Chapter Thirty Eight: Charade
The barracks were heaving that morning.
Kibana squeezed and jostled his way through the gathered group of men, his gaze flitting from face to face as he struggled through the crowd to the cobbled walkway outside the main doors. There were far too many people here, he realised – Seimaru had increased the number of men at arms immediately within his reach but this had not meant an increase in the accommodation or facilities and as a consequence, all chaos had been let loose among the military personnel. For Kibana, who had been forced to leave his family home and enter the soldiers halls simply to keep his wife safe, it had been a difficult transition – and even more so now that a three berth chamber was now sleeping six or seven men, crammed in on the floor from wall to wall between door and tiny frosted window. The one advantage had been that so many bodies forced together had made the chamber warmer, since no fires burned above the ground floor of the military barracks and with the onset of winter, Kibana was not the only one starting to feel the cold.
He stifled a shiver, even as he stepped out onto the frost-gilted cobbles. A cloud of white steam coated the air that he breathed out and he sighed, knowing that winter was the one thing more than anything he hated about being in District Seven. Although the distance between the two Districts was minimal, his homeland had always been famed for its mild winters and early springs – and it was times like this, when the already savaged landscape was looking bleaker and full of despair that he longed for the endless green and patterned flower displays of District Eight.
But there was no time for nostalgia. His mind flitted back to the conversation the night before and he frowned, gathering his resolve. He would see his homeland soon enough, after all. He would see it – or die in the attempt of reaching it, with two very precious burdens in his care.
"Kibana!"
The voice made him start, swinging around half-guiltily to see the tall, sinewy figure of the shinigami lieutenant watching him disdainfully from across the courtyard. Hurriedly he bowed his head, seeing the sneering look cross the other's face at the gesture.
"You don't have time to waste on those things." He said sharply now, crossing the stone quickly despite the icy surface and grabbing Kibana's arm in a vicelike grip. "You're to come with me. Seimaru-sama's direct order – he's called for you by name."
"By name?" A hundred fears flooded through Kibana's heart, but somehow he kept his composure, offering the lieutenant a blank look. "Why would he do that? Surely with so many soldiers at his beck and call, he has no need of remembering us by name?"
"You he remembers. You in particular he knows." The lieutenant's eyes seemed to bore into him, and Kibana found himself wondering whether the whole of the late night conversation had been overheard after all. Fleetingly he wondered if Keitarou had betrayed him – or if there had been another, hidden in the hay lofts, straining to pick up every word that was said.
And then the lieutenant spoke again.
"You've been summoned to stand guard at the council meeting today." He said frankly, already making for the far side of the courtyard towards where the imposing manor house itself stood. "Seimaru-sama is aware, after all, that you are familiar with the protocol and routine of such a duty. And, he wishes to have you exactly where he can see you while the new recruits are being assigned and trained. You are a capable soldier, hence you've kept your life – so far. But he does not have reason to trust you and so you cannot be given over to teaching youngsters the skills you know."
He gave Kibana's arm a harsh tug, almost pulling the soldier off his feet on the slick surface, and Kibana saw the malicious glitter in the man's eyes. Even so, relief crashed over Kibana's heart – maybe it was all right, then. Maybe, still, Seimaru did not know of the plots taking shape beneath his feet.
"So far you've been obedient to Seimaru-sama's wishes, and for that he's grateful." The lieutenant – one of Seimaru's third degree kinsman, Kibana decided – continued, not waiting for his companion to offer any opinion of his own. "This is a good test for you to face, before the people of District Seven's council. You are a foreigner and you belonged to a traitor's retinue – these things count against you. But if you can prove good and loyal service to Seimaru-sama, then he will forgive these things and overlook them. So he has commanded me to tell you – and hence, so you have been summoned to stand guard today."
The lieutenant's eyes narrowed to mere slits.
"It is a privilege given to few, to be so singled out by a Clan Leader." He added softly. "Your history speaks well for you – you're a trained killer with a ruthless reputation and that is the kind of man Seimaru-sama seeks to have in his army. If you are a wise man, you will take the opportunity and rebuild your career from this point forward. You have no other options, after all – there is nobody else here who can offer you patronage and employment as a hired sword."
Kibana did not respond for a moment, then he once more bowed his head.
"As Seimaru-sama commands." He said quietly, and the lieutenant laughed – a cold, shrill sound that seemed to be made all the more bitter by the chill of the winter wind.
"You are surprisingly docile for one who came here as a mercenary." He remarked. "I had heard that – that even seeing your master led away in chains did not incite you to rebel. Seimaru-sama was impressed by this, Kibana – that you saw the futility of such an act and sought to preserve your interests above your former commander's. It was a wise choice – to recognise the shift in power. It is up to you whether you continue to choose wisely."
Kibana remembered the blood of a shinigami adorning his blade, and said nothing, though inwardly he longed to draw his weapon and strike this arrogant, presumptious nobleman with the sharp side of his sword.
But, he knew, such an act would not help him. It would more likely see him killed, in fact, for the weapon that hung at this man's side was a true zanpakutou – and despite his obnoxious attitude, the one who bore this weapon was one who knew how to fight.
And if I die here, what becomes of the plan? For Misashi-sama's sake, I must act as he has. Think things through. Wait. Be restrained and cautious. And make sure that in the end the ones I seek to protect are protected. That is my brief and the only thing that should concern me. Everything else I can overcome…everything else I will obey, whether I like it that way or not.
"Yes, sir." He said aloud, hating himself for submitting but knowing it was his only choice. "I will do as Seimaru-sama asks of me. That is my duty, after all, as a soldier of the Endou-ke retinue."
They had entered the main hall by this point, and the lieutenant released his grip on Kibana's arm, his own black and white uniform flapping against his legs as he led the way briskly along the narrow, winding corridors to the upper chamber where the Endou council were called to meet. Kibana had indeed been there before, in recent months, whenever Misashi had ordered him to be present. But the oppressiveness of the place still struck him even as he joined the other armed officers, standing wordlessly in line as the lieutenant cast his disparaging gaze along the members of the group.
At length he nodded, then gestured for them to stand back as the doors opened. The majority of the council were already in session, Kibana realised, his heart jolting slightly as he wondered again whether this was Seimaru's idea of a sadistic trap and he had been lured here to be hacked down by those that remained loyal to or scared of the new Lord of the Clan. Then he met Keitarou's gaze for the briefest of moments, shrouded as the man was in the darkness of the outer ranks, and he felt reassured. There was something about this stranger – something unquantifiable, yet something that gave him hope. Perhaps it was simply that he was no longer worrying about this alone – or that in this outsider he had found someone else who cared what happened to Seimaru's kinsfolk and District.
