Chapter Text
~ * ~ The Pearl ~ * ~
Akemi intended to speak like a woman who is getting what she wants…
…but what came out was nothing short of childish begging.
“Father,” Akemi humbled herself, lilting her voice and bowing on her face before her father, Lord Daichi. “I know your wisdom is beyond reproach. But I would be remiss if I don’t speak my mind in regards to my future.”
Her father went on about a metaphor regarding pigs and a sty, rotten gums, with only the farmer to blame.
Daichi lifted his sake, a purposeful arrogance to his waving cup. “Your duty is only to gain alliance by being a dutiful wife to great men. Men I need for power, for money, for gold, for honor for the Tokunobu Clan—us!”
Akemi kept herself bowed. “Father, I can be used in gaining allies in other ways. I read, I am educated. I have knowledge on—”
“Do you know what you are, Akemi?” Daichi barely spared his daughter a glance. “You’re my most precious pearl. A pearl is shiny, eye-catching, but worthless inside a clam at the bottom of the sea!” He slammed his knife down. “Pearls are only worth gold when handled properly. Like now. I gain gold by giving away your shiny and valuable face to the highest paying lord.”
“Father—” Akemi tried.
“More than a few lords have noticed you and inquired. Good news came this morning!”
Akemi slowly rose again. “Father, please, is that all I am to you?”
Daichi finished his sake with a loud sigh. “Ah, have you heard of Kohama?” he asked instead.
Daichi was sitting next to Akemi and his new wife. “Bring him in.”
Master Eiji was using a strange piece of iron as a guide to walk in. He knelt on the pillow in front of Daichi and bowed. “Thank you for allowing me to present myself and the wedding gifts I bring.”
Daichi waved his hand. “Please. You’re an honored guest, Master Eiji. I am honored you’re here. But tell me, is your son here? I didn’t know you had children.”
Master Eiji slowly rose, still kneeling on the pillow. “I have no son, Lord Daichi. But I did have a strange daughter, lost in a fire that blinded me. She gave me a grandson. An apprentice good with a sword, respectful of women, enjoys afternoon tea—”
“Excellent.” Daichi cut him off. “Is he here?”
Master Eiji hesitated only for a moment. “My grandson, he—He has a… peculiarity about him. A mixture of strange metals, but he is very strong.”
Daichi’s smile never fell. “I only care about our deal. Tomoe can give me grandchildren for the Tokunobu clan.”
Master Eiji didn’t appear relieved. “Then he’s here.”
“Father, please!” Akemi chased after her father. “Please! You cannot marry me off like this!”
Daichi appeared so inconvenienced at being followed.
Akemi held onto this arm. “Please, father, allow me to stay close to you. I cannot be married to a no-named man. How can you allow me to live in a wretched place such as Kohama? What about the Lord of Sendai-Han? Lord Saito—,” Akemi was desperate when she brought it up. “What about Taigen?”
Lord Daichi snarled at the name. “Taigen has rust on his blade. He was never a suitable match for you. But I have found one. Touched by the gods with marvelous skilled hands as his. He not only wins matches, but he has—strange allies in dark places. We need his connections.”
Akemi felt like crying. “I can’t. I’ve heard rumors. Isn’t he a demon? Seki, tell him!”
Seki only sighed and closed his eyes. Turning away. “He’s the best option for you, Akemi-Sama.”
Akemi tried to stand her ground. “I won’t marry him. I won’t—” she gasped in pain when her father swiped at her hands.
“You do not control my decisions!” He roughly grabbed her shoulders, shaking sense into her. “You are not the hero of this family, Akemi, I am! I built this name by myself! I came from nothing. Lord Kohama comes from nothing.”
Akemi was crying at this point. “He’s a blacksmith. An onryō. Father—”
“Sometimes, we make deals with the devil, Akemi. And you will serve this Lord Samurai. You will please him and you will keep him happy.”
Akemi had absolute fear in her eyes as she stared up at her father. “Father…”
Daichi’s countenance softened, only so much. “Then you bring us honor.”
Akemi dropped to her knees and cried. Cried for herself and her shame. Akemi mourned what humanity she had left and how much the onryō would take from her.
I’m no longer a pig but a pearl to pass around.
“A toy for a demon.” Akemi was sitting in her tub, boiling her skin raw, while she idly thought about running away. But apparently, she was getting married tonight. And that meant too many eyes would be on her. Too many guests arriving at their home. Too much of everything and it was suffocating her into silence.
Damning Akemi into “obedience”.
Akemi was gripping the sides of the tub, trembling in her anger. She felt condemned by her own father. Perhaps marrying an onryō may gift her some unforeseen powers over the man. She’ll show her father one day how wrong he is.
Once she felt clean enough, she got out and her servants quickly rushed in to help her dress.
