Chapter 2 – Rulers Infidelity

"Great-great-an-so-on-grandma!" a girl with long dark hair cheered as she ran to a similar young woman with a friend higher than her by a few good centimeters.

She looked at her sudden guests, and after a bit of pondering, she replied, "Are you two from the Miyafune and Ranmaru family branches?"

The tall girl tilted her head, but her friend said, "Yup. I'm Aya Edelweiss-Romanov, and this is…"

"Nami Ranmaru! Pleased to meet ya, Rinko baa-san!" she cheered as the metaphorical cogs in her head clicked together.

"Ah, so I guessed right," she smiled. "And what or who do I owe this visit?"

"Heheh…" Aya giggled. "Grandpa Toshiro told us to start talking with our ancestors. I wanted to talk to you alone, Grandma, but Nami kinda tagged along."

"Ah, I see," Rinko nodded slowly. "It's truly a godsend that we can meet with each other, despite centuries that passed between the time we were alive," she sighed. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Everything!" Nami cheered.

Rinko giggled and said, "Everything would be a too long story, even though we have all eternity to talk. I'll condense the most important parts, and focus on one part of my life specifically."

"Fine with me," Aya smiled. "Please, start."

"This is a story of a simple witch, that is me, Rinko Miyafune," she started. "As I watch how at my descendants frolic around the endless plains of Amaterasu-sama, I can't believe something like that could happen… Even he is close by with her. It is incredible how my male descendant and one of her descendants…" she looked at Nami. "…managed to bring peace between our two family branches… And it all began hundreds of years ago…"

In the year 1580, according to the Christian calendar, I have met him, the great warlord Oda Nobunaga. He was already at the stout age of 45, and I was only eighteen. A twenty year old beautiful witch with long black hair, and a great magic potential moved the hearts of many men, at least that's what I was told. Truth be told, I was indifferent to the opposite gender up until I met him.

It was June 23, Nobunaga's 45th birthday. My sensei was invited with me to perform "feats of magic" as she told me. Witches weren't a rare sight in the Sengoku period, but they weren't as common as my descendants tell me. My inherent magic was mastery of flames, both produced by my own magic, and those created through naturally or intently by people. My sensei in turn had control over water, which was ironic. Fire and water supposedly didn't mix together well, but we had a very good relationship with each other, both on a teacher-student plane, and privately, as two friends.

My sensei, Kaguya Momoyama, was only fifteen years older than I was at the time, but her knowledge was unparalleled. She took me in for training after my powers manifested abruptly at the age of eight. Thank the kami that it was in the middle of a rice paddy, or things could have gone ugly. Despite her young age, she whipped me up in shape quickly and mercilessly, but she also had her soft side, treating me like her adoptive daughter after training was done for the day.

At Nobunaga's birthday party, which was grandiose, we did a standard performance. Standard by our measure, but hah, show me another pair of water-fire magic users who could do that better! Fire-breathing dragons, lots of steam, water pillars – everything made the gathered revered guests gasp in wonder. But the one that was most impressed with us was of course the daimyo himself. He was so impressed, that he took me in as one of his own personal bodyguards. At first I was happy, but then I looked back at Kaguya-sensei. Nobunaga saw that, and he asked us about our shields.

Kaguya simply bowed and said, "Nobunaga-sama, please let me inform you that my shield is way past the period of its usefulness. However, the shield of the young Rinko is at peak condition, and will serve you well if you so wish."

"But Kaguya-sensei…" I said quietly, shedding a few tears.

"This is a new opening for you, my dear Rinko-chan," she hugged me dearly. "

One of the first persons that I met was Goemon Ishikawa. She was a kunoichi, aged 22 back then, always wearing a mask. Her duty was to protect the ruler from the shadow. She was a bit reserved towards me at first, but at rare times when we talked, we meshed quite nicely. Might I add that she was well endowed? Too well for somebody of her profession I think…

Another person I met was… Mori Ranmaru, fifteen back when I first met her. She was cheerful, just like you, Nami-chan, and just as beautiful. She was one of the witches from the famous Nobunaga Flying Corps, and she took great pride in it, although her flight was a bit clunky, just as her flying gear. I asked Nobunaga if I were to become one like her, but her responded that he needs somebody to protect him on the ground.

