a/n: Once again, big thanks to everyone who left a review on the last update — I always enjoy seeing them come into my email. And thanks to everyone who liked/followed/favorited this story, especially those who have been around since the very beginning. I honestly can't believe I've been working on this fic since 2017. Time flies when you spend years procrastinating!
Anyways, this chapter is a long one since I had to tie up so many loose ends. Technically it could've been split into two, but I like to make sure than Rin is in every chapter, since I adore her so much (and she's been largely absent from Yashahime). I've read it and re-read it; hopefully there's no typos. I hope you all enjoy 3
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.
SONG OF THE WEST
an Inuyasha fanfic
xii.
After Rin had been escorted away to receive proper care and the courtiers received their fill of spectacle, Lord Tokudaiji ordered them to disperse until further notice and pulled Lord Motozawa into the study, Sesshōmaru in tow. Lord Motozawa had proven himself to be uninvolved and had even been vouched for by Lord Ikeda. It was time to reveal to him the true reason behind their sudden visit.
Tōga told him the bulk of the information – Seikanji's debt, Fujii's ambition, and Sara's mistrust of Higashikuze – with Sesshōmaru interjecting whenever Motozawa had any further questions. They also made him aware of the mysterious, untraceable poison that destroyed Asano's horses, gave Sara neurosis, and possibly killed Lord Asano. By the time the two men finished explaining the situation, Motozawa was shocked into silence and bore a ghastly pallor on his face.
"I knew Lord Asano was unhappy with Lord Seikanji, and that he had rejected proposals from the Higashikuze clan, among others," Motozawa said calmly. "But I never would have imagined…"
The sentence was lost forever to the air as the nobleman stood suddenly from his seat. "I'll summon the other courtiers, along with those traitors. Who knows what they are planning now that Lady Sara is infirm," he said with righteous ire.
"We must bide our time, Lord Motozawa," Lord Tokudaiji raised his hand to stop the man. "I'd like to hear what Lady Asano has to say before we make any moves against the trio."
"Whenever she is coherent enough to do so," Sesshōmaru said deeply from his spot to the side of the room against the wall.
They had the means to simply arrest the three men now, but there were still questions to be answered, such as how and why the poison ended up in the stables, or how the seemingly divergent plots of Higashikuze and Sara connected to each other. It was best to tie up any possible loose ends to prevent anything from unraveling into a larger entanglement.
Motozawa yielded. "Of course, your Excellency. I'll go check on her Ladyship. I suggested they fetch her some herbal tea to soothe her. Hopefully it has taken its course." With a deferential bow to the Imperial Lord and Sesshōmaru, Motozawa exited the study.
Tōga turned his full attention to his son. Sesshōmaru immediately recognized that flare in his father's eyes: something or someone had vexed him.
"Care to explain why Lady Asano tried to murder Rin?" Tōga demanded.
Sesshōmaru merely stared at him. "She's delirious, as we've established."
"You never gave any specifics about the tirade she went on during your meeting."
"Her misplaced envy towards a maid didn't pertain to our main goal."
Tōga released a short, wry laugh at that. "And yet!" He exclaimed, his indignation fully manifesting in his expression. "Our ability to speed things along now came at the expense of Rin's safety. If I had known Lady Asano despised Rin specifically, I would've told her to stay in the room."
"The girl has proven herself to be of use, then," Sesshōmaru gibed ungallantly, equally annoyed.
To the young man's utter astonishment, the rear side of his father's hand cracked against his face.
If Sesshōmaru were anyone else, the force would've sent him flying from his spot, if not sprawled onto the ground in a state of unconsciousness. He had already taken multiple unfettered hits from his father during past sparring sessions, which made him well-acquainted to his blows. So instead, his head merely snapped to the side, the sting of the older man's knuckles fresh on his cheek.
After moments of tempestuous silence, Sesshōmaru faced his father again, eerily composed. The Imperial Lord looked back at him with a fierce glower – it was almost as if Sesshōmaru were gazing into a mirror. He was about as tall as his father now, perhaps a few centimeters shorter. The older man's physique was more well-knit than his own, perhaps, but Sesshōmaru excelled in deftness.
Before the tension could escalate into something worse, Seiten was standing at the threshold of the study. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat, drawing two pairs of volatile amber eyes towards him.
"Your Excellency, Your Grace: Lord Motozawa is waiting to escort you both to the central chambers," Seiten announced. "His Lordship believes Lady Asano has calmed down enough to be questioned."
Lord Tokudaiji nodded. "Very well," he said to Seiten. Then, to Sesshōmaru, "Lady Sara will only become muddled again if she sees you, so it's best you not come. Keep an eye on Higashikuze, Seikanji, and Fujii's movements."
Sesshōmaru, though still bristling, nodded and watched as his father followed Seiten from the room.
The inner chambers of a castle were the domain of women, housing the Lady, the Lord's concubines, the Lord's daughters (and sons, up to the age of adolescences), as well as the maids of these high-born women. Social criteria forbade men other than the Lord—especially men outside the clan—to enter. But sensational circumstances beget sensational responses, so Lord Tokudaiji entered the inner chambers anyway, led by Lord Motozawa. In a decent size room, Lady Asano sat quietly, surrounded by maids who, by their expressions, seemed thoroughly wary of their once-gentle mistress, as if she were due to have another lunatic spasm at any moment. Though the finer details of her appearance were concealed by the filmy standing partition placed between them to secure what was left of her dignity, Lord Tokudaiji could see the shadowy outline of Lady Asano's regal frame sitting in seiza, along with a low table.
