I sighed, completely lost, and Chizuru came holding my neck from behind.
« What are you doing ? Another report ? » she asked, curious.
« Not this time. » i answered calmly « it's the form for the marriage. »
« And what makes you sigh that much ? » she asked again, breathing in my neck.
I detached her hands and frowned. I was too concerned to be in the mood for proximity.
« My name. » I answered.
« What do you mean ? » she asked while coming to sit next to me, puzzled.
« It's asking for my birth name. I don't want to put Yamaguchi. But if I put Saito, could it be possible that our marriage is cancelled ? » i muttered more for myself than for her.
« Yamaguchi ? » she asked again « your name's not Saito ? »
I escaped my thoughts and reported my gaze on her. It was true that the subject never had been brought up before. I hadn't even thought about it.
« I was born Yamaguchi Hajime. » i explained « when i was eighteen, i killed an Hatamoto by accident and there was an official bounty on my head. I fled my home and changed my name to Saito so that I would not be recognized. »
« Then... » she said after thinking for a while « I guess it's better to put Saito, no ? It's safer. I don't want any bounty hunters after my husband. »
I felt my cheeks heat when she said the word « husband ». How could the same word be so different on this form and in her mouth ?
« But... What if my real name is discovered ? Mrs Saito wouldn't exist officially if there is no M. Saito... » i muttered again, looking back at the paper which was driving me crazy.
She stood up and arranged her hair in a bun with hairpins. I turned to her once more.
« You're leaving ? » i asked.
« Yeah, I saw Sen last time and she offered to join me for lunch. You don't mind ? »
« Of course i don't. You don't need my permission to see friends. » i said, reporting my attention on the paper again.
« If you need anything, we're just downstairs. » she said « and you're welcome to join us if you feel like it. »
I nodded and off she went. I knew already that I wouldn't join them and just have a meal brought in the room for me. It's not that I didn't like Sen... Apart from the first time in the street, i haven't seen her. I didn't know her and therefore, couldn't dislike her. It's just that I believed Chizuru needed some time alone with another woman, talk about girl things, do girl things... She's been in the Shinsengumi for three years, dressed as a man and doing chores. Not sure it was something very fun for a girl of her age. She deserved a proper friendship. Plus, it seemed like Sen was a demon too, according to Chizuru, and maybe it was good for her to learn more about her kin...
For the moment, i only noticed two major differences with normal humans : her healing abilities and the way her eyes lit with a golden light when she's overwhelmed with pleasure. I wasn't sure there was anything more in « being a demon » but the more knowledge she can have on her kin, the better it could be. Maybe it could even help us defeat Kazama Chikage if he ever tried to get to her again.
I ordered some lunch in the room and waited for it while writing to Hijikata-san. According to Yamazaki, the Tosa were preparing a punitive expedition against Miura as expected. I was asking Hijikata to allow me to gather more men in the Tenma-ya, at least at night, to ensure Miura's safety.
I heard some footsteps in the stairs and expected it to be the tray for my lunch but nothing prepared me to the tornado barging in the room.
« Saito-san ! You can't do this ! » yelled Sen with eyes burning with anger.
« Good morning, Sen-san » i replied, keeping my composure and my toneless voice.
« It's Sen-hime for you, Saito-san. » she said with the same arrogance that reminded me of Kazama. « I am a princess of the Yase clan and you will adress me as such ! »
« As you wish, Sen-himesama. » i said, still calm.
Are all demons so arrogant or am I just meeting only the worst of them ? It seems like I'm going to be the one with trouble with my step family... In comedies, it's always the spouse suffering her step-mother...
« Better. » she said, helding her chin high like a real princess used to command « as I said, you can't do this. »
« Hajime ! » yelled Chizuru, running towards us « I'm sorry ! I couldn't stop her from coming up ! »
« I see. » i said, already annoyed by the demon « what can't I do, Sen-himesama ? »
« You can't strip Chizuru from her name. » she said firmly, fists on her hips.
