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Undiscovered Territory	By : moor Category: +S to Z > Saiunkoku Monogatari Views: 2230 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own SaiMono, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 1-Undiscovered Territory
- 1
Undiscovered
Territory

�What do you mean, �the door is snowed shut�?�

Shuei sat with his head propped up
in his hand, watching his colleagues as they each took turns kicking at the
frozen doorway. It had been going on like this for a good ten minutes since
their private meeting had ended � a meeting far from the prying eyes and ears
of the rest of the court, in an old, near-forgotten section of the
administrative section of the palace. It was getting dark, their lantern would
be running low soon, and the awful weather outdoors had degenerated to a
near-blizzard in the time they�d locked themselves away from the rest of their
colleagues. They�d even adjourned early, when they�d felt the temperature
dropping too drastically to be normal for late afternoon.

�This isn�t funny, you lazy hedonist!� hollered the
aqua-haired man. Eyes wild and wide while his hair stuck out at odd angles from
his (losing) battle with the heavy wooden barricade, Kouyuu
whirled to face his rather unhelpful friend. �We�ll be stuck in here until
morning if you don�t hurry up and start helping us push this open!�

�Please, Shuei!� gasped the
dark-haired woman who was leaning with all her might against the door, her
heels dug stubbornly into the stone floor. �If we can just
budge it enough to open it a crack, then--.�

�Someone needs to dig us out from the outside�or, one of us
needs to holler loud enough to get the guards� attention to open up the
emergency evacuation tunnels. Either way, we aren�t getting out until first
light, when the sun�s had a chance to thaw the ice that has frozen the door
shut.�

�Stop being a pessimist and get over here!�

�Give me your sword! If you won�t use it, I will!�

The military man regarded his desperate friends with a
tired, resigned expression.

Really? Shuurei thought she could
handle his sword better than he could?

Suddenly he couldn�t hold his laughter in any longer.

�It didn�t help matters.

The ice along the bottom of the doorway had sealed the room
shut against the snow seeping across the threshold, however the wind still
managed to reach through the cracks and chinks in the walls.

�Why did the meeting need to take place so far from the main
palace?�

�You agreed to it!�

�What was I thinking letting you lead us out here!?�

�Then you get to book the private meeting room next time!�

�Kouyuu, is this the building you booked?�

��

�Are we even in the right section of the palace?�

��

�So no one knows where we are,� sighed Shuurei, shivering a
bit as the temperature continued to drop inside the old dwelling�which she was
beginning to think, more and more, was outright abandoned. �Ahhh,
I�d hoped I�d live a full life serving his Majesty� but it looks like I will
die in his service, locked away in a forgotten store-room�� Clutching her cloak
a bit closer, she eyed the stacks of scrolls and bound papers nearby in
speculation.

�How important do you wager those are?...�

Obviously, the young official was weighing the value of the
store-room�s contents against her comfort and self-preservation through the
bitter night.

Kouyuu curbed his sulking just
long enough to follow her gaze. �These are old�� Recognition tolled like a
funeral temple bell inside him. His voice trailed off as his cheeks coloured. He recognized the titles of those books and
tomes. A young woman may not, and certainly not an unmarried one, but to a
young man, these were very famous records indeed.

�Nothing.�

Curious to his reaction, Shuurei glanced between Kouyuu and the stacks.

Very
curious.

She stood.

Kouyuu�s eyes widened in alarm; he
started to rise, reaching out to stop her�

But Shuei beat him to it.

--and by that, he meant that Shuei
had moved swiftly to place several of the books in Shuurei�s
outstretched arms.

Kouyuu paled as his heart leapt up
into his throat.

He�d never realized that Shuei had
a death wish, because what he�d just done was certainly suicide. Everyone knew
about Shuurei�s last encounter with the Peach Books.
It was a joke through the palace; but one kept very quiet, due to His Majesty�s
doting on his favourite little scholar.

�Perhaps these will help our Kou-clan princess� warm up?...� Shuei�s silk-smooth voice
intoned.

