Game of Touhou
Chapter 53
Sanae
The Kochiya and Aki camp was alive with singing and cheering, the taste of victory still clearly in the mouths of the soldiers. Days had passed since the girl that called herself liege of the Borderlands had tried and failed to take on the combined forces of the Kochiya army and the portion of Yasaka soldiers currently in service of Ser Sangaku Aki, taking back a portion of Kawashiro men working under the ever-quiet Mizumi Kawashiro.
While Sangaku didn't seem to care, Sanae found it all too convenient that they had forced a retreat as easily as they had done, and she had noticed on the day of the battle that there were not much in the way of Yakumo soldiers amongst the Hakureis' ranks, which was usually not a good sign. It usually meant that the army had disappeared, to reappear behind the army they sought to kill. However, no Yakumos had appeared during that battle, and so, the Kochiya and Aki armies had returned to their camp to regroup before the retaking of River's Fork.
Sanae and Sangaku were currently sitting outside, by a large bonfire for the whole eastern quarter of the camp, where the men were singing their favourite songs while others danced with camp followers. However, when the camp bard, Yokina Silvertongue, had stopped his most recent song, he began to sing on his lonesome with his harp, saying, "This is a song I finished today, to honour the great Ser Sanae Kochiya, and her Yasaka bastard that became her knight of her bed."
Sangaku blushed, as did Sanae, but before she could tell the man not to call Sangaku a bastard, the bard had already began to sing.
"Sanae Kochiya, a name so rare
No man has seen a knight so fair
The only knight that's safer when
Her armour's gone in eyes of men
Akuto Yasaka, old as he is
Was 'andsome back in days we miss
The pretty girls were his to fuck
His bastard sons,they lacked his luck
One fateful day, the singers say
A Hill washed his bad luck away
He saved the fair Kochiya's life
And bedded her that very night
From that day on, we bards shall sing
Of the day the Septa's face turned grim
Her bastard nephew, balls and head
Became the knight of Sanae's bed!"
The soldiers laughed at the ending of the song, and even Sangaku mustered a little chuckle despite being somewhat offended. Sanae was a little confused as to the way the bard was singing of her, though. She had never truly seen herself as a great beauty, and if others had seen her as such, she had not noticed it. Well, with two exceptions. One man had always told her of how fair she was, the one man that she was coming to hate more with every thought she had of him... Lord Tenma. The other, of course, was Sangaku. He was living every day like it was his last, and making sure to tell her that he was hers, and that he would do anything to protect his love... if Sanae was honest, it was ever so slightly irritating, but the man had a good heart, more than could be said of Tenma.
The soldiers began to demand the song one more time, and Yokina Silvertongue gladly obliged, saying, "Now, my fair Sanae and her bed knight, you have to be up and dancing for this rendition! Everyone, sing it with me!"
Sanae stood up, and smiled at her 'bed knight', holding out her hand, "Come, Sangaku. Let us dance to this bawdy song."
Sangaku took Sanae's hand, and stood with her. One man shoved the two closer to the fire, where the others had been dancing before, and the camp followers sat down to watch the two dance. With that, Silvertongue began to play his harp, and the soldiers clapped their hands and unsurely sang the song they had only heard once before, while the two knights danced.
The song was not one to dance for love to, nor was it one for dancing lustfully to, and felt more a musical jest than anything, and so Sanae and Sangaku unsurely sprang and skipped around the fire as the bard played, and when the whole ordeal was over, the soldiers laughed and cheered, and various men called for the song again, however, Yokina Silvertongue was a relatively wise bard, and kindly refused the lot.
"I think that's enough of that song for now." Yokina said, "How about a foreign song in the common tongue? It's a Westerosi song they call 'The Bear and the Maiden Fair'!"
With that, the bard began to sing regardless of the soldiers' demands, and Sanae left the bonfire with Sangaku before the soldiers no doubt would begin to beat the man for his ignorance of their tastes.
Sanae linked her arm with Sangaku's as they walked towards their tent, and said, "...Sangaku, do not take the song to heart. I know you're more than a knight of my bed..."
"I know that..." Sangaku replied, "...that bard is an annoying little weasel, isn't he?"
"I thought he was hilarious." Sanae replied with a smile, "Especially the part about Septa Kanako's face. I don't think I've seen her face as anything other than grim..."
"She is my kin." Sangaku said, the sight of Sanae's smile making him somewhat jovial in expression, "I do hope I do not become as grim as her..."
