Aiko leaned forward and held up a hand, brow furrowed in thought. "One moment –– you are saying that your people have trained you to fight?"

San laughed at the sheer incredulity in his voice. "You think that the sword I wore was only for show? No, I can use it well enough, though I much prefer the spear. It is the more traditional weapon of my people."

Aiko tapped the side of his hat. "Now that you mention it, in fact, I recall my personal guards remarking on your blade at the festivities the other night. They were speaking about how functional it appeared," he clarified quickly, catching her questioning gaze, "as opposed to some of the ceremonial weapons carried by the Lords."

San shrugged slightly. "It was a gift from one of Lady Eboshi's attendants; that is all I know." She raised her cup again, yet found it empty and lowered it once more. She blinked as she realized that all of the plates were bare, only crumbs and fragments remaining.

Aiko followed her gaze. "Are you still hungry?" he asked, smiling. "I can ask the servants to bring more, if you like."

"Um, no, thank you." San set the cup down, realizing just how much of her appetite she had been suppressing with her previous anxiety. "I'm just a bit surprised, that's all. I did not think I would eat that much." How long had they been talking? An hour? Two?

"Truth be told, I didn't either," he stated, smile growing. She looked back at him, and his eyes widened and the grin faded hurriedly. "Oh, I meant no offense, Saisana, I'm sorry—"

"No, you're fine, Aiko," she replied, nodding once, sending her earrings swinging. "Your food was very good. I was not expecting… well." She let a smile rise. "Truth be told, I was not expecting such a pleasant time."

At her words, the prince visibly relaxed, a breath releasing –he had been holding it the entire time she had been speaking—and he stood. "I'm glad to hear that my company is not entirely tiresome…" He gave her a slight smile.

She took his proffered hand politely, but used her own strength to stand. If he was surprised at that, he did not show it. She let go smoothly.

"What of you?" San asked, and he looked into her face, his features slightly puzzled "Your empire is highly militarized, and your father was a warrior from what I've heard. Have you been trained in war?"

He looked away; smile replaced with a thoughtful absence. She waited, suddenly uncertain if she had interrupted the ending of their time together. San was also unsure of how she felt about that.

Finally, he spoke. "Come, I want to show you something –– you do not mind?"

San blinked, but otherwise hid her surprise well. "No, of course not. I did not know how much time we intended to spend, so my evening is clear."

He nodded. "Perfect, thank you. Come this way."

They left the small room the way they had come in, and outside, Ganzo and the other guards stood at their appearance. The large man met her eyes questioningly, and she smiled reassuringly at him. The kazekata did not appear to have moved at all.

Aiko spoke, "Rashima, Taigo, we are going to the garden." He turned and nodded to Ganzo and San's guards. "Captain, you are more than welcome to accompany us as well."

They set off, Aiko leading the way. She had heard of gardens, but did not know what to expect. San wondered what kind of garden a place like this might have. She had seen little of green life lately, mostly just stone, fine wood, and the occasional art piece. Why did he want to take her there?

They walked for a time, exiting the main body of the palace. The cool night air surrounded them; the stars were barely visible in the light of the city's fires. There were few people outside, mostly servant and messengers, with the occasional detail of soldiers doing rounds. San took note of them discreetly, incorporating them into her plans for when it was her turn to seek out the Imperial dungeons entrance.

They rounded the corner of a another, smaller building near the wall of the compound, and behind it was a fenced area. The fence was tall but nondescript, painted a dull green, and leafy treetops could be seen over it. A kazekata moved past them and opened the tall paneled door, and proceeded into the space while they waited. "Precautionary, you understand," Aiko said apologetically.

"Of course."

Soon thereafter, the guard returned. His blank mask bobbed once, and Aiko reached out to San. She let him take her by the arm, and together they entered the enclosed area. A moist breeze touched her face, and San's eyes widened.

They were instantly surrounded by plants of every variety, covering the ground, the walls, and even the area above them, held by wooden frames and small trees. The entire area was lit by the warm glow of several dozen lanterns, flickering in a comforting fashion. The surrounding vegetation covered the wooden walls completely, their illuminated green joined by the seemingly endless variations of colors from flowers. Their blooms were mostly foreign to San, but even in the dimness of night her sharp eyes could make out their variations and beauty.

