About Olive Green: The Imperial Cat
by Kate Cotoner
127 pages / 30400 words
ISBN: 978-1-60370-821-0
Ebook zipped file contains -
html, lit, Adobe and Sony optimized pdf, prc, epub
Matsumoto no Hirotaro hates his job in the Bureau of Ceremonial. For
years he's longed to advance through the ranks of the nobility, but his
dreams of becoming an imperial chamberlain are crushed when he saves a
tailless gray cat from being drowned by the Empress' guards. The cat seems
to bring him nothing but bad luck... until he meets Katsuyuki, a beautiful,
blue-eyed nobleman who's strangely out of place at court.
Katsuyuki is a shape-shifting ghost-cat who's lost his tail as punishment
for causing a terrible fire. He makes it his mission to ensure Hirotaro is
promoted to chamberlain, and as he enjoys the freedom of being human,
Katsuyuki falls in love with Hirotaro. But he hasn't reckoned on the jealous
suspicion of Hirotaro's friend, Lord Narihira, who could destroy Katsuyuki's
newfound happiness forever...
Sample
Narihira came to stand beside him, his gaze fixed on
Katsuyuki. “Who is that?”
Hirotaro shook his head. “I’ve never seen him before in my life.”
The frown creasing Narihira’s forehead deepened. “His outfit is strange.
The color combination is well chosen, but he’s not wearing any hakama.”
“No hakama?” Hirotaro chuckled. “Little wonder the ladies are so
interested in him. Summer silks are thin enough that they’d be able to
see everything if they stood at the right angle under the right light.”
“Are you sure you don’t know him? Such partiality in the face of social
censure usually suggests a previous acquaintance...” Narihira let his
words trail off.
It took Hirotaro a moment to understand what Narihira meant, and when
realization came, he gave a startled laugh. “Oh, you think Lord
Katsuyuki and I were lovers? I assure you it’s not true. You know who
I’ve slept with. You have a better memory for their names than I do! I
haven’t slept with Katsuyuki. Truly, I haven’t.” He paused, catching a
glimpse of the young man through the crowd. “I would remember a night
with him. He’s...”
“Beautiful,” Narihira said, his voice brittle.
Hirotaro looked at him in surprise. “Yes, he is. Beautiful and eloquent
and with better court manners than me.” Suspicion dawned, and he asked,
“Are you—”
“No.” Narihira turned away from the question. “I’m being foolish. It’s
nothing.”
It was so flagrantly far from the truth that Hirotaro gazed at him in
consternation. Narihira was always so polished, even when something
upset the tranquility of his existence. This was the first time Hirotaro
had seen his friend disquieted, and he couldn’t help but feel concerned.
He put out a hand. “Narihira...”
“Please forgive me. This evening has been more trying than I
anticipated.” Narihira forced a smile to his lips and looked beyond
Hirotaro, his eyes narrowing. “Here comes your champion.”
Giving his friend a hard look that indicated this conversation wasn’t
over, Hirotaro swung about and bowed. “Lord Katsuyuki. I am delighted to
make your acquaintance.” As he straightened, he examined the young man
and felt the shock of attraction go through him like a body-blow.
Katsuyuki stood before him, slender and elegant despite his peculiar
mode of dress. His hair fell in a gleaming inky wash over his shoulders,
and his robes, layered shades of maroon and turquoise, contrasted with
his pale skin and complemented the unusual color of his eyes. Dark blue,
Hirotaro noticed, the same blue as the summer sky at dusk. Entranced, he
leaned closer and caught a tantalizing and familiar fragrance.
“You favor the Blackness scent,” Hirotaro said with delight.
A flicker of anxiety showed in Katsuyuki’s gaze, but he recovered
himself to smile. “Yes. I believe it suits all occasions perfectly.”
“My aunt would disagree with you. She is always scolding me for using
it.” Hirotaro smiled until his cheeks hurt. He knew he was babbling
inanely. If only he knew how to make small talk. “Lord Narihira is much
more fashionable with his scents,” he said, all but elbowing his friend
to encourage a response.
But Narihira was staring at Katsuyuki, his eyes narrowed and his lips
slightly pursed as if he was trying to place the young man, or
categorize him, or read his mind, or whatever else Yin Yang Masters did
when faced with something they didn’t quite like. Feeling out of his
depth, Hirotaro continued, “It’s unusual for a man to appear in public
without a hat. Seeing your hair loose like that... it’s so intimate.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Hirotaro wished he could take them
back. Now he sounded too blatant. He cast a desperate glance at
Narihira, hoping he’d take the hint and smooth the awkwardness with a
more genteel topic of conversation.