And there was also Nōhime – the wife of Nobunaga. If I considered myself a beauty, and even admitted that Ranmaru was pretty, then she was a goddess. Despite the fact that she was the same age as Nobunaga, her outer beauty was resplendent. And her mind was as sharp as the greatest katanas made by Murasame and Masamune alike! But she had an eye on me from the first day, and I don't mean in terms of sodomic relationships…

You have to know that Nobunaga was a hound. He wouldn't miss an occasion with the ladies, but his wife somewhat restricted him. The case was however invalid when concerning me. I soon came to know what love means. Nobunaga started courting me, and as a young maiden, I didn't yet know how to respond. But I let himself into me for his 46th birthday. That was my first time lying down with a man… Walls have ears however, and soon Nōhime started being gruffer then usual towards me. I confessed that to Nobunaga, and soon something happened…

The next day, I was supposed to go to a cave nearby the castle after dark. I did so, and after waiting an hour or so, Goemon came with a big sack.

"You?" I asked. "What are you doing here, Goemon-san?"

"I came her on behalf of our master with an offering," she replied with a cold voice and threw the bag towards me.

The bag hit the cave floor and tipped over. Something tumbled out of it, and because the torch I carried gave a dim light, I picked that thing up and looked closer.

"I have a bad feeling…" Nami said with a green face.

"That's the sad truth…" Rinko sighed. "But let's resume my story. When I picked up the item, I honestly screamed from the top of my lungs. Straight into Goemon's palm that is."

"You will wake up everyone in the prefecture, Rinko-chan," she said calmly. "Relax."

When she took her hand of my mouth I asked, "How can I relax when I'm holding the severed head of my master's wife?"

"This is the master's offering towards you, Rinko-chan. Do you understand the meaning of it?"

"I… I think I do…"

I quickly came to a conclusion that you two would probably come too yourselves – Nobunaga was mad in love with me, so much even that he would kill his wife to be with me. Me, a simple farm girl, from a family that barely made a koku yearly.

"But what now, Goemon-san? This will surely be discovered."

"The Master said that this is also a part of the offering. This, meaning the disposal of her earthily remains."

"You mean… I have to…"

She only nodded in return.

"Wait, Grandma, does that mean you had to…" Aya asked carefully.

"Don't interrupt me, child," Rinko flicked Aya's forehead. "I know that judging by your grandfather, you're an intelligent beast, but let me narrate on my own, okay?"

"Kay…" Aya muttered with a sulky face.

I put the head of Nōhime back into the bag, and lit it on fire. The flames started lighting up lazily, and may the kami save you from what I smelled at the time. The burning skin, fat, and hair could make the strongest man throw up, but I knew I had to endure this.

"Make the fire stronger, Rinko-chan," Goemon said. "Or we'll die here along with her."

In my shaken state I couldn't control my magic output so well, so I overestimated the flame I had to apply and Nōhime's body burned in a flame as bright as the sun. One the blaze receded, and my eyes adapted to the dim lighting of the single torch we had, I saw that only a very small pile of ash remained. Goemon pulled out a small urn and swept the ashes inside of it.

"She has to receive a proper burial anyway," she said.

I started shaking on my whole body uncontrollably as everything suddenly came to me in full clarity. Goemon ended her sweep, and after storing away the urn, she approached me, and knelt down.

"Denka, please, let's return to the castle."

She called me "your Highness" and just like that, I understood the situation I found myself in.

"Goemon…?"

"Yes, denka?"

"Can we still be friends?"

I saw Goemon raising her eyebrow, and for the first time, at least before me, she pulled down her mask. Nobunaga knew what he was doing, as she also was a beauty.

"I can call you as I called you until now in private, is that a good assumption, denka?"

"Of course," I smiled. "And it goes the other way around, I hope?"

"Of course," she smiled back.

We returned to the castle, and things got pretty dandy for me, just up to 1582. I noticed that Mori started getting close to Nobunaga. Too close. I wasn't one to enact petty justice, but I had another plan. I sweet-talked Nobunaga into having a child with me, and at least that part was successful. Seeing that I was expecting, Mori stopped approaching my beloved, and I thought this battle was over.

And then, Akechi Mitsuhide decided that he had enough of Nobunaga.

"The Incident at Honnō-ji!" Nami cheered. "Ah, whoops… Sorry for interrupting…"

"Well, at least you know your history," Rinko giggled. "Back to my story…"

Five months into my pregnancy, Mitsuhide surrounded the Honnō-ji temple in Kyoto. In a fierce fight, Nobunaga, Ranmaru, Goemon, and even I resisted the overwhelming forces, but it was futile. However, Ranmaru utilized her flight device and transported Nobunaga into safety. I was furious. I was so furious, that a simple page carried my beloved into safety that I utilized the flames roaring around me, and I burned every single soldier of the Mitsuhide coup to cinders, including the leader himself.

