Disclaimer: I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari. It belongs to its creator, Sai Yukino. I make no profit nor seek to make profit.
Reshin never dreamed he would be spending so much time with Yuri-hime in his later years. Not that he minded, it was just very counter to the way they had conducted their lives for most of their married lives. He had been surprised but pleased when Kouyuu and Shuurei married. He was even more pleased when Kouyuu and Shuurei decided to make Kiyo their permanent home.
He couldn't say when exactly Yuri-hime came to live with them. After Shuurei brought home their adopted daughter, Huian, Yuri-hime came to teach Shuurei how to care for the child. Even though she returned to the Kou province frequently, she was in the capital more often than not. She always told others she was "just visiting" but truthfully she spent more time in Kiyo than anywhere else.
It was a good thing Yuri-hime was around so much. Kouyuu and Shuurei were joint heads of the clan and were often very busy with the clan affairs, and Yuri loved fussing over her granddaughter. Oddly enough, little Huian preferred Reshin's company, a fact that proved, according to Yuri, that miracles still happened.
Kouyuu and Shuurei's combined skills made the Kou's as formidable a clan as the Ran's. Reshin couldn't help but gloat inwardly when he thought about it. A small smile spread across his face.
"And just what are you so smug about?" Yuri-hime snaked an arm around Reshin and looked down at the toddler at his feet. "Playing the happy grandfather this morning, I see." She teased.
"Hn" Reshin flipped open his fan and glared at Yuri from behind it. "If you must know, I'm thinking about how Kouyuu and Shuurei are giving those Ran triplets a run for their money," he sniffed. "It's about time someone challenged them."
Yuri rolled her eyes and pulled away. "You stubborn old goat. You know perfectly well that we're at peace with the Ran clan."
"Not until they try something," Reshin glowered. "Those kids might trust Setsuna, but I certainly don't."
"That's nothing special," Yuri pulled up a chair and poured herself some tea. "You don't trust anybody."
Reshin snapped his fan shut and pouted. "That's not true. There are people in this world I trust."
"Not that you'd ever show it," Yuri teased, smiling softly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Reshin grew more sullen and his ears began turning red. Yuri had found her perfect opening.
"Don't give me that! You know perfectly well you never tell anyone anything."
The red spread from Reshin's ears to his neck, and the crimson was fast reaching his cheeks. "Don't start with me, woman. Just leave it alone."
"Don't you think it's a tad pitiful that you're living in the same home as your niece and you still haven't confessed to being her uncle? " Yuri hit him where it hurt.
"Shut up," Reshin fumed. "She knows anyway. As a head of the clan you know she does."
"It wouldn't hurt for her to hear the story from your side, Reshin. She's far too polite to ask you herself, and Kouyuu, well, he won't say anything out of respect for you."
Reshin shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He wanted to rise and stalk out of the room, but little Huian was sleeping peacefully at his feet. Yuri cut her eyes to the child, and then looked back to Reshin again with a smirk. He was essentially a captive audience, and she knew it.
"Why can't you just leave well enough alone, woman?" Reshin fumed. "And besides, how dare you use our granddaughter as a pawn against me."
Yuri simply stood and kissed Reshin's forehead lightly, leaving him to consider that the secret had gone on long enough. He would never truly be happy until the air was cleared. He was stubborn, but she was stubborn, too. It was a battle of wills. She knew she would eventually win.