Chapter 44
Takashi was propped on an elbow looking at Deiji's peaceful sleeping face, which had the first sun rays playing on it. A smile appeared on his own face, when he remembered last night. He was ready to let her go, but that would have been a huge mistake. He thanked whatever power had made her stay here. She moved a little to the side, one of her hands coming from under the blanket to rest on the pillow, next to her head. These same delicate hands had held onto his back so tightly when they first became united. And this face was unable to hide whatever emotions she was feeling, showing everything just the way she experienced it – fear, anxiety, pain, pleasure. He loved that.
"You are mine now." He whispered. "And I will never let you go."
Just then, the door opened and one of his servants came inside. They were used to waking him up at this hour. He moved up, his torso still naked. Then put his finger in front of his mouth, a signal for the servant to be quiet.
"I am sorry, Your Highness." The girl whispered, when she noticed the figure in his bed. "I came to wake you up as usual."
"It's ok. Bring me breakfast for two in thirty minutes."
She bowed and went out, heading first to the governor, then to the kitchen. For a girl to wake up in the prince's bed was a rare sight. To have breakfast with him even more so.
Takashi moved up and started dressing up. Deiji finally opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. A few minutes passed before he noticed that.
"Good morning!" He said and moved closer to her.
She sat up quickly.
"I am sorry. Did I oversleep?" Her unruly hair made the sight even more amusing.
He smiled.
"Not at all."
Then he sat by her side and gave her a quick peck.
"Breakfast will be here soon." He said and stood up, giving her some space to get dressed.
When the servant came inside later she saw the prince and Deiji smiling while talking around the table. The girl carefully left the dishes on the table, using the opportunity to look around the room.
"Black tea for Your Highness and herbal tea for his lady." She said and handed them the cups.
"Thank you." Deiji said politely, preparing to put some sugar in her tea.
"Bring green tea for her. No herbal tea from now on." Takashi said with a serious expression.
Deiji raised her eyebrows.
"I like herbal tea."
"Green tea is healthier."
Deiji was not convinced by this explanation, but she let the servant take the cup. It was not that important.
"Try this fish. It's really delicious." Takashi said.
These were the last words the servant heard before going out. The governor was waiting for her at the first turn.
"So?"
"It is true, lady Go. They had slept together."
"Slept together as lovers or?"
"I saw her virgin blood on the sheets." Lady Go widened her eyes. So this girl was now a real favorite. "And…the prince ordered me to stop serving her herbal tea. Only green."
"God!" Lady Go exclaimed. "So it is this serious…"
"What does this herbal tea contain exactly?" The young servant asked, oblivious.
"It is none of your business."
When Toushiro woke up in the morning he saw Momo was already up by her dressing table. Her hair was perfectly styled, but she was trying to mask the dark circles around her eyes with some powder.
"Did you not sleep?" Toushiro asked. "I think that I heard you getting up in the middle of the night."
"I went on the balcony for fresh air. It was hot."
He did not ask any further even though her expression was really dark. He thought it was due to their conversation last night.
"I don't like him too, Momo. But he is leaving today. And if we reach an agreement it will bring us peaceful years ahead."
Touhiro leaned down to kiss the top of her head. She was looking at his reflexion in the mirror.
"Don't forget to put on your crown." He said before going out.
She did not even turn to face him. Momo stood up and reached for her beautiful green top, trying to fight off the new wave of nausea.
Luckily her children were not present at the goodbye ceremony in the garden. Mashir's wives also hurried to the carriage. Only he and Havri remained. During their last conversation Momo stood at a certain distance, happy for once that she was not supposed to hear these men's talks. From time to time Mashir kept throwing looks in her direction, but she avoided his eyes. When the men shook their hands they moved closer to her again. Toushiro looked angry.
"Your Majesty, it was my pleasure." Mashir said as he took Momo's hand and kissed it. She noticed his arrogant smirk before her moved his head up. "Such dignity and nobility." He said quietly, trying to spite her.
"I would say that I hope to meet you again, Your Majesty, but…that would mean that our peace is in danger again, so I wouldn't wish for it."
Her smile made these words even blander.
"Who knows? We are about to become one family soon."
Then hand in hand with Toushiro she went inside, while keeping her head high. Mashir and Havri jumped on their horses and led the procession outside.
When they reached Toushiro's room Momo was quick to take off her crown and throw it on the bed. Toushiro raised his eyebrow.
"What is the meaning of this?" He raised his voice.
"It hurt my head." She answered sharply. "I already fulfilled my duty as your empress, so I am allowed to do what I want now, aren't I?" She also raised her voice.
"What is wrong with you, Momo?"
"No, what is wrong with you? You have always been so proud and stubborn and now you are doing even the impossible to get on with this arrogant man!" She sat on the bed, trying to calm down.
"If you don't like me and your duties anymore, I won't be keeping you here by force." He said coldly.
Momo opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. She was just shocked by his words. She sat up and moved to the door, offended. Toushiro grabbed her hand.