"Stand back." The lieutenant's sharp command rapped out and hurriedly Kibana did as he was bidden as, robed in a rich claret cloak pinned at his throat with the hunting bird of the Endou in gleaming gold, Seimaru strode between them, flanked by more soldiers in a show of evident power and control. He was late with design, Kibana realised dryly – he was making them wait for him the way Shouichi had often made him wait in the past six months.
Did he realise that he emulated his grandfather? Perhaps it was on purpose, but Kibana felt sure that it was not.
Like tyrant, like grandson, perhaps.
Still, he kept his thoughts to himself, following only the signal of the lieutenant to follow the Clan leader into the chamber. As the big doors were rolled shut behind them, Kibana stood up straight, his gaze unfocused and distant as he pretended not to pay attention to the council session.
It began with a bang, for Seimaru was clearly in one of his legendary short tempers and for the first hour an ill-humoured debate was bandied around the echoing chamber as one by one he put down the requests from land holders to lower taxes and scathingly singled out individuals for their apparent failure to gather their usual annual dividends. At one point his fingers hovered near to his zanpakutou, and despite his hardened attitude Kibana had flinched, knowing enough of Seimaru's firesword to know that he did not want to be caught up in its legendary curse.
But apparently someone had advised the new Clan leader that drawing his weapon in the crowded council chamber would be a bad start to his incumbency, and though he continued to rage and rant from person to person, Yojinmozu by some miracle stayed in its sheath as he preferred to savage his retainers and kinsfolk with the sharp edges of his tongue instead.
And then, from the gloomy corners of the chamber, Keitarou got to his feet, his hand raised in an indication that he wished to speak. Despite himself, Kibana stared at the nobleman in surprise and confusion, yet Keitarou did not meet his gaze, instead waiting as Seimaru whipped round towards him, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.
"What do you want, Minazake?" He demanded, his tones cold. "Do you feel now that you are enough one of us here that you can start advising your seniors and betters on matters of Endou government?"
"No, my Lord." Keitarou bowed his head low, but not before Kibana saw the faintest flicker of something in those odd eyes. Had it been amusement? Kibana dismissed this almost at once, for there was nothing funny about Seimaru's bristling, angry form bearing down from across the room. Even with basic kidou skills, Kibana was sure an unarmed man would stand little chance against Yojinmozu's sadistic fury.
"Then what is it you want to say? Are you, perhaps, feeling unwell? A call of nature, maybe?" Seimaru's tones were mocking now, and, glad that the attention was shifted towards one who was not their own, a few clansfolk began to smirk and snigger in their corners. Kibana felt sick at their easy betrayal of their comrade, but Keitarou did not seem to be phased by it. Instead he bowed his head further, then,
"It is a matter of little import, Seimaru-sama. Only, I was led to believe that if I came here...I would be...my family would be...once more included in the taxation divisions and dividends. And that...with your grace...the land that once belonged to my family might be in part returned to me as your kinsman by your mother's noble blood."
Silence greeted this remark, and Seimaru reeled, as if it had been the last thing he had expected. From across the chamber, an Endou Kibana did not know by name shot to his feet, indignation in his gaze.
"That land was granted to my kin by Shouichi-sama and I have the documentation to prove it!" he exclaimed. "It is not a treaty that can be so easily reneged upon! Your kin were cast out from it, Minazake-dono."
"And yet it was on that assurance that I returned here in the first instance." Keitarou's expression was one of perfect surprise. "I was led to believe that..."
"You may have returned here and you might have felt Seimaru-sama's mercy or pity enough to be allowed to attend council. Even so far as to be given Eiraki-hime's hand in marriage." The other cut across him hotly. "But you do not have any right to the land my family were given in good faith by Shouichi-sama for services rendered twenty years ago! I will not relinquish it, Seimaru-sama - not unless he takes a sword and fights for it like a proper Endou should."
A nasty sneer touched his expression.
"Except we all know that Minazake's people were debarred from sword training on account of their connections." He said derisively. "And I've no wish to so easily adorn my sword with his entrails."
"Are you questioning the honour of my Lady Mother's line?" Seimaru demanded, and in a flash the protester had paled, shaking his head hurriedly.
"No, my Lord, not at all." he said quickly. "But the kin that surrounded her - it's well known that their grasping and greed led to her being so wrongfully imprisoned for such a long time."
"My Grandfather's judgement, then?" Seimaru was every bit the stalking shrike now, eying up his prey ready for the kill.
"No, my Lord, I just..."
"Ah, enough of this." Seimaru shook his head, turning his attention back to Minazake. "Wretched as his claim is, it stands. You have no claim to any land, Minazake. Your people forfeited and that isn't reversable. If that's all you have to say, stand down - I will not grant you what is not yours to claim."
"But Misashi-sama led me to believe..." Keitarou began softly, and then faltered, seeming to realise he'd made a mistake. Kibana winced inwardly at his cohort's gaffe, for at this Seimaru reacted instantly, marching across the chamber and grabbing Keitarou by the fabric of his kimono. Dragging the leaner man forcibly from his seat, he pulled him down the rows of benches to the centre of the hall, and a deathly hush fell over the gathered peers.
It was as though they had assembled to watch the end of a hunt, Kibana thought darkly, and now they would stand and stare as the wretched creature was ripped to shreds before their gaze. Seimaru certainly had that gleam in his eye...and Keitarou, the man who did not have a sword, was entirely at his mercy.
For a moment nothing moved, then Seimaru released his hold, and Keitarou fell to the ground, scrambling to regain his composure as he stared up at the Clan leader in dismay.
As he did so, Seimaru drew back his right foot, kicking Keitarou in the jaw and sending the other man sprawling into the front row of seats, causing exclamations to rise up from the nearest group of noblemen. None of them moved to help their fallen companion, though. All were transfixed, as though their lives depended on them keeping their seats.
Well, perhaps it did. Kibana felt sick to his stomach once more. This was, after all, how Endou justice was dispensed. Another trace of the dead Shouichi's ghost had just reared itself visibly in his young, ambitious successor.
For a moment Kibana was sure Seimaru would kill the fallen Clansman, but then, at the last minute he seemed to stop, shaking his head with a mixture of resignation and disgust.
"You will never, ever say that name here again." He spoke in low tones, clearly fighting to keep back his anger. "My uncle is gone. You may consider him dead as far as this council goes. He will never stand in this chamber nor give his views here so long as I rule this Clan - and I will rule it, God help me, no matter what any of the rest of you think about it. I will eradicate anyone who thinks otherwise - I am my Grandfather's successor and I have no compunction about shedding lives if the need arises."
He bent down, hauling Keitarou to his feet. Kibana could see that already the man's mouth and cheek showed bruises, and a faint spill of blood trickled from a split lip, making a stark contrast with the man's ashen complexion.
"You are dismissed for today." He said nastily, his eyes boring into his companion's as if trying to burn the fire of his curse into the other man by will alone. "I do not wish to see or hear from you for a full twenty four hours - else I might be compelled to stifle your voice for good."