"Lady Asano," Motozawa spoke first. "Are you ready give us an explanation for your conduct in the garden earlier today?"
Sara did not respond. The Imperial Lord tightened his lips. Unlike the Yobetsu maidservant Aina, he couldn't order Sara flogged into confession, especially not over something as "trivial" as the wellbeing of a maidservant.
But…
"You aimed a blade at the heir to the Western Lands, a direct servant of the Mikado," Lord Tokudaiji pondered for all to hear. "A menace to his life. I could have you flogged for that, at the minimum."
"Then why don't you, your Excellency?" Sara riposted. Her voice was hoarse from yelling.
"Lady Asano—" Motozawa's stern voice was cut off by Lord Tokudaiji's raised hand.
Lord Tokudaiji hummed. "Even wild animals attack with reason. I'd like to hear your side."
He watched as Sara's shadowy figure shifted uncomfortably on the zabuton on which she knelt. With one quick glance around the room, Lord Tokudaiji dismissed all but Sara's closest maidservant. Slowly, the others left the room in a single file swish of fabrics.
"Did you know Lord Higashikuze is preparing bridal trousseaus?" Lady Asano said suddenly. "It seems both of his daughters will be married off soon. I heard the women whispering about it yesterday afternoon."
Motozawa pressed his lips into a thin line. "His Excellency did not come to listen to hear court drama, your Grace."
"Perhaps I did," Lord Tokudaiji stated, glancing at Motozawa. He looked back to the screen. "Sesshōmaru relayed to me your claims about Higashikuze, as well as Lord Seikanji and Lord Fujii. Care to elaborate?"
"What's there to hold forth about?" Sara asked, exhausted. "Lord Higashikuze killed my father with tainted tea that Seikanji and Fujii secured for him, all because my father rejected his dolt of a daughter."
"And you are certain it was poison?"
"My father was perfectly healthy in the days prior to his death. What else could it be?"
"Seemingly healthy men die every day," Lord Tokudaiji said. "Where's the proof of any bane?"
Sara held firm. "I already told the young Lord. In the frenzy after my father's fall, I had my maids dispose of the tea."
Lord Tokudaiji smirked, unbeknownst to Sara. "A poison of that caliber would leave residuum on the teapot and cups. Bid your maidservant to bring Higashikuze's teapot to me; I'll have it tested with silver needles to evince or assuage your fears."
The young woman stiffened and said nothing.
The Imperial Lord pushed further. "I cannot convict three noblemen with no evidence, Lady Asano. If there is no poison, we will have to accept that Lord Asano's life had run its course."
The idea was clearly intolerable to her, for the young woman's frame jerked violently behind the screen.
"There was no poison in Higashikuze's pot," Lady Sara spat as if the words were the most difficult thing in the world. "I gave it to him."
Motozawa gasped with melodramatic flourish, but Lord Tokudaiji was not surprised in the slightest. He had already begun to suspect as much based on Sesshōmaru's earlier estimation.
"What a change in pace," Lord Tokudaiji observed, perfectly nonplussed. "How."
Sara huffed. "When my father fell from his horse, he decided to rest in his room. I brewed him another cup of tea that evening – that's when I slipped it in."
The mystery of Lord Asano's death had all been so simple in the end—it was almost enough to irritate the Western Lord. Still, she had to have mentioned Higashikuze, Seikanji, and Fujii-the latter being two men who had managed to capture even Lord Ikeda's suspicions-for a reason. It couldn't be a mere coincidence.
"Where and by what manner did you acquire such a lethal poison?" Lord Motozawa said, still in disbelief. "Did one of your maids smuggle it in?"
It was rather humorous that Motozawa believed in any young person's ability to hold fast to the conventions of propriety. Naturally, she had slipped out of the inner chambers and the castle walls to visit the city below.
"I didn't find anything. I merely borrowed someone else's blade," Sara said coyly.
Lord Motozawa appeared even more confused. Sara must have guessed as much from behind the partition, for she clarified shortly thereafter: "When I went to the city one evening, a woman approached me. She was a dancer—Lord Fujii hired her to appease guests at a banquet just the week before, in fact. Anyway, she began a conversation with me. I had nothing better to do, so I figured I'd listen to her words.
"To my surprise, she announced herself as my father's would-be assassin. She said Higashikuze, Fujii, and Seikanji hired her to complete the task within the week; she even revealed Higashikuze's intentions to offer his daughters to Lord Kikkawa and Lord Muso and get rid of me altogether. I nearly laughed in her face until she pulled out the poison she was to use on my father."
"Why didn't you reveal this information to your father or other members of court?" Lord Motozawa catechized.
"My father? The court?" Sara responded, icily. "My father was about to marry me off to Lord Kikkawa, though I did not want it. Don't think I'm stupid enough to not realize that you all were preparing to shove concubines into this chamber to secure Kikkawa's favors and torment me as soon as the wedding night was over, just like Higashikuze! As for the court, I can't even speak with you now without hiding behind this silly screen. If I had revealed this to any of you, you all would have focused on my excursion from the castle. I would have been accused of salacious affairs. Once aspersions are cast on a woman's chastity, her character soon follows. Furthermore, when have any of you ever cared about my words? The duty of the Asano court was to help my father decided which Lord or Lord's son to thrust me towards, and even through that, you all tried to scheme to procure more glory and dominance. My Lord Father paid more attention to the desires of those damned horses more than he did to me. Why should I have told anyone?"
By the time her passionate philippic was complete, she was yelling forcefully, as she had been in the gardens. Motozawa, apparently pacified by this answer, kept his mouth shut. A small part of Lord Tokudaiji wished he had brought Sesshōmaru along. Oh, to see his son's reaction to this dynamic speech!