"I am sorry, Momo. Please, stay."
She stopped in her tracks and took a deep breath.
"I need allies to keep the Empire whole. To protect our people. And I need your support."
Hearing these words, she felt sorry for what he was going through. The humiliation she suffered was nothing compared to his worries and responsibilities. She turned to face him and took his hands into her own. He leaned down and kissed her temple. They stood like that, quiet for a few minutes before he said something, which made her blood run cold.
"Havri wants to marry Kiara. This is Mashir's last request for an alliance. His daughter for my niece."
This proposition caused a real war inside the family. When Soifon and Omaeda heard about it they strongly opposed the idea. Soifon was not ready to give her favorite daughter to a primitive man like Havri. Omaeda was not willing to send her anywhere far from him.
"You told me yourself that you would never give them Airi, but now you promise my daughter?" Soifon shouted.
"I did not promise him anything!" Toushiro raised his voice too. "In fact, I told him that my niece would never become the third wife of someone, no matter who he is."
"Third or first, it does not matter to me. I will never give my daughter to this disgusting family." Omaeda said.
Momo was quiet by the window.
"What did he say then?" Soifon broke the silence.
"He told me that his son will promote her to his first wife and their son will one day inherit the throne." Toushiro sighed.
Soifon crossed her hands in front of her chest and made a few steps in one direction, then in another, deep in thoughts.
"He has to divorce his wives and take no other." Soifon said sharply.
"What?" Toushiro was confused.
Omaeda looked at his wife in shock. Momo finally faced them again.
"If Kiara is his only wife, I will give my permission for this marriage."
"Soifon!" Omaeda exclaimed. "What are you saying? We will never give Kiara!"
"If you think about it, she will become the Queen one day and her son will inherit their whole kingdom. Then we will become even more powerful. Cousins ruling bordering countries."
In her mind Tsunade was already the mother to the next Emperor. Kiara had to be the mother of a King.
"The throne? Is that all that matters to you?" Omaeda was in disbelief. "Even if you think so, I will never agree."
"All that matters is the opinion of our Emperor anyway. His decision is the law." She said coldly. Her husband looked into her eyes, finding the same devoid of feelings determination.
Looking at the Emperor, who nodded his head, Omaeda stormed out of the room.
"I will demand that from Mashir."
"You better do. I am giving my most precious for the future of this Empire."
Momo watched the whole scene in silence. She could not imagine marrying her son to this girl without his consent and here was Soifon who gave away her daughter so easily.
"You can't do that to poor Kiara." She told Toushiro when they were alone again.
"Momo, I have to. We have done this for centuries. No one in the royal family marries the one they want to, but the one they have to."
"What about you? You married me." She asked him with a serious face. He smiled.
"I was the only heir of this Empire. I could afford to do what I wanted to."
"So just because you are men, you have the right to choose, but women don't? You like one and she is obliged to become your wife or lover?"
"Have I ever forced you?" He pushed some papers from his desk, scaring her.
"The person I married was different than you." She said coldly and turned her back to him.
"Grow up, Hinamori! We are not children anymore. We cannot act according to our wishes only!"
"Why don't you invite Haribel here? Wasn't she close to you? Now you don't even want to talk about her. I heard from Rangiku that she has a son. He might be a better option for a husband than Havri!"
They were looking into each other's eyes, both barely holding their fury under control.
"Because I think that I understand politics better than you do."
Finding it all unbearable already, she slammed her fists onto his desk, then rushed to the door.
"Go on! Run away from trouble again!" He shouted after her, then ran his hands through his hair in a desperate attempt to calm down, before finally pushing everything from his desk on the floor and growling.
Outside of the room, Hinamori caught her abdomen with her hands and crouched her body over, throwing up the contents of her empty stomach.
That night she did not show up for dinner, saying that she had a terrible headache. Toushiro was still too angry with her to take these words seriously. He was also convinced that it was just an excuse not to see him. The next evening, however, Momo was still missing.
"Mom does really look sick. I am getting worried about her. She says it is just a headache, but she looks pale and tired." Airi said. "You should send doctor Isane to her, father."
Toushiro got worried. Momo had always been delicate. Her health suffered easily from emotional turmoil.
"I wouldn't worry that much." Masaru spoke too. "After all our last guests were really noisy and she had to keep them company all the time. I would have headache too."
"And still, Masaru, mom is acting strange."
Toushiro stood up and kissed Airi's head.
"Don't worry, Airi. I will take care of her."
Passing by his son, he patted him on the shoulder, before going inside Momo's room. She was in bed and turned her head in his direction, when she heard someone enter. Realizing it was him, she turned to the side again, not wanting to talk to him.
"How are you feeling, Momo?" He asked.
"I am fine." She answered quietly, still having her back to him.
Toushiro sighed and moved closer. She felt her bed sink a bit and knew he had sat down next to her.
"You are still angry with me."
She did not answer. He laid down next to her and embraced her form with his arm.
"Don't do that, Momo. Please. I don't want any arguments." Momo felt his hot breath on her neck.
