A/N

Enjoy. Merry Christmas.

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A light tap on the gong vibrated through the sunny courtyard. Keeping his eyes closed, Zaemon continued his steady exhale, ignoring the intrusion for the moment. Two breaths later, he opened his eyes and lifted a hand.

"Master Kanzaki, you have an important visitor," his butler said from the veranda.

Zaemon begrudgingly noticed how his scalp crawled with that familiar sensation of presentiment. He lifted the warm soup cup from the tray in front of his crossed legs.

"Who is it?" he asked grimly, knowing the answer.

The unannounced appearance of an important visitor never happened here in his sprawling winter estate. His friends and family knew to send a card in advance. Whoever this was had never visited him before and thus had no idea his personal preferences– or, more likely, he simply felt himself above custom.

Considering Nika and Hitomi had only returned from Fanelia three weeks ago, he knew exactly who it would be.

Or who he would be representing.

Ever since receiving that infernal gala invitation, his scalp crawled whenever he thought about it. Something about the way Hitomi's face had blanched that day indicated that she sensed more than she let on.

Furthermore, since his ladies' return from Fanelia, Hitomi had been loath to visit friends or be far from either her mother or himself. He noticed a fleeting wistfulness between her words, a distraction in her eyes, a grace in her stillness. And the few times she had disappeared, she'd been found swinging in the folly that overlooks the northern vineyard.

Looking towards Fanelia.

Now this appearance of this unwanted guest filled his chest with an ache Zaemon wasn't prepared to confront out in the open. Keeping his eyes trained on the center of five cypress trees directly across the courtyard, he swallowed his sip of broth without noticing how it scalded his tongue.

Zongi stepped forward and bowed, handing him a card.

Zaemon only had to read the first four words to verify that, yet again, his foreboding was correct:

On behalf of King…

Looking over at his servant, he asked, "Where did my wife and daughter take lunch?"

"In the west orchard folly, sir. Would you like me to send for them?"

"Not yet. How did this emissary arrive?"

"He came via the east road accompanied by a servant and two guards on Freidian horses."

"Very well. Send the guard and servants to the stables and offer them accommodations in the quarters there." He looked down at the card. "Take this Advisor Hasom to my study. I will finish my lunch and then come to him."

"Shall I send refreshments for him?"

"Don't bother. When my family returns to the house, please send them directly to my study without informing them of the purpose," he said.

"Yes, Master," Zongi said with a bow of his lanky frame.

When he was alone again, Zaemon looked down at his solitary tray, exhaling until his lungs were empty. That creeping sensation returned, and he knew with a yawning ache in his heart that his days with his daughter were numbered. Tomorrow, and every day he had left with her, he would be certain to have lunch with her close by.

General Kanzaki almost felt guilty. Between the Advisor's easy smile, his organized presentation, and the forthright way he admitted that he understood the General's disinclination to accept, Zaemon secretly didn't hate the man offering to buy his daughter.

At least, that's what it felt like.

While his own marriage with Nika had been a similar transaction, Zaemon's tender feelings for his daughter had made him approach things in a much more cautious manner for her sake. Nika had been a devoted wife for many years before he let himself love her. In spite of the fact that he came around eventually, he knew that was the exception and not the rule; he wasn't inclined at all to lightly exchange Hitomi's happiness for money.

As far as Zaemon was concerned, the Kanzaki estate already had its greatest treasure, and he was loath to part with her. He needed neither the Fanelian land and titles nor the cask of gold nor the freshly-mined drag-energists Advisor Hasom– King Fanel– was offering. (Though the drag-energists were unfortunately tempting; they'd power his armies and estates for years.)

"Tell me about the accommodations. Would she have courtiers and handmaids and her own quarters?"

Hasom's brown eyes crinkled with a smile. "We don't have courtiers in Fanelia. King Fanel sees little use in them. She will have a lady's maid of her choice."

"Isn't it customary for a queen to have courtiers, for friends? Is your king planning to isolate my daughter?"

"Indeed no. I'm certain our king will allow her to make the choice to have courtesans or not. The late Queen Varie did not, but your daughter will be free to do as she may. As for her own quarters, the Fanelian palace has multiple chambers ready for her to choose from."

Zaemon pinched his lips as he crossed an ankle over a knee. He could tell Hasom had relaxed since their stiff introduction and the initial reading of the proposal, as he was sitting back against the winged-back chair and examining the animal heads mounted along the wall.