Somehow - Kibana did not know how - Keitarou regained his balance, slowly and unsteadily bowing his head towards the angry Clan leader.
"My sincere apologies, Seimaru-sama." He whispered. "It will not happen again."
With that he was gone, and, very slowly, the room began to settle back down.
But Kibana could not settle. What he had witnessed had made the situation all too clear.
Seimaru-sama is an enemy that Minazake-dono can't fight alone any more than I can. He may have kidou skills, but he is no match for the leader of his Clan. And I...I'm a soldier. Alone, I have nothing at all to offer in the way of power or influence. What I've decided may bring Sumire-sama and Eiraki-hime into danger, but still...but still...
Unseen by the men of the court, he slid his fingers surreptitiously around the hilt of his blade, remembering again the blood of the shinigami as it had trickled down the weapon's shining surface.
I must take this risk. I must try, for their sake and for the sake of Misashi-sama. Between us, perhaps, we can do what alone neither one of us can. Between us - perhaps - we can defy the Lord Seimaru and bring hope back to District Seven.
There was a light frost coating the grounds of the Kyouraku estate as Shunsui led his group of companions out into the chill air, their footprints making dark indentations in the glittering surface as they followed the long winding pathway across the main courtyard to the gardens beyond.
They had risen early, even Shunsui for once leaving his bed without too many protestations and, after breakfast had slipped out of the house before Tokutarou or Kyouki could find some responsible socialising duty for them to attend to. Consequently they were now out in the biting fresh air, yet Juushirou did not find it overly cold. On the contrary, he found the brisk chill in the air both invigorating and revitalising, and as he drew a deep breath into his battered lungs, he realised that unlike the slightly damp, frozen nature of his own homeland, District Eight's winter weather was crisp, dry and clear. There was no morning sea mist here, nor any need to wait for it to clear before venturing out into the hills and valleys. It was a picture perfect landscape, touched by the most delicate highlights of the current season.
It was winter, yet even so, it was winter in gentle moderation. Juushirou was aware of vivid blue in the sky overhead and, battling bravely against the elements, soft blue and lavender blossoms raised their heads towards the weakened rays of the pale sun. Interspersed among the bare silver-grey branches of the deciduous trees were the darker green sprays of the evergreen varieties and Juushirou was struck at how different and yet how beautiful his friend's homeland was from his own.
"It's cold this morning." Enishi's voice broke through his musing, as the tall boy shivered, pulling his heavy Yamamoto-ke cloak more firmly around his broad frame. "I thought it was meant to be warm in District Eight, Kyouraku - were you exaggerating after all?"
"No, but this is still winter." Shunsui seemed amused, shaking his head. "This is about as cold as it ever gets here, though."
He cast Juushirou a grin.
"None of that beautiful snow that covers your hills in Sixth, Juu-kun...we rarely ever get snow in this District except for on the peaks of the border mountains with District One."
"I think that's a shame." Mitsuki observed in her soft voice, soft cream cloak fluttering slightly in the cool breeze. "I love waking up to find that the world's gone white and you can see all the tracks of the animals disappearing into the forests."
"Winter is a beautiful time in District Six." Ryuu agreed. "But most of all because of its starkness compared to our spring. Your territory may be fine, Kyouraku, but I defy you to produce anything of the splendour of Kuchiki sakura trees when the spring starts to break through the frosts."
"Ah, I've heard much about that." Shunsui nodded. "And you're right. We don't have the same kind of displays here as you probably do there. But in the spring and especially into summer, this whole area is smothered in colour. You can barely see the leaves for the flowers - I imagine you wouldn't see the sakura even if they were trying to bloom here."
"Shunsui's right." Sora stretched her hands over her head with a sigh. "In the summer, this place is the most beautiful on earth. Going home to Fifth always seems drab and dull after we've spent a week or two here with Tokutarou-nii."
"Yet there are still flowers, even now." Juushirou bent to touch the petals of one of the nearest flowers, surprised by how delicate they felt. "Despite the frost, they can still bloom."
"They're stronger than they look...they'll withstand the storms and the hail as well if they have to." Shunsui grinned. "The Kyouraku like that blossom. They call it the Yuukirin - the Flower of Courage. It only blooms in Eighth District, so if you squint at all those laboriously grand tapestries in the main hall, you'll see it woven into the borders of pretty much every one. It flowers in adversity, and so it's as symbolic to my family as the sakura is to the Kuchiki."
"I thought that your Clan's emblem was a Gokurakuchou-ka." Ryuu looked startled. "Is that not the flower that adorns the badge of your Clan, or am I mistaken?"
"The Bird of Paradise Flower." Juushirou looked pensive. "I think Ryuu-kun's right. I'm sure I've seen it too, between the swords of your Clan's emblem."
"It is." Shunsui agreed. "But it doesn't bloom all year around like the Yuukirin."
He smiled, brushing his fingers self-consciously against the chain of the pendant that hung around his neck, slipping it out from beneath the heavy fabric of his Clan attire and tilting it so that the sun glinted off its golden surface.
"The Gokurakuchou-ka has a meaning of obtaining everything." He added. "To bring everything into these hands...that's the motto that it's tied to and has been since the Kyouraku-ke first established itself generations ago. The swords were added later - as a sign that if it didn't come easily, we would take it by force and proud swordsmanship - an attitude I hate, by the way, but one that seems fitting for a Clan with such a strong military history. The Yuukirin is more of an unofficial badge of honour - since the Kyouraku have had several periods of adversity in their history. And flowers...are very important to a samurai Clan. Now and then."
"I didn't know it had that kind of meaning." Juushirou looked surprised, and Shunsui nodded.
"There's your brief history lesson from your native tour guide." he said playfully. "Now you know."
"All the Clans have flowers that are symbolic, not just the Kyouraku." Hirata, who up till that point had remained silent put in, and Kai, at his side, nodded his head.
"Hirata's right." He agreed. "In ancient history, before reading and writing was as prevalent as it is now, that's how the great Families identified themselves to others - with coloured banners and a spray of this or that blossom at their breast. Ours - the Okina-gusa - has remained now as the badge Nee-sama's adjutant wears as part of his Gotei uniform, although it isn't a part of the current Shihouin crest."
"I seek nothing." Shunsui mused, and Kai nodded.
"Exactly that."
"Do you know what all these flowers mean?" Sora stared at Shunsui in confusion, and Shunsui shrugged.
"Flowers matter when they can convey messages." He said simply. "I picked it up as a child - the Kyouraku take flowers seriously, I told you. They're part of a would-be samurai's education - to know the meaning of a blossom is as important as waving a sword to some warriors. And...in my case...preferable since it doesn't involve killing anyone. So I suppose I paid a little more attention to that side of things than some of the other values my Uncle tried to teach me."
"That's kind of neat." Juushirou looked wistful. "District clans don't have any kind of thing like that."
