she’d spotted Kyo. “I’m far too busy to attend her confounded dinner. Please do tell her that, as she apparently ignored all my notes on the matter, and the conversation I had with her two days ago.”

The woman opened her mouth to argue, but after a moment dropped her eyes, dipped into a curtsey and with a barely audible “Yes, Prince Nankyokukai,” turned and fled.

Kyo suppressed a grimace. His mother needed to hire secretaries with more backbone. If one stare was all it took to scare the little thing away, she wouldn’t last long – probably not much past the first time she encountered a drunk Indoyou.

Dismissing the fleeing secretary from his mind, Kyo continued toward his own office. Taking the private hallways – those reserved exclusively for those who dwelt in the palace, not to be used by visitors and the like – would take longer. The last thing he wanted was to be late for his morning appointment. Mostly because Taka would harass him about it all day. Cutting through the main halls would save time.

At the end of the hall he turned left, leaving the private hallways and entering the grand hall, the main entryway to the palace. Groups of visitors milled about, some waiting patiently to be summoned into the palace proper, others arranging appointments with the various clerks available for just such a thing – there was one in the far corner who specifically dealt with arranging appointments with Kyo. All had to be approved by Taka first, of course, and most of those only ever saw Taka. Rare was the person who spoke with him directly.

Sheer habit took his gaze in that direction, and Kyo slowed his steps as he took in the men currently speaking with his clerk. The shorter of the two – though their height was very close – had to be from the merchant class. Or the pirate class. Nobility rarely dressed that way, and the peasant classes couldn’t afford it. Orange robes, accents of green. Obviously he preferred extremely bold coloring.

The man beside him was completely different – dressed in all black, except for the blood red sash embroidered with what Kyo realized were sailing symbols around his waist. The black made his pale features even more so, but not in a bad way. Rather than a robe, he wore a tunic that cut off at his thighs, the sleeves short. But that pale skin…there were women and men in the palace who would cheerfully kill for such beautiful skin. A dark pearl gleamed in one ear, a strange touch for a man who was otherwise so severe looking.

Kyo frowned at himself and sternly put his thoughts back in order. Was the merchant their morning appointment? He hesitated, wondering whether he wanted to encounter them here or wait until they reached his office.

Before he could reach a decision, the clerk happened to look up and caught his eye. “Ah—Highness. Good Morning to you.”

“Good Morning,” Kyo murmured, abandoning his hope of moving through the hall without interference and approaching his morning guests. He nodded as the two men bowed, murmuring polite greetings. He smirked as he looked at the merchant. “Lord Raiden, you made quite an impression on my secretary yesterday. I fear he is still distraught over his loss.”

“Raiden, please. I never favored formality. This is Captain Kindan Ningyo, my partner in all ventures and the one who keeps us afloat.” Raiden flashed a grin. “Lord Noumi nearly had me. I’m afraid Kin is still irate with the amount I paid – or he would be if I were foolish enough to tell him what I spent.”

Kyo fought a smile and lost. “Yes, my secretary was particularly livid that his generous income was not enough to outbid a merchant. If demands a higher salary after all this, I will expect you to take the blame.”

“Of course, Highness. Next time I attend an auction, I will wait to see if I have any royal missives first.” Raiden winked.

The clerk stood nervously, belatedly realizing his possible error in calling to the prince. Kyo waved his concern away dismissively. “Ensure we’re not bothered further this morning. Gentlemen, if you will come with me.” Kyo indicated the direction they would be going, then swept forward, his silver-gray robes shimmering in the early morning sunlight spilling in from the skylights. His sash was dark blue with a pattern of spider-webs in silver thread. His hair gleamed with silver and sapphir beads – though it required a minimum of two hours work every morning, but royalty wore their hair so at all times.

He turned to regard his guests, lifting a brow at the expression on the face of the sailor. “Captain Ningyo, you look displeased.”

“He’s not a morning person. You should see how he treats the crew before the sun’s been up for a few hours,” Raiden said before Kindan could speak. He laughed at the glare the Captain cast his way. “He also thinks we should be working.”

“Shima!” Kindan glared at Raiden.

Kyo turned away, falling silent. Not catering to the whims of a bratty prince was what Raiden had left unsaid. Typical. It was what he wanted everyone to think, no reason to feel bitter about it. He glanced at the pair from the corner of his eye, surprised to see that Captain Ningyo was looking at him, that frown still on his face. He turned to face him directly. “I apologize for taking you from your work, Captain.”

Kindan shrugged. “My work is what Shima says it is. Ignore him. He seldom knows when to keep his mouth shut.”