Sara took a few deep breaths and went on again. "I tried to tell the young Lord, though, when he arrived for my father's funeral ceremony. But those gossipy court ladies had been sent in here to keep an eye on me. I knew it'd be unconventional, but I thought we could…" She chuckled darkly. "I was even willing to debase myself and become a concubine as long as I could escape these serpents and wolves. But he has already found some wench to whet his appetite––an ordinary-looking common girl, no less!"
The outline of Sara's fabric-draped arm swished at something on the low table next to her. The sound of a teacup smashing against the hard floor broke the silence; a piece of it even clattered from behind the partition towards the Imperial Lord's feet. Sara's personal maid nodded apologetically and rushed to retrieve it.
"Your anger was misplaced, Lady Sara," he stated slowly. "She's only a maid; nothing more."
"I hear my dear cousin Kikkawa often says the same thing. Apparently, he has quite the rotation."
Lord Motozawa coughed awkwardly upon hearing the unseemly rumor. While it certainly was not rare for Lords and noble sons to possess their domestics, it was not a practice mentioned in polite society.
The details of this bizarre case were beginning to assemble into what Lord Tokudaiji saw as the pieces of a tragic poem. Lady Asano had seen schemes lurking in every corner, had become choked by the twine spun to regulate every facet of her young life. Feeling trapped by her status, she had latched on to the first opportunity she saw to break free: assisting with three unknowing Lords to bring about the death of her father. It might have worked, too, if not for the foibles of her comprehension. One false assumption about Sesshōmaru had been enough to shatter her idealizations and derail her hopes of wedding her childhood fancy. With all the stress surrounding her, a breakdown had been imminent. If anything, the mysterious bane had only accelerated it.
To make matters worse, her grasp of freedom might have played into the schemes of a larger force. Lord Tokudaiji's thoughts had latched onto Sara's earlier words—the mysterious dancer who had disappeared mid-narrative, like a side character in a stage play.
"Where's the woman who was hired to kill your father?" Lord Tokudaiji demanded.
"I don't know—she's certainly moved on by now. She was a travelling dancer, who goes wherever the wind takes her," Sara said simply. The words were sincere.
Motozawa spoke up. "You said she entertained guests for Lord Fujii. She performed to 'Knowledge and Understanding,' didn't she?"
Sara leaned languidly against the low table, bored. "Yes, she's the one. She had short hair, as black as the night; skin as pale as the moon; and eyes and lips as red as blood. A real poetic beauty—almost perfect, if not for that vulgar Eastern parlance of hers. Not that her occupation was respectable, anyhow."
Lord Tokudaiji swore loudly, surprising Lord Motozawa and Lady Sara. It was too similar to Yobetsu: a mysterious Eastern figure, undoubtedly tied to Ryukotsusei, descending into another territory, wreaking havoc, and then disappearing into the night.
"That's enough, Lord Motozawa," Lord Tokudaiji said, irritated. He had spent too much time trailing the follies of the Asano court.
"But what of Lord Asano's horses?" Motozawa asked, his gaze fixed on the partition. "My Lady, you were awake rather early this morning, as well all know. Surely you know something about that?"
"I had a pinch of poison left and nothing else to do," Sara deadpanned as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Why not cause a little excitement?"
Sesshōmaru was, once again, correct: Pull one string, and the whole web fell in on itself.
After Lord Tokudaiji exited the study with Lord Motozawa, Sesshōmaru, still ill-tempered from the fervid confrontation with his father, seized the initiative and ordered the Asano guards to bar all entry and exit to and from the mountain on which Asano castle was deftly perched, effectively sequestering the sordid group of nobles from the rest of society. This was cause for complain – the domestic help fussed about their inability to run errands in the city to personal servants, who in turn forwarded these grievances to their Lords and Ladies. Unable to locate Motozawa or the Imperial Lord to receive information, the peers and peeresses sought out the young Lord in the Asano study, only to be met with tightly sealed doors and an unkind attitude.
Next, Sesshōmaru took the time to narrow in on a specific target. Higashikuze was tricky. Naturally, the young Lord would be able to handle him, but the information he knew about the Lord was based on Sara's hearsay, which he considered all but useless now that her fragile state of mind had been exposed. Fujii's primary concern had always been his own ambitions, and men like that were easy to break; however, if there was a way to reveal the plot without listening to Fujii's useless banter, he would prefer the alternative. Seikanji was a plain fool. He was stupid enough to actually embezzle money. Amid the ruckus, while everyone stood in awe of Sara's behavior, Sesshōmaru caught the uneasy look in Seikanji's eye as he glanced over to a slightly amused Higashikuze and a shocked Fujii. He was less steadfast in his duties. Seikanji would be his focus.
Rather than lurking about the manor's corridors to surveil the three Lords, Sesshōmaru merely ordered Seikanji brought before him. It was conspicuous, yes, but there wasn't much need to sneak around and fake decorum now that the mystery had entered its final act. And what could the courtiers say about it? Though Seikanji's seizure was met with some weak statements of concern from the ignorant court members, none were brazen enough to openly oppose the young Lord's measures without knowing the cause for them. His father might have declared the decision imperious; Sesshōmaru deemed it within his rights. What was the use of the Imperial Lord title if he could not use such direct displays of power?
Seikanji was wisely afraid when the guards pushed him into the study. His eyes darted about the room nervously, his face turned red, and beads of moisture had started to materialize on his brow, made worse by the rising summer heat. With no sons, no close male relatives to adopt, and, at least before Lord Asano's death, a bevy of financial issues on account of his gambling, the Seikanji clan was on the decline.
