Author's Notes: So this chapter took a little longer to come out, but given the length of it I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. ;) Constructive criticism is always welcomed. Enjoy!
Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum
Chapter Seven: Protector
Takeru stood abruptly, cutting off the other man's words mid-sentence and strode out of the room. Neither his companions nor the captains' tried to stop him. He shoved the tattered hanging curtains roughly aside and pushed his way out the door, making his way into the darkness and solitude of the darkened tunnel.
He halted his steps, slamming the side of his clenched fist into the stone wall, welcoming the pain. His bitter curse echoed off the walls.
How had it come to this? Hadn't they been through enough?
He had sworn to protect them!
Takeru paced the length of the room, unable to keep still. His ceaseless movements were matched only by Ryunosuke's when the announcement was made. That had been hours ago.
A quiet sigh sounded from an older man sitting comfortably upon his cushion, a hot cup of tea in hand. "It seems like only yesterday I was doing the same during your birth," he commented, a warm nostalgia washing over the deep lines in his face as he glanced over at Takeru. "Has so much time passed already?"
"Jii," Takeru shot the man an affectionate but exasperated look.
Jii waved away the concern laced evenly through Takeru's voice. "Mako's a strong young woman – and just as stubborn." He chuckled quietly to himself. "The pair of you are fretting over nothing. She and the child will pull through just fine."
"The midwives said –"
"Let them cluck their tongues all they want," Jii interrupted the beginning of Ryunosuke's argument. "Child birthing is not easy," he conceded with a nod at the other man's pursed lips. "But I am positive the two will be fine." He eyed the two men. "Your pacing will do nothing but create unnecessary wear upon the tatami."
With a quiet sigh Takeru finally settled himself next to the man who had raised him after his parent's early demise. Jii had guided him through all the trials and tribulations that came with being adopted into the main branch of the Shiba household. Takeru knew he could always trust his advice – even when it wasn't easy.
Exhaustion swept through him even as a nervous energy surged through his limbs. He accepted the hot cup of tea Jii slid his way, inhaling the relaxing steam as it washed over his face.
"Jii's right," Genta called from his comfortable position upon the floor.
"Because you have so much experience with birth," Ryunosuke snapped back, his pacing relentless.
"Kotoha's with her," Chiaki reminded the prickly caretaker from where he sat in the doorway, his back leaning against the doorframe. "She promised she'd keep us updated."
Ryunosuke shot the younger man an unamused look at the hint of a taunting smirk. "I'll be sure to remind you of that when Kotoha has her first child."
Chiaki gave a shrug that was not as casual as he pretended it to be.
A smart knock sounded at the door before it slid open just enough to allow the petite figure of a young woman to step through. Her face was flushed and tight with worry, but there was a look of wonder and awe on her face that echoed in the tiny smile gracing her lips.
All eyes focused on her as the door slid closed soundlessly behind her. Ryunosuke paused mid-step as he watched the woman, his shoulders tense.
She looked around the room, lingering on each face briefly, as if caught in a daze.
"Kaoru?" Takeru prompted, rising to his feet with more than a little concern at her uncharacteristic distraction.
She blinked, focusing on her adopted brother for a long moment before a wondering smile lit up her face. "You are a father, Takeru," she informed him, shifting a bundle of blankets held securely in her arms.
All attention in the room shifted to the overlooked bundle, energy springing to a new high of anticipation. Eyes swung between Takeru and Kaoru as the two stared at each other.
Something moved beneath the clean blankets and Kaoru shifted the bundle closer. "Patience, little one," she whispered softly before meeting Takeru's stunned gaze once more. "I think she wants you to hold her."
"She?" Takeru blinked, his mind whirling too fast to concentrate on any one thought for long.
Kaoru nodded. "You have a daughter, Takeru," she told him, keeping her voice gentle as she watched the mounting panic rising in her brother's eyes. She moved smoothly to his side and sat herself beside him with an easy grace. "Would you like to hold her?"
"Hold her?"
Jii's sudden burst of laughter eased the tension in the room. "She doesn't bite, Tono."
Takeru felt heat flare up along the back of his neck as Genta and Chiaki joined in the mirth. He looked at the tiny being in Kaoru's arms, a small tuft of dark hair just visible above the warm blankets, and felt an almost paralyzing anticipation strum through him.
He thought he'd been ready to be a father, but now that the moment was here doubt began to creep in.
In what way was he fit to be a parent? His life had been filled with lies and deception for so long; his hands stained with the blood of countless enemies. How could anyone believe it permissible to lay his unclean hands on such a pure, fragile new life?
Panic suffused his veins as Kaoru shifted the child in her grasp so that she could adjust Takeru's locked limbs into a position suited to accepting his daughter.
His daughter! The very thought made him almost dizzy with disbelief. "K-Kaoru," he started to protest, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kaoru shot her brother a look of concern, but continued despite his weak protestations and slid the child into his arms.