Back to the present, a choking, sputtering noise erupted
from Kouyuu; a sound that could most closely be
likened to that of a cat dying of strangulation, perhaps.

� and both men watched�one in horror, the other in
amusement�as the innocent young woman opened a very detailed, very thorough,
very graphic recounting of a very carnal encounter between�

Shuurei slammed the tome shut between her spontaneously
powerful hands.

Then she leapt at the door again, her cheeks flaming and her
tiny fists beating madly at the door in an attempt to escape.

�HELP! HELP! I�m trapped inside the
Imperial Saiunpornium!!!� she cried desperately.

��and how can there be so much of it! It�s like we�re
drowning in it! Is there really this great a calling for pornography in the
kingdom!?�

Head bowed over his knees as he sat on the floor, leaning
against the cold wall, Kouyuu groaned at Shuurei�s continued tyrade.

�Everyone has different tastes, and this seems to be where
things were stored when each new emperor came into power. Some are very old,
others fairly new, others re-editions or modernized takes on historical tales.�

Shuurei glared at Shuei. �You sound so well-versed in
this topic. Will wonders never cease?�

He grinned at her unashamedly. �Have you ever sat down to
read one?�

�Of course not!� Her cheeks blazed.

�Why not?�

�Because�because�because--� these are for men, and they�re��
By now her whole face and neck had gone crimson. �They�re� dirty. And naughty. And not what polite young women should read.�
Yes, she understood they had their place, and really, there was nothing wrong with sex or masturbation (it was
natural and healthy, she truly believed that), but it was something private, not�
Her eyes took in the shelves and racks and boxes full of mature content that
surrounded her. It was never to be spoken of casually or sold or so�

Words failed her.

Amused at, and sympathetic to, her blustering, the imperial
guard and military tactician uncrossed his arms and went to the stacks, looking
for something specific.

�Aha,� he crooned softly, the smile on his face changing.
However, it wasn�t a Cheshire
grin now, but rather a compassionate one.

�Obviously, this doesn�t apply to all women,� he began in a softer,
more serious, knowledgeable tone, �but one thing you need to understand,
Shuurei, is that most women are raised to be, for lack of a better word,
servants. They are raised to serve within their family, and when they are
married off, they are to serve their husbands. As such, on their wedding
nights, women often share with each other �Manuals�, among other books, on how
to endure their first night, and subsequently, how to enjoy themselves with
their husbands, later. Some are filled with wives� tales, others fairy tales,
others fantasies, and still others, simply lists of positions and� procedures,
if you will.� He looked at her thoughtfully. �Normally it is given from mother
or aunt to daughter. If you�d like, I can speak to my younger sister; she�s
been undergoing her bridal training for years now, and I�m sure there has been
talk of intimacy and child bearing and rearing.�

Hands fisted inside her long sleeves, Shuurei glared at Shuei. �No. Thank. You. I�m
perfectly aware of how children come about.�

Sighing from his spot on the floor, and shifting slightly to
try and become more comfortable, Kouyuu looked over
at the pair before him. What did he have to lose? They may all freeze to death
by morning, anyway� And such an inglorious death, indeed�

�He isn�t talking about sex, he�s talking about making love,
sharing fantasies; sex as recreation, not reproduction. These books,� his arm
swept out to encompass their surroundings, �are all about helping couples reach
their�� he coughed, �er, climax. Pleasure.
Whether on their own or individually,� he muttered, tucking his aqua-coloured head down again. Despite the warmth provided by
his cloak�and his discomfort with the level of privacy the conversation could
threaten--, he shivered a bit as another gust hit their building.

�Exactly as Kouyuu said,�
confirmed Shuei.

He passed the book he�d found to Shuurei, and went to sit
down beside Kouyuu, huddling close to the younger man
to share warmth.

�Get away from me.�

�Be quiet; if we don�t share body heat, we could freeze to death in here
tonight. Do you want Reishin to find you frozen solid
in this kind of place in the morning?�

Mumbling surly epithets, Kouyuu
growled and conceded, leaning slightly into Shuei�s
solid frame.