"Well, not all of the Clans pay great attention to their flowers these days." Ryuu said honestly. "The Kuchiki venerate the cherry blossom, but their official Clan flower is, I believe, something quite different."
"The camellia." Mitsuki dimpled. "Sixth Squad uses it, but you're right. The Kuchiki-ke doesn't, not these days. They prefer the beauty and grace of the sakura. Although the camellia fits the Clan a little better, in my opinion - since I think it means noble reason."
"I don't know what flower the Yamamoto-ke might have had." Enishi admitted, and Sora shook her head.
"Me either for the Shiba. Okaasama has a flower for the Gotei, but I don't know what it is or anything about it." She owned. "I haven't really paid attention, so I suppose we've lost that element of our history, too."
"What about the Endou, Hirata?" Juushirou asked, and Hirata shrugged his shoulders.
"Our flower means courage." He said bitterly. "Like Kyouraku-kun's Yuukirin. But I can't say it fits my family in even the slightest way. It does appear, though, on the badge of some lines of the Endou-ke. And Ojiisama did adopt it for Seventh Squad, since most of the squads are using Clan flowers as a form of immediate identification now. It's the shoubu - the iris."
"Shoubu, huh." Enishi grinned, and Kai snorted.
"For that reason alone it should be kept as the Endou-ke flower." He said dryly. "Forgetting the meaning - the name seems to sum it up far better."
"And there is courage." Juushirou patted Hirata's shoulder reassuringly. "We've all seen it, Hirata - in the last two years at school with you."
"I'm not that brave." Hirata coloured, but there was faint pride in his pale blue eyes. "But thank you. I appreciate the comment at least."
"So it's just Juushirou without a flower." Sora observed. "That seems kind of a shame, somehow."
"District families never needed that kind of symbolism, I suppose." Juushirou shrugged his shoulders. "I had no idea the Clans took botany so seriously, to be honest. It never occurred to me that they meant anything except a sign of beauty or pride."
"Well, since you're one of us now, we should find you a flower, too." Kai teased. "Since you've walked the elevated halls of the Council and carry a zanpakutou in a Clan monogrammed sheath. You're as good as a Clansman now, aren't you? The Ukitake-ke should have a flower, too."
"I don't know about that." Juushirou began, but Shunsui laughed, nodding his head.
"Kai-kun's right. And here's a good candidate." He said with a grin, bending to touch his finger to a small, delicate bell like flower in brilliant snow white. "In most places, these don't bloom until after Shougatsu. But here, they bloom all through the winter, just like the Yuukirin. And somehow that makes me think of you, Juu-kun - since you're a winter baby, and I consider you a snowflake at the best of times."
"The snowdrop?" Mitsuki looked surprised, and Shunsui nodded.
"Exactly." He agreed. "I can't think of a better flower to adorn the Ukitake-ke."
He deftly severed the stem of the flower, holding it mock-formally out towards his bewildered friend, who hesitated, then took it gingerly between his fingers.
"Thank you, but I don't quite understand." he admitted, and Kai grinned.
"The snowdrop is a white flower and a wintery flower, like you." He said evenly. "But I think Kyouraku chose it for another reason. It has a meaning too, Ukitake. It means 'hope'. And I don't think anyone could argue with that meaning for you and your family - do you?"
"Hope?" Juushirou's eyes widened, and he gazed at the tiny, delicate blossom anew. "That's why?"
"Kai's right." Shunsui nodded his head. "The snowdrop carries the meaning of 'hope'. And you carry that meaning, too, for all of the District kids - current Academy students, and future ones, too. You're their beacon, blazing a trail for them to follow. And that's the hope that Yama-jii has, too - that he'll train enough Shinigami to keep the Hollows in check and stabilise this world for generations to come. So that's your flower, Juu. Without a doubt - that's your flower. Winter, white and hope. It couldn't be any other."
A faint smile touched Juushirou's lips, and he nodded, slipping the stem of the bloom into his obi.
"Then I'll accept it with pride." He said solemnly. "As the flower of the Ukitake-ke from this point on."
He glanced around him, his gaze falling momentarily on Mitsuki, and he frowned. Although he had resolved not to pursue it, he could not help but notice how pretty the faint colour that the cold wind brought to her cheeks made her, nor the relaxed, happy sparkle in her soft grey eyes. She was a hime, beyond his reach and no matter how much he battled, he would never break through that divide. No matter what people said...he would always be District, and she would always be Clan.
Just like Etsuo-san and Shunsui - an unbreachable divide. Even if I am 'hope' - some hopes are a stretch too far.
"But I'm not a Clansman. Not now, and not in the future." He said aloud, a faint note of wistfulness in his tones. "No amount of flowers or swords or anything else will change that."
"In the future, it won't matter." Mitsuki seemed to have read his thoughts, for she spoke seriously, meeting his hazel gaze with her own. "It's already starting to change - in the future, the Clans won't control the Gotei as much as they do now. And they won't be able to segregate people based on their bloodline."
"That's dangerously optimistic." Enishi grimaced. "But I hope you're right, Edogawa. I'd like to see it that way, too. After all, I don't want to be a Yamamoto squad Shinigami simply because I have Yamamoto blood. I'd like to be able to fight alongside people I consider friends, not people who are my kin."
"I feel the same." Sora nodded. She cast Mitsuki a rueful smile, then, "I can't fight alongside Mi-chan, since I'm no healer, and she's no fighter. But even so, I'd rather be a part of a team with a good chemistry, not just a Shiba squad member because I'm a Shiba descendant. I don't think that system works at all - I've heard Okaasama mutter a few times about family members she'd quite happily offload onto other squads if she felt she had the right to do it."
"Well, you can all come join Eighth squad when I get the haori, and do all my work for me." Shunsui said lazily, casting her a mischievous grin. "Juu can be my Vice Captain and do all the paperwork. Enishi can be my third seat and the squad battering ram for when I can't find the key to the sake cabinet. Sora can man the gossip network and Mitsuki-chan can take care of everyone's injuries. Hirata can train everyone in Kidou, and Kai can train people in hakuda and the other Shihouin skills. And Ryuu-kun..."
"I will join Sixth Squad." Ryuu said firmly, shooting Shunsui a defiant look. "Not because I have to, but because I wish to. That is all."
"Shunsui's joking, in any case." Sora said with a sigh. "He knows that he wouldn't be able to have Mi-chan or Shihouin in his squad, because they've obligations elsewhere."
"You almost sound sad about that idea." Kai looked surprised, and Sora shrugged.
"You and Naoko always fight, but even so, I think Class Three have a great chemistry overall." She owned. "It would be nice to fight together after graduation too, don't you think so? After all, it's rare for mixed Clans to form friendships like this - but I really think we have."
"We have, thanks to this one." Shunsui patted Juushirou on the head, and he twisted away, shooting his friend an embarrassed glare.