As the warm, tiny weight fell into his arms, Takeru started, automatically holding the bundle closer to his chest.
Kaoru shared an amused smile with Jii as they watched Takeru's eyes widen, panic making his muscles tense. Genta and Chiaki moved closer as Kaoru shifted the blankets aside until Takeru caught the first sight of his daughter.
Curious dark eyes stared back at him from a pink-tinged face, lips pressed together in an unhappy pout that paused in question as she looked back at the new face peering down at her. Confusion filled her gaze and her face scrunched together, face flushing red as sounds of protest began emitting from within her chest.
Takeru turned to the others in panic. "What happened?"
"She caught sight of your face," Chiaki grinned, shooting Genta a glare when the man hit him in response.
"You're doing fine," Jii assured Takeru fondly, a nostalgic gleam in his eyes. "Mind her head."
"I don't know what I'm doing," Takeru murmured, shifting his grip to cradle his child's head more carefully, trepidation making him anxious as the she quieted, eyes fixating on his face.
"No one does with their first child," Jii confided. "You'll learn as you go." He peered at the little one in Takeru's arms with a gentle smile. "See? She's quieting already."
"I don't know why," Takeru muttered. "I haven't done anything."
"It's you," Kaoru realized, watching the child with fascination. "She's tracking your voice – she recognizes it."
Takeru blinked down at the infant in astonishment. "She recognizes my voice?"
Kaoru nodded. "She calms when she hears it." She turned to give Takeru a rare, soft smile. "It must have been from all that time you spent at Mako's side during her pregnancy."
"Hovered worse than Ryunosuke," Genta grinned over at the man who scowled in return.
Takeru looked at the child in his arms in wonder, awe making him speechless, as she stared back at him.
"How is Mako?" Ryunosuke asked, anxiety pinching at his face.
All heads turned toward Kaoru when she didn't respond immediately.
"Mako had some difficulties," she admitted softly. "She's being looked after right now."
Takeru felt something akin to terror spike through him, and he was halfway to his feet before he even realized he'd moved to stand. Kaoru's firm grip on his elbow was the only thing that gave him pause.
"There's nothing you can do," Jii told him, sympathy stealing over his features as he watched Takeru struggle.
"Mako told me to bring her to you," Kaoru looked pointedly at the child in his arms and Takeru started, unaware until then that he had tucked his child closer to him in an unconscious effort to keep her safe as he'd readied himself to bolt down the hallway. "She wanted you to look after her for now."
Kaoru bit her lip, feeling the palpable worry radiating off her brother. She was working hard to keep her unease at bay in an effort to keep the group before her calm.
She loved Mako. They all did. No one could fathom the thought of losing her, but Kaoru knew all too well that childbirth was not easy. Her own mother hadn't survived long after her third and final pregnancy – a still birth.
She looked at her brother's face, feeling her heart constrict at the terror reflected in his eyes, knowing he was seeing that evening in Aduro when the palace had gone up in flames, and those inside were deemed to have been lost – including Mako and Kotoha. Kaoru prayed now as she had then that she never had to see that look on his face again – the hollow emptiness, grief and disbelief.
Shaking herself out of her morbid thoughts, Kaoru frowned. "Mako will be fine," she said with a ferocity that made Takeru blink.
As he moved to soothe the child in his arms who had begun to become upset at the tenseness in the atmosphere, Kaoru set a glare Ryunosuke's way where the man had been edging toward the door. "If they need your services, they will call for you. We are well aware you've been looking after Mako since you were children," she cut off the man as he opened his mouth to argue. "But please trust in my court physicians, Ryunosuke. I have already left instructions to fetch you should the situation turn unfavorable."
With great reluctance Ryunosuke remained in the room, sinking slowly to the ground against the wall, face carefully blank, but not quite able to still the muscles twitching in his jaw. Genta immediately moved to sit beside the man, whispering quiet words of encouragement and confidence.
Very deliberately Chiaki looked back at Takeru and the child in his arms, trying to distract his own worries; he knew Kotoha couldn't be having an easy time of it, but knew she'd be supporting Mako every inch of the way. "So what's her name?"
The room's occupants blinked at Chiaki in confusion. He nodded toward the infant. "Her name," he reiterated. "Did the two of you throw a couple around?"
"Mako requested that you name her, Takeru," Kaoru spoke softly. She didn't add that Mako had mentioned it'd help distract him.
"She wants me to name her?"
Kaoru nodded, biting the inside of her lip at the bewildered expression on her brother's face. Few things in life ever surprised him anymore, but Mako always seemed to be able to come up with new ways to keep him on his toes. She sent a silent prayer to the heavens to keep her sister-in-law safe.
Takeru studied the child in his arms. Curious dark eyes gazed back. "I suppose your mother wants me to name you," he murmured to her, feeling a thrill of emotion jolt through him at calling his wife a mother. He'd known it for months, of course, and even had said such in the quiet of their rooms at night when they'd relaxed, dreaming of the future, but it hadn't truly sunk in until now.
