Chapter 10

Takoku, Suna, and Yuri arrived home in a short few days along with the soldiers that he wanted to bring with him. Solia stood at the top of the ivy covered wall gleaming down at him as they passed through the gates. You couldn't see from the wall that stood in front of her but she was much bigger than they had last seen her. Her stomach at the least was the biggest with the child that grew inside her.

Takoku nodded to her as his hello and Suna cheerfully did her's. Yuri just arched an eyebrow at the woman at the top.

When they stopped in front of the long steps to the doors of the castle, Solia was there at the bottom.
"Welcome back Takoku and Suna!" She exclaimed, smiling big. She hugged Suna when she got out of the carriage and blinked when no one else came out of it after Takoku.

"Where is the girl that I heard you were bringing here?" She asked, getting on the tip of her toes and looking over his shoulder.

Suna laughed at her. "Lady Solia, you are so silly. You are a youkai are you not? Don't you smell her?"

Solia blinked then smiling laughing. "Oh oh, I think so." She glared at her, putting her hands on her now wide hips in a playful way. "I just think that these last few months have made me quite odd."

"I can understand my lady," Suna agreed smiling at her. Takoku and Suna mentally rolled their eyes at their lady.

Solia lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. "Oh there she is." She said and moved her way between Takoku and Suna to the carriage. She peered inside and smiled. "Don't be shy young lady. Be strong and face your fears!" She laughed and used the edge of the door to help herself inside. "Come on." She said sweetly as she pried Yuri of her spot.

Yuri swallowed and looked outside.

"Aww! Come on! It can't be that scary!" She told her and pulled her out of the dreary carriage and into the sunlight. "Just come inside and you'll calm down!"

Yuri covered her eyes for a second from the light then slowly looked up and gazed in awe at the mansion.

Vines covered the giant palace with small blooming flowers. Small bushes lined the aisle of stairs that lead to the entrance door and guards were lined up all the way to the door also. The windows' shutters were open letting in the bright light of the day. Flowers were being attended to by the gardeners and had smiles on their faces as if they enjoyed the duty that they were given.

"See! It isn't that bad! Now come my new guest!" Solia exclaimed, pushing her up the stairs, past the guards, and into the entrance room.

"How can she so excited?" Takoku asked Suna.

"Don't you see? She's pregnant." She explained, as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

Takoku looked at her with an arched eyebrow. "I.. I knew that." Suna laughed walking up the stairs and Takoku followed.

Solia was showing Yuri the castle, everything from the baths to the room that she would stay in to the training grounds of the soldiers. All the while Yuri was patiently quiet, and if needed, nodded after what Solia said.

She thought it was useless for her to show her everything; since she would find out on her own where everything was. But she wouldn't say that out loud because she figured out that the damn hyper woman was the Lady of the House from how the people they came across treated her, and she didn't want to piss her off by telling her that she was doing something useless. That would get her in trouble and ruin her attempts to accomplish her mission for her mother.

So she just decided to follow her and ignore her, just so it would get over with.

"So you are telling me that the girl is an assassin?"

"Hai."

"How did you come to this conclusion?"

"A woman from her village told me sir."

"And why do you trust her?" He asked confused with his son's mind of how this came to be.

"She smelt of the truth and not lies, father." Takoku said in a little irritated voice.

Takashi sighed leaning back against the windowsill as he tilted his head back to look at the clear sky.
"Why didn't you tell me this in the letter?"

"I was afraid that someone would come across it and read it. I didn't want this to get out to the others and I want to know if this is true with the girl." He looked at his father. "But if you are worried about what she could do then you can lock her up in the dungeon."

"Iie. That isn't required."

"I can watch what activities she does then? How about that father?" He asked.

"That can be done and maybe a guard to make sure that nothing gets away from us."

Takoku nodded in agreement and stood, giving his father a quick bow then walked out of the study.

Everyone was asleep now and the castle was quiet with no sound except for the footsteps of the night guards. Yuri had two guards outside of her room to make sure she stayed there. One was there just in case something happened and the other was the one to follow her around all day and half the night.

