Ryoji and Haruhi looked at each other in trepidation as they got up and headed to the door. Each tried to get the other to stay back, just in case there was a threat on the other side. Ryoji finally won the silent argument and pushed Haruhi behind him as he reached to open it.
As Ryoji cautiously opened the door, the man standing in the doorstep was not what either of them expected. He was dressed in elaborate livery and holding out a beautifully embossed envelope with both their names on it. As the father/daughter pair stared at the engraved invitation they had just been handed, the messenger intoned, "You are directed to appear before the emperor and the elite enclave this Friday evening at seven. A car will arrive to collect you at six. Please be ready promptly."
His message delivered, the messenger turned and headed back to the waiting limousine. Once inside, he relaxed into the luxurious upholstery. "Well, it will be interesting to see if this one is any different from all the other pretenders that have come forward to try to claim the Fujioka Trust," he thought dismissively.
With trembling hands, Ryoji opened the envelope after they had returned to the sofa. "Why would we be receiving such a summons?" he asked nervously.
Haruhi shrugged. "Maybe it has to do with our new status as steward and heir of the Sawayama fortune. It is a pretty old line. There may be obligations connected to it that we are not aware of…just like the old Fujioka obligation to marry into the Morinozuka family from the Edo period."
In addition to the time of the meeting, it included a list of documentation to bring. "Any and all materials related to the Edo period that identifies Fujioka family descendants," Ryoji read, his tone slightly confused by the wording.
"Then it's not about the Sawayama line, but the Kawamura. I guess they mean things like Ayame's journal and the betrothal tokens," Haruhi surmised. "I wonder if Takashi will be available to accompany us since he has the other half of the token."
"You could ask him tomorrow at school," Ryoji suggested. "Speaking of which, you need to get to bed so you're well rested for tomorrow. I have to get ready for work."
Standing up, Haruhi leaned over to kiss her dad's cheek. "You're right," she murmured. "Have a good night at work," she said over her shoulder as she headed down the hall to her bedroom.
OHSHC
In some ways Haruhi's week seemed to fly by and in others it dragged. When she asked Takashi if he would be able to accompany her and her father, he informed her that he and Mitsukuni would be there with their own fathers as part of the elite enclave. Takashi explained that all the hosts except Tamaki and Kyoya would be there as heirs, observing the proceedings as the future heads of their families.
Tamaki and the twins had become extremely clingy after she convinced Shibata that he didn't need to accompany her to classes anymore. The butler acquiesced but insisted that she call him anytime if she needed anything at all. The twins kept her between them constantly, only reluctantly allowing her to use the bathroom by herself.
During Host Club, Tamaki tried to force Haruhi to host with him, but Haruhi had many more designates than usual. On one hand, her usual guests were excited to talk about how she had hidden her gender so successfully. On the other hand, a number of male students were clamoring for her attentions because of her newfound status as the Sawayama heiress.
Kyoya sat at his usual table, his stoic façade firmly in place as he seethed behind his laptop. At times, his jaw would clench when Takashi or one of the other young men would get too close to Haruhi. "That's my future wife. Keep your vile hands to yourselves and back off," he growled under his breath, though showing no other outward sign of his thoughts.
To assist Ryoji in preparing to answer the summons on Friday, Shibata gathered documents from the Edo period from the Kawamura archives. Nothing specifically stated that the Kawamura clan was related to the Fujioka family, but they kept looking for proof of the connection.
Each day that week, Haruhi returned from school to find her father asleep on the sofa surrounded by old journals and folders of documents. He spent a couple hours each day at the Kawamura estate taking care of essential business while his father was in jail awaiting trial on the kidnapping and assault charges.
Other than Ayame's journal and the betrothal tokens, they hadn't found any other conclusive evidence to prove Haruhi Fujioka of the Edo period and Ayame Kawamura were the same person.