Things after Honnō-ji seemed to be normal but then one night, in the eight month, I felt an urge.

"You two were pregnant; you probably know what I'm talking about."

"A late night tinkle?" Aya giggled.

"Indeed," Rinko smiled.

Fortunately or not, and depending for whom, I was sleeping alone. Nobody noticed I crept out of my room, and as I was sneaking around the castle, I heard something. I came closer to the room the noises were coming, and I heard coital noises. And I could recognize who it was immediately. Just to be sure, I quietly pushed a hole in the paper screen door, and I saw something that decided upon the rest of my life.

Aya was opening her mouth, but Rinko stomped her into the ground with just a single annoyed gaze.

As you probably already guessed, my beloved was under that wench Mori, and they both enjoyed it, that was sure. I walked slowly towards the door leading outside, and then I saw that Goemon is by my side. I couldn't help it, as I started silently crying almost immediately. She did something that I didn't thought she could do, as she hugged me tightly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you…"

"Your loyalty is by that son of a bitch… Prepare an escape for me, tomorrow. There is no more place for me in this castle. Can I trust you that you won't tell him?"

"I won't tell the Master unless he asks me."

"Fair enough…"

The next day, he was behaving as if nothing happened, and so did I. But my preparations were in motion. I took some gold, and a treasured piece from Nobunaga's possession, a platinum-diamond ring made by a Jesuit missionary."

"I know that one," Aya smiled.

"Toshiro told me all about it. He gave it to a museum just asking for a copy, because it was his beloved's engagement ring."

"Heh…" Aya giggled. "The same ring was also my wedding ring."

"Would you look at that?" Rinko asked amazed. "You'll tell me the details later, but for now…"

I escaped under the cloak of darkness, carrying only the gold and some provisions, clad in the clothes of a commoner. I knew the surrounding of the castle perfectly, so I didn't involve Goemon further. I decided to escape east. But in the mountains near Yokosuka, some assailants found me. Thankfully, Goemon wasn't with them, because that would be a tragic waste. There were ten of them, and I dispatched exactly ten in just a minute. They probably thought that advanced pregnancy would hinder my combat capabilities. Well, not my flame magic, since I could fling fireballs around while being stationary.

Continuing my journey, I found a mountain temple. The priestesses there took me into asylum without batting an eyelid, not caring who I was. A week later, I went into labor. I had a bad feeling, because I was getting very week with each minute. In a quick decision, I donated all the gold I had to the temple, but the ring was supposed to be given to my child. After a final push, I heard the scream of an infant, but it was muffled down as if I was underwater. My sight was failing me, but I saw her, connected to me with an umbilical cord.

"Is… Is it a girl?"

"Yes," the midwife said and placed her in my weak arms.

I felt the warmth of a newborn child as my own body slowly started losing its warmth.

"Her name… is Keiko, please… take care… of… her…"

Then, I gave up my life, with a smile on my face.

"Why are you two crying?" Rinko asked, looking at the two bawling before her.

"So… saaaaaaaad…" Nami cried.

Rinko patted the two on the heads simultaneously and said, "You two are good girls. You should go and find Keiko now."

"Yeah…" Aya said and blew her nose in a tissue she conjured out of seemingly nowhere.

"Oh, nice trick," Rinko said.

"That's… A special power," Aya winked.

Rinko looked around, and by pure chance, she spotted a certain girl.

"Keeeeikoooo!"

The girl turned around, and looked at the three, shouting back, "Mooooom!"

"Come here, Keiko!"

"Kaaaaay!"

The girl ran to the three, and said, "Hi Mom. Hello… Uhhh…"

"Aya."

"Nami."

"Well hello!" she cheered. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I'll leave you girls alone," Rinko said and stood up. "Keiko, be a good daughter and talk with the two, okay?"

"Well okay, Mom," she smiled. "So what do the two of you want to know?"

"The story of your life," Aya said.

"Mmmmmm… And why should I tell you?" she mused.

"I'm your grand-to-the-umpteenth-daughter." Aya said.

"And your cousin in the same degree," Nami smiled.

"Hoohoooo! Well this is nice! Okay, huddle up you two, I'll tell you the story of my pitiful life."

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