"Malachi! For the fiftieth time, I will NOT be spoon fed. I can use my hands just fine." I crossed my arms and glared at him.
Malachi rolled his eyes and gave me the 'don't argue with me' look.
"My butt didn't climb a mountain for you to not eat. And you're still recovering and on strict bed rest. The only time you should be standing is when we go to the hearing. Even then, we carry you to the door," Malachi declared earnestly.
"You are not carrying me and what if I need to bathe? I should be able to lift a finger to do that," I huffed.
"That's what Quil is for," Malachi argued.
I groaned and looked over at Quil who was sitting next to me. He met my gaze and gave me a reassuring smile.
"I got you covered, Crim," he vowed.
I sighed. "You guys are too much."
The door opened and Aki, Yoshi, Haru, and Itsuki walked in.
"Is Crim being stubborn again?" Itsuki guessed.
"She won't eat!" Malachi tattled.
I grumbled 'meanie' under my breath.
"She's tired and doesn't have an appetite, but Malachi’s not accepting that as an excuse," Quil revealed.
Haru walked up to the bed and took the cup of pudding and spoon from him.
A tiny magic circle appeared on his finger and little gold sparkles sprinkled onto the pudding. I eyed him carefully, intrigued by the little magic trick.
"What did you do?" Yoshi wondered as he and Aki walked to the end of the bed.
"I put a little energy boost in there. It has a slow effect, but it will kick in by the time we head to the hearing. Will you eat it for me, Crim? I'll spoon feed you instead of Malachi," Haru suggested and I stared into his wide mismatched eyes which made him look absolutely adorable.
"Okay," I agreed.
"HOW! What does Haru have that I don't?" Malachi said dramatically.
"Haru's cute and can boost up pudding. Extra points for that," Aki teased.
"But I'm sizzling hot," Malachi countered.
"I think we've overheated Crim with all the blankets on her. She doesn't need your sizzling ass turning up the heat. Sit down," Quil huffed.
Itsuki and Aki laughed.
"Poor Malachi. His steamy touch isn't working anymore," Yoshi taunted.
"You haven't seen me work my magic in the bedroom, my friend. Then you'll see how steamy my touch can make Crim," Malachi declared suggestively.
We all gawked at him and he shrugged proudly.
I turned to Aki who grinned and looked away, but not before Malachi noticed. His gaze darted from me to Aki and back to me.
"Oh, you did not! I knew us helping those little brats was a setup!" Malachi declared.
Aki relaxed, and sat at the end of the bed before he shrugged. "Not my fault I slept in," he defended.
I could imagine the unconcerned look on his face.
Haru shrugged and lifted the spoon to my mouth. "Crimson, pudding!" he called cheerfully.
I giggled, opening my mouth to eat the butterscotch snack, ignoring their crazy conversation about how Aki and I had sex first.
I finished eating and yawned, rubbing my eyes. The guys all stopped what they were doing to stare at me.
"I'm fine. Just tired," I confessed, relaxing back into the sheets.
I'd spent three days in bed, recovering from the aftermath of the attack on the Arashi residence. That's what most people were calling it anyway.
The guys hadn't left my side. Even if I had to pee, one of them came with, giving the excuse that an assassin could burst through the wall and attack me. I'd been trying to catch up with everything that happened when I was sleeping, which was a good twenty hours of sleep every day, but my mind was just frazzled.
The doctor put me on strict bed rest and I wasn't allowed to even be stressed. I think he was being so strict because of the guys’ urging, but I really didn't have the energy to argue.
Mother had been just as strict and checked on me every hour to make sure I was okay. She promised to give me some alone time today with the guys who'd all introduced themselves to her as my lovers to be, or something along those lines.
We'd sat down last night and discussed the issue of me being sealed in the womb and gathering the hidden evidence that was in Father's office. During all the chaos, my mother had been acting innocent, but had gone through the entire office, gathering everything and was ready to present it to the Emperor whose son would be present for the meeting.
A knock came at the door and we turned to see Hotaka Jiyuna at the doorway. His pink eyes met mine and then looked over at the other guys, particularly lingering on Quil who was still sitting right next to me on the bed.