After searching a while in through the papers in Asano's study, Sesshōmaru had been able to decipher the accounting books in a way that would support Lord Ikeda's claims of Seikanji's embezzlement. The young Lord gave the pitiful man an ultimatum: face total clan annihilation for the crime of deceiving his Lord, and by proxy, his Imperial Lord and Emperor, or reveal the full extent of the plot to kill Lord Asano and secure the mercy of committing ritual suicide in his home, sparing his family dishonor and death. Lord Seikanji, caught in a simple but effective snare, made his choice. By the time his Lord Father returned from Lady Sara's chambers, Sesshōmaru was one of six people in the world who knew the details of the plot from start to finish.
The courtiers, sans Seikanji, unable to leave Asano castle or go to Lord Motozawa for clarification, met again in the same garden clearing where Lady Sara had attempted to kill Rin only a few hours before. When Motozawa, Sesshōmaru, and Imperial Lord Tokudaiji entered the space, the courtiers stood from their seats and bowed in obeisance.
"Is Lady Asano, well?" Lord Inoue asked no one in particular.
"Her Ladyship is stable. She's resting in her rooms now," Motozawa replied.
"And what of Your Excellency's serving girl?" Lord Koide inquired. He seemed sincere; Sesshōmaru had no doubt that his Lord Father would remember that Koide was the only one to ask about the girl.
"She is receiving treatment, but she will be fine," Imperial Lord Tokudaiji stated. "Sit. We have much to discuss."
The men obeyed. Servants poured tea and brought small helping of foods for the noblemen to enjoy with it. There was a tense silence for a few moments before one Lord finally worked up the courage to speak.
"We've been discussing the…episode that occurred here earlier today," Lord Higashikuze started slowly. The men glanced uneasily at the spot in the smooth stone pathway where drops of blood from Rin's hand had dried up under the hot sun.
"Perhaps its best if Lady Asano is simply skipped in the line of succession," Lord Higashikuze continued. "Since her father's sudden death, she's been unwell; today's act of violence only proved it. It's best we call upon Lord Kikkawa to fill Lord Asano's seat immediately."
The other courtiers nodded their heads in slow, grave agreement. Sesshōmaru himself might have been inclined to agree, if not for his full knowledge of the role Higashikuze played in the Asano clan's demise.
Lord Motozawa simply stared at Higashikuze with a grave expression on his face. Higashikuze stared back, nonplussed. Finally, it was Imperial Lord Tokudaiji's resonant voice that broke the nature-filled silence.
"You aren't wrong, Lord Higashikuze," Imperial Lord Tokudaiji said. "But we must acknowledge the many things that led up to today's events, before we make any rash moves."
The courtiers gazed on, puzzled at their Imperial Lord's words.
Sesshōmaru's golden flickered back and forth between Higashikuze and Seikanji, a predator sizing up his prey. Fujii shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. Higashikuze simply stared back.
"Will you to confess to your crimes, or should we expose them?" He asked coolly.
The other courtiers began to murmur uncomfortably.
Higashikuze feigned ignorance. "Young Lord Tokudaiji, I have no idea—"
"Spare us the performance, Lord Higashikuze," Lord Motozawa interrupted the courtier, his voice grave. "Lady Asano has already shared the details of your treachery."
The other courtiers began to murmur uncomfortably.
"Lord Motozawa, what is the meaning of this?" Lord Koide spoke up.
"Lord Asano's death was no mere happenstance, as we thought it was," Lord Motozawa said. "According to Lady Sara, Lord Higashikuze, Lord Fujii, and Lord Seikanji all had a role to play in his death."
Lord Higashikuze scoffed loudly. "You're taking the word of some muddled woman as fact? I've been on this court for decades, not to mention the centuries the Higashikuze clan has spent in loyalty to the Asano clan."
"All the more reason for you not to have made the choice you did!" Lord Motozawa hissed.
"Call her out then," Lord Higashikuze declaimed. "If Lady Asano has a grievance to address, let her do so! We are her courtiers, after all."
"I have a better idea," Lord Tokudaiji said, glancing at Lord Motozawa. Motozawa snapped his fingers, and the guards escorted Lord Seikanji to the middle of the clearing for all to see. This confused the men more, but Sesshōmaru saw Fujii shift uncomfortably in his seat, and Higashikuze's eyes narrow ever so slightly.
"Lord Seikanji has quite the tale with which to regale us. I hope you all will find it as amusing as we did," Lord Tokudaiji announced, a slight but devilish grin on his face.
Fujii worked up some courage. "Your Excellency, I don't understand what—"
"You dare interrupt?" Sesshōmaru barked. Whatever words Fujii had in his throat died.
His Lord Father was thoroughly unamused. "Speak, Lord Seikanji."
So Seikanji did.
…One late spring afternoon, two weeks prior to the death of Lord Asano, Higashikuze received an impromptu visit from a shadowy man with an Eastern accent. Seikanji, admittedly, did not know much about the man's appearance, but he did know the man had promised Higashikuze that if he could dispose of Lord Asano and Sara, he would make the Higashikuze daughters' noblewomen – the eldest the new Lady Asano of Asagawa, and the youngest Lady Onigumo of Shiragata. It was a lucrative political move; the territories would be united, not though something as overt as a direct marriage between Lord Muso and Lady Sara, but through the often-undervalued concept of sororal kinship. Higashikuze, annoyed with the vainglorious foolishness of Lord Asano's refusal to wed Sara to the courtier clans or accept a new wife into the inner chambers, and yearning for power, accepted the request with little hesitation.
