Chapter 4 - As The Queen Commands

"One has to pay dearly for immortality; one has to die several times while one is still alive" - Friedrich Nietzsche

...

"…and you'd be a damned fool!" Tooru snapped, his patience all but evaporated at this point. They had been at the planning table, within the Queens War room, for the better part of the day for what should have been no more than an hour long meeting. With the General, Rei-sama, in the field overseeing the securing of a strategic position it had fallen to several underlings to plan the next engagement. Tooru was seriously beginning to doubt if they knew which end of a sword to hold. I'd be all too happy to show them so I could shove it into their gut and get their attention! "If you meet them head on they will just fall back and pull you into a trap!"

After the battle in which Tooru had surrendered, once he determined the queen felt as he did, he had sat in the Queen's tent for some time and outlined his plan to reach their goal. The Ogasawara clan leader proposed they join forces. There were other Kyuuketsuki clans out there over which he didn't hold sway. To achieve peace they would have to be persuaded to join the Queen's cause. At first Miki had not taken him seriously, thinking he was just playing some elaborate game with her till he could escape. A week later, before a combined gathering of her forces as well as his own people, he had abdicated his title as king and sworn his service and that of his clan to her cause.

Three months had now passed since the clan leader had given his oath. The combined armies of Ookami and Kyuuketsuki forces had traveled to the city the Queen called home and which served as the capital of her kingdom, Izumi. The bulk of the Kyuuketsuki forces remained outside of the city, pitching tents wherever the ground allowed. Tooru, along with several trusted advisors, were sequestered away at the Queen spacious residence. Tooru had smiled at the offer to be housed away from his troops and had accepted, his opinion of the Queen climbing yet another notch. She is being cautious and wants me to remain apart from my people so that I cannot organize an escape or worse yet an attack, he realized when the offer came. His father had once told him a similar piece of advice, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer so it is easier to thrust the knife into their backs, the deceased man's words rang in his head.

The once King had been given leave to come and go as he wished as long as he had an escort with him. Tooru spent a great deal of time among his soldiers to ensure they trained but also to break up the fights that arose with the Ookami. The Queen and he had understood there would be many obstacles to the joining of their forces. There were many on both sides that did not see the merger as a good thing but rather something that flew in the face of everything they knew and had been conditioned to believe. The Queen and Tooru both understood that outbreaks of hostility must be kept in check, for even as their fledgling alliance was still struggling to overcome countless lifetimes of hatred and prejudice, they were also on the eve of their first major offensive…if they could ever finish the current meeting.

"I beg your pardon," General Ueno, a small and narrowed minded man with the typical features of brown hair, angular cheek bones and dark eyes, replied puffing out his chest at the affront of being interrupted in the middle of his well-rehearsed speech. "Perhaps you'd care to enlighten us as to just how you'd know what they would do, Ogasawara-san?" Ueno inquired with a sneer he didn't even attempt to hide. His question, as well as the use of the lower honorific on the Kyuuketsuki clan leader's name garnished a smattering of chuckles around the council room.

Tooru launched himself to his feet, his handsome aristocratic features darkening even as his hands clenched into fists at his side with such force that his knuckles where a stark contrast of white against his sun bronzed skin. "Because I led them!" he exclaimed driving his fist into the rugged tabletop loud enough that the booming noise reverberated off the walls, startling several council members and causing Ueno to take a frightened step backwards. "It's the same battle plan I drew up for fighting you," he clarified in a more normal tone of voice.

"Yes," Ueno replied, gathering his wits as well as his courage before continuing. "Correct me if I am wrong, but did you not lose as well, Ogasawara-san?"

"My Queen," Tooru said imploringly, turning to look at the woman who sat at the far end of the table. He watched as she looked his way and half raised her brows in question at the General's inquiry. He could clearly see the laughter in her eyes. Damn her but she's enjoying this, he realized. She's already decided on the battle plans and is just letting us all say our piece. "My queen, my plan will account for the fewest causalities on both sides and will in the end benefit your cause far more than the needless deaths that Ueno's plan will certainly reap from both sides." The General's face turned red with anger upon hearing himself addressed without the use of any honorific.

