Behind the Mask Part III

[maderr]

Part III

Kasumi never thought he could hate land.

After months at sea, he had wanted nothing more than to be back at land.

He hated it.

The noise, the people, the brunches and luncheons and banquets, having to keep his eyes on hundreds of people at once. The looks, the whispers, the chastisements for his foolishness, the clucking that a supposed shadow warrior had so badly screwed up. Commendations for retrieving his master, of course, but that did not absolve the initial failure.

More commendations for capturing Jun and bringing in hard evidence against him.

Another month and everything would quiet down, and Minoru could return to his quiet studies, which would allow Kasumi to relax the slightest bit and maybe regain his more familiar equilibrium.

Except everywhere he went, he caught himself looking for a familiar blond head, straining to catch the sound of a familiar laugh.

He never saw or heard what he sought. Shortly after reaching port, after ensuring they got to where they needed to be…Luther had vanished back to his precious sea. Lingering would mean capture, so it was only natural.

Still.

Kasumi swore softly and cut off his straying thoughts, turning them back to where they should be.

Nearby, Minoru sat speaking with the man they should have met months ago – the real Lord Luther Hatcher-Rosque. He was everything that Kasumi had been led to expect. Handsome, dignified, well-spoken and possessed of a startling intellect. He and Minoru conversed a mile a minute on subjects beyond Kasumi's comprehension or interest. Minoru was happy, that was all he cared about.

He looked again at Hatcher-Rosque.

Neatly cropped hair, no need for a ribbon. He did not wear glasses. His clothes were perfectly pressed and arranged. He was polite, considerate, charming, friendly, and engaging. The real Hatcher-Rosque was the perfect image of a gentleman scholar.

Kasumi hated him.

He wondered how much longer this infernal luncheon would last, and the answer did not please him in the slightest. Minoru had few friends; most people were simply too intimidated by him – not least of all because he warranted an exotic looking bodyguard. It looked like he might have well and truly found a friend in Hatcher-Rosque.

Stupid bastard. If he was going to just vanish like that, couldn't he have said something? They'd discussed it, but he still could have said something before vanishing. Well, what had he expected, really? A pirate was a pirate, and if he'd thought…well, he knew damn good and well Luther or whoever he was wore masks.

His fingers twitched, but Kasumi stilled their movement before he could give in to the impulse to touch his mask. It was, as always, soothing. Familiar and right – and a reminder that all was as it should be.

Why, then, did he feel so discontent?

He turned away from answering his own question, flicking his gaze out over the crowded café. Sunshine spilled in the large windows on the far side of the room. Everywhere were bundles and bouquets of flowers, the colors light and warm, the atmosphere friendly, easy. Though he hated it, he could not deny it was a beautiful country. He wondered how long Minoru would choose to stay here.

If he could endure it. Then again, he might not have to. The clan representatives should be arriving any day, and likely they would take Kasumi back with them in disgrace. Not that he minded. Even that was better than staying here, always looking for a face he was never going to see.

The afternoon passed at a torturous pace, the crowds in the café coming and going as Minoru and Hatcher-Rosque talked on and on. Finally the sun began to set, and Minoru reluctantly made his goodbyes.

"Thank you, Kasumi," he said as they walked along, "for being so patient."

"It is my will and honor to serve, Master," Kasumi replied automatically. "You look as though you are enjoying yourself."

"I am," Minoru said. "Luther is a fascinating man."

Kasumi tensed to hear that name.

Minoru looked at him. Kasumi hated that look. It said Minoru was seeing more than he had any business seeing.

"Was Luther his real name?" Minoru finally asked.

Kasumi grimaced behind his mask. "I do not think even he knew his real name."

"Hmm," Minoru murmured thoughtfully. "Do you like it here at all, Kasumi?"

"I am but a shadow, content to go where my master bids."

Minoru laughed softly. "It's a beautiful country, Kasumi. I thought you would like it here."

Kasumi said nothing, beginning to grow irritated. Minoru was up to something, and he didn't feel like dealing with it.

"Oh, my," Minoru said suddenly. "It looks as though we must finally face the last piece of music."

Dread settled hard and fast in Kasumi's gut as he took in what Minoru meant – a black carriage which bore the moon and four star crest of their homeland.

Minoru smiled and touched his shoulder briefly. "It will be all right, Kasumi. You will see."