�That book is one that many women have passed through their noble
families to their daughters,� the dark-haired man lectured from his spot on the
floor now. �It has good descriptions of positions and such, but also
descriptions of women�s health and conditions, home remedies, midwifery skills,
and what to expect during the first months of marriage. There are also
romantic, or at least romanticized, stories within it, too.�

Shuurei dropped it onto a nearby shelf. �I have no use for
such things.�

Shuei simply sighed again at her stubbornness.

�You can stand there being bored to icy tears, or you can
take that relatively harmless book�probably one of the tamest in this
building�and come over here where it is warm and at least make it through the
night,� he said finally. �Or just come here and join us; the more of us there
are, the warmer we are.�

She glared at him a moment, then looked at Kouyuu, the tight line of her mouth softening slightly as
she saw him shiver.

�If you lay one hand on me, I�m having His Highness burn
this place to the ground within a day, with you in it.�

�Understood.� He paused. �And if
you aren�t going to read that book, could you please bring it over here? I
think there are a few areas Kouyuu needs to brush up
on.�

�Oy!�

Rolling her eyes, Shuurei picked it up again, along with a
few other, very large, heavy scrolls, and made her way to the pair of men
huddling together for warmth on the ground.

Her mouth twisted slightly in distaste, she glanced down at
them dubiously.

�You ch-ch-changed your mind?�
stuttered Kouyuu, the cold worsening his shivers.

�Absolutely not.� She started
unfurling the scrolls. �Now, get up and we�ll lie
these on the ground; paper is a very good insulator. Also, the activity will
help keep us moving and thus warm. Once we�ve lined the wall and floor with
these, we�ll get some more to cover us like a blanket.� She glanced one last
time at Shuei. �If burning them is out of the question, we might as well make them
work to our advantage. Agreed?�

�Do we have to use this particular one on the floor?� began Shuei cautiously as he unwound an ancient sutra�a
beautifully illustrated, ancient sutra--, �it is of great historical--.�

�Just do it!�

With a sigh, the trio prepared their sleeping pallet with
the best pornography the kingdom had ever produced.

�You know, this is actually working rather well,� Kouyuu marveled as they huddled under the heaps of paper
about an hour later.

�It�s too hot, you mean,� groused Shuurei.

�No, it�s almost perfect.�

�And we aren�t bored. There are some passages that are
pretty fascinating. If you look just down here by my--.�

�I AM LOOKING NO WHERE NEAR YOU, AT ALL, TONIGHT.�

Shuei couldn�t help it, he
laughed. �This is actually part of a religious text. It looks like it was part
of the earliest marriage ceremony rites, and was a gift to one of the first
emperors.�

�Oh, really?� This did get Shuurei�s attention. �Oh, you�re right.� She looked closer.
�There�s a fair bit here about agricultural practices, too� Would you mind��

�Not at all,� he passed her the �blanket�, which she traded in turn for one of
her graphic �pillows�.

�This is very similar to what we do today, in the Kou orange
orchards, from what I understand,� she mumbled aloud, and Kouyuu
leaned closer to read over her shoulder, his arm reaching around behind her to
stabilize himself. Shuurei didn�t notice, too wrapped up in the parchment�s
contents. They were all simply happy to be snug as bugs in a paper rug, for the
time being.

�The cycle is the same, and some of the individual processes, yes,� agreed Kouyuu, who�d accompanied his �father� more than once to
Kou province in his youth. His cheeks coloured as he
read through the lines of another section. �Ah, but� this isn�t entirely what
goes on now��

She glanced up over her shoulder at him. �Really?
What has changed?�

Kouyuu coloured
further, and muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

�Hmm?�

Blowing out hard through his nose in a huff, Kouyuu ignored his discomfort to explain.

�This part here, where it talks about making the mounds
rise, preparing the fields with strong but gentle hands, parting the earth in
furrows, gently inseminating the moist, fertile soil with a farmer�s seed, and
repeating it over and over until they bear fruit, then raising the plants until
they bear seeds to grow of their own�� He coughed as he noticed the back of her
ears and neck reddening now in comprehension.