Miki had sat and listened to each battle plan as it had been presented and was privately beginning to wonder if her backside would ever not be numb again. Early on Tooru had presented his plan to slip those loyal to himself into the enemy ranks in sufficient quantity to secure the battle for her side. It was a bold plan, one that could put an end to this current battle with minimal loss of life. It relied on two factors though that made her uneasy. Allowing the Kyuuketsuki to bolster the enemy's side under the ruse of infiltrating them was a gamble. If they turned against her forces she would be fighting nearly twice as many as she was currently facing. The Queen also was not in favor of letting Tooru leave her side even though he had indicated that in order for the plan to succeed his 'escape' would be required. The queen hastily raised a hand to her mouth to stifle the laughter that threatened to escape upon seeing the General's red face.

"Oojo-sama," Ueno started to sputter towards his queen attempting to draw her attention to him and away from the other man upon his feet.

"That is correct!" Miki said as she stood as well. "I am your Queen," she snapped at the small sniveling general. "You would do well to remember that before you insult one of my guests!" Ueno's face visibly paled upon hearing her words. "Tooru-sama is here as a guest and is to be treated as such with all the proper honor accorded a guest of the royal family!" The queen's brown eyes swept the room causing many to drop their gaze in shame. As her eyes fell upon the Ogasawara clan leader he inclined his head in a slight bow to show his appreciation for her intervention upon his behalf. "Tooru-sama, how soon do you think you could have your forces in position?" she asked directly, ignoring the gasps from several council members upon hearing her words.

"If I can leave tonight," he replied, absently lifting one hand to stroke his chin thoughtfully. "We could be ready in two days, my Queen."

Miki blinked. "How will you get that many into his forces in just one day without arousing suspicion?" she inquired in a puzzled tone of voice.

"Well, about that," Tooru began as he looked away from her with a guilty look upon his features. "I actually started sending small groups every night already," he confessed.

Yoshino, sitting next to the Queen, snorted loudly finding it all very humorous. "We should have figured on that," she interjected into the conversation. "He's not used to waiting for others to tell him what to do after all."

Miki shot her a glare before turning back towards Tooru once again and meeting his grey eyes. "How long have you been sending out these groups and in what size?" Is he really helping us or is he just positioning himself to reclaim his title and kill us off?

"Better to ask forgiveness than beg permission," Tooru corrected Yoshino before turning his grey eyes towards the Queen. "For the past three weeks," he informed her. "We broke the groups down into small sizes so that it would be easier for them to move in secrecy. When we thought about it we determined that it would be easier for a smaller group, posing as stragglers, to be taken in rather than a large group that might be viewed as deserters."

Damn it! Can I trust him? "That still doesn't tell me how many of your people we now have unaccounted for and who have been integrated in with the enemy forces," Miki replied, angry that he had gone behind her back with his plan. "How did their absence go unnoticed?" Miki enquired glancing towards Yoshino as she had expected the head of her intelligence to be aware of these matters.

Tooru smiled slightly, his usual humorous grin and playful sparkle in his eyes returning in full force which only served to anger her further. "Nothing overly large," he assured her coyly. "No more than a hundred a night, my Queen." Tooru glanced apologetically towards Yoshino for a brief moment before continuing. "There are several other clans who hold their loyalty to the Ogasawara clan. As they have defected, I've been slipping them into our ranks in sufficient numbers to counter those that have been leaving each night."

Miki dropped back into her seat in disbelief as she processed the information she had just heard. "So you're telling me that you added an additional two thousand fighting women and men to their forces?" Tooru nodded to indicate that she had heard correctly. I should just kill him now and spare myself the headaches he will cause! Acting on his own without authority as if he was still king! Suddenly something struck her as she recalled his words from only moments before. "Wait, you said we, several times. Who else knew of this?"

"That would be me, my Queen," Rei spoke up loudly from where she stood in the doorway removing her riding gloves and attempting to beat some of the dust from the road off of her before entering the room. Miki's brown eyes left the grinning man they were attempting to bore holes through and instead affixed themselves upon the highest ranking general of her forces. "Ogasawara-sama approached me about a month ago with his plan," Rei explained as she crossed the distance to stand beside Tooru. "He felt that if he were to propose the plan in a more formal manner that it would be looked upon with suspicion. I heard him out and realized it was our best course of action. I had intended to be here for the meeting today to propose the plan myself however I was delayed," Rei concluded with a slight shrug as the Queen knew the rest already.

Miki regarded Tooru with a slightly raised brow. "So you get all the credit for this plan?"

