Author's Note:

First, a word of clarification: Takeda actually first showed up in this story in chapters 14, 15 and 16. In chapter 16 he comes staggering out of the inn leaning on Inoue (Gen-san), but Chizuru quickly discovers that although there is a lot of blood, his only injury is a shallow cut on one arm. I never expected it to take me 40 chapters to get back to him...

Second, a thank you for some terrific reviews from

Shell1331 - I'm impressed by those who can pick up such a long fanfic and still take the time to review... thank you for giving it a try and for your hilarious comments!
Thank you also for supporting my story on tumblr :) [The Oxford comma is featured after the word "comb" below.]

Scintilla of Myself – your regular comments, concerns and enthusiasm to hear more are great!

nakigaoyuu – my Chikage plushie has been snarking at me for the last few weeks now: he is NOT happy. Expect fireworks soon. Especially since Saitou isn't happy with him for many reasons...

Spirit kagome – very nice to see you again and absolutely right... Chizuru may face a major challenge to complete her Trials

sabina-san – thank you again for reading and for your support on tumblr. You managed to hit on so many of my favourite things (Kenshin - heh!) and I'm very happy that you found Suzuka interesting. She has a lot to accomplish...

14phantom – I was so happy to see your reviews as you caught up in the story! I think we need another Okita-Yamazaki scene... :)

Also to anon (Guest) and to two other Guests who have taken the time to post reviews: you've picked up on great stuff and it makes me smile every time somebody says "that really worked for me" or "I wonder if you're doing this?" ... I can't respond to everything here, but yes (Guest), Hijikata is at least partially aware that he's testing Chiharu.

I greatly appreciate all of you, and also those who have touched base with me on tumblr or by PM to let me know they're reading.

Finally, I'm hoping to get two more chapters up by next Sunday, so yes, we should be getting to some more critical plot-points soon. For example: What will happen between Chikage and Amagiri? What will happen when Chikage returns to Kyoto? Also: What are Sannan and (maybe) Okita up to? Will Kaoru continue to influence events around the Shinsengumi? Will Takeda make a move? How will Heisuke, Okita and Nagakura deal with their slowly expanding abilities? Will the Shinsengumi be able to accept Saitō and his wife (?) into their midst?

\(^o^)~

Quote

Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased,
Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow,
Raze out the written troubles of the brain
And with some sweet oblivious antidote
Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff
Which weighs upon the heart?

~ Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 3, scene 3

Chapter 58 – Interludes

[I] - The Vice Commander Makes a Point (or Two)

The wooden swords crashed together as the bright-haired Oni boy and the dark-haired Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi both opted to feel out the other's strength sooner rather than later. Hijikata's tactic, born of watching Saitō and Amagiri over the last few days, was simple: he suspected that he needed to win by skill and experience, since Kichirō-kun's strength and speed might be as good as his, and the boy's physical endurance could be higher. Therefore, he didn't want to waste time in testing his opponent, nor did he want the boy to learn his style. Also… it would be good to convince the young Kazama to respect the ability of the Shinsengumi.

Chiharu, who had moved back to a safer distance, was intrigued. Her brother was only fifteen, but he would pass his final trial very soon and he was tall and strong for his age. After all, she had watched him take down three grown ruffians with comparative ease. What surprised her was that Kichirō had seemed excited about this match, when he normally held humans in careless contempt (Chikage had certainly passed along their father's prejudices in that respect). But her younger brother had even – she had to smile a little – gone out of his way to show off for the Vice Commander. He had probably sensed, as she had, that the man was dangerous.

Despite her musings, she was startled when Kichirō was the one pressed backward when the bokken slammed into each other for the first time. He danced away lightly, grinning, but Chiharu could tell that he was quickly re-evaluating his opponent. Hijikata-san seemed to move very little, in comparison, but as the boy darted in with impressive speed for a second attack, the man turned in perfect time, beat the incoming blade sideways and then counter-attacked with incredible speed of his own. Only an Oni could have jumped as Kichirō did to avoid the slashing edge of the wooden sword as it came down.

