#tbtmnd

When Aki aimed his gun at the minion, I shut my eyes, waiting for images of my past to flash before me, as is foretold in popular fiction.

That didn’t happen.

Either I wasn’t going to die… or popular fiction was wrong. I had a bad feeling it was going to be the latter unless I took steps to avoid that fate. I opened my eyes again, knowing that as soon as Aki killed the minion, I would have to use that moment of distraction to act –

THWUMP!

With more power than grace, Mitsunari hauled himself over the edge of the tower and knocked the minion off his feet.  As a distraction, it worked wonderfully. I grabbed the war fan out of my kimono, jammed it into Iekane’s stomach, then flipped him over my body.

He landed right where Aki was waiting for him.

While Mitsunari was easily dispatching the minion, I grabbed Hikosane and yanked him out of the path of any stray bullet, sword, or –

THUNK.

Unconscious minions.

The second the minion hit the floor, Mitsunari had Hikosane and I in his arms, as far away from the Iekane and Aki’s fight as possible. At the moment, there wasn’t much else we could do except let Aki have his chance at Iekane. The two of them were evenly matched. Aki discarded the musket for his sword, and they battled across the perimeter of the tower, grimly trading hits, swords clanging against each other. Then Iekane backed up a step and pulled out a small rectangular object … was that a cell phone?

“No, you can’t it’s too-” Aki’s words were lost as he leaped at Iekane -

For a moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw an odd aura – almost like the ones I used to get before a migraine headache. It felt like reality was rippling around me, almost as if the horizon was a curtain that was about to lift. I’ve… seen this before…

Then Aki’s forward motion took both of them over the railing of the tower.

Holy fu-

Mitsunari, Hikosane, and I rushed to the railing, and I was hoping against fate that I would find Aki clinging to the edge of the tower, and not in a broken heap on the ground below. Of course, he’d be clinging to the edge. This was Aki. Slippery. Wily. Acrobatic…

He was not clinging to the tower.

Nor was he – or Iekane – in a heap on the ground below.

In absence of their fight, the birdsong seemed unnaturally loud. None of us said anything to break the quiet. The three of us just stared over the edge, looking at… nothing.

We weren’t that far off the ground… a fall from the tower platform would have been survivable, although neither Aki nor Iekane would have had time to drag themselves into the woods, nor was there any evidence of two adult sized bodies having thudded to the ground.

It was as if they had never been there at all.

Finally, I pulled myself out of the shock, and rushed down the ladder and through the tower to the outside, barely aware that Mitsunari and Hikosane were right behind me.

Aki?

Dad?

Even in my head ‘dad’ didn’t sound right. Aki was… just…  Aki.

And he was gone.

Vanished somewhere between the tower platform and the soft, springy ground – a ground that clearly had not been crushed by two men thudding onto it.

“Where did they go?” Hikosane looked through the brush around the tower.

“Um, ninja tricks,” was all that I could come up with on the fly. I might have been able to formulate a better lie, but my attention was caught by something on the ground. A few stray leaves. Normally, exactly what you’d expect to find on the ground in the middle of a forest.

But they were late Autumn leaves. Maple leaves. Brown and gold where all the trees around us had yet to change color. Nor were any of them maple. I picked one up to examine it. Aside from being out of season, it was just a leaf.

“There may have been men waiting down here to help Iekane escape.” Mitsunari’s explanation to Hikosane sounded more plausible than mine. He glanced at the leaf I had in my hand and nodded.

Aki and Iekane had somehow, without a wormhole, gone elsewhere in time.

“We’re going to go after them, right?” Hikosane tugged on my arm. “Iekane and your father.”

Mitsunari sent a startled look my way – I guess he had missed that part of our drama. “Yes, of course I want to go after them, but now isn’t the time. I’ll need supplies and more arrows,” and a time machine. “Besides, right now we need to get you back to Genba, where I am sure your own father will be watching for you.”

We walked quietly back toward the castle, still alert to any remaining stragglers from Iekane’s crew that would be lurking, ready to jump scare our party. But Masamune and Ieyasu had been quite thorough in the mop-up detail. Masamune’s reputation alone might have been enough to send many those mercenaries running.

I felt a light touch on my shoulder and looked over to see Mitsunari looking at me steadily. “How are you?”

“A few bruises, that’s all.” Hopefully not another black eye. “Nothing that needs medical attention.”

“That was not what I was asking.” He glanced back over his shoulder, to where the tower was still visible in the distance.

Yes. I had been aware that he was really asking, ‘are you ok after watching your father apparently die?’ I had no answer to that. I wasn’t used to delving through my psyche. My mother’s emotions had strangled Toshiie and I for years – I’d never seen any reason to inflict mine on anyone else. Mitsunari was asking me to access the sort of things that were usually packed neatly away. I was afraid if I unpacked them, I would discover feelings that I couldn’t shove back into the suitcase.

But…

Aki’s disappearance… no, I wouldn’t think of him as dead. The man had always seemed indestructible. He wasn’t though. Aki was human. He aged. He could die.

He could die.

He might already be dead.

I couldn’t cry now.

Not here.

Mitsunari took my hands, and gently pulled me into an embrace. Then, with my face pressed against his chest, I cried, while Mitsunari simply held on, his fingers soft across my back.

We returned to the last thing I was in the mood for… another banquet. If Mozumi was humiliated that his wife had not only been cheating on him, but had been treasonously plotting to kill Nobunaga, he chose to pretend otherwise. Or maybe this was banquet was more along the lines of a plea to Nobunaga, the old, ‘hey, I’m sorry a member of the household tried to kill you, but look on the bright side, you didn’t die, so let’s party’ distraction technique.

The mood, at least, was far more subdued than the engagement banquet, and the ‘let’s entertain Nobunaga’ banquets. Most of Mozumi’s vassals were still on the coast, and the ones who had stayed behind, like Susumu, had lost friends and comrades in the struggle. While they were grateful enough to be fed, they (naturally) weren’t in a celebratory mood. Mozumi himself was seated only with Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, all three with their heads together in an intense discussion.

Mozumi didn’t look like he was pleading for his life, but his attitude was far more deferential than it had been a couple weeks ago. I wondered if they were trying to decide Lady Yone’s fate. Normally, she would have been sentenced to death for her treasonous acts, in fact, I was surprised that she had not already been executed. But Mai had pleaded for leniency, for the sake of her daughters, all of whom were under the age of ten. Last I heard, her punishment had yet to be determined.

On the other hand, the happiest person at the banquet was Shohime, who was in her element, alternately – or, well actually simultaneously – flirting with Keiji and Masamune. Both seemed happy enough to reciprocate. I wondered if they were getting her ‘beautiful, perfect, but dumb’ persona, or if now that Hikosane was safe from Lady Yone, Shohime was finally going to be able to allow her true self to emerge.

One person who had escaped the celebration was Mitsuhide, who had claimed that the sight of his injuries would put people off their food. Personally, I thought that unlikely – these men and women had seen far too much danger and battle to care. More likely, he didn’t feel social, or had decided to keep his presence on the down low.

Hikosane had also been able to escape the ‘banquet’ and was supposedly in his room – but I had a feeling he’d snuck out to the stables to hang out with Mitsuhide.

I would have like to have been able to get out of the feasting too – it would have been nice to be able to find a time and space in which to process the events of the few days. But since I was supposed to be an Oda Princess, I couldn’t suddenly claim to be mourning my father (long-dead in my fake backstory). Additionally, to avoid confusion, Hideyoshi had (reluctantly) decided to let the false engagement stand until we returned to Azuchi.

But… I wouldn’t be returning to Azuchi.

Travel in this century being what it was, I intended to part ways with the Oda and Mitsunari as soon as we left Genba. There wasn’t time for me to go all the way to Azuchi and then travel back up to the Togakushi shrine  – I would miss the wormhole if I did.

Until then I would pretend to be a happy, engaged Princess. As such, I looked over and smiled fondly at Mitsunari, who was happily catching up with Ieyasu (less than happy to be caught up with). Déjà vu, Mitsunari’s hand came close to knocking a bowl of soup into Ieyasu’s lap.

Ieyasu braced himself, that familiar scowl descending his face. Mitsunari slowed down, moved his bowl out of the way, and continued the conversation.

Startled, Ieyasu blinked. Then he frowned again – must be disappointed not to have anything to complain about. If I had been in a better mood myself, I would have laughed at him.

Yes, Mitsunari had changed. Well. A little. He was less clumsy. More confident. Oh, under that he was still the too literal absent minded, sweet genius that I …

…couldn’t possibly allow myself to think, to feel about in that way.

Suddenly, I could no longer stand to be in a room full of people and before I could think of any excuse, I jumped to my feet.

“Are you feeling alright, Okatsu?” Looking concerned, Mitsunari reached for my hand, but I was already backing away from the table.

“I’m fine. I thought I’d steal some dessert and take it up to Hikosane.” It was a stupid excuse – Hikosane probably had been fed the same meal we had. But I realized I did want to check in on the kid. “Oh, no stay put,” I added when Mitsunari moved to join me. “I know you haven’t seen Ieyasu in a while, and you want to spend time with your friend.”

Ieyasu sighed the sigh of a man facing a long evening.

Without allowing either of them to say another word, I hurried out of the banquet hall.

Eventually, I tracked Hikosane to the stables – just as I expected, he was pestering Mitsuhide and Kyubei to tell him about their adventures.

“Young man, you are one question away from becoming as annoying as – that one.” Mitsuhide indicated me with a nod of his head.

“Truly? I am honored by the comparison.” Hikosane gave a rather Mitsunari-esque response. Perhaps he had been spending too much time with both of us.

“That was in no way intended to be a compliment.” Mitsuhide stood up, signaling to us all that whatever patience he had was at its end.

“Huh, actually, I took it as a compliment too.” I held out my hand for Hikosane. “If I can annoy you, I must be doing something right.”

Kyubei hastily smothered a laugh, which earned him a look of doom from Mitsuhide.

“Anyway, I will be out of your … wig… soon enough. And you can sooth yourself with the knowledge that Hideyoshi hates me even more than you do.” Every time that man looked at me, his jaw twitched as if he were biting his tongue.

“There is that.” Mitsuhide then turned serious. “Neither I nor Hideyoshi hate you… far from it. You’re simply too volatile for my peace of mind. Doing the work that I, and by association, you, do, requires a certain cold calculation that at this point, you do not yet possess.” I opened my mouth to protest that (which… might have proven his point), but he continued, “And I would regret it if someday you were to acquire that skill.”

He turned back toward Kyubei, who, I belatedly noticed, was sitting in front of a partially completed shogi game – I suppose Hikosane had interrupted them. I wondered if Mitsuhide and Aki would ever get the chance to complete their long-running game. Hopefully, wherever Aki was, he was still alive and would be able to return to this time.

My expression must have been unusually unguarded, because Kyubei said, “Hikosane has told us what happened to Akihira. Do you think Iekane would take him prisoner?” Unspoken was the ‘or simply killed him elsewhere?’

“That’s certainly a possibility.” Or they could both be chasing after each other in a different timeline, but that wasn’t something I could bring up to this audience.

Reminded of his manners – or at least of macro-etiquette in this type of situation, Mitsuhide turned back to me. “I am truly sorry that you lost your mentor. I imagine you were close.”

“He’s her father!” Hikosane had not yet fully learned the lesson of keeping information private, but this likely wasn’t something that I would have been able to hide from Mitsuhide in the long run anyway. “Of course, they were close!”

That bombshell prompted mirror image raised single eyebrows from both Kyubei and Mitsuhide (yeesh, can everyone but me do that?). “Fascinating. That was information that had escaped me.”

I considered telling him that it had been a surprise to me as well, but it would do him no harm to believe that I had always known and had managed to keep it a secret from him. I also imagined I’d get some spy credit chips if he thought that I had grown up being trained by Aki. “Well. You can’t know everything.”

That, in my opinion, was a perfect exit line, so I gave Mitsuhide a version of his own mocking bow, and a more polite one to Kyubei, before leading Hikosane back to the castle.

Hikosane looked back over his shoulder toward the stables as we padded through the corridors of Genba. “I’m looking forward to knowing him better.”

“I don’t think anyone really knows him, aside from Kyubei.” The castle had quieted down for the night. Seemed like the banquet had ended earlier than usual, and people were heading off to bed.

“When Shohime and I are living at Azuchi, I will make it a point to learn as much as I can from and about him.” Hikosane’s voice held a solemn vow, but I was more interested in what he said, and not how.

“You’ll be living at Azuchi?” I slid open the door to his room, and automatically scanned it for samurais and snakes. The page waiting for Hikosane flinched under my stare and stepped backward, nearly tripping over the futon.

“It has not been formalized yet, but we went to Nobunaga and offered ourselves as hostages – no, it’s what I want – and Shohime too,” he added quickly before I could make a protest. “While you may not think it’s necessary, I wish to learn more about governing and I’ll learn more from Nobunaga than my own father.”

This was clearly true, and if his life was still in danger from Iekane, Azuchi was a safer place for him to be. “You’re right, you probably will.”

“I can learn from you too. I’ve never known a kuinochi princess before.” He bowed to me.

Neither have I.

“Hikosane, I’m going on a long journey first – to spend time with my brother and look for my father. I don’t know exactly when I’ll be returning to Azuchi.” Too many directions I wanted and needed to go. No matter where I ended up, part of my heart would be somewhere else.

He looked at me a long time, then ran to me and gave me a long hug. “I am certain I will see you again.”

“You’ll see me tomorrow.” I bowed to him. “Good night, Hiko.”

As he slid closed the door to his room, I wished I were not leaving. I would like to see this child grow up and become whatever it was he was to become. I even wanted to see what kind of damage Shohime would do to the Azuchi warlords.