Raiden laughed. “I haven’t been killed yet, I must know a thing or two.”

Kyo said nothing, amused despite himself. It was easy to see why Taka was so infuriated by Raiden. They reached his office a moment later, and Kyo waved away the servants milling about the front salon.

“Kyo!” Taka’s voice cracked like a whip as he opened the door to his study – he had never cared for the way manners dictated servants open and close all his doors – and slammed his hands down so hard on the desk it shook. “It’s far too early for all this nonsense and we have—“ He cut himself off as he saw the men who appeared behind Kyo. He glowered.

“Good morning, Lord Noumi,” Raiden said. “A pleasure to see you again.”

“Good morning,” Taka replied stiffly.

Kyo smirked. “Please take a seat,” he said, motioning to the chair in front of Taka’s desk before he took his own usual place on the settee in front of the window. “Taka, you’ve already met Lord Shimano Raiden. Let me introduce you to Captain Kindan Ningyo.”

“Captain,” Taka replied, sketching Kindan a brief bow. “I thank you both for coming, especially so early. His Highness is going to be too busy this afternoon and evening,” he shot a brief glare in Kyo’s direction. “I hope we have not inconvenienced you.”

“Not at all,” Raiden murmured. He looked Taka slowly up and down. “It is always a pleasure to see you, Lord Noumi, no matter what the time of day.”

Kyo threw his head back and laughed. “Taka, I really think you should have demanded the necklace for a gift. You might have gotten it.”

“He might have,” Raiden agreed. “I guess we’ll never know now.”

Taka ignored them, though his hand briefly ghosted over a dark green paperweight. “I would imagine, by this point, that you know why we have asked you here.”

Raiden smirked, but relaxed back in his seat, settling the folds of his dark orange robes. “His Highness,” he nodded to Kyo, “is looking for a ship willing to take him on his tour. Might I ask why his Highness simply does not take a royal vessel? While there is no ship finer than my Fuujin, I doubt it would suit his Highness’s needs.”

“I thought you said he had no manners, Taka,” Kyo spoke before his secretary could. “I assure you all I require is a ship and crew capable of making a long journey. Roughly a year, possibly closer to two.”

Kindan looked offended. “My crew and ships are more than capable of such a simple journey. Is the royal navy so incompetent they cannot meet such a simple demand?”

Kyo lifted one brow, mouth twisting into a challenging smirk that never failed to infuriate his brothers. He didn’t doubt it would anger this man as well. “They have better things to do with their time.”

“As do we,” Kindan said, rising to the implied insult. “Much better. Highness.”

Raiden chuckled. “I see his Highness already has you figured out, Kin.” He continued on before Kindan could get a word in. “Certainly what he says is correct, Highness. Under Kin’s command, any of my ships would be capable of the journey. The real question, of course, is the destination…”

Kyo’s lips curved in an amused smile. “I’d rather we discuss terms first. What price do you think most suitable for such a journey? We’ll say it’s a two year journey for the sake of argument. I assure you that the journey itself is a simple one – perhaps only four of those months in total will be spent in uncharted waters.”

“Uncharted?” Kindan demanded.

“You’ll love it,” Raiden soothed, ignoring the withering look Kindan sent him.

“Your Captain is…charming is not quite the word,” Kyo replied, smirking at the way those sharp blue-gray eyes snapped around to glare at him. Temper, temper. He kept his own gaze on Raiden. “Wherever did you find him?”

Raiden grinned. “Wandering the harbors like a fish separated from its school. I put him on a ship and he was quite happy again.”

“So he dislikes being beached.”

“As most fish do,” Raiden agreed.

Kindan remained stonily silent, though Kyo could see that once they left Raiden would be treated to quite the storm. “Let us get back to terms, gentlemen.”

“I couldn’t accept less than 400,000 paaru,” Raiden said immediately. “I can make very nearly that in one circuit, and I am a man of business – a venture such of this should have a tidy profit.”

“Of course,” Kyo murmured, thoroughly amused by Taka’s merchant.

Speaking of his secretary, Taka had been silent for far too long – never a good sigh. “Takara, anything to add?”

“Your profits hardly add up to 400,000 paaru per circuit, Lord Merchant,” Taka replied, eyes fastened on Raiden, as cold as when he got on Kyo for “misplacing” certain pieces of correspondence.

“They would if he didn’t spend it all on jewelry,” Kindan interjected sourly.

Raiden laughed. “Next time I’ll buy a pearl to rival the one in your ear, then we’ll see who complains.”

Kindan said nothing.

“So 400,000 paaru is your demand, Raiden?” Kyo asked.