In a way, Chiharu felt privileged to witness a Kazama face a truly skilled human – it did not happen often. In another way, the evening was taking a harsh toll on her pride in her clan. She had listened earlier to Osen-chan's comment – passed along from Amagiri – that Saitō-san would have injured the red-haired Oni during the Ikedaya incident if he hadn't been aiming at an illusion rather than the actual man. Nevertheless, she hadn't really believed it. Now she was seeing first-hand what an exceptional, trained, adult part-Oni could do. She wondered if her family – or the Oni as a whole – had made a mistake in always valuing the half-bloods so much lower than the purebloods.

The combatants were closing again, and the Shinsengumi officer was demonstrating a phenomenal sense of timing. He could clearly sense where his opponent was going and when he would be there. He wielded his wooden sword two-handed, in the human way, and Chiharu could see that Kichirō was hard pressed on at least one occasion not to lose his sword altogether. Hijikata-san was very strong as well as talented. Chiharu considered examining the man to see if she could determine his Oni potential, but between courtesy and common sense, and a distinct disinclination to repeat Chikage's mistakes, she let well enough alone.

The tempo was increasing, she thought, watching the clumsy wooden swords move swiftly in the scarce light from the overcast night sky and the yellow glow spilling from the house. The wind tugged at the two high pony-tails, and she could see that Kichirō's hair had started coming free of its cord, as it always did. Chiharu concluded that it was time go back inside when a fat drop of rain hit her cheek and an especially nasty gust tugged her own hair partially loose from its combs and pins.

As if thinking the same thing, Hijikata suddenly accelerated his attack once again, timing his last blow – but how could he? – for the precise moment that Kichirō's pony-tail dissolved into a mass of golden tendrils and blew directly across the boy's face. There was an audible thump, as the sword caught Kichirō across the ribs under his left arm, which had been raised to strike.

Chiharu suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be running the match.

"Stop!" she cried. "One point in!" She wasn't sure how she felt about a human – even a part-Oni – pulling off a victory against a competent pureblood like her younger brother. He's the leader of a band of ronin who are known as excellent, if ruthless, swordsmen. How could he keep order if they couldn't respect his skills? Kichirō is only fifteen. If he's not upset, then I can handle it.

In fact, Kichirō had looked momentarily stunned, but he'd shoved his blond hair off his face and bowed to Hijikata-san with the shine of admiration in his deep red eyes. The Vice Commander had given him a quick nod, but halted his immediate desire to launch into the details of the match by raising a peremptory hand and turning to Chiharu.

"We should go in before the rain increases. May I assist you, Chiharu-sama?"

Chiharu shot him a quick look from under her lashes. Seeing nothing but polite concern in the planes of his slightly aquiline face, she quickly assented. A firm, but respectful hand under her elbow provided the slight extra balance to help her move more quickly in her raised sandals across the rapidly dampening grass.

"Oh – but! I mean… it's not really raining, Hijikata-san!" Kichirō was clearly disappointed.

When Hijikata looked back at him briefly, brows raised, the boy immediately recognized his lack of courtesy toward his sister and hurried up the steps behind them.

"I'm sorry, Haru-chan. Of course you don't want to get wet…"

"I'm fine, Kichirō. I was worried about the silk. Thank you, Vice Commander Hijikata. Will you excuse me for a few moments? Kimigiku will no doubt escort you to the appropriate room."

Sure enough, Kimigiku was now holding the door into the house open for all three of them.

"Thank you, Chiharu-sama. We will be with you very shortly, Kimigiku-san."

The shinobi nodded and closed the door behind Chiharu, leaving the young Oni and Hijikata standing out on the engawa in their sturdy tabi.

"That was quite well done," Hijikata said without preamble to Kichirō. "You almost hit me once or twice." The praise was sincere enough to satisfy, but the undertone was pitched to convey that they both knew Hijikata to be the better swordsman.