Who knows… maybe she and Mitsunari would end up together after all. I wished that thought didn’t hurt as much as it did.

I took a deep breath.

And then another.

By the time I got back to our room, I had composed myself… until I opened the door to discover that Mitsunari had lost his mind.

He was …? I tilted my head to try and get a better perspective on what he was… he was… well, it looked like he was playing a game of invisible twister with an octopus.

When he saw me, he blushed, then lost his balance and collapsed in a heap, half on the cushion and half on the floor.

I rushed over to help him up. “Are you alright?” By which I meant both physically and mentally. He scrambled to toss something behind him. It, naturally, bounced off the wall. I put my hands up to avoid getting smacked in the face with it, and –

One of Mozumi’s pillow books?

I looked at the book.

I looked at Mitsunari.

He was still blushing.

For the first time in years, I could think of nothing to say. I might (possibly) have been blushing too. I simply handed the book back to him. My mind still blank, I considered whether I should just back out of the room, then re-enter and do a retake of the entire last five minutes.

Hey. Time travel. It could happen.

"Halt. Do not move." Instinctively, Mitsunari froze at the sound of authority in Hideyoshi’s voice, and in the process nearly overbalancing on the step. He tightened his arms around Okatsu. No, he refused to trip and fall, not when he had such an important bundle in his arms. Okatsu let out a dismayed sigh, and for a moment hid her face in his chest. Mitsunari wished he could pretend she was doing so because she wanted to be closer to him, but he knew her well enough to realize she was trying to avoid Hideyoshi’s eyes. "Did you not leave the mine early to rest your injury?”

How to respond? He didn’t want to lie to Hideyoshi. Not again. He didn’t want to lie any more than he had to… even presupposing he could come up with an effective story this quickly in any case.

Okatsu rescued him, lying as easily as she did everything else. "We did, and we did. We spent the afternoon in the garden, and Mitsunari let me rest my foot in his lap."

Hideyoshi didn’t look happy with that explanation. Did he not believe her? Mitsunari hurried to back up the story. "Yes. It was elevated."

There was a shocked little peeping noise from Okatsu. "My foot. It was elevated, as Mai instructed. It was very restful."

Without another word, Hideyoshi took Okatsu out of Mitsunari's arms. "I’ll carry her." The sudden emptiness left Mitsunari feeling bereft – and that emotion was replaced by something else when he saw her wrapped in Hideyoshi’s arms. It felt almost like … anger? He had an impulse to grab his sword and run Hideyoshi through.

Horrified, he squashed that impulse down.

Where had it come from?

He was still trying to puzzle that out when he caught Okatsu silently trying to tell him something. What? Save her? From Hideyoshi?

Her lips moved again.

He… still had no idea what she wanted him to do.

Her hand was resting on Hideyoshi’s shoulder. She waved it at him and he realized there was a paper tucked between her thumb and her palm. Where had she gotten pap- The note!

She wanted him to check on Hikosane. Mitsunari paused, not entirely sure he knew where to find him. In his room? In the garden?

Hideyoshi glanced over his shoulder. "What is wrong?"

Mitsunari told the most believable lie he had ever told in his life. "I’m going to go get a book."

Over the course of a long search, Mitsunari discovered that Hikosane was not in the gardens, not in the archives, and not in his room.  Nor was he in the armory… although one of the Genba maids and one of Mozumi’s personal guards were, and Mitsunari hastily retreated after stumbling through a long apology for interrupting them (he hadn’t been aware that particular activity could be performed standing up). Eventually, he tracked the boy down in the kitchens, where he was playing suguroku with a page.

Winning, in fact, and the page was more than happy to turn over his part of the game to Mitsunari and return to his duties. “Good luck, Lord Mitsunari. You may need it. Hikosane is very good at this game.”

Once the page had left, Mitsunari studied the board. “Hikosane, are you well?”

“Of course, Lord Mitsunari.” Hikosane smiled as he rolled a combination of numbers that allowed him to move more markers closer to the finish. “Why do you ask?”

“I am making conversation.” Mitsunari didn’t want to come right out and tell a small boy that he might be in danger. “Has anyone pushed you down the stairs recently? Or have you nearly been shot? Or stabbed? Or… been standing under something heavy that mysteriously fell?”

There. That would gently lead up to the topic, he thought.

“You believe I am in danger.” Hikosane stated it calmly, but his hands were shaking.

Perhaps… that had not been the best way to go about it after all. Okatsu was better with the child. She would know what to say. “Er. It is possible. Will you come with me to talk with Okatsu? We can come up with a plan to keep you safe from potential assassins.”

Hikosane swallowed loudly. “Assassins?”

Why had no one written a book on how to talk to small humans?

By the time Mitsunari returned to their quarters with Hikosane in tow, it was fully dark outside. Okatsu was lying on her stomach on the futon, puzzling over the note. She had a brush and a scroll, and it appeared she had been researching whether it was a code, for the scroll contained several lines of nonsense words. She sat up and set the materials aside when she saw them.

As soon as he crossed the threshold into the room, Hikosane got right to the point. “Mitsunari believes I’m in some danger.” Though Mitsunari appreciated directness (from any person, be they adult or child), given the way Okatsu was frowning at him, he must have done something wrong. Maybe he should have done a better job at keeping the information from Hikosane.  “He didn’t tell me in so many words. I guessed from the manner of questions he asked.”

“We don’t know.” Okatsu suddenly smiled at Hikosane, and Mitsunari realized he hadn’t seen her smile very often, but when she did smile, it felt like a sunrise. Unfortunately, the sun was rising on Hikosane, instead of Mitsunari. “We were given a message, but it was vague.”

Hikosane curled up next to Okatsu to read the note, and though this was only a child, Mitsunari felt again that same rush of anger he’d felt when Hideyoshi had scooped her into his arms. “I see. The truth is, I am in danger, I have always been in danger – this is something that has been told to me as long as I can recall. The question is, am I suddenly in more danger? Immediate danger.” His hand went to the child sized sword at his waist.

At the reminder that there were more important things to worry about that his own feelings, Mitsunari sat down too, ready to push emotion aside to deal with the problem. “Yes. That would be the dilemma. Have you experienced any unusual accidents in recent days?” When Hikosane shook his head, Mitsunari continued, “what about illness?”

“Last month, I became sick after something I ate. It tasted odd, so I only had one bite.” Hikosane shrugged. “However, that may have been an accident.”

Okatsu seemed thoughtful. “Was anyone else sick?”

“No… but.” Hikosane suddenly looked appalled and tears came to his eyes. “Two of the dogs died the next day.”

Poison. He could tell Okatsu was thinking the same thing.

Hikosane launched himself into Okatsu’s arms, hiding his face in her shoulder. And this time, Mitsunari didn’t feel angry at all. If anyone had earned the right to Okatsu’s hug, it was Hikosane.

Once the embrace ended, Okatsu asked him, “Are there people here who you trust – people you know will not try to harm you?”

He counted the names on his fingers “You. Mitsunari. My father – though I do not see him often. My sisters.”

It was unlucky for Hikosane that he only had sisters. Sisters who were like Shohime, instead of like Okatsu. An Okatsu sister would be a great advantage to the child. But at least her fiancée was young and likely able to protect Hikosane. “When Shohime marries Iekane, would you be able to go to them for long periods of time?”

Hikosane’s hands balled into fists. “I hate him! He smiles too much.”

“I thought smiling was a good thing?” Wasn’t it? Mitsunari realized he smiled a lot too. Was that wrong? But... “I like it when Okatsu smiles.”

“I do too.” Hikosane looked like he was about to crawl into Okatsu’s lap, and Mitsunari started to get that mixed up angry feeling again. “Iekane smiles when he means to frown. I don’t trust him. You do believe me, don’t you?”

“I do.” She ruffled his hair. “I … don’t like being around him either, so how about this? When he is around, come over to me and we can protect each other.”

Why didn’t she like Iekane… had the man also threatened Okatsu, or accosted her the way Mozumi had? Why hadn’t she told him? Did she not trust him yet? He wanted to pull her close, and comfort her somehow. But he couldn’t think of what would be the correct way to do so without being as free with her person as the other two men.

During his mental debate, Hikosane said something that Mitsunari missed. He hoped it hadn’t been important.

Hikosane bowed. “I should return to my room before someone looks for me.”

Since Okatsu stood up and seemed determined to accompany him, Mitsunari got to his feet as well. After all of this, he didn’t want her to have to return to their rooms by herself. There were too many potentially dangerous people about.

Hikosane took Okatsu’s hand, and then, to Mitsunari’s surprise, he discovered that Hikosane’s other hand had found its way into his own. Interesting. In a sense, Hikosane felt like a link in a chain that connected him to Okatsu. It felt… warm, also to be allowed into this circle of trust, and Mitsunari realized that even without the presence of Okatsu, he would like Hikosane for his own sake.

Once, they reached his room, Hikosane bowed again and thanked them, after a hastily covered yawn. He thunked down on his futon.

Mitsunari had half turned to leave, already mentally preparing to ask Okatsu what she knew about Iekane, when he heard the noise.

HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

The blanket undulated, and his eyes focused on the snake that was already honing in on Hikosane. “Hiko! Do not move.” To Okatsu, he asked, “Mamushi?”

HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

There was fear, and the urge to shield Okatsu, to shield Hikosane, and under that was the terror that he would not be able to save either of them. He pushed that away. A snake was a sword. Its actions were just as predictable as that of a warrior. It was threatened and it would strike where it deemed the closest threat was. Right now… that was Hikosane.

What tools did he have with him? Sword. And, Okatsu must be armed as well, he knew she never went anywhere without at least –

Yes, she was reaching for a knife she had strapped to her ankle. Was she as good with a throwing knife as she was with a bow and arrow? “Can you hit it?”

“I’m … I’m not sure.” She frowned at the snake, which still had its full attention on Hikosane.

If Okatsu threw the knife and missed, or didn’t do enough damage to the snake, it would bite Hikosane. If Mitsunari approached it with his sword, the snake might bite Hikosane before he could get to it. Therefore, they needed to divert the snake’s attention, first. In his mind, he could see how to accomplish that and the steps that immediately would need to follow.

Knife.

Roll.

Approach.

Sword.

Strike.

Kill.

“Hikosane – on the count of three, Okatsu will throw her knife behind and to the left of the snake. As soon as it turns to look at the knife, you are to roll to the right.” He spoke softly, trying not to agitate the snake further.

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

With the calmness and skill of the best warriors, Okatsu sent her knife sailing over, and behind the snake. It bounced off the wall and clattered to the floor. The snake hissed and turned its head.

Hikosane rolled off the futon.

The snake turned back as if to strike, but Mitsunari knew where it was going, where it would be, and got his sword there first.

Even before the two halves of the snake hit the floor, Okatsu had Hikosane wrapped in a hug. “He is not staying in this room.”

“It is probably safer now than it ever will be. Whoever put this snake in here will be counting on no one coming in until morning.” But even as Hikosane spoke bravely, he looked at the dead snake with apprehension.

While she comforted Hikosane, Okatsu glanced around the room, possibly seeking additional deadly traps. Mitsunari took the opportunity to hold her hand again. “I forgot. You did say you are afraid of snakes.”

She shrugged slightly. “I’m not fond of things that can kill me. It’s good to be alert for that kind of thing.”

Though she had seemed less worried for herself, she had kept hold of his hand, and that made Mitsunari feel warm inside. Hopefully, this meant that she finally trusted him.

"You don't like Iekane.” Mitsunari made it a statement, not a question, though he kept his voice low. After a brief discussion, they had brought Hikosane back to their room, figuring he would be safest with them. He grabbed his night clothes and slipped behind the screen. "Is there a particular reason? Or a feeling?"

"Would that matter?" There was a note of challenge in her voice, that even Mitsunari could pick up on.

"I trust your feelings either way.” He struggled a bit with his sash, not wanting a repeat of the time he had gotten stuck in his clothing. Luckily, this time it wasn’t tangled or twisted around. He freed himself on his own and kicked his kimono out of the way. "But if he has actually done something, I would like to know what he is capable of."

Her hand whisked the kimono off the floor. "Remember when I said someone locked me in the crate? That was him."

The mixture of anger and confusion that he had felt earlier was nothing compared to the sheer rage that swept over him. For a moment, he couldn’t see or hear, it was all a whoosh of hot anger. If Iekane had been in front of him in that moment, Mitsunari would have cut him down faster than he had the snake.

Thwap!

Someone had punched at the screen.

It was him.

He’d punched it.

And then the need to assure himself, to confirm, that Okatsu was ok had him rushing out and yanking her into his arms. She was ok. She was alive. What had happened to her had happened years ago, and if he had anything to say about it, nothing would happen to her again. But Iekane had been here all day. She’d had ample opportunity to confide in Mitsunari. But… she hadn’t. "Why haven't you told anyone this?"

She mumbled something too quiet for him to hear, so he reluctantly let her go.

"I confronted him the other day. He said it was an accident." She shrugged. “That I had gotten confused. And meanwhile, he was robbed and unconscious for days. Eventually he was adopted by the previous daimyo… who apparently recently sickened and died. So. That’s where he’s been.”

As stories went, it sounded less than likely, but Okatsu knew Iekane better than Mitsunari did. "Do you believe him?" He realized he was still holding his night kimono, so he shrugged into it.

"It's a plausible explanation, but... no. I don't." Okatsu made a circular motion with her hand, and Mitsunari turned around. Then her hands came around his waist, and he was momentarily thrilled until he realized she was fixing his sash. "The problem is, without Aki- my lord- I have no way to prove it. It's his word against mine."

She slipped behind the screen to change, and to distract himself from the delicious sounds of silk fabric sliding across her body, Mitsunari instead pictured Iekane, and what he would do to him when he found him. "I will take your word. That being the situation, what are his skills? Lying and manipulation - poisoning- for its likely he killed the previous Daimyo. What else?"