"You're an honest man, Advisor Hasom," Zaemon began, and Hasom turned with a smile. "Is there any reason for me to believe that King Fanel is going to force himself upon my daughter?"

Hasom paled and spluttered, "What? Good Gaea, no! Where have you heard such a thing?"

Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Well, you see, I believe he's already tried." Zaemon tapped his lips. "Why else would he force my daughter to accompany him unchaperoned in the garden? He traumatized her to the point where she refuses to speak of it."

Face drained of color and mouth gaping, Hasom predictably came to the rescue of his liege's honor. "What? No, General, indeed they were not alone. We had an unofficial member of the council chaperone them. I assure you that nothing untowards happened."

"You mean you had a spy following them?"

Color returned swiftly to Hasom's face. "A trusted fellow of ours, yes," he said tightly.

"Then why won't my daughter speak of it? What did your king say or do that left her so reticent?"

"As far as I know they just walked around, but our king is also very reluctant to speak about the encounter."

"Is he now? Then how can you know that this engagement isn't an attempt to salvage his honor?"

"General, whatever prejudices you might have against my king are certainly based upon rumors and lies." Hasom's face was stern, all signs of good humor gone. "Had you bothered to visit and introduce yourself to the king, you would find him as upright and dignified and honorable a man as any in existence. His inability to tolerate the emotional games many women have played has left him victim to their lies and slander as they lick their wounded pride. Whatever intentions he has with your daughter are surely honorable and not some ridiculous means as you say."

"Then would you believe that I've heard that King Fanel is planning an ambitious attack against Daedalus, a land grab, and that he needs access to Freid's troops in order to do it?"

"I would like to know your source. Where are you hearing such things?" Hasom said, his face flushed. "King Fanel wants nothing more than to continue the peaceable Gaean alliance that currently exists between the countries. I don't know if you know, but he's well-versed in trade and economics, and war is opposed to that."

Zaemon leaned forward, "So your council chose my daughter to be his queen so you can wage war behind his back?"

"He chose her, General!" he said in a rush. "We've been trying for years to get him to choose a wife, and he chose her."

Though his words hit him like a blow, he continued. "For access to my troops, right? He just wants to start a war."

"No, General! I believe he actually likes her. I've never seen him look so relaxed with anyone, sir, and I've been introducing him to women for three years."

It was Zaemon's turn for the blood to drain from his face. He slumped back in his chair to process this information. Though that had been what he'd been after, hearing it aloud left his head spinning, and he had nothing left in him to finish his interrogation.

Hasom was rubbing his face in his hands.

"Relax, Advisor," Zaemon said weakly. "I don't pay heed to silly rumors."

Turning his eyes up, Hasom asked, "So you've heard all this in rumors then?"

"Not one."

Hasom lifted his face off his hands, his eyebrows a line on his face. "Then may I ask what possessed you to make such accusations?"

The General smiled softly but didn't answer.

By the time Zongi's rhythmic knock broke the silence between them, Hasom's face had cooled back to its normal hue and he had glanced away from Zaemon no fewer than a dozen times.

Zaemon stood, relieved for the movement, and called for Zongi to open the door.

Sure enough, his wife and daughter stepped through, aglow in body and smile after their lunch in the sun.

"My dear," he said, "Hitomi, we have a guest." He watched his daughter keenly as she strode within sight of the advisor.

Sure enough, her sharp eyes noticed Hasom immediately, but, while Zaemon had expected to see surprise on her face, he hadn't expected relief or genuine happiness. She paused for an all-too-brief, almost somber moment before her eyes refocused and her smile widened.

"Advisor Hasom," she said, approaching him and holding out her hand– as if this foreign royal custom came naturally to her–and greeting him with an easy, "How nice to see you again."

Hasom's smile was back on his face, too. He took her fist in both hands and bent to kiss it.

Zaemon's heart dropped at the lovers' greeting–by proxy, of course–and he exchanged a glance with Nika, whose lips were pressed tight as her face drained of color. Leaning closer, he took her arm and said quietly into her ear, "My love, you need to sit down."

She nodded but gathered her composure enough to first perform her greeting to the advisor. Zaemon allowed his daughter to entertain Hasom while he took his seat next to his wife and, Nika's hand in his, confirmed in low whispers her fears about the reason for the visit.

He stroked her hand as she let fall a tear or two before she wiped her hazel eyes and took a deep breath. "Let's get on with it then?" she said with a sad smile.

"Hitomi, please sit down," he said from his seat. "Advisor Hasom is not here to bore us with talk of how delightful and successful and wonderful this gala supposedly was."

