Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)

-Daio

Your younger brother slides into the hot water. You're reminded again how much younger he is than you. It's not that your father didn't try to provide more heirs, its just that he didn't. Regardless, despite his youth, you can already spot the beginning of the swordsmen calluses on his thumb and fingers.

"Daio" You say with a nod.

"Big---Emperor" Daio says at the last minute.

Emperor, that title that always...well he was your brother, you could give him permission.

"You can call me Hisao, Daio, at least when we're alone."

"Oh...okay" Daio smiles a little as he dunks his head and swims over to you.

"What's up little brother?" you ask.

Daio rubs his arm.
"...we're family right?"

You blink, of all the things you expected that wasn't it.
"Of course you are"

"...then you aren't going to send me back to Itsume-sensei?"

You honestly had planned to do that.
"What's wrong with Itsume-sensei?" You ask instead of answering the question.


"...you are aren't you?" He says, eyes watery with anger.

"I didn't say that, I asked what was wrong with Itsume-sensei" You say.

"He's not you!" he shouts.

"What does that have to do with anything?" You ask.

"You asked what was wrong with Itsume-sensei, he's not you, he's not mother, he's not father" Daio says, you can see his face clenching he's really angry.


You fix him with a stare, before quietly reaching out to take his hand.
"Daio...what's this about?"

His eyes drop to the water. In a quiet whisper.
"Father's gone, Mother's gone, you're gone, everyone's leaving me. I want you back."

You can feel your heart clench at that. Despite everything, you do love your brother after a fashion. You want him safe, you want him whole. This whole conversation feels all too familiar as your mind reaches back to the past. When you, at his age, begged mother to take you back your family, to not leave you in that mountain hermitage all alone.

She had refused, promising that it was for the best you were there. That Itsume would train you to be great, that you would be far safer than being a court where thieves and murderers abounded. With the benefit of maturity, you could even agree with that.

That hadn't helped at the time, though, it had never helped, to make you feel better. Knowing you were being kept safe from everyone...because a small nasty part of your mind had always wondered why you needed to be kept safe from your family.

You sigh, its not that you couldn't understand Daio's feelings. But, well, you weren't sure what to do. By tradition you were now head of your house, although woe betide the man who did not listen to his mother. Mother would tell you to let go of your feelings, that if you truly loved Daio, you would do what was best for him as a person, not what made him happy. As she had with both of you.

Which leaves you where exactly. Oh right with a brother who thinks your leaving him for good, and feels completely abandoned. You suppose it's different for him, even when mother left, you had been there for him, to give him strength, to support him.

Then you had left too, you still wrote, but letters were never the same. You knew that instinctively, but you had thought he was okay, because you were okay.
You had managed.

Daio looks up at you. His eyes wide.
"Please, big brother, let me stay."

You ruffle his hair, searching for the right words to say. Do you tell him what he needs to hear, what he wants to hear, or something else. For once your skilled mind has failed you.

[] What say?

AN: Sorry it's short, but Daio is eight years old, and doesn't do the courtly game.

So waiting for more votes/discussion. Also feel bad about such a short update, so have this sidestory about what one of Hisao's enemies is up to.

Meanwhile....

The falling leaves danced around a young woman as she walked along the roads. At her side the simple daisho marking her as a samurai, on her back a young child no older than two cooed as he batted at her hair. Ebony hair and pale skin stood out from her dark red kimono.

The steady crunch crunch of foliage, echoes in front of her as a procession of people make their own way down the road. The humble palanquin bearing the Symbol of the Crane and the Asahina Daimyo. In many ways it's rather austere for the Crane, who make even their travelling methods into beautiful works of art. Then Asahina Keitaro had always been a relatively simple man all things considered.

The Crane group stops as the guards step forward towards the young woman.
"You there Ronin, make way for the Daimyo!" Calls the captain.

"And what if I said no?" The woman asks.

"Then we would make you move, son or no, you have no right to stand in the way of my lord" The captain says.