Kasumi said nothing, merely jerked away and dropped back slightly to permit Minoru to lead the way inside.

His rooms were richly appointed in blue and brown, touches of other colors scattered about. Given to Minoru by the government in return for all he would be contributing as he worked with Lord Hatcher-Rosque. Finer than any rooms he'd had in all his travels. More and more Kasumi sensed they would not be resuming their travels. Once that would have made him happy.

"Most honored Lord Minoru," the men waiting inside greeted. All but one wore masks similar to Kasumi's, but each notably different. All bowed. The one who stood unmoving and unmasked was tall and broad of shoulder; his hair was long and pulled neatly back, black touched ever so lightly with threads of silver. His face was beautiful, a breathtaking statue or painting come to life. Most remarkable of all were his eyes, a brilliant, jewel-fine blue.

Minoru nodded. "Lord Daichi, it is an honor to see you again. I am sorry that the reason for our reunion is an unhappy one."

Lord Daichi nodded. "No matter the reason, Lord Minoru, we are most happy to see you. Let me first extend the apologies of the East Clan, for our abysmal failure to offer the protection you so generously commissioned."

"That apology is uncalled for," Minoru said quietly.

Kasumi stood still and silent behind him, a shadow even to Lord Daichi. Until they saw fit to make it otherwise, he did not exist.

"On the contrary," Lord Daichi said. "You should never have been in danger. We have had the full of the tale, and I cannot excuse that our very best was fooled and overtaken by a lowly pirate."

Minoru shook his head. "If that is the tale you have heard, then with all due respect, Lord Daichi, you have not heard the full of the tale, or even the proper one."

"Oh?" Lord Daichi asked. "What tale should I have heard?"

"An attack against me, Kasumi would have noted. He sensed no threat to my person, an accurate reading of the situation. Kasumi's nature is a kind and devoted one, as well as fierce and strong. This is why he is the best of protectors. He was fooled not because he failed to notice a threat to me, but because he took no notice of a threat to himself. It is not in Kasumi's nature to care about himself, and so he was blind to that threat. Find you, Lord Daichi, a flaw in this reasoning?"

There was a brief pause, then Lord Daichi conceded the point with a grunt. "I see no flaw deserving of punishment, but that is not the end of the tale."

"No, it is not. Shall we sit and enjoy a cup of tea before I continue the tale you should have heard?"

"I would appreciate that," Lord Daichi said. "We thank you for your consideration and hospitality."

"A trifling thing, tea, for such honored guests," Minoru replied lightly.

The group of four men fell silent as Minoru prepared the tea himself and brought it to the small table in the front sitting room of his apartments. Kasumi stood between the two large windows overlooking the street below, able to observe the room in its entirety. No one looked at him, which suited him just fine.

"Now, by your leave, continue your tale," Lord Daichi said. "I am most eager to hear it."

"The pirate you speak of was not one cast so easily aside, even by your very best. Recall you the paramour of our honored Princess from six years ago?"

The men all shared looks of mingled annoyance and amusement. "Yes," Lord Daichi replied. "That infuriating man from the high north. Aggravating race, that one. Wild, all of them."

Minoru chuckled. "Quite so. I believe our pirate was of that race. He had the look of them, and that wild edge. Kasumi learned he was an orphan, so it is very likely he is from the high north originally, or his parents were. That combined with spending his life at sea, which is no easy life at all…it is entirely within reason that he be a match for our Kasumi." He chuckled again. "Not that you will ever hear Kasumi admit it."

Kasumi kept still, refusing to acknowledge that little comment in any way.

The men all laughed briefly, chatting for a moment before Minoru recalled them to the matter at hand and laid out the story in full. When he finished the telling some two hours later, the men all sat quietly around the table, their tea long forgotten.

Lord Daichi finally looked up, face implacable as he regarded Kasumi. He turned to look at the men who had accompanied him, then Minoru. At last he nodded. "Very well. Though I feel he must still be punished for the mistakes made, I cannot in good conscience or fairness say that he failed in his duty. The recovery of your Master, Kasumi, was well-handled. I think I am sorry I did not meet this pirate of yours."

Of his. Ha. Whatever that meant. Kasumi nodded.

"By your courtesy, Lord Minoru?" Lord Daichi asked.

"Of course," Minoru replied with a smile. He turned to Kasumi. "If you will please, my protector, remove your mask."