It was around this time Seikanji realized the marriage bargain he had struck with Fujii was not nearly enough to repay the embezzled money and save his position on the court. Fujii, loth to dishonor himself by ejecting the new bride from his home or be dragged down by way of association with a fallen courtier, turned to the next best option for help: his dear cousin-in-law, Higashikuze. The man agreed; better yet, he even gave Fujii and Seikanji an alternative choice that would allow them to simply pocket the money they owed. All they'd have to do was help him assassinate the Asano father and daughter. The two men had been hesitant at first, but in the end, what could they do? It was a simple choice between reputation and wealth.
The first step was finding a person who could commit such an act, someone who Lord Asano would willingly accept into his home. The dancer from Fujii's party was pretty enough to tempt any man – she had even managed to catch the staunch Lord's curious eye, among others, during her enrapturing dance. It's not like she would shy away from such a task; as beautiful and low-born as she was, she would be used to such licentious acts. As it turned out, the men were correct in their choice. She even knew which bane to use to make the Lord's death seem as natural as possible. So, the men proposed another event, this time at the castle Lord Asano himself, full of refreshments and wine and dancers. To their surprise, Lord Asano accepted. They only had to wait for the day to arrive.
But, according to Seikanji, an unexpected disaster fell upon them. Lord Asano died earlier than expected—seemingly of natural causes, rather than the poison for which they had hired the dancer. And, even more unexpected, their temptress went missing before she could end the life of Sara Asano. But it wasn't so bad. Seikanji, at least, no longer had to repay the embezzled taxes and still received a hefty sum from Higashikuze to secure his silence. Fujii was spared the dishonor of guilt by association. Lord Higashikuze, angry at having been cheated, simply had to go another route: he'd take another chance with a marriage proposal to Sara but offer his eldest daughter to the Young Lord Onigumo and present his youngest as a possible concubine for Lord Kikkawa. As another of Lord Asano's trusted courtiers, he had enough sway on the court to make this a reality. She wouldn't enjoy the same privileges as the main wife, but she could at least bear a son or daughter for the new Lord, as well as put a discreet end to any of Sara's potential pregnancies. Once again, all he had to do was wait.
That morning when Sara exposed the full extent of her grief for her father in the garden, Higashikuze saw another opening. Clearly, Sara was unfit to be in any position in power and presented a danger to herself and the court. Sending her off to some Asano farmstead and dispatching some "bandits" to finish the job wouldn't be much of an issue, especially after she had threatened Young Lord Tokudaiji. He only had to be patient.
When Seikanji finally finished relaying the scheme to the other courtiers, the general opinion of the men had turned. Fujii sat red-faced in his zabuton, a sweaty, sputtering mess. But with a tenacity that impressed even Sesshōmaru, Lord Higashikuze stood his ground like a man intent to sink with his ship.
"How much did Lord Motozawa give you to say all this nonsense, Lord Seikanji," he said, eyes narrowed.
Lord Iwashite gaped. "Can you still be so obstinate?"
"Even if that were true, where in that narrative did, I actually kill Lord Asano?" He asked, looking each of his fellow courtiers in the eye. "These testimonies come from the mouths of a lunatic and an embezzler. What fool would believe—"
Tōga clicked his tongue in disapproval. "So now I'm a fool, as well. That's too bad."
Higashikuze at least knew when to shut his mouth.
"Conspiracy is like wielding the blade yourself," Lord Inoue spoke up.
Sesshōmaru directed a knowing gaze to Fujii again. Upon catching his eye, Fujii's anxieties must've raised tenfold, for he jumped from his zabuton and prostrated himself before the courtiers and the Imperial Lord, his face pressed fully into the dirt.
"It's the truth, your Excellency!" He cried. "But I promise this was all planned by Higashikuze – we just went along with it!"
Sesshōmaru huffed. The statement only made Fujii seem more foolish in his eyes.
"You coward!" Higashikuze barked at the man's pitiful form.
Lord Tokudaiji seemed satisfied with the response. With a swish of his hand, the three fallen Lords were dragged from the garden as Sara had been that morning, begging for leniency as they were escorted to the holding cells beneath the castle.
Far removed now from the thick of the frenzy, Rin realized her wound wasn't too bad. According to the city doctor who had been called upon to care for her, the gash was largely surface level with no significant damage to any muscle or nerves.
"You're a very fortunate girl!" The doctor exclaimed as he wrapped the bandages around her hand, which was now throbbing from the medicine he'd applied. If the cut had been any deeper, it would've required sutures. "Very fortunate indeed!"
Rin managed a smile. It would've been a shame for her to have survived the horrors of her old village only to lose a limb over such a dull matter as jealousy.
Noticing the dreadful condition of her health, the doctor also provided valuable instruction for going about building strength and gaining a healthy physique. For the next few weeks, she was to eat simple bowls of kayu with a bit of salt for good flavor – none of the decadent meals she had been enjoying so far in the company of the Tokudaijis, which would only disturb her weak digestive system. Suddenly, she wasn't so happy.
Soon, the doctor departed, leaving her alone in the inn room Lord Tōga had demanded be prepared for her in the city. Rin thought it far too palatial a space for something as simple as bandaging a wound. Much like Sesshōmaru's rooms in the Asano castle's guest wing. To the far end of the room was a decorated folded screen for dressing, painted with the likeness of a grand, well-lit city in the night. A small sitting area with a low table and seating mats, along with a dais for receiving guests, took up the middle. At the other end of the room was the large canopy bed with silk hangings and bedclothes, which she was currently resting in.