OHSHC
On Friday night, a liveried chauffeur knocked on the door of the Fujioka's apartment. He did not say a word as they followed him to the limousine. The chauffeur did not speak during the entire drive to the venue, which turned out to be Edo Castle. Ryoji and Haruhi checked themselves in the mirror one last time before Haruhi grabbed her briefcase, the betrothal gift from Takashi, with all the relevant documents they had found.
As they passed through the area where the gatehouse stood in Haruhi's dream, she was reminded of the vivid images from her dreams of the dorms, kitchens, stables, and gatehouse. She shuddered slightly as she remembered the final scene and the despair that accompanied it.
"Anything wrong?" Ryoji asked, laying a hand on her shoulder.
Shaking her head, Haruhi replied, "No…not really. Just remembering that dream I had." She tried to smile reassuringly as she clutched the briefcase to her chest as an anchor to reality…and her Takashi. She looked around as the car stopped and the chauffeur silently opened the door for them.
Ryoji and Haruhi exchanged a glance and watched the limousine drive away before they headed toward the elaborate double doors at the entrance to Edo Castle. "Well, here we are," Ryoji remarked teasingly, trying to break the tension and draw his daughter's mind away from the tragedy in her dreams.
Before either could knock, the doors were opened by a liveried butler who intoned, "Please follow me." He turned and walked away, obviously expecting them to obey orders. They shrugged at each other and followed him down the long hallway and through another set of even more elaborate double doors.
"…third time this year we've had to gather to listen to some second-class citizen claim to be the long-lost heir of the Fujioka Trust," Hime Ayanokouji grumbled. "I have better things to do than sit around here listening to their little fairy tales."
Haruhi cringed at the all-too-familiar voice of the Host Club's former guest who made her first days at Ouran miserable. Ryoji looked at his daughter's expression and then stepped closer, so their shoulders were touching as they waited to be escorted to their seats.
There were other murmurs from around the large room as the butler led them to a small table with two chairs on the far side of what appeared to be a large ballroom repurposed as a meeting room. Elaborate tapestries and silk paintings on the walls depicted historical moments in Japan's history. As they approached the table, Ryoji and Haruhi realized that this was the Emperor and his heir. The father/daughter pair bowed deeply and waited to be acknowledged.
"Welcome to the enclave," the Emperor intoned. "We are meeting to evaluate your claim to the Fujioka Trust established by the Shogun in the Edo period."
Haruhi looked at her father and raised an eyebrow questioningly.
Ryoji's eyes widened, and he gave his head a small negative shake.
As they were being led to a small table with two chairs on the opposite side of the room, Mitsukuni stood up, bowed respectfully, and addressed the assembly. "Your Majesty, I wish to clarify that I was the one who petitioned for the enclave to assess the potential that Ryoji and Haruhi Fujioka are descendants of the Edo era family line to which the land was granted and the Haninozuka family has held in trust for all these years."
Muttering broke out around the room at his announcement. Some were accusations that he was trying to give his commoner girlfriend some status to make her more acceptable. Others were speculations about what blackmail material she was holding over him to force him to do this. The Emperor allowed it for a few moments before nodding to his heir to tap on the small gong on the table to get everyone's attention.
Haruhi observed the room impassively as she listened to the speculations and accusations. She smiled softly at Takashi and watched his fists relax. She noticed the open hostility on Hime Ayanokouji's face and the cold calculation on Yoshio Otori's. Most of the assembly seemed bored and just wanted to be done with the business so they could get on to their weekend plans.
"Thank you for the clarification," the Emperor said calmly. "Please hold your opening statements until after the roll call is complete."
Mitsukuni bowed and returned to his seat by his father as the Emperor's heir stood and began calling family names. Of the twenty-seven names called, twenty-one were in attendance. One was absent due to illness, three were traveling abroad, and two were noted as 'in transition.' Those last two were the Sawayama and Kawamura families.
Haruhi remembered that the prosecutor explained the process to officially install her as heir would take several months to complete. She also knew that the Kawamura patriarch was in jail and the heir had recently been killed. "Well, at least I know of most of the elite families in some capacity or other," Haruhi thought as she looked around to see school mates.