Kasumi pulled his mask off, hooking it to his left upper arm.

Lord Daichi stood and crossed over to him. "Kasumi, it is good to see you alive and well. Your mother has missed you, and admonished me not to be too harsh before I had heard the full of it. I am glad I tend to do what she tells me."

Mouth twitching, Kasumi did not resist the embrace he was given, but returned it. "Father. Mother is well then, I take it?"

"Well and ruling the clan more than I," Lord Daichi said dryly. "I think your brother will never have to worry about taking over leadership – your mother will never give it up, I vow it."

Kasumi laughed.

"Come and sit, Kasumi. Lord Minoru, since we are not exacting the full punishment such a situation would normally require, I do not see why we cannot consider your proposition."

Minoru smiled. Kasumi glared at him, knowing that look all too well. He bit back an urge to demand to know what he was up to now, since his father would not be amused to hear him so casually address his master.

"Then let me send a note to the man who has made the request, and when he arrives we will discuss the matter properly."

"Of course," Lord Daichi said. "This is wonderful tea, what kind is it? I shall have to make certain we take quantities of it home, and I must find some trinket for my wife or I declare she will string me up…"

Kasumi restored his mask and sat in silence as Minoru penned a note and sent it off with a servant, and everyone chattered amicably. What was going on and why did he know nothing about it?

Why was he not happier about being let off so lightly? His father had come all this way to administer the judgment himself, even, and still Kasumi could feel nothing but the same tight, heavy misery that had plagued him for the past four months…ever since Luther had so abruptly vanished shortly after their arrival.

Three hours had passed before a sudden knock came at the door.

Minoru smiled and stood as a servant ran to answer the door, striding toward it as the door was opened to admit a tall, broad man dressed in fine clothes. Kasumi could not see him clearly, but something about Minoru's behavior set him on edge.

He waited as the man came more clearly into view, and Minoru introduced him. "Honored Lord Daichi, honored guests, I present to you Lord Isaac Keen."

The bastard was wearing glasses. Kasumi just knew he'd done it to aggravate. There was going to be a murder the very second Minoru moved out of the way. The flitting smirk he got said the bastard knew it, too.

"Lord Isaac, please take a seat and join us. We have been enjoying a local tea."

"I would be delighted," Lord Isaac said, taking the empty seat next to Minoru – and directly across from Kasumi.

"Lord Isaac," Lord Daichi said. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance after all the correspondence we have exchanged these past months."

"Likewise," Isaac said easily, smiling and nodding to all of them.

Lord Daichi laughed. "Your request is among the more unique I've received, though not quite the strangest."

Isaac grinned. "I try to be unique without standing out overmuch. Balance is crucial."

"Then why don't you and Lord Minoru explain everything in full, now that you are gathered and the matter of Kasumi's punishment has been decided."

Minoru nodded, first to Lord Daichi, then to Kasumi.

Disconcerting. What was going on here?

"I am finding that I quite enjoy the life I am building here," Minoru said slowly. "I think the friendship I am building with Lord Hatcher-Rosque will last a lifetime. After my recent adventures, I also find that I have little desire to resume my nomadic ways. While I am heartbroken at the idea of giving him up, for Kasumi is a dear friend to me, I am a man of honor and the contract I signed states that he is mine only so long as I require him. As I am settling down, I feel I will no longer require the services of such a high-caliber bodyguard."

Kasumi started, eyes widening in disbelief behind his mask. Minoru was letting him go?

Well…it was…that was the way of things. Of course. His contract was never going to last forever…

"That being said, Lord Daichi, gentlemen of the clan, I am here today to recommend a man who is in need of the services only you can offer."

Kasumi's eyes immediately narrowed. The bastard would not dare.

The smirk that flitted again across Luther's – Isaac's – mouth said he very much would dare.

Oh, he was going to—

"Honored gentlemen, most gracious Lord Daichi," Isaac said smoothly. "As I have already stated and made plain, I was until recently a criminal. A pirate to be specific. Recent events have persuaded me to give up that life and attempt to live a reformed and hopefully quiet life. With that in mind, I am not so stupid as to think old enemies will leave me in peace should they discover me here and think me turned into a milksop. Your clan comes highly recommended to me, and I can more than afford your asking price."

