"I shall do so," Kaoru assured her with a nod.
The house was small in comparison with uncle Houji's residence in Kyoto, maybe the size of her father's estate's smaller warehouse, but it seemed sufficient for the task. She wasn't going to complain about such thing, in any case. Honor above riches, she'd told Megumi, and she wasn't lying.
"This way, please," Katamari said, leading the way.
The garden was a well-tended one, from what she could see in the scarce light, and a single pond sat in it. Kaoru thought she could see fishes in it, sometimes splitting arrowheads in the smooth water surface. As she walked upon the grizzly cobblestones, she let her gaze wander about her, taking in the sand rocks erect on the ground projecting dull shadows, the small lit up stone lantern capped with what looked suspiciously like a flat hat, the carpet of ferns and mosses, mostly dark save for the small patches fortunate enough to come under the lantern light. There were trees also, what looked like black pines and cherry trees, all naked now, and the moonlight couldn't wash away their bleakness.
"Lovely," Kaoru said. It was true, up to a point. It was also true that the elongated shadows looked threatening to her, and even the quarter moon seemed sinister behind fleeting strands of clouds.
"Thank you, my lady." Katamari said, obvious of her discomfort. The stewardess turned to her, and beamed, clasping her two hands together near her cheek. "I work very hard at keeping this garden as pretty as I can."
There was something strange about the girl, something…, but Kaoru couldn't tell precisely what it was. She shook herself. She was just probably imagining things. She was too stressed for her own good. "You must be a talented gardener," she assured, smiling. "Don't you think so, Megumi?"
Beside her, Megumi nodded faintly. "Indeed. This is a lovely garden," her maid said. Kaoru could tell Megumi was troubled as well, even if she didn't let it out in her posture. "This must be quite some task, tending to it alone. Are you the only one living here, Katamari-san?"
"Oh no, no, there is also Chou." Katamari pouted. "But he just spends his time polishing his swords, and doesn't do any work. I have to do everything myself." She sighed. "What a pain." She beamed suddenly at Kaoru. "At least you will be in security here, my lady. He is skilled with his blades." Katamari frowned. "Or so he says. Ah here he is."
A man was leaning against one of the wooden pillars that supported the yosemune roof. He carried with him an impressive array of weapons, and was looking at them with one eye open and the other one half-closed. The most striking thing about him, Kaoru thought, was his hair, long blond spikes sprouting from the top of his head like bamboo shoots, making him appear taller than what he was.
At her approach he gave her an impertinent bow and an assured smirk. "Welcome, my lady," he greeted, his red kimono swooshing about him. "I am Chou, and I will be your bodyguard during your stay here."
She gave him a sharp nod. She felt an instinctive dislike of the warrior. "Greetings, Chou. I hope you will protect us well indeed." Her tone was frostier than what she intended. But he didn't seem to take notice.
"Don't worry," he said. "With me here, not even a hundred men will be able get past to you. You can sleep in peace."
Katamari humphed. "Stop bragging, you lazy broomhead. If you have so much free time, help me with the chores instead."
"What did you say, old hag?" he said casually. "I'm a warrior, not a servant. Get over that already."
"You jerk, I'm also a wa…." She stopped herself. "I mean, I also want to have some time to rest." She beamed at Kaoru. "Please, let us ignore this lout. This way, my lady, this way" she gestured.
After a last glance towards Chou, Kaoru followed Katamari inside the house. She was feeling uneasy, and couldn't tell why. Surely, if her uncle'd entrusted her to those two, then they must be worthy of his regard. Chou looked competent enough, but she couldn't sense in him the lethal aura both Shinta and Soujiro possessed. Then again, those two looked nothing more than a genial boy and a grim samurai when they weren't fighting. She sighed.
Chou's voice followed her into the house. "Rest easy lady, Chou's here. Rest easy."
A shiver ran down her back.
"It went better that what I anticipated," Kenshin said. They were back in their townhouse, and the day had already given way to darkness. Kenshin felt weariness slink in his bone.