It was like, Rin thought, sleeping on clouds or a pile of fathers, especially as compared to the dusty earth or dirt floors she was used to. She wished she'd worked up the nerve to at least sit on the bed in the guest room. That would've provided some evidence towards Sara's baseless accusations.
While the attack wasn't the worst act of violence she'd ever experienced, it certainly was the most bizarre. Who would perform a song for their foe before attempting to murder them? Rin found herself thinking back to the noblemen, merchants, and other well-bred people at the trial in Yobetsu. For all their politeness, rich people loved to delight in dramatics.
But it was a beautiful song. Comfortably cocooned in the silk blankets of the cho dai, Rin hummed the melody, filling the silence over and over again with the beauty of music. She was still humming when the shōji slid open and Tōga stepped over the threshold, his boots soft against the tatami floor like he had assumed she'd be asleep. He was surprised to find otherwise after such a stressful happening.
"'The Chrysanthemum and the Field Fox'?" Tōga stated, surprised. "What a thing to croon."
Rin turned on her side to look directly at him. Lord Tōga's gold eyes regarded her softly as if she were a fragile child who had fallen ill or taken a bad tumble. Sure, she was physically fragile due to her poor health, but she didn't want to be regarded that way all the time. She didn't want to feel like a burden.
"Lady Asano played it for me before she tried to stab me," Rin explained.
Tōga, for once, didn't know how to respond.
"She said it was a song that taught lessons," Rin prodded, gently and curiously. "What's it about?"
"Well, it's not a happy tale," Tōga said. "It's about an emperor—or lord, depending on who's telling it—who is bewitched by a fox spirit disguised as an alluring young woman. He becomes so overtaken by his deep affection and sexual longing for her that he ignores the well-being of his demesne and is overthrown by his subjects—or invaders, again, depending on the version you hear."
Rin let a sound of wry amusement.
"Sara attacked me because she thought me and Lord Sesshōmaru were…" She was too abashed to complete her sentence, but Tōga knew full well what she'd intended to say. Her voice took on a sadder note as she glanced at the ruined silk handkerchief on the low table nearby. "But he doesn't like me much."
The Imperial Lord didn't bother to lie and tell her otherwise. Everyone aside from Sara Asano could see that. Any guilt he might've felt for striking his son earlier dissipated upon seeing her downtrodden expression.
Here was a girl, as tender as a bloom, who wore her heart on her sleeve. It was wholly disparate from the constrained, sententious grandees he had become accustomed to over the years, a swig of fresh water after a hot summer's day. She conjured up memories of another young woman he had known and adored so long ago, who was kind and gentle and strong, who he had let down.
"Sara is muddled. She exposed herself to too much of the poison, and feels guilty about killing her father," Tōga declared forcefully. "Try not to mind anything she said to you."
"Who will become of Lady Sara?" Rin asked.
Through all the fanfare, Motozawa had not told the rest of the courtiers about Sara's role in Lord Asano's death. Perhaps he had been moved by her speech, or he had remembered the face of the young child his Lord had adored so much. Whatever the reason, Tōga had decided not to push the matter further, and the Asano courtiers came to their own conclusion about Sara's future arrangements.
"The Asanos own a few farmsteads around this territory. She'll remain sequestered in one of them, isolated from the court for the rest of her days," Toga said.
The rest of her life. That was a long time for someone not much older than her. Despite the current state of her hand, Rin couldn't bring herself to hate Lady Sara. From what she revealed in her chaotic ramblings, her whole life had been meticulously schemed away from her, first by her father, and then by the other nobleman. No wonder she turned out the way she did.
"No more executions, then," Rin stated. Grimly, she recalled the sound of Gojo's disembodied head as it hit the platform in Yobetsu, the sight of blood dripping from the headsman's blade…
"Not any that we'll have to be in attendance for," the Imperial Lord responded. "While Higashikuze, Fujii, and Seikanji ultimately weren't the ones who killed Lord Asano, they still conspired to, and even bought the poison that ended up in Lady Asano's hands. That's as good as wielding the blade themselves. However, wealth and title afford a person many privileges – a decorous, private death is one of them. They'll most likely cut themselves open, so their family won't suffer further disgrace."
Rin's nose wrinkled at this, and Tōga regretted revealing that bit of information.
Suddenly, he moved closer to her, crossing the room, and stooped his large frame to kneel at her bedside.
"The physician said you had bruises – bruises too old to be from this morning, or during our trip."
Rin tensed. At one point, the doctor had seemed eerily quiet as he rolled up her sleeve to keep it clean while he bandaged her hand. It never occurred to her that he'd been able to see the injuries peeking over the skin of her shoulders. Slowly, she covered her head with the silk sheet. She didn't want to admit how foolish she had been when she initially rejected his offer or recount how the villagers had beaten and humiliated her in the aftermath. Her heart fluttered, but she stayed silent.
Tōga sighed. "I won't be able to help you if you aren't truthful with me. What really happened that led you to come and find us?"
Rin took a deep breath and removed the blanket from her face. He was right. There was no use in lying to save whatever shreds of honor she had left.
"They told me to leave," she explained, her voice small. "They said I seduced you to save myself and blamed me for Kahei and Gojo's deaths. So they made me leave."
She spared him the details of the rocks, the spit, and the many hands tugging at her clothes, body, and hair. But with her brevity and bruises, it was lightwork to deduce what happened.
"I'm sorry, Lord Tōga," Rin said sadly. She could handle slights to her reputation. She had done so for years to survive. But it pained her to know her careless actions had led to slights against the person who had helped her so much so far. "I'm damaging your reputation."