"Pretty much anything I can do, so can he." There was a long pause, and a relieved sigh, and Mitsunari wondered what she was doing back there. Focus! Enemy. He concentrated on her words. "I'm a much better archer- he's better with a sword."

Then she emerged from behind the screen, and her hair was flowing all around her shoulders, still wavy from being confined in that elaborate hair-bundle she’d been wearing it in, and everything left his mind except … her.

"Your hair is pretty." He reached out to touch it, only remembering just in time that that would be an invasion of her person.

"Er. Thanks." She looked away from him, then her eyes grew big in surprise. Hikosane had fallen asleep across her futon. There was no room for anyone else.

That was… ok. She could sleep in his futon. Mitsunari could sleep on the floor, if needed. But it was probably for the best. He would stay up and attempt to figure out what to do about this Iekane problem. "You can take mine.  I will be awake formulating a strategy.

"You will not. You need sleep. We all do. Your strategy will be better after a good sleep." Okatsu was all business as she briskly climbed under the bedding. "There's enough room for two. I trust you."

She trusts me! But the sight of her, warm, flushed, her hair a bit disordered, and the thought of pressing up against her all night long almost overwhelmed him. No. Did he have that much control? "I am honored, but… You... should not." He didn’t even have enough control to refuse the offer. He carefully perched on the edge of the futon. "Perhaps a short nap."

"Even if you weren't the most trustworthy person I know, it's not like you would do anything with Hikosane in the room." Okatsu rolled onto her side, facing the window – they could, potentially lie down back-to-back.

A little hurt by her automatic dismissal of him, he lay down, keeping a hand space between them. “That is a good point, I suppose. Although an untrustworthy person might not care."

Was it that she found him trustworthy? Or did she not consider him worthy of sexual interest?

"Go to sleep, Mitsunari."

"Goodnight Okatsu." He reached over and squeezed her hand, just to remind her that even if he was “trustworthy,” he still was human.

He would be lucky if he slept at all.

In the end… he slept. Some. Okatsu was a restless sleeper, who talked in her sleep. Nothing that gave him any information about how she felt about him, unfortunately. Nothing even that made any sense, either, simply random phrases, like, ‘where’s my IC card?’ ‘missed the bus’ and ‘wiped-out on the half pipe.’

What did make sense though, was shortly after sunrise, she was relaxed, curled into him and once again, Mitsunari had that feeling that together, they simply fit, that they added up to something that was important and strong.

He couldn’t revel in that insight too long though. As she unconsciously burrowed closer, a physical need for her, to be inside her, flooded through him. It was almost painful in its intensity, and if he didn’t-

Oh. She was awake.

Was she aware?

Could she tell?

She was smiling though. If she could tell, perhaps it was ok?

"Good morning Okatsu." He said it as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb Hikosane, not wanting the moment to end. He put the palm on his hand on her cheek, the way he had done weeks ago when she was injured. The way he had done the first time he’d noticed they fit.

She didn’t move. Mitsunari didn’t either, waiting for a signal to do something, to move, either closer or away. Cautiously he lowered his head. If she didn’t want a kiss, surely she would say no, or move or…

She was going to let him kiss her!

"We have a problem! "Hikosane yelled from the doorway.

Okatsu leaped away from him, while Mitsunari got tangled up in the blankets, and in his frenzy to escape, banged his head against hers.

Hikosane was in danger, that was certain. But at the moment, he was in danger from Mitsunari.

I felt a tug on my hand, as Mitsunari spun me back to him. He placed his palm on my cheek, and just looked at me as if I was the most important person in the universe. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.  But it was clear he wanted to say something, and so I put my hand on his heart, hoping to calm him. Hoping to calm myself. Then he visibly took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling under my hand.  Instead of speaking, he pulled me close, and kissed me with an intensity I wouldn’t have thought him capable of.

Just as his smile could always quiet the negative voices in my head, his kiss brought the world into focus. The world that was Mitsunari. His lips, his hands, his body. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling like I could climb inside his skin, as he clung to me just as desperately.

The world that was Mitsunari.

The world where there was an “us.”

When the kiss ended, he continued to hold me, breathing me. “I love you, Katsuko. Please, someday, find your way back here. To me. When I’m with you – I feel like I’m more than what I thought I was … and that’s you. I want to be more for you.”

“You never needed to be more. You’ve always been more than what you thought.” I understood what he meant though, because when I was with him, I felt like I was more too. And I loved him. Of course, I loved him. I’d been wrong to pretend otherwise. “I love you too.”

In the movies when the girl or the boy realizes they’re in love, there’s always a running montage – often through a big city – as they desperately try to return to the side of the love of their life. I didn’t need a running montage - I was already at Mitsunari’s side. I would be crazy to leave it with no guarantee of return.

“Katsuko!” Toshiie’s voice was getting increasingly desperate.

I looked over my shoulder, to where the others were waiting for me. “I’m sorry. I can’t go back. I was never happy there. This is my place.” In this time. In these arms.

Whatever protest he was about to make, stopped before the words left his mouth. I could see that Toshiie remembered what it had been like, in that last year, the year I chased death. In any case, with the wormhole rapidly approaching, we didn’t have time to argue. “Of course, you would choose the most inaccessible place for me to visit, Doofus.” He hugged me. “I’ll have to keep track of the wormholes, I guess – or you could bring your warlord to visit me. Sometimes.”

Sasuke lightly punched my shoulder. “I understand, Okatsu. This is my place now too, and eventually I will come back to stay.” Then he whispered in my ear, “See if you can get Ieyasu’s autograph for me.”

Lord Shingen bowed to Mitsunari and I. “Angel, if I couldn’t tempt you, then at least I can console myself that it’s due to true love. Good luck to you both.”

“Be well, sir.” I did hope that he would soon be as healthy as the other timeline’s Shingen.

“Thank you, Lord Shingen. For everything.” Mitsunari performed a low and respectful bow.

“You’re welcome, but do not think I will go easy on you if we ever face each other in battle.” Then he winked, before he turned and followed Sasuke and my brother into the wormhole.

All three vanished in the fog.

Mitsunari held me as we watched them disappear, and I would be lying if I didn’t admit that it hurt to see my brother fade away in front of my eyes, especially so soon after finding him again. But this was my choice and at least this time I knew he was alive and well.

The fog lifted as fast as it arrived, but the rain continued, an unrelenting downpour with an Autumn chill to it. I turned to Mitsunari to ask where he wanted to go next and found myself tucked into his embrace again.

He looked down at me as he held me firmly against him, our soaking clothes providing less of a barrier than usual. “Okatsu, all I can think of at this moment is how much I want to kiss you again. May I?”

“You didn’t ask me last time.” Not that I had minded. Being grabbed and kissed into breathlessness hadn’t been on my bucket list, but clearly that had been an oversight on my part.

“There was not time. Lord Shingen said-”

“Lord Shingen gave you advice on love?” I had to laugh and wished that I had been able to overhear that discussion. “I figured the two of you were discussing battle tactics.”

“In a sense, we were.” He brushed a finger across my lips. “You did not say if I can kiss you.”

“Oh. Well. Yes. Of course, you c-”

That was all I got out before his mouth claimed mine, smoothly brushing my lips with his, once, twice, and then when mine naturally parted, his tongue tentatively edged my lower lip. There was a brief hesitation, until I encouraged him, tapping his tongue with mine, then he moaned, and threw away all uncertainly. Maybe there was more passion than skill, but I wasn’t going to complain (I could barely think). Whatever had been holding him back before had shattered, and his unchecked desire was a whirlwind all its own. He swept me along, and I could no longer determine which was him and which was me.

And then…

CLINK.

Ow.

Mitsunari jumped back instantly. “I’m sorry. Are you hurt? What did I do wrong?”

“Not you.” I glared over my shoulder at Moonlight, who had expressed her displeasure at getting wet by nipping at my shoulder and propelling me right into Mitsunari’s teeth. “Her. She hates water.”

Forgiving creature that he is, Mitsunari gently patted her nose. “She may be correct that it is time for us to be on our way.” He wiped his face with his wet sleeve.

“I suppose you’re right.”

We dove into each other for another kiss.

I imagined that Moonlight, if her thoughts could be translated into a human tongue, would seriously be voicing her displeasure… in every obscenity she knew (and living in a stable, she probably knew quite a few choice words).

Eventually, though, the downpour proved to be too much to ignore, and we made our way, travelling the vast distance of … oh it was at least two kilometers … to a small village near the shrine, and stopped at an Inn. The building itself was small, but it looked well-kept and clean, and I thought I spotted a path to an Onsen …

Huh… I was pretty sure that in the future there would be a nice resort hotel built right around this spot. Toshiie and I had once had dinner there, after one of the few times I had dragged him out snowboarding. If I remembered correctly, the rooms had a beautiful view of the mountains. If this time’s version of the hotel was similarly situated, it would be the perfect place to wait out the storm.

Well. It was storming.

We would be waiting.

If we were to find interesting ways to pass that time, well, who could blame us?

Besides, after the events of the past couple days, we were clearly too tired to travel through a storm. It would be better to take a day and a night to rest before setting off on the journey to Azuchi.

After handing over the reins of our horses to a boy who was barely six years old, we entered the Inn as the Innkeeper rushed out of a back hallway to greet us. Hopefully, he would give us a room at this early hour of the day.

The Innkeeper squinted at me. “Kaya?”

Holy cats. Is that…?

“Okitane?” Aki’s old apprentice had gained a bit of weight over the past seven years, but otherwise he hadn’t changed. “I thought you and Niwa went to work in Heimji.”

Behind me, I felt Mitsunari sigh in impatience. I guess he really wanted to get into a room, and … nap.

“No. We were going to but, the earrings you gave us turned out to be worth enough money to purchase this Inn. It seemed silly to travel all the way across the country when the perfect place was right here.” He indicated a corridor off behind him. “She’s in the kitchen – do you want to visit with her?”

There was another sigh behind me. I knew Mitsunari wouldn’t stop me from visiting an old friend, but I saw no need to torture him. Oh…who was I kidding. I wanted to get my hands on him as soon as possible.

“I would love to catch up with her, but my husband and I got caught in the rain. We’d really like to get dry and warm.” Mitsunari startled at the field promotion to ‘husband’, but it was easier than having to explain the whole story. “Later today, when she’s got a free moment?”

Or tomorrow. Tomorrow would be good too.

“You two do look soaked.” Okitane indicated a walkway to the back. “All of the rooms are empty – the one furthest from here has the best view.” He lowered his voice to a confidential whisper. “And you will enjoy the most privacy.”

Huh. Guess he was not fooled.

“Thank you, Okitane.” I managed a quick bow before Mitsunari took my hand and led me away.

I couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled me across the courtyard. Simply looking at him and holding his hand was enough to send joy bubbling through me.

Smack

“Oh. I am truly sorry.” Mitsunari apologized to the pillar he had just bounced off.

“Oooh. Are you ok?” Now would be a Murphy’s Law time for him to get a concussion. I could almost picture birdies circling his head.

“I am fine. Why did you ask?” He took my moment of concern as an opportunity to kiss me again. And now I was the one seeing a circle of birdies. Holding rose petals and-

We did make it inside the room before any clothing came off. We even managed to get the door shut.

“I’ve wanted to do this for such a long time.” Mitsunari kissed under my ear, and I felt the heat of his lips travel all the way to…

A long time? How long? An old worry stopped that heat before it could build further. Was this connected to that so called love potion?

He noticed my hesitation and stopped. “Okatsu, did I do something wrong?”

“It’s nothing you did, really. But what if this is because of the love potion? I mean, I’m sure it wasn’t really a love potion, but even so it could have put the idea in your mind. They call it the placebo-” I halted when he lightly put his finger to his lips. “Effect.”

Gently, he untangled my still damp hair. “Since the day before the day Shohime gave us that tea.”

Oh. Well. That’s ok then. Carry on.

Please.

“How would you like me to touch you?” He trailed his fingers over my face. “Like this? Or… is this better?” His other hand stroked my side, eventually coming to rest at my hip. Under his touch, warmth bloomed and radiated through my whole body.

“You know what? It’s all good.” I wanted his hands everywhere. If I could have walked him through a nuclear reactor in order for him to grow a couple more hands, I would have done it. “Just touch me.”

He worked to untangle my obi tie (unfortunately making it more tangled). “While that is exciting to know, how will I be able to learn if you don’t tell me?”

“You’ve always been an adaptive learner… I have every confidence that not only will you figure it out, but our study of each other might become my favorite class ever.” Granted, ‘favorite class ever’ was an extremely low bar.

“I will work very hard to make certain of it.” He gave my obi tie another yank, but I had lost patience with waiting.

Sorry Mai.

I grabbed my dagger and sliced it open. The obi fell to the floor with a wet plop and once loosened, my kimono slipped off one shoulder.

Reverently, Mitsunari cupped his hand over my shoulder, fingers tentatively travelling along my arm. He followed that with tiny kisses everywhere he’d just touched. It was such a light stroke, almost as if he was drawing feathers across my skin, but so effective that I realized I was trembling. “You are cold?”

Half a question, half a statement. “No, I’m not.” I thought about that. “Ok, yes, actually I am cold too, but that wasn’t why I shivered.”

“Why then?” He continued brushing his fingers along my arm.

“Because it felt good.” So good that I wondered how I would possibly survive him touching me in other places. I might be the first recorded case of spontaneous human combustion.

He smiled then, and it was like having the sun come out to dry and warm me. “I’m glad.” He reached for me again, helping me to peel the rest of my wet clothing off. “This… is a complicated equation.”

Have you ever experienced a day where half of it is a complete blur and the other half stands out in sharp reality?

