Chapter 18
Of Stories and Legacies
Rain poured down the side of the cab. The muddy road had turned into a quagmire and significantly slowed their advance. What should have been a two hour trip had turned into four, and counting. Sanosuke, true to himself, had fallen asleep like a baby being rocked. Ai and Fersen chatted amongst themselves in Dutch, their excitement seeming to increase as their destination grew closer. As for Kenji, he sat with his fists clenched, trying to ignore the nausea that gripped him, fearing he'd spill the contents of his stomach every time the vehicle lurched. The train ride from London to York had been pleasant enough and he'd enjoy the lush scenery on the way. The air, although still laden with the smell of burning coal, had been significantly cleaner and devoid of the characteristic London cloying stench he had grown accustomed to. He looked forward to the green spaces of the estate Ai had described but for the moment, he just wanted to be off this damned cab.
As if on cue, the carriage came to a halt. Sanosuke stirred in his sleep and mumbled some gibberish. Kenji looked out the window but couldn't see anything but a wet green blur.
"We're at the gate," explained Fersen.
"How much farther?" asked Kenji in a wisp of a voice.
"Not much," answered Ai.
"I will walk the rest of the way, then," declared Kenji, his hand already on the door handle.
"In this weather? Don't be foolish," said his host.
Kenji cracked the door open.
"I will either walk or be sick in the cab," he explained.
"Right. Fersen, will you ask William for an umbrella? I'll join Kenji." said Ai.
"Ai, surely you don't…" began Fersen.
"Umbrella," interrupted Ai.
Fersen sighed, defeated, and knocked on the side of the cab. Moments later William, the driver, opened the door. His overcoat and hat dripped on the floor of the carriage.
"Yes, sir?"
"Could you please fetch an umbrella?"
The man nodded and closed the door. He came back a moment later.
"Thank you, William. Kenji and I will continue on foot."
The driver's eyes went from Ai to Fersen, unsure. When the latter shook his head, his eyes went back to Ai.
"Should I ask your ladyship's maid to prepare a warm bath?"
Ai smiled.
"Make that two."
xxxx
The carriage on its way to the house, Ai and Kenji closed the gate then started their walk. Ai hooked her arm around his, joining him under the protection of the umbrella. Luckily, the path was made of small size gravel, easing their efforts. Kenji, although dressed in his Japanese clothes, had traded his geta for sturdy leather boots. Uncomfortable at first, he was glad to be wearing them now.
"How is your stomach?"
"Still churning," admitted the young man.
She laughed.
"And yet you were fine on the ship."
He shrugged.
"Not the same, I guess."
They walked in silence for a moment, the rain falling hard around them. He had imagined the house would be surrounded by a thick forest and was surprised to see nothing but rolling hills of grass with the occasional stone wall.
"It's very flat and empty," he commented.
She nodded.
"The villagers say there use to be a royal forest here, a long time ago, but it was cut down to make land for grazing sheep. We have gardens around the house, and ancient trees, too. We've also planted a few last year"
They went on walking quietly for a while. He could see an imposing grey building in the distance.
"Since we're away from everyone, why don't you tell me your story," she said.
He thought for a moment, gathering his memories.
"I was born, I grew up, I went to school… I guess you could say it was pretty normal, if only from the outside. My mother took care of me most of the time because our father was away, more and more so as I got older. I learned my mother's fighting style with Yahiko and soon surpassed him. I wanted to know more so I figured out the name of my father's fighting style and went to Kyoto to seek his master."
"What did he say about that?"
"He was against it. We got into a very heated argument. I was twelve and of my entire life he had never yelled at me. Until then. I had never seen him so upset at me. He told me this thing about swords being weapons, and the way of the sword being the way to kill."
"However you dress it up in righteousness, killing is its truth," finished Ai.
He stared at her, taken aback.
"Yes, those were his exact words… How do you…?"
"He wrote it in a letter, in response to one of my questions about his life yielding a sword."
"I see."
The sound of their feet on the gravel filled the air.
"Do you agree?" she asked.
"I have never killed anyone, and yet I know how to fight. Does it mean I am not a swordsman?"
"When comes the time, will you be able to kill your master to obtain the ougi?" she asked, softly.