Swift on the heels of that awareness came the realization that he was a father – a father! There was a tiny, fragile life in the world that would now depend on him to guide and love her; someone who would depend on him for everything – to protect her against anything that would cause her harm in the world.
He looked at his child – his daughter – and felt a fierce surge of love and protection for her unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It was as startling as it was astounding.
He looked over at Kaoru and saw a similar expression mirrored on her face as she gazed at the child in his arms. Kaoru caught her brother's stare and gave him a quick smile. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" She reached out and traced a gentle finger along the side of her niece's face.
"Just like her mother," Jii agreed.
"You have to give Take-chan a little credit," Genta grinned. "That pretty face of his has been attracting stares for years."
Chiaki snorted as Takeru leveled his friend with an unamused look. Genta's grin only widened in response.
Jii chuckled at the familiar banter. "As beautiful as she is now, imagine how she'll be as she grows." He took a sip of his now lukewarm tea. "You'll have suitors clamoring at the door in no time."
Kaoru sighed. "We have enough as it is."
"Only half as many now that Take-chan's well and truly hitched," Genta supplied.
"There are still a few hopefuls who think it's a conspiracy," Chiaki reminded him.
Jii choked on his tea. "Conspiracy?"
Genta nodded. "Half of them think the roadside marriage is a lie; they're hoping Take-chan loses interest in Mako and admits to her being of a, uh, lower status than a legal wife."
"And the other half?" Jii asked, his tone wary, unsure if he wanted to know more idle court gossip.
"They're hoping Takeru'll take on second and third wives, perhaps even a concubine or two," Chiaki informed him with a roll of his eyes. He'd already dismissed the subject as absurd when the rumors had first sprung up. People had to be blind not to see that aside from death, nothing would separate the couple, and he was fairly positive even that wouldn't separate them for long.
Takeru ignored the dark muttering coming from the young woman beside him, his attention fixated on the beautiful child in his arms. He shifted her weight, freeing a hand to tentatively brush it through the dark hair at her crown. A small arm that had been tucked against her chest surfaced from within the warm blankets to bump against his hand. Ever so gently Takeru turned his hand to cup her tiny one in his much larger one. As he marveled at how anyone's skin could be so soft or their fingernails so tiny, the argument around him raged on.
"We could ban the malcontents from court," Kaoru suggested.
"You wouldn't have many left," Genta replied as Chiaki snorted, quickly trying to smother his laughter as Kaoru shot him a glare.
"If you were to choose a suitor, many more would leave the court of their own volition," Jii commented evenly, refilling his cup with a concentration that belied his interest in the conversation.
"Find me someone suited to be a suitor and I shall," Kaoru retorted, accepting the hot tea Jii offered her.
"Ryunosuke?" Takeru inquired, startling the man out of his thoughts, and silencing the discussion around them.
The uncharacteristically quiet caretaker looked up, meeting Takeru's questioning gaze, and sighed loudly before pushing himself to his feet and making his way over. "Yes?" He asked, his tone testy in an effort to keep his overwhelming fear and irritation at bay.
"What do you think about 'Ayako'?"
"Ayako?"
Takeru nodded, rising to his feet in one smooth motion, and holding his daughter carefully out to the other man, slid her in his arms that rose automatically to catch her. He watched the sudden surge of emotions that chased each other across the caretaker's face – the same feelings Takeru had felt so deeply himself.
The room was quiet as Ryunosuke studied the child in his arms for a long moment, water gathering in his eyes the longer he watched her. He looked back at Takeru and something unspoken passed between the two men, easing the tension in the room. "I think 'Ayako' would be perfect."
"Welcome to the world, Ayako," Kaoru smiled softly as the door to the room jolted open to reveal an exhausted but smiling Kotoha.
"She's going to be fine," Kotoha's eye shown with relieved tears. "Mako's going to be fine." She accepted her husband's warm embrace with a grateful smile, burying her face in his shoulder as she took a moment to collect herself.
"Can I…?"
Kotoha looked over at Takeru with a watery smile. "She's asking for you."
Takeru halted mid-step toward the door, looking back at his daughter with a hesitant expression.
"Take her with you," Ryunosuke insisted, slipping her back into his arms. "Tell Mako to rest; we'll see her soon."
A grateful smile graced Takeru's face before, holding his daughter gently but firmly against his chest, he made his way down the hall.
Kotoha gaped as she looked between Takeru's departing figure and Ryunosuke, who had moved to settle into Takeru's previous seat, gratefully accepting a fresh cup of tea from Jii.
"Ryunosuke's not insisting he go with Takeru?" Kotoha quietly asked her husband.
"I think they've finally come to an understanding," Genta murmured as he brushed by, catching Kotoha's incredulity.
"Took them long enough," Chiaki muttered back, causing the other man to laugh.
Kotoha's resultant smile lit her from the inside out, her spirit buoyant in delight as she joined the others, her fingers laced through Chiaki's.