Tooru stepped to the table and filled a goblet with wine, his shoulders lifting and falling in a shrug. "What matter who gets the credit so long as the objectives are achieved?" he intoned as he retraced his steps and handed the filled goblet to Rei who accepted it with a nod of appreciation and proceeded to wash the road dust from her mouth with several long swallows.

"Very well then," Miki said addressing everyone present. "We will proceed with the plan as it was laid out to us earlier this morning. Tooru-sama," she said turning her eyes upon him once again, "I would like for you to wait for me outside. Rei, Yoshino please remain. The rest of you are dismissed to see to the details." Everyone stood and filed out of the room, the last person closing the door, leaving the three women remaining with the privacy the Queen desired. "What are your thoughts?" Miki asked as she dropped back into her chair, her brown eyes shifting back and forth between the two cousins.

"It's a good plan," Rei replied first as she took the seat vacated by Tooru earlier.

"Not that!" snapped the Queen. "Can I trust him?"

"He's conniving, scheming, and secretive and can hold his own in a verbal sparring match," Yoshino offered as she ticked off each characteristic with a finger of her hand. "He should fit in perfectly at court," the youngest of the three offered with a grin.

Miki chuckled as a grin, the first of the day, touched her full lips. "He was a King so I fully expect all those qualities from the man," she told them.

Rei shrugged haphazardly before commenting. "I think he truly does want to see an end to the fighting that has plagued our races for as long as any of us can remember. If I had to give my opinion I would have to say he is an honorable man and will do what he says he'll do." Rei took another long sip of the wine.

Miki swiveled her head to regard Yoshino. "And your assessment of him?"

"He's Kyuuketsuki," Yoshino stated without any preamble. "That alone is reason not to trust him. He is a King. No one born to rule gives that up willingly. He may have said he gave it up," Yoshino added before either could say as such. "Once a King, always a King. I think he has perhaps, for the time being, set it aside." The small petite woman shrugged much in the manner of her lover sitting down the table from her. "I think we can trust him…for now. Honestly, I'm more concerned for those that follow him and just how many of those we can and cannot trust."

Miki pinched the bridge of her nose directly between her eyes for a long moment as she weighed the words of her two most trusted advisors. It can never be easy can it? "Thank you both," the Queen said, dropping her hand and offering them both a smile of appreciation. "For now we'll proceed as planned and take him at his word." Miki stood as did the other two women. "Please ask him to come in," she requested of them. Both women bowed and then left the room. A few moments passed in which she absently played with the goblet on the table before her as she awaited him. Upon hearing the door open she looked up, taking in his self-assured stride and ever present amused smile that hung upon his lips.

Tooru stepped into the room, closing the door behind him before walking to the opposite end of the table from the only other occupant in the room. "My Queen," he intoned respectfully as he bowed.

"You're certain this will work?" Miki inquired with her eyes looking downward as she dipped one finger into the wine and then ran the wet appendage around the rim of the goblet.

"As well as one might hope," he told her, projecting confidence and assurance as best he could for her sake. "It's the best course of action and should result in the fewest deaths." He knew full well that no plan was perfect and there would always be those who, no matter what, would fight till the end and just as assuredly they would die.

Brown eyes rose and stared into the steel grey ones at the far end of the table for a long moment. "You'll come back won't you?" she inquired, hating herself for even asking yet somehow needing to hear his assurances from his own lips.

"If that is my Queen's wish," Tooru replied softly, all traces of humor gone from his face as his eyes met hers and held her gaze.

"It is," Miki replied just as softly holding his eyes with hers for several long moments before adding, "We still have a great deal of work ahead of us to end the needless bloodshed. So no getting yourself killed," she told him sternly.

"As my Queen commands," he replied with a smile and a bow before turning and walking from the room to see to his own preparations.

Damn that man, she thought to herself as she snatched her goblet from the table and drained the remaining wine in one swallow. Damn him for making me worry!

-oOo-

"You're sure about this?" Rei asked skeptically to the man standing shirtless before her.