I know that Mitsunari and I managed to get our wet clothes off. I know that we stirred up the coals in the firepit to help ward off the Autumn chill. But I don’t remember how any of these things happened. What I remember was the look on his face when I finally got my wet clothes off. I remember that Mitsunari’s sandals somehow fell into the fire and we didn’t notice until they had completely burned up because we were too busy kissing.

Somehow we managed to get from the firepit to the futon – I think that Mitsunari had simply boosted me into his arms and carried me, while my arms were locked around his neck and my legs were around his waist – but that trek across the room is now a blurred memory of sensations – the feeling of his tight abs between my thighs and his erection pressing against my butt, the slide of his chest across my nipples.

I do remember how we got into bed because Mitsunari tripped on it, sending us both tumbling onto the futon mattress.

“I am sorry! Did I hurt you?” He immediately rolled off me and I felt the loss of contact through to my bones.

“No, I’m fine. Get back here.” Er. Hadn’t meant to be so dominant. “Um. Please.”

“I want to do this slowly. I want to have every moment of this captured in my memory.” He took my hand and kissed each fingertip. “Lord Shingen said I must worship you. That is what I intend to do.”

He turned my hand over and kissed my palm, finishing the kiss with a swish of his tongue that left me shaking with need.

“While I imagine that Lord Shingen is very skilled,” (the other Katsuko didn’t act like she had any complaints), “you don’t need to do what he would do. Or what he told you to do.” And then, because I could already feel him pulling back, I hurried on. “I want what Mitsunari wants.”

“Everything. I want everything.” He drew me into his arms and buried his face in my neck. “I want you so much that you cloud my thoughts.”

I tugged him closer, so close that the only thing between us was a slight sheen of sweat. “I want everything too.”

“Where do you like to be touched?” He pressed his lips to my throat. “Here. I know here.” He kissed me harder, nipping and sucking, and I moaned and arched off the mattress. “That is good too?” It was part question, part awed realization.

“Stop thinking.” I plastered myself against him and kissed him hard. He couldn’t stop and second guess himself if I kept his mouth occupied.

“Yes. I will stop thinking,” he managed to say before he gave himself over to the embrace.

We lay on our sides, face to face, body to body – naked kiss, gliding across each other as what I guess had been an anxiety pause was restored to the need that had propelled us into this room, into each other.

Touch, that was all that I wanted. He could ask where or how but my answer would be the same. Yes, there. That’s good. Now. More. I hooked my leg over his hip and inched myself closer still.

Just the sensation of him slick and trembling against me – or was that me, was I the one shaking? – was enough. The being. The sharing. He was right – we were right, together we were more than I thought I could ever be.

And so, though I may not have been physically close when he thrust into me, I was emotionally ready to feel his fullness inside, to feel that complete. Part of me wanted to hold onto that moment, to freeze it in time forever.

His mouth captured mine in a long kiss as he continued to move within me. I slipped my hand between my legs, touching myself to catch up, and then my genius lover followed the trail, his hand covering mine, learning by example, where and how I liked to be touched.

I arched against him, as he continued to pump into me, holding him as he climaxed with a groan… then relaxed. His sweat-tinged hair tickled the top of my arm, and I reflexively began combing it back into place. Somewhere from deep inside my consciousness whispered mine.

“You did not… also?” It was a few moments later when he regained speech. “Lord Shingen said-”

I silenced him with a kiss. We did not need to add Lord Shingen’s thoughts and opinions to this moment. “That was how I wanted it… I … many women… are not as quick to warm up as men. But I wanted that closeness. I wanted to…” I couldn’t find the exact way to explain that I’d wanted to give myself over to him. “That… it was for you.”

“Thank you, Lady—Thank you Katsuko.” He returned his hand to between my thighs. “If I am understanding correctly…”

That light touch was just a whisper against me, but even the hint of friction stirred the coals inside me. I’d been close before, it didn’t take much for that throbbing feeling to return and my need to build. “Yes?”

“A man is like an arrow – all that is needed is to focus… draw… aim, and let go?” He added a little flick for emphasis, and my quick gasp probably told him he’d found his target.

Military terms? Now? “Uh. Sure.” He had gathered more confidence, as this brilliant, adaptive learner pressed harder now, his explorations having told him that… oh yes… tiny circles was…. Yup…. that’s good.

“Whereas women are like flint lock muskets. They need a spark and a long… slow… burn.” He brought his other hand into the equation, inserting two fingers inside me. He’d mapped that path before, and now, he easily found again a place that made me take in a quick sharp gasping breath.

I closed my eyes and rode that sensation, wanting to enjoy it, hold it to me, as long as possible.

Mitsunari might not be able to walk and read at the same time, but his hand-eye coordination was… just fine. “Until finally,” he continued, his voice lowered to a whisper, “one is able to pull…”

I was wide open to him, hanging off the edge of rational thought.

“…the trigger.” He raked his fingers across me, then as I began to spiral, he continued pressing his thumb down while I exploded against him.

Thank goodness Okitane put us in the furthest room.

While I was still trying to remember how to breath, Mitsunari pulled me on top as he rolled to his back to cuddle me against his chest (mostly… I did have to casually free my arm, which was caught under him at a weird angle).

“It was your hair.” His whispered non-sequitur pulled me out of a post-coital daze. I felt a slight tug and saw that Mitsunari had grabbed a lock of my hair and was coiling it around his fingers. “That first night… you couldn’t sleep. That you let me… trusted me to touch you. I wanted more.”

Aw. That’s sweet. I booped his nose – no particular reason why, I just felt like booping his nose… and anyway, he was still talking. “No. It was before that, but I didn’t realize. Or understand what it meant. When you were injured.” He placed his palm on my face. “We fit. I didn’t examine my thought then. But even back then… I knew we fit.”

“I felt something then too.” I hadn’t examined it either, letting it skitter across my nerves into my subconscious. “Yeah. We fit.”

His hand drifted down my cheek, as he gently lifted my face to his. A tiny kiss, briefest brush across my mouth. “I can’t imagine ever tiring of kissing you.”

All thoughts of napping fled the room. Soft kisses built into longer kisses, that merged into one long open mouth exploration of tongues, lips, until we finally only broke away to breathe. The room spun around us. He’d literally kissed me until I was breathlessly hyperventilating.

Then his hands were everywhere, re-awakening nerve endings that didn’t want to rest after all – not when his mouth was on my breast and his tongue fluttered against me. The whole world shrunk to that point, that sensation of his mouth sucking my breasts. He gave each one careful, even attention, as if he was studying them with his lips and tongue, and even with tiny nips of his teeth.

He shifted me until I straddled his hips, and again I felt his hardness pressing against my butt. With a smile that was half-curious, half-wicked (where had he learned how to be wicked? Did I do that? Go me!), he said, “This… the book made it seem like this was something that you would enjoy. Yes?”

“You… stole Mozumi’s pillow book?” My gasp was equally the shock of his thievery as it was the sensation of being lifted directly onto his shaft.

“No.” He thrust upward. “I read it. Every. Single. Page.”

Oh, bless his eidetic memory!

Was I still asleep and dreaming? Was I dreaming that both Sasuke and Toshiie were here?  No, because right before my brother yanked me into a hug too tight to be a dream, I saw Sasuke and Mitsunari standing behind him.

Toshiie’s hands were strong on my back, and he babbled nearly incoherently. "Katsuko. Oh God, I'm sorry. They told me you were dead. I swear, I never would have stopped looking if I'd known. I never would have gone back. I’m sorry. I should have protected you."

Dead? Me? I mean, even when I was locked in the crate, I hadn’t reached the point of ‘mostly-dead.’

His words didn't make sense, but did it matter right now? His hair was shorter, he looked a little thinner, there were new lines in his face, he wore a different pair of glasses ... but it was Toshiie "Sh. It’s ok. You found me... or did Sasuke find you?" Where had he been all these years? How had Sasuke found him?

I double checked to make sure that Mitsunari was out of earshot. Ok, he and Sasuke had politely withdrawn to give Toshiie and I privacy for our reunion. Further beyond them, Hikosane and Shohime were busy -- were they making ground spikes? In any case they were all far enough away to not overhear Toshie and my conversation.

"Actually, I found Sasuke in modern Kyoto. Katsuko, I was only in this era for a few months. The same wormhole that brought us here, sent me back to modern Japan almost seven years ago." He put his head in his hands. “I thought you were dead. The bandits said you were eaten by a bear."

"A bear? What?" I clapped my hand over my mouth to prevent laughing in his face. But seriously. I had encountered one or two bears in my time here and they never showed any interest in eating me. If Toshiie had spent more time here, he would know the bears were shy of people, "Never mind. Go on, I always thought you were on a ship of some kind. Guess that was as wrong as the bear."

“That’s right. I was on a ship. We'd been at sea about six weeks," he made a face (Toshiie always had had terrible motion sickness), "when we sailed into a storm. And I could tell it was the same kind of storm that brought us here. That fog bank moved right off the port side, and while they were all dealing with the storm, I dove right into it."

"Wow. That was…" Stupid. He could have drowned. "Brave."

"The next thing I knew, I was back at Togakushi, alone, in the middle of winter. I was messed up for a while.” He paused and looked down at the ground. In my family, the three of us had never used words like “depressed” or “anxious.” Even though psychology courses were required for his studies, Toshiie had nearly always avoided talking about mental health with me (well, until the day that we’d ended up sucked into the wormhole). So for him to even use ‘messed up?’ Things had been bad for him. “Anyway, eventually, I pulled myself together and went back to school." He lifted up a medical bag that looked far too anachronistic to my eyes.

"Look at you. Are you a doctor now?" It was hard to take in. While I'd had a life here, Toshiie had - eventually - picked up where he left off. It felt jarring, like we were two pieces of a puzzle that looked like they would fit but didn't.

"Not yet. Close. I have another year of residency." He glanced at Sasuke. "A couple weeks ago, I saw an announcement for a lecture about time travel. Since I've never had anyone to talk to about it, I went, and that’s where I met Sasuke. After he was done talking, I followed him out of the lecture hall, and said, you're not going to believe this, but what you described happened to me. We went out for a drink, and I told him everything.”

Sasuke and Mitsunari had made their way over in time to hear the last bit of Toshiie’s story. "And I told him, I do believe you... and I know your sister. She's not dead. I had already been making plans to return to-" He sideeyed Mitsunari. "To this part of the county."

"To this era. You may say that. I am aware Okatsu is a time traveler." Mitsunari spoke as casually as if he were offering tea.

He knows?

I must have looked stunned, for Mitsunari patted my arm before continuing. "I was already aware that Mai is from the future as she mentioned it on the day she arrived, and after observing her actions for a few days, I concluded she had not been lying. As you once noted you are from the same place as Mai, the logical conclusion was that you are also from the future. Since you did not mention it to me, I presumed you did not wish to discuss it." The words were mild, but his tone sounded hurt.

"I never mention it to anyone. Even Aki, who I've worked for for many years, doesn't know." Then because I wanted to give Mitsunari something of myself, a truth he could hold onto, I added, "My name actually is Katsuko. Mitsuhide changed it when he made me a princess." I put the word ‘princess’ in air quotes, although probably he wouldn’t understand the gesture.

That dazzling smile came out. "Katsuko." It sounded like he was tasting the name on his tongue. “Katsuko,” he repeated, and coming from his mouth it sounded like a song. "It is a pretty name. It suits you." Then he sighed. “I am terrible at remembering names though. I apologize in advance if I forget and call you Okatsu.”

For the sake of our charade, he likely should continue to call me Okatsu anyway, but it was nice to know that I was no longer lying to him about one thing.

Toshiie gave him a ‘back-off dude,’ big brother type look, then picked up the story. "Sasuke has a friend who is very ill, so he asked if I would also come along to-”

"- Where I work," Sasuke jumped in very quickly. Yeah, it wouldn’t be a good idea to advertise to an Oda that you worked for-.

"I'm also aware you work for Uesugi Kenshin. Do not censor yourself on my account." Mitsunari calmly sat with his hands resting on his knees as if he was doing nothing more than discussing the best brand of tea, instead of chatting with an enemy.

"Er. Alright then." Sasuke pushed glasses further up nose. "In any case, as Toshiie and I came through a wormhole at Honno-ji, it was simple enough to detour to Genba, but Mitsunari has briefed me on your current situation, and clearly it's not that simple."

"You'll help us though." It wasn't question. I knew he would do that for Mai. And I suppose given that he also was aware of Japan's future, it was vital that unification happened.

Sasuke nodded. "Mitsunari has been discussing strategy with me." He began pulling all manner of ninja tools out of his pack. "I understand we'd be practicing guerilla tactics to carry out attacks on the enemy until reinforcements arrive."

Finally, Mitsunari looked confused. "Gorillas... we need monkeys?"

"Um... it's just another word for Ewok." I didn’t know why it was called guerilla. I’d probably skipped school that day.

"Ewoks!" Sasuke looked at me. "If I had known you were also a time traveler earlier. I imagine we would have had some fascinating conversations."

Now it was Mitsunari's turn for that 'back off' look, and he directed it at Sasuke. However, he continued in a pleasant tone of voice. "Now is not the time for that. Okatsu, Katsuko.” He sighed. "As I said. I am not very good at remembering names.”

"Might as well leave it at Okatsu so as not to confuse anyone." We really didn’t have time to keep explaining a name change to Hikosan, Shohime and the Kanamori vassals.

Susumu had rounded up thirty-five vassals and servants, an additional six women archers, and all the spare weapons and ammunition he could find. Once everyone had gathered in our camp, Mitsunari outlined his plans. "I intend to split us in three groups." Susumu, you and I will take the largest force and to capture as many of their supplies as possible." He used a stick to draw out the military formations in the dirt. "We’ll isolate and outflank the supply chain here."

"Okatsu, you are to lead the archers, with Shohime and Hikosane to the top of the northermost signal tower. There you are to defend our rear guard and the-” he nodded at Toshiie, "medical facility for the injured."