« Because I am human ? » i said in my toneless voice even if the annoyance in me was getting bigger « You'd rather have her marry a pure bread demon like Kazama Chikage ? »
« Pure blood, not pure bread. Gosh, we're not animals... » she sighed « and you can marry her if she agrees, that's not any of my concerns. But you can't take her name away. »
I stayed silent, not following. Why couldn't she take my name ?
« The Yukimura clan of the east was the most powerful demon clan. Only challenged by the Kazama clan of the west. » she explained, a bit calmer but still with a commanding voice filled with authority. « If Chizuru renounce her name, then all the Yukimura clan dies with it as she is the only surviving demon with that particular name. It is an illustrious name and I won't allow it to die. »
« I see. » i simply said, understanding the point Sen was trying to make.
« You can marry her if you wish and rebuild the Yukimura clan but YOU'RE taking her name, not the other way around ! » she ordered.
I frowned. Never would I have imagined taking the name of my spouse. It wasn't the way things were done. As a man, i could have changed name if I was adopted, even as an adult, like Ito for example. But changing my name by marriage ? Taking the name of my spouse ? That was not the way things worked.
« Sen... » objected Chizuru « Is it really that important ? »
« It is. » she answered firmly, showing that she wasn't open to discussion « You will adopt Saito-san, give him your name and then, and only then, you will marry him ! You are a princess too, Chizuru. Princess of the Yukimura Clan. And he's a... man. He has to raise himself to YOUR level. Not you get down to his. »
She looked at the both of us with arrogance and authority before addressing us once more.
« Now, I'm going to let this sink in. » she said like a mother scolding her children « when I come back, i expect you to behave accordingly. »
She turned over with the dignity of a princess and exited the room, leaving both Chizuru and I puzzled about what just happened.
« You have charming friends. » i eventually said to Chizuru.
« I'm sorry, Hajime ! » she apologized, blushing « She's usually not like that but when i told her about the difficulties you were encountering with the form, she just went berserk... »
I thought for a moment and reported my attention on the paper, still on the table.
« I guess it solves my earlier dilemma. » i said in my toneless voice.
« But... Doesn't it bother you ? » she asked, unease.
« Yamaguchi, Saito, Yukimura... It doesn't make any difference for me. The only thing that matters is for you to be my wife. » i answered, believing every words of it.
She seemed to be touched but i could see that something was wrong. She had sadness in her eyes that i couldn't understand.
« It doesn't suit you ? » i asked.
« I.. am glad that you would agree to take my name but... I'm not sure it's the right choice... »
I waited for her to organize her thoughts and explain to me why would she oppose her friend's decision.
« I understand all the legacy that there is behind my name but to be fair, until recently, i had no idea that I was a demon... All this... About clans, princesses, demons... It just seems so foreign to me. And, my name, Yukimura... It's what makes me a target for Kazama. I don't want to be a target anymore. I don't want to live in fear that maybe some demon is going to come for me, for you, for our family just because we are Yukimura. »
She had a point. Just like I changed my name to hide, maybe it was preferable for Chizuru to do the same to escape from the demons of the west trying to tighten their grip on her.
« I'm not sure Sen-himesama, would be thrilled with your explanations. » i said, still in my toneless voice.
She stiffened her back and held her head high, looking at me straight in the eyes with a burning flame of volition.
« As she said, I am a princess of the Yukimura clan of the east, the most powerful demon clan. I don't think the Yase princess is in any position of ordering me around. » she said firmly and she did look like a princess.
I guess arrogance and command are in the blood of every demon... You just have to awake the fire burning from within.
« Never would I have expected to marry a princess. » i answered with a smirk « then... Saito it is ? »
« Saito it is. » she repeated, still with her commanding voice « and if Sen has something to say about it, I will set her straight. »
I escaped a small laugh and took the brush to fill the form for M. and Mrs. Saito. As soon as I could get out of the Tenma-ya, we would take it to the administration and be officially married.