Tōga scoffed at that. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm much too old to care about what others think of me." Being an Imperial Lord naturally meant he had as many enemies as friends.
He was gently patting her hair now, just as her true father used to when she was still little and afraid of thunderstorms and noises in the dark.
"From now on," Tōga began, still patting her black, unruly hair, "you mustn't hesitate to let one of us know when there's a problem. You aren't in the village anymore. You don't have to shoulder things alone."
"I have a brother," she said before her mind could prevent her mouth from moving. "Or, I guess I had one."
Tōga waited for additional information.
Rin continued. "Ten years ago, he went into Yobetsu to find work and just…didn't come back. I tried to look for him, but no one would tell me where he went. People said he abandoned me, but I know that's not true. Could you…could you help me find him?"
Tōga nodded. "Of course I'll help you."
And, with that, a weight was lifted from her chest.
The two sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying the muffled chirping of the birds and the low whir of activity in the city.
"So," Lord Tōga started to lighten the mood, "aside from Lady Asano, how was your first stay in a castle?"
Rin breathed, "Beautiful."
"The servant's space wasn't too cramped, was it?"
"It was better than my old hut. Or the stables." Rin shrugged.
"The stables?" Tōga asked. "When were you in the stables?"
Whoops.
Tōga felt the girl tense beneath his touch.
"Rin," he said, using the fatherly tone she sometimes heard him use with Sesshōmaru. "What's this about a stable?"
Rin sighed, "The night of the explosion, when you told Sesshōmaru to find me a place to rest…"
Tōga stopped stroking her hair.
"That son of mine," Tōga said slowly through gritted teeth. "That son of mine…" Then, suddenly, the man pulled away from her bedside and stood to his full height.
Rin sat up in the bed. "Please don't tell him I said anything. It's really in the past, now."
"Oh, you are too kind," Tōga said gently. "Continue to rest. The doctor will be here in an hour or two with more of your medicine and a prescription. If one of us isn't back by then, use the medallion to pay for it." He slid open the shoji and stepped out. "I have something to attend to."
Sesshōmaru was precisely where Tōga thought he'd be: in the hotel's courtyard, far away from Rin's room, entirely apathetic about her welfare. When the older man stepped out into the warm light of the summer sun, Seiten and Sesshōmaru were sitting at one of the low tables, perusing through sheets of paper. Save for the three of them, the flowery courtyard was empty.
"Her Imperial Highness managed to track down our whereabouts again," Seiten said as he approached. "She's written to you."
The harsh sound of metal rang through the air as Tōga unsheathed the sword at his back. Seiten stared curiously; Sesshōmaru didn't even glance up from his letter.
"I'll read it later, Seiten," Tōga said, inspecting his blade. Then, to his son: "I just realized we haven't sparred in a while, Sesshōmaru."
Sesshōmaru maintained his cool expression, his sharp golden eyes focused on the letter before him. His response was a simple, unaffected, "You'll dull my blade."
"I'll use my katana and have it sharpened later. You can use my ōdachi."
Sesshōmaru finally looked up.
Lord Tōga's ōdachi–the long great sword he perpetually carried on his back–had been passed down from clan head to clan head since the inception of the Tokudaiji family. It was an incredibly unwieldy blade to carry due to its size, but as usual, the Inu no Taisho made it work. Sesshōmaru had held it only twice before, once when he was very young, and later when he was fourteen and had taken over his father's duties when he was away. Someday in the distant future, when his father had moved on to the next life, it'd be his.
Sesshōmaru stood wordlessly to accept the challenge. Tōga handed him the ōdachi and drew his katana. Seiten, meanwhile, set his letter aside and turned to observe the rare spectacle. It was Tōga who had taught Sesshōmaru the majority of his fighting skills, yes; however, Sesshōmaru had developed a combat style so distinctly his own since then, one that was incredibly effective. It was hard to predict who would triumph.
Sesshōmaru moved first. Tōga parried the blow. The sun's light twinkled off the edges of the sharp metal blades, reflecting from them and dancing about the walled courtyard like a posse of fireflies. They went on for minutes, deftly defending from the other's blows and striking with great force without displaying a hint of exhaustion.
"How chivalrous of you to ask!" Tōga said suddenly, responding sarcastically to a question no one posed as he blocked another one of Sesshōmaru's blows. "Rin is fine. She was able to escape without any stitches, but it'll leave a bit of a scar."
Sesshōmaru ignored him. Reflections of light continued to dance about the courtyard.
"What plans do you have for that girl?" Sesshōmaru asked. The sound of metal rang through the air as their blades collided. "Why do you care about her so much?"
Tōga huffed, pushing Sesshōmaru's blade off his. "Is it wrong for me to care about another human being?"
"You entrusted your mondokoro to her."
"Yes, so that she could get food. We've been over this already."
"Were you two intimate with one another?"
It was one of the few instances Sesshōmaru was able to catch his father off guard. In his bewildered state, Tōga was able to dodge his son's next swing, but he did not raise his blade to retaliate. Across the courtyard, Seiten choked on his drink.
"What?" Tōga said incredulously.
Sesshōmaru, though annoyed that he had to repeat himself, stood firm. "Did you have sex with that girl?"
"Of course not," Tōga was appalled. "Now you sound as muddled as Lady Asano. Rin is less than half my age – what, you take your father to be a degenerate, like your uncle Katsushika?"
Sesshōmaru narrowed his eyes. His father seemed sufficiently disturbed enough for it to be the truth.
"Don't tell me that was your issue with her this whole time," Tōga said in disbelief.
