Chapter 12

After our bath and getting ready, I walked with Nobunaga to the main hall. The other war lords were already there and in their usual seats. "Someone seems to be in a better mood." Mitsuhide observed.

"I never would have guessed anyone could make you get that angry, Lass." Masamune observed.

I felt my eye begin to twitch. "You guys..." I muttered.

My annoyance only seemed to amuse them more.

Nobunaga kept his hand around mine, and led me to our seats. It was then that the doors opened and Suki was walking in. My anger with her had also already started to cool down, though she still looked grumbly.

"Ah, I am glad you decided to join us, Suki." Nobunaga greeted her.

"Not like you really gave me a choice." She replied.

"Suki..." I said, my voice much calmer than it had been before.

She looked at me anger still in her eyes.

Before anyone else could say anything, Mitsuhide was walking up to her. "Come, sit with me." He said, taking her hand and guiding her over to sit beside himself and Masamune.

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that." I muttered. She had all kinds of dirt on me and could easily tell stories that those two would use to torment me with for the rest of my life.

"I have invited her to sit with me for exactly the reason you're thinking." Mitsuhide said looking at me, that wicked smile on his face.

I glared at him. "Stop doing that."

It only made him laugh. "Oh but where would the fun be in that."

"Mitsuhide, how many times do I have to tell you to stop riling Ava up?" Hideyoshi scolded.

"Oh, I am sorry, Mother." Mitsuhide replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You know, I am not that fragile." I told Hideyoshi.

"Ah, I knew you secretly liked my teasing." Mitsuhide said.

"Ugh, just stop it." I told him. You know, the guards listen to me, but these guys don't. Would be nice if being Nobunaga's wife would give me authority over them. I thought to myself.

Nobunaga put an arm around me and pulled me close. He kissed my brow and instantly I began to feel more at ease.

The food was delicious and the sake was flowing. The party was going on and I was mostly enjoying myself. Between not being able to drink and feeling my sister glaring at me, I was having a hard time. What I didn't realize is how heavily she had been drinking and how Mitsuhide had been the one pushing the drinks on her.

"Ava."

I turned at my sister's voice. "Yes?"

"How can you do this?" She asked, standing up on shaky legs and walking closer to me.

"What are you talking about?"

"How can you sit there and be so damn happy?" She asked. "Do you have any idea what I have been through since you've been gone?!"

I couldn't speak. I knew she was upset and angry with me, but there was hurt in her eyes, plain as day.

"You were gone! Vanished without a trace and then by some miracle I was able to find you!" She shouted at me. "I didn't know where you were or what happened to you! You have no idea the scnearios that came to my mind! I thought you were dead or taken by human traffickers! Every possibility under the sun flashed through my mind."

"Suki..."

"Then when I got here and found you, I was so relieved that you were alright! That you were safe and healthy and alive! Then...then I find out you CHOSE to stay here when you could have come home...all because you managed to get some good dick!"

I felt myself flush from the top of my head down to my toes and not in a good way. She did not just say that out loud in front of everyone?!

"Good dick?" Hideyoshi asked. "What does that mean?"

"I'm guessing by the way Ava is glowing bright red that it has some lascivious meaning." Mitsuhide observed.

I found myself flying to my feet and running to my sister. I linked my arm in hers and with a force I didn't even know I had, started dragging her towards the door. Though I imagine her being drunk helped to make it easier for me. "You're drunk." I said. "Come on."

I dragged Suki to her room and pushed her toward her futon. "Sleep it off." I told her. "And...I'm sorry that you're feeling hurt, but it's not what you're thinking." I thought of returning to the banquet, but knew there would be questions. I am not prepared to answer those right now.

It was then that I heard the sift soud of Suki's snoring. I looked over at her now passed out in her futon and the anger and embarrassment left my face. I walked over and sat down beside her. It reminded me of when we were younger...though usually it was Suki taking care of me.

I ended up falling asleep in the room, beside my sister. I woke up to find that another futon had been brought in and I was placed in it. My guess was that Nobunaga figured out what was going on and had come in to place me in bed.

"Ow, my head."

I looked over at Suki as she sat up, holding her head in her hands. "Have a bit much to drink, did you?" I asked, resting my head on my chin.

"Oh shut up." Suki said.

"You remember anything that happened last night?" I asked her.

"Not really." Suki answered. "At least not much after I started drinking with Mitsuhide."

"Well, you yelled at me again." I told her. "Clearly you weren't done yesterday."

Suki didn't say anything, just groaned with the pain in her head.

"I'll be right back and then we'll talk." I told her. I then went to the kitchen and grabbed a few things and took them back to my old room.

I handed Suki a glass. "Here, this will help your hangover."

Suki took it and drank it down. Within about fifteen minutes, I could see the color returning to her face. "What is this stuff? It's really good."

"A little hangover cure I learned from one of my first nights drinking here. Hideyoshi and Ieyasu gave it to me." I answered.

"You mean Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Ieyasu Tokugawa?" Suki asked.

I nodded. "The only ones...you know you were the one drinking quite easily with Mitsuhide Ackechi."

"Wait, wait, didn't he betray Nobunaga?" Suki asked.

"Not in this timeline." I told her. "The history we know...well it doesn't apply here."

"Clearly since you did save Nobunaga." Suki replied. "But I still..I don't get why you married him and chose to stay here."

"I told you...I fell in love." I replied.

"Didn't you even think of me and the life you left behind?" Suki asked me.

"I did...and I have missed you. I really have...and trust me there are things I miss about modern life, but my heart...it belongs to Nobunaga and I can't leave him."

Suki looked at me. She looked into my eyes.

"Believe me, this wasn't an easy decision to make." I told her. "I was conflited for a long time. That was part of why I had a hard time admitting my feelings for Nobunaga."

"And what about your dream to be a fashion designer?"

"Oh I still get to do that." I answered. "People from all over order kimono's, haori's, hakamas, and the like from me. It's kind of the in thing for people to order clothes from me."

"I see." Suki replied.

I looked at my sister, I saw something in her eyes. "What is it?"

"I'm still somewhat hurt that you chose this..." She said. "But I can see that...you really are happy here."

"I am." I said. "And it's not just because of Nobunaga. He is a big part of the reason, yes, but I've also made lots of friends here. I care about all of the warlords."

"You know...I still can't believe we are actually in the Sengoku and having this conversation." Suki said. "You're different."

"I think I'm still me." I replied.

Suki smiled. "You're stronger and more self assured than you ever were back home. You carry yourself differently."

"Well...I have been to war so that does change a person a bit."

"And I'm not entirely just mad at you, either." Suki said. "I'm mad at myself...I promised mom I would always be there for you to look out for you."

I put my hand over Suki's. "And you always kept that promise." I told her. "And it's because of how you were always there for me that I am who I am and I was able to make the choice to stay here. To make this change and live this life. To take the life I wanted."

"Oh, I can't stay mad at you." Suki said and then she was pulling me into a tight hug. "Why do you have to say things like that?"

I hugged my sister back. "You know I just say what I feel."

Suki pulled back and looked at me. "But there's no way I'm going to get you to come home, I take it?"

I shook my head. "I'm already home."