Chapter 25
My heart began to pound in my chest as we climbed up the temple steps. It didn't feel like my wedding day, at least not the one I had imagined as a love sick teenager, I imagined a large bouquet of flowers, a big dress with a long train, a church, hymns, and my father walking me down the aisle. At-least my kimono was white like Queen Victoria's, the fashionable colour for upper class wedding dresses. I wondered what Ujio's mother looked like in this kimono, probably a thousand times better, as I bet she wasn't the size of a whale. I hoped I did her kimono justice. My stomach did flips as we approached the shrine, I could see Katsumoto, Nobutada, Algren, Nakao, and then finally Ujio.
Momentarily I forgot how to breathe as Taka and I approached, my arm hooked around hers. The faces at the shrine turned to look as they heard our approaching footsteps. Polite conversation turned to silence.
"Subarashi," Ujio whispered to himself as Taka released my arm, she stood by Nathans side as I stepped forward to my almost husband nervously. "You look beautiful,"
"Thank you," I blushed, I was not usually shy of attention being a dancer, but having such a small intimate ceremony brought out the introvert in me. "You look very handsome,"
I wasn't just saying it to return the compliment, Ujio did look extremely handsome. He had on a black variation of his usual outfit, however it had black and white pin striped trousers and a white trim. He wore a wide sleeved black cover up over the top. I pressed my hand to my stomach, feeling my nerves dart around inside me.
"Are you alright?" Ujio asked in a hushed tone, laying his hand over mine.
"Yes," I gulped, "I am just nervous," I admitted.
"You are having second thoughts?" Ujio asked, his brow furrowed.
"Never," Ihalf laughed at his worried demeanour. "I am just feeling a little self-conscious, and a lot pregnant," I ran my hands over my growing bump.
"You are radiant," Ujio said lowly as he eyed the Shinto priest approaching.
"Shall we begin?" The priest asked as he stepped up to the two of us, the bride and groom.
After the ceremony the whole party walked to Ujio's house, or I guess our house you could say, villagers peered from their doors, trying to get a peek at the unlikely couple. Ujio's men came from there homes and smiled warmly, bowing low as we passed. We made it to Ujio's home where Taka prepared tea, she had roped in some of her village friends to make food which was served to us all at the tiny table. Katsumoto raised his small sake cup, a toast.
"Ujio and Arabella, I wish you great happiness, I am happy fate brought you both together, east and west. May your marriage and your child be healthy and strong," Katsumoto announced, taking a drink of sake, the entire table took their drinks, except for I who drank tea instead, I had heard of what alcohol can do to an unborn child.
Ujio cleared his voice and took my hand in his, curling his fingers tightly around my own.
"We have an announcement of our own," Ujio spoke strongly, glancing at me as he did, "My lord, you are my closest friend, and Taka you are like sister to Arabella, we wish to ask you both to be Kari-oya, or as they say in the west, Godparents, to our child," Ujio had discussed it weeks ago, I told him of our western custom of god parents, and he told me of Kari-oya. When he asked who I would have as our child's god parents there was no hesitation.
Katsumoto beamed ear to ear whilst Taka smiled and pressed her hand to her lips, over run with emotion.
"I accept of course, it would be my honour," Katsumoto bowed his head.
"I am so humbled, of course I will be your Kari-oya," Taka spoke softly.
"So, does that make me an uncle and a cousin kind of?" Nobutada asked, a goofy grin on his face, Nakao hit him lightly in the all laughed, drank (just tea for me), ate and had good conversation about things other than war, which seemed to be all that the men talked about recently.
Our guests took their leave as the sun began to set, Taka needed to go home to her children, and Katsumoto had business of his own to conduct, Nobutada, Nakao and Algren decided to go finish another bottle of sake at Taka's house. Then it was just the two us. Ujio cleared away the cups and plates, I tried to give him a helping hand but he batted me away.
"You are my wife now, you will finally do as I say," Ujio smirked as he took all the dirty table wear out back. I picked up one dirty cup and stepped out back to join him, I placed it down on the wooden table with a smirk.
"As my husband you should know I definitely do not do as I am told," I smiled, picking up a rag. He washed the crockery, passing each piece to me and allowing me to dry it. The moon shone bright in the sky now the last ray of sun set behind the mountainside.
"The stars and moon never look this beautiful in Paris, or even at my fathers farm in England," I commented as I stared up at the sky, I could not find the words in Japanese so I spoke in my native tongue. As I dried off the last of the washing up. Ujio stepped behind me and wrapped his arms around my body, resting his hands on my stomach. His head next to mine he spoke softly into my ear.
"What is it like, Paris?" Ujio asked.
