Midnight.
The slow rattle of the carriage echoed through the silent street. There had been an outpour of rain earlier, ushering people inside their homes.
No one was left to witness, nor wonder, why a magnificent carriage stopped at the gates of The Fort - the place where soon-to-be-hanged men waited for their death.
Inside the coach, a brown-haired lady sat upright, her breathing slow and steady. She was preparing for her 'encounter' with a beast. She had to remind herself why she was there.
"ME?! Marriage? That's the most preposterous thing I've ever heard!" she indignantly shouted at her father.
"Pray, tell me child why you abhor the idea so much! Countless of wealthy fools have kneeled before me... asking for your hand. And yet you shun them away, dukes and counts alike!!"
"Those 'boys' have shown me nothing but lusty sensations and greedy hands."
"All for the want of you! Left and right you fling away your admirers. You are certainly lucky that you have them panting on your heels. And yet you are too foolish to see--"
"To see what?"
"Ah. Child. To see that I am old. Will you let me die without holding a grandchild in my hands?"
She gasped. Horrified to hear such an idea. "Father! 'Tis not right to speak of such things!"
"And why must I not?! That head of yours has long been stuck in the clouds. You are well educated, that much I can attest. But I fear all that schooling has interfered with your capacity to choose a suitable mate. You have this -- this ridiculous idea that a man will come whisking you away in a perfect romantic tale. And I will hear none of it any longer! Mamori, your grace is almost ending. On your 25th birthday, if you have not found a man, 'worthy' of your whims, then I shall drag the first male who asks for your hand. If he is still able to bear you a child then you will be wed to him on the same day."
"... but..."
"I certainly did not acquire all my wealth to be adorned on my coffin. It will be of no use to me if I die. But to your children, ahh. Wealth will be their first great asset! No longer will they suffer the life I have lived." He paused, a distant look was in his eye.
Mamori had nothing to say to this. She knew of how her father struggled, from a lowly peasant to a wealthy lord. Common sense. People-skills. And an eye for opportunity. He worked his way up the ladder just so his family would not beg on the streets for porridge, the way he did when he was a child.
"This conversation is over child." he said, dismissing her.
A knock on the window made her snap back to reality. She felt the chill around her. Never has she been outside the comforts of home at this hour. Heaving one heavy breath, she opened the carriage door and set her foot on the wet pavement. She wobbled slightly. The shoes she wore were certainly not fit for these road conditions. If it was her way, she would be wearing loose pants and a comfortable shirt. But a lady-like appearance was needed for these types of occasions.
A man with a well-built body casually walked to her side. "Lady Anezaki, are you sure about this?" he said.
"Mamori." she smiled, gently reminding the man to call her by her first name. The man had practically been her bodyguard since she was little, never leaving her side. But he had never come quite accustomed to calling her that. He looked placidly at her, but beneath that calm exterior he was extremely worried.
Lady Mamori Anezaki, only daughter and heiress to the Lord Shouji, was a beautiful, smart, and spirited young lady. On top of that, her kind heart has always won the approval of the people she mingled with. Not once did she let her royalty status get over her head. Instead, she was ready to help anyone in dire need. It was no surprise that men swooned over her.
He scratched his head as he eyed the young lady. Many times he has had to control hot-blooded males who attempted to 'attack' Mamori. But somehow, he always ended up only cleaning up after her trash.
Any forward attempts would be quickly whacked with any nearby weapon she could hold on to.
Any pathetic male who attempted to rape her would end up facing the wrath of her sharp mouth, words lashing the very core of their soul until they felt humiliated for what they've attempted to do to her.
"Musashi-kun, this is something... that I must do." she sighed.
He suddenly remembered the day Lord Shouji found him on the street. Musashi was badly beaten, left by his wife who stole the generous sum he has earned through carpentry, he lost focus... lost purpose. He asked that time why the man wanted to help him. Shouji said the same words. "This is something... that I must do."
The Anezakis took him in. Gave him a job. Gave him back his life.
Looking at Mamori's determined eyes, he knew. There was just no stopping her. The only thing left to do was to make sure that she didn't get hurt. For although her spunk had saved her from trouble... she was still a woman. And he would sell his soul to hell before anyone laid a finger on the young Anezaki.
Mamori took a step towards the dark entrance, where a short leeching figure greeted her huskily.
"Ah... Lady Anezaki. I thought you'd never come."