Takeru jumped at the sudden press of a hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of his memories.
"The day she was born, I swore I'd protect her, both of them – all of them," he whispered without turning, staring off into the darkness.
"We all did," Ryunosuke reassured him, features pale. "This doesn't lie solely on your shoulders, Takeru." His expression hardened. "We'll get them back, and then we'll make the ones responsible pay."
Ahim lifted the wicker basket off the cart, eager to get back inside the kitchen. The sun had made a rare appearance that morning, but the breeze that accompanied it had teeth that dug through all the gaps and seams of her clothing.
A weary smile touched her lips. Ironically, she'd been warmer when she'd been living on the streets with Marvelous and his crew than inside the castle she now resided in.
A low, clear bird's chirp wove its way through the hustle and bustle of animal noises and idle gossip, and Ahim paused for the briefest of moments, ear tilted for the sound. She let the sound of it warm her more than the sun's rays before continuing on her way into the kitchen, dodging other members of the staff to set down her basket alongside the others.
She took a minute to blow on her frozen fingers, the heat barely making a dent in the cold, before tugging her sleeves down and over her hands, scrunching the material in her fists in an attempt to protect them as best she could. Then as quiet as a whisper she slipped back out into the crowd, disappearing into the flurry of bodies and supplies.
Once free of the throng she ducked around a gray stone wall, the ivy clinging to its surface having long gone into hibernation. Sliding along its surface, she followed the barely discernible path through the tangle of brush and into a thick copse of evergreens. Sweat beaded on her brow as she pushed her way through the rich emerald needles, their scent clean and crisp against the headier scent of wet earth from the previous night's showers. She glanced up at the patches of bright sky through the branches knowing that the next wash of precipitation would bring snow instead of rain.
As Ahim shoved the last couple of strong branches out of her face her foot caught on a tangle of roots, pitching her forward into the clearing. With a quiet gasp she flung her arms out, flailing for balance as a released branch swung back across her cheek, leaving behind a small welt.
"Whoa!" A startled voice sounded as strong arms caught her before she could fall face first onto the damp ground. "You gotta be more careful there, Ahim. Marvelous would have my head if you caught a cold after a tumble in the mud. Of course, that's assuming there'd be anything left once Luka got a hold of me." Gai's laugh was warm and Ahim couldn't help but smile back.
"Sorry," she apologized through small gasps of breath. "I shall try to be more careful next time."
Gai patiently waited for her to steady, brows drawing together with a slight frown as he looked her over in concern. She tensed, waiting for the inevitable line of questioning that accompanied such a scrutiny. To her surprise he put the matter aside and she gave a quiet sigh of relief. With a determined effort she straightened, rolling her shoulders back to stand properly.
"Has something happened?"
A grin stretched across Gai's face. "Marvelous sent me," he began. "He wants to meet your roommate."
A thrill of elation raced through her at his implication, hope expanding inside her chest. "They came."
Gai gave her a wink in response and she felt tears prick at her eyes. "Thank the heavens." Her hands clasped together before her chest as if in prayer.
"Marvelous wants Doc to stay behind as a lookout – to cover if anyone comes snooping."
Ahim nodded. "I shall tell him when I return."
"Someone will be around a candle mark past midnight. Make sure you're both ready; we won't have a lot of time to spare."
She bit her lip, trying to focus on the precious time she would have instead of the lack. "Of course."
Sensing the direction of her thoughts Gai's smile softened. "Soon," he promised. "It's just a matter of time now."
Ahim clenched her fingers to her chest, pressing on the tight band that seemed to be wrapped around her heart. "I hope you are right." She looked up as he draped a warm arm around her in a half hug.
"Come on," he gave her thin shoulder a squeeze. "Let's get you back before you're missed." His eyes swam with concern as he watched her features close off at the mention of going back into the king's stronghold. He glanced in the direction of the castle and felt a burning hatred stir in his gut knowing that 'soon' couldn't come fast enough.
Mako stared at the blindfold dubiously.
She'd agreed to follow Ahim on another late night journey through the castle, wondering just how much they were pushing their luck at being out of bed at this hour. She hadn't even questioned the presence of Ahim's friend from the kitchen – Don, her mind supplied for her helpfully – when he'd stumbled nervously out of the shadows, checking over his shoulders every few seconds. To be honest, she'd wanted to do the same. It always felt like there were unseen eyes marking her every move in this wretched place.
They'd stolen through the castle in remarkable timing – Ahim and Don seemed to know every nook and cranny, staircase and hidden hallway. She'd even readily followed the pair out a side door and into the frigid temperatures, wrapping her clothing as tightly around herself and her child as possible. But now Don was holding out a strip of cloth he had produced from a pocket and was asking her to tie it around her eyes, his nerves amplifying the longer she stared at him in suspicion.
"What's taking so long?" A quiet voice asked from the shadows, startling the small group as a dark figure materialized from the dark.