"Stop it! It's not down to me, it's down to everyone!" He objected. "And besides, even if we graduate and enter different squads, it's not as though that has to stop us being friends. It's a long way off yet - but even when it does come, the whole point is for the Gotei to work together, isn't it? Different squads should be able to get along and interact. If we're split among lots of squads, well, maybe we can cooperate together and help Soul Society that way."
"Beautiful Juu reason, as ever." Shunsui chuckled. "You know, I would seriously love to see you presented with a squad haori. I don't know how or in what circumstances, but I would like to see it anyway. Just to see what you did in a position of authority like that."
"I doubt it will happen." Juushirou said pragmatically. "And besides, right now all of that is irrelevant. You were showing us around your manor grounds and gardens - or did you forget?"
"Fine, fine." Shunsui held up his hands in mock-surrender. "We'll continue on. Although it's a shame, in a way, that you can't see it in full flourish. Maybe we'll have to have you here one summer too, so you can."
He pursed his lips.
"Where I grew up is actually prettier than the land here." He owned. "Or it was, before the refugee camps overtook everything. Now it's quite tragic there on all levels, and it makes me a bit sad."
"Where you grew up?" Mitsuki was startled. "That wasn't here, then?"
"No, at my Uncle's manor to the west." Shunsui shook his head. "From when I was six till I was fourteen. That's where I met Saku."
He grinned.
"Don't get me wrong, I hated living there. But it was fun when I slipped out, because there were lots of places to play and hide and just have fun."
"Your Uncle was a power-mad crackpot. Okaasama's said so." Sora said frankly, and Shunsui nodded.
"Pretty much." He agreed. "But he's long gone now and with Nii-sama's marriage, I guess the Clan will finally be seen as properly stable. I'm surprised at how many relatives have turned up for this wedding - I guess there are a lot of hardline purist Kyouraku breathing a sigh of relief that Nii-sama is marrying a proper blooded Kyouraku and not looking outside of the Clan - no offence, Sora-chan."
"None taken. I never expected to marry him anyhow." Sora smiled, but Juushirou could see the wistful glitter in her green eyes. "He's still Tokutarou-nii to me, after all, and that's fine. I'm not going to slash Rae-hime's robes or plot her downfall or anything. From the little I've seen and heard, she seems quite nice - so I suppose it's all all right after all."
"She has the right bloodline, but fortunately she also has a personality and a brain." Shunsui reflected. "Rare things in Clan marriages - Nii-sama's quite fortunate overall."
"Shunsui-dono? Shunsui-dono, here you are."
An unfamiliar, slightly shrill voice prevented any of the others from answering, and Juushirou turned to see a slightly built girl of about sixteen summers, thick chestnutty hair pulled back from her face in carefully styled curls. She was robed all in pink, except for the obi that held together the expensive fabric of her unmistakeably Kyouraku kimono, and in her hand she held an ornately carved fan which she flipped open and shut as if to emphasise her entrance. It was a funny thing to be doing on a winter morning, Juushirou thought, waving about a fan - but he shrugged inwardly, dismissing it as another Clan oddity that he did not understand.
He glanced at Shunsui, seeing a fleeting look of annoyance dart across his friend's normally casual dark brown eyes, and he frowned.
Not a relative he likes, then...although from what he's been saying, I don't think there are too many that he does.
"Nami-chan." Shunsui spoke now, eying her in resignation. "What are you doing out here this early in the morning? It's cold - you don't have a cloak."
"I was looking for you, since my brother wished to speak with you about something political." Nami's gaze flitted around the group, pausing for a moment on Juushirou, and the District boy was left in no two minds about her disdain for him by the coldness in her glance. "But you seem to be...rather engaged at present, out here with these people."
"These are my friends from the Academy, Nami-chan." Shunsui said patiently. "As you should remember, since it was mentioned last night at dinner when Nii-sama welcomed them all to the Eighth District."
"Mmhm." Nami pursed her lips, then, "Will I tell Ryousuke-nii a specific message, then? It is tiresome being go-between with the two of you."
"Then perhaps your message should be to tell Ryousuke-dono to come speak to me directly." Shunsui said levelly. "Although we already spoke last evening. And he shouldn't be sending you out in the cold when you're not properly robed for it...your mother would throw a fit if she saw you right now, blue and shivering across our grass just because your brother sent you on an errand."
"It can't be helped." Nami's expression became slightly sullen. "Since Nii-sama inherited Father's land last spring, if he gives me an instruction I have no choice but to obey him."
"Then it's my instruction he doesn't use you as his errand girl." Shunsui said matter-of-factly. "You can tell him that. And also that I'm on holiday and I have no interest in settling his political matters for him, since if he's going to be in charge of his own region, he shouldn't expect either Nii-sama or I to constantly be holding his hand and telling him what to do. That's the soonest way of causing problems, after all."
"That was a bit harsh, Kyouraku." Kai reflected, and Shunsui shrugged.
"It's also the truth." He said calmly. "Ryousuke-dono is twenty and capable of making his own decisions, after all."
He sighed.
"And I'm still technically six months underage for all of this." He added. "A grown adult shouldn't be relying on a junior to resolve his crises."
"A Clansman is never too young for responsibility, Kyouraku." Ryuu said bluntly. "A Kuchiki is raised from the cradle to understand the needs of his Clan and to act appropriately. And you are keeping your kinswoman in the freezing cold - you should at least offer her your cloak, if you are afraid of her catching a chill while speaking to you."
"I'm not cold." Nami shook her head hurriedly, although Juushirou could tell she was lying, for she was still blue despite the faint colour that touched her cheeks at these remarks. "I'm quite all right, thank you...Kuchiki-dono?"
"Kuchiki Ryuu." Ryuu inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement.
"There are Kuchiki-ke in your class, Shunsui-dono?" Nami was suddenly far more animated, the slightly resentful glitter in her eyes replaced by a sparkle of eagerness and she grabbed Shunsui by the sleeves. "I did not know - please, excuse my rudeness for interrupting you and your companions."
"You shouldn't be so surprised, Nami-chan." With a sigh Shunsui removed his cloak from his shoulders, wrapping it around the younger girl's shivering body. "Ryuu and Mitsuki are both Kuchiki-ke, whilst Kai is Shihouin-ke and Enishi is Yamamoto-ke. And you know Sora, of course...Nii-sama's Shiba kinswoman."
"Ah yes. Sora-hime." Nami's expression stiffened slightly, but she bowed her head in Sora's direction, and Sora smirked.
"Nami-dono." She said, her tones faintly mocking the forced formality of Nami's robotic gesture. "It's been quite a while since we last spoke. I suppose your presence here indicates that your family have quite recovered from our last meeting?"
"Sora?" Mitsuki stared at her friend, aghast. "Were you fighting members of Kyouraku-kun's family?"
"Fighting?" Sora shook her head. "No, of course not. Tokutarou-nii wouldn't sanction that."
