Okay, I wasn't originally planning on posting this, this soon. If you haven't noticed, I've been editing and updating the previous chapters. Some have had heavy revision and have whole new sections added to it. So I strongly suggest you start from chapter 1. I've only gotten up to 7 and I was planning on waiting until I finished editing before I posted a whole new chapter but here we are. If it doesn't have "Edited March 2024" on it, I'd recommend you stop and wait for me to finish editing. I should be done by the end of the week. I've been doing one a day. Also, this chapter was getting ridiculously long so I literally chopped it in half, so there is at least one more chapter after this.
Kaiya wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she straightened up, looked at the area around herself, then sighed in relief when she saw no one. Souji and Hajime had gone to watch the castle while they'd left Kaiya to wait for the others to join them. Shinarui hadn't liked the idea but because of the sheer size of the Furies forces, they'd need back up. So, being by far the fastest, he'd gone to ask for assistance from Kondou and their friends.
Before Souji and Hajime had left, Hajime had spoken with her firmly, telling her to behave herself. He was struggling to not be overbearing with her, he wanted this baby and he'd do anything to protect her and it. Kaiya was surprised that he was capable of not telling Souji, not because he couldn't keep a secret, because he most certainly could, but Souji would have happily assisted him in protecting her and controlling her. She was also surprised that Souji hadn't caught on to Hajime's unusual behaviour either. While Hajime had worried about her in the past, he'd done it quietly and usually let her deal with dangerous situations with minimal hovering. But now? Hajime was constantly shoving food at her and almost instantly at her elbow every time she stood, asking if she needed something.
While they'd been gone, Kaiya had gotten hungry and had gone to the local market to pick up some food to cook for the three of them when she had been hit with another wave of nausea. It seemed that with each passing day, the nausea was getting worse and worse. Instead of receding after vomiting, it now seemed like nauseous was starting to become a permanent state of being, which made Kaiya wonder if she was more pregnant than she had originally thought. Her original thought was she was only a couple weeks at best, thinking that the one day they'd actually been able to spend together was the most likely time when she'd been impregnated but the severity of her symptoms suggested that she had to have been at least a couple months. Sighing, she continued down the street to their shanty little shack, food in hand along with some ginger.
She had just been mere feet from the shack's door, when the sound of slowly approaching feet from inside the building pulled Kaiya from her thought and put her on high alert. Kaiya put her bought items on the ground then pulled her blade from its sheath and moved quietly to the door and pressed her back to the wall, next to the door and waited. The blanket was moved to the side slowly, with the tip of a blade, then a hand grabbed the edge of the blanket and was pushed out of the way. When the hands holding the blade appeared, Kaiya used the back of her blade to strike down as hard as she could, knocking the blade out of the man's hand, then changed directions as quickly as she could, swinging for the man's head. Recognition hit Kaiya as the man stepped backed, narrowly missing having his head removed, and fell to the side into the mud just outside the door. The shaft of a spear quickly knocked Kaiya's blade out of her hands and her attacker just managed to stop short of thrusting it blade into her throat as Sanosuke suddenly recognized Kaiya.
"Oi, Kaiya-chan!" Heisuke complained from the ground, hands held aloft and looking mildly disgusted. "Now I'm all muddy."
"Sorry, Kaiya-chan!" Sanosuke said sounding extremely guilty as he bent down to pick up her blade from the mud. "Did I hurt you?"
Kaiya smiled but had to resist the urge to shake the stinging sensation from her hands as she took her offered blade. "No but I should be the one apologizing. I wasn't expecting visitors, and I didn't expect you to be here so soon. Sorry Heisuke-kun."
Sanosuke offered his hand to Heisuke and helped him to his feet. "It's fine and it's just us two, so far. We were already on our way here."
"Yeah, Kondou-san received word that there might be trouble brewing here, so he sent us to check it out." Heisuke said as he bent over and picked his blade up from the mud and Sanosuke picked up the basket of food Kaiya had dropped on the ground when she'd heard them inside.
"Shinarui somehow found us, told us what was going on and where we would find you three." Sanosuke continued as he indicated for her to go inside. "The others will probably be a day or two behind us. Where's Souji and Saitou?"
"Souji just left about twenty minutes ago to relieve Hajime in watching the castle, so Hajime should be here soon." Kaiya said as sat down inside the hut and started peeling an orange.