She was confused at first why they would give her one but Takoku gave her a reasonable explanation why and she accepted it.

Takoku and everyone that knew that Yuri was an assassin kept their guards up and senses open ready for if she tried anything.

Solia was sleeping peacefully beside her husband, but every once in a while would wake up with a pain in her abdomen and she was worried about it now as it got worse and worse. When she couldn't stand it any longer, she got up with a thin sleeping kimono and walked out onto the balcony to stare at the deep blue sky filled with the twinkling stars that she loved so much now.

She smiled as she remembered her last moment with the man she loved and hugged her close to bursting belly. The pup instead kicked and she giggled a little because she felt like it felt the joy that she remembered.

A low growl escaped her lips as she felt the pain again but more than ever and she went to her knees. It was never longer than a couple seconds and now she was worried the most. Solia wondered if she should go get Suna since she didn't know what this enormous amount of pain meant. She nodded at that thought and slowly stood, still clutching her stomach and wincing.

As she passed Takashi, laying on the bed, she made sure to hide her scent of pain so it wouldn't wake him. He knew that she was feeling pains so he was a little over protective for her since he had been through the pregnancy thing before. She walked to the door and slowly and quietly slid the door open. Before she stepped through, she made sure that he was still asleep. After this, she walked towards Suna's room and as quickly as she could because the pains were getting worse now.

A soft knock was all that was needed to wake her and have her come to the door. She slid open the door a gave a tired look at her lady. "What's wrong mi'lady?" She asked in a tired voice.

A wince gave her the answer and Suna blinked. "It's time already?" She paused and shook her head. "Of coarse.. it's been long enough." She whispered to herself and stepped beside her lady and took her gently around the waist and Solia's arm around her neck as she guided her inside her quarters. Leading her to her futon and laying her down, she ran out to get a few girls to help her for what would come.

Solia was now panting and was clutching the sheets and bent over in double as a big strike of pain to her back and all over her body. She wasn't ready for this but was ready to get rid of the pains that were coming. She clutched at the covers more and whined a little until a small hand came to hold her hand. She calmed a little but only enough to know that she wasn't alone in this.

The pains didn't subside as she felt water flow over her legs and she knew that her water had broke. Now would come the most painful part of the birthing process and she knew this.

Hours later after the screams of the lady of the house had stopped- a screaming pup's voice came and a panting tired mother was laying on the futon tired as hell. Her clothes were soaked to the core with sweat and her breaths were uneven but was slowly getting back to normal now that she was done with the task of birth. And slowly she drifted into a nice sleep as Suna was tending to the newborn pup with a big small.

"It's a girl." She told herself and glanced at her sleeping lady. "She will be pleased when she wakes."

"I know she will." Takashi's voice came as he stepped inside and he walked over to Suna and looked at the pup. He had been awake since the screaming started but knew not to disturb them but was aware of what was going on. He looked at the little pup with his sleeve over his nose. The blood and liquids from birthing still made him gag but it didn't keep him from seeing a new pup- even though it wasn't his. He would love her though because she loved his wife enough.

"She is fine, I presume?" He asked as he knelt beside her and took his sleeve away to hold his arms out for the pup.

"Hai, my lord." Suna reassured him as she held the now sleeping pup to him and smiled as she made a small whine of disturbance.

Takashi laughed at her and looked at her little markings that were barely visible. They would come whole once she was a few days old and he smiled a little more as he saw that she had a small moon on her forehead but it was turned the opposite way.

He handed the newborn pup back to Suna and sighed. "Try to clean her as best you can and the stench here too. I know that you wouldn't even be able to stand it either." She nodded with a small smile. He kneeled beside Solia and moved a piece of her hair from her face than planted a gentle kiss upon her forehead. "Sleep well." He whispered to her and a small smile came to her lips.

He stood back up and looked at Suna, "Have a good sleep. Whenever she wakes, tell her that she came pick her name." She tilted his head to her slightly then walked out of the room, back to his.