�Oh. I see.�

Of course, his arm was still across her back, and the
contact burned them both in the uncomfortable silence.

Thank goodness Shuei was there to
make it worse.

With a chuckle, he smirked and reached over for it. �Perhaps
I should take that one back before it blinds your poor, virgin eyes?�

�Would you knock it off, it�s fine!�

�You know I�m not a virgin, so why do you insist on--!�

Silence.

�You�re� not?�

At Shuurei�s surprised reaction, Kouyuu stiffened.

Shuei�s grin widened.

�So you and His Highness really haven�t? Not even once while
you worked in the harem?�

Shuurei shrugged. �It wasn�t really an issue, at the time.�

�But with him being pressured to secure his position recently, you�re getting pushed
into a difficult spot,� theorized Shuei knowingly.

�Yes. We are trying to avoid making things� complicated,
though. We�re still very close friends� but there�s more I want to do, to be,
than Empress or Consort.�

�You�re too smart to limit yourself to that role,� agreed Kouyuu. �And if His Majesty doesn�t realize that by now,
he�ll lose someone who could be one of his most loyal supporters and advisors.�

The three huddled together more comfortably. �The Talk� had
loosened them up considerably, and time had been passing quickly.

It was still bitterly cold, however, outside their small,
paper-wrapped cocoon.

�Do you ever wonder what the fuss is about?�

She glanced up at the teal-haired man whose side she was
curled into. �I don�t really have time to,� she admitted. �Despite working with
Kouchou-neesan, and even being a member of the Imperial Cat House,� she joked, making
them all laugh, �I�ve made my own decisions, but
haven�t lived for myself. I�ve lived to serve.� Her eyes took on a darker, more
downcast tint, then. �Perhaps not as a traditional woman would,� she was making
reference now to the book that covered her legs�cover up, pages down�and Shuei�s earlier conversation. �But I�m married. To my duty. And I�m proud of my accomplishments. I don�t
regret anything.�

�You sound lonely, though,� remarked Shuei
quietly, trying not to offend or insult her.

�So do you,� retorted Kouyuu,
defending Shuurei in his own way by trying to deflect the attention off her.

�We all are,� the young woman realized aloud.

Silenced reined between the collected tensai
once more.

�Yes.�

�Yes what?�

�Yes, I have been� curious� but it wasn�t as if I could trust anyone or ask
questions without��

Both men nodded.

It was different for women than men.

�I�m sure your �big sis� wouldn�t mind, but you don�t want
to worry or bother her. Correct?�

Large feminine eyes turned to indigo in surprise.

�You�re sensitive and observant, when it suits you.�

�And you�re abrasive and insecure when you�re not putting up
your know-it-all front.�

�None of us really has a leg to stand on in this
conversation, when you think about it,� said Shuurei. �It isn�t like any of us
are married, or seriously, exclusively involved with anyone. At least the two
of you have each other to talk to about� personal matters.�

�You could talk to Seiran?�

She laughed aloud.

�I think he�d� oh, I don�t know what he�d do�,� she kept
laughing. �I�ve never really been approached by men before,� other than� but no
one mentioned him, for so many reaons, �and I have a
feeling he�s had something to do with it. I�ve never caught him outright, but
it�s just my intuition that if it were up to him, I�d die a virgin.�

�You poor, poor woman��

�Let us know if you really get stuck�we�ll help you find someone.�

�Thanks. I think.�

It was quietly awkward for a moment.

Then they all laughed.

�Until Seiran hunts us all down and murders us in cold blood, of course.�

�I�ll tell him I tricked you into it. With
my feminine wiles.�

They kept laughing.

�So is this one here even possible?�

�Yes, but it involves a great deal of trust and
flexibility.�

A pause.

�It works better between two women.�

�Ah, that makes more sense� How did you know that, Kouyuu?�

��

�And moving on� Ok, this one. I think I�ve heard of it, but
it seemed a bit too��

�Forward? On the woman�s part?�

�Yes.�

�No need to be embarrassed�we�re here to answer your
questions. Ask anything.�

�Why is she sitting backwards in his lap? Is it comfortable? I thought two
people were supposed to face each other in these things.�

�Reverse Horsewoman is actually a woman-superior position that emphasizes her
pleasure. The way she�ll feel him inside her will be very arousing. And very comfortable. Especially if he
uses his hands well.�

�Confident words.�

�Experienced
words.�

She harrumphed a bit, but wasn�t daunted.