"I thought it was strange that those two would leave you a lone in such a potentially dangerous place." Heisuke said as he tried to wipe the mud off his back.
"Yeah, especially Saitou." Sanosuke said frowning as he watched her.
"I'm sure he's running here as we speak." Kaiya said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not an invalid, you know. I travelled on my own before and even ran through a warzone on my own and I'm still here. Not to mention I just knocked the blade out of Heisuke's hands and nearly took his head off."
Both men laughed. "I know, Kaiya-chan, its just those two are very protective of you." Sanosuke said.
"I never thought Hajime-kun would be the overbearing type." Heisuke said thoughtfully.
The blanket was suddenly pushed aside as Hajime entered, startling all three slightly as none of them heard him approach. He indeed must've run as he was slightly out of breath as he looked around the room, surprised to have visitors.
"That didn't take long." Hajime said, as he entered the rest of the way.
"As we just finished saying to Kaiya-chan, we were already on our way here when Shinarui found us. The others will likely arrive tomorrow or the next day." Sanosuke said shrugging as he grabbed an apple from Kaiya's pile of food.
Hajime looked at Heisuke as he entered further into the small room. "Why don't you assist Souji is watching the castle? It's difficult for one person too do."
Heisuke frowned. "Why me?"
"Because you're already covered in mud." Sanosuke answered, grinning.
With an annoyed sigh, Heisuke got to his feet and left.
111
A day and a half later, Kaiya and Chizuru sat side by side in a room of a manor that they'd taken up residence in with Souji, Sanosuke, Shinpachi, and Heisuke, as they prepared for battle. Hajime and Yamazaki had gone on ahead to watch the castle from the shadows as Hijikata, Sannan and Kondou, finalized their plans. The door slid open, and Hijikata stepped into the room, silencing the quiet talk happening between the men.
"Kaiya-chan, a moment?" Hijikata asked as he remained by the door.
Kaiya nodded as she got to her feet and followed him back out of the room, confused as to why she was being summoned but she figured it had to do with Koudo's research. She followed him down the hall, of a smaller lord's mansion, to where Kondou and Sannan remained. When they reached the door, he slid it open, then indicated for her to go inside. She smiled at Hijikata then entered the room and took as seat across from Kondou and Sannan as Hijikata entered the room and closed the door.
"Good evening, Kaiya-chan." Kondou greeted, smiling at her happily.
Kaiya returned the smile as Hijikata took his seat on the other side of Kondou. "Good evening."
"We have to make this conversation short." Sannan reminded Kondou, probably thinking that he was about to have an idle conversation with her.
"Right." Kondou said with a sigh. "Kaiya-chan, are you sure you destroyed Koudo-dono's research?"
"Yes, I'm sure." Kaiya said confidently. "I read through his book to make sure, then set it on fire, which ended up burning a whole wing of the castle."
"I doubt that was your intent, burning down that much of the castle." Hijikata said smiling mischievously.
"No, it most certainly wasn't." Kaiya said a little sheepishly. "Hopefully that fire took some furies down with it."
"Hopefully." Sannan agreed.
"I'm afraid that we will have to now send you away." Kondou said wincing. "It's not safe for you here."
Kaiya frowned. "Send me away? Where?" Kaiya asked, confused as to why they would do this. She was their surgeon, if anyone got hurt, they'd need her.
"To your grandfather's domain." Kondou replied, making Kaiya's frown deepen.
"I've never even met either of my grandfathers." Kaiya said, even more confused then before.
"No, you haven't but Saitou wrote to him the day he arrived here, and he just got a reply today." Hijikata explained. "That's when he told us that you are expecting. Congratulations, by the way."
It all suddenly made sense. Hajime was protecting her, even when he wasn't right beside her. "Hajime is just being overbearing, I'll be fine. You still need me."
"No, we don't." Sannan said coldly. "You are only a half decent swordswoman and between Yukimura-kun and Yamazaki-san, we'll have enough medical knowledge, should any injuries arise."
"Geez, Sannan-kun!" Kondou said rubbing the back of his head. "Do you really think its necessary to be so harsh."
Hijikata sighed. "His words could have been softer, but Sannan-san is right, we have things handled here, Kaiya-chan and we cannot guarantee your safety."
"This isn't a request, Kaiya-chan, it is an order." Kondou said firmly. "Gen-kun and Ibuki-kun are waiting with the horses. They'll make sure you're safely escorted Ishikawa-dono's castle. He's well away from the conflict and has the men to protect you if things go bad."