Her lips twitched into an amused smile, but Juushirou was struck by the coldness in her green eyes and how unlike the normal, easy-going Sora she now looked.
"But Nami-dono's late and honourable Lord Father once approached Okaasama with the suggestion of a marriage arrangement between her brother and I. Which, naturally, I decided to turn down."
"You spoke to Nii-sama in a quite unforgivable tone, considering your age and position." Nami bristled, clutching Shunsui's cloak to her as though it was armour shielding her from the Shiba girl's disdain. "A simple and honourable refusal would have been sufficient."
"All I said was that I wasn't looking to make that kind of marriage match." Sora said coolly. "It was Hakubei-niisama who put your brother in his place - a fact I don't think you've quite forgiven him for, judging by the frostiness in your quarter towards ours last evening. Okaasama noticed, you know - that Ryousuke-dono did not pay respects to her as the Head of the Shiba-ke."
"My brother is a Kyouraku landholder. He owes no obeisance to your kin, now or ever." Nami seemed ready to start a Clan cat fight there and then, and Juushirou began to think he should do something about it. But before he could speak, Ryuu had stepped between them, casting Sora a glance before turning his attention to the irate Nami.
"A broken wedding contract is always cause for distress." He said softly. "As is a rebuttal if it comes in the wrong vein. Clans are different, Nami-dono. The Shiba are a blunt-spoken people and the Kyouraku, perhaps, are not. But in times such as these, it is better to bury the grudge and move forwards. After all, for the sake of your Clan, you may be called upon to reform those alliances in the future - bridges should not be so easily burned."
"Ryuu-kun." Mitsuki stared at him, as Nami's cheeks slowly turned red. Ryuu nodded.
"As Clansfolk, we are all aware of it." He said simply. "That it is not easy to forge a happy marriage contract."
"I didn't know you had it in you, Kuchiki." Enishi broke the daze, clapping a hearty hand down against the younger boy's shoulders. "You're right, of course. Clan marriage proposals are numerous and it's not worth getting bent out of shape when one falls through for whatever reason. Besides, Nami-dono, Sora probably wasn't old enough to wed then. She's only seventeen even now, after all."
"Clan hime can marry at sixteen, if they so choose." Nami recovered her dignity, shooting the tall boy a look of frosty disdain.
"I didn't choose." Sora said matter-of-factly. "Genryuusai-sensei suggested I go to the Academy, and so I did. I want to be a Shinigami, not just the arm ornament of a powerful lord of the manor. It wasn't anything personal against your brother - though I think he's a complete idiot. It was something I wanted to do - to be like Okaasama as far as I could, and bear a zanpakutou for Soul Society and District Five."
"Sword fighting is hardly ladylike." Nami retorted, and Sora shrugged.
"Nor am I, so it fits." She said frankly. "Your brother wouldn't have had any pleasure allying himself with me - not even to say he was a closer kinsman of Okaasama than Tokutarou-nii...nor to ingratiate him with Tokutarou-nii by placating the Shiba. I'm not a trophy hime, Nami-dono - we're not raised like that, in District Five."
"Meaning what, exactly?" Nami bristled, and now Shunsui took a hand, taking his cousin gently by the arm.
"We are here for Nii-sama's wedding, not to dig deeper rifts between individuals." He said quietly. "Sora, that goes for you too. Not on my Clan's land. Whatever your personal feelings about it, the deal never went through and you haven't any reason to hold onto it as long as this. Nami-chan, nor do you. Ryousuke-dono will no doubt have several pretty hime vying for his hand now he's in command of his land in his own right, and he wouldn't have been happy with a wife like Sora, that's obvious. So let's bury this one and move on, all right? For Nii-sama's sake, it's not appropriate behaviour."
Sora flushed red at this, seemingly chastened, and Nami bowed her head, a slightly sullen glitter in her dark eyes.
"If you say so, Shunsui-dono." She murmured, and Shunsui nodded.
"I do say so." He agreed. "Now, run along and tell Ryousuke-dono to look after himself. All right? I intend on showing my friends around the estate properly and that will likely take me until lunchtime."
Nami looked reluctant to leave so easily, her gaze falling pensively on Ryuu and then flitting back to Juushirou for a brief moment.
"Shunsui-dono, is that the one people have spoken about?" She asked, and Juushirou stiffened, for she had spoken as though he was neither there nor able to properly answer for himself. "The boy from the Districts who allegedly raised his sword?"
"It's not alleged." Though he knew he shouldn't intervene, something in the white-haired boy's pride made the words come tumbling out and Nami swung back towards him, staring at him in surprise. "And my name is Ukitake Juushirou, Nami-dono. I know we haven't yet been formally introduced – but if you have a question about me, I'd rather you asked it of me directly – since I am capable of speaking for myself."
"Now now, Juu-kun." Shunsui held up his hands in a placatory manner, but Nami's eyes flashed with indignation.
"I have nothing to say to District people." She said, affronted. "I was speaking to my cousin – who is heir to the Kyouraku land and therefore far higher in rank than you. Interrupting our conversation is ill-mannered and disrespectful – and even if you are low-born, nobody here will tolerate it."
"Speaking about someone when they're right there before you is also ill-mannered." Juushirou said quietly. "And since the question you asked was about my zanpakutou, I seem the one best placed to answer it."
He slid his fingers around the hilt of the weapon he now wore self-consciously at his side, pulling it deftly from its new home and resting it on his arm as he held it out for her inspection. As he did so, he felt the defensive wash of waves stir inside of his heart and he knew that In'you too had taken the girl's dismissiveness as a slight to their own sense of pride.
"This is the sword, so you see, the story is true." He added evenly. "Sougyo no Kotowari is my zanpakutou…and I'm sure that, being Clan born, your spiritual power is enough for you to recognise it as a true shinigami blade."
"How dare you!" Nami began, her eyes widening in fury, but this time Shunsui was there, his hand on her arm.
"Juushirou is my close friend, Nami-chan." He said lightly. "And as you see, he bears the blade you've heard of. So now you know, don't you?"
"But…this boy is…" Nami turned bewildered eyes on her companion, who nodded.
"A resident of District Six." He agreed. "From a family who much love and appreciate him, and who support him in everything he does."
"He is District." Nami said disdainfully, and Shunsui sighed.
"So were we all, once upon a time." He said flatly, and Nami stared at him, aghast.
"What do you mean?"
"Did you never think that there might have been a time before the Clans? A time when the Kyouraku were just another family?" Shunsui eyed her keenly. "All greatness comes from somewhere in the first instance. And besides, Juushirou is my friend. District he may be, but at the Academy, such things are irrelevant. He's someone I would trust with my life and beyond it – so I'd appreciate it if you would treat him with the same respect you afford me as Tokutarou-nii's heir."
Nami was silent for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she sighed.