Hitomi laughed. Nika did not.

It had been a private joke among them. His wife and daughter had determined to torture him for staying home by describing in extravagant detail the one day of the gala they'd attended. The part they never repeated after the initial report was Hitomi's dance with the king.

Nika had filled him in on the details in private, of course, but it was one of those things that made his scalp tingle.

He couldn't help but sigh at the thought.

Zaemon had only reluctantly agreed for his wife and daughter to attend that single day of the gala. He had hoped that the combined offense of them leaving early and his blatant non-attendance would have been enough to discourage King Fanelia from pursuing his daughter.

But no.

Arrogant bastard.

All those years of doing his best to find a good match for her, all those years he tried to protect her from loathsome matches– Fanelia wasn't the only one, of course– all of that would be wasted if Hitomi thought this was a good idea.

He had told Hasom that her voice was the only one who could persuade him to accept. While his tingling instincts said otherwise, Zaemon still hoped to encourage her to refuse.

When Hitomi took her seat at Zaemon's left, he covered Nika's hand again. "Advisor, please tell my wife and daughter why you're here."

"Of course," he said before straightening and taking on a formal tone as he read from a folded parchment, the dragon-sealed wax already broken from having read it earlier. "Count and General Kanzaki and Countess Kanzaki, as emissary for and on behalf of King Van Slanzar de Fanel, twenty-seventh King of the Land of Dragons, I, Lyon Dale Hasom, with the seal of approval as Advisor to King Fanel, do hereby propose a contract of marriage between our two families, whereby, in exchange for– from Fanelia– two casks of gold, a day's circle of land, ten mined drag-energists–and from the Kanzaki's, and thus from Freid—a tract of property yet to be determined and the use of General Kanzaki, his troops, and his expertise in the event of war, as is pleasing to and approved of by Grand Duke Chid al Freid–."

"Excuse me," Hitomi interrupted. "Chid knows of this? Father, did he agree to this proposal?"

Zaemon met her dismayed look and shifted a little in his seat. "He had to approve of the terms, yes." He looked at Hasom. "Fanelia has offered double the drag-energists and gold to Freid in addition to what they are offering for you."

She let out a breath. "How long have you known about this?" she asked him.

"Just today," he said.

"Miss Kanzaki," Hasom said, holding his hands open. "I only came to these terms with Duke Chid yesterday, and we left him this morning."

Shaking her head, she said, almost to herself, "I should have known Chid would encourage this." She leveled a look at Hasom, "So this marriage is a military alliance. Aren't you concerned about what this might look like to Zaibach or Basram?"

The General bit back a proud smile as Hasom's eyes grew wide and he cleared his throat. "Every royal marriage is something of the sort, Miss Kanzaki. That is neither here nor there."

Zaemon met his daughter's glance before saying, "Go ahead and finish reading the proposal, Advisor."

"You actually caught me close to the end," he said with a smile at Hitomi. Clearing his throat, he continued reading from the parchment. "And from the Kanzaki's…" he scanned the paper, skipping ahead, "...as is pleasing to and approved of by Grand Duke Chid al Freid, and whatever dowry and its interest set forth by the Kanzaki family– Fanelia and her king will ultimately receive the blessing of the hand of Miss Hitomi Kanzaki, who, upon their union in marriage, will be granted Fanelian citizenship and raised to the title of Queen Hitomi de Fanel, Queen of Fanelia, to rule and reign at the king's side, produce heirs for the kingdom, and generally serve the people and interest of Fanelia until her death."

Hasom took a deep breath through a wide smile. "Now all that's left are the finer details," he said, but Zaemon wasn't watching the advisor. While his wife had his hand in a death grip, he was watching his daughter.

She was sitting forward a little watching Hasom, her back ram-rod straight, her face unreadable aside from the determined lift to her chin. Zaemon sighed through his nose.

Nika said, "What are the finer details?"

"For one, King Fanel has requested a bit of land here in Freid, an estate for his non-military use, upon which he can visit or send future children to live, be educated, or cultivate as opportunity dictates."

Hitomi's wide, blinking eyes told Zaemon she understood the implication. He met his wife's glance, and raised an eyebrow. Her lips twitched. Of course she'd be happy to have future grandchildren close by, even if they were the future princes and princesses without prospects in Fanelia.

In reality, letting him have any of his land wasn't a problem. Extra children of this royal coupling might as well inherit his estates, which would otherwise pass to whomever Duke Freid elected. They might have to renounce their Fanelian citizenship, but maybe not.

