Sakuno felt a horrible sensation spread all over her body when she opened her eyes. She sat down slowly and realized she was tied to the wall by double chains. The mermaid looked at that and felt an immense rage coming from inside.

"Sakuno!" Ryoma's voice called her attention. He was on the other side of the wall. They were inside the Muramasa's castle basement. There were a few lanterns on.

"Ryoma!" she tried to stand up, but she felt a sharp pain on her shoulder. She noticed that the yukata she was wearing had a big blood stain on it.

"Sakuno, you are injured, do not move so much!"

"What happened? Why are we here? Where is Kaori-san and Shuichirou-san?"

"Don't you remember? You attacked Ren, but you felt dizzy and he used this to hurt you with his sword. You lost a lot of blood and you fainted after."

Sakuno tried to break the chains, using all her strength. She screamed and all her muscles were tight and tense. The blood started to run again from her shoulder and she kneeled down.

"Sakuno, stop! Do not do that to yourself!"

His wife banged the stone floor, angrily and he could see the big tears failing from her face.

"Why is this happen again? Why couldn't I protect you?"

"Sakuno…"

"I'm sorry, Ryoma. I'm so sorry!"

"Do not apologize! You are probably weak because of your pregnancy."

She felt terribly sick and vomited. Her whole body was trembling in pain.

"Sakuno! You have to lay down!" He walked towards her, he had a chain on his ankle. Ren was cruel enough to not let them touch each other. Their chains was just a palm shorter to let them be together. All Ryoma wanted was to hug his wife.

The heavy door opened and the sound of steps made her raise her head. Ren was on the room, smiling at her.

"Oh, my dear, you are finally awake."

Sakuno charged on his direction, but the chains stopped her. Her fangs were out and she growled at him.

"You!"

"Calm down, otherwise you are going to hurt yourself more." He said, pointing the blood coming from her arm.

"Ren, where is Kaori and Shuichirou-san? What did you do to them?!"

"They are safe. I would never hurt my beloved sister." He grabbed Ryoma's hair. "I cannot say the same about you, little brother."

"Let him go!"

"Tell me what you did, Ryoma." He whispered on his face while looking at Sakuno. "How did you manage to make this extraordinary creature the wife of your sorry self?"

"What do you want with us?!"

"I want nothing with him." He released Ryoma and smiled at her. "I just want you."

"Why?" she was distrustful.

"I was amazed by your strength. Imagine of what I could do with you by my side. It is like having a white shark as a bodyguard."

"Ryoma, what does he mean?"

"He wants to use your powers." He said, with clenched teeth.

"Everyone would fear me and I could even get some more territories to Muramasa."

"I won't help you!"

"You can say that now. You know I am patient and the lack of food and water made you pretty docile."

"Until I bit off your ear." She smiled.

"Are you ready to be away from the water again? It hurts you, right? You almost died here the last time. And, I have no problems on making your dear husband to accompany on your stubbornness. No food, no water. It all depends on you. In the moment you agree with me and promise you will not hurt me, I will release Ryoma and I will provide sea water for you. And everyone will be happy."

"She is never going to be by your side." Ryoma's voice was dead serious. "You can kill me and Sakuno will not serve you."

Sakuno looked at her husband with deep concern on the scarlet eyes.

"Well, I will leave you to better discuss the matter. He can be terribly stubborn, this one. Good bye, my dear." He smiled, before leaving the room.

Sakuno tried to hold Ryoma's hand and he tried the same. They were just a palm away from each other.

"You cannot die." She looked at him sadly. "I won't let you die!"

"We will find a way. Our child is not going to be born here. I promise you."

The mermaid fell asleep leaning on the cold wall, trying to avoid her injured shoulder. She had instinctively put her arms around her stomach, trying to protect the little life inside of her.

On the other side of the room Ryoma continued to be up, fighting his despair and exhaustion, watching over his wife's sleep.

################

"What are we going to call him if it's a boy?" Ryoma asked, softly, his body leaning on the wall. They were talking about their child.

Five days had passed by so slowly it seemed like a hundred years. Ren had follow his promise and they remained there, with no food or water.

Trying to maintain some sanity, they started to talk about small things and making plans for the future.

The young human was incredibly weak. Sakuno was not in the best shape either. She was sending all her energy to her child, while dealing with the immense pain of being away from the water for so long. It was like the bones of her legs were totally crushed and it hurt even to breathe.

"It is a girl." She said with a small smile towards him. The golden eyes finally had some life on them.

"How…how do you know?"

"I just…do." her voice was so gentle. She moved her dirty yukata a little and showed him her belly was already a little bigger from where he measure from last time.

"It is growing."

"Yes." Sakuno cried a small tear and it broke Ryoma's heart. "Can you hear, little girl? That one over there is your father. He loves you very much."

"Sakuno…"

"We wanted you so much. I want you to know you were made in a happy moment." She held her belly tight and sobbed, more tears coming from the scarlet eyes. "I'm sorry. You are probably hungry, right? I can't offer you good food like before. I'm so sorry."

Ryoma didn't even realize he had started to cry too. He wanted to be strong to his wife and child, but he had to admit he was completely hopeless.

Sakuno words stopped and she looked at him with a surprised expression.

"She moved." She smiled in the middle of her cry. "She moved! Our child moved, Ryoma!"

It took him all his remaining strength to drag himself to her direction. Ryoma stretched his hand out, trying to touch his wife's belly, desperately trying to feel that first important milestone of their baby. He tried until his ankle was injured and bleeding, but he was still not able to touch her.

He cursed Ren inside his mind one thousand times for the pain he was inflicting on them. His eyes were so heavy and he couldn't be awake anymore, even with Sakuno's voice calling him out.

##################

"Ryoma! Please, wake up, Ryoma!" Kaori called him, while pouring some water on his mouth. He was on his sister's arms.

"Kaori?" it took him a while to be able to see properly again. He looked for Sakuno and she was standing, the guards had released her chains from the walls and they were taking her somewhere.

"Sakuno!" he tried to go after her, but he was too weak and fell on his knees. His wife turned around and rushed to his side, even with four men holding her and a new chain around her neck. The mermaid touched his face with both hands and smiled.

"Ryoma!"

"Where are going?! Where are they taking you?!"

"When you passed out, I called Ren. I… accepted his conditions."

"What?! You can't! Kaori, do something!" he looked at his sister but she just lowered her face sadly.

"If I didn't do this you would die." Her thumb brushed his cheek. "I cannot let you die."

"He is going to hurt you! He is going to hurt our child, you cannot trust him!"

The guards tried to push her away by the chains, but Sakuno looked at them and growled loudly.

"Leave her be for a moment." Kaori stood up. "She is keeping her promise. Just, let them talk to each other for a while."

"Ryoma…" she gave him a soft kiss. "I told Ren and made him promise he would not hurt our baby. When she is born, Kaori will take her to you. You will raise her, okay? I know you will raise her properly and love her very much."

"Sakuno, no!" her hands held his face and made him look straight at her. "Please, do not do this!"

"As long as I am alive, I will try to find a way to come back to you." She whispered in a loving tone. "And then, we will be happy again. You made me nothing but happy, Ryoma. Thank you."

It was the last thing she said before standing up and leave, without looking at him for a second time. Kaori could only hug her brother tightly and rub his back, trying to comfort him, while his whole body trembled from deep anger and frustration.