“Hang on! I’m not part of this fight. I came back for my sister and nothing else. Sasuke promised he could get us home.” Toshiie tugged on my arm. “I couldn’t help you before, but I’m here now.”

This… was not the brother I remembered. What had happened to him? And while on an intellectual level, I knew that Toshiie hadn’t undergone the seven years of survival training I’d been through, but even without that, did he really think I’d abandon my friends now? “If you really want to help, then listen to Mitsunari.”

Toshiie turned to Mitsunari… and said, “Look, I didn’t go through all this just to watch my sister get killed. She’s impulsive. She’s unreliable. She’s-”

“Standing right next to you.” I elbowed him in the ribs. “I can speak for myself, and I’m not going anywhere until this is over.” One way or another.

With a calming hand, Sasuke patted Toshiie on the back. “I will get you and your sister home, but we can’t leave until Nobunaga is safe, or there may not be a home to return to.” Given all these witnesses, Sasuke couldn’t bring up quantum theory and temporal paradox, but the unspoken message was clear.

Although he clearly didn’t like it, Toshiie grudgingly accepted Sasuke’s statement. “Fine. As long as I’m stuck here, I will provide medical care to my best ability. Under these conditions.” That last part was muttered under his breath.

Calmly, as if Toshiie hadn’t been possessed by the spirit of Debbie Downer, Mitsunari continued his instructions.  "Sasuke believes he can find a way into Genba castle and potentially sneak Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, Mai… and Mozumi out. But if he cannot, he will at least be able to return with valuable information about guards and troop movement.”

His expression serious (although his expression always was serious), Sasuke saluted him and nodded.

"Based on how much Susumu’s forces can obtain or destroy, and what Sasuke learns," Mitsunari continued, "We will refine and move on to phase two of the plan."

All that was great and all... but I was a bit... peeved... that I was going to be stuck on top of a tower. Not that I would say anything to Mitsunari in front of anyone else (unlike my brother I understood the military chain of command… and unlike my brother I also had manners). Instead, I waited until everyone dispersed and Mitsunari finished relaying instructions to Sasuke, before approaching. "Lord Mitsunari." I bowed.

"Okatsu there's no need for formality.” Then he looked at me for a moment before frowning. "You... are upset?"

"Are you trying to protect me by putting me in beacon tower?" I thought I had proved my worth by now.

"I see. No. That isn't it. I want archers on top of that tower, and you are the best archer I know." Then, even though no one was looking, he took my hands in his. Instantly at his touch, I felt calmer. Mitsunari always could soothe the noise in my head. "I was treating you as a warrior and placing you where you are needed."

"Oh. Alright then. Thank-you." I paused, then withdrew my hands from his, feeling the cold as I did so.

The beacon towers were part of a network of towers that Takeda Shingen had built all through the territory when it was his. Since the primary function was to send smoke signals from tower to tower, the structures were crude, mostly open to the elements, wider on the ground floor, and tapering upward to the beacon level. The one we planned to use had been abandoned for months, although to be certain, we had one of Susumu's men with us (the Redshirt), to check things out.

On the ground level, Toshiie set up the ‘medical tent,’ in one corner, grumbling all the while about medieval medicine.

"I realize you’re being sarcastic, but this literally is medieval Japan," I reminded him, as Shohime, our girl-power archery corps, and I prepared to climb onto the higher level to set up the defenses. "You don't hear me grumbling about the lack of binoculars, do you?"

Toshiro reached into his pack and handed me a set of binoculars.

"Wow. Really?" Not taking a gift anachronism in the mouth, but… "Does Sasuke know you brought those?"

Tosh shrugged. "We weren't planning to be here that long. Just get you, help his friend, and hop the next wormhole out of here." He kicked at the dirt and leaves that littered the ground since the tower’s sides were partially open to the elements.

"Too bad you couldn't sneak a handheld vacuum huh?" I broke off a branch of a nearby tree, then flipped it leaf side down. "Here, Macguver this into a broom."

Tosh rolled his eyes (and to think I missed his sarcasm?) but grabbed the branch and got to work.

I joined the others on top of the tower, they were milling around and it took me a moment to realize that they were waiting for me to tell them what to do. Mitsunari had effectively made me commander of this team. I looked them over.

Though a couple women were around my age, there was one who had to be at least a grandmother, if not a great grandmother. Shohime went right over to the woman and hugged her. The woman whispered something in her ear, and Shohime laughed before turning to me. “Lady Okatsu, this is Ushi. She used to work in Genba castle and she taught me everything I know about archery.”

Well, that was good information that I hoped I’d know what to do with. I'd never been in charge before. It looked like I would need to rely on Shohime, whose transformation from airhead to semi-capable warrior had left my head spinning.

Alright. Speech time. Hopefully I would not suddenly develop stage fright. "If our luck holds, and of course we can't count on luck, we can remain undetected until Susumu and Mitsunari launch their raid. But as I said we can't count on luck. We'll start with four people, one keeping watch over each direction.” The top of the tower was only about four square meters, narrowing from the larger room below, so even though we all faced different directions, we would be able help to each other.

“Four up here watching. Two asleep. Two guarding and helping medical. We'll rotate in shifts every quarter watch." Given Shohime’s recommendation, I put Ushi in charge of the other shift, then sent them back to the main floor, telling them to determine for themselves who would sleep first. And… feeling like I ought to add some kind of inspiring words to fire them up, I said,  “And… um, clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.”

After the other shift retreated to the base of the tower, all was quiet. I sneakily used the binoculars to see if I could get a sense of what was happening at the castle, but these glasses had been meant for bird watching, and I couldn't see close enough for details.

"Shohime, how long have you been pretending to be..." I bit back the word 'stupid,' as I didn't want to insult her.

She understood what I meant. "Since I was eight. I saw Lady Yone about to smother Hikosane with a cushion! He was just a baby! I interrupted her and asked her to help with a dance I had been learning. It was easier protect Hikosane if she thought I was an idiot."

"I take it Lady Yone was pregnant with one of your sisters at the time?" Though Japan didn’t really follow the western tradition of primogeniture, Genba Castle's domain was on the small and poor side, especially before the silver mines had been discovered. Yone would not have wanted an unborn son to divide his inheritance with Hikosane.

"Yes." Shohine's shoulders slumped. "She steps up the efforts every time she is pregnant. Although this-" she gestured vaguely around the forest. "Was not something. I expected."

"I imagine Iekane helped her come up with this.... or maybe they found each other." I didn't want to discount the intelligence of another woman, especially, after misjudging Shohime. "Are your feelings for Mitsunari part of whatever it was you were doing to protect Hikosane?"

If she was sincere in her feelings, then maybe after this was over, after I went home, she and Mitsunari would get together after all. She'd shown herself to be resourceful and smart, although clearly she needed more education to be able to take advantage of that raw intelligence.

"How could anyone not love Mitsunari?" Shohime had a fond smile on her face. "He's smart and sweet and beautiful."

True, he was all of that and more. He would be very easy to love…

…if I weren’t catching the next wormhole out of town.

I must have looked upset or something, because Shohime leaned over and touched my arm. "But don’t worry Okatsu. No matter how I feel about him, it's obvious that the two of you are perfect for one another. Please don't worry that I will try to come between you."

At the moment, I was more worried about Mitsunari getting back from his mission with Susumu. They’d been gone a while… too long? I hadn’t been paying enough attention to the position of the sun to estimate how much time had passed. Something rustled in the trees below, and I took a moment to track and find it through the binoculars. It was just a rabbit. A regular rabbit, I presumed, and not a monster out of the imagination of Monty Python. “What about the poisoned tea? Lord Mitsuhide said you could have killed us all."

"I was afraid that Lady Yone was having me watched… that page that always follows me came to the castle in her entourage.” Oh. Huh. I had wondered why she hadn’t brought that seemingly loyal page with her when she ‘ran away.’ “So, I had to at least pick the flowers. But if the stable – er, Lord Aketchi had not already stopped me, I would have switched it out before I gave it to you - or to us, since I believe I was the intended victim. She wants Iekane to herself."

"Ugh. She can have him." I was years away from the naïve girl who had once found Iekane’s smile attractive.

"With a ribbon.'' Shohime and I smiled in a moment of simpatico. "Lord Aketchi said what I ended up giving you truly was a love potion. I suppose it was simply something like water?"

I shrugged. "With Mitsuhide, anything is possible. He might have truly handed you a temporary love potion because it amused him to do so."

"Interesting. Lord Aketchi sounds like a fascinating man. I imagine I could learn a great deal from him." There was a look on her face that made me suspect she might be willing to see him as a romantic prospect, but all jokes aside, I thought the age difference between the two was too great. Besides, I did not want anyone to get in the way of the great enemies-to-lovers romance that was Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi.

Any further conversation in this vein was interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the ladder, as Toshiie and Hikosane climbed onto the observation platform.

"It's as clean as it is going to get,'' Toshiie dusted his hands on his hakima. "Though in an ideal world we won't have any wounded anyway."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, there was a muffled sound of gunshots, carried through the clear afternoon air.

Oh God. Mitsunari. That’s where he was. What if he’d been shot?

The gunshots were followed by a-

BOOM.

-that rattled the tower in its intensity.

My breath caught in my lungs as a plume of smoke rose over the trees above a dark orange glow.

BOOM.

I’m not sure what woke me up. It might have been the sun, slanting through the window at an angle far too high to be morning. It might have been Mitsunari’s fingers as he traced a line from my cheek to the corner of my mouth.

It might have been the sound of running feet and angry voices…

Whatever it was, by the time the door slid open and-

Hideyoshi…

Mitsuhide…

Nobunaga…

and Mai piled into the room…

I was awake.

“Where the hell have you two been?” Hideyoshi yelped it over Mai’s apologetic, “I tried to stop them.”

“Oh my.” Mitsuhide leaned against the wall. “There was no need to take your fake engagement all the way into a fake honeymoon.” He sent a mocking look toward the pile of disheveled bedding that was mostly covering us up. “That is rather going far and above the call of duty.”

I refused to cower in front of either Hideyoshi’s disapproval or Mitsuhide’s teasing. At least Nobunaga seemed to be taking things calmly – ok, well, he seemed amused at Hideyoshi’s bristling and Mitsuhide’s sarcasm… so… calmly amused.

With perhaps a slight bit of bravado, I rearranged the blanket to confirm that the important bits were covered, then said, with equal bravado, “If you believe anything here was faked, you don’t know Mitsunari as well as you think.”

That, at least got smiles from Mai and Nobunaga, the expected scowl from Hideyoshi, and well, no response at all from Mitsuhide.

“During your activities,” Hideyoshi sounded like he was choking on the word, “did it occur to either one of you that we might be concerned over your well-being? At least once in the past ten days, you might have considered sending word of your safety.”

Mitsunari froze, although he had grabbed my hand and did not let it go. “I am sorry, Lord Hideyoshi. I did not realize so much time had passed.”

Mai actually snort-laughed at that.

As I didn’t want Mitsunari to get into any trouble (any more trouble), I turned to Mai and Nobunaga who, hopefully, would understand the subtext of my explanation. “For the majority of the time we were unaccounted for, we were in a situation where it was not possible to send a message.” And… probably best to gloss over the past three days since we had arrived at this Inn.

The two of them spent a moment in silent communication. “Understood.” Nobunaga nodded to himself. “Make yourselves presentable, after which we will discuss current matters- not the least of which will be to commend your performance in repelling Iekane’s forces.”

Put like that, it sounded like we had successfully pitched a project to a client, rather than, almost singlehandedly holding off an insurrection for three days… but, details.

Then Nobunaga turned, and more or less propelled Hideyoshi out of the room. Mai winked at us and followed. Mitsuhide paused at the door then asked, “I take it you were searching for Akihira.”

“Yes, sir.” Even naked, Mitsunari hadn’t dropped his formality. Of course, it was possible that Mitsunari had forgotten he was naked. “Unfortunately, even his more regular contacts were not able to locate him.”

Mitsuhide rubbed his chin and looked at me. “That suggests that you might be in need of a new master.”

“Okatsu has no need to employment.” Mitsunari pulled me closer to him so quickly I almost didn’t have time to pull the blanket with me (yeah, he had forgotten that we were naked). “I am able to take care of her.”

Oh dear.

It seemed that we did still have a few issues to work out. None of which were worth discussing while Mitsuhide was in the room.

Why was he still here?

“I believe I heard Nobunaga calling for you, Lord Mitsuhide.” Blatant lie, but I should get credit for saying it with a completely blank face.

“You must have excellent hearing.” Great. Trust Mitsuhide to want to stick around to tease us both.

“I do, in fact.” I looked around for something to throw at him, but came up empty handed. “Perhaps any discussion of future employment should wait for Nobunaga as he did make a prior offer.”

Go away.

Besides which, I doubted I could work full time for Mitsuhide without wanting to kill him – and I would be surprised if he didn’t say the same thing about me.

“If you wish me to leave, Brat, you need only to ask.” He made a show of looking at his nails as if to suggest that he was only sticking around because he had yet to be dismissed.

Beside me, I sensed Mitsunari about to object to the term, ‘brat,’ so I imitated Mitsuhide’s bored tone. “Lord Mitsuhide, you have permission to take your leave of us.”

“As you wish.” He bowed and left.

“Okatsu-”

I placed my fingers on Mitsunari’s lips, until I was certain Mitsuhide had left and was not lurking in the corridor as he had when… Wait- what was I remembering? I was suddenly hit with two blurry flashes of memories. In one, I ran into a corridor carrying a bundle of clothing and nearly collided with Mitsuhide. Before I could sort though that, it was replaced by another image, another corridor, this one red and black, garish almost, that spun dizzily around while Mitsuhide scooped me up and said something about a head injury…

Neither of these things had happened.