"Joe," Ahim breathed, relief evident on her face.
The taller man looked her over with a quiet frown, noting the lines of exhaustion around her eyes and in her posture. His lips thinned but he didn't comment, instead he looked around the group, arms crossing over his chest. "We don't have much time."
"Time for what?" Mako asked, keeping her voice low, arms tightening around her child, keeping him close to the warmth of her chest.
"The longer you stall, the colder you will become," he answered insead, looking pointedly at the bundle she held. "It can't be healthy for your child."
Mako stiffened at the subtle accusation. Before she had a chance to snap something back Ahim stepped in.
"Please, Ms. Mako," she entreated. "Trust us."
Mako glanced at her friend, noting the same exhaustion Joe had, now tinged with a hint of desperation. Ahim couldn't be much warmer or comfortable than she as they stood exposed in the cold. She looked to the two men. While Joe was better at hiding it, the two had the same air of anxiety that clung to Ahim. Just what was going on?
"I promise everything shall be explained once we arrive," Ahim continued.
"But I can't know where this place of arrival is?"
Ahim bit her lip but nodded in response.
"Why?"
"It is for your protection as much as ours."
Mako watched her friend for a long minute, the sincerity in her eyes ringing as true as her words. Against her better judgment Mako felt herself relenting, returning Ahim's grateful smile with an unsure one of her own before the scrap of cloth slid across her vision, turning the night into an impenetrable darkness.
"I'll take him," Ahim's voice sounded next to her. Mako hesitated for a moment before loosening her grip and letting the younger woman take her child. Memories of when she'd first arrived at this place stole over her, and she warred with the need to snatch her son back. The metal ring around her neck seemed to grow colder, pressing an icy kiss against her skin that sent shivers down her spine.
"It will be easier if Joe carries you, Ms. Mako," Ahim continued. "I assure you, he will be careful."
Mako nodded but couldn't stop herself from tensing at the feeling of unfamiliar hands scooping her up. He was strong, and she was pleasantly surprised at the warmth from the contact as he held her, but it only increased the longing in her heart for the embrace of another, one she knew she'd never feel again.
"I'll keep watch," Don's quiet voice sounded from somewhere in the darkness. "Be safe."
Mako started when Joe adjusted his grip on her one last time before setting off at an easy, loping pace. Her arms were around his shoulders in an effort to hang onto something on this mad journey, but it gave her little comfort. She felt a surge of guilt as she heard Ahim's footsteps keeping pace with Joe's, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from suggesting they switch. Instead she strained her ears for the sound of danger – whatever that would sound like – and for any sign of discomfort or stress from her child.
She quickly lost all sense of direction and time as the cold air swept over and through her, chilling her to the bone as they stole through the night.
Finally, when Mako almost couldn't stand the endless darkness, cold and uncertainty any longer she felt her companion slowing. After a few more minutes they moved into a slightly warmer area – the sounds around them beginning to echo in odd ways, and Mako realized they must have entered a tunnel of some kind. It was still cold, but the wind was no longer biting, and for that she was immensely grateful. Anticipation soon began to gnaw at her as she realized they were approaching their destination.
Mako did her best to slip gracefully out of Joe's hold as he set her back on her feet. The blindfold was pulled off her eyes not moments later, and she found herself blinking in the light of a single torch along the wall. The flickering flames were bright enough to make her squint after the long darkness.
As her eyes adjusted she watched as Joe softly rubbed his hands up and down Ahim's arms to try and warm her chilled body. Ahim leaned into the contact gratefully.
Sensing Mako's gaze, Ahim looked over with a flush. Regret flitted over the young woman's face as she stepped away from his touch. "We don't have much time."
Joe's mouth thinned but he nodded, turning to move down the semi-lit tunnel. Ahim let out the faintest of sighs as she watched his retreating back before catching Mako's eye and nodding in Joe's direction, moving to follow when Mako started after him.
Mako's eyes darted about the shadows, ears straining to catch any sounds of forewarning when they paused at a thick wooden door.
Joe gave a series of knocks and taps that signaled their arrival. After a moment, the door cracked open, revealing the relieved expression of a young, auburn haired woman who swung the door open wide and threw her arms around Ahim.
"You're freezing," the woman scowled at the meager clothing Ahim wore. "I should have made Joe bring you something." She glared up at Joe with no actual heat in her eyes. "What took you so long?"
"We had to be careful," he responded, a faint smile touching his lips as he moved past her into the room beyond.
"We're fine," Ahim assured her. "Joe took good care of us."
"I suppose," she finally allowed. She glanced over at Mako with a studying sweep of her eyes.
"Luka, this is Ms. Mako Shiba," Ahim smiled, turning to introduce the two women. "Ms. Mako, this is Luka."
Mako nodded in the other woman's direction, her heart giving a familiar twinge of pain at the use of her full name as Luka returned the greeting.