"There is no other, save the Queen herself, whom I would trust this to," Tooru assured her. The two had become sparring partners of a sort. When first the Queen had given him permission to practice, under the pretense of needing to stay in shape, he had joined the regular solders in the drill yard. The first Ookami he had sparred against had attempted to kill him outright, making no effort to hide his intentions. Tooru had greatly enjoyed the workout and so had only broken the man's arm and collarbone. After three similar occurrences the Queen had requested of Rei to become the man's sparring partner. Tooru, unused to fighting against the longer blade Rei preferred, found the challenge most educational. Rei herself found the man's two sword approach a great work out for her single blade to counter. Over the course of several weeks they had built, if not a friendship, at least a mutual respect for one another. Each knew the other to be a skilled swordsman as well as an honorable fighter. 'To know your enemy you must first test the mettle of his blade' was a mantra which Rei was oft heard saying to the new recruits upon the training field. Unlike the other generals or those of rank, she took a direct hand in the training of new soldiers. It allowed her to see what their potential was but also afford her an opportunity to come to know them as more than just a member of her troops. The sparring bouts between Rei and Tooru quickly started to draw crowds, as people came to see the two of them, both masters in their chosen fighting style, exchange blows. Though the both of them were well aware of the crowds and the fact that often wagers were placed, as true swordsman they ignored the throngs and focused on improving their own abilities.

The sound of Rei's sword leaving its sheath sounded overly loud in the quiet night's air. Rei turned slightly sideways before raising the sword up with both hands to shoulder height, the tip of the weapon pointing directly forward from her body with the flat of the blade horizontal with the ground. The moon above shone down brightly causing the Nodachi's long blade to almost seem to glow in the darkness. "Make certain you hold still and I will end it as quickly as I can." Tooru braced himself and with a curt nod towards the General indicated he was ready. Rei, never hesitating lunged forward as her powerful arms thrust the sword forward to pierce the man's shoulder and continue on through till a full thirty centimeters protruded from the backside. Just as quickly Rei stepped back, withdrawing the weapon and with a cry that Tooru had heard many times while sparring with the woman, she lunged forward again, taking him through the meatier section of his left side while being certain not to hit a rib or any other vital parts.

Tooru grimaced as the extremely sharp blade was quickly withdrawn. As Rei cleaned her blade and sheathed it he inspected the wounds and gave a nod of approval. Looking up and seeing the concerned expression on the woman's face he added, "Perfect. Just as I knew you'd do, General. It shouldn't hamper me too greatly when running."

Rei visibly relaxed as she walked over and untied the horse that had been tethered nearby, leading it back over and handing the reigns to Tooru after he had put his shirt on after cutting an opening in the appropriate locations. "See that you are careful and that you return to us," Rei told him holding the bridle as he swung up into the saddle with only a slight gasp of pain.

Tooru grinned at the short haired woman. "Please tell my Queen I appreciate her words and that I have no intention of dying today or any time soon. Life with her is far too interesting to miss it!" Rei grinned as he saw through the message she had been instructed to depart to him. "The wounds will heal in a few days but are required to make my story authentic enough for Hino-san to believe it," he assured her.

"I will see that she is informed of that," Rei replied with a grin.

Tooru nodded, his visage become more solemn, more serious as his steel grey eyes found hers for a long moment. "Then, I leave her in your care," he said with a slight bow before yanking on the reins and riding off into the night, entrusting the safety of his Queen to her General. They both understood how even the best laid plans could crumble and turn to dust at a moment's notice. Should that happen then the Queen's wellbeing was paramount and became the highest priority. Rei gave a nod of acknowledgement to the retreating back. In her own mind she knew that the only way anyone would ever hurt the Queen would be over her own dead body.

-oOo-

In the end it had all been rather anti-climactic. Hino-san, the King of the Hino clan had been all too willing to take in Tooru and even placed him in charge of the fighting forces. The Kyuuketsuki was more a bureaucrat than a general and knew it. When the armies had met upon the field of battle, Tooru drew his sword, the bright sunlight gleaming along the exposed blade for all to see. Instead of signaling the charge as had been planned, the leader of the Ogasawara clan had risen in his stirrups, leaned over and effortlessly decapitated the leader of the Hino clan. Forces loyal to Tooru which had positioned themselves strategically around the Hino generals moved quickly to subdue and disarm them. In the end when all was said in done, no more than a handful of solders on either side had been injured or killed.


Author's Note:

Maybe not as educational as I first thought, but hopefully you still enjoyed that chapter. To make up for it I promise the next chapter will be all Yumi & Sachiko. I can't say much however I will say that the past ties into the present in a big way though it may be a while before it reveals itself. I can only ask that you stay with me as the Muse leads us by the nose ring to where ever she is going.

Kind Regards,

EJ Daniels

All characters within this story, unless otherwise stated are the sole property of Oyuki Konno the original writer of the Maria-sama ga Miteru light novel series.

(092712 - 4022)