Had I just gotten a flash of Katsuko’s memories? Of Kayten’s? Or of another of the so-called alternate’s?

I rubbed my eyes, trying to push away the invading pictures. Was this what Kayten had to deal with all the time? No wonder she was so… difficult.

“Okatsu?” Mitsunari looked at me with concern. “You appeared to be … in pain.”

Oh, he was so, so much better at understanding my emotions these days. Of course we had just spend the last seventy-two hours exploring each other physically and emotionally – basically it had been a love language immersion class. “I’m fine. Just remembering a … weird dream.”

Maybe it would be good idea to think of the other Katsukos’ lives as a dream. Otherwise, I might end driving myself crazy for real. Had any of the other (sigh) alternates gotten flashes of my life? If so, I hoped they had enjoyed the last three days.

I know I certainly had.

Keeping my smile (and probably leer) hidden, I watched as Mitsunari got up and gathered the clothing that was scattered around the room. Oh. He did have a nice butt. Not quite Captain America level, but, darned close. Oooh. I can now objectify my fake fiancée!

Hm… was our engagement still fake?

Mitsunari turned around and caught me staring. “Okatsu, I love you, but I do not wish to keep Hideyoshi waiting. If you continue to look at me like that, that is certainly what will happen.”

“Understood. My apologies.” I needed to get dressed too, of course. At least for me, I had a change of clothing that I had grabbed before leaving Genba. Poor Mitsunari was stuck in the clothing that had gotten rained on.

Aside from a couple of corner of my eye glances at my maybe-not-fake fiancé, I managed to get up and get dressed, without pulling Mitsunari back to bed for round twelve.

Once I was dressed in Katsu-the-messenger’s clothing, I noticed Mitsunari was regarding me with a frown. “What’s wrong? Does this hakama make me look fat?”

“Fat? You are perfect, no matter what you are wearing.” He pulled me in for a quick kiss. “It is only that when you dress this way, I remember your work can be dangerous.”

Oh right. We do still need to settle this first (sorry Hideyoshi). “It can be, but I can take care of myself.” I put my hand up to stop his automatic protest. “Yes, I know you can take care of me as well. But I like what I do. As much as I love you, I wouldn’t be me if I sat around all day and did nothing.”

And then, because he still hadn’t responded, I hugged him tighter. “Anyway, I don’t even know who I will be working for. Nobunaga may want me to work as a translator.” But hopefully not all the time. It could get pretty boring to be stuck inside with papers and such. “As for Mitsuhide, I don’t think he would really ask me to do anything dangerous – he has his own spies and Kyubei for that.”

“I hope you are correct.” He kissed the top of my head. He was still holding on tightly, so I don’t know how much of that had gotten through.

“We have time to figure it out.” That was the best perk – since I had arrived in this era, I had been in a sort of limbo, while I searched for Toshiie and a way home. But now, I was home, and I knew where Toshiie was. If I could only figure out what had happened to Aki, it would be perfect. Although at least I knew that there were other people looking for him too… other versions of me looking for him. And since the other versions had also been trained by Aki, surely one of us would find him.

“Where are your sandals?” That was the first question from Hideyoshi once we had all crowded into Nobunaga’s rooms for a debriefing session.

Mitsunari looked down at his feet, as if he hadn’t realized they were bare (quite possibly he hadn’t). “I seem to have misplaced… oh.” At the last minute, he finally must have remembered they were now a pile of ash.

“We tried to dry them off after they got soaked in the rain, and they fell in the firepit.” I kept my smile as innocent as possible. Hideyoshi seemed satisfied with the explanation, but Mitsuhide gave me a look that suggested he knew what we had been doing while the shoes went up in smoke.

“Something will be found for you to wear before we return to Azuchi.” Nobunaga waved his hand in the air as if such a problem was beneath his notice. “If we can find nothing that fits, perhaps Mai can help.”

“Of course. Also,” Mai turned to me with a frown. “Shohime said she would pack up all your things and bring them to Azuchi.” There was a note of hurt in her voice.

Right. When I left, I had abandoned the clothing she had made. I hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings, but obviously I had. “I’m sorry. I would have loved to have taken them with me, but I thought I was returning to a life where they would not have been used.” Not a lot of call for formal kimonos in modern Japan. I mean, I could have worn one on special occasions, if I had been a special occasion kind of girl. But. I wasn’t. “I did take the blue-green one with me. I couldn’t bear to part with it, even if it would have been impractical back in our village.”

Mai continued to look a bit pouty, but she didn’t say anything more. Looks like I had my work cut out for me to repair that relationship.

Nobunaga gently stroked her arm before moving the conversation along. “I am given to understand that your former employer went missing after the Battle of Genba?”

“Yes… my father, in fact.” No use hiding it at this point, especially since Hikosane had already told Mitsuhide. To conceal it from Nobunaga after that would be disingenuous. “My intention was to look for him near our home in case he had somehow made his way back there. However the place was deserted – even his chatelaine was gone.” And where was Fume anyway? Another thing I would need to investigate. I mean, I didn’t like her, the feeling was mutual, but I hoped she was ok at least. “Our search led to a location where communication was impossible. Once we exhausted the search, we came here and intended to send you a message today.”

Hopefully they would never discover that we had arrived on-

“The innkeeper noted that you and Mitsunari have been here for three days.” Hideyoshi delivered that tidbit in the tone of an outraged parent… a.k.a his normal voice.

Thank Okitane. See if I send you a Christmas card this year.

“I am sorry, Lord Hideyoshi.” Mitsunari punctuated that statement by bowing low to the floor. Should I do that too? “This was solely my responsibility, as Okatsu is not used to having people concerned about her.”

The objection to this characterization of myself as a lost, orphaned waif (though ‘orphaned’ might be technically true) froze on my lips when Hideyoshi turned and gave me a gentle smile. “Okatsu, from now on, please understand that there are people who will worry if you are late or missing.” Then he… patted me on the head.

!

I must have looked surprised at the gesture, for Mai turned and stage whispered, “You’ll get used to that.”

“Monkey is correct.” Monkey? Nobunaga nodded at Hideyoshi. “You were instrumental in the Battle of Genba, and we will continue to consider you a Princess of the Oda, if that is your desire.”

Well, I could do without the Princess designation, but now wasn’t the time to protest. “I would like to continue living in Azuchi, in whichever capacity you would find useful. Thank you, Lord Nobunaga.” Because it seemed like the proper protocol at this moment, I followed that up with a respectful bow.

“Excellent. I am certain your knowledge of the Nanban language will be useful indeed.” He nodded to himself and I had a dark visions of a future filled with paperwork and official diplomatic functions.

That was fine. If I could be with Mitsunari, I’d eventually figure out how to arrange my days to my satisfaction (my nights, clearly, would be very satisfying). “As you wish, sir.”

“It’s settled then.” Nobunaga waved us out of the room. As I made my escape, I heard Nobunaga and Mai making plans to visit the Inn’s onsen.

I managed to avoid turning around to advise them that it was worth it to wait until night, when the stars over the vista of the mountains spread across the horizon like a velvet blanket. Nobody needed to know exactly how Mitsunari had spent our second night here.

It wasn’t… completely settled.

Hideyoshi wanted to talk to me. Hopefully this wouldn’t be an ‘offer I can’t refuse.’ Mitsunari had been willing to stay for moral support, but I turned him down. If the conversation grew uncomfortable, I didn’t want him stuck between myself and his lord.

I accompanied Hideyoshi into what was at some point going to be a very nice garden, though at the moment it was just a jumble of rocks and mud. We walked quietly for a little while, picking our way to the driest points. He’d called this meeting, he could begin it when he was ready.

“You were originally planning to return to your home with your brother – what made you change your plan?” Hideyoshi brushed some invisible dust off a large stone and gestured for me to sit.

I sat.

Of course, now, he was looming over me. “Mitsunari asked me if I would be permitted to come back and visit him – and I realized that if I left, there was no guarantee that I could return. My village is … not very accessible.”

“You come from the same place as Mai. She mentioned that.” As always, Hideyoshi’s voice softened when he said Mai’s name, and I, in my newfound happiness, was reminded to step very carefully. It wasn’t only the physical path that was full of obstacles.

Nor was I sure that he knew exactly where, or more specifically, when we were from. “Mai and I discovered we came from the same place, but my brother and I had to leave it seven years ago, so she and I had never met before.”

To be honest, I believed that Mai and Nobunaga really ought to bring Hideyoshi (and Mitsuhide at least) into our confidence, or we would continually having these awkward conversations. “My brother decided to return home and originally I intended to go too. But when Mitsunari told me how he felt… I couldn’t leave him.”

Even the memory of his touch on my cheek brought back that warmth, and the expression he had had on his face would be etched into my mind forever. Without my permission, a smile invaded my face. Feeling embarrassed, I turned away from Hideyoshi.

“I’ve never seen you smile… not like that.” Hideyoshi’s voice sounded strained. “I believe your feelings for Mitsunari are honest.”

“They are… but isn’t that Mitsunari’s business?” I understood that Hideyoshi felt somewhat parental toward Mitsunari – pretty much everyone in Azuchi did as well. But my feelings were mine. Mitsunari’s were his. What we chose to share with each other were ours.

Hideyoshi hesitated, and I could almost see the gears grinding in his head. “I only want to… Mitsunari … he’s … not… experienced.”

Well, he was more experienced now than he was three days ago… but I was curious to see where this was going and in any case, I wasn’t going to volunteer any information about my sex life with Hideyoshi (or anyone else, not even Mai, although I was certain she would eventually ask).

“He’s always been brilliant, but in certain ways he’s very young.” Hideyoshi seemed to be dancing around some extremely annoying ableist language here, and once again, just like that first day in the garden of Azuchi, I found myself annoyed on Mitsunari’s behalf.

“Inexperience and ignorance isn’t the same as stupid. Mitsunari is a genius, he is kind, and he makes me want to be-” I stole Mitsunari’s phrasing, “More than I was. He may appear to be unfocussed and absentminded, but he takes everything in and saves it until he needs it. Stop treating him like a toddler… he’s not… he’s a man, and the best one I have ever met.”

Whoops. Did not know that had been building up. Sorry Hidemama.

He turned red, then almost purple, at my impoliteness before the words eventually sunk in. When he finally spoke again, he sounded very very tired. “You. … Are correct.  I beg your pardon. I only wanted to reassure myself that you won’t break his heart.”

“I know that, Lord Hideyoshi. That is why I didn’t stab you with this fan.” I indicated the war fan that would be carried with me everywhere from now on.

“But perhaps that was simply the story I told myself.” He got that far off look in his eyes again, and I wondered if what he was really afraid of was an empty nest. Then he shook himself out of it and looked at the fan and sighed. “A war fan? I suppose it’s better than you wandering around with a sword stuck in your obi and an arsenal strapped around your legs.”

Well, still had all three knives on me, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. “It was a gift from Mitsunari, so I’m not giving it up without a fight.”

“It was? It seems he knows you better than I thought.” He laughed, finally. “I suppose we’ll need to train you how to use it.”

“Sure. I look forward to that.” Being allowed to continue all my training was important to me. “I honestly don’t want to be any trouble. I have every intention of being useful.”

He nodded. “I am aware of that.” He turned us back toward the Inn. “I suppose I should help find Mitsunari a pair of sandals… er, do I want to know what really happened to them?”

“You… really do not.” I fought back the impulse to be embarrassed about that by concentrating on the feeling of cold wet feet.

Apparently he was able to figure it out anyway, because that response prompted a courtesy cough. “Well. Then. Why don’t you pack your things – I’d like to get us all back to Azuchi before Keiji accidentally knocks it down with that cannon that he stole.”

Ooof yeah. Good idea.

He turned back to me. “When you pack, put the wet things on the bottom of your bag so the damp won’t get everything else wet.”

I know. “Yes, sir.”

He turned. And then back again. “Check the room twice before you leave – Mitsunari often forgets things.”

Sigh. “I will, Lord Hideyoshi.”

Once again he turned… and then back. Of course. “See if one of the tea maids can help you put your hair into a more… tamed… style.”

Yes. Yes. “Will do, sir” Yeesh could we leave this Inn and spread out so that we aren’t all on top of each other? The trip back would be excruciating with Hideyoshi micromanag…

Oh.

Hell.

Mitsunari lived in Hideyoshi’s manor.

If I moved into his quarters, I would effectively be living with my mother-in-law.

People who say everything looks better in the daylight have never spent a sleepless night. And while I was used to sleepless nights, I was not used to dreams in which a love-bespelled Mitsunari carried off Shohime into a field of poisonous flowers… flowers that grew over the coffin in which Iekane had buried me alive. Nor were those everything-will-be-better in the morning folks forced to spend the day wresting with the epic poem from hell

Rather than diligently translating, my brain was on the Iekane problem, and my eyes kept straying to Mitsunari – purely to make sure he wasn’t going to suddenly declare a potion-induced love for me. His head was bent over his work, so he was obviously in extreme focus mode, going back and forth between a book he was reading and his notes. Every time he moved from book to paper, it looked like he was losing his place. His scrolls kept rolling back up and individual pieces of paper were flying every which way.

“Would you like me to take notes for you?” The offer was out of my mouth before I could think better of it. But it would get me out of poetry hell and distract me from my Iekane worries. “I can write pretty fast and that way you wouldn’t keep losing your place.”

He looked up at me, pushed his glasses to the top of his head, and gave me that beatific smile. I waited for him to say something, but he simply looked into my eyes.

No hardship on my part – he has such pretty eyes and there was always suck a sweetness and a center to him that never failed to calm me and…

Look away!

“Eleven,” Mitsunari said quietly.