"Let's get the lot of you inside," Luka waved them forward as she glanced at the bundle in Ahim's arms. "We'll get all of you warm." She held the thick tattered curtains aside, no longer needing to urge Ahim inside as the young woman's stride lengthened. Excitement and elation graced her features as she made her way into the room beyond, leaving them behind.
Mako's gaze swept over the mismatched furnishings inside– some in better conditions than others, and couldn't help but wonder which ones had been purchased through legal means and which had been lifted from their previous owners. It surprised her to discover that the answer didn't matter to her much as it probably should have.
Her ears snagged on the sounds of insistent questions and amused reassurances to see Ahim being embraced by a man with shoulder-length dark hair and searching eyes. His expression was a blend of concern and relief. He traced the dark circles forming under her eyes with a sharp question that she answered with a soft murmur and shake of her head. His shoulders fell minutely, quickly replaced with a hard anger that she tried to soothe with a warm, one-armed embrace. It was then that he looked down at the bundle in her arms. A moment of shock passed over his features, swiftly followed by understanding and his eyes quickly scanned the room, pinning Mako with the intensity of someone well-practiced in being able to read a person or situation in an instant.
Mako was used to the scrutiny of others, indeed had been surrounded by it all her life. However, she wasn't prepared for the swift grin that raked across his face once he'd made his quick assessment.
"Welcome, Princess." He gave an elaborate bow. "You can call me Captain Marvelous. I believe you've met most of my crew." He indicated the small group gathered in the room.
Mako greeted the captain, her stance wary and tense, disliking his chosen form of address. There was a faint mocking tone to it that set her teeth on edge.
She eyed her son so close to the strange man, but trusted Ahim to care for him.
"I've heard a lot about you," the man continued. "They say you come from a false kingdom that was known for its arrogance, where their women knew only one skill – how to entice a man." His teeth flashed white in a quick grin. "Is that how you managed to snag the hand of an infamous warlord?" His eyes grew hard. "Did a simple sway of your hips leave him falling at your knees, unable to leave you behind?"
Mako glowered, biting her cheek to keep herself in check; she wouldn't rise to the bait. It wasn't like it was a rumor she hadn't heard before.
"Marvelous!" Ahim hissed, appalled at his audacity.
"My apologies, Ahim," his tone was sincere when he spoke to the demure young woman but if he was abashed in any way, Mako certainly couldn't see any signs of it.
The captain's gaze never left Mako's as he continued, something akin to flint in his eyes as he spoke. "I ask only because it appears that her dear sister now sits beside the throne of your captor."
"Sister?" Mako's shoulders tensed in defense.
The man bit out a sharp bark of laughter. "Don't try and play coy now, Princess. The whole of the land has heard of your relation to Her Majesty."
"He speaks of Queen Kamilla, consort to King Almanzor," Ahim quietly explained, her eyes apologetic.
Mako's voice was deceptively soft as she addressed the captain. "You wish to confirm if Kamilla and I are related."
"She is your sister, is she not?" Marvelous studied the young woman in front of him with an inscrutable expression.
Mako's eyes flashed. "The same man may have contributed in bringing about our being, but she is no more a sister to me than the former king of Aduro was a father."
"So you will not take offense if something unfortunate should befall her one day?" He watched her with that same enigmatic façade.
"If you're asking if I would lose sleep over her death, the answer is no," Mako felt something fisting itself around her lungs. "She is the one who whispered in Almanzor's ear to bring me as a hostage to this country." Her voice became a harsh whisper.
"Her men slew my husband in the streets before my eyes, staining our daughter with his blood." She squeezed her eyes shut, her stomach churning at the memory. "She's the one who ordered the death of my daughter – claimed it was necessary. That she needed to purify her home of the –" Mako choked on the words but spit them out through gritted teeth "– the demon spawn."
The room had gone absolutely silent, every eye watching the young mother as she struggled to breathe past her pain.
"She then threatened to throw my infant son from the castle parapets unless I served and bowed to her every whim."
Ahim approached Mako on soft feet, carefully placing a gentle hand on her shoulder so as not to startle or alarm her, but unable to deny the need to comfort her all the same.
Mako swallowed past the nausea, breathed through the grief and opened her eyes to face the plundering captain once more. Her face was fierce; her eyes as unforgiving as the craggy mountain peaks that surrounded the kingdom.
"No," she bit out. "That woman is no relation of mine, and I would appreciate the gesture to never hear the suggestion again."
Marvelous watched Mako for a long moment before inclining his head to her. "My sincerest apologies, I will not make the same mistake twice."
Ahim smiled softly at Marvelous, her eyes kind as she gave Mako's shoulder a gentle squeeze in support.
Mako's shoulders sagged in a sudden exhaustion, her rush of anger leaving her hollow. "Why do you care?"
He gave a careless shrug, moving to lounge back in his chair as if it was the king's throne. "I don't care about you in particular," he admitted even as his eyes sparked with mischief. "I do, however, have an interested party who does."