Aiko said nothing, just watched as she looked above them, examining in wonder the flowering vines that were kept from brushing their heads by solid wooden beams. They passed a stand of trees, and she reached out, savoring the feeling of her fingers running along the rough bark. Her thin shoes brushed on the winding sandy path, lined with black volcanic rock. Besides the scuffing of their feet, the sounds of humanity had been stifled, replaced with the rustling of wind in leaves, the chirping of insects, and somewhere close the trickling of water. Distantly, there were greater sounds, that had gone unnoticed before. The crashing of waves on rocks, the cries of stronger gusts, the calling of seabirds.

"I wish you could see it during the day. The night is not… favorable." San did not reply immediately, just looked around until she found the small pond. San let go of Aiko's arm and strode to kneel near the edge of the water, looking at the lanterns floating alongside lilies, their reflections shining on the flat surface.

She looked at Aiko. "All of this is yours?"

He knelt beside her, the light of the lanterns shining in his dark eyes. "No. When my father was less… controlling than he is now, he built it for my mother. She brought me here often." After a moment, he stood again. "But this is not all. Come, please." San rose, taking his arm before he could offer it. Before they rounded a corner, San looked back to see Ganzo and the two kazekata following them from a small distance.

They stepped into a small clearing, occupied by a larger frame –of stone and wood—that stretched over a stone platform. Plants clung to the structure, giving it an impression of age and permanence. And then San saw where the distant sounds were coming from. Stretching before them were the rolling waters of the great lake, the last remnants of evening light coloring the sky and water with the darkest of blues and purples. Nothing separated those that sat under the structure from the sheer cliff of volcanic rock, and beside the structure a small stream ran down the cliff's face.

The moon sat above the clouded horizon, a faint sliver, barely visible.

San stepped up unto the platform, and, following Aiko's lead, sat. They faced the rolling waves. Taking a long breath, San let the smells of life infuse her, feeling her mind ease, the anxieties and weights fading from her mind. It had been hardly four days, but it seemed like months since she had felt the touch of nature. Aiko watched her, smiling softly. He was happy, because she was, San realized. Were all men like that?

She reached out and touched his hand –they were not sitting far from each other—and smiled at him. "Thank you for showing this place to me. It reminds me of home."

If her touch had surprised or disconcerted him, he did not show it. "I am glad, and you are most welcome." She let go and faced forward again. There was a pause, full and empty all at once, as they looked over the waves and the fading light.

Aiko took a deep breath, then released it slowly, as if calming himself. San looked to him. His countenance was troubled. He saw the curious concern she showed, and looked away. "This garden is part of an answer to your question, Lady Saisana. Do you still want to know it? I understand if not, you perhaps did not know how deep that question touched me. Just know it has shaped my life… greatly."

San recalled her question. Had he been trained in the ways of war? Obviously, the scope of his answer far exceeded her initial thoughts on the matter. Did she truly want an answer? She looked at Aiko, and then around at this place of carefully preserved life in the world of steel and stone. She regarded his gentleness and peace, in contrast with the world of deceit and conflict that he had been born into. Yes, she did want an answer.

She adjusted her position so that she faced him. "I would be honored to hear your words, Aiko. And please, just Saisana will do."

He smiled at that, a true smile that touched his eyes. "Thank you. Saisana." He sighed and began. "I grew up during a happier time. My father was busy maintaining order in this corner of the land, and had not yet set his sights beyond his borders. My mother took me here often, allowing the gardeners to teach me things about plants and how to keep them alive." He laughed softly. "It took me a while." San smiled, and he continued. "I had just begun to succeed when the conquests started. The warlords, who had believed my father to be an ally, were furious as he broke treaties and promises alike. Assassins started turning up dead, the kagekata doing their work. Despite protections, however, my father became more paranoid, even as his enemies fell beneath the sword of the Shogun. It was then that he decided that his heir would be stronger than he."