However, there was another use for this property Hasom wasn't being forthright about.

"So am I to understand that, in the case that King Fanel is dissatisfied with the type or number of heirs produced or not produced by my daughter, that this property is to be kept in Fanel's name even though it's essentially a planned place of banishment for her?"

Zaemon watched with satisfaction as Hasom's face dropped with surprise.

Hitomi turned to him, "What do you mean?"

"It's part of the clause for heirs, I'm sure. If you are unable to have sons, you'll be dismissed back to this property, probably after a divorce but maybe not, while Fanel will retain control over the land so as to control you."

"Excuse me, General," Hasom interjected angrily. "There is no such detail here."

"Then perhaps this property is for her to live on as they continue this marriage in name only, while he cavorts about, entertaining one concubine after another as Hitomi lives out a lonely life in exile."

"General, you've quite mistaken my King's character."

Ignoring him, he plowed forward. "Or perhaps it's just the opposite. This will be his mistress' property. While my daughter fulfills her responsibilities in Fanelia, King Fanel will escape here to live a life of ease with his favorite mistress."

"That's quite enough," Hasom cried out, his lips trembling. "I've had enough of you insulting my King."

"Have I? He's a monarch. Monarchs have a long history of this type of behavior. Of casting away one queen for another younger, prettier girl, or elevating mistresses and concubines above that of his wife, or banishing or executing queens for not producing the right heirs. Don't tell me there's no precedent for such a thing."

A quick glance at his daughter's pale face told him his words had hit exactly as he'd meant them. She needed to consider all the potential eventualities of her life. Hopefully, it would give her pause.

"I never said there's no precedent," Hasom said, "but you must stop accusing my Liege of such atrocious behavior when I've never even known him to have so much as kissed a woman. If he'd wanted to have concubines or courtesans or mistresses, he's had ample opportunities in the last few years and has taken none of them."

Only the years of discipline kept his face from shifting at this news. A king who'd never kissed a woman? A king without a mistress? Perhaps that bode well for Hitomi, but perhaps not.

Hasom continued speaking. "As far as provisions for divorce are concerned, they're incredibly liberal. King Van himself has requested six years for an heir to be born– the most generous timeline I've ever heard– and as for disposition of the Freidian property, he gave me authority to allow you to name the terms. But I must ask that you please stop insulting my king, lest I–."

"Lest you, what? Leave? Rescind the proposal? Did he give you authority to do that? Is King Fanel unable to handle an interrogation? What if Hitomi were to disagree with him on some point of ruling? Would he banish her? Would he beat her? Would he execute her? Because I can guarantee you that I didn't raise my daughter to be an unthinking footstool."

"Well, why don't you ask her yourself, General?" Hasom said, red-in-the-face. "It's my understanding that they already had a disagreement during their supposed secret liaison in the garden!"

Zaemon's head swiveled immediately to look at Hitomi.

"You did?" Nika asked softly behind him.

Hitomi's pale face quickly flushed bright red as her large eyes met his and then her mother's. She glanced at Hasom, "What did King Va–King Fanel tell you?"

Hasom pressed his lips and looked away. "Nothing. It was a third party."

Hitomi's eyebrows furrowed before she sighed and, looking down at her fidgeting fingers, said, "The king said something rude and I pointed it out and…he apologized and rephrased it so it was… not as rude." She glanced up at her mother.

"That's what you wouldn't tell me?" Nika said.

Hitomi shrugged.

"So you see, my king is not such a beast as you claim," Hasom said. "I recommend, General, that you do less listening to gossip and more getting to know someone personally."

"Perhaps Fanelia would do well to better manage public relations."

"Father," Hitomi interrupted, "Please stop. I've–."

"Our public relations are fine," Hasom said stiffly, overspeaking his daughter, "as is exemplified by my King's success in trade with both Egzardia and Daedalus, as well as our open borders and free exchange with Asturia."

"But he's already planning to divorce her when it's convenient?"

"What? No, General! While it's true there are provisions for divorce, King Fanel has given me permission to allow you to adjust it as you see fit. And it was his idea to give a six-year time-frame for producing an heir in the first place. Fanelian kings are very good at producing male heirs, so that shouldn't be a problem."

By some miracle, Zaemon kept himself from snorting back a derisive laugh. The same thing had been said about his family before….

He looked at Hitomi, sitting up straight in the chair next to him, her hand anxiously rubbing the front of her neck. Nika had her hand clenched into a fist beneath his right palm, and he gave it a quick squeeze.