"Yes – I mean – thank you Hijikata-san – I mean…" Kichirō stopped, gathered his youthful dignity, and said: "I've never fought against a human with your skill, Hijikata-san. And, well, I admit that I thought it would be more fair if I used my left hand – I can use both, you know, but my right's a bit better. Plus, most men aren't sure what to do against a left-handed attacker, so I thought I'd be in a strong enough position not to risk losing…"

Hijikata gave him a level, serious look.

"First of all, never, ever underrate an enemy. It isn't worth it. A moment's arrogance can cost you your life – even for an Oni, I expect! - and you'd feel very stupid in the afterlife explaining that you shouldn't be dead because you were the better swordsman really."

"Hai, Hijikata-san!"

"And second," Hijikata continued, turning his face away from Kichirō as if studying the woodwork around the door, "I make a point of training all of my captains to fight left-handed swordsmen. You'd be surprised."

"Oh – oh I see Hijikata-san! Thank you for the training, sir."

There was a sound like a muffled sneeze from Hijikata, but when he turned back to Kichirō, his face was reasonably serious. He held the house door open and nodded for the other to go first, comenting: "You fought well, Kichirō-kun. Most grown men couldn't touch you, and likely no human boy of your own age. What you need, other than practice against others at your level, is experience in actual combat and perhaps a bit more strategy."

"Thank you, Hijikata-san!" The boy paused, then pushed his hair back from his face again with an impatient hand. "It – it must be very interesting to be a captain in the Shinsengumi, Vice Commander." His voice was a little shy, as if he didn't want to be too forward but was also very curious.

"It has its moments," Hijikata agreed slowly. "We have some good men. But mostly it's boring – patrols and reports and protecting people who don't really want your protection." Seeing the boy's patently disbelieving gaze, he added: "Oh, cheer up, we also see more than our fair share of trouble! It's dangerous work, and not for the faint of heart. Who knows, maybe one day you can visit and some of my men can spar with you to your heart's content – if not theirs. I'm guessing that Captain Okita of the First Division would probably be interested."

Kichirō was clearly unsure how to reply, but just then Chiharu hurried into the entry hall. She was carrying a length of white and crimson cord, a comb, and a brush.

"Oh – oh no Chiharu! I can do it myself!"

Once again, the Vice Commander's narrow black eyebrows went up. Kichirō flushed a little, not wanting to appear childish in front of Hijikata-san. Chiharu – very reluctantly – had to admire the way that Hijikata-san handled her younger brother.

"Well, at least let me try first, Kirō-kun. I know it's all very strange, but we need to attend two very important ceremonies quite shortly. I want to change before we're called in."

Seeing that Hijikata-san was watching him quizzically, arms folded, Kichirō submitted without further protest to having his hair combed and tied up a great deal more neatly than usual. Neither of the Kazama siblings suggested helping the Vice Commander with his own wind-blown locks.

"The person that you should really train with, of course, is Saitō," commented Hijikata thoughtfully. "And he with you."

"Um… are you sure Hijikata-san? I mean, Saitō-sama probably doesn't have much time right now for somebody like me, right?"

Hijikata had to choke back a laugh. As gravely as he could, he replied:

"Well, I can understand how Saitō may seem more short-tempered and intimidating than I am, or some of the other captains."

Both Chiharu and Kichirō gave Hijikata suspicious looks. They were intelligent and sensitive to nuance; they had caught his amusement. Chiharu finally spoke, after a longish pause:

"If you will go up the stairs, Hijikata-san, a basin and a comb have been laid out for you. In the first room on the right, I believe."

"Thank you, Chiharu-sama." Hijikata bowed politely to her, and then caught her off-guard momentarily with a slight smile. "Are you going back upstairs yourself? Kichirō-kun… I believe that your sister would like us to make ourselves presentable. Am I correct, do you think?"

"Yes, Hijikata-san," the boy answered respectfully.