Raiden grinned suddenly. “That or your secretary.”

There was a pause, then Kyo threw his head back and started laughing, shaking with the force of it, nearly sending him falling off his seat. He barely caught the paperweight thrown at him in time, and only continued to laugh. “You amuse me, Lord Raiden.”

“So I see, Highness.”

Kyo finally forced himself to stop laughing, and ignored his furious secretary as he stood up, brushing his long hair back over his shoulders. “So you are estimating my secretary’s worth at 400,000?”

“Oh, I’d say he’s quite priceless,” Raiden said, eyes sliding over Taka, who stared coldly back.

“Hmm…” Kyo said, lips still twitching with mirth. “Very well,” he said after a moment. “I can’t see why not. We will have the contract drawn tonight and you can sign tomorrow. Acceptable?”

“Quite.”

“Wait one storming second,” Taka said, erupting out of his seat. “Highness, what precisely do you think you’re doing?”

“Bargaining for passage,” Kyo said calmly, though his eyes glittered.

Kin spoke before Taka could respond. “You’re far worse than the brat prince about whom I’ve heard so much,” he said coldly. “Slavery is illegal in this country, a law I’m sure your Highness never bothered to mention – but it exists all the same. I know royalty tends to think the laws don’t apply to them, Highness, but I don’t see how even you can get away with treating your secretary like a good to be bartered.”

“Of course I can get away with it,” Kyo said dismissively, tossing another smile as Kindan’s fury only grew. It was even easier than angering his family. Honestly – this man was to Captain his ship? How amusing. At least he wouldn’t be bored; it would very nearly be just like home. “For one – Takara is a royal servant. All such servants are under contracts. If I choose to transfer that contract, there is no law saying I may not. Furthermore – Taka will tell you himself. There is not a man alive who can stop me when I feel like doing something.”

“Prince Nankyokukai’s secretary,” Taka said, teeth all but grating, “to the merchant Shimano Raiden, in exchange for his ship and crew until such time as we no longer require his services. Is there anything else, Kyo?”

“That will be all for now. Have the contract drawn up tonight.”

“Highness,” Taka said, acknowledging the order but pointedly not looking at Kyo as he said it.

“Splendid,” Kyo replied. He moved around the desk to stand before Raiden and Kindan, picking up a rolled tube from the desk. Unrolling it, he beckoned them close. Setting out weights to hold the map down, he pointed to a spot on the map.

Kindan glowered. “There’s nothing there.”

“On the contrary,” Kyo said, locking eyes briefly before dropping his gaze back to the map. “I have it on very good authority there’s a small island there. I should very much like to see it.”

“Whose authority?” Kindan demanded, jabbing a finger at the indicated spot. “I have maps men would happily commit murder to possess and none of them indicate an island at this spot.”

“Then I guess, Captain,” Kyo said with a too-sweet smile, “that means my maps are better than yours.”

Kindan was prevented from speaking by Raiden’s firm grip on his arm.

“Will you take us?” Kyo continued. “Or shall I begin my search anew?”

“If you want me to make that journey,” Kindan said, and Kyo almost laughed at the way he almost seemed to growl the words, “then you can make part of the payment one of those maps.”

“Done,” Kyo said smoothly. “A pleasure doing business with you, Captain.”

“Then that makes one of us. Highness.” Kindan turned away, but stopped to glare at Raiden. “When this is over, Boss, I am taking the Kumiko and consigning you to the Storms.” With that he stalked from the room.

Kyo stared after him a moment, then forced his attention back to Raiden. “Your Captain has quite the temper.”

“The price I pay for his skill,” Raiden said with a grin. “When were you hoping to leave, Highness?”

“As soon as possible.”

Raiden drummed his fingers on the desk. “It will take a couple more days to conclude business, which we must as we’ll be doing very little of it on this journey. From a quick look, I would say we’ll be stopping briefly in Pozhar. After that, if you are amenable, we can stop briefly at my home,” he touched a spot on the map that was almost exactly halfway between Pozhar and the location Kyo had indicated. “That will break the journey up nicely. We can make the same stops on our way back.”

Kyo nodded. “I have no problem with that. You pick a strange place to call home.”

“My island, San Hoshi, is one of my better finds. It’s a small island but it does well for itself. I’ve even built up a little village. You will like it, Highness.” Raiden smiled fondly, thinking of his home.

“No doubt,” Kyo agreed.

Raiden turned his smile on Taka, who was ignoring them both. “Would you like to have breakfast in the morning, Taka?”

“I guess I don’t have much of a choice do I?” Taka snapped. He set to the paperwork in front of him.