He hesitated.
"I have never really thought about it…" he confessed.
His father hadn't killed Hiko Seijuro only because he'd been yielding the sakabato. Kenji had no intention of switching to the reversed blade.
They remained silent for a while. The house grew taller. Ai shivered. Kenji took off his haori and placed it on Ai's shoulders. She protested but he insisted.
"So what happened next," she asked.
"I waited until his next leave and fled to Kyoto in the middle of the night. My mother wasn't too happy about it either. I'm sorry about that now. I broke her heart, no doubt. Once in Kyoto, I focused on nothing but the sword. Hiko Seijuro is a tough shisho, but he gave me stability. I knew each night what the next day would bring. I thrived and would probably still be there had my parents not died."
"There is no way this will sound good, but I'm glad those sad circumstances brought us together. Silver lining, I guess we could say," she commented.
He pinched his lips and exhaled loudly through his nose.
"Sorry. That was out of line," she apologised.
"No, no. I was trying to find the best way to respond. To be honest, despite the pain and the oddness, I think I'm also happy to be here. I am happy to know you."
She beamed.
"These are the kindest words you've said to me so far. I shall cherish them always."
She squeezed his arm with hers. He gave her a furtive sidelong glance. She was truly beautiful when she smiled.
Inspired, he decided to confide in her more.
"I have very little memories of my early childhood. It's as if something has locked them all away where I can't reach. But since my parents' deaths, things are coming to the surface, most often than not as dreams."
He told her of the dream about the storm, the one about Kenshin and Sanosuke's fight and lastly of the conversation between his parents.
"I feel as though something important happened. I can't quite say what, but I feel like... Like it made everything different. I'm sorry, this is rather silly."
She shook her head.
"Not at all. Let's hope you will remember more. Please tell me all about it when you do. Are we close? I think I hear the horses."
He looked up. They were a few paces away from the carriage, now being unloaded by two young men in liveries. He looked up and the sheer size of the house dizzied him. It was almost as big as the court house in Tokyo.
"How many people live here?!"
She laughed.
"Just our little family. Let's get in, we have a surprise for you."
Kenji and Ai walked up the stairs and stepped into the warm entrance. An older man in a livery took the umbrella and Kenji's haori. Kenji bent to take off his shoes but Ai prevented him from doing so. He wiped them as best he could.
"Welcome home, mylady. The baths are ready for you and your guest. Shall I ask Jack to lead him to his quarters or will you be joining mylord in the drawing room first?"
"Thank you, George. We will be going the drawing room first."
She tugged on Kenji's arm who, distracted by all the finery, stood agape.
"Come, they await you." Her excitement was palpable.
They crossed the hall. Kenji was torn between his amazement at the refinement of the house and the horror of his wet footsteps on the plush carpet. They got to a dark wooden door which was probably worth more than he could imagine. Ai grabbed his hand and squeezed it. She smiled ear to ear, giddy.
"Ready?"
Without waiting, she pushed the door open. They stepped in.
At first, Kenji thought the room itself was the surprise. The size of the windows, the gilded furniture, the paintings, everything was so opulent it stole his breath away. Then he noticed the occupants. Fersen sat on a fauteuil and smiled at him. On the floor, walking on all four, Sanosuke was giving a ride to two small boys with strawberry blonde hair. Nearby, an older little girl egged them on, clapping her hands with delight. Her hair was a bright shade of copper and framed her face with soft curls. She noticed the newcomers and ran to them.
"Mama!"
She flung her arms around Ai's waist and hugged her before taking a step back. She inspected Kenji from head to toe.
"Is this him? Is this uncle Kenji?" she asked in Japanese.
Ai nodded. The girl clapped her hands with glee and exclaimed something in Dutch. Then, remembering her manners, she curtsied at Kenji.
"How do you do?" she asked in English
"How do you do?" he stammered back.
She gracefully offered her hand. He took it and tried to shake it.
"You're supposed to kiss it!" she laughed.
He gave her hand an awkward peck and turned to Ai.
"Are they…?"
She gave him her warmest smile. By then, the two boys had joined them and were hugging their mother yet glancing at him curiously. She petted their hair affectionately.
"They're your nephews and your niece."