My Kitsune sounded like she was laughing and I could feel her amusement. "Guys, can you give us a minute?" I asked.
They all nodded and bowed to Hotaka. They each came over and gave me a quick kiss before exiting the room. I smiled and then turned my attention to Hotaka, who returned my smile with one of his own.
I hadn't seen him since I was really young, but he didn't look much different. He approached the bed and sat down next to my feet, turning to face me.
"How are you feeling today?" His voice was still as calming as when I was little.
“A little better. I get tired easily though," I admitted.
He nodded. "You went through a lot and the shock of it all is probably exhausting. Adding in the electric shock attack that hit you and the frostbite you endured during the blizzard, I'd suggest you sleep for a week and stay in bed for another after that."
"Aww, not you too. I hate bed rest," I grumbled before yawning.
He smirked and lifted an eyebrow at me.
I groaned. "A few more days with bed rest. But next week, I'm catching up on my commissions and other works. I never finished my art piece for my last client. I hope he doesn't give up on me. It would be a shame, especially after everything else," I confessed, sliding my body further down the bed so my head rested on my pillow.
"I'm sure they will understand. What were you required to draw?" he queried.
"I was asked to draw a weapon of my choice. He hoped I was well and wished me a happy birthday," I replied.
Hotaka crossed his arms and a wide grin formed on his lips as he closed his eyes. "Indeed. I did request that," he remarked.
I blinked and stared at him in confusion. "Request for what?" I asked, not following what he meant.
"Draw any weapon of your choice. I asked you the same thing when you were six before I left to go abroad and you drew me a pair of twin swords and told me you'd sword dance one day. I asked you again when you were eighteen and again before your twenty-third birthday," Jiyuna revealed.
I slowly sat up and he helped me ease backward to rest my back against the headboard.
"Wait…are you saying you’re J.H.? But that makes no sense. Let's see, Aki was A.T. Green which makes sense cause his initials are A.T. and his eyes are green. How are you J.H.?" I tried to figure that one out.
My brain could barely keep up with the revelation that Hotaka had been my other long-term client.
"My initials in reverse," he said simply, shrugging like it wasn't a big deal.
"Wow..." I trailed off, unable to find words to help me wrap my head around the news. Not like I hadn't dealt with enough truth bombs in the last three days.
"Has your Kitsune adapted well?" he inquired, changing the subject when he noticed my silence.
"She's great. It's interesting being a shifter and having some kind of visual of how she looks. She likes to laugh at you when you come in to glare at the guys," I pointed out.
Hotaka frowned and pouted his lips. "They're too close to you," he muttered.
I laughed. "They're my boyfriends. I think they're allowed to sit next to me." I continued to giggle.
"It’s annoying," he grumbled.
I stared as his pink eyes locked onto mine.
"I'm sorry, Crimson," he whispered.
I smirked, shaking my head. "We were all deceived. Mom's taking it the hardest though," I admitted.
Hotaka sighed. "I'm aware. She was inconsolable until your men brought you home. She feels horrible and so do I. I should have done something."
"It's not anyone's fault but Konashi's. I guess I don't need to call him Father anymore, seeing as he's not. He sealed my powers with the doctor when Mother was sleeping during the entire pregnancy, adding an extra dose of magic so she wouldn't remember the test results. He then threatened to kill Mother if you didn't keep silent about me being your child and not his. He even forced you to say an oath in order to keep Mother and me alive. He married Mother, bribing the Council to pull some strings and agree to it instead of allowing you two to marry, which was the original plan. When I was six, Konashi noticed how close we were getting and sent you away to another branch abroad to keep distance between us so his secret would be safe," I explained.
"That doesn't give me an excuse for not trying to find a way around it. A loophole of some kind. Instead, the only way I could support my child was by buying her art from far away and asking Hakua's family to keep an eye on you," he admitted.
"I still can't believe you paid for my sword training classes. You didn't have to," I whispered with gratitude.
"That was the least I could do. I should have been the one to teach you and take you to practices." He sounded so remorseful.
"That would have been fun," I admitted. "Still, thank you for contributing to my life without me even knowing it."
