They say bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Oushuu's Dragons make it two in the bush or none at all. But it's a tempting dream, to have them both in the hand…
Just a small something, all inspired by Clio. My story, her translation. Praise her, blame her, review me
And "Tsuki" is "The moon" in Japanese, as my consultant says.
TSUKI
"Her name is Tsuki."
Her name was Tsuki. She was clad in exquisite blue kimono embroidered with stars and moon, her strangely fair hair pinned up in a crown over the high and wise forehead. Her gaze was attentive and intent, her lips mobile and full of emotions, her eyes lowered in the reluctant compromise between mores and rich personality.
"Our light. Our pride." The elder's voice was breaking with emotion. "She will be a jewel of any house. Here is the treasure of my clan."
There was no false incentive, no fawning, no desperation to sell the valuable at the highest profit. Eyes of the old samurai were glistening with a gentle joy, unusual for a warrior, whenever he looked at his daughter, sitting beside him. Gaze of the girl, calmly fixed on the mat, didn't reveal anything, and her hands didn't shake, folded in her lap with grace and pride.
The One-Eyed Dragon was sweating with fear.
"A-ah... Ah. But in fact... This..."
"Date-dono values your trust, Hanami-dono." With mute 'don't panic, Masamune-sama, I'm with you', Kojuurou ceased leaning modestly against the wall, only to put a hand on his lord's shoulder. "That you are ready to..."
"I am ready. We are ready." Hanami Mukeru looked Katakura in the eye, his gaze serious and determined. "The Hanami Clan introduces our precious. Here is Hanami Tsuki, my oldest daughter. I wish..."
"We haven't come here to steal the treasure of your clan." The grasp of Kojuurou's hand on Masamune's shoulder grew tighter, for Masamune seemed like about to escape. Well, the One-Eyed Dragon was still young and rarely ran into such things on his way towards glory. Especially that Kojuurou usually managed to silence the thing and neutralize it long before it succeeded to get before Masamune's frightened and - although even rare nowadays - embarrased face, quickly and charmingly flushing. Well, the General of Date had already got used to many things. He would get used to this as well.
"We are..." Masamune, in the face of support, pulled himself together quite quickly. "We are impressed. Hell yeah."
Kojuurou observed how the flush was being replaced with dazzling, cocky smile. Somewhere in his mind, there was a thought he would miss that innocent blushing. But, well. The Dragon had grown out of his boyish pants, so he had grown out of blushing on any occasion too. In no time, he would grew out of the fondness for his crop of hair. Or, perhaps, he wouldn't...?
"We are impressed pretty much!" Masamune seemed to get worked up. "However..."
"Date-dono, we will accept your decision." Hanami bowed deeply. "Still, it would be a greatest pleasure to me: to see my Tsuki by the Oushuu Dragons' side."
Silence.
"I know she wishes for this as well."
Silence.
"Here is a gift of the Hanami Clan for the Oushuu Dragons." He straightened up and looked at the General. And then at his Second-in-command too. "Do not make your decisions hastily, gentlemen. The marigold flower is modest and pure, yet it can lighten the dark thoughts and heal the suffering heart. Wars and battles will continue, and the Lord of Oushuu would not rest in his mission. It is the path marked by the fire of the samurai soul that blazes even in the hostile night. It is the fate of a warrior. But not always you will be given the light that the hostile darkness would not overcome. Oh, Oushuu Dragons, the Hanami Clan wish to express our admiration, faith and respect for your power." He took his daughter's hand and moved her forward, to Masamune and Kojuurou, somewhere between them both. "Here is your reward."
Silence.
The Oushuu Dragons were sweating with fear.
The Date Army was riding away from the danger at full speed, faithfully outflanking the commander and his right eye - still distressed.
"Masamune-sama..."
"..."
"You should cut your hair."
"..."
"But my hands are trembling."
"..."
"We should investigate the moods on the other side of this range. The sooner the better."
"..."
"Don't worry, Masamune-sama. We made it alive."
A cold, critical gaze fell on sad Hanami Mukeru.
"We should have done it better," declared Hanami Tsuki. "Perhaps, first, you should have made them drunk?"
"It wouldn't be proper to start with sake..." Mukeru sighed.
"And you definitely should have told it much more directly. They are men. They don't understand any subtleties!" the daughter reproached him.
"Ah," the elder agreed without questions. "They don't understand anything. But I couldn't say that you want to marry Date-dono!"
"I didn't want to marry him. But it would be the best," Tsuki claimed dryly.
"Of course it would!" Hanami-dono got dreamy. "You would be a beautiful couple on your wedding day..."
"Katakura-san would give us his blessing..."
"My grandchildren would rule over the whole north!"
"Katakura-san would bring them up..."
"You would be a queen of Oushuu!"
"Katakura-san would cook for me..."
"If so, you should have proposed to him!" Hanami huffed. "Perhaps then they would have agreed!"
"Now it's too late anyway," Tsuki sighed. "And I explained you that of those two I had to marry Date-dono!"
"It wouldn't be proper to propose to the general! And, besides, you didn't really want to marry him!"
"But I could..."
"But why?"
In Hanami Tsuki's eyes the moon was slowly fading.
"That way I would get them both..."
the end