"Big, busy, beautiful, but dirty, magical but also dark," I sighed, I hoped one day to walk the streets of Paris with Ujio, pushing a pram down the pavement, arm in arm, but it was not ever going to be possible. I could never go back without facing the noose. I set down the dried plate and rested my hands on Ujio's.
"And England? What was that like? And your father?" Ujio asked.
"England was beautiful, but lonely, my friends were either farm hands, and animals: horses, cows, chickens. My father was sweet, I had him wrapped around my finger, until my mother died, I didn't see him very often after that, when I did, he was distant, cold," I admitted sadly.
"I hope to be good father," Ujio said, "And good husband," He planted a kiss on my cheek. I spun around in his arms to face him, his hands resting softly on my lower back.
"You are a good husband," I smiled, pecking him lightly on the lips. I could feel a small smile play on his lips as he captured my own, kissing them deeply. Ujio's hands slid down my lower back to my bum where he pulled me towards him, he stepped backwards towards the house and I followed, all whilst being wrapped up in a long deep kiss.
We made it through the back door of the house without separating, Ujio closed the door behind us without even looked and pulled me towards the bedroom. My hands ran over his shoulders and down his chest, I could not believe I could call this man my own.
We tumbled into the bedroom roughly, unable to keep our hands off each other, before the bedroom door was even closed Ujio pulled at the obi belt that sat just above my round bump. I pawed at his shirt, feeling for his strong chest.
"It is good to consummate marriage the first night," Ujio spoke against my lips.
"We have consummated our marriage many times," I reminded him with a giggle, he could feel my smile against his lips. My small laugh only made Ujio hungrier for me, he dropped my obi belt to the floor, the lack of fabric wrapping over my bump caused my kimono to fall open. Ujio deepened our kiss, a hand grasped the back of my head as I dropped the kimono down my shoulders and arms to the floor.
I found it rather unfair my husband was still fully dressed whilst I stood bare, I yanked at his shirt, untucking it from his trousers and whipping it off him. Before I could make a start at his trousers, he pushed me down onto the mattress into a sitting position. Ujio kissed along my jaw line hungrily, he nipped and kissed my neck, he managed to pull his trousers down to his knees as his lips moved along my collarbone.
He attempted to flip me over onto my knees but I fought back, from our intimate nights at home during the winter I learnt he loved to take me from behind, but I wanted to do something different. I shook my head no and pulled him down onto the mattress next to me. A look of confusion on his face he tried to sit up. I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him back down roughly, as gracefully as I could in my condition, I climbed onto him, my legs straddling either side of his pelvis. I rested my hands on his shoulders, holding him down. My bump pressed against him as I bent down to peck him on the lips.
"What are you doing?" Ujio whispered against my lips, he winced in pleasure as our intimate areas grazed each other's.
"I am being in charge," I smiled as I sat up, slowly I reached between my legs and grasped him, Ujio let out a small moan, suddenly I pushed him inside of me to his shock Ujio leant his head back and gasped loudly.
"Arabella," he moaned as I moved up and down him. I circled my hips on him, letting out a soft moan myself. I could feel that familiar pressure building within me as I moved my hips up and down, my heart quickened, the hairs on my skin began to rise and my nipples began to harden. I could tell Ujio was getting close to filling me with his seed as his gasps and groans quickened. My legs began to ache as I bounced up and down on him, the pressure soon became to much as I reached the edge of orgasm. Ujio grasped my hips as he thrusted into me hard, I could not take any more, I exploded on top of him, my muscles contracting and shaking. Ujio let out a large moan not a second later and pushed himself deep inside me. I collapsed down onto him, my round bump pressing against his stomach. I propped myself up on my arms either side of Ujio's head as I rode the wave that took over me.
Ujio pulled out and lay a hand comfortingly on my back as I shivered over him, he rolled me off his body and onto my side, facing him. I took in deep breaths as my shivers slowed. Ujio reached for the blankets and pulled them over us, before snuggling up against me, his hand tenderly stroked my thigh as I curled my leg over him. My hair pin had fallen from hair, and curls stuck out from all over as Taka's beautiful bun loosened.
"You should be in charge more often," Ujio whispered as he kissed my forehead tenderly. I sighed in response, unable to muster words yet. My eyes struggled to stay open, eventually fluttering closed. Ujio pushed a stray curl from my forehead and caressed my cheek with his calloused hand.
"Goodnight wife," He smiled, closing his eyes.
Writer - Thank you for reading, looking to the future when the war comes I am contemplating doing two endings for you to choose from at the end, a fairy-tail happy ending, and the one I had envisioned. Please let me know what you think, reviews and constructive criticism always welcome and appreciated.