One smiled. “Like tofu. Ready to be devoured.”
The second woman giggled.
There was a knock on her door. Lord Daichi cleared his throat. “Are you finished?”
Akemi didn’t bother giving her father attention. “No. I was going to pray until I was offered to the devil.”
“Hm.” He nodded for the servants to get out.
They quickly and quietly left Akemi’s room.
Daichi was holding several parchments. “Don’t exhaust the gods with your requests. Save something for when you truly need them.”
“I need them now.” Akemi just turned away and approached her window. Looking down at all the people gathering for tonight.
Daichi wasn’t too bothered by this. “Be angry with me all you want. You are getting married tonight. You need to be ready to get married. Learn how to be married.” He looked down at the parchments. “If your mother was here she would’ve taught you what it means to be a wife. I mean, she wasn’t ideal. She talked back often like you, but… she knew how to please me.”
Akemi slowly looked over her shoulder, but remained firm in her silence.
Daichi sighed and flipped through the parchments again. “I don’t know what onryō’s are into, but… the 12 and 20 positions. A wife should be familiar with the 12. The 20 are for professionals but you’ll be marrying into a uh, peculiar house, so—,” he trailed off and placed the parchments in front of Akemi. “...they all may be expected of you.”
He left without another word, and Akemi’s makeup was ruined with her tears as she looked down at the parchments.
She crumpled them up and threw them across the room. “Arrrgh! How dare you!”
Akemi was escorted to the part of her house where her future husband was. Behind the closed door, she could hear their hushed arguing.
“...I’m not here for marriage, swordfather, I was here for names and revenge!” the man’s voice was hushed in their anger.
“They will give you anything you ask for—”
“I ask for nothing in return except what I’m owed.”
“...if you just marry into the Tokunobu clan.” Master Eiji whispered.
His grandson let out a displeased noise. “The princess would be marrying into my name, swordfather. And I have none.”
“You are the Lord of Kohama. That is your name, Mizu.”
“No,” Mizu griped.
Akemi heard footsteps quickly approaching. She kept her head bowed even as it swung open.
“...it’s not!” her future husband snapped. Mizu tried to leave, but the princess was in his way. “Princess?”
Akemi was staring down at a pair of waraji.
“Uh,” the man faltered. “Hm.”
Akemi slowly lifted her head. “Husband,” she announced. “If it pleases you, I’d prefer us to walk together to our—”
“We’re not married yet.” Mizu roughly brushed past Akemi, open contempt in his voice. Disgust. Distaste.
Akemi felt strangely comforted by this.
At least… he wasn’t terrifying to look at.
His dark opticals covered his eyes, hiding his true nature. Mizu was dressed in a more traditional (honorable) wedding attire. Gone were his farmer’s clothes, his jingasa, and his sword.
Mizu and Akemi knelt side by side in the small shrine on the Tokunobu property. Mizu’s posture was stiff. He clearly didn’t want to be here at all. He whispered a few prayers under his breath and stopped.
Akemi was silently praying that Mizu would not live to see the morning, that he’ll lose his next match, that whatever enemies he may have—that they’ll find him and destroy him with ease. Akemi assumed if she spoke these aloud, her husband would find them amusing.
“That’s enough,” Mizu’s tone was curt. He quickly stood up and left the shrine, leaving his new wife behind.
Later that night when they would rest together, before leaving for Kohama in the morning, Akemi let down her hair, washed her face, and put on a kimono that was easily removed—should they consummate their marriage right away. She was brushing her hair gaining the courage to approach her husband. To offer herself.
To—to please him.
Akemi would rather split herself open, but alas, she was here. She placed her brush down and a prepared breath, she went to the other room. Their room.
Mizu was kneeling in the middle of the room, he looked—afraid?—if Akemi saw it correctly. They only had candles in the corners giving off very little light. The samurai was guarded. His opticals were off, opening revealing everything about him. Even in the dark, his dead eyes inspired irrational fear in the princess. Well… not a princess anymore.
Akemi stood in front of Mizu, presenting herself as a gift. “Husband,” she whispered. “I am ready for you.”
Mizu looked confused. He audibly swallowed and took a steady breath. “Akemi?”
Akemi wanted to get this over with. Be impaled by the samurai’s blade, the demon’s spear, or whatever they call it these days. She wanted it to happen quickly and without cause.
When she was about to open her robes, give her husband the full pearl outside of its shell, Mizu’s hand caught her wrist.
“Don’t.” His eyes widened in realization.
Akemi flinched from the painful grip. “Ow.”
He yanked his hand away as though burned. “I’m tired.” He forcefully cleared his throat. “We have a few days' journey ahead of us.” Mizu nodded towards the other mat. “Go rest… wife,” he added as an afterthought.
Akemi held onto her wrist and glared at the man, but she obeyed him.
…for now.
~~~