Chiharu couldn't stop herself from looking up into Hijikata-san's purple eyes for a moment. She thought that the man was laughing about something, but she had to admit that he gave very little away. She quickly dropped her eyes again, but not before feeling the first prickling of a faint blush on her cheeks. She was torn between growing admiration for the man and annoyance that Kichirō seemed to be falling under his spell so easily. Well, Kimigiku had warned her about Hijikata-san. He was handsome, intelligent, and skilled with both a sword and the complexities of directing the young male ego. She was no longer surprised to know that he was considered to be very attractive to women. At the same time, he was wedded to his job and prepared to be ruthless in defense of his superiors and the lords they followed. She was surprised to discover that she had momentarily forgotten that he was also a human.

[II] - The Princess and the Warrior

Sen hadn't thought that it was possible to fall asleep while leaning on somebody, but apparently it was. She had meant to finish setting up the basin – now clean – and the small ritual knives. She had also meant to bring the ancient volume of records down from the hidden place near the top of one cabinet. Instead, she had somehow dozed off while listening to Harada-san's heartbeat. She woke up in the red-head's lap and cradled in his strong arms, and for just a moment she was prepared to abandon everything not to have to move. He was looking away from her though, and she finally identified the sound that had woken her: rain lashed heavily against the shuttered windows and the wood creaked a little from the force of the wind. They would have to find a way to make Amagiri stay…

"She's awake now, Kimigiku-san," Sen heard Harada say. His voice resonated oddly in his chest.

"Good. Thank you for… coming to her assistance." Sen heard the slightest hint of irony in her shinobi's cool, pleasant voice. "Princess?"

Reluctantly, Sen turned her head. "Yes, Kimigiku?"

"You need to change. I will assist you, of course."

Sen had no idea why she was so muzzy. Of everyone, she had done the least – so far – that day. The news from Chiharu and especially Kimigiku had been shocking, of course. But Sen had always had some foreknowledge of things to come: it was the other great Gift of her line. For example, she had known from first seeing him that whatever future she had lay with the human spearman.

Harada-san rose, Sen still clasped against his chest.

"Just tell me where to go," he said with a smile.

Kimigiku looked at him sombrely. "We'll go the back way. We have guests…"

Sen just closed her eyes again by way of response. The drain on her energy seemed to be fading, but she was tired and she would need to be both awake and alert for the ceremonies to come.

When they reached her rooms – unseen by any of their guests – Harada-san set her down in the small parlour and gave Kimigiku a lazy smile. Kimigiku's eyes narrowed, but then she smiled in return.

"No you can't stay, and yes, you can wait outside the door."

"As you wish, Kimigiku-san. See you in a little bit, Hime-chan."

Both women looked briefly affronted and then laughed at him.

"Out, Harada-san!"

"Hai, Kimigiku-san!"

Harada bowed and went out into the hallway. He propped his broad shoulders against the wall opposite the door panel and folded his arms. He didn't mind the wait; he needed some time to think anyway. Something had changed between them… Before today, he had been intrigued but cautious; he hadn't known what to make of a princess who behaved as Sen-hime did. Her behaviour could hardly be called demure for any woman, although she was very young. And he didn't like the idea that his feelings were so fickle that he'd been drawn to Chizuru-chan for months and now found himself falling for her cousin in a much more serious way. It was troubling.

And what about Saitō? By all appearances, the last Trial had been almost as grim as the first, and he had not emerged unchanged. Harada had felt the waves of anger and grief still turbulent within the man, even though by the time that Harada had arrived behind Chizuru, the bleeding face was as impassive on the surface as it had ever been.

The biggest difference, though, was the sense of power. The indigo-haired man was still, without question, Saitō Hajime. But… the presence that in the past had always been carefully hidden away now blazed as though an angry god had brought a piece of the sun down to earth. Of course, it seemed probable that Saitō would learn to control that as he did everything else. But Harada was a good judge of people, and he did not see how a massive, wrenching change in the physical and mental self could take place without affecting the whole person. In any event, the overwhelming arrogance of the man called Kazama Chikage – based on what he had heard from his comrades and from Sen-hime's acidic comments – was more understandable now, Harada thought.