"I had heard Genryuusai-sama had some unusual ideas about training people." She said archly. "Now I see them clearly for the first time in the flesh."
Her gaze flitted to Sougyo no Kotowari.
"That may be a zanpakutou." She murmured. "But it does not make its wielder Clan. I will say no more about it, Shunsui-dono – but you would be better advised to choose your friends more carefully – as best befits the designated heir of the Kyouraku Clan."
With that she removed the cloak from her shoulders, handing it solemnly back before bowing her head towards him and disappearing off across the grass. A moment of silence followed her departure, only broken by Enishi's heavy sigh.
"Ukitake, are you all right?" He asked softly, and Juushirou nodded, sliding his weapon back into its sheath.
"Yes. I shouldn't have risen to her – I'm sorry, Shunsui. I made an awkward situation for you – but I didn't like her talking as though I wasn't really here. It's fine for her not to like me – but to talk across me…I didn't like it at all."
"You really do have Kuchiki pride, sometimes, deep down inside." Shunsui sent him a resigned grin, tossing the heavy winter cloak back over his own shoulders as he did so. "But it's all right. I'm the one who should apologise, since I said none of my family would treat you badly and I'm already being disproved. But don't let Nami get to you. She's been raised that way and doesn't know any different, after all."
"Her family are bigoted and attracted to status more than anything else." Sora curled her lip in derision. "You needn't worry about gaining their respect, Juushirou. They're not worth the effort."
"You really do have some history with them, don't you, Sora?" Kai observed. "What did you say, then, to create that kind of hostility?"
"Exactly as I gave it before." Sora shrugged. "I was fifteen, I didn't like Ryousuke-dono and I made it clear I didn't want to marry. Hakubei-nii consolidated the rebuttal by telling Ryousuke-dono that he'd sooner slit both my throat and his own than let me marry such a grasping idiot – and so the discussions lapsed."
"Hakubei-dono…really said that?" Hirata stared, and Sora nodded, a faint grin touching her features.
"Yes." She agreed. "He's quite direct, my second brother – he and my eldest brother had an argument about it, and I think it fired him up into drastic action. He was determined that any match would be unsuitable between us. He told me that he'd brain me if I was fool enough to accept it – but I'd already resolved to refuse. I'd trained with both my brothers and Tokutarou-nii growing up, so I decided there and then I'd be a shinigami like they'd studied to be. It was a bit of a whim but, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense for me to follow that line and continue to train with a sword instead. When Mother spoke to Genryuusai-sensei, he said that having me as a student would be a good thing – for the Academy and for me, since he wanted more female students and he thought I had potential. I knew the place anyhow, since I'd visited it with Papa several times before. So it was decided, and that was that."
"But you could have done both." Juushirou objected, and Sora snorted, shaking her head.
"Not really. Not if I'd married Ryousuke-dono." She said firmly. "He's not a Shiba nor a Shihouin and he doesn't understand that women are more than just trinkets to be prettied up and posed according to the next big occasion. To be honest, I'm not too fond of most of the Kyouraku-ke for the same reason – there are clever women in the Clan but not many of them ever get to do anything worthwhile."
"I'm hurt." Shunsui pulled a mock-wounded expression. "And you like Tokutarou-nii well enough."
"He's half Shiba." Sora defended herself, colour rising in her cheeks at this. "And you let that alone, because here of all places I don't want it discussed."
She sighed.
"And as for you…I suppose…even as a Kyouraku, you're different from the most of them." She admitted. "You're more like Tokutarou-nii in the way you look at others – perhaps even more accepting than even he is of what people really want to do for themselves. So I didn't mean you, Shunsui. You're probably the only pure-blood Kyouraku male that I'd ever have any time for."
"Clan marriage contracts are a lottery." Mitsuki murmured. "They can be happy, like my parents were. But they can also be a prison sentence and sometimes a hime isn't given a choice in who she's sent to marry. You're lucky, Sora – in your family, you got asked your views. In mine, probably, that wouldn't happen."
Ryuu's expression became grave, and he nodded.
"Most Kuchiki are betrothed from infancy – both boys and girls alike." He agreed soberly. "And unless some great event happens to change that, they will be so tied together when they reach adulthood. It doesn't matter if they have met before or even if they hold each other in any regard. Marriage is a tool for the good of the Clan – to preserve the purity of bloodline and keep the dynasty strong. Therefore it is decided by parents and Clan elders – not by the children themselves."
"You almost sound as though you regret that, Kuchiki." Kai said bluntly, and Ryuu stiffened, casting his classmate a dark glare.
"You would not understand, being a Shihouin." He said coldly. "Whether your Clan bother with matrimonial honour or not is a matter of debate."
"Thankfully, I'm not planning on being married – honourably or otherwise – for quite some time." Kai grinned, not seemingly put out by Ryuu's observation. "Nee-sama is changing a lot of our old and outmoded customs, too, having almost been forced into an unwanted match herself – so I think she'll advocate my having that choice."
"The Kuchiki-ke should learn from the Shihouin-ke, then." Mitsuki murmured softly, and Juushirou bit his lip as he saw her fleetingly glance his way. "Since not every Kuchiki marriage is a just or reasonable one. You should know that best, Ryuu-kun…you shouldn't criticise Shihouin-kun or Sora-chan's Clans for allowing them a say in what they do."
"I wasn't aware that I was." Despite himself Ryuu looked discomfited and Juushirou remembered what Mitsuki had told him that day during the summer break. "I was just observing how our Clan operates, that's all. I did not say at any time that it was the best system. Only that it was the one Guren-sama advocated and the tradition we have long followed."
He shrugged.
"I don't intend to marry, as it happens." He said frankly. "It is far too complicated a process and I have no desire to be tied in a cold union with a woman I later despise."
"Kuchiki-kun." Hirata's eyes became huge at this unexpected statement, and Ryuu offered him a faint, slightly bitter smile.
"I was betrothed as a baby, but that betrothal faded when the young girl died of fever." He said softly. "My parents, being unable to agree on anything since my last sister was born have never settled on engaging me to another, although as their only son they both parade me around in front of Guren-sama as much as possible. Although, thankfully, they now have less to do with that decision than they had before."
"You sound as though you don't like your parents very much." Enishi said, startled, and Ryuu's lips thinned thoughtfully.
"I do not like nor dislike them. They are people who exist in my life, but to whom I have no tangible connection of any emotional kind." He said at length. "Such parents are proof that arranged marriage does not create a family. When I first came to the Academy, I was perhaps more ignorant of this. But – and particularly of late - I have come to the conclusion that there is more to being part of a family than simply the pride of the Clan."
"Well said." Shunsui grinned, clapping his hands down warmly on Ryuu's shoulders. "You're obviously being infected by the general Academy influence, but I'm glad to hear you say something like that, Ryuu-kun. There's hope for you, if you can see it now – that not everything that's done by the Clan is the right thing."