Kyo rolled his eyes. “I am certain he would love breakfast – it means he can skip out on my morning correspondence. I feel, however, that we must keep him and your Captain separated on the journey or we may find ourselves in unfavorable situations.”

Raiden threw his head back and laughed. “Hopefully Kin will be too busy manning the ship. Though on that note, I had best go ensure he will be manning the ship.” He bowed low. “I am glad I could be of service, Highness. I will keep you informed of our preparations.”

“Ah, yes,” Kyo said, and tugged a ring from his finger. He tossed it at Raiden, who caught it smoothly. “Have everything pertaining to this journey that you might need charged to the royal house. Contact me if you’ve any problems…try not to abuse that ring, Lord Raiden.”

“Yes, Highness,” Raiden said with a grin. “I will see you for breakfast, Taka. Shall I meet you in the front hall?” He only laughed when Taka made no reply, then turned and bowed low to Kyo once more. “Highness. I will see you in three days time.”

“Lord Raiden,” Kyo said, bowing his head politely.

A moment later Kyo and Taka were alone in the office.

Kyo barely ducked in time, the paperweight rushing by his cheek – he caught it right before it sailed out the window. “You know, Taka, some of these silly things are gifts. Didn’t your mother teach you that it’s not nice to throw gifts out the window?”

“My mother told me to get a job as far from the palace as possible,” Taka snapped, hefting a pewter paperweight. “I’m starting to think she was right!”

Catching the paperweight easily, Kyo smirked and reclined once more on his settee. “You’re only now starting to think she was right?” He tsked. “I had thought you more intelligent than that, Taka. You should’ve taken a job far, far from the palace. I’m sure your merchant wouldn’t have minded if you were a poor clerk in one of those little fishing villages.”

“Dragons take you, Kyo!” Taka slammed his hands down on the desk. “How could you do that to me?”

“How? Quite easily,” Kyo answered. “A few sentences and the deed was done.” He laughed at the glare he could feel trying to burn a hole right through him, and pointedly did not look at Taka as he continued speaking. “Perhaps you mean why, hmm?”

“Kyo, I will beat you senseless.”

“Senseless would be rather a nice state,” Kyo said softly, and forcefully shoved away the thoughts that were trying to take hold. He could not think about that now. It was too much. “As to why…it amused me to do so.”

A flat out lie and Taka knew it. Now to see how long it took for Taka to figure things out. Not how he had thought to address the matter, but it was a far more interesting way to do it.

He heard Taka heft another paperweight and finally turned. “Honestly, Taka, you need to develop a sense of humor.”

“I refuse to develop the sort of humor that finds amusement in treating people like so much chattel to be traded off.”

Kyo rolled his eyes. Obviously Taka was in too much of a snit to figure it out. “Then I’ll call the whole thing off, we can try to find someone else to take us to the island, and when you return my dear brothers can fight over which of them has greater rights to your contract.”

“I’d rather throw myself in the ocean than work for either one of those—“ Taka stopped.

Kyo smirked. “Go tell that idiot clerk in the hall that I am seeing no one else today. Then figure out a way to make my mother leave me alone. By the Dragons, I am not attending that confounded banquet.”

Taka rolled his eyes. “Yes, Princess. Should I tell them you’re sick?”

“Yes,” Kyo retorted. “In fact, tell them I’m dying.”

“That isn’t funny,” Taka said coldly, but there was pain in his eyes.

“It is, however, the truth.”

Taka muttered beneath his breath and neatly stacked a pile of papers, then stowed them in a leather case and strode toward the door. “Try to stay out of trouble while I’m gone.”

“No promises,” Kyo murmured, knowing Taka wasn’t listening. His secretary was going to be in a snit for the rest of the day – he should have had the meeting scheduled for the afternoon.

He waited several minutes after Taka had vanished before finally standing and moving to the desk. Frowning, annoyed that his hands were trembling ever so slightly, Kyo rifled through Taka’s organized chaos for the ledger that held all the current lists of registered Kundouin ships.

From the moment his father had told him what he was to do, Kyo had stopped checking the lists. Until that day, he had checked them every morning and afternoon. He’d felt a perfect, gullible fool every single time – but it had never stopped him.

After being told he was expendable, he’d stopped looking.

Flipping impatiently through the first through pages, for the list was arranged alphabetically by ship, he finally halted on the key and ran his finger down the neatly written list. His hand shook as he found it.

The Kumiko, registered by Captain Kinni Ningyo nine months ago.

Nankyo threw his head back and started laughing, but there was nothing happy in the sound.