He's a lean dangerous man, veteran of the Yasuki Wars, talented with a spear and sword. He's killed Crab, Scorpion and Lion in equal measures. The guard captain is utterly confident that he can move a young ronin woman carrying her son. Shame they hadn't met in better circumstances, she was pretty in spite of the child.

The woman looks at her son and pets his head.
"What do you think of that Kanpeki-kun? Should I listen to the mean Crane?" She coos.

The toddler giggles and leans into the pet. Yet the woman is listening, intently even. The guard captain finds himself on edge, some hidden instinct telling him to strike her down now. Yet, she had done nothing, beyond mild insubordination.

"No I don't think so either." She agrees.

The woman reaches into her kimono, pulling out a single blood red jewel. The guard captain charges, he can gut himself later, but everything he knows tells him that she cannot be allowed to use that jewel, whatever it is.

To his credit the guard captain almost reaches her, almost stops the woman from her dark murmuring, three more steps, that's all he needed. His men shift uneasily as the captain stops in the middle of his lunge. Straightening up, and looking at the woman in the eyes.

"Mistress Shahai, what is your command?" He asks.

The woman now named Shahai thinks for a moment.
"Oh...I don't know, how about you kill all your troops."

"Yes Mistress" The guard captain turns around.

The guards are already drawing their swords. Most of them know they are already dead. Shahai, the Lady of Blood, servant of the Realm of Evil, dark bride of Daigotsu, was not someone they could defeat.
However, honour compelled them to give their all to defend their daimyo.

The guard captain, eyes glowing red, charges into them. He no longer cares for his life, only about fulfilling his command. Spear flashing crimson in the late afternoon light.

In a better life, or one where there was a shugenja to stand against Shahai, they might have been able to save Asahina Keitaro. As it stood, even as they brought down their captain, Shahai had finished making her ritual offering to the dark spirits. Blood poured from her wrist and lanced out through the surviving guardsmen, killing them on the spot.

Kanpeki gurgled with happiness, clapping his chubby little hands as he watched the carnage. Mama was winning, what fun!

Asahina Keitaro stumbled out of his palanquin, he was not a warrior, no a pacifist to the core, he had never wanted to fight. Yet here he was, he had no way to save his men, or himself...but perhaps...yes, that would do. His gifts with the spirits of Fire had never been that strong, but he could do this much at least. Leaping back as he instinctively batted away a tendril of blood from Shahai, with the Air kami, Keitaro began to chant, intoning to the Lord of Thunder and Fire to destroy this place utterly.

Shahai shook her head, that wouldn't do at all, nothing could be allowed to harm her child. She raised her Corrupted Tear of Doji.

"That's enough" She commands.

Keitaro feels the tendrils of the kansen infuse his mind, seeking to turn him into a puppet. But he was a daimyo, a noble who traced his lineage back to Asahina-shiryo himself, this would not....

The sword in his stomach stains the kimono an ugly red. Shahai curling her hand around the back of Keitaro's neck. In his ear he can hear her voice, as the shock ends his resistance.

"Now tell me Keitaro-kun, where have you put the Anvil of Despair?" She asks.

"Mistress, it is in Osano-Wo's Shrine." Keitaro says dully.

"Thank you, now was that so hard?"

"No Mistress"

Shahai kisses Keitaro's cheek.
"Goodbye Keitaro-kun..."

The Asahina daimyo drops to the ground dead. Shahai looks at her skin feeling the Daimyo's life surge into her. A bit bland, but then Asahina. She turns her attention back to her son.

"Now come on Kanpeki, we have to go a long way before the winters hit."

Kanpeki cooed, as they walked away from the blood soaked leaves.

-Sirrocco

You take a long moment to breathe, the hot steam of the bath cooling in the night air.

"Daio, you are my brother, and I will always love you. Father, Mother, they didn't send you away because they didn't love you. If anything they love you too much. Too much to risk you or me, maybe that was a mistake...but I understand it now."

You ruffle Daio's hair as he glares at you.
"If you want to stay, then you have to know what you're getting into."

"You'll let me stay?" He asks hope in his eyes.

"That depends on you Daio." You say.

"Eh?"