She was still quiet. Toushiro tightened his hold on her, his hand moving closer to her lower abdomen, making her stiffen. He noticed her reaction and released her, moving his hand to her face instead. Using his fingers he caressed her temple and cheek gently. She moved her head to the side once again, almost burying it in the pillow. Toushiro stood frozen for a moment, then stood up angrily and went out, slamming the door in the process. Momo let out a short cry, then bit the pillow, as to muffle her cries. Her tears started falling on her cheeks.
One evening two weeks later Takashi was waiting for Deiji in his chambers. During this time he had not spent a single night without her. This sudden change in her life brought Deiji some discomfort, because she did not have the same stamina as his own and she felt the need to sleep peacefully at least once or twice a week. But she feared that if she told him that, he would turn to another concubine. And she actually liked this attention. Takashi was always gentle with her both as a partner and as a lover. She started looking forward to their intimacy as much as he did. For the concubines around her Deiji had turned into an even more unpleasant woman. Since she became the favorite and started dressing up, they finally saw her real beauty. Her happiness made her face brighten up, her posture and gate became more confident and combined with her natural elegance, subtlety and manners, she looked like she was a real princess. Deiji herself did not notice this change that much, but she also felt more beautiful and self-confident. Takashi found her even more irresistible.
When she went inside in her yellow dress with an elegant bun in her hair, decorated with flowers, he started shining too.
"Your Highness!" She smiled brightly at him.
"Come here!" He made a sign with his hands and she moved closer. He did not stand up from his seat at the sofa, so she decided to sit next to him. He pulled her into his lap. "This is much better!"
A slight blush appeared on her cheeks and she felt foolish. She was not an inexperienced virgin anymore. He pulled a single strand of hair that was free from the bun behind her ears.
"My beautiful flower…"
Takashi closed the distance between them with his lips. She moved her hands to cup his face. When he pulled back for air she whispered his name unconsciously in between her breaths.
"Say that again." He said. She widened her eyes. "My name…just my name without any honorifics."
"Takashi…" She said quietly.
"Not like that."
He moved his lips to her neck, his hand under the hem of her dress, roaming up until it reached her thigh.
"Takashi…" She moaned this time.
"This is better." He looked up and tightened his grip on her, moving her body so that she was straddling him.
She made a short pause, before moving her hands to cup his face again and kiss him passionately. He held her waist with one hand as the other moved up her back.
Meanwhile, Toushiro had called Masaru and Airi in his chambers and they stood in front of his desk.
"What is it, father? Is mother really sick?" Airi worriedly asked.
Masaru was unusually serious too.
"No. It is not about her. It is about you and your future."
Brother and sister looked at each other confused. Both shook their heads in silent confirmation that no one knew what was going on.
"The time has come for you both to get married."
Airi widened her eyes in shock. Masaru just gulped slowly.
"Father! I am too young to get married!" Airi exclaimed.
"Didn't you say just a few weeks ago that you wanted it?" Toushiro smirked.
"It was the euphoria from Eri's birth. I was not in my right mind."
Masaru suppressed a laugh.
"I am even younger than Airi. I don't have any concubines yet."
"I was 16 when your brother Hideki was born. So…this is no excuse. Airi will marry Teru in a few months. You, Masaru, will get married to king Mashir's daughter Jafa."
"Teru?" Airi exclaimed. "Why him? Does mother know?"
"Who is Jafa? I don't even remember her!" Masaru was scandalized.
"Quiet!" Toushiro raised his voice and they both looked down.
"Jafa is the little black-haired girl. Right now she is 11, but in a few years she will become your official wife."
Masaru started laughing.
"Do you think this is funny?" Toushiro raised an eyebrow.
"No. I apologize, Your Majesty!" The situation did not seem so bad to him now. "Who knows what would happen in a few years' time?"
"Both me and your mother have agreed that Teru is a good choice for a husband, Airi. He personally came to ask for your hand and my observation is that you like his company too."
"Not at all!" Airi said quickly.
"Really? Then why did you dance with him, laughing?"
Airi opened her mouth but made a pause. She had put herself in this mess.
"He is just a friend to me."
"Great! Your mother and I were also friends before we fell in love."
"But I…" She was just about to spill the secret about Kira, but then decided to keep quiet. Her father was truly scary when he got angry. Her mother would find a way to solve this.
Masaru patted his sister on the shoulder.
"Well, congratulations, sister! We will both get married soon!" He smiled.
Airi knitted her eyebrows.
"Yes, but you have a few peaceful years ahead and a dozen of concubines."
"At least your husband is not a foreigner! It could have been Havri!" He teased her.
"No way! Father is not a monster, who will send his daughter to this awful man!"
Airi shook her head. Toushiro felt his blood run cold. Losing Momo's support was hard enough. If he lost his daughter's love and devotion too, what would he do?
So Toushiro and Momo's problems are getting more and more serious. Will Toushiro continue losing the support of the people he loves or will he try to find another solution? Looking forward to your comments! :)