Mako's suspicions increased tenfold as she watched a smirk make its way across the man's face. She raised an eyebrow in silent question, refusing to play into his games.
Marvelous' eyes flashed in amusement at her daring as he settled his elbows on his knees, tenting his fingers before him. "I believe the name Shiba should ring a bell or two."
Mako stilled. Had Kaoru sent for her already?
Her heart skipped a beat in a sudden thrill of elation and intense relief, but she pushed aside her emotions to eye the captain coolly, warning herself not to get her hopes up. "Anyone who knows my name could claim the same. As you yourself have pointed out, my story is well-known." She crossed her arms over her chest and challenged the man in front of her. "What proof do you have?"
Marvelous turned to his second-in-command and exchanged a smirk. "We were warned you'd be cautious. Smart lass," he complimented her before nodding to a light-haired man standing beside Joe. "A concerned party convinced us to hear their story and offered proof of their claim, knowing you would need more convincing than the word of a rogue."
The captain's spy stepped toward Mako, making her tense on instinct, but Ahim's reassuring hand never left her shoulder and Mako fought the urge to take a step back. The light-haired young man held out his hand and in a flash of fingers was dangling a bright, silvery medallion between them, suspended in the air by a well-worn leather chord.
Mako squinted at it in confusion at first, her fingers reaching out to touch the small warm circle of metal, feeling its light weight drop into her palm as the man released it to her. It looked familiar though she couldn't place it at first. It appeared to be nothing more than a forgotten trinket with a deep line scratched along one side until her fingers smoothed over the back and Mako felt her heart stop.
Breathing slowly, fighting to keep a disinterested façade in place, Mako turned the coin over and nearly felt her knees give out. Feeling the tremble in her companion's body, Ahim braced the young woman, frowning in concern at the look on Mako's face.
It wasn't a throw-away piece of metal as Mako had first assumed. On the back was an engraving.
An engraving of a small flower, one that could be mistaken for a bird in flight.
"Habenaria radiate," she whispered, too low for anyone else to hear. "Sagiso." She heard the word echo in her mind; a memory from the past, one that still shined brightly in a time when she thought her world could get no darker.
Mako grasped the silver medallion tightly in both hands, attempting and failing to keep them from shaking at the overload of emotions that were now tumbling through her. "Who –?"
"A young man by the name of Shiba, as I have already stated." Marvelous waved his hand toward her airily, but his tone was not unkind.
"He's alive?" Disbelief and aching hope warred for dominance inside as she waited with bated breath, terrified of the answer.
"As I live and breathe before you now."
Mako blinked once. Twice. Three times before her legs gave out and she sat on the ground with a soft thump, startling the young woman who had been trying to hold her steady. Mako's hands were white from the tight grip she held on the small metal disc she clutched close to her chest, head bowed as curtains of dark hair hid her face.
"Ms. Mako? Are you okay?" Ahim was immediately on her knees beside Mako, Gai not far behind as the two exchanged alarmed looks of concern. She gently drew aside Mako's hair, tucking it behind one ear to see her lips moving fervently. Ahim's concern softened into a smile as she caught the fervent murmurs of gratitude. With the rapid change of languages she was using, Ahim guessed that she was thanking all the benevolent names she knew in the heavens.
Mako flipped the small medallion over and over in her fingers, unable to look away from the familiar symbol.
On the journey from her homeland to his, she had urged Takeru to get rid of the reminder of their darker past, but he had surprised her by insisting on keeping it. He had told her it was a token of the struggles they'd overcome, and now symbolized their strength, freedom and love. He had never removed it, and none outside their immediate circle of friends and family even knew of its existence.
Ryunosuke too had kept his, but Mako had no doubt that this particular pendant belonged to Takeru – the line carved into the side had to be from when the man in the alley had tried to cut him down, leaving him to bleed out upon the dirt as they'd dragged her away.
It appeared that her pendant was continuing to protect those dear to her even now.
She looked up at the man studying her reaction with a mix of empathy and amusement. "Where –?"
"Close."
"I can't –?"
"Not tonight, no. They are resting; it was a long, hard journey as you well remember, and you must return soon before you are missed. Doc would only be able to hold off inquires for so long should anyone come looking." He nodded toward Joe who disappeared through the other side of the curtains to check that the coast was clear for their departure.
"Don't worry, Princess," he consoled her as her features fell. "I'm sure they will be in contact with you shortly. It would be tempting fate to sneak a foreign warlord into the castle under the king's very nose, but one of the others might be more manageable for an opening act." He turned contemplative as Gai helped Mako back up to her feet, bracing her by the elbows until she was steady.
Mako warmly welcomed the comforting weight of her son as Ahim slid him back into her arms. He had yet to make a sound, and she drew back the blankets to see his peacefully sleeping face. She bit back a weary smile.
Her emotional state had just slipped into a crashing whirlwind, while he slumbered peacefully, oblivious to the enormity of the moment.