"It wasn't," Sesshōmaru responded coolly. "I simply wanted to know whether I should expect any bastards in the near future."
It was Sesshōmaru's turn to be caught off guard. In the blink of an eye, his father's katana was pointed at his throat, seconds away from the skin.
"If I were a real enemy," Tōga warned, "you'd be dead."
Tōga lowered the sword and, in one swift movement, sheathed it. "For someone so clever, you certainly act witless at times. Focus on the matters at hand. Real issues. In any case, she's too starveling to cultivate life – perhaps you've forgotten the basics of health in your vulgar paranoia."
"You never answered my original question," Sesshōmaru said, ignoring the slight.
"I already stated that I haven't possessed the girl. Not that I should have deigned to answer."
"When we return to the West, what will become of her?"
"Your mother constantly complains about her maids," Tōga reasoned. "Rin is a good girl; perhaps she'll suit her better."
Sesshōmaru rolled his eyes. "She won't prefer a random commoner over a few clumsy Lord's daughters."
Tōga merely shrugged. "Even still, I can find another station for her at Inujima. It's the most convenient place for her. With her past, she'll hardly be able to marry, and being a maidservant in a noble house is far better than being a streetwalker."
It was an annoying but sensible enough plan, Sesshōmaru supposed. He'd have to tolerate her presence in the interim, but afterward, she'd simply fade into the roster of servants at Inujima.
"Being an Imperial Lord isn't simply about power and politics," Tōga sighed suddenly, turning his gaze towards the ōdachi that Sesshōmaru still held. "It includes nurturing, protecting. If you can't even care for one sickly girl, how will you did deal with all the lives in the West?"
"The West has continued to thrive in your absences. I must be doing a good job, regardless of my feelings towards a girl I met over a week ago," Sesshōmaru declared.
Tōga huffed, annoyed. "You still have much to learn. You should at least try to get to know her before passing blind judgement. She's still mousy, thanks to your atrocious behavior, but she's quite lovely. If you two don't like each other personally after that, I can't help it."
During their spar, Seiten had instructed an inn servant to bring some water. With the built-up tension between them basically gone, the father and son sat at the low table and looked over the letters. Princess Saeko's handwriting was regal and precise. She wrote of the typical matters of the Tokudaiji court: legal disputes, tax revenue, aristocratic gossip, and the like. When they first became espoused, the Princess would ask when he planned to return. Eventually, she had simply gotten used to his lengthy excursions, and the inquiries stopped, but he still enjoyed her witty remarks.
"What did your mother say?" He asked Sesshōmaru.
"More betrothal matters," Sesshōmaru spoke uncaringly. "Nothing urgent."
Tōga chuckled. "Nothing urgent? And here you had so much to say about Sara, when you're overdue for marriage yourself. When I was your age, you were already walking."
Sesshōmaru rolled his eyes.
"Now, back to the matters at hand," Tōga started. "Say a commoner—a young boy, in this case—went into Yobetsu about ten years ago, only to disappear completely. A young girl goes into the city to search for him, but there's no trail. What would you make of it?"
Sesshōmaru's brow quirked. "This is about the girl."
"Perhaps. Again, what do you think?"
"Trafficking was widespread in certain Northern cities ten years ago, Yobetsu included," Sesshōmaru recalled quickly, owing to his excellent scholarship. "By the time the Northern lords decided to oppose it, the practice had already spread throughout the North, the East, and the mainland. The boy could be anywhere in the world, if he's still alive."
"I had assumed that as well. Still…" Tōga trailed off. He had told Rin he'd help her search for her brother. He didn't want to tell her it was impossible. If he could at least give her some closure…
"Do we have time for fruitless quests?" Sesshōmaru asks, his low voice laced with satire.
Tōga glanced at him sharply. "I won't tell her about the trafficking yet, and neither should you. I'll figure something out after we visit Hyōkusui."
"Hyōkusui?" Seiten questioned.
"It's become rather clear that Ryūkotsusei is attempting to expand his territory through whatever means possible," Tōga explained, "and his manipulations may go deeper than we thought. Since Katsushika enjoys ignoring his vassal's requests, I'll talk to him in-person."
The mystery of Lord Asano's death had thankfully been solved, but there were still two culprits on the loose: the man who had planted the idea in Higashikuze's head, and the dancer who had ruined the plan by revealing it to Sara Asano. As much as Tōga was loth to admit it, he found himself unwillingly grateful for the mysterious woman. If not for her strange choice to forsake the men who hired her, the security of the Western Lands might have been in crisis.
"Should I request an escort to send Rin to Inugawa?" Seiten asked.
Tōga shook his head. "No – she's already made it clear that she enjoys the travel. She's a rather plucky girl."
He glanced at Sesshōmaru when he said this, but to his surprise, his son had no witty remarks or mocking looks to throw his way upon hearing the statement. The lack of response put him at ease.
Groaning, Tōga stood. "Once the doctor returns with Rin's prescription, we'll pick up the dogs and leave this awful city. I'd like to make it to there before their horrible festival."
a/n: Aaaaaaaaand that's the chapter. The tense scenes between Tōga and Sesshōmaru are dedicated to all the hilarious readers who have left comments about how much of an asshole Sesshōmaru is. My favorite is still a review on chapter 6 that a guest left joking that Rin should forget Sesshōmaru and make Lord Tōga her sugar daddy, lmao. I hope you enjoyed the slight comeuppance that Sesshōmaru received in his chapter! The next update will definitely be a quick breather after all the action we've seen in Asano castle.
Also, I saw that Rin is finally awake in Yashahime! I guess I should make an effort to catch up now.
Until next time!