After tossing and turning for almost an hour, I gave up on the idea of sleep. I opened one of my windows to let the night breeze in, the rain stopped hours ago but the smells it brought with it still permeated in the air. With my chin resting on my hand, I watched the evening sky. Not a star could be seen. The rain clouds covered the moon, making the surroundings pitch black .I was about to slide the window shut when I saw what looked like three fireflies flying in an almost perfect line one after the other in the western part of the garden. I squinted my eyes as I zeroed in on the faint orange lights. The longer I observed them, the more convinced I was that the lights didn"t come from bugs but were instead man-made. Overcome with curiosity, I grabbed my blanket and tiptoed out of my room.
The inner palace was very quiet and had an eerie feel to it. The halls were lit by traditional torches and lamps. Thankfully, I didn"t see anyone as I sneaked out. When I reached the gardens, I immediately went to where I initially saw the "fireflies." The night was chilly so I wrapped the blanket tighter to my body.
I was nearing the large pond where a couple of red-lacquered pleasure barges were floating when I heard the unmistakable sound of two lovers in a rendezvous.
As I have been walking in the dark for quite some time now, my eyes have adjusted to the darkness. With the sounds I was hearing as my guide, I stealthily hid behind one of the flat-bottomed boats resting by the pond"s sh.o.r.e. I looked around and saw that underneath a nearby cherry blossom tree, a man and a woman were entangled in a pa.s.sionate embrace. Not very far from where they were, two sword-wielding silhouettes and a robed female guarded the area. By the female guard"s feet were three lamps. A soft breeze blew, making the flames flicker. The woman hurriedly shielded the lamps from the breeze, afraid that they might be snuffed out.
I focused my attention on the couple nearby. The woman had her hair loose, it spilled on her naked back just above her milky white b.u.m. She was facing her partner"s feet in an unusual s.e.xual position. The man, on the other hand, was lying on his back on what appeared to be a futon. He was straddled by the woman"s knees on either side of his hips. Her hands were placed on his legs to help maintain her balance as she gyrated back and forth and in circles on top of him.
They were moaning loudly, not caring about their surroundings. The woman suddenly stopped moving after letting out a long cry of pleasure. The man apparently has not had enough yet because he wrapped his hands around the woman"s hips before lifting her up and down. After a while, the woman was once again overcome by pa.s.sion as she started bouncing up and down on her partner like a rubber ball on concrete.
"b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, it"s almost winter but they"re at it outside!" I heard someone whisper behind me. I almost screamed but a large hand covered my mouth with lightning speed. I looked behind me and saw a familiar unsmiling face.
"Shoutkun!" I mumbled beneath his restraining hand.
He placed his free index finger on his lips in a shushing manner. I nodded my head in response. Without breaking eye contact with me, he let go of my mouth. "What are you doing here?" he whispered.
"I was having a hard time falling asleep so I opened my windows," I started to explain. When I finished, he didn"t look happy.
"Do you know who those two people are?" he asked with all seriousness.
I shook my head. I wish my eyesight was perfect so I could tell who these people were.
"I do," he said, his lips curled in disgust. "Just wait until Kaname-sama comes back. There will be h.e.l.l to pay."
"Who are they?" I asked, I wanted to know who would have the audacity to do such a shameless thing in the shogun"s residence.
"It"s best that you do not know," Shouta shook his head.
I frowned, must he be so secretive? I returned my attention to the two paramours, they were currently in the process of changing positions. The woman bended over before crouching on all fours. The man dominated over her as he alternated between pulling her hair and administering a loud spank on her b.u.t.tocks while pounding into her.
Having had enough of their rough display of affection, I decided to return to the inner palace. With the help of Shouta, I was able to leave the area without being noticed.
Shouta and I walked side by side in silence when we were far enough from the pond. Yawning, I looked at my watch and couldn"t believe my eyes! It was already three in the morning!
"c.r.a.p!" I quickened my pace. I had to return to my room as soon as possible!
"Lady Hinata," Shouta called out to me.
Without looking back, I replied, "What is it?"
"Don"t breathe a word about this matter to anyone, not even to my cousin."
I stopped mid-step. Astonished, I looked back at him without bothering to hide the question in my eyes. Why should I hide this to Kaname? Just who were those two?
"Trust me, it"s for the best."
"I disagree. Kaname must be made aware of what we saw tonight!"
"I will tell him but only when the time is right."
"I don"t think I follow.."
"I have known about those two"s illicit affair for quite some time now," Shouta played with the hilt of his sword, trying his best to be nonchalant about the matter before dropping a bomb at me. "You are partly to blame, you know."
"Me? Don"t be ridiculous!"
"Lady Hinata, my cousin is coming back in two days," he grabbed my shoulders and looked at me intensely. "Please let me be the one to tell him about what happened tonight."
"Why can"t I tell him about it as well?" this was what confused me the most. "Just who were those people?"
"Please stop asking, you"ll only put yourself in unnecessary danger."