“What? Eleven what?” Here we go again. Yesterday it was paper, today it was random numbers? Was Nobunaga was working him too hard? I pulled my thoughts away from my personal dilemma and studied him. He did look a bit frustrated.

“No matter. Yes, Okatsu, that would be very helpful.” He patted the place next to him and I relocated. Picking up the brush and paper, I waited for him to begin. Mitsunari grabbed the book and squinted at in in confusion.

I plucked his glasses from the top of his head and handed them back to him. He gave me a chagrined smile.

“Could happen to everyone. I used to always leave my-.” I stopped, realizing he wouldn’t know what sunglasses are. “Well anyway, it happens to everyone.”

We began again and soon we were deep into work. I didn’t completely understand exactly what I was taking down – but then I never understood poetry either and if this was helping Mitsunari get through his pile of work, then fine by me.

We were fairly deep into it when we were interrupted by the sound of a strangled sob at the entry to the room. Shohime stood there, her eyes full of tears.

Again.

That’s it. I’m stuck in a Groundhog Day scenario where I’m constantly running up against Shohime’s ethereal crying. Seriously. Every time I think she’s gotten past the waterworks, something sets her off again. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a bother.” And… there it went. The single tear that dripped a silvery trail down her cheek.

If I did that someone would likely compare it to snail goo.

Heaving an inward sigh, because (a) I had said I would help her, and (b) if not us, she might turn again to Lady Yone, and who knew what fatal solution that woman would come up with, I asked, “Is something wrong? Something new wrong?”

“No. I saw you two together and it made me sad that I’ll never find that in my life.” She gazed at Mitsunari with sincere expression and twisted a lock of that shiny hair in her hands. “My fiancé arrived last night, so I imagine my wedding will be soon.”

“There you are!” Mozumi and Iekane appeared behind Shohime. “Lady Yone is looking for you. The seamstresses are here to work on your wedding outfit.”

An expression of frustration flashed across Shohime’s face before it was wiped free and replaced by that ‘resting perfection face’ I was getting used to seeing. She turned to her father and fiancé, bowed low, murmured a soft, “Of course,” then gracefully glided away. Hm. Something about that first look suggested that she might not be as much of a Sengoku Barbie that I’d thought. I filed that away to think about later and performed the same expression wipe for myself before facing Mozumi and Iekane.

Once his daughter had disappeared, Mozumi turned to us. “A rare prize, isn’t she?”

Even Mitsunari knew this was a ‘smile and nod’ situation. We smiled. We nodded. Mozumi then turned and brought Iekane forward and presented him to us, introducing Mitsunari as “Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s most trusted vassal, and his fiancée Oda Okatsu.”

Iekane bowed to us, then repeated my name in somewhat disbelieving tones. “O… Katsu?” He paused, tilted his head slightly, and pursed his lips. “Interesting. You remind me of someone I once knew. But… well, it will come to me, I am certain.” It was said so smoothly and innocently that I was the only one who could hear the threat in that. I’m sure though, if I called him on it, he would say that he was only teasing me.

Smile and nod. Smile and nod. I did both as blandly as possible along with a polite bow that was not quite as low as it ought to have been, given that he was now a daimyo in his own right. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Shohime is a lovely girl and deserves all the best in a husband.”

Translation? Not you.

Mozumi inclined his head toward Iekane. “Lord Iekane’s merchant ships and our silver are a perfect combination. I’m very happy Shohime was able to attract such a conveniently placed marriage.”

Way to use your kid as a bargaining chip. I mean, yes, political marriages were the rule, not the exception – even Nobunaga’s relationship with Mai would likely need the Emperor’s stamp of approval prior to marriage - but beyond the whole Iekane thing, I understood why Shohime seemed so conflicted about it. This wasn’t so convenient for her… or for Nobunaga, as he was interested in the silver as well. Interested enough to ally with Iekane too? Is that what Iekane wanted? If it was, it would explain why he just subtly threatened me.

Into the awkward silence, Mitsunari finally spoke. “Then we are happy as well for Shohime and Inane.”

Oh God. He didn’t. I choked off a laugh while Iekane glared at Mitsunari.

Mitsunari looked from Iekane to Mozumi in confusion. “Insane?” He bowed. “My apologies. I am not good with names.”

“He’s really not.” I tried to be helpful, even though in my head, from now on, ‘Iekane’ would likely be translated to ‘Inane’. “His cat is called kitty for that very reason.”

“Ah.” Iekane apparently decided not to make an issue out of it, but instead go for another personal shot at me. “Okatsu, then you must be used to answering to more than one name.”

In his current role as jolly lord of the manor Mozumi placed a hearty hand on Iekane’s shoulder. “This afternoon, we’re all going to tour my mining operation. Nobunaga has expressed great interest in it. I imagine the two of you should enjoy getting out of this archive room as well and enjoy the outing.”

INTO the silver mines. That would be a giant nope from me. But would Mitsunari understand what that would mean for my claustrophobia?

“Although I imagine that would be incredibly fascinating,” Mitsunari gestured to the pile of books and papers, “I must refuse. There is far too much work for me to do here, and Lady Okatsu is too much help to me for me to let her go. I do know what I would do without her.”

“Nonsense. I’m certain Nobunaga will allow you an afternoon off. I will talk with Hideyoshi and make arrangements.” Mozumi and Iekane bowed and took themselves off.

Into the silver mines.

Into the silver mines with Iekane.

FML.

“Do not worry, Lady Okatsu.” Mitsunari gently patted my arm. “I will figure out a strategy to get you out of this.”

I must have looked skeptical, or maybe my worry about going underground (I figured the mines would be underground… or in a tunnel… or ugh! I couldn’t even follow that trail of thought into the dark) had overwhelmed me, because Mitsunari reassured me again. “I promise I will formulate a strategy to prevent you from having to go into the silver mine.”

I took a deep breath. And then another. I believed in him.

“Perhaps we could find a mild poison, one that would incapacitate you for a day.” He cocked his head to take in what had to have been an incredulous look on my face. “That was a joke. Did I not tell it correctly?”

“You did not.” But the utter #jokefail of it all was charming in its own… twisted… way, and that was enough to make me smile.

“I will work on that.” He nodded to himself.

I was glad Mitsunari had my back. Even though he was a bit clumsy and absentminded, the fact that he wanted to help me, that I wasn’t alone in this, made me feel… well. I wasn’t sure how I felt, but I was glad he wanted to help. “Thank you.”

And… he was doing that staring thing again. “Okatsu, could you hold very still?”

“What is it? Another spider?” I held still, waiting to feel those skittering feet. But he simply put his fingers to his lips and simply looked at me. I waved my hand in front of his face. “Do you need to take another break?”

He sighed. “Three.”

Late morning came and went without any solution. Mitsunari was soon borne off by Hideyoshi for some sort of man conference to which I was not invited. Again, at loose ends, I did the one thing I could do to make me feel less powerless: I took myself and my bow and arrows out to the archery practice field next to the castle. If I could relax and focus under these circumstances, then anything was possible. At the same time, losing myself in the, well, zen of my practice would help me relax for a while.

Whump.

(Center target).

Whump.

(Center target).

My power of blocking out stress were good, but not enough to block out the whisper of kimono silk and soft footsteps approaching me from behind. I caught the scent of that cloying incense that floated along with Lady Yone. Turning to her, I bowed.

She returned the gesture. “You are quite skilled at that.”

Already prepared with a response should anyone question my abilities, I said, “As a young girl, I was enthralled by the legends of Tomoe Gozen.”

“Ah. She is a better role model than Ono no Komachi.” That comment definitely belied a familiarity with Mozume’s literary tastes. Komachi had written erotic poems, and now, hundreds of years after her death, her love life had risen to legendary status.

Did Lady Yone bring her up for any particular reason? Or was she simply making conversation? “Maybe. I have never devoted much energy to criticizing what a woman must do to survive.”

“Or thrive, if we are still talking about Komachi.” She took hold of one corner of her kimono and performed a few graceful dance steps.

I risked turned my back on her long enough to speedily hit all the target bags. “As did Tomoe Gozen.” Time to figure out what the hell she wanted. “Lady Yone did you come out here to debate philosophy?”

She laughed – delicately, but the sound was like nails on a chalkboard. “Such a suspicious mind you have, Lady Okatsu. I simply came out for a stroll and when I saw you, I decided to make idle conversation.”

Not taking the bait. Aki taught me that listening and waiting were useful tools in the interrogator arsenal. The question was… was she interrogating me, or I her? “It is a lovely day for a stroll.”

Make of that what you will, Lady possibly-tried-to-kill-your-stepdaughter.

Whump.

(Center target).

Whump.

(Center target).

“Indeed. I am giving Shohime and her fiancé a moment of privacy so they can get to know one another.” She took out a fan and fluttered it in front of her face. “My darling is so worried about her pending marriage, but simply a few moments in Lord Iekane’s company will go far to allay her fears.”

Yeah. Good luck with that. “He seems pleasant.” Which is true. He seems that way. Reality may be different. “Shohime …seems resistant.”

“Not everyone is as lucky as you and Mitsunari.” She reached over and took one of my arrows out of my quiver. “I presume that since you are a reader, you are familiar with western mythologies, such as that of the Greeks?”

“Somewhat.” Though my rudimentary high school basics, supplemented by Marvel Comics probably would do as well as what she would have been able to consume in this era.

“Their love God, Eros, had only to shoot a man or woman with an arrow to generate love.” She plucked the string on my bow and my nerves jangled accordingly. “But love can grow slowly as it did between myself and Lord Mozumi, and it will between Shohime and Iekane.”

“Helped along by those purple flowers?” I gestured to the hills above the castle, where the torikabuto could be seen growing in their poisonous little clusters.

Lady Yone shook her head. “Oh, not those. They are poisonous.”

I punted the concept of subtlety into oblivion. “Why did you tell Shohime they could be brewed into a love potion?”

Finally, Lady Yone looked appalled. “What? No! Oh no! I told her to gather sakura blossoms and bathe in them. She must have gotten confused!” She put her hands to her cheeks. “What have I done?”

“One of Nobunaga’s servants caught her in time.” Probably best not to mention which one. “We told her not to pick any more.” Whether or not her acorn sized brain would remember that was another issue altogether.

“Oh, thank you.” Lady Yone heaved a sigh of relief. “I would feel simply terrible if my words inadvertently caused Shohime’s death.”

Well. She sounded sincere. But Iekane’s sincerity last night was causing me to second guess everything. Was I simply too suspicious? “It would be a terrible tragedy… she’s so young.”

“She’s always been such a simple, sweet child. Mozumi’s preferred companions find her to be a nearly irresistible temptation, and the poor girl has no idea.” Again, that theatrical hand to her heart. “I thought it better to have her safely married to a young man like Lord Iekane who can care for her.”

Aaaand we’d circled back to Iekane. I waited. Maybe this time Lady Yone would come out and say what she wanted to say. Sooner or later the shoe (or the spider encrusted sandal) would fall.

“Last night, when I found you wandering in the hall, you appeared to have come from Lord Iekane’s room.” Yup. There it is.

I’d wondered if she had noted that. “He heard me passing by and mistook me for a maid.” More or less true, in fact.

“Interesting. He said much the same but noted that you seemed confused.” She tilted her head at me, but her attitude was basically, ‘citizen viewing a crazy person.’

That’s how Iekane was playing it – any accusations I made toward him and he’d claim I was crazy. My fingers itched to grab my dagger and have it out with him, but that would just play into his script. “If someone got you mixed up with a maid, would you not also feel confused at first? Once we sorted things out, he was apologetic.”

“Well, one would hope that in the future your behavior will not encourage that sort of confusion.” She smiled at me again, but this was more of the bared teeth threat that had been simmering throughout our entire conversation. After a polite (barely) bow, she drifted away.

Ugh. I really hoped that Mitsunari had come up with a plan to get me out of an afternoon with all of these people.

#Spoiler. Mitsunari did not get me out of it.

And so that afternoon found me and the rest of Nobunaga’s retinue, as well as Mozumi, Iekane, and Shohime riding the few kilometers over to the Kamioka mining operation. “Do not worry.” Mitsunari edged his horse closer to mine and spoke softly into my ear. “I have a plan.”

In such a crowd, I couldn’t question what Mitsunari planned, I could only hope he executed it soon. But he didn’t act when we stabled our horses, or when we entered the refinery area where one of Mozumi’s mine operators explained the smelting process.  I might possibly have been more interested in that if the lesson was to be followed by either a quiz or a snack, rather than a hike down underneath the mountain… and ugh it was really warm in the room. If Mitsunari couldn’t rescue me soon, I was likely to throw up.

Which might get me out of going underneath, come to think about it. Hm, maybe I should not have been so quick to dismiss Mitsunari’s poisoning idea.

Hideyoshi tapped me on the arm and I jumped and yanked my arm away. Belatedly, I realized that he had been talking at me.

He frowned. It was his macro expression when forced to communicate with me, I’d learned, but today’s Hideyoshi did seem a little more gentle. “Okatsu, you seem distracted. If you aren’t careful, you’re going to knock over one of those bins.”

“I’m sorry. It’s… the heat.” I fanned myself with my hand, until he gave me that, ‘you forgot your fan again’ look. (Oops, so I had). “I’m sorry.” I apologized again, although I honestly had lost track of what I was apologizing for.

Hideyoshi tilted his head toward Mitsunari. “I imagine you’d be safer if you stick with your fiancé.”

Translation – Mitsunari needs protection from the Princess again. I looked over. Shohime had broken away from her stepmonster and Iekane (not that I blamed her) and was edging toward Mitsunari. He was listening with fascination to the man who was explaining how the silver was separated from the rock, using some kind of lead smelting method that had been developed in Korea. I imagined that Mitsunari would somehow figure out a way to make that information personally useful. Even though he appeared to be absorbed in this new information, he still smiled at me when I joined him.