"Are you sure it was him who replied? My father said he was disowned, that would make me disowned as well." Kaiya said, uncertain.
"I'm certain it was the Ishikawa's seal on the letter." Kondou said certainly. "Maybe your father misunderstood the situation or made presumptions. Or maybe your grandfather has reconsidered his initial reaction, especially when it comes to you."
"Kondou-san, we need to go." Sannan said tersely.
The three of them got to their feet and Kondou offered her his hand to help her to her feet. "Please, Kaiya-chan, just go. Gen-kun will take good care of you."
Kaiya took his hand and let him pull her too her feet. She followed them out of the room and found that Gen was already waiting for her.
"The horses are ready, Saitou-chan." Gen said smiling.
Kaiya quirked an eyebrow. "Since when did you start calling me Saitou-chan?" Kaiya asked.
"Take good care of Kaiya-chan." Kondou put a hand on Gen's shoulder.
"Of course, Isami-san!" Gen exclaimed then they watched as the three of them walked away. Gen turned and faced Kaiya. "Sorry, I figured, considering the situation I should be at least a little more formal."
Kaiya scoffed. "We're still friends. Now come on, I guess we have to make my overbearing husband happy."
Gen smiled as he turned then lead her to where the horses and Ryunosuke waited. This time, Kaiya was given her own horse to ride, which she was grateful for. Even riding with her husband had been uncomfortable, riding behind a man old enough to be her father, would be even more so.
111
The ride to her grandfather's domain, was a long one. While it was technically only a day and a half journey on horseback, Kaiya's nausea seemed to have worsen on the journey and they ended up having to stop frequently so she could vomit in a bush. When the walls of Kanazawa came into view, Kaiya was both relieved and anxious at the same time. While she was anxious to get off her horse and into a soft bed to sleep, she dreaded meeting her grandfather for the first time. This was the grandfather that shared blood with her and Souji both, but he didn't seem to care about his grandchildren enough to check on them. They rode up to the gate, where two guards stood watch. Gen produced a piece of paper that was tucked into the sleeve of his haori and handed it to the guard nearest him.
"This is Saitou Kaiya, daughter Ishikawa Ryuki and granddaughter of the great Ishikawa Ryuga." He declared as he handed the paper to the guard.
The guard took the paper, read its contents then nodded to his companion. "We've been expecting you. Lord Ishikawa will be notified of your arrival and one of the guards will lead you to him." He said as him and the other guard pushed the gate open.
They rode inside the walls and were instantly met by two young men who grabbed their reins and guided them to the inner gate. They dismounted then and were guided to the inner castle by a pair of guards. They then guided them through the grand castle to a chamber and told them to wait. Once the guards had departed, Gen looked around the room.
"I knew your grandfather was a lord, but he seems especially well off." Gen commented quietly as he looked around the room.
"If I knew we were coming here, I'd have brought one of my mothers Kimono's with me." Kaiya said, feeling very self-conscious about clothes which would undoubtedly appear shabby to these people. "He'll just see a peasant, not his granddaughter."
"I'm sure he'll accept you, Kaiya-chan." Ryunosuke said looking at her a little wide eyed. "How could he not?"
A door, further in the room, opened and in came two men dressed in beautiful silk robes. Both men took a seat at the head of the room. The one man was older than the other, and Kaiya assumed him to be her grandfather. The other man next to him, must have been her father's brother as he looked almost identical to how she remembered him, just a decade older. The three of them bowed respectfully to the men.
"Raise yourself, child." The older man said.
When she raised herself out of her bow, she kept her eyes respectfully to the ground so that he could see her, but she could not see him. The man got up once more and crossed the room and knelt down before her then gently grabbed her chin as he inspected her face. After a tense couple of minutes, Kaiya could see a faint smile on the man's lips.
"Indeed, you are my grandchild. I can see my son in you." Ryuga said then stood up and held his hand out to Kaiya.
Kaiya took it uncertainly and got to her feet. "It is an honor to meet you, my lord." Kaiya said, trying to remember the court manners her father had tried to teach her all those many years ago.
"Please, to you I am Grandfather." Ryuga said with a kindness that Kaiya had not expected, while her father was gentle with her and Mitsu, he could be harsh with others. Ryuga ducked his head to meet her distant gaze. "You are no peasant; you needn't advert your gaze."
