An Unexpected Romance

Chapter 36

Shikaya

Shikaya sat next to Maki. "Are you alright?" The others in the room had left and they were alone.

She sat quietly beside him, her brow furrowed in thought. When she spoke her voice had a tremor in it. "It's so sudden."

Shikaya knew that sometimes silence was the best you could offer someone who had experienced an earth-shattering change. Maki was quiet, staring at the floor as if it might sort her feelings for her. He pulled her ice cold fingers into his hand to comfort her and waited. When she sighed heavily and looked up to him he thought she might be ready for a change. He rose pulling her up by the hand with him.

"A walk will clear your head."

The men in front of the house were walking away when they exited the house and Shikaya wisely turned in the opposite direction. "Do you want to talk about your feelings?"

"Not yet."

Shikaya walked next to her, letting his arm brush against hers gently. He led her to the base of the mountain that would be called Hokage mountain someday and helped her climb its steep embankment so that they could sit and look out over the village. Then he simply sat beside her.

After a time he spoke. "Are you sad?"

"No." She shook her head and cupped her face in her hands.

"What are you feeling?"

Grief lined her face when she looked over at him. "Guilt."

"Why?"

"Because even after all these years I still didn't know how to be a wife to him."

He tipped his head in surprise. "What do you mean?"

She sighed, and looked off into the distance. "I knew on our wedding night that I didn't know how to be a wife. It's why our marriage was such a failure. And even now, I left him. I should have stayed at his side, been there when he died."

"If I remember correctly he had a mistress, am I right?" Shikaya withheld the rage building in his chest at a clan that would allow this sweet young woman to be their sacrifice for peace.

"Yes." she said this quietly. "Naomi and he were planning to marry when my father arranged our marriage."

"And?"

"My father said it was the only way to form an alliance between our clans, but I knew better."

"What do you mean?" Shikaya asked, suspecting he already knew the answer.

"I overheard my father talking to my uncle. He had heard of Atsushi's planned marriage and knew they had a son together. He didn't approve of it and prevented it with my marriage."

Shikaya's hands fisted at his side, he wasn't one to get riled easily but if her father were still alive he might be willing to kill him. "I'm sorry Maki. You deserved so much more than to be a pawn."

"Thank you. But it's more than that. I was never a good wife to him."

"You gave him a beautiful daughter. You stayed with him and never complained when he took Naomi in again."

"Don't you understand? I drove him to her. I was never able to..." she trailed off.

"I don't understand."

"We only spent our wedding night together. I cried all night, actually screamed. I told him I couldn't do that ever again."

"What?" The anger in Shikaya's voice was palpable. The anger in his heart made him feel like he might vomit.

"I'm sorry." She ducked away from him, fear flashing in her eyes.

Shikaya wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "I'm not angry with you. I'm sorry that I can't bring back the two men who did this to you and kill them again."

"Why?"

"Maki, you should never have been married to a man twice your age as revenge for him loving someone your father didn't approve of. And Hata should have known to take his time with you. It's not your fault that you felt pain. He should have known." He fisted his hands again, his anger showing in his body language. Then he took a deep breath, "Did you love him?"

"We hardly knew each other. I feel guilty because I don't even miss him." She looked off into the distance again. "In fact I'm relieved. He can't make me return to Iwa now."

Shikaya shifted so he was facing her and he took her face in his hands but she pulled away. "Maki, I will never allow you to be hurt again." He reached out again and took her face in his hands pulling her close to him and let his lips brush against hers ever so lightly. "And I won't hurt you, ever."

Maki looked at Shikaya as he held her face, his heart fell when she spoke. "I think I should be home soon."

"Ok. " He watched her carefully as they started to walk towards home. "I hope I haven't scared you. I meant it when I said that I'd never let anyone hurt you again."

She looked down at the ground in front of her as she walked. "I appreciate your friendship, and I'm sorry that I can't offer you more."

This was going to take some time. How it had come to this? He didn't want to imagine living without her. He'd fallen in love with her sometime in the last few months, walking her around, chatting with her, and showing her the herds. He hadn't been sorry to hear that Hata had died, and he was even less sorry after all she had told him this afternoon. He calmed himself with the knowledge that he was a Nara and Nara's were nothing if they weren't patient.

When they arrived at her home he held her hand for a moment. "Maki, I won't lie to you. I care very deeply for you, and I'd like to deepen our relationship, but I also want you to know that I won't ever ask something of you that you can't give. I'll be happy with just knowing you."

She smiled up at him sadly. "I'm afraid I don't have much to offer."

"You're an amazing woman, even just being your friend has made me happier than I thought I could ever be again." He leaned down and ghosted a kiss onto her cheek. "But please understand that I am a healer, my goal for you is healing." And with that he opened the door and ushered her in. "I'll see you soon."