I want to thank everyone for their sweet comments. And I'll try my best to not slack off and leave this story unfinished as I usually do~

Notice: Masamune is eighteen, starting from the first chapter up till this one.

Chapter Three: 3, 11, 20

"One month, Kojuuro. Only one month and that woman is going back to her damned father. Understood?"

That line was echoing inside Masamune's head as he was watching Megohime feeds the carps with her maid. "This is only the third day yet. Twenty seven more days" he thought and let out a sigh. For the past 2 days he was wondering why he chose such a long period of time, won't ten days be enough?

"Masamune-sama" someone called out for him. "Hmm?" he replied without paying any kind of attention, still deep in thought. "Masamune-sama?" they called out to him once again. "Masamune-sama… Nee, Masamune-sama, do you hear me?" and a hand waved before his face. Masamune came back to reality and blinked twice, and there in front of him Megohime was sitting. He leaned backwards in surprise. "Why is she too close? Too close! Step back!"

"Welcome back, Masamune-sama" Megohime said with a smile.

"… Ah" Masamune replied and slowly nodded his head, slowly sitting properly. "What do you need?" he asked.

"Back in my home, I used to have two carps. May I ask for them to be brought here?"

"Bring them here? Bring more fish?"

"They're not mere fish! I got them from my grandfather, and I think they're feeling lonely without me"

"… Fish don't feel lonely. They just feel hungry and they become happy once they're fed"

"They're very beautiful and rare. They'll be a nice addition to your carp collection, Masamune-sama"

"How old are you again?"

"I'll turn eighteen next spring"

"So you're seventeen and will stay seventeen for three more seasons"

"You're so mean to Mego!"

"Mego who? … Oh! You! Megohime is your name, right?"

Megohime puffed her cheeks and turned away angrily, just then Masamune realized how he was talking to her and how mean he was. He cleared his throat and quietly he said "… you may bring your carps. And if they need a separate pond, I will provide that". Megohime looked at him sideways her pout disappearing slowly. She nodded in appreciation and mumbled something like a "Thank you" then stood up and excused herself to go back and feed the carps.

"The most spoiled girl I ever seen in my whole life, Kojuuro!" Masamune told his strategist as he took another bite of his fried fish. "I think it's better to have your meals with your wife, rather than with me, Masamune-sama" Kojuuro replied. "Irrelevant!" Masamune yelled out and Kojuuro sighed. "I always had my meals with you or with the guys. This had always been my policy, ya know that. Oshuu's army should be one. Act like one individual, right?" the lord said waving his chopsticks at his strategist. Kojuuro sighed once more and thought it'll be a long way till his lord start acting like a proper married man. Masamune finished his fish and looked up at Kojuuro, "She calls herself "Mego", she sure has a big ego" he said and let out a sarcastic laugh. "What Kanji is used to write that name anyway?" and he added then took a sip of his green tea. Kojuuro placed his chopsticks carefully over an empty plate and turned to his tea, before taking a sip he attended to Masamune's question and answered it saying "The Kanji for "love", Masamune-sama". Masamune looked at him over his cup then gazed down at the bottom of his cup. "… I don't like that word" Masamune said in almost a whisper and a distant look appeared over his face, at that moment Kojuuro knew where his lord's mind went to. Masamune was remembering his mother, Date Yoshihime. A mother he hadn't looked her in the eyes for thirteen years now.

The eleventh day was quiet since its morning and through its daytime, till it was evening. Before dinner was served every evening, Masamune used to have a bath, just after his evening training session. That evening as he walked back to his room after the bath he noticed someone sitting by his room's door. As he took couple of steps closer he realized that it was Megohime. "... What're you doing here?" he asked as he walked to her. Megohime looked up at him then down again without saying a word. Masamune opened his room's door and asked if she wants to go in, she stood up slowly and went inside. They sat facing each other like every time, but none was looking at the other, just as usual. Megohime slowly raised her face to look at him. Her cheeks turning pink slightly, "Can I have dinner with you tonight, Masamune-sama?" she asked and looked down at her hands at once. Masamune's shoulders went stiff, he was caught off guard, and he couldn't think of anything to say for couple of seconds. "I have this policy that…" he started to say but stopped and looked at his wife who was biting her lower lip and playing nervously with her fingers. He took a deep breath and decided to grant her this wish.

The ones who were enjoying this private dinner the most were Masamune's men and his strategist. They were trying to imagine how their lord will survive that night. They had bets and they acted out their own scenarios and they put their theories. But they all wished it goes out well for their lord's wife. It's only eleven days, but she already won their hearts. She was friendly and sweet. She memorized the names of each one of them and she cheers them on whenever she happens to be passing by and sees them training.

For Masamune and Megohime, their dinner was very quiet. Megohime was happy for just being there having her dinner with her husband for the first time. So she was smiling happily throughout the dinner. Masamune noticed that smile after the second or third glance at her, and without realizing he was smiling too. "You must have felt lonely" he said after a while. Megohime looked at him surprised that he initiated the conversation, from the surprise she wasn't so sure about what he said. "Pardon?" she asked. This time he looked her straight in the eyes and repeated "You must have felt lonely, right?". Megohime looked away for couple of seconds then back at him and nodded. "Back at home, I always used to have my meals with my family members" she said and looked down at the rice bowl she was holding. Masamune had a bite of his pickles then said "I'm your family now". Megohime looked at him with wide eyes; she couldn't believe what she heard. Masamune himself couldn't believe what he just said. How he managed to say such a thing, he wondered, and so did Megohime for couple of minutes.

Since that day and they started having their dinners together. Every evening Megohime waited for Masamune in his room. And on the twentieth day, she took another step forward.

Masamune came back from his bath expecting to find Megohime in his room, and there she was, smiling and asking if he had a nice bath. They exchanged couple of words as he sat down on his usual spot, with a towel over his wet hair. Megohime got up once her husband sat down, he looked up at her wondering where she's going. She walked slowly till she was behind him and stood on her knees. Gently she placed her hands over the towel and tended to dry her husband's hair. Masamune sat there like a child who was told to stay quiet and act properly. He turned his head to look at her when he felt her closer to his left side. Megohime stopped for a second to look at his face as he turned to her. She giggled once she looked at him, "Masamune-sama, you're blushing" she pointed out. Masamune looked straight in front of him at once, "I'm not!" he replied. "Yes, you are" and she said teasingly. He murmured something and when Megohime asked him of what he said, he refused to tell her. Both fell silent till Megohime announced that she's done with drying his hair and stood up to walk back to her place. If Masamune knows something for sure at that moment, it was that it felt nice and kind of warm and he won't deny that he liked and enjoyed it. They have never been that close before. They stayed silent till their dinner was served. They chatted a little during their dinner, still can't find many things to talk about. After they were done and it was time for Megohime's departure, she looked at her husband and asked him to call her name. Masamune was never expecting that, but he smirked at her and said "I don't even remember it". Megohime giggled and replied "How mean. Will I need to make you write it down one thousand times to memorize it?"

"Megohime" he said. This time it was her who was caught off guard. Hearing her name coming out of his lips was something she couldn't imagine and expect even when she asked.