When I first saw the name Hotaka Jiyuna on the second sheet of paper in Father’s office, I was stunned. I didn’t know if it was all a hoax or actually true. All those years I wished he would have replaced Konashi, only to find out he was really my biological father and I was a victim of Konashi’s lies and deceit to gain power.
He smiled. "You’re welcome. Now, get some rest. We'll go into a detailed explanation of everything for the court in front of the Emperor.”
I nodded and he helped me lay back down. He stared down at me and I saw the kindness and joy that twinkled in his eyes.
"Get some rest. I'll let your mother know you're sleeping." Hotaka brushed a strand of hair out my face and lowered his head to place a soft kiss on my forehead.
"Sleep well, Crimson," he hummed and my eyes slowly closed.
There was so much I needed to know but for now, sleep was my priority. He helped pull the sheet to cover most of my lower half before making his way to the door.
"Hotaka?" He stopped and turned in my direction.
"Yes, Crimson?"
"Can I call you Father? It will take some time to get used to, but I would like that," I admitted, looking away. I snuck a glance and watched as his astonished look morphed into a wide serene smile.
"Of course. Anytime, Crimson," he reassured me, still smiling.
To think the truth had been revealed and all we needed to do was tell the Emperor and his son. I smiled and watched him open the door. Urufu walked into the room and jumped onto the bed. I grinned, pulling my hand out from under the blanket and pet her gently.
Hotaka took one last look at me and Urufu who was cuddled up next to me and smiled.
"Night, Crimson," he whispered.
My consciousness began to fade so I didn’t catch his expression, but I would have bet he had the biggest and most proud smile on his face.
I'd finally found the truth about my family. I wasn't an Arashi but a Jiyuna. Now it was time for everything to be revealed before the Emperor and the Council, and free Mom from her sham of a marriage. Once that was settled, we'd head to the Empire of Homatomashi and see the Emperor in person in regards to Storm's case and N.R.O.
I guess the saying was real. The truth will always set you free.
"You sure you're ready?” Yoshi asked as we stood in front of the doors leading to the conference room.
"I'll be fine. I feel a little burst of energy thanks to the drugged pudding. I just want to get this over with," I confessed nervously.
Yoshi nodded and pulled me into a hug. "We'll be right there if you need us. Don’t hesitate to sit down if you get tired from standing.”
"Yes, doctor," I joked.
He grinned before tilting me with his hand and lowering his lips to mine. I relaxed, enjoying his taste and warmth.
We pulled away and stared into each other's eyes. "We'll get through this. The Emperor will support our claims and help us. The moment I'm fully recovered, we'll head off to the Empire and begin tracking down the other crystals, work toward avenging Storm, and bring peace to the land of Nokamato and harmony throughout Homatomashi," I declared with conviction.
Yoshi smiled at me with a look of determination. "And you'll never lose confidence in me, no matter what?"
"I'll never lose confidence in any of you. We'll get stronger and reach our goals together," I promised.
He smirked and gave me a quick kiss before we pulled away and faced the large red doors, putting our game faces on. Yoshi held the door for me and directed me inside to my seat which was placed with Aki on my right and Yoshi on my left. Malachi, Haru, Itsuki, and Quil sat opposite of us. Mother and Hotaka were standing at the end of the table in traditional attire and the Council leaders were lined up against the wall.
Security guards stood at the door and the large screen flicked on as the meeting went into session. When the man appeared on the screen I tilted my head in confusion, thinking I was seeing double. Wait... huh?
"We shall conduct this conference regarding the attack that occurred four days ago at the Arashi residence. My son was at the scene and witnessed the onslaught, offering his assistance. I would like for him to come to the front.”
I noticed the Council members look at Hotaka, but he remained where he was with a blank expression on his face.
I was ready to voice my confusion, but then the chair next to me slid back. My jaw went slack as I watched the Emperor’s son walk to the front of the long table and face all of us; half of us looked completely shocked and the others emoted knowledgeable smiles. The Council looked absolutely clueless, including my now-trembling ‘Father.’
"The conference is about to begin. Be prepared to answer any questions that I or my father, the Emperor of Homatomashi, have. Remember to be truthful or there will be consequences."
Yoshimitsu?
TO BE CONTINUED.