Which brought him back to Sen. Sen-hime. Osen-chan. Whoever and whatever she was… Not just the leader of a clan but of all the Oni in Japan. He was having a hard time seeing his place in that world. He'd always assumed that he'd eventually find somebody nice and settle down. Make enough money to support a family and maybe not have to put his life on the line every day. Have somebody to come home to… Then again, he'd come very close to marrying once before, and hadn't. So maybe he'd always known that there was a piece missing.

Harada sighed. Saitō seemed to have no such hesitation when it came to Chizuru-chan. Harada had never seen the slightest hesitation on Saitō's part, with the exception of the shyness of a very reserved man. Even once he'd known her heritage, and his own, and realized that she was Oni high nobility, he hadn't wavered that Harada had seen. He could tell that even Hijikata-san had been forced to tacitly concede that Saitō was going to do everything short of disobey a direct order in order to marry Chizuru-chan – and sooner rather than later. And in Harada's view, nobody knew anymore what Saitō would do in the face of such a direct order now. That made him dangerous, a fact that Sannan-san and Sōji had been quick to point out. Harada couldn't say that they were wrong.

In fact, Saitō seemed to be perfect for the role that he was – according to the Oni – destined to fulfill. Mate and protector, and eventually father and teacher. He had the discipline to do whatever needed to be done without flinching. He was capable of enduring hardship and was utterly unafraid of bad odds. And unlike Harada, the thought of being a consort to a woman who was in some sort a princess didn't seem to disturb him. Whatever anchored Saitō's self-esteem was not tied to position and public recognition.

Harada suddenly grinned to himself. The truth was that as much as it troubled him in some ways, he could see himself joining Sen-hime in what must be a difficult struggle to keep Kyoto as safe as possible for the Oni and to some extent the humans within it. After all, hadn't he come to Kyoto to protect its citizens? That had always driven him far more than honour and glory. In the end, what mattered most of all was finding the right person, whatever her circumstances.

Mind you, it was a strange idea. Marriage was undertaken to secure wealth, land, connections and similar benefits. Personal preference entered into it, of course, but the reality was that most men chose a wife for her family or wealth, or at least for practical skills such a cooking or sewing. One could always take a mistress to compensate for any missing aspects such as beauty or entertainment or physical pleasure.

Once more, Harada dragged his mind away from philosophizing. It was useless, since it didn't represent what he wanted. And he was beginning to feel very attached to his princess in any event. He just wasn't sure what that meant for his future. No doubt he would find out in due course, if things went that way.

He sensed Sen-hime and Kimigiku-san before the door slid open, and waited with some interest to see what the Princess of the Oni would wear to not one but two important ceremonies. Naturally, Sen-hime didn't disappoint.

Harada bowed low. As he had expected, she was wearing a very formal and probably very heavy court dress, made up of a kimono over multiple layers of silk and tied with an elaborate obi. He was a little surprised that she wasn't wearing make-up, but then it occurred to him that Oni ceremonies were likely conducted in Oni form.

"This is my mother's imperial court kimono," said Sen, stepping with care into the hallway. "As you see, the hem is designed to sweep the floor, so one can't exactly walk well. Fortunately, Oni women are far better able to cope with the weight and the heat of such things. It gives me great respect for human women, to be honest."

Her smile as she met Harada's admiring gaze was as warm and bright as always. I'm not going to walk away from this one, the spearman thought, mocking his previous musings. We just need to get to know each other a bit better.

"I'm afraid that I don't have a change of clothing, Sen-hime," he told her, regretfully. "Not that I own such clothes anyway!"

"Oh, that's no problem," said Sen. "I mean, I did make sure that the servants brought Saitō-san something reasonable to wear, and Chizuru-chan will look lovely in the kimono she wore earlier, even if it isn't tied as well as it was."