"What do you mean?" Hiko said, sitting brownish tatami beside him. "The damned officials are nothing but intriguing fools. They couldn't do anything in time, if their miserable lives depended on it. Entirely their fault if we had to spend almost two day at the palace." Like Kenshin, his father held no love for political play, even if he had to dance to its tunes, for the sake of necessity.
"Emperor Godaigo is smarter than what I thought, at least" Kenshin mused.
"You dare to speak of our sacred emperor in such a fashion?" Aoshi said, looking at him with a gloomy glare.
Kenshin almost snorted. No matter the opinion he took, his somber brother always seemed to support the opposite view. He'd believed that Aoshi contradicted him just by petty antagonism, but it may well be that his brother's nature was that much different from his own. They may have the same father, but their mothers couldn't have been more different, if he were to believe the servants' gossips he'd gathered when he was younger.
"The rumors about this supposedly sacred emperor were not flattering, you know this as well as I," Kenshin said, shrugging. "The man may be a randy skirt chaser, but with proper counseling he may be able to appease the dissatisfaction of the samurai class. It is not too late yet to change course."
"He is intelligent, I'll give him that," Hiko said, "but too naïve for his own good, blinded by his own idealism. I fear he won't heed any sensible advice."
"Father!" Aoshi jumped from the wall where he was leaning.
"Peace," Hiko said, without raising his voice. He didn't need to. "Are we prissy courtiers? Let us speak frankly between us."
Aoshi frowned. "Very well," he said. He sat down too, facing Kenshin. "Then let me be frank and say this: the emperor may have failings as a human being, but as long as he sits on the imperial throne, he is still our lord by divine right."
"But how much will he be able to sit on it? That is the question, dear brother," Kenshin said, allowing the slightest hint of irony in his voice.
Aoshi darkened further, if it was even possible. "What you are suggesting threads dangerously close to treason."
"But he is right nonetheless," Hiko said. "Our emperor may not hold on his throne much longer, I fear. I caught wind today of complex plotting going on in the court. There is discontentment, even in the imperial district."
Kenshin frowned. Hiko didn't discuss political matters with his sons usually. "Father, why are you telling us this?" he said suspiciously. "Did you not decide already to throw our lot with the emperor?"
Hiko looked both his sons in the eyes, each in turn. "It is time you take full measure of what is happening in this country. You are both grown men, and I am treating you as such," he said gravely. "You, Kenshin, are about to become a married man. Your turn will come also, Aoshi."
Aoshi screwed up his eyes. "Do you have a woman in mind already, father?"
"Not yet, but I am making arrangement. Our family needs all the political support it can get."
Kenshin allowed himself a private smile. He pitied the poor woman who would end up with his brother. Aoshi's heart was as warm as the ice on mount Fuji in the dead of winter. Then he remembered his own future wife, and his smile died down.
"Where is Saitou," he said with irritation. "He should be here already."
"Don't fret," Hiko said with a smirk. "Nothing will happen to your precious bride if Saitou's guarding her."
Kenshin had to restrain himself. "How can you be so unconcerned about this? You were the one who arranged this union, not me."
"I am not unconcerned," Hiko said soberly. "What you told me about this Houji is a worrisome development."
"I say we strike him down as soon as we can," Kenshin said.
"I agree with you for once," Aoshi said. "A threat must be dealt with at once, else it sours."
Kenshin looked at his older brother, stupefied. Aoshi, agreeing with him? That hadn't happened since…. In fact he couldn't remember the last time they agreed on something. Was his brother afflicted with some terminal illness, or did he eat spoiled food, or….
Kenshin gave himself a little mental shake, trying to recollect the train of his thoughts. "Maybe we could raid his house tonight," he proposed. He was aching for some action. He couldn't allow someone to plot the demise of his future wife. That was an insult to him and his honor, if nothing else.
"I won't allow it," his father said sternly.