She shivered at the glare Yoshio leveled in her direction. "It's almost strange to see Yoshio without Kyoya," she mused. "Though I'm glad he's not here, especially with how he's been acting lately." Taking one last look around the room, she settled next to her father and waited for the proceedings to begin.
Once all the forms had been satisfied, the Emperor made an announcement before calling Mitsukuni to return. "As you will have noticed, two families are in transition. There will be an enclave in six weeks to vet the pedigrees of the new heirs." Most simply nodded in acknowledgement, though of few of the younger heirs muttered.
The Emperor called Mitsukuni to make his opening statement. Everyone listened with varying degrees of interest as the Haninozuka heir explained the reason he filed the petition on behalf of Ryoji and Haruhi Fujioka.
Yuichi Otori interrupted with a sneer, "If this is just because of their family name, why didn't you file this petition when you met her at the beginning of the school year?"
Looking completely unphased by the accusation, Mitsukuni continued, "I only recently suspected a connection between my school mate and the Trust managed by my family. Haruhi was researching an attack on Edo Castle that was not covered in history class." He went on to explain what Haruhi had told them about a dream she'd had and how the story sounded familiar to him.
"This is about a dream that the commoner scholarship student had?" the Ayanokouji heir commented, her tone dripping with contempt. "I have much better things to be doing than listening to her fantasies." She waved dismissively in Haruhi's direction.
Haruhi just sat back and watched the proceedings. "Just think, I get to be part of this in the not-too-distant future," she muttered sarcastically to herself.
"You and me both," her father whispered. When she looked at him questioningly, he clarified quietly, "My father." She nodded in understanding.
Mitsukuni opened a book with several bookmarks. "This is a copy of the journal of the ancestor who I was named for. I will be reading some excerpts to establish some facts about the Fujioka Trust."
The Emperor interrupted, waving the Haninozuka heir back to his seat. "Perhaps, it would be best if I read an excerpt or two from the Shogun's journal that explains the establishment of the Fujioka Trust. It has been decades since a serious candidate has been presented and many in this enclave do not know the origin or why the Trust simply hasn't been liquidated and distributed among the elite families."
"Or given to one of the families by lottery," an heir from one of the families Haruhi didn't know remarked.
The Emperor frowned in the direction of the outspoken enclave member before opening a large book on the table in front of him. "There are several entries I wish to read. Please be patient and pay close attention." He opened to the first bookmark and started to read.
Daimyo Haninozuka just reported to me that some of my own castle guards are planning an attack with some unknown confederates. Usually I would not regard such second-hand hearsay, but the person who reported it was the gatekeeper's daughter, Haruhi. Apparently, she overheard talk from the tavern while doing the household marketing. Rather than first divest herself of her purchases, she went directly to her father to report. She is not prone to gossip, so I must give some credence to the warning.
Though not of high birth or status, she has a reputation of being intelligent, resourceful, and hardworking. I understand why Daimyo Haninozuka chose her as a wife for Samurai Morinozuka.
Pausing briefly, the Emperor turned a couple pages and began reading again.
Even with the warning, there were a lot of deaths—including Samurai Morinozuka and most of the Fujioka family. Though she hid well in the guise of her maternal cousin Soji Okita, I recognized Haruhi when she brought Samurai Morninozuka's katana and wakizashi to Daimyo Haninozuka here in court.
It would have been so much worse without her warning. Reports show that, other than the Fujioka farm on the outskirts of town, the fighting was kept to a narrow corridor away from the populous by the Samurai attached to the Haninozuka clan. Most of the other clans concentrated on the defense of Edo Castle itself. That would explain why Daimyo Haninozuka lost twice as many as any other.
A commemoration is being planned for the one-month anniversary of repelling the attack. It has the dual purpose of giving the people time to heal as well as giving them something to look forward to. I will be making some land grants to the daimyo to compensate them for the loss of their samurai. Haninozuka deserves a double portion.
I will also be placing land in trust for the Fujioka family. As far as I know, Haruhi is the last surviving member. I remember talks with her father about his family and he lamented that he and his brother were the last of a proud line brought low by a devastating fever in their hometown. It will give her a dowry, though I know she needs time to mourn the loss of her betrothed, Samurai Morinozuka.