�And where do the mouths fit in?�

�Who�s? And where?�

(That explanation went on for a long time, with all actively
participating.)

�I�ll take your word on that last bit,� she said,
unconvinced.

Kouyuu shifted his arm a bit as
Shuurei stretched her back, and laid it casually across her middle when she
yawned and leaned back against him.

�You can go to sleep if you want. We�re nearing daybreak,
anyway. We�ll be able to start calling for help again in a few hours. Rest
while you can. We�re nearly out of the woods,� he mumbled against her hair. The
intimate murmurs resonated through her, and she felt her stomach warm, and
something curl tighter in her lower belly at his low voice.

That was odd.

�I don�t want to sleep. I may never be able to ask someone
these things again.�

�You�ll still have us.�

�Are you worried about others finding out, if we end up talking outside these
walls?�

Both men saw her shoulders slump, and Shuei
reached an arm around both Shuurei and Kouyuu affectionately.

�We can be very discreet. You didn�t even know about Kouyuu, did you? And despite what the rumours
suggest, I�m not nearly as promiscuous as my reputation implies. I keep my
private matters private, when possible. There are some things the clan doesn�t
appreciate.�

Did they all know that
rule.

�Still, at least you�ve both been able to enjoy your
experiences, despite your clan ties.� Her voice was almost sad, and she felt
their warmth surround and comfort her. �Once I leave here, I go back to being
the �Kou Princess�, servant to the court and Emperor. If my reputation suffers
in any way, it will reflect on His Highness� decisions and reputation. And any
hope I�d ever had of leading by example will be ridiculed, and tossed away.�

She just couldn�t risk it, in the future. Her �bridal
training� consisted of a single night of anecdotal description with the palace
prude and the court gigolo.

She would have laughed, if it wasn�t so pitiful.

�But� what if it wasn�t outside these walls?�

Such a quiet suggestion, nearly
breathed instead of spoken.

She stilled; she was still quite relaxed, but those words�
they held danger in them.

Shuei glanced at Kouyuu over Shuurei�s head; their
eyes met, and held.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the hand across Shuurei�s
stomach slowly trailed down her side before running gently over her belly,
tracing the curves it met with casual ease.

Unbeknownst to her, the young woman�s breath hitched.

�K-..Kouyuu?�
she whispered.

�What if it wasn�t outside these walls?� he asked again, his
voice lowering softly, blowing puffs of moist, warm air against her ear as he
leaned over her.

She felt another hand join the first, as Shuei
shifted, then that hand rub relaxing circles over her back, her shoulders, back
across her back again, soon down her shoulders and arms, taking her hand�

Her cheeks flared as her eyes widened.

And darkened.

And she swallowed nervously.

�I can�t.�

�You can, and you should. We won�t take more than you�ll
give us.�

�No.�

�You know you�re safe with us. We won�t take your� You�ll still be marriageable afterwards.�

�Is that even possible?�

�Physically, yes.�

�� physically? What does that
mean?�

Kouyuu answered. �You remember when we spoke earlier,
about the differences between sex, fucking, and making love?�

�Yes��

�There is an emotional, a mental, a
spiritual component. That change� That�s more telling than the physical, in
many ways.�

�� so you�re saying that
physically, I�ll still be the same��

�Yes.�

�But� emotionally��

�That is different for each person,� Shuei said,
brushing her hair away from her face. He ran his hand�still holding
hers�through it slowly, watching it cascade through his fingers. He smiled a
bit at her in understanding. �In a way, it is different each time it happens.
But if you trust us, we can at least help you understand.� His hand raised again to toy with one of her hair adornments, teasing
it loosely but not releasing it from its heavy coils. He left her hand holding
the flower-pin. Waiting for her decision.

