Heir of Suwa
The crisp autumn air was now turning frigid as winter was approaching Suwa Province. Kurogane's arm had finally healed so that he no longer had to wear a cast. Yet he was still cautious about returning to yielding a katana and so he would slowly retrain on the training grounds.
"Hyuu~! Kuro-sama looks so manly doing katas!" Fai cheered as he sat on a nearby bench. He had already finished his duties and training for the day and had gone to watch Kurogane. With the colder weather though, he had been forced to wear long pants and even a thick yukata here and there, which he wasn't too pleased about.
He would not let the chipper blonde distract him, Kurogane determined. For a few more minutes he went through some more katas before the bones in his left arm told him to dropped his practice katana. The winter air was not helping either.
"You shouldn't over tax yourself. You could re-break your arm or fracture the bone and then you wouldn't be able to wield a sword again," Fai chided as he watched Kurogane wince.
There have been many times Toriho had reassured Kurogane that he was still in good shape to protect the borders of Suwa so that his son would not have to worry about getting back in shape so soon. But ever since he broke his arm as a result of saving Fai, Kurogane had seemed to calm down his instinct to constantly train and strengthen up. Picking up his practice katana, the young lord went to sit down next to Fai on the veranda.
"In a few more months you should be good as new." Fai smiled as he wrapped his arms around himself. Having lived so long in Nihon he had gotten used to having actual seasons and his resistance to the cold had lessened with it.
Every time anybody spoke one could see the cold breath coming out of their mouths. Kurogane's bones were aching the longer he sat out there. "Let's go, I need to head inside," he urged.
Fai nodded, more than willing to go back inside where it was warm. "That's the best idea I've heard all day, Kuro-puu."
"Tch, says the idiot who decided to sit here when he could have stayed indoors," Kurogane retorted. He started to head inside where warm tea was waiting for them.
"I wanted to watch though~" came Fai's answer in a whining tone. He followed Kurogane to his room and walked over to sit at the table already prepared with some tea and snacks for them.
"Why though?" Kurogane asked. He already started pouring tea in both cups.
"Don't want me to now?" Fai asked curiously as he grabbed a small pastry.
"It's not that," Kurogane sighed, picking up his cup of tea. "Don't see the point of watching me starting over."
"I never got to see you begin the first time." Shrugging, Fai didn't actually think there was anything important about him watching Kurogane, yet he simply wanted to nonetheless. Fai nibbled on the pastry and smiled across the table to the other.
"Oh." The young lord grabbed a piece of bread. "I was a wild child when I first started," he recalled.
"I remember Kuro-kun being a brash child even when I came along." Chuckling, Fai took his own cup and took a sip. A pleasant sigh escaped past his lips as he felt the warmth spread inside him, and he welcomed it.
"Give me a break – I was still only eleven," Kurogane scowled half-heartedly. Had it really been that long ago?
"It was endearing, Kuro-san. Makes me wonder if you will have children that are just the same." Fai smiled around the rim of his cup, feeling the steam against his lips and found it was soothing.
Kurogane drank his tea too fast and started coughing when Fai brought up "children".
Laughing, Fai set his own cup down on the table. "You've had to have realized you're going to have to produce an heir to Suwa. You can't remain a young maiden forever, Kuro-san."
There was no way the weather had anything to do with it this time because Kurogane was blushing furiously. "I-I can't imagine myself as a kid's 'Chichiue'."
"You have to, you're getting old. You were probably already born when your father was our age," Fai told him as he grabbed another snack. "You have to get married, probably head over to Yuuko-san to have her help you, and then start producing heirs." It would be lonely, he admitted, seeing Kurogane drift further and further away with his own family, but Fai wanted him to be happy.
Kurogane knew he was getting old and that it was heavily expected that he settle down soon. The time he would take over his father's place was creeping up. "But what does this mean for you?" he asked Fai.
"I'm not sure. Kuro-tan's wife would be the one keeping up the kekkai's…I might leave for the capital, maybe go to another country or world." He pondered with the idea. He had enough magic to travel a few times over such great distances. It could be exciting to see where he could go.
Kurogane somehow caught himself before he could drop his teacup. "You, going?" he spluttered. He never thought about Fai leaving Suwa, yet alone, Nihon.
"I wouldn't be needed anymore," Fai explained with a smile. "It would be crowded anyways with a new bride and lots of kids running around. And besides, it might be fun getting to see other places."
Kurogane shuddered at the thought of having a lot of kids running around, let alone a future bride in this palace. "Leave Suwa? As if you never cared for it?" It was even harder to imagine Fai leaving Suwa, leaving him.
"I care for this place, but people travel all the time." He had noticed the way Kurogane acted at the mention of a family. "Don't like the thought of a blushing bride and being a daddy?"
"Well-I-it's not really that…" Why the hell did he became tongue tied all of a sudden?
"Oh? Then what is it?" the other asked in curiosity. He knew Kurogane probably didn't like the idea now, but he would be a good husband and father regardless.
"You could always be m-, the second in command of the army," Kurogane suggested, hoping to persuade Fai to stay.
"You already have your father and the retainer here to help with anything you might need." Fai picked at the pastry in his hands, thinking that it might be best for him to travel when Kurogane finally took over.
"They will have to retire eventually," Kurogane pointed out.
"Maybe by then, I'll have enough traveling and you could always get new recruits that are better," Fai added with a chuckle.
The young lord felt himself gripping the edge of the table harder. "So that's it? All this time you've been thinking of leaving?"
"Not all the time, just recently. Don't worry, Kuro-min, I won't be leaving for several years." Fai reached over and patted his friend's shoulder with a light smile stretched across his lips.
So at least he would still stay around Suwa…for a bit. Kurogane let go of the table but he still felt unsettled. But why though?
Still, Fai considered Kurogane's parents. They thought there was or could be something between them. Fai felt that would only lead to pain for everyone involved and Suwa needed Kurogane and for him to continue his family line. "I wonder. Some of the lords have daughters they would gladly marry off to you. Kuro-san will be busy in a couple of years with so many pretty girls and finding one to court."
"That is often the case," Kurogane stated. "Yet I would think by now my father would have had arranged me to meet a neighboring lord's daughter."
"Maybe he's waiting for you to find someone around here?" Fai suggested, sounding almost bored before he ate the pastry he had been holding in one bite.
"He took me to see that woman a bit more than a year ago and she said she could not help me until I have someone or at least a wish in mind. Chichiue still haven't acted and he would have prodded me by now."
"You'll be an old man if he goes by your pace at things." Fai sighed, mouth still partially full. He swallowed and looked at Kurogane. "Want me to introduce you to someone? We could go to the capital and head over to their red light district too if you're nervous." The last part he said with a smile, wondering how much Kurogane would yell and get flustered over it.
"Is the cold weather getting to you?" Kurogane yelled. "I refuse to tarnish the family's reputation by going around in the red light district!"
Fai laughed at that, nearly choking on the air. "It wouldn't, Kuro-rinta. How do you think most young lords and such learn about these things? We could go to one of the nice ones too. They're expensive, but it would be for a good cause."
"No!" he insisted. "This isn't really getting me anywhere."
"You're just no fun at all~" Pouting, Fai slumped forward. "Oh, what about the girls around here? They're all very pretty."
"You really go out there a lot, don't you?" Kurogane retorted.
"Not a lot. Once every several months or so," Fai shrugged, thinking it wasn't a big deal. "Anyways, you need to start thinking on what you're going to do about all of this since it will eventually happen. You need to find someone."
"I know," Kurogane sighed. "Look, if it will make you stop pestering me, I'll talk to my father about this."
"It wouldn't stop me either way. But still, I just think you should be prepared for becoming a lord and fighting isn't the only thing Suwa's lord does," Fai told Kurogane with a small grin.
The young lord was thinking deeply with a light frown. He was no longer hungry and he knew he would have to consider this subject.
A/N: In honesty, when we were writing this segment I was unsure about my characterization of Kurogane here in light of his position as the heir to the title of lordship. I realize he's depicted as unusual for a young lord who doesn't take advantage of his status. This sense of his duties needing to be met will be the focal point for the next few chapters, so for a bit longer I'll let you readers be the judge.
Also, I have decided that weekly updates will be on Fridays. That way it's easier for me to remember plus it's a good time as it marks the beginning of weekends.