Lord Daichi chuckled. "As I said, unique circumstances. We have reviewed you thoroughly, and Lord Minoru has never recommended anyone to us before, which means you come highly recommended indeed." He smiled. "Unless the gentlemen with me are opposed, I am more than willing to offer you a protector contract. As you stand in rather a dangerous position, giving the circumstances, and likely will be in such danger the majority if not the entirety of your life, I am prepared to offer you our very best."

"That would be ideal," Isaac said, eyes gleaming with pure mischief.

Kasumi was going to kill all of them.

"I believe the price quoted to you in our correspondence will suffice."

"Done," Isaac promptly replied.

"Then unless you object, I offer the finest bodyguard the East clan can offer. His name is Kasumi, and henceforth you are his Master until such time you decide to end the contract."

"Accepted, and with pleasure," Isaac said.

Minoru stood. "Then I believe we will leave you to get acquainted with your new bodyguard. Lord Kasumi, I thank you for everything, from the bottom of my heart. Always you will be a friend to me, and I hope sometime soon we might dine together as peers."

Kasumi nodded and stood to sketch a deep bow. "It was an honor, Lord Minoru. May you lead a happy life. I will see you shortly, of that I have no doubt."

He embraced his father one last time, then waited as they all left, all but vibrating in place.

When the door closed with a resounding click, he turned slowly to face the bastard who was shortly going to be very dead.

"Would you take off the mask?" Isaac asked.

Kasumi tore it off and carefully set it down on the table – then threw himself forward, catching Isaac on the jaw, dodging the arms that tried to catch him to drop and sweep Isaac's feet out from underneath him.

Then he punched the bastard again before he was himself caught and tossed aside. He gained his feet just in time to be shoved up against the nearest wall.

"Bastard," he hissed.

Isaac grinned – then kissed him.

Kasumi bit his lip hard, eliciting a satisfying grunt of pain – then he yanked his arms free and wrapped them around Isaac's neck, dragging him as close as he could possibly get. The scent of the sea still clung to him, mingling with some sharp, not-quite-sweet cologne. His hair had grown out in the four months since he'd vanished, long enough Kasumi could sink his fingers into it and lightly tug.

"I'm going to kill you," he said when Isaac finally let him go.

Isaac laughed. "I've missed you and your death threats, Kasumi."

"If you think for two seconds that I'm going to call you master, you conniving, vanishing—"

Isaac kissed him again, and Kasumi wished he could muster the will to put up a fight but after four damned months of feeling perfectly wretched because—He broke the kiss. "You vanished! Not even a goodbye, you just vanished! Let me go at once!"

"Sorry," Isaac replied. "I didn't want to say anything until I was certain, then I realized if I didn't take you by surprise you'd kill me."

Kasumi glared at him. "Isaac?"

"Don't like it?"

He just kept glaring.

Isaac grinned and lazily traced Kasumi's lips with his finger. "It was the name I had before I turned into a criminal. Probably the only one not associated with some sort of crime. Would you prefer I go back to Luther?"

"Shut up," Kasumi replied. "Just shut up or I really will be forced to kill you. I can't believe—" He thumped Isaac's chest hard. "You could have said something."

"Um—I was slightly panicky. This whole reformed thing is new to me. And…"

Kasumi glared. "And what?" he snapped.

"I was afraid if I said something, you'd turn me down," Isaac confessed. "This way, I stood a chance of getting more time to change your mind." He cupped Kasumi's face in his hands. "May I safely assume that perhaps you won't regard me strictly as your Master?"

"If you honestly think I'm going to call you Master," Kasumi replied, "you're even crazier than I already thought. So is this your new mask? Lord and Master?"

Isaac grinned. "Well, I was rather hoping to live mostly mask free from now on. Can't be completely honest, of course, else I'd wind up with a noose around my neck."

Kasumi rolled his eyes and yanked him close. "You're an idiot."

"You're the only one who thinks that, you know," Isaac said. "Guess you see something no one else does." The words were spoken lightly, but the blue-gray eyes held an intensity that made it hard to breathe.

"Fair is fair," Kasumi replied. "No one else has ever called me feisty."

"No one else had better," Isaac said. "I reformed for you. I also paid a damn fortune to spend the rest of my life enduring death threats and nasty right hooks. That feistiness is mine and no one else's."

Kasumi rolled his eyes, fighting a smile. "Shut up," he said, and kissed his reformed pirate soundly.