The betrothal contract is still valid, so a member of the Fujioka family must wed a member of the Morinozuka clan. Hopefully one of the brothers or cousins will find Haruhi an acceptable match when she finally finishes mourning.
The room was completely silent when the Emperor finished reading. Haruhi reached up and surreptitiously wiped tears from her eyes. Ryoji pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose noisily before mopping his own eyes dry.
Not as surprised or affected as the rest of the enclave, Mitsukuni stood up and stated, "There are several entries in my ancestor's journal that will clarify some points of the story." He opened the journal to one of the bookmarks.
Haruhi brought Takashi's katana and wakizashi to me in court and reported his valiant fight against overwhelming odds. She came disguised as her cousin, Soji, but I would recognize Takashi's betrothed anywhere. He spent a year watching her before approaching me about arranging a match. I have to admit she is a very impressive young woman.
I will keep watch over her and allow her time to heal before reminding her of the contract between the Fujioka and Morinozuka families. Hopefully one of the brothers or cousins will accept her as a match despite her lack of family and fortune.
Turning a few pages and taking a deep breath, Mitsukuni read the next passage.
I know these thoughts could be considered treason, but I cannot believe that the Shogun tasked 'Soji Okita' with a quest to find any remaining Fujioka family members! I am sure he knows that 'Soji' is Haruhi in disguise. And he conferred on her the title of samurai as well as giving her Takashi's katana and wakizashi.
In addition, he acquiesced to Taishi Kawamura's request that 'Soji' accompany the kabuki troupe back to their home village. What is he thinking?
"So what happened to her?" the Suzushima patriarch asked. "Is there more to the story?"
"There is one more entry I want to read," Mitsukuni admitted. "It doesn't really shed much light on the whereabouts of Haruhi…well, just listen."
I have been sending out scouts over the last six months to make sure Haruhi is okay, but none of them have been able to find her. They did come across someone using the name 'Soji Okita,' but he is definitely not Haruhi.
The imposter told my scouts that he had heard a story about a brave samurai name Soji Okita who found an injured woman in the remains of a small town. She was the sole survivor of a raid by bandits, only surviving because she had hidden under an overturned water trough. Soji took her to a nearby group of travelers who took her to their home village. There were even rumors that the head of the village married her.
The story continued that Soji vowed to bring the bandits to justice before they could destroy any more lives. When nothing more was heard, some speculated that the bandits had killed Soji Okita. The young man, whose birth name was Ayaka Seito, decided to take up the mantle of 'Soji Okita' and vowed to help those in need. His brave deeds gave many people hope, so he was allowed to continue.
I have no idea what happened to Haruhi or the swords she was gifted with.
Mitsukuni bowed respectfully and returned to his seat next to his father.
The Emperor chuckled lightly. "You see, there is quite a story and mystery behind the Fujioka Trust." He paused to look at each member of the enclave to be sure they were still paying attention. "Now we will hear from Ryoji and Haruhi Fujioka about any evidence they may have to present."
Ryoji patted Haruhi's hand before he stood and addressed the enclave. "My name is Ryoji Fujioka, but I was Kentaro Kawamura…"
Gasps and mutterings erupted around the room as they absorbed the implications of that bombshell. "He's been missing for twenty years." "I thought he looked familiar." "Maybe that's why the Kawamura family is in transition."
The Emperor's heir sounded the gong to bring order back to the meeting. "Do you have proof of this?" the Emperor asked calmly.
"Of course, Your Majesty. I have copies of my birth certificate as well as the court documents for my name change." Ryoji stepped from behind the table to deliver the documents to the Emperor's table.
"Kawamura," the Emperor murmured thoughtfully. "As in Taishi Kawamura of the kabuki troupe that 'Soji Okita' was tasked with accompanying to their home village?"
"Yes, my father is very proud of the family roots in kabuki theater. I brought several of the family journals, though I'm not sure they will be of much help to these proceedings," Ryoji replied before returning to his seat.