"Yes, Grandfather." Kaiya said politely.
Ryuga finally looked down as Gen and Ryunosuke who remained in a bowed position. "Inoue-san, Ibuki-san, sit up before you strain your backs." He said as he turned and sat down once more beside his remaining child. "Granddaughter, I am told that you are in contact with another grandchild of mine."
"Yes, Grandfather." Kaiya said as she knelt down beside Gen once more. "Okita Souji. He's a Captain in the Shinsengumi, like my husband."
"I was told my daughter had two children, what happened to the girl?" He asked as a servant came in and set a tray down beside Ryuga.
"Yes, Grandfather, she had a daughter. Mitsu-chan." Kaiya said, smiling kindly. "After both their parents died, Mitsu-chan brought Souji to Kondou Isami and asked that he take him under his wing. She went on living in squalor for a time until my father heard of both his sister's fate and then her husbands. He sought her out, found her, and adopted her." Kaiya looked down as a ridiculous amount of grief hit her. When she collected herself, she continued. "After my father…" Kaiya took a deep breath and started again. "After my father passed, several years ago, it was just her and I for a long time. Then she contracted tuberculosis and passed, a little over two years ago, which is when I sought out Souji."
Ryuga was silent and Kaiya was shocked when her uncle replied instead of her grandfather. "I'm sorry that we haven't been there for you. If we had known of Ryuki-san's passing, we would have sent someone to find you and fetch you. Your father's decisions should not have affected you so. You are welcome here, niece, for as long as you need safe harbor."
Kaiya bowed respectfully once more. "Thank you, Uncle."
"Your protectors are also welcome." Ryuga added, finally recovering himself. "A servant will show you to your quarters and get you everything you need."
"Thank you, Grandfather." Kaiya said, still bowing.
The two men got up and left the room, as a servant entered the room almost immediately and indicated for them to follow. The three of them got up and followed the servant as she weaved through the halls of the castle. When she finally stopped and opened a door, Kaiya stood at the doors threshold and stared uncertainly inside.
"This will be Saitou-hime's living quarters until she leaves." The servant said. "And this servant will be in charge of Saitou-hime's needs. Saitou-hime's bodyguards will be housed just across the way. The bath house has been prepared for this lady's use, so she might wash the dirt of her travels from her body."
"You do realize she's right, here." Ryunosuke said. "You don't need to talk about her in the third person."
Gen shushed Ryunosuke. "Learn some manners!" Gen scolded then looked at the servant. "Forgive Ibuki-san's ignorance, he has terrible manners."
The servant didn't seem to know how to react to the two men, so she looked back at Kaiya. "If Saitou-hime is prepared, this servant shall guide you."
Kaiya nodded. "A bath would be wonderful."
Gen turned to Ryunosuke. "Why don't you make sure that there is food here by the time Kaiya-chan is done. I'm sure she is hungry."
"What are you going to do?" Ryunosuke asked.
"My job." Gen said, sounding annoyed as he followed Kaiya and her servant down the hall once more.
They left the main hall then crossed a beautiful garden with a large cherry blossom tree in the center, then to a small, free standing building which had steam coming from small windows near the roof line. Gen stopped and tucked his hands into his sleeves as the servant opened the door.
"I'll wait here for you, Kaiya-chan." Gen said as she stopped to look back at him. "Take your time."
Kaiya just nodded then followed her servant into the building. It wasn't quite what she had expected. In other places she'd been in, the bath house was essentially a tiled room with buckets of warmed water and steam with stools to sit on while you scrubbed yourself down. Here, there was body of water in the center of the room about six feet wide and five feet long and about four feet deep.
The servant undid Kaiya's obi then slide her yukata off her shoulders and started undoing her hair. Once she was completely undressed and her hair was down, Kaiya stepped down into the water and sighed. It was very warm, and she could almost immediately feel the water relaxing the tight muscles in her body. Kaiya sat on the bench at the end of pool and sat back as the servant busied herself in the room.
"You never told me your name." Kaiya said after a moment.
The servant came up behind her and started scooping water onto Kaiya's head. "You may call this one Nariko-san." She responded.
"Thank you for looking after me." Kaiya said as Nariko started rubbing soap into her hair.
"This one has been made aware that Saitou-hime has not been raised as her station has demands, so I will inform you of this." Nariko said as stared scrubbing Kaiya's hair. "You are a Daimyo's granddaughter, you do not apologize or thank a servant or anyone one beneath your station. It is our purpose in life to make yours better. That is all."
