Mineko, if you can stop trying to rape a child for five minutes."
She rose to her full height and stared at him with annoyance. The boy took the chance to run for his life. Well, he'd saved one. "What is so important that you must interrupt my fun?"
Not bothering to comment on her ideas of fun, Naoki told her of the conversation with Selinah.
"She's smart, I'll give her that. Tell her it will happen. I'll make the arrangements and let you know the date when I have one."
"But—"
"But what? You were always going to marry her. Do the details really matter?"
"Nothing, you're right," Naoki replied. "I'll let her know." He turned and walked off, and flagged down the first servant he saw, asking them to bring him liquor to the rock garden.
But what. The words pounded through his head. What had he been hoping for? Mineko was right—the details had changed, but the outcome was the same as it had ever been. So why had he been protesting?
The truth rose up, despite all his efforts at drowning such thoughts. Neither woman had asked what he'd wanted. No one had, not from the moment Hardegin had ordered a marriage would take place. Selinah had been the obvious choice for the Ferro family, despite their not-so-secret ambitions to strengthen their ties to the imperial throne, and Naoki the obvious choice for the Ishikawa. He was the sacrificial goat; it was the only purpose his father and stepmother had ever seen in him. Probably his mother would have been no different, had she lived.
"So have you decided?"
"Decided what?"
"Whether we are to dance or to duel."
Now that Naoki thought about it, that stupid, teasing question had been the first time in longer than he could remember that someone had asked him to make the choice, to pick his preference.
Naoki reached up to touch the scar that ran across the bridge of his nose, then angrily wiped away the tears that had escaped and distracted himself playing with the water in the small pond at the center of the garden until his alcohol arrived.
Shortly after it came, however, so did yet another visitor: Esposito-don.
"My apologies," Amore said. "I did not mean to intrude. I was exploring a bit, since I only ever came to the palace one other time, to register, and that is a completely different section."
Naoki motioned for him to sit. "You are not intruding. I wanted to apologize again for my carelessness. I should have noticed the blunts had fallen off. I did not mean to hurt you, and I am sorry that I did."
To his complete astonishment, Amore reached up and touched Naoki's scar, tracing it from one end to the other, his touch feather-light but searing. Then he touched his own the same way before letting his hand fall. His eyes looked gray there in the garden, whereas at the entrance they'd looked more green. They were beautiful, and Naoki hated himself for noticing.
"If I were a more superstitious man," Amore said, "I would say this means our fates are bound."
"Many would agree with you," Naoki replied, heart tripping for reasons he could not explain, or at least didn't want to. "If you wanted all of Verona to know your name, you're on the right path, Esposito-don."
"Please, I think at this point you may use my name."
"Then you should do the same."
"Dōmo for the honor, Naoki-don."
"And you, Dante-don," Naoki replied, licking his suddenly dry lips and looking away before he said or did something stupid. "You duel well. It was an enjoyable time until I ruined everything."
"Nothing was ruined in my eyes, but I regret you probably suffered your family's wrath. Your mother seemed most upset."
Naoki looked at him again, smiled faintly. "Between you and me, Dante-don, my honored stepmother is always upset about something. Do not pay her any mind. It was my betrothal ball, our duel, and I enjoyed it immensely."
"As did I, so we will call the matter closed," Dante replied, and reached up to touch Naoki's scar again, sending delicate shivers running through him.
Was he losing his mind? Was there something there between them? Did this beautiful, intriguing man see something more than the Ishikawa drunk?
Reality came crashing back down as a bell tolled, summoning them back to Hardegin's presence.
"Shall we?" Dante asked, mouth twisting into a smile that Naoki did not remotely understand.
Dante offered his arm as they stood, and Naoki accepted it; together they left the garden, leaving behind the alcohol Naoki had never