"And are they helping each other to dress?" asked Harada impishly.

"Not as far as I know, though I suppose that they could have sent the servants away. Do you think that Saitō-san knows how to arrange and tie a kimono?"

"I don't think any of us really knows what Saitō can and can't do, except maybe Hijikata-san. I have never seen Saitō in a woman's kimono, however."

"Hijikata-san is fortunate in having such loyal and capable officers," Kimigiku commented softly.

"Kondō-san is a man who commands great loyalty," Harada told her. "Meaning no offense to the Vice Commander, you understand. But Saitō wouldn't be with us now without Kondō's generosity and encouragement. You only know Saito slightly, but you can probably imagine how rarely he accepts the help and hospitality of others. But Kondō-san is a strong fighter with the type of generous spirit that a man like Saitō could not misunderstand for pity or charity. However, there is no question that in Hijikata-san, Saitō found a man he could respect and would follow without question. So you're are right that Saitō has a very strong personal loyalty to Hijikata-san. Saitō's very… single-minded when he needs to be."

"Hijikata-san does not wish him to marry," Kimigiku commented, frowning slightly.

Harada shrugged. "It is against our rules without special dispensation from the Commander. But you can imagine why the men of the Shinsengumi don't generally marry unless they leave – which also requires the agreement of the Commander, incidentally."

Sen-hime placed her small hand on Harada's forearm, above the red and white strapping.

"I can guess," she said. "No hostages to fortune, no split loyalties, no extra incentive to desertion just when a man is needed most."

"All of those things, Sen-hime," Harada agreed gravely. "And then, on top of that, Saitō is Hijikata's most reliable captain."

"You aren't reliable, Harada-san?" asked Kimigiku, feigning shock.

"I am exceptionally reliable," Harada told her firmly. "But I'm rather noticeable, and every now and then it is useful for somebody to be able to pick up bits and pieces of information unseen. You may be familiar with the notion."

Their eyes met at that, bright amber challenging clear purple.

"Yes, yes, everybody tries to spy on everybody else," Sen cut in. "But the point is: will Hijikata-san allow them to marry? The Oni contract of betrothal is binding and almost impossible to break short of death."

Harada hesitated.

"Hijikata-san has given his tacit consent. A little unwillingly, but he gave it. And Kondō-san is romantic, so he will most likely consent, especially if he thinks that anything might, ah, reflect badly on an innocent girl."

Sen suddenly gave a gurgle of laughter. "So all we need to do is have Saitō-san compromise the bride-to-be?"

Kimigiku looked a little pained and Harada raised his expressive brows.

"Once again, you shock me, Princess," he said severely.

"Oh yes, I can see that," Sen retorted. "But as Kimigiku will tell you, I'm partly in earnest. If I go through with this betrothal – which I truly think is safest for both of them for other reasons – then it will not go well for either of them if Kondō-san refuses his permission. Saitō-san will no doubt attempt to do something noble but stupid—"

"As men are wont to do," murmured Kimigiku.

"—and then we'll all be in trouble. So I need to know if this marriage is going to happen."

"Then I think you're asking the wrong person," Harada said, a little forcefully. "I'm not against it personally, but I'm not Hijikata-san, or Sannan-san – who I suspect will be against it, by the way - nor am I one of the parties to it."

"You think the odds are in favour of Kondō-san permitting it though?" asked Kimigiku.

"Yes, decidedly. He does follow Hijikata-san's advice in most things."

"Well that's settled then. I suppose you've heard that everyone's just about ready to go?"

Harada blinked. "I know that Kichirō-kun, Hijikata-san and Chiharu-sama are back, I heard them some time ago…"

"Yes, they're getting tidied up. Hijikata-san is probably already back downstairs with Amagiri."

"Sen-hime?"

"Yes, Harada-san?"

"You told us that this wouldn't take long, or be too formal. Are you trying to drag it out?"