She glanced over as Ahim made her way back over to her brother and his fiancée to exchange hurried words and long embraces. Mako looked away with a pang of envy, scolding herself for the bite of jealousy when she should be grateful her family was alive. She would see them again soon enough.
"He's a cutie," a voice piped up from beside her and Mako looked over to see Marvelous' spy quietly peeking at the tiny, dreaming face.
"Thank you," Mako returned his disarming grin with a small smile.
"I wanted to apology," he started, his tone hesitant as he raked a hand through his hair. "We kinda dumped the notice about your kid's birth on your family. They weren't exactly thrilled to hear about how he arrived in the world."
Mako grimaced, pushing away the turbid, painful memories. "I'm glad they weren't here to witness it," she admitted quietly. "I'm afraid I acted rather shamefully."
Gai shrugged. "Given the circumstances, I think you've done fairly well. I doubt I could have." He shuddered at the thought.
Mako smiled her gratitude as Joe slipped back into the room, signaling that it was time to leave.
"Take care, Princess," Marvelous called as Luka enveloped Ahim in one last tight embrace. "I dare say we'll be seeing more of each other."
"Please, call me Mako."
"Mako it is then," he grinned. "What is it?" He asked when she hesitated.
"I was just wondering," she paused, unsure how to phrase her question politely. "What is it that you get out of all this, Captain? I understand your involvement as far as Ahim is concerned, by why agree to help my family? What will that help you to achieve?"
Marvelous grin was lethal as he answered. "They're going to help us obtain the greatest treasure in the world, of course."
Mako nodded in acceptance of the answer but didn't press; unsure she wanted to hear an explanation of it. She turned to follow in Ahim's footsteps where the young woman now hovered by Joe's side.
"Wait."
Mako paused, looking back at the auburn-haired woman standing beside her captain.
Luka was leaning casually against Marvelous' mock throne. She glanced at the child in Mako's arms briefly before focusing on her nails as if they held her supreme interest.
"He says to call the child 'Eiji.'"
Mako's heart skipped a beat in her chest as she blinked openly at the woman whose very posture suggested nonchalance. And then she smiled.
Mako awoke at the soft press of lips against her temple, her blurry eyes taking a moment to focus on the person beside her.
"Takeru," she breathed on an exhausted but happy exhale.
"You did it," he whispered, joy radiating from his features, even as his eyes shown with an intense relief.
She smiled softly up at her husband, love expanding in her chest. While the birth of their second child had been immensely easier than their first, she feared it had left a permanent trace of fear that would never be fully erased.
"Are you okay?" He asked when she didn't respond. "Are you in pain? Should I get –?"
"I'm fine," she assured him. "Just tired."
His smile grew sheepish. "I'm sorry I woke you."
Mako shook her head, her hand reaching out to clasp his. He squeezed it tightly in his grasp, fingers threading through hers, needing the connection. She looked around the room, her brows furrowing. "Where's Ayako?"
Takeru's smile grew. "They're watching her – she fell asleep waiting."
A quiet noise sounded from the warm bundle of blankets in tucked in the crook of Takeru's elbow, and they both looked at the tiny arm that fought its way out from the wrappings.
Mako reached over, allowing the clenched fist to latch onto her finger, reassurance sweeping through her at the firm grip.
"He's strong," Takeru murmured.
"Just like his father," Mako smiled, happy tears gathering in her eyes as she watched her husband and son, wondering what she must have done in a past life to deserve this happiness.
"What will we name him?" Takeru asked, breaking into her thoughts.
"Did you have a name in mind?"
Takeru shook his head, shifting his son into his mother's arms as he began to emit quiet sounds of protest. "I named Ayako," he reminded her. "It seems only fair that you name him."
Mako's gaze wandered out the open door at the last strong rays of sunshine lighting up the garden, warming the bamboo that swayed gently on the summer breeze. She glanced down at her son's face as he moved to nuzzle against her chest and smiled. She met Takeru's patient gaze. "What do you think about 'Takeshi'?"
"Takeshi?" Takeru tried the name, his hand brushing back his son's dark tuft of hair. He nodded. "I like it."
Mako's smile grew. "Takeshi it is then."
Takeru chuckled. "Are we going to do this with every child? Take turns naming them?"
Mako raised a brow in his direction. "Are we already planning to have another one?"
He laughed and kissed her soundly on the top of her head. "I think that's a conversation best saved for when you don't have a newborn in your arms." He shifted behind her to brace her back against his chest, his arms wrapping around the two of them gently, holding his wife and child close.
Mako relaxed against him with a grateful sigh before turning her head to look up at him with a smile.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead with a gentle brush of his lips. "I love you, Mako."
She couldn't stop the smile that blossomed across her face any more than she could stop the sun from rising in the east as his lips captured hers in a tender kiss, enveloping her in his love.
The gentle, beautiful smile that graced her features now left a hush over the room as they glimpsed what had snared the Shiba lord's heart as Mako gazed down at her son and whispered his name to him for the first time.