Kaiya didn't agree with the woman's point of view but that was how she was raised to think, while Kaiya was raised to cherish each human being and treat everyone as equals. Nariko finished scrubbing Kaiya hair and dumped a bucket of water on her head before taking a cloth and scrubbing every square inch of her until her skin was red. When she was done, Nariko stood at the steps with a clean Yukata held up.
Kaiya wasn't quite ready to be done, but she obediently climbed the steps and let the other woman slide the garment on. She then guided Kaiya to another, smaller room where Nariko indicated for her to sit down. Once Kaiya had done so, she watched as the other woman lathered her skin with a cream that burned her now tender skin, slightly. Once she was done that, she then ran a wooden comb through Kaiya's wet locks until she was satisfied that no knot remained. When she was done, Kaiya stood up and followed Nariko back out of the bathhouse to where Gen still stood waiting. When he turned to acknowledge her, he smiled.
"You look like you feel much better, Kaiya-chan." Gen said as he followed them down the steps.
"I'll feel even better when I eat." Kaiya said, smiling back at him, happy to have a normal human interaction again.
They had been there for barely more than an hour and Kaiya was already starting to find the place exhausting. All she really wanted was to return home to Hajime and make a life with him. They returned to the room and found that Ryunosuke had managed to get her food on time. But, instead of letting Kaiya eat, Nariko steered Kaiya to a screen that was spread across a corner of the room. Kaiya looked at the woman dryly as she once again stripped Kaiya's clothes off.
"For someone who just said that I'm above you and shouldn't acknowledge you, you like to boss me around a lot." Kaiya said.
The woman instantly dropped to her knees and bowed. "This person begs your forgiveness."
Kaiya sighed tiredly, starting to get irritable. "Its fine, just get this over with so I can eat."
Nariko immediately started dressing Kaiya in an absurdly ornate kimono with seven layers. By the time she was done, Kaiya felt like the woman had hung a mountain on her shoulders. When she stepped out from behind the screen, Gen and Ryunosuke stared at her wide eyed.
"Once Saitou-Hime has finished her meal, the lord would like to have a more…private conversation with the lady." Nariko said, bowing deeply.
"Thank you." Kaiya said pointedly. "I'll let you know when I am done. I would like some privacy now."
Nariko nodded and waited for Gen and Ryunosuke to get up then frowned when they didn't. "They are my bodyguards, they will remain." The woman opened her mouth to protest but Kaiya glared at her. "They will remain." She repeated firmly.
The woman bowed and finally left the room. With a sigh, Kaiya sat awkwardly down beside Gen, not entirely certain she'd be able to get up again without assistance. "This place is quickly becoming wearisome. I get why my father didn't even try to return."
"Wow!" Ryunosuke exclaimed as he stared at Kaiya. "You look like a real princess!"
"Yet I feel like a wooden doll with pretty clothes on." Kaiya said dryly shifting the fabric around so she could be more comfortable.
Gen sighed as he poured himself a tea. "Technically, she is a princess." Gen said then took a sip. "She is the granddaughter of two daimyo's, after all."
"Two?" Ryunosuke asked. "I didn't know that."
Kaiya nodded. "My parents were disowned before I was even born. They lived outside the country when for many years, until my mother was murdered then we came back. This grandfather is the sire that Souji and I share, and my other grandfather is a Daimyo in the south."
"And you've never met either of them?" Ryunosuke asked, shocked.
"No, I haven't met any of my relatives except Souji and his sister." Kaiya explained as she started nibbling tentatively, hoping that the food wouldn't upset her stomach.
Ryunosuke waved his hands in front of him. "Wait, I don't get it. I thought Okita was poor before he met Kondou-san."
Kaiya smiled slightly. "He was technically poor after he met Kondou-san too." Gen chuckled at her remark, perfectly aware of both of their stories. "Souji's mother, my aunt, fell in love with a low-class Samurai and willingly gave up her station to be with him. I don't know the specific's but it's likely she ran away from home. I doubt my grandfather would've willingly let her go."
"Growing up like this and giving it up for squalor, that's bold." Ryunosuke said, impressed. "I guess I know where Okita gets his bravery from."
So? Worth the extremely long wait? I think I've hit my groove again...finally, so I forsee this story being completed by the end of the month or beginning of April. We'll see how much more I add.
-Shockra