"When I said I was sure you had questions… this was not what I had in mind."
Mirai sat beside Yuki after she had dressed in something both lighter and much dryer, his fingers bracing his head as his elbow leaned onto the arm of the chaise beside him. Yuki pulled her feet up under the gown's skirt, thankful for once that it was longer than she was tall, and tilted her head.
"What did you think… I'd ask?"
He gestured uselessly with his free hand. "About the first snow day, the significance behind it. Who was in attendance. Why you shouldn't lift your veil. Even about Dresden, perhaps." Silence fell, save for the crackle of the fire nearby. "Unless you are asking this… because you have taken a liking to Dresden?"
Indignation -- absolutely exactly that, indignation -- had Yuki's cheeks flare with heat. She sat up straighter, fixing Mirai with a narrow-eyed glare, lips puckering. In spite of the pucker, she puffed her cheeks out for added effect, getting a soft snort from her husband as well as a smile. "No! Dresden is just a friend I have made… he is my age so it is easier to interact with him…" As Yuki said that, she sounded much like she was questioning it herself, and she knew it.
After what Annette had told Dresden before, she really wondered how "equal" they were. Like everyone else being nice to her from this frigid land, was he doing it just to get ahead? Was he doing it for this exact reason, at Annette's insistence perhaps? Instead of letting herself get tangled in those thoughts, she shook her head. "No, wait-- no, you're dodging! I'm too young to have a consort or concubine or whatever… but you!" She pointed at Mirai, eyes wide and serious. "...you need someone to give you what I can't!" She sounded so very sure of herself. So matter of fact. So adult. She was proud of this development.
Yet the lift of Mirai's brow told her that the man wasn't taking her seriously. Or he was, and was simply reacting as she knew him to be: casually. Either way, it made her puff her cheeks out again, though she resisted the urge to flop back with her arms crossed.
"And you want me to take… your brother as mine?"
This was very important to her. Arguably the most important.
Sure, Yuki had a lot of questions for Mirai. She wanted to ask about everything he mentioned, and especially about what she saw in the reflective snow. Yet with the way he had covered her eyes and turned her away from the sight itself, she had a feeling that he knew exactly what it was that she had seen. That meant in and of itself that any answers he had for her might not be truthful, and might instead be utilized to turn her away and keep her out of business. Business she had every right to be a part of… regardless of her age.
So she would try to figure it out through other means. Perhaps she and her retinue were not as welcome here as she thought, no more than pawns for some inane "peacekeeping" attempt. It was fine, in that people would probably share secrets toward the servants more than her or even Yuri, but… well, she'd talk to him about that. She was no mastermind.
"Yes I do."
"Was this your grand plan all along?" Mirai couldn't help but keep grinning at Yuki, as if he knew it all along. Yuki was both impressed and mortified -- because if Mirai knew… did that mean Yuri did too? Wait, no, play it cool, there was no way. He was too up in his head and his feelings to pick it up, whereas Mirai was not shielded by that. And even if he did know, he was playing along with Yuki wanting him to come, right? All the better, she supposed.
"...in a manner of speaking." Yuki then realized it was probably quite obvious to Mirai when she was asking him to make Yuri her stand-in, her proxy. Oops. Yeah, Yuri definitely didn't know then.
"I suppose I can humor you." Mirai leaned back, closing his eyes with a little yawn. "But I would prefer to ask him if that was what he wants… you didn't want to be married to me, so why force him into something like that?" He tapped his chin. "Does Yuri even like men, dear? Why would you think of such a plan, anyway?"
"I- uh." Yuki blinked, and then looked to the side, playing with the hem of her skirt. "I don't know if he does. I mean. He was married to a woman but… it was arranged. I… I don't know! Maybe…" She shook her head. "Bah! What does it matter? If he can start smiling again… that's all!"
"Ahh, and you think I can bring a smile to his face?" Mirai chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Well, I will certainly try -- but more as a friend. I see no reason to take a consort so soon into a marriage, especially if my little wife isn't going to, either." He clicked his tongue. "Now, on to other things… that can't be all you wanted to ask me, truly?"
For a moment, Yuki hesitated. She hesitated and bit down on her tongue, keenly aware that Mirai was watching her. As diplomatically as possible, she gave him an answer: "It isn't… but I'm not sure what else to ask right now. Let me think of… how I want to ask… and why, okay?"
He watched her for a long moment after, before nodding. "All right, dear. But I want you to know -- we're married, which means I'm on your side."
These words carried Yuki to her chambers and to her bed, crawling under the covers with a pensive expression on her face, shoved into the pillow. What did he mean by that… and why was it so important he had to say so?
Such questions kept her up late, and when she did sleep, it was restless and filled with the shadows of creatures that stalked the snow.