He paused, and San watched him closely. A roil of emotions was visible in his eyes. "I was spared no training. The ways of the sword, of strategy and logistics, of the philosophies of war." He huffed a bitter laugh. "It was strange to me that something so elegant as a philosophy had been created for something so carnal as war." He waved a hand as if dismissing that point. "I did well in those fields requiring the mind. I have always been a thinker. Nevertheless, I did not show any promise with weaponry. Over the years I proved barely passable to my many mentors, but a disappointment always to my father." Aiko's voice was rougher, less controlled now. His tone changed to imitate anothers, querulous and pandering. "'He will be the greatest of strategists!', 'By his wit he will keep your line strong!'" Aiko scoffed at the remembered words, eyes narrowing. "That is not what my father wanted to hear. He wanted power. He wanted strength. And I could provide him with neither of those." There was a pause, and San wondered if she should speak. Aiko's breathing was coming faster, and he noticed this. Closing his dark eyes, Aiko took a long breath. San tried to relax her stance as well; the tension in his words was tangible. "I'm sorry, Saisana. I have… never confided this in anyone."

She reached out and touched his hand again. His clenched fist softened under her gesture. He met her eyes, and she nodded reassuringly. "Go on."

She did not let go, and he returned the smile hesitantly. He continued, looking away at the darkened sea. "But… he and my mother were too old, and it was too late to try for another son. I was all he had, unless he would try for another line. But the campaigns continued, and as his empire increased, I… faded in importance. My training continued, but he no longer attended. Time went on, and my regimens lessened. I began to hear rumors of my father's search for 'eternal life' or some other superstition." San remembered in that moment, the role that the Emperor had played in the death of her forest, her family. It was his edict that had sent Jigo to the Iron Mountains, that drove Eboshi to kill Shashigami. Thanks to her training, however, San showed none of this. After all, she was listening, and none of it was Aiko's fault.

"His effort was ridiculous, and came to naught but destruction, of course. You must know a little something about it, having traveled with the Lady Eboshi, but I digress." San bit back her comments and questions; she did really want to know what he thought of that topic, but she let him continue. Listening. "After that, I dared think I would be free of that burden, of leading armies and conquering nations. But then…" he paused, as if wondering whether or not to continue. A pressure began to rise in him as his fist clenched, of words that he truly desired to say, and he looked this way and that as if looking for a way out.

"Aiko, what's wrong?"

Then he turned to her, fervent and sincere, every mental wall and block falling before her very eyes. "Saisana, what I say, you must not tell anyone, you understand? I have been sworn to secrecy, but I cannot keep it any longer." Shocked at the major change in the young man, San considered, letting go of his hand.

He seemed to deflate at her pause and the release, and looked away. "Of course, I will not force anything on you, Saisana. I know your only desire is to learn of this land, and I promised myself not to invest too much in getting to know you." He laughed roughly, a self-deprecating sound. "It seems I have failed at that as well."

The words came before she could stop them. "No, Aiko, do not say a thing like that." She fixed him with a determined gaze. "Isn't one of the duties of a ruler to make allies that he can trust? And besides," she waved a hand, then leaned closer. "I was the one who asked you." She smiled at him, and he nodded thoughtfully, not returning the smile. She let the smile drop and looked into his eyes, the words coming smoothly even as she realized they might be a lie. "You can trust me."

Could he, though? What if the things he told her were involved in this plot? Before she could re-evaluate her position, Aiko spoke.

"Saisana, I—" He looked away. Was he… holding back tears? "I am… very grateful to hear that." He took a deep breath, looking slightly eased. "After the disappointment regarding his plans for eternal life, my father found something else, something to redirect his frustrations –and his martial forces—on." He sighed, a disconsolate sound. "Apparently, he's found signs of an impending threat to the kingdom, a foreign tribe to the East who is massing strength to attack our borders. Father wants me to lead a campaign against them, to stop them before they can build enough strength. Saisana, he wants me to lead his armies."

San blinked, and a shiver ran through her as terrible things began connecting. Could it be? Did he know?

Aiko was looking at the ground again, eyes full of fear. "Perhaps he saw, in those years of disappointment, that I never wanted to be like him. He left me alone, for a time. But it seems that now, he is prepared to force me, to pound me into shape as the next hardened Emperor."

Listening had gotten her far, but this had to be known, to settle the unpleasantness rising within her. San gently interrupted his pondering. "Aiko… what are they called? This new threat?"

He seemed surprised at the detail. "I doubt you've heard of them, they are almost legend at this point. They are a race called the Emishi."

...
Sorry about the gap, i was just trying to get settled in my writing after re-configuring my personal projects. Love you all, thanks for reading