�I shouldn�t� wouldn�t it be cruel, to give this to me when
we�ll never be able to speak of it again? What if� what if I never� after
this��

Her voice caught, and both men felt her tense, her concerns
closing her in on herself.

�If you ever need us, we won�t turn you away.�

�One of us can run interference with Seiran and His Highness
while the other convenes with you.�

�That�s not funny! I��

�Shuurei.�

She looked up at Kouyuu�s sympathetic expression; his
dark-rimmed, tired eyes, his now stubbly jawline, his
serious lips and mouth.

�If there is one lesson I learned personally, unfortunately,
it is that the most important things should be shared with those you trust. We
will never force you, and will never speak of this again, if you so wish it.
We�ll never betray your confidence. But remember, we offer out of sincere
intentions. We have nothing to gain by playing such a game with you, unlike
others who may take advantage of you in the future. If you wish to� learn, or
experiment� we can share what we know, help answer your questions, and leave
you marriageable. It is up to you.�

He gave her a light hug to punctuate the statement, to
reassure her.

�And what happens in the saiunpornium
stays in the saiunpornium,� teased Shuei, running a thumb lightly over her cheek to wick away
the wetness.

�I don�t know��

�You�re anxious? Nervous? Afraid of
how things will change?�

She stared openly at Shuei; he
grinned back.

�We all were.�

�If you aren�t a little cautious, you�re going to get into
trouble,� added the soldier ruefully.

�Which brings us back to trust.�

�Do you want to?�

�� yes� but��

�� how about� we start slow,� said Kouyuu, resuming his light touches along her side, never
veering into inappropriate territory, but simply relaxing her. �And you can let
us know when you want us to stop. How does that sound? We won�t do anything you
don�t want us to.�

�But� both of you?� She sounded nervous, scandalized�
and just a bit curious.

Shuei chuckled, and she could have
sworn she felt Kouyuu�s chest reverberate deeply,
too.

�Starting slow,� he repeated.

Shuurei met both their eyes, in turn, for a moment.

Her lower lip pulled into her mouth, and she lightly nibbled
it in consideration.

Then glancing down, her grip tightened on the hair-pin, and
she pulled it free.

Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders.

Her breathing came in pants, her eyes closed tightly as her
mouth hung open; her fists tightened in the papers now scattered around them,
long abandoned.

There were hands all over her, over her, petting and
tweaking and rubbing, and her robes had been discarded and forgotten.

The naked chest she leaned back against flexed as she
writhed against it; the owner�s hands fluttered across her chest to lightly
trace her engorged breasts, teasing her pink-tipped nipples until they
tightened almost painfully. The pooling warmth that had started in her lower
belly had spread out through her whole body, sensitizing her to the lightest
touch or breath across her skin, bringing her to an unheard of level of
arousal.

�Please, once more,� she gasped, and shuddered when she felt
the pliant muscle moving against her most sensitive, swollen bundle of nerves
inside her. The hands that reached around her thighs smoothed along her legs
possessively, squeezing and kneading in counterpoint to the slow, rhythmic laps
at her core.

The winding in her body coiled into an impossibly tight
spring, and as the soldier kissed the juncture of her shoulder and neck, she
felt the spiral snap and unleash a wild torrent through her when Kouyuu suddenly sucked hard on her nerve-bud.

Her back arched right off Shuei�s
chest and she felt her arms and legs struggling against the men, a natural
reaction as her climax flooded through her.

Her trembling as her body fell back to them made both men
smile in male accomplishment.

�I think she may have passed out on that last one,� remarked
Shuei softly as he brushed tendrils of Shuurei�s hair away from her flushed face. It surprised him
how much he�d enjoyed leading her on her �voyage of discovery�; he almost hoped
they�d be able to discuss it together, and
possibly�

No, no, he wasn�t
getting attached. It was just�

For her to be so self-controlled most of
the time, when it came to her sexuality, and then to have her begging them for
more. It was the most erotic thing he�d heard in� well, all right, recently.
He was a man of experience.

But he also noticed how Kouyuu�s
eyes softened as he looked down at the woman between them.