Sitting forward, he said, "Then the terms of the divorce will be that all Freidian property are to revert to Hitomi's name, and the king will sever all relationships with and requirements from her and any daughters she has, and furthermore, he shall provide them an allowance large enough to maintain the living under which my daughter is presently accustomed, not a gid less."

Hasom shot him an offended look. "It's very presumptuous of you to presume that King Fanel will want to banish her for having only daughters."

"Isn't that the custom? That daughters are not good enough to be considered offspring?"

"Daughters haven't been born to Fanelian kings in three generations. I cannot say how my king might feel about it."

Sitting back, the General lifted a hand. "You have my provision. I'll settle for nothing less." He turned to Hitomi. "What do you say about the terms so far, Hitomi? If King Fanel wants to divorce you, you may come back home to live."

Her hand dropped from her blushing face to her lap and she straightened, her eyes darting between his and her mother's. "You–" she shook her head. "I don't care how you arrange the divorce provisions, Father," she said and turned to their visitor. "Advisor Hasom, I request that you satisfy the reasonable demands of my father, but I accept the proposal. I will marry your king."

Zaemon's heart skipped painfully. "Hitomi!"

"What? Hitomi, you can't–," his wife exclaimed next to him.

"No, Mother," she said, rudely interrupting. "I want to do it. Advisor Hasom, I accept—."

"Hitomi, stop, we'll discuss this in private," Zaemon commanded with a swipe of his hand. He stood. "Zongi!"

Without hesitation, his butler stepped in from the hallway. "Yes, Master?"

"Please escort our guest to the afternoon parlor and offer him refreshment. My family must chat in private."

"I shall send in tea for you as well, sir."

"Thank you, Zongi." Zaemon turned and dipped his head in a slight bow to the Advisor. "Please excuse the rudeness in sending you away like this, Advisor Hasom. I hope you enjoy your refreshment. We will call for you later."

Hasom stood up, his face an admirably polite mask considering he could either be gloating or supremely offended. "I quite understand how emotional these things can be. Take your time, General, Countess, Miss Kanzaki," he said with a nod at each of them.

When the door shut behind his unwelcome guest, Zaemon let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Hitomi, this is not a decision you can make unilaterally," he said, turning to where she was standing with folded arms.

"Wasn't that what you were bargaining for?" she asked with anger in her eyes.

"No. I told him I wasn't inclined to accept it."

"Then what was all that about?" She tossed a hand at the cluster of chairs. "If you weren't trying to balance the contract, then what were you doing?"

"Trying to convince you it was a bad idea."

"So you knew I would accept?" she asked, dropping her hands.

His scalp tingled. "I had a feeling, yes," he admitted, folding his arms.

"Hitomi, my love, I'm with your father on this," Nika said, walking to where Hitomi stood by the writing desk and taking her by the hands. "I know we share Fanelian blood, but that doesn't obligate you to accept. I really wasn't sure what to think of the King at the gala. I saw him escort a girl straight off the floor mid-song! And the way he slipped away with you was almost scandalous. Why wouldn't you tell me what he did?"

"Mother, some of those girls deserved to be kicked out of the gala," she said, taking her mother's hands and giving them a shake. "Being escorted off the dance floor was nothing but entertainment for them. He doesn't deserve…." She cut herself off and turned away.

He and Nika exchanged a look as they waited for her to finish her thought.

Without turning, she exhaled and said, "Don't believe I'm Inclined to make him appear either better or worse than he is. And I'm not accepting out of obligation. For years, I've felt drawn to Fanelia. I knew when you sent me there during the war that's where I belonged. My heart yearns for–." She stopped herself and shook her head. "Those mountains became a part of me. Ever since we returned from the gala, I've felt empty, but now I know why, and without a doubt why. I will go," she finished, turning to them with her shoulders squared.

He let out a patient breath. "Why can you not give this a night, Hitomi? There are many things I would like you to take into consideration," he said, specifically thinking about the responsibilities of people, war, trade, economics, welfare, the list went on and on.

"Because, Father, I've known in my bones since I was twelve that I belong in Fanelia, and since I was fifteen, when we toured the palace grounds, I— I've often wondered if some part of me is tied to its fate."

"Hitomi, did you fall in love with the king, then? At the gala?" Nika asked her.

"No, but…" Turning away, she stepped to the wall of windows. "I feel drawn to him, if you must know. That's the only way I can explain it."

Zaemon watched her look to the north, towards the mountains he knew in his aching heart couldn't be seen from here.

She was looking towards Fanelia again.

