Poker Face

Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Utau’s POV

I run up behind Grandmother and give her a squeeze.

“Oh, child.” She chuckles and hugs me back.

“Happy 4th birthday sweetheart.” She gives me a kiss on my forehead and lets me guide her to a chair so she can rest.

She gazes up at me forlornly.

“Utau!” A stern voice commands from the doorway.

I turn around and give a squeal.

“Mother!” I run up and squish her in a hug. She gives a false laugh, glaring at her mother.

She hobbles over to the table where the Queen rests in a chair.

“Utau, how about spending the day with me?” Rieko asks, never taking her eyes off her mother who glares in return.

“But I was going to spend the day with Grandmother!”

“Yes, Reiko. Utau was going to spend the day with me.”

“But sweet, I want to spend some time with my daughter.” Reiko turns to me and grasps my hand gently.

I chew on my lower lip, trying to make a decision.

“I’m sorry, Grandmother.” I lean up and give her a kiss on her cheek before taking my mother’s hand.

Her face drops.

“It’s ok child. We will have to go out another time.” I nod and give her a quick hug before skipping after my mother.

“Utau, don’t lag behind.” Mother commands as we hurry through the streets.

I nod tiredly and run to catch up.

So far my birthday had consisted of grocery shopping and listening to Mother chat with nervous townspeople.

I don’t understand why everyone acts so weird around Mother.

“Utau! What did I just say?” She grumbles impatiently and grips my small hand and pulls me along.

“Mi’lady!” A man’s voice calls from behind us.

“What?” Reiko asks irritably.

The shinobi catches up with us and places his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

“The Queen…Dr. Tanaka requires you and your daughter’s presences immediately!”

Mother’s eyes widen then narrow into a sly smile.

“Come along Utau.” She tugs me through the marketplace and back to the house, unable to keep herself from smiling.

“Rieko!” Yamiyasha exclaims as we enter the hallway outside of the Queen’s bedroom.

Dr. Tanaka peeps his head out of the door and gestures to me.

“Come here child, your grandmother would like to see you.” I nod and happily skip inside, oblivious to the look of shock and hatred on Rieko’s face as Dr. Tanaka stops her from following.

“Just Utau.” He says.

Her eyes darken.

“I have every right to be in there.” She hisses.

Dr.Tanaka holds his ground.

“Utau is the heir. You no longer have the right to the inheritance.” He turns on his heel and shuts the door in her face, a look of disgust on his face.

She screams and kicks the wall, her face red with rage.

“Utau…” Grandmother whispers weakly.

I freeze as I catch sight of her white face and trembling limbs.

“Grandmother!” I run to her side and grasp her frail hand.

She smiles softly.

“My little song…” She whispers.

“What’s wrong Grandmother?”

Dr.Tanaka steps forward and places a comforting hand on my back.

“Your grandmother has to go away for a while, child.”

I look up into his face, my eyes searching his.

Even with my 4 year old mind I understood what death is. I had seen plenty of it myself, thanks to my ever loving father.

“She is dying?” I squeak.

Dr. Tanaka’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Yes, child. Your grandmother is dying.” He hangs his head.

I look back at my grandmother, her skin a sickly white and her movements slow.

I run back to her side.

“What do you want me to do, grandmother?” I ask, understanding the sense of something to be done that hung in the air.

She grasps my hand slowly.

“I wish you didn’t have to do anything, my love.”

“What is going on?” I ask as Dr. Tanaka begins forming hand signs rapidly.

The Queen lifts a trembling hand to my face.

“You may not understand anything I am about to tell you, child. But I hope that someday you can.

“Inside of me is someone who if released from me could wreak havoc on everything and potentially end the world as we know it.”

“So you are a prison for the bad person?” I ask, my child mind struggling to understand.

She cracks a smile.

“Yes, like a prison.”

“We must transfer her to you before the Queen dies.” Dr. Tanaka speaks up.

I wrinkle my brow.

“He means you must become that prison.” Grandmother says, her voice barely audible.

“Is this person really really bad?”

She nods slowly, every movement paining her.

“Then I will do what must be done.”

She nods again, relief flooding her features.

Dr. Tanaka steps forward.

“Let us begin.”