"I knew that anyway." Ryuu said acerbically, detaching himself from Shunsui's grip. "I had already made up my mind that, if Mitsuki left the Clan, I would continue to acknowledge her as my family even if my other kin disapproved. My sisters and I do not often agree – and my parents are never in the same room at the same time if it can possibly be avoided. But unlike Mitsuki, I am a true Kuchiki and I won't forsake my Clan. So I will follow Guren-sama's lead and enter his squad – and even if I do not intend to marry, I will be a shinigami that is worthy of the family to whom I belong. That is my decision and has been for some time now. You do not need to patronise me, Kyouraku."
"The more I hear, the more glad I am not to be Clan." Juushirou said honestly.
"Although that still doesn't excuse my cousins being rude to you." Shunsui responded. "Still, either way, the matter is hopefully closed now. We should keep going, because a moving target is harder to hit – and once Nami gets back to the main house, everyone will know roughly where she saw us."
He glanced at Ryuu.
"You should probably be careful too, Ryuu-kun, if you're really fixed on not being politically married." He added, and Ryuu stared at him, bewildered.
"What does that mean?" He demanded, and Shunsui grinned.
"You saw her reaction, didn't you? When you spoke up in her defence?" He asked. "Nami is a glory hunter and the Kuchiki-ke are the greatest prize of them all. Her eyes changed – everything changed when she realised who you were and where you were from. All this like and dislike, compatibility stuff doesn't really register with her or her brother – all they've been trained to see is power, position, status and wealth. If she could net herself a Kuchiki husband then she'd have pulled off a coup – and you're quite a pretty catch, you know, for most young girls. Plus, you're still only about my age, so that makes you only a few years older than she is. Far more interesting a prospect than netting an old man only looking for an attractive hime with whom to pretend he's still young."
"We barely spoke two words together." Ryuu objected, his cheeks blazing red at Shunsui's words, and the Kyouraku heir let out a low chuckle.
"You'll see." He said forebodingly. "I know that girl and I know how she works. It was there – in her gaze. She's earmarked you and she won't forget that easily. We should move on before she finds a second mode of attack."
"I think you're exaggerating, Shunsui." Sora scolded. "Kuchiki's right. The girl was only here a brief moment, even if her family are exactly as you say."
"I stand by what I said." Shunsui shook his head. "Nami's found a target and locked onto it. And, at sixteen, she's determined enough to push for it as hard as she can. Why do you think she made it so clear marriage at sixteen was acceptable for a hime? She's come to this wedding looking for a potential husband of her own – one who can rise her up the ranks of Seireitei society."
He reached across to tap Ryuu on the shoulder once more.
"Just keep your eyes peeled." He advised. "Since I doubt now that she's seen you she's going to give up easily."
"I have to say, my Lord, that you kick rather harder than I expected."
As he pressed the crushed ice to his cheek, Keitarou cast his companion a rueful look, amusement glittering in his eyes. "In fact, had you kicked me with much more force, you might well have broken my jaw. As it is, I'll bear bruises for a while."
It was later that morning and, with the closing of the council session, the two conspirators had reunited in Keitarou's hidden laboratory; a place they knew their conversation could not be overheard by any but the sleeping Shikiki.
"Wasn't that the point?" Seimaru arched an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest as he gazed at the scientist unrepentantly. "This was your own idea, after all. Don't expect a Clan leader to be gentle, Aizen - especially not me. If I kick, I kick to shatter bones. You're fortunate. I stopped myself before I trampled you to a pulp."
"Well, the bruises will serve as tools of sympathy when I go call on my fiancée tomorrow morning, at least." Keitarou nodded. "It was well done, Seimaru-sama, and I am not complaining. I have borne worse pain, after all."
"I won't pretend I didn't enjoy it." Seimaru smirked, leaning up against the wall as he contemplated. "And the look on that stupid soldier's face - every last expression of his laid bare for me to see. He thinks he can hide it, that one, but I know that he's still my uncle's man. What you told me only confirms it - that he's been so easy for you to sway."
"Yet you will trust with my plan, Seimaru-sama? You will let him take Sumire-sama and Eiraki-hime and leave the manor?" Keitarou asked, and Seimaru nodded.
"I have come to see the merit in your scheme." he acknowledged. "Since I have learned - only recently - that Tokutarou's wedding over the border has included some interesting guests. Your District target, for one - take him and do with him as you will. But also...if my information is correct - my prodigal cousin. District Eight is much closer than District One and although our relations are hostile, there is no formal document banning all Endou from entering. I of course cannot trespass there now - but you, in your current guise..."
"I can. And with your blessing, I no doubt shall." Keitarou let out a low chuckle. "Yes, my Lord. This morning was very well done. Your anger poured fear into the hearts of many of your kinsfolk, and any doubts Kibana had about my motives will have been firmly and clearly dispelled. I am a kinsman you like not at all - and a man with a grudge to repay. He also has a grudge - though he took special care to tell me that he was not ordered by Misashi-sama to help Sumire-sama or Eiraki-hime escape."
"Which probably means that he was, but it suits me, so I won't care." Seimaru responded dryly. "Until I have Hirata - and Hirata's evidence - I cannot kill my Uncle. And I want to kill him - both of them. I'll make ornaments of them both, when I have them both within my grasp...I look forward to that day, and believe, at last, it is finally coming closer."
"Yes. And with the District boy here, I will be able to perfect reidoku and make it properly safe." Keitarou nodded. "Everything begins to come together."
He smiled.
"A little longer - a little more patience." he said softly. "And I will deliver to you everything that I promised."
Author's Note: Flowers!
Early chapter as I'm away this weekend!!
I don't know whether people are aware of this, but each of the Thirteen Gotei Squads have a flower as part of their badge (known as a taika, or squad flower). The flowers mentioned for the Clans in this chapter are the ones belonging to the squads in canon - and are as follows:
Gokurakuchou-ka (Bird of Paradise Flower) - Eighth Squad - "To obtain everything".
Okina-gusa (Anemone) - Second Squad - "I seek nothing".
Tsubaki (Camellia) - Sixth Squad - "Noble reason".
Matsuyuki-sou (Snowdrop) - Thirteenth Squad - "Hope".
Shoubu (Japanese Iris) - Seventh Squad - "Courage"
Kai and Enishi's comments on the name of Seventh's flower are a Japanese double-meaning. The word 'shoubu' in Japanese can also mean a challenge, a fight, or a contest (literally, to win or lose) although the kanji is different from the kanji used for the flower. I'm sure Kubo Tite thought about this, though, when giving it as Komamura's squad flower.
The Yuukirin is a made up flower.
And Mitsuki's cloak is cream because Ko said so. :P.
Finally - even from Kibana's perspective, I have kept to labelling Keitarou by that same name since even though Kibana doesn't know Keitarou's true name, I have a lot of characters and didn't want to confuse my poor readers more than absolutely necessary...