"So you have no evidence that link you to the Fujioka family?" Yoshi sneered.
Haruhi stood up with a journal in her hand. Waving to the books and papers on the table in front of her father, she said, "Those may not, but this one does." She opened the journal and began to read.
My name is was Haruhi Fujioka. For a short time, I borrowed my cousin's name, Soji Okita. Now I am being forced to become Ayame Kawamura. Not that it really matters. I died a month ago when my betrothed was killed during an attempted attack on Edo Castle.
Taishi Kawamura is threatening to reveal to the Shogun that I am a woman if I don't marry him. He wants me to answer to Ayame and provide him with an heir.
His parents were somehow killed in the same attack that took Takashi and my family from me. I think pain and grief has addled his mind, making him potentially unbalanced and dangerous. I cannot be a loving wife, but I can be a dutiful one. Hopefully, I can mitigate the damage he does to those around him.
Taishi has crafted a story to take back to his home village that will make him out to be a hero. He has told those accompanying us to back up his story. One man resisted and Taishi had him beaten within an inch of his life. It is doubtful if the man will ever be able to speak again.
Haruhi looked up from the journal. "There is the connection between the Fujioka family and the Kawamura clan—Ayame Kawamura." She stood and walked toward the Morinozuka table. Takashi stood and met her halfway before turning to walk to the Emperor's table.
They each pulled their betrothal tokens from safe keeping and presented them to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, these are the betrothal tokens of Takashi Morinozuka and Haruhi Fujioka. They were concealed in the binding of the journal I was just reading from," Haruhi explained.
The Emperor examined the items before handing them back. With a small smile, he ventured, "I take it from each of you possessing a piece that you are acknowledging the unfulfilled betrothal contract?"
Takashi's deep voice was mirthful as he replied, "Our betrothal came about in the natural course of events, before we knew about the contract or the tokens."
As the couple returned to their respective seats, the Emperor pondered the new information. Finally, he announced, "While the journal entry and betrothal tokens are compelling, they could easily be used by anyone to show a connection. If you were able to produce the swords, that would be unquestionable proof Ryoji and Haruhi Fujioka are descendants of the Fujioka family to whom the land was granted."
A voice from off to one side asked, "Just for information sake, what was granted to the Fujioka family? And what is it worth now?"
Akira Haninozuka stood ramrod straight. "The original gift was the gatehouse and the surrounding land. Under the careful stewardship of the Haninozuka family, the value has grown to eighty billion yen, with a regular income from leases on the property which has been invested in various prudent, but lucrative securities through the years."
There were a number of gasps from around the room as they realized the trust included prime real estate adjacent to Edo Castle, a very prestigious piece of property. All eyes turned toward Ryoji and Haruhi as the full magnitude of the importance sunk in.
"There is only one entry that even hints at a possible location of the swords. However, it's rather vague and seems to assume certain knowledge by the reader," Haruhi said.
"Any clue may help," the Emperor responded encouragingly. "Perhaps something that you read in Ayame's journal will remind one of the others of remarks made in their own families' records."
Haruhi flipped through the journal and found the entry she was seeking. Looking around the room, Haruhi stated, "This is a rather long passage, so please bear with me."
Taishi was laid to rest today. The court official was not happy with my decision, given the circumstances of Taishi's death. I argued that it was better for the children this way. He may have been abusive and callous toward me, but he did seem to love our children. I know what people are saying about how he didn't deserve me, and I didn't deserve how he treated me. None of that really matters.
It may have been a hard eighteen years, but my children are more than worth the pain and suffering I endured with him. Taishi only used me when none of his other 'options' were available. That resulted in three wonderful sons and an amazing daughter. I am doing my best to raise them, making sure they have the skills they need to thrive.
Taishi's death was at the hand of the husband of one of those 'options' when he returned home early and caught them together. He should have known better than to dally with the wife of a warrior. The warrior demanded an honor duel. Taishi might fight well in a theater production, but he had no real sword skills. He had no real honor either.
