Himitsu (Book One of the Kakureta Hana series)

XV: Ju Go

Shigeru seems to be in a worse mood than he was the night before. His former men have made a point to bow deeply to me as they go to take their seats while merely turning their backs towards him.

Each of the clan leaders that have gathered here in the Fujioka fortress are elevated on piles of pillows with their retainers clustered around them, either on pillows of their own or standing against the wall. All weapons have been left outside of the council, per usual, to prevent disagreements from becoming bloody.

That rule may have been made especially for situations such as the one I found myself in, where Shigeru looked mere moments away from leaping up from his spot and strangling me.

Ryuu doesn't even give him the satisfaction of looking towards him when he enters. Instead, he simply takes his place to the right of me in silence. A streak of dirt has marred his cheek, giving confirmation to the fact that he had vanished to the extensive gardens.

Shogun Fujioka, with his daughter upon his arm, enters the room to take his seat upon the raised dais. His dark eyes scan the gathered masses as Rika settles in her place.

"It has been almost two years since we all last gathered here," he says, words echoing in the near silence of the hall. "Much has happened since that last meeting. Blood of our comrades, of our sons, has stained the saturated soil of the battlefield. With each passing day, we draw closer to our hopes of a united Japan, yet some would hope to thwart our efforts.

"This war, these battles, is the legacy which our forefathers have passed onto us. They, too, had the hopes that we would be able to settle our differences and reside under one command. Let us not forget that, allies, during the duration of this meeting, regardless of what anger we may stir in each other's breasts."

With those words, he gestures for the first order of the meeting to begin before settling back.  The two petitioners bow lowly, almost low enough to kiss his feet if they stood any closer, and proceeded to attempt to talk over each other.  The shogun merely sits silently until the flow of words run out.

"Do you know when we'll be called forward?" I ask Ryuu quietly, already surmising that I did not care to hear whatever was going on at the moment in front of me.

He leans closer while keeping his eyes locked on the two retainers.  "Due to the severity of what has happened and the rank of both Shigeru and you, we will not be called forward until the end," he says before giving me a crooked grin.  "So settle in for a long wait, Amachi Junichi."

Unable to resist, I turn up the corner of my mouth and whisper, "Did you enjoy the dirt so much this morning that you had to bring some of it with you?  One might think that my general is forced to labor in the fields."

Ryuu subtly brushes a hand across his cheek, but the streak remains firmly in place.  I, without giving thought to it, lick the pad of my thumb and scrub away the dirt.  When I pull away, he is looking at me with a curious expression; I pretend not to notice and focus my attention towards the dais.

The sun is high in the sky by the time that Shogun Fujioka calls for a break.  My body has gone numb from sitting, and by the way most of the others stand, it is clear they are feeling the effects of the long meeting.

"Lord Amachi," the lady Rika hails me after many of the lords and their retainers have filed out, "will you give me a moment of your time?"

When I pause, she steps off the dais, daintily making her way through the maze of pillows.  I go to bow to her formally, but she tugs her hands out of the sleeves of her kimono to stop me.

"Do not bow, Junichi," she says with a light laugh, "for I like to think that after all this time we are friends.  When we are standing on the same ground and not on ceremony, I would prefer not to have to go through such formalities."