Ahhhh� that one will have problems letting go�

�I�m amazed you held back,� said Kouyuu,
pulling papers and cloaks up over them all, even as he saw the dawn-light
peeking through the cracks in the walls across the room.

�This wasn�t about me,� replied Shuei.

Both nodded a bit at those words.

�You�ve gotten much better with your mouth.�

Kouyuu�s cheeks reddened slightly, but he otherwise
didn�t react. �I�ve learned to take my time, and to listen.� His look turned
thoughtful as he settled against Shuei, who supported
both of them. �He doesn�t deserve her.�

�Such talk is treasonous, remember��

�We both know she�s more suited to staying in the service of the Court, not the
private chambers of a King, hidden away and brought out for show during
ceremonial processions. She�s far too valuable in her role as an official.�

�Hypothetically speaking in strategic terms,� Shuei gave Kouyuu a bland look,
�what could we do? It isn�t our decision.�

Kouyuu huffed grumpily.

�She trusts us.�

�And we, her. Your point?�

�Do you think she trusts Him?�

Shuei looked at him suspiciously.

�Tread carefully.�

�She trusts him enough to know he won�t touch her unless she gives him
permission, true,� he thought aloud. �But� I think she�s afraid of what will
happen� after, if they were to marry.�

�He would never mistreat her.�

�No.�

�And he�s vowed monogamy.�

�As long as she gives him an heir.�

They stared at each other.

�We don�t need heirs. We�re all married to our work.�

�You�re sounding awfully possessive and committed for
something that was only intended to be a single educational experience,� said Shuei slowly.

�It would keep her in her official position. She would not
be bothered by suitors or the same politics, once she was allied with one of
our clans.�

Shuei�s eyes narrowed at his
colleague.

�What do you mean, �one� of our clans? She�d marry into mine
before yours. Who�d want your overbearing fruit-basket-provider
for a father-in-law?�

�And who�d want your crazy brothers for in-laws?�

�It would have to be her choice.�

�There isn�t really a choice, though, is there?�

The pair glowered at each other.

�She�ll need a reason to marry us, though,� said Kouyuu then, more to himself than Shuei.
He paused, his eyes widening. �Wait a second��

�Marry� us�?�

Something sparked in Kouyuu�s
eyes, and he immediately bolted upright and set to rifling through the (now
rumpled, sometimes torn) papers that surrounded them.

�Where is it, I know I saw it, where was it?...� he muttered through his teeth, leaving Shuei to regard him like he�d grown a second head.

�A-ha!� he held a parchment aloft proudly.

His eyes gleamed as he passed the paper to Shuei, shouldering Shuurei�s
light bodyweight welcomingly as his partner read the contents of the ancient
record to himself.

�Do you really think she�ll agree with this?�

�It�s worth it. It�ll mean a life of freedom for her.�

�� relatively speaking��

�And she trusts us. Who else is as intelligent as she is, as
caring, as determined? Who else understands our roles and positions like she
does?�

Shuei watched Kouyuu
skeptically. �Quite thought-out for a split-second evaluation, isn�t that?
This� isn�t the first time you�ve thought of her like this, is it, Kouyuu?� Suspicion turned to confirmation as he saw the
sadness that rimmed his friend�s eyes.

�She�s the one, isn�t she? The one you said you wanted to
wait for?�

Lips tightening, Kouyuu remained
silent.

Shuei sighed. �I�m sorry.�

Letting a breath out slowly, the younger man�s eyes fell to Shuurei�s face, now sleeping peacefully in his arms.

�I�d never leave you for another man, Shuei,�
he said quietly. �But� I don�t want to split myself between two relationships,
either.�

�So this 200 year old edict?�

Kouyuu�s expression lightened.

�Officially makes our whole relationship legal.� And he
watched his friend�s impassive features a moment. �I know you like her, too, Shuei. Perhaps just as a bit more than a friend, but
definitely not as a sister or relative. I think she�s good for us. You need
someone who sees you for who you really are, too. The act needs to drop sometime.�

Groaning tiredly, the other man rubbed his eyes and folded
the paper, sliding it into one of his pockets.