Blocking Shohime’s access, I took his arm – and right in time too, as Iekane barreled over to retrieve his prize. The last thing I wanted was for Iekane to turn his poisonous attention to Mitsunari.

“Shohime, you father says they’re ready to take us inside.” Iekane gestured to where Mozumi stood impatiently with Nobunaga and the mine foreman. “Mitsunari, Okatsu, are you looking forward to a nice long trek underneath the mountain?”

Did he know? Was Iekane even aware of what his maybe/maybe not attempt on my life had done to me? His expression was open, eager, smiling… but it always had been. Besides, how could he know? I had not been claustrophobic when we had last seen each other. Maybe he was simply picking up my mood and teasing me for the sake of generalized torture.

“I simply cannot wait,” I said, making sure my expression mirrored his.

We picked our way along a steep rocky path over to the mine entrance. I took a deep breath. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad.

I can do this.

I can do this.

I can do this.

Miners went into that thing every day, and they came out again, no problem and –

Mitsunari suddenly turned his ankle on a stone, and stumbled, falling into me, knocking us both to the ground. He managed to brace himself so that he didn’t land literally ON me, but I was startled enough about the whole thing to let out an ‘euf’ when I landed.

“Okatsu!” Did I harm you?” His voice was louder than normal, and if everyone hadn’t already turned to look at us before, they were sure looking now.

Well, I probably would have an interesting bruise on my rear, but it hadn’t hurt any worse than when I fell in the earthquake at the beginning of sum- wait. What earthquake? In a moment of vertigo, I had a vision of a stable and a memory of knocking someone out of the way of a falling beam. But …That had never happened. I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear the vision away. “I think I’m fi-”

“Don’t move!” Mai rushed over and examined me as if she were a professional nurse. “I don’t like the look of your ankle!”

My what? There was nothing wrong with my ank- oh. I slanted a glance at Mitsunari, who hovered over me in concern. Ah ha. This was his plan to get me out of going into the cave. “I am very sorry, Lady Okatsu, I hope it is not broken.”

Mai’s hiss of concern was so over-the-top it would need a parachute on its way back down. “It could be. I’ve never seen such a bruise.” She twisted her hands together and bit her lip, looking like she was about to break into sobs.

Looked like I needed to reign in Meryl Streep and Daniel Day-Lewis. “I tweaked it a bit. I’m sure if I stay out here and rest it for a little while, I will be fine.” I threw in a brave little wince of pain. “A day. I’ll be fine in a day.”

If I left this solely up to Mitsunari and Mai, they’d have me wheelchair bound for the rest of my life. And I didn’t think wheelchairs had been invented yet. I reached for Mitsunari’s arm. “If you could help me stand?”

Mitsunari helped me to my feet, and I stood there, keeping all my weight on my other foot. My left foot. Note to self. The right foot is the one that is injured. Then a worried-looking Hideyoshi made his way over and reached toward my foot. “Are you in a lot of pain, Okatsu?”

I made a show of wincing and pulling away from his reach, as if fearing the pain of touch.

“Don’t jar her!” Mai screeched.

Then, the next thing I knew, Mitsunari had picked me up in his arms. “I’ll take her back to Genba castle. There’s no need for anyone else to change their plans.”

“Yes, yes, do go back.” Mozumi looked impatient to get on with showing off his operation to Nobunaga.

Without waiting for anyone else to respond, Mitsunari carried me away.

“Keep your foot elevated,” Mai yelled after me.

I waited until we were well out of earshot of the others. “Thank you. That was a clever plan.”

“Yes. I am happy that Mai agreed to help.” For as slight as Mitsunari looked, he seemed remarkably strong, and wasn’t out of breath at all.

For a brief horrified moment though, I felt the urge to snuggle (!) against him. Instead, I peeped over his shoulder - we were long out of sight of the mine. “It’s probably safe to put me down now.”

“We’re almost to where we stabled the horses. I don’t want anyone there to report that you were walking.” He seemed perfectly content to carry me, and there was a faint smile on his face – although knowing him, he was probably doing some kind of studying in his head – so I settled back into his arms and turned my face toward the sun.

One thing I really appreciated about Mitsunari was his comfort with silence. He didn’t seem to feel a need to fill a quiet moment with useless chatter… he was peaceful. After running into Iekane last night, my brain had been chewing on that conversation over and over. I didn’t want to think any more. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation of sun on my face and the strength of Mitsunari’s arms as he carried me away from the mountain. “Are you comfortable?”

“Mm hm.” So comfortable I wasn’t capable of forming words.

“Good.” His words were almost a sigh in my ear. “Perhaps you and I should run off.”

It was interesting, though, to see how his own timeline’s Lord Shingen differed from the one he had met earlier. This man… certainly, no one had ever accused Mitsunari of being observant, but even he could see that this man was ill. (Although not so ill that he couldn’t flirt with Okatsu). “Hello Angel. The future is looking brighter already. To meet such a dazzling creature as yourself is evidence that fortune is smiling upon me today.”

No. This could not happen. Fate wouldn’t be so unkind as to not only take Okatsu away from him, but also send her right into the arms of someone like Lord Shingen. He needed to say something. He needed to do… something.

Something more than glare at the man.

“Ishida Mitsunari.” Even ill, Lord Shingen managed to make Mitsunari’s name sound like a threat.

Years and years of Hideyoshi’s gentle suggestions on manners and conversation ensured that Mitsunari’s next ‘something’ was to bow and return the greeting. “Lord Shingen. I had never expected to see you outside of a battlefield.”

Lord Shingen understood the implied threat in that. “I intend for you to get that opportunity as well.”

“I look forward to that.” It might be an interesting exercise to pit himself against Shingen in battlefield tactics. And if Shingen didn’t move away from Okatsu, he would be pitting himself against the man quite soon. Imminently. “However, at the moment, you are standing far too close to Lady Okatsu.”

“Ah. I see now.” Shingen’s laugh was interrupted by a terrible cough. “’Lady’ Okatsu? You are the mysterious Oda Princess who accompanied his entourage to Genba?”

He could tell that Okatsu was surprised by Shingen’s knowledge, and he took the opportunity to move closer to her. “Lord Shingen’s spy network rivals Mitsuhide’s.”

Apparently, Shingen felted he needed to impress Okatsu. “It’s better than Mitsuhide’s.”

Mitusnari was about to take that statement apart and dispute it with evidence and statistics, but Okatsu had already moved the conversation into another direction, by asking Sasuke what time he expected the wormhole to arrive tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

He had less than a day with her.

Less than a day to tell her how he felt.

Less than a day to ask her to come back.

“Are you bringing Lord Shingen to the future as well?” Okatsu gave the man a quick glance.

No.

No. No. No!

He couldn’t allow that… couldn’t send Okatsu away with a man who was eyeing her like she was a toy brought in for his personal amusement. Even in Azuchi, Lord Shingen’s reputation as a flirt was legendary. If he and Okatsu went into the future together, Mitsunari would never have a chance with her.

“I have yet to be convinced that the healers in your future will be able to cure me. The idea continues to be a point of discussion.” Ok good. Lord Shingen seemed skeptical of time travel.

But… cure? Was the man’s illness serious?

“It’s true that I can’t guarantee success.” Toshiie inclined his head toward Lord Shingen. “But I would know more after running some tests.”

“I have not made a final decision on the matter. It’s difficult to agree to this journey when the people of Kai are homeless, and our lands are overrun by Nobunaga’s brutes.” He glared at Mitsunari, but then paused to cough and wheeze.

How ill did a person need to be to go to the future for a cure?

When Shingen spoke again, he sounded… sad. Yes, that was the emotion. “If there is no cure to be found, I will have wasted my final months chasing a dream, rather than on the battlefield with my people.”

Lord Shingen believed he was dying. Neither Toshiie nor Sasuke corrected him on the matter, so that quite possibly was the case. Which, as a member of the Oda clan, should have come as a relief to Mitsunari, but… now face to face with the man, it was hard not to feel like it was a waste.

He recalled the other Lord Shingen – the one who had clearly time travelled before. That man had been healthy. That man had also been in love with (possibly married to?) the other Katsuko. Logically, then if this Lord Shingen travelled to the future with Sasuke, Toshiie, and Okatsu, he would return healthy.

Although context suggested Shingen might also be married to Okatsu at that point.

If he stopped Lord Shingen from going to the future, then, logically, he could prevent that marriage as well. But would it be right to sign the man’s death sentence? Mitsunari could kill a man on a battlefield. This was not a battle though, and…

He was working through the ethics of the situation when Okatsu took the decision out of his hands. “Um, I think it worked.”

“Worked?” Sasuke turned his attention to her, his posture suddenly alert.

“It’s… a long story – but it also might explain why your observations gone haywire.”

Hay… wire? Mitsunari added the word to his internal list. It was interesting how Okatsu’s language changed when she was around people who were from her time. He wondered how hard she had had to work to pass unnoticed in this era. Possibly harder than she had worked to become a Princess.

While Mitsunari was still pondering another facet of Okatsu, Lord Shingen had taken advantage of his distraction and led her toward the fire. “This appears to be a tale best told with a meal… and…” he opened a basket which contained an assortment of pastry, “of course, sweets.” He sat down, then patted the space next to him. “Come sit by me, Angel, and tell me more.”

That… that… Mitsunari ran through the list of obscenities he had collected from Hideyoshi, who had quite the vocabulary when he was agitated… which, generally speaking, happened after conversations with Mitsuhide, or when Masamune was late for war council again.

That bastard!

“Shingen, do I have to remind you that Katsuko is my sister?” Toshiie sat himself down in the space that Shingen had indicated.

And Okatsu sat next to Mitsunari.

She chose me!

He elected to ignore the fact that technically there had been nowhere else to sit.

Mitsunari was happy to bask in her nearness, happy for her warmth, happy that she, without asking, removed his carrots from the bowl of stew that Sasuke had handed him. He quickly returned the favor and took care of the mushrooms in her dish, while Okatsu told the others what had happened earlier today. “Aki disappeared – right after you two left for Kasugayama. Iekane showed up at the tower and had some sort of device that I think might have allowed him to go to another time. Or another timeline? Mitsunari and I went looking for him today. Or, well, last week, I guess.”

To allow her to finish her food, Mitsunari continued the explanation. “What Okatsu means is that for us, our search has lasted a day, but we spent the afternoon in a place where time has no meaning. When we left, we discovered a week had passed.”

“Time has no meaning? Holy Crap on a cracker!” Sasuke almost dumped his food on the ground, but Okatsu rescued it at the last moment.

Did that mean that when she performed similar rescues for Mitsunari, that it was simply an aspect of her personality, and not something special she did just for him? That pit that had opened up in his stomach when they met up with this Lord Shingen grew wider and deeper.

But now was not the time to explore that pit. Perhaps if they could further map the mechanics of time travel, they could find a way to travel from the past to the future more easily and often. Okatsu could return to this time. Or… could he visit her?

The idea was frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

He sat up straighter, forcing himself to contribute to and concentrate on the conversation, especially to what Sasuke was saying and not saying, in response to their story. “We found Akihira’s manor to be deserted – in fact it appeared that it had been in disuse for years, even though Okatsu had been living there until a few weeks ago. Inside we found a hidden room. The room was nearly empty, aside from two trunks containing clothing that Okatsu recognized as Akihira’s. However, before we could investigate further, we were interrupted by two other people looking for Akihira.” He looked at Lord Shingen. “One of them was you.”

“Multiverses! I knew it!” Sasuke waved his fist in the air, then subsided at a quelling look from Lord Shingen.

Another new word. Multiverse. That one more than likely referred to the multiple ways the future could develop if even a portion, a whisper of something changed. So perhaps Okatsu wasn’t destined for Lord Shingen. Perhaps whatever that other Katsuko had experienced had caused her to fall in love with Shingen and he with her. But his Okatsu hadn’t had those experiences. Though that thought made Mitsunari feel slightly better, he still did not like the idea of Okatsu and Lord Shingen spending any time together in the future.

“The other person… was me. Except, not-me. Anyway sir,” Okatsu directed her comment to Lord Shingen. “You, or rather he, was not at all ill – he appeared to be strong and healthy, and he did not have a cough or any problems breathing. He and Katsu said that they had travelled through a wormhole previously. Therefore, I figure that whatever disease you have is treatable.”

“Beauty and brains. Thank you, Angel. Yes, that does appear to be a logical conclusion.” Lord Shingen nodded, then leaned backward against a tree. At that moment, he seemed very tired, and years older than the rest of them.

“Katsu-” Mitsunari used the other Katsuko’s preferred name to distinguish between them, “mentioned having been in the wrong timeline prior to this – however we were interrupted again. The second interruption was from you, Sasuke.”

Sasuke made that strange fist waving gesture again. It was… an odd gesture, one that ought to seem threatening, and yet Mitsunari thought he understood that meant the ninja was excited. “Was I with the other Lord Shingen and the other Katsu?”

“Um. No. You were with a third Katsu.” Okatsu let out a long sigh – yes, this must be the most stressful for her. At least Mitsunari had not run into multiple versions of himself… although… if he had… what would they have talked about, he wondered.

Realizing he had let a conversational pause hang on too long, Mitsunari picked up the threads of the story. “When we returned to this – timeline – a week had passed. Although neither Okatsu nor I felt hungry or tired.”

“Interesting that you were able to exist in the same space as the other Katsus.” Sasuke pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. “In some multiverse theory, it’s impossible for the alternates to meet without causing damage to the fabric of reality.”

Okatsu scrunched up her nose (a facial expression that Mitsunari added to his library of Okatsu moments), then said, “Alternates? I’m already weirded out enough without slapping a sci-fi label on it.”

“You aren’t twins or clones, and ‘duplicates’ seemed even worse.” Sasuke waved that all away. “However, it might be a good idea for your brