-Ring-Doh: Part 14-

It had been several days since Kuon had stepped foot inside the Fuwa Inn, having chosen not to leave the records hall. Lord Fuwa had been informed about this slight change in his stay, they would of course still be paying for the two rooms. Lord Fuwa had wanted to know what he was researching and was more pleased to learn it was old land maps, making note of records dealing with floods, rock, and mudslides. Kuon was sure that Lord Fuwa was under the impression that this meant that he was seeking a place below the cliffs for the Hizuri Family. The last thing he gave him was the best women to see in the Gentlemen's Club and even given him a card with his seal on it before winking at him. If it wouldn't be seen as rude he would have thrown it away but he knew that should anyone else come across it that would just cause problems so for the time he had given it to Yashiro to deal with.

It was that afternoon that the elderly old man would come in with a basket. Nothing big, sandwiches and fruit. There would be stuff to make tea or coffee among them. The elderly man whose name he had learned was Ernest would go on the young beautiful maiden who would come and visit. Apparently, this wasn't uncommon for the young woman it was just not something she normally went out of her way to do for each meal and not every day. Every few days she would bring in lunch basket with pies and other foods. Yashiro had asked him who it was but the man just waved him off and it seemed to trouble Yashiro who after two days found that he had not once caught sight of the mystery woman who was bringing their meals. In a small way, Kuon was growing used to this new type of normal for him, even if it had him sleeping on a cot in the corner of the records room.

What Kuon had learned about Misonoi Land was that it had been claimed over 500 years ago. The first families as they were called were a total of fifteen families but not all their names seemed to be written down. From what he could find it was only the last 50 years that their names were even brought up in an article making it clear who were the first families, Misonoi was said to be very first according to the historical report. There was some debate about the Uesugi and Fuwa families. When it came to the Uesugi it was stated that they were a branch of the Misonoi, a secondary brother who changed his name from Misonoi to Uesugi some 300 years ago. While the Fuwa family was said to have built themselves up from nothing, they were among the first people they claimed, they didn't settle they always been there. Thus they should be deemed older than even Misonoi family. There was some discussion about it but in the end, it was stated they couldn't prove this to be a fact other than by word of mouth. There was a fourth family that he couldn't make out the name of, that was said to have been among them before moving away. The land contracts they had gone to the Misonoi family thus officially making the Misonoi Land the largest. The Misonoi family then sold several plots of land to those deem commoners.

Of the remaining first families, there were three still living on the land. The Ishibashi, Nabatame and Nanokura families being perhaps just as powerful as the Uesugi and Fuwa families were seeing as with the death of Kazushi Misonoi it seemed that the Misonoi family had lost the hold it once held in Ring-Doh. The only family he could not see having a chance at becoming the new Misonoi were the Nanokura family who only had daughters. In all truth that made Kyoko a Princess in his mind, whoever married her would likely be almost a King within Ring-Doh. 'So why was she working for the Fuwa family?' All it would take would for either the man she married to take her family name or to have two sons should she marry into another family who refused to take her family name. Historical this wasn't uncommon either and if Yashiro was correct in what he had heard. It would keep the land deed with the Misonoi family and out of the hand of the Priests of Ring-Doh. 'Yet what was wrong with them having the land in the first place?'

Ernest's hand rested on Kuon's shoulder "Ah Ren" he said with a chuckle as he placed several articles down in front of him. "Thought you might like to see these. Seeing as you seem interested in this sort of thing."

"What sort of thing?" Kuon said lifting up one of the clippings, a death report from four years ago:

The God Tlaloc claims another soul!
Mike Fuwa, Age Seven went missing December 18th 18xx morning during the Witching Hour.
Lady Fuwa states that the child was always being lured in by the bells tolls. No matter how many times she and the others within Fuwa Inn tried to distract him from being lured in.
Mike is the natural child of Lord Fuwa.
May our Lord Tlaloc watch over his soul and give him rest now that his body has been returned from the sea for a proper burial.

"Ah yes, it's pretty rare for someone so young to be claimed." He said tugging on his beard in thought. "Mike I believe is one of the youngest yet. Not the youngest mind you that goes to little Lord Darron." He said muttering some under his breath. "Ah let's see he was only four at the time." He nodded his head as he thought. "Yes, that was pretty recent too actually." Kuon watched as the old man looked out towards the window, "In all my time that boy was the youngest. Tlaloc tends to like them a bit older from what I recall."

"What do you mean?" He felt like this was something indeed as the older man looked at him sadly for a moment.

"Ah forgive me just an old man muttering to himself," he said moving towards the exit of the room. "Though you won't find them all on paper, no... not everyone. Such a shame."

Kuon's eyes shifted through the papers until he found the drawn image of a little four-year-old name Darron Nabatame who appeared to be a natural born son who was given the Nabatame name when he was two years old before. 'This was from ten years ago, but his body was found at the water's edge and it seems he wasn't reported missing' that made him wonder why someone so young as four years old would not be noticed as missing?

"Something the matter Ren?" His head turned towards Yashiro who holding several documents, he was trying to find connections between Misonoi and other families, the only one they could be sure so far was the Fuwa family had never been accepted as possible marriage matches. That had thrown both of them, in a place that wasn't all that large in the first place it would make more sense for them to mingle with those families that had been through all the bad and good times.

So far the only one he really found that was common was Uesugi families. 'Main and Branch still mingling even generations after breaking apart from each other?' It was just something odd. He flipped through the clippings once more, Shizuru was a local girl who worked for the Fuwa family as one of their maids, she was believed to be about 19 years of age at the time of her death. She never showed up for work on the December 19th 18xx. The year before Rick apparent suicide. There had even been a 23-year-old by the name of Nami who was the governess of the Nabatame family. Who had died the year after Rick they had found a note, saying she couldn't bare not being with Lord Nabatame and as he had turned her love away she would do the only thing she could for him by joining Tlaloc at the bottom of the sea. Her body hadn't been found but the note had been dated December 24th 18xx.

Kuon ran a hand through his hair as he looked at the small amount of information he had. If he included Rick's death into this, a death that was said to have happened around the same time frame it was starting to look like a ritual of some sort. Yet the only two families seemed to have any connection and Rick didn't work for the Fuwa's. It left him with questions but there was one thing he wanted to check first. "Has the Misonoi family ever mingled with the Nabatame family?"

Yashiro looked through the notebook he had so far "I did find one from about 120 years ago. I couldn't make out her name but I was able to get the following information. She married a Lord Nabatame she was a child of the Misonoi family. She committed suicide in front of her husbands entire family at the time, her own parents saw it. She was with child when she jumped swearing that her death would be the end of the Nabatame and Misonoi families never be joined again by blood." He frowned slightly, "It seems that the Misonoi family kept true with this."

"She was with child?" Yashiro nodded his head. "Is there anything more?

"Only the time recorded being December 22nd, 1716"

Hiou froze in place as he watched his mother Yuuko great Lady Fuwa. Long before his mother married his father, she had been a true member of the first families, unlike Lady Fuwa herself who married into the family. His mother was once Yuuko Nabatame and was supposed to have married Lord Fuwa but her sister had agreed to take her place instead and his father ended up with the one he loved. It seemed to him that Nabatame would have been sitting rather pretty if his aunt was still alive, had she bared a son in place of Lady Fuwa. Influence no matter who ended up as Kyoko's husband but his Aunt had been murdered. Though no one spoke of it as murder only a horrible accident. His eye's narrowed as he turned and went to find Kyoko.

She was where he expected her to be, in the kitchens dressed as a stableboy at that. He sighed pinching the bridge of his nose as she turned smiling at him, she had not been really allowed to leave the grounds at all. Lady Fuwa's orders and no one seemed to notice that the stableboy was actually Kyoko to his amazement. "Come here, boy." He said with a wave of his hand.

He knew that it was because Lady Fuwa eyes had been on her, ever since Ren Tsuruga had gone to the record halls she had been expecting the girl of sneaking around with him. So much so that he wouldn't be surprised to learn that she had been smacked around. Yet Lady Fuwa couldn't keep her eyes on her all the time, not with a household as large as her own. Not with guests and having to keep them entertained as well. Besides if he wasn't seen it wasn't around it wasn't as unlikely to believe that Kyoko was following him around. Which he actually had been doing lately. If not him Kanae was doing so. To his surprise, even Shoutaro had claimed at least twice that he had seen her gathering firewood when his mother was throwing a fit.

"Ah but sir, I have a delivery to make" Hiou knew that she been actually taking three meals, several times a day to the records hall. As a boy she could get away with a bit of freedom and as she didn't do it often and was still doing all her housework that had been piled on her since she had first started living here no one but himself and Kanae really knew better. Just like he was sure that those clothes she was wearing belonged to one of Kanae's brothers or nephews.

"Yes, well Lady Yuuko is here and I want to make sure her carriage is well taken care of. Now come here." He snapped causing Kyoko to jump and bow her head repeatedly as she moved towards him, her head still hanging as he led her up the stairs to her bedroom. Shutting the door he looked at her as she kept her head lowered.

"I'll make it today Kyoko but you need to greet my mother." He bent over some to look up at her face giving her a soft smile. No, he was sure his mother was under orders of his other Grandfather Lord Nabatame. The man was trying really hard to push a union, with one of his other daughter Erica even though the woman was older she was still unwed and no matter how you looked at it. Shoutaro was of marriageable age. 'Then again so is Kyoko but that can't be done unless her mother signs off.' and that woman was nowhere near them at the moment.

Kyoko sighed before seeming to pull into herself even more which worried him all the more. Since that night she seemed to be so much more withdrawn. 'Did Lady Fuwa truly scare her this time?' He stood straight sighing himself, "You don't need to worry." Kyoko made no sound she seemed so much like a small child at the moment to him. His eyes darted around the room trying to think of something that might give her more courage before they fell on the footlocker. It clicked all at once in his head. "You should wear one of the kimono's that my Grandfather bought you. You said it gave you strength in the past."

Her eyes shot up towards his before looking towards the footlocker, "Yes... maybe."

Hiou moved towards the door, "I'll even have Kanae come up and help you with your hair and makeup. You'll have Grandfather's protection and love wrapped tightly around you and Kanae strength as well." Kyoko eyes darted towards him and she smiled softly. It was clear she wasn't so sure but he also knew that once Kanae was done with her. That she would be able to face Lady Fuwa with a renewed strength.