�So, we�ve decided to propose to the woman who has a
homicidally overprotective father, retainer, and uncle.�

Kouyuu shifted nervously.

�I think I can talk Reishin and
Shouka out of murder, if you can handle Seiran.�

�We�ll have to talk to them individually�I don�t think we
could hold out against them if they were to team up.�

�Agreed.�

�So� when should we ask Shuurei?�

�What do you mean, �may not be marrigeable�?�
she croaked, her voice strung tighter than a shamisen
string.

�Emotionally only,� clarified Kouyuu.

�We feel it would be best to protect your heart, your
interests, and your abilities by, ah��

�Marrying us.�

��Us�?�

�Yes. The three of us would be lawfully wedded. Today. In about two hours, actually, if
you�re not opposed.�

�Are you both suffering from hypothermic delusions?� she
burst out, then reconsidered. �Am I?�

�I assure you, we�re all quite well in the head.�

�Can a delusion really make that affirmation about itself?�

�So I�m still, physically, a virgin, and yet you two feel� honour-bound?� she looked at them incredulously, �to defend
my honour and ask for my hand in marriage?�

�� Yes.�

�I am definitely delusional��

�But think of the benefits!�

�No harem!�

�Being able to see us at work!�

�Always having company!�

�Thank you, I appreciate the offer, but I think I�ll just
kick down this door right now and make my way home to my--.�

�We�ll do you any way you want, and you will always come first.�

�We�ll coordinate.�

�We�re very open-minded in the bedroom.�

�You get two husbands for the price of one, we already know we�re compatible in
intimate company, and Kouyuu makes a killer dim sum.�

�Still, no.�

�Three incomes!�

�What are the terms?�

�What have I done?� she whispered, her face ashen as she
stopped dead in her tracks, the small scroll in her hands trembling.

�You�ve made us the happiest men in the kingdom,� assured Kouyuu, squeezing her to his side with a quick kiss to her
head.

�Indeed. We�ll have to discuss moving arrangements soon. Do
you think Seiran will still remain your retainer now that you�re married? To two other men?�

�� I think I�m having heart failure��

�We�ll help you with that,� assured Shuei,
ruffling her hair slightly.

Oh yes, there were benefits to this arrangement, he decided as he watched his
adorable new husband and wife out of the corner of his eye. The way those two
blushed and harangued each other already, the way Shuurei was already nagging
him to button his coat up higher and for goodness sake, cover his ears with at
least his hood, looking after him� No one had ever really focused on him before,
as an individual, with any real sense of caring or respect. Expectation,
sure, temporary awe of his clan or assumed wealth, sometimes. But him as a person? Beyond the Emperor
himself, hardly anyone.

In front of him, Kouyuu and
Shuurei had stopped to bicker about which direction to turn. (Of course Shuurei
was right, but seeing Kouyuu argueing
and refusing to back down out of sheer pig-headedness?...
With someone other than himself, for once? And giving
in when she conked him on the head and pulled him by the ear anyway? Oh, he was
going to love this new arrangement, if only for its entertainment purposes.)

Ran Shuei never would have
admitted he had a soft spot for romance before, but�

At that moment, Kouyuu looked over
at him and smiled a smile only the two of them had ever shared.

Yes, there were definitely benefits to this new arrangement.

To his surprise, then, Shuurei cautiously reached across and
held out her hand to him.

Kouyuu stopped, then, too, and did
the same.

Expression softening, Shuei let them
take his elbows in theirs and lead him �home�.

� or at least in the direction of
the exit gate.

There was still a lot of planning to do.

�So, who wants to help me plan the honeymoon?� he asked
warmly.

AN: Hope you enjoyed
this �prequel�. It is based on the May 2010 prompt �Undiscovered Territory�
for saiun challenge, but I
didn�t finish it in time. D�oh! The other parts will
be posted after the voting has ended for the saiun_challenge
LJ comm. (Which is where this whole debacle started.)�

�--mm

Posted June �2010.
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Undiscovered Territory