"The Court, it's not a friendly place. Has Itsume-sensei started doing your ambush training yet?"

Daio absently rubs one arm.
"Yes"

"I didn't like it either...but Court's a lot like that. Everyone, even the honourable people are not able to be your true friends. If they can use you to get to me, or to get power they will, and if you don't do what's expected, that too will be used against us. That's ignoring the assassins. It's dangerous, scary world out there Daio."

Daio thinks for a moment.
"But I have to be here because whose looking out for you?"

"Myself mostly. Itsume-sensei spent years training me so I could. You haven't had that training yet."

He pouts.

"There's the reason you shouldn't. This place, the walls themselves have eyes, anything and everything you do will be under scrutiny, is that really what you want? To live under watch by everyone, to not be allowed to play and do other things after training is over? To have to be perfect no matter what?"

You look at him, being firm and serious.
Daio thinks before saying.
"Hai, to be with you and mother...I'll do it"

Damn, you had hoped to scare him off from this, to make him willing to go back to Itsume-sensei, but then, when you were his age...you would have done the same thing. The iron will of your mother and father is strong in him as well.

"Okay Daio, you can stay if you promise me that you'll always act right, listen to your sensei and family, and never talk to strangers without someone I trust beside you. Do you promise?"

He stares at you with fiery determination.
"Hai I promise Hisao!"

"Alright, I'll make arrangements then"

In retrospect, you should really have expected the bone crushing hug that he gave you.
-------------------

Mother was not pleased by your decision, but she would not gainsay you. She did however insist on putting a coterie of Crab Samurai around her youngest son. While you can't deny that her paranoia has merit. On the other hand the Seppun the imperial guards since time immemorial, were in a word, immensely put out by this. Seppun Kiharu, the daimyo of the family was prepared to offer his ritual seppukku in protest. The elder statesman of the Imperial families was beloved by everyone in the Imperial City, and it had been his interference that had kept the Imperial families mostly quiet in your first year of rule.


Naturally you decided to have compromise of sorts. The Seppun still guarded your brother. However, several Crab Samurai that you mother vouched for, were married into the Seppun and the ones assigned. It left no one happy, but every satisfied. Itsume-sensei, slightly drunk called it a 'Scorpion's Compromise' which was his way of approving after a fashion.

Then there was Itsume-sensei, he was somewhat annoyed to lose 'the one actually talented with a blade' to the Court, but stated that he would take his payment from you sometime in the future.
You were not pleased to hear that, but you weren't entirely sure you could stop the semi immortal shapeshifter that has wandered the world since before the Empire was founded. Well you'd figure something out, probably.

----------------------------------------------------
It was the day of your wedding, as tradition, you found yourself standing in magnificent robes that would put entire families of the Crane to shame, but still intensely nervous. You waited at the entrance to the Shrine of Musubi, Goddess of Marriage, waited for Kaname to arrive. Inside your family, and the daimyo of the Imperial Families were no doubt also preparing themselves for your entrance, as was Kaname's family. The entire Temple District had been shut down so that nothing would go wrong.

However, you are ultimately a young man getting married, and in spite of all logic and reason telling you this will go off with no problems. You can't help but have the back of your mind construct worse case scenarios. As dawn finally crested over the city, you hear the sound of foot steps.

Looking you see her, Kaname, your...soon to be wife. She's beautiful, the light cresting on her skin and white robes. You can see the hint of red underneath them. Long talks and quiet embraces had in theory prepared you both for this...yet, your breath still hitched as you watch her approached. All thought chased away by the ethereal nature of her beauty.

She smiles slightly.
"...Time for us to go right Hisao-kun?" she asks.

Dear gods she's as nervous as you are.
"Hai, Kaname-chan" You reply.

You hold out your hand, and she takes it, rough skin in rough skin shouldn't feel this soft, but it does.
Drawing strength from each other, you walk forward into the shrine. The doors opening as you follow the silk carpet towards the shrine altar. There Seppun Kiharu was readied with a cherry blossom branch to officiate the ceremony.