The court was surprised that I refused to demand a settlement from the man who killed him. I explained that it was an honor duel and both parties knew the risks. They were even more surprised when I offered compensation for the damage Taishi had caused to their family. I assured the court that sixteen-year-old Arata has been well trained to step up as head of the family and it would prosper under him.
Thirteen-year-old Kanna, ten-year-old Sentaro, and six-year-old Kyota are mourning the loss of their father, though they don't really understand the circumstances of his death. I have done my best through the years not to prejudice them against their father, but they have drawn their own conclusions based on the way he treated me.
The four of them are my greatest treasure and I have made sure that they know how to read, write, and figure as well as arranging training in all aspects that contribute to kabuki theater. The ties with the Sawayama, Chiba, and Kurata families have been mutually beneficial and should carry all of us into a secure future.
There is speculation through the village once again about Taishi's animosity toward me. The old story about my being forced to marry him because I was the cause of his parents death has been gaining momentum. Along with it is the speculation that he treated me the way he did because I refuse to claim my dowry and give it to him.
I see no reason to set the record straight about my past. It would be of no benefit to anyone. I never met Taishi's parents. They were killed in the same attacked that killed the rest of my family. I met Taishi a month later when I was in the guise of 'Soji Okita' helping out several merchants. I cannot claim my dowry because it holds an obligation of marrying a Morinozuka. Even now, nearly two decades later, I cannot bring myself to even think of marrying a Morinozuka other than Takashi.
As I clean up and repair the damage Taishi caused trying to run from the honor duel, I will hide my most sacred objects within Taishi's treasure. Oh the irony.
"I imagine that her most sacred items were Takashi's swords. However, this was the only mention of Taishi's treasure. She never explained what she meant," Haruhi stated.
As Haruhi told the story of Ayame's life, Ryoji flipped feverishly through the pages of Arata's journal. He remembered an entry that hadn't made sense at the time he read it but might hold a clue to the location of the swords.
"Does anyone have anything to add before I rule on this petition?" the Emperor asked, surveying the room.
"I think I've found something," Ryoji said, standing up and waving the journal in his hand. "It's an entry in the journal of Taishi and Ayame's oldest son, Arata."
I think Father's abuse for all those years is finally taking its toll on Mother's mental state. First, she refused the settlement from the man who killed Father. Then she insisted on paying a settlement to that same family. Now she is spending most of her time and energy meticulously repairing all the things damaged by Father running like a coward from the honor duel.
The craziest thing is the amount of care she is taking on repairing the kabuki warrior armor that was made by Grandfather Kawamura. It was Father's greatest treasure and he never allowed Mother to touch it.
Haruhi looked at her father in contemplation. "Do you think the armor is still intact?"
Ryoji smiled broadly. "I remember that it was in Father's study in a special display case. I didn't look around much when his security men dropped me into a chair after they dragged me from the apartment, but it's probably still there."
The Emperor stroked his chin. "I suppose, if no one is opposed, we could adjourn to the Kawamura estate and settle this matter once and for all." The were murmurs of agreement from all around the room. "Very well. We shall all meet there. Ryoji and Haruhi, if you would accompany my son and I?"
"We would be honored, Your Majesty," they said in unison as they bowed deeply.
OHSHC
Shibata hid his look of surprise well as he opened the door to admit the Emperor, his heir, and the heads and heirs of most of the elite families of Japan. "Master Ryoji, Miss Haruhi, how may I be of assistance?"
"We need to see the kabuki armor that Father has in his study," Ryoji explained.
"I'm afraid that's impossible," Shibata replied regretfully.
Ryoji deflated slightly at the news. "What happened to it?"
"It is currently on a cultural world tour to rekindle interest in kabuki theater. I believe it is currently in New York City for two weeks before heading to Hollywood," Shibata remarked. "It should be back here in Japan in about six weeks."
Haruhi looked around at the disappointed and disgruntled expressions of the group. "Well," she said with a shrug. "It's waited this long, I guess it can wait a little longer."
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