"A little. But also, Kimigiku pointed out to me that part of the reason for observing the formalities is so that the importance of the ceremony impresses itself firmly on the minds of the observers. When you remember that belief plays such a big role for Oni, you can understand why I dressed like this."

"Shall we get on with it then?"

Sen hesitated, and then said shyly: "I could fix your hair for you if you like. I'm quite good at it."

Harada was taken aback, but realized immediately that he wasn't going to say no.

"Alright, Princess."

"And then you can help me down the stairs."

"Certainly."

"And carry me into the ceremonies room as though we'd just gotten married?"

"No!" said Kimigiku and Harada together.

[III] - Ministering to a Mind Diseased

Saitō and Chizuru found both of Sen-hime's servants in the big kitchen at the back of the house. The servants took in Saitō's current appearance and bowed low, but although the man remained wary, the woman immediately turned to Chizuru with a smile.

"Everything went reasonably well then, Yukimura-sama?" she asked calmly.

Thinking of Saitō's tight lips and half-dressed, blood-streaked body, Chizuru decided that if Osen-chan ever decided to part with her servants, she would gladly offer the woman a home.

"Yes, thank you, Mika-san."

"There are fresh clothes for Saitō-sama in the bathing chamber, and we've filled one of the baths," the woman continued. "We've also put your kimono into the changing room next door. I can assist you with it at any time."

Chizuru was grateful for the thoughtfulness – whether Kimigiku-san's or Osen-chan's. She had wondered what she was going to do for clothes. This way she could brush out her hair and wash quickly from a basin while Saitō had the chance to bathe properly. With Mika-san's help she wouldn't take too long, although her hair might not be as nicely dressed as it was earlier. Knowing her hostess and the shinobi, Chizuru suspected that even the ornaments for her hair were waiting for her.

"We are grateful, Mika-san, Akio-san," Chizuru said, bowing to each of them in turn. She knew that it made them uncomfortable, but she couldn't help it. She had spent most of the last seven months cooking, doing laundry and scrubbing floors. Before that she had been the sole caretaker of her father's house. She found it difficult to behave like a noble lady.

"Thank you," Saitō told them courteously, if not with warmth.

Both servants murmured something like "you're welcome, lord", and then Saitō turned abruptly and walked into the bathing chamber. Chizuru made up her mind to the fact that she'd rather endure gossip than refuse to help Saitō in his present distress.

"Excuse me," she said pleasantly to the servants, and followed Saitō out of the room, closing the door that he'd left open. Although she had braced herself for it, she sensed no shock from the two servants. Rather, they seemed sympathetic.

Saitō turned as she closed the door. He changed to human form even as she covered the short distance between them, so she took a moment to do the same. It was a little faster each time.

"You should not be here," Saitō noted, putting his arms around her and holding her close to him.

"Nobody will mind," Chizuru told him. She tried to remain as neutral as possible, to give him the space he needed to pull himself back from the horrors that he had seen and somehow lived through. It wasn't as easy as it should have been, since she was once again conscious of his smooth skin and slightly tense muscles.

After standing with her like that for a few minutes in silence, Saitō started to relax. His mind was in chaos, she thought, although he was shielding it tightly. She guessed that not only was he struggling to assimilate the terrible "living memories", but also the more recent memory of a Kazama there in front of him, within his power. And on top of that she expected that he was mortified at being on display in such a state in front of Amagir-sani and Hijikata-san and Kimigiku-san…

"Hajime," she said quietly, once she sensed the tension dissipate further. "The bath will help."

"I know," he told her, his voice still not quite his own. The usually clear, precise tones had a rough burr in them. "I know, but I don't want you to go. It is as if… you are the only clean thing I have right now. I almost killed that boy. I might have done it if you had not been there. They did it out of greed and jealousy you know. They killed my clan, my wife, my sons… my sister. They wanted the Yukimura. Not to kill them… to use them, to breed from them. It was the healing powers, always… The Kazama were warriors. Healers would make them almost unbeatable. But the Yukimura were always defended by the Sakurai so eventually, at a time when the Lady of Yase was weak, they destroyed the Sakurai. They must have made sure that the messenger dispatched to the Shiranui was killed as well."