"Why not?" Kenshin exclaimed, half-rising.
"You want to assault your future wife's uncle before even the wedding? Let me tell you this from my vast experience, Kenshin: this is not a good way to start a marriage."
"But he's trying to have her killed."
"Even so. And don't forget Houji's too close to Ashikaga. We can't touch him without risking the enmity of the general."
"Ashikaga is up to no good," Kenshin mumbled. "I think the country would be better off without him. He's preparing something, I can feel it. He already betrayed his former masters, remember. He must have thought the emperor would reintroduce the military governance, with him as the shogun. Once a traitor, always a traitor."
"Yes," Aoshi said, "but it's not only him. The whole samurai class is grumbling about the return to the old ways. As a matter of fact general Ashikaga has been pleading with our emperor to do something about it."
"He was pleading for the return of the shogunate, with him at its head, no doubt," Kenshin said.
"Probably," Hiko acknowledged. "But in any case nothing is to happen to Houji for the moment, do I make myself clear, Kenshin?"
Kenshin glared at his father.
"I understand your desire to do something about it," Hiko said sternly. "But we must wait for the right opportunity."
Kenshin was about to press the issue further, when the shoji door slid open. Saitou appeared in the doorframe.
Kenshin sprang to his feet. "Where is she," he asked, without any preamble.
"Aren't we eager," Saitou sneered. "Calm down," he added before Kenshin could protest. "I tracked her down. She went straight to her uncle's house when she came to Kyoto."
"Houji," Kenshin hissed. He was already out in the corridor when Saitou grabbed his arm.
"Don't be so hasty," Saitou said. "She's not there anymore. They brought her to a mountain house outside the city tonight."
"Show me," Kenshin said. Hiko and Aoshi were watching both of them with interest, but neither intervened
"Don't forget your promise," Saitou said simply, without the expected taunting.
"I won't."
"Follow me, then."
A new voice chirped in suddenly. "Wait for me, samurai-san!"
Soujiro. Kenshin'd almost forgotten about him. "Where have you been," he asked the boy.
"Tomoe-san has been good enough to let me take a bath." Soujiro said. "Now I'm clean and ready to go."
Kenshin grunted. He had to admit he was getting used to the smiling young man. "Just don't slow me down," he said, and then he followed after Saitou.
Houji was finishing reading the letter in his hand when he heard the door slide open.
"The girl's at the house, as you wanted," Usui's voice announced, entering.
"Good," Houji said. "Now go prepare yourself. We are leaving tomorrow."
"Leaving? Where to?"
Houji showed the letter to Usui. "The general Ashikaga tells me he will be going to Kamakura. Hojo Tokiyuki is starting rebellion there, and the general is going to put it down. I will be accompanying him."
"I see," Usui said. "And what about the girl?"
Houji clutched the letter harder, not answering.
"Why are you hesitating?"
"That's none of your business," Houji snarled.
Usui approached his face to Houji's. "You already sent men to kill her before she could come here. Why are you reluctant now?"
"What are you trying to say?" Houji said angrily.
"Only this: I may be blind, but my Heart's Eye reads in you like an open book." Usui chuckled. "You wanted to kill her, but you let your resolve weaken when you saw her. Correct?" Houji didn't reply. Usui continued on. "She reminded you too much of her mother, and you couldn't bring yourself to see her dead. You let your sentiments go in the way of what needs be done—"
"Enough!" Houji shouted. "Enough." His voice dipped lower. "Very well." He looked straight at Usui, even though the blind man couldn't truly see him. "Have her killed," he snapped. "And bring back Chou and Katamari. They'll be accompaning us to Kamakura."
A smile slowly rose to Usui's lips. "It shall be done," he said. With that he went.
Houji ground his teeth. He burned the letter with a candle's fire, watching the yellow paper wane in smoke. Through the window, he could see Usui walking into the empty street, and off into the night. "Forgive me, Kami-sama," he said.