An almost mystical feeling filled the air as you took in everyone. Your uncle giving you a wry, if not totally sincere smile of support. Your little brother struggling with all his might not to pick at his collar that was clearly driving him mad...and your mother looking for all the world like she was carved from a stone.

On the other side of the shrine, Kaname's father, mother, and sisters all look on with bated breath. Even if you never did anything else for them, this one act ensured that they would be set for life. No doubt that was what made the happy, although you saw sadness in them as well, to lose their daughter. It was easily pushed to the side for the joy of seeing the best match in the Empire made.

Kiharu looks at you both.

"Tell me who comes before me in the sight of the Heavens?" He asks.

"I Toturi Hisao, son of Toturi Naseru, grandson of Toturi the Black" You intone.

"I Shiba Kaname, daughter of Shiba Dosan, granddaughter of Shiba Mutsumi" She says in turn.

"I greet you both in the name of the Heavens and the Ancestors. For what reason do you come?"

"In the sight of the Heavens and our Ancestors, we would be wed. Her dreams are my dreams, my hopes are her hopes, her duty is my duty. So may it be." You say.

"In the sight of the Ancestors and the Heavens we would be wed. His burdens are my burdens, my weakness his weakness, his strength my strength. So may it be" She continues.

"It is so spoken, by the light of the Heavens, the Gods, and the Ancestors may you be purified for this marriage" Kiharu says tossing salt on you both.

"May you be blessed" He pours out two small cups ritualized sake.

"And may you be whole" He offers the sake to both of you.

You take one cup and she the other.

With that done you turn to her and speak.
"I will be your husband. I will provide for you and our family. I will honour you and accept you into my home."

You offer her the cup, as she speaks
"I will be your wife. I will support you and our family. I will honour you and be your home"

She offers her own cup, the two of you trade it and drink deep of the sake. The rice wine burning down your throat as the ceremony is finished.

Kiharu raises up the cherry blossom branch and shakes it for all to see, invoking the kami to do so. cherry blossoms dance around you and Kaname as you look into her eyes, and she in yours. The last petal falls as the Shugenja gives the branch over to the Kami.

As the cherry wood burns, you watch Kaname step back, her sisters moving forward to take the white robes off her. Revealing a red robe that accentuates her figure...you were a lucky bastard.

The ceremony ends, Shiba Kaname is dead, in her place, Toturi Kaname now looks at you. You step forward and take her hand in yours again. Your heart swells as the knowledge hits you full force. Now and until your deaths, you two are wed. Is it true love? No you cannot say that, you cannot say that...will it be? Yes, you think it will be. A gift all too rare in this life.

She smiles at you, and you smile back, turning to leave the shrine and go to the reception.
-------------------

You wish you could say that you remembered the Wedding reception in detail, but the truth is that you cannot. The dizzying display of opulent gifts for you and your wife (and oh how you savour that word) were too quick, to mesmerizing to really let you focus, as was the seemingly endless line of well wishers and vassals eager to cement themselves as supporting your marriage. You remember the food being fantastic, but then, you'd expect nothing less for an Imperial celebration banquet.

But as you finally get off your feet, you let out a long tired sigh. In the end you had begged off the fireworks display, saying you'll see it from the balcony in your chambers. While you'll make the effort, you honestly can't say you'll watch them all.

You look up seeing Kaname in her bright red outfit. She looks at you for a moment.
"I do hope Hisao-kun that you aren't too tired?" She asks.

You shrug.
"Kind of---"

What you were going to say stops in your throat as Kaname reaches for her obi and pulls it off, letting her kimono sink to the floor. Her bare flesh exposed to the world.

"....think that I'm not tired at all" You finish.

She laughs as you rise from your cushion and embrace her with a passionate kiss.
It was good to be the Emperor sometimes.

AN:
And that is Year One of Hisao's Reign. I need a pregnancy roll.

Vote for your Interlude:
[] Hida Kuon
[] Doji Domotai
[] Togashi Satsu
[] Ikoma Otemi
[] Yoritomo Naizen
[] Bayushi Paneki
[] Shiba Tsukimi
[] Moto Chagatai
[] Otomo Hoketuhime