His stomach twisted.

Thankfully, Nika spoke. "Hitomi, I'm not going to have you martyr yourself just because you feel sorry for this king," she said, coming up behind her.

"I don't feel sorry for him. That's not why I'm accepting. Why would you say such a thing?" she said over her shoulder.

"Why else would you 'feel drawn to him'?" she said. "I don't understand it. He looks like a miserable person, Hitomi, and you have a tendency to want to sacrifice yourself for the benefit of other people."

"No, Mother, I don't do that. Please forgive me for saying so, but that's you," she said with a smile. "Do you really believe that I would take on the responsibility of a kingdom, the responsibility of lives, the demands of being a queen just because I feel sorry for an ornery king?"

"Well, I don't know what your motivation is if it's not to rescue him from his own misery," she said. "He's not handsome or rich enough to live a miserable life with."

"I don't know why, either, but it's not for those reasons and definitely not to rescue him. I don't believe he needs rescuing. Perhaps I'm going for the people and not for him."

"Or for the babies you'll have," Nika said, not quite bitterly.

Zaemon could see Hitomi's shiver from across the room. "Or those," he heard her whisper.

"Are you sure he didn't propose to you at the gala?"

"He didn't, Mama," she said with a laugh. "He gave no indication that he favored me."

"So you say, but remember I heard differently. And remember, he did abscond with you into the garden," Nika said peevishly. "Will you ever tell me what he said to you?"

"Mother, no, I won't. It doesn't matter," she said with a sigh. "We spoke easily, that's all. Or at least, easily enough. He didn't say much, but I wouldn't mind talking with him more."

"So you did like him then?" his wife said, her eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Pink flared to Hitomi's cheeks, and she turned back towards the window. "No. Barely. Not really. His voice is just nice, that's all."

Zaemon had been watching but now interrupted with a question. "Are you doing this because you want to be a queen?" he asked.

Hitomi laughed dismissively but didn't turn around. "I thought you liked that idea, Father? Don't you want such prominence for your only child… and yourself?"

Zaemon declined to address that point. "Hitomi, you must know that if you accept and become queen, you will not be a free woman," he said. "You will be bound to Fanelia and no longer to us or to Freid."

"So you've brought me up to know, Father. I accept that."

"But you won't just be a countess or a duchess. You'll be a queen," he repeated. "You will belong to the people. You will be bound to this…king. You will not be your own person."

"Then I will not be Hitomi Kanzaki anymore," she said, turning around. "I will become Hitomi Fanel. You've taught me all this, Father. Are you testing my determination?" she asked.

Zaemon's chest burned, equal parts pride in her and pain at the impending loss of her. He turned away and crossed his arms. "You will not be free to come home and visit at your own will," he said stoically, but his voice betrayed him. "We may never see you again."

Hitomi stepped before him and slid her hands up his arms. "Wouldn't it be the same for any marriage outside Freid?"

He looked into her steady eyes.

She sighed. "You know I will miss you, Papa," she said, her face soft and tearful. "You know I don't make this decision casually. It's always been a whisper in the back of my mind. This is my path forward, and you must let me take it." Ignoring her own tears, she wiped his off his face with tender fingertips. "And think, someday soon you will retire, and then you and Mama may come visit me as long as you want. Come and see your prince and princess grandbabies," she said with a tearful laugh.

Zaemon's lips quivered. Future grandchildren. The thought made his scalp crawl in that familiar way again. Something about it sent a shiver of joy through his body, but he couldn't match her smile.

Not when he knew he had to concede. Seeing as she felt so strongly about it. Seeing as how she seemed to know it was the right path for herself.

Overwhelmed, he pressed a kiss to his daughter's warm forehead and turned out of her gentle arms. Pinching the bridge of his nose to discourage any further tears, he strode before the breezy window, looking towards the frigid north.

How many of his future hours would he spend here in this same attitude? How many hours would her mother spend longingly watching the distant mountains?

His countess stepped close and slid her hands over one of his. "You're going to accept, aren't you?" she asked in a tearful whisper.

Zaemon swallowed the lump in his throat and thought about nodding. Nika rested her head on his arm. "Yes, I agree," she said.

He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep, shuddering breath, focusing on feeling his wife's familiar, warm body pressed against his. He hugged her closer.

Hitomi didn't join them.

Zongi's knock echoed through the room, breaking the emotional silence that had filled the room.

In unison, he and Nika exhaled.

Zaemon opened his eyes and turned to bid his butler enter.

A/N Thoughts?