Chizuru listened quietly. After all, it was, in a way, the history of her own clan. If the Kazama hadn't betrayed the Sakurai, maybe the Yukimura wouldn't have been overrun three hundred years later. Maybe. But if Yukimura Kōdō hadn't betrayed his own brother, they might have survived even without the Sakurai. And who knew why things were so bitter between the Kazama and the Yukimura in the first place? At some point it just all had to stop. It made her think a little more kindly of Suzuka-hime: a daughter of Kazama, a daughter of Yukimura, and the current Lady of Kyoto and Yase – who better to cut the knot?

"Between us, somehow, we'll make both our clans whole again," Chizuru said after a few more minutes had passed. Her cheeks reddened, but embarrassment seemed like a very minor thing at the moment.

She felt love and lust both flare in the man holding her. Then there was a puff of something like laughter next to her ear, but there was an edge to it that would usually be foreign to Saitō Hajime.

"I want you so much right now that I am offended by my own thoughts. It is a common reaction to death and destruction, no doubt aggravated by many other factors. Thank you for being here anyway."

Chizuru was confused and a little uncertain, but it seemed wisest not to react. As strangely as he was behaving, she still sensed that he was gradually recovering. She had to wonder, though, how many Oni survived completely undamaged through the Trial of Mind. It made her think of the uncle who had raised her as his daughter after betraying their whole clan to the humans.

Finally, Saitō loosened his hold. He looked and seemed much more himself, and his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

"I am very sorry for my behaviour, Chizuru. My actions earlier and my words just now must have worried and offended you."

"I'm fine. I'm relieved that you are a little less troubled now, that's all."

Saitō looked at her affectionately.

"That is just like you. Strange Oni magic, visions of death and destruction, listening to my rambling mind… but you are fine. And a little relieved."

"Yes, exactly." Chizuru even managed a smile for him. Anything to lift a bit more of the shadow from the dark blue eyes.

"You're going to offer to look at my no longer existent wounds again."

"Yes, I was about to…"

He sighed softly.

"I'm fine."

"I know."

"You are going to try to fix it all aren't you? The Kazama"—it was evidently an effort to even say the name—"and the Yukimura and the Sakurai and the situation with Sen-hime and Suzuka-gozen…" He moved a little further away so that now he only held her hands. "And there is something wrong with Amagiri-san's situation – did you know that? Something to do with Chiharu-sama's youngest brother, who has bright red hair. Amagiri-san does not know that I know that, though." Saitō released Chizuru's hands and crossed his arms, frowning at his bride-to-be. "You worry me."

Chizuru kept her gaze steady.

"You come first for me. I won't jeopardize that."

Saitō reddened again. Apparently he was recovering his discomfort with emotional scenes as well as his sense of self. He cleared his throat.

"I will bathe and change now. I assure you that my cuts have healed completely."

"Alright, Hajime. I'm glad that you were successful."

"So am I, Chizuru. I am... relieved that it is over." Saitō leaned forward and gave his bride-to-be a soft, but lingering kiss on the lips. "I will be with you shortly, dear one."

As he had hoped, that made her blush and smile, and her large brown eyes seemed to light up. It was worth the effort and the embarrassment for many reasons.

[END]

A/Note: Don't worry, Saitou's investiture as Sakurai-sama and his betrothal to Chizuru are coming up. It was important for me to write this middle part, however, because with Saitou's full transformation to an Oni, he has truly become not-human, and his perspective has changed. Also, who wouldn't want to write about Hijikata and Kichiro (and Chiharu!), and the inimitable Sen and Sano?

Thank you to everyone for reading. Reviews and comments are always appreciated. ~(^u^)/