"If you don't start laughing at songs like that, you'll be Kanako with a beard." Sanae remarked, "Tomorrow, I should make the order to press on to River's Fork. The men have had their rest, and if we don't fight soon, Yokina will have naught to sing of, will he?"
"Should we..." Sangaku began to say, the dull light of dusk making it unclear whether he was blushing or not.
The two stopped outside of their tent, a great blue one with the green frog of the Kochiyas and the wheat head of the Akis. With that, Sanae said, "...as long as we're fighting, we'll be like rabbits in heat. When we get back to the Shrine of the Lake... then we'll be married, and even the Gods will see us as bed-knights..."
Sangaku chuckled at this, "Perhaps Yokina Silvertongue is not as great a fool as I first thought..."
However, when the two knights entered, there sat a girl in the middle of the tent, making lines in the ground with her finger. She had the same yellow-brown hair as Sangaku's, and wore a red dress, despite being in a place where one either wore a jerkin or was one of the camp followers. She appeared to be completely lost in looking at the ground, until Sangaku spoke up.
"Shizuha? Zuha, is that you?" Sangaku asked, and when the girl finally noticed there were people in the tent with her, she stood up, and instantly embraced her half-brother, who quickly embraced her back.
"Sangaku! Sangaku, you're alive!" the girl said, "I thought you might have died! I was told to bring a letter to you and Ser Sanae, but the tent all the soldiers said was yours was empty when I got here and I was so worried and..."
Sangaku briefly tightened his grip on Shizuha and growled as some strange form of affection, something more commonly seen in the smallfolk, and let her go, saying, "Oh, Zuha, you're a sweet girl for worrying about me so. I am fine... Sanae protected me and I protected her."
Shizuha smiled awkwardly at Sanae, and curtseyed, "My apologies for taking your tent, Ser."
Sanae shook her head, "Think nothing of it. You're of a knightly house now, don't talk to me like you're lowly."
Shizuha's face seemed to fall at this, but then turned to a slightly panicked face as she started to look for something. Turning from her brother and Sanae, she went on her knees and began feeling the floor for something, and finally picked up a piece of paper.
After that, she lifted up the piece of paper and handed it to Sanae, saying, "The reason I'm here, Ser. Septa Kanako made me her squire... she made me deliver this to you. I haven't read it for myself, Ser, I can't read the words."
Sangaku seemed satisfied, and said, "Are you happy, Zuha? I asked Septa Kanako if she'd make you her squire, and she said that she would 'to make atonements for my brother's mistakes'."
When he paraphrased Kanako, Sangaku put on a stern, harsh-sounding voice, which made Shizuha laugh and Sanae stop and think, He's a totally different man for his little sisters, isn't he?
However, the joy from the jest died in Sanae's mind once she opened the letter, as she spotted the word 'Tenma' within the letter. Sanae was only able to read out loud, and so she began to quote the letter.
"To Ser Sanae Kochiya and Ser Sangaku Aki. Bring what troops you have remaining to the Shrine of the Lake. The Hinanawis and the... Yakumos have made an alliance, and Lord Tenma was unable to hold them off at forts Mizu and Mori. The Hinanawis are like to attack Tengu Mountain next, and what armies Tenma has will most like not suffice to hold the city against both armies. Lord Tenma is... alive and well, though. Many thanks, Septa Kanako Yasaka of the Shrine of the Lake."
Curse that crow lord for surviving. Sanae bitterly thought, Hatate Himekaidou or Aya Shameimaru most like warned him so he could run and hide in time.
"So, what of River's Fork?" Sangaku asked.
"That can wait." Sanae reluctantly said, "Septa Kanako's orders are Septa Suwako's, more or less. The Hakureis are currently hiding in River's Fork with their pride as injured as their soldiers, they're not like to rush back at us soon. The Tenmas are most like going to be sent to their deaths if we do not return swiftly to the Shrine of the Lake and reinforce Tengu Mountain afterwards."
Shizuha was nervous, and Sangaku was poorly attempting to be reserved. The latter then said, "Very well. Shizuha, you must be tired after walking through south to bring this. Come, I'll make some of my aunt's men give you some capon."
Sanae sighed. He clearly didn't want to think about this, merely indulge in the distractions of the soldiers before fighting in a war with soldiers. Such a simple man... Sanae thought, ...yet he is both good on the battlefield and good with his half-sisters. I'm not sure if he'd be a better knight or a father...
With that, Sanae stood and watched Sangaku leave the tent with his sister, looking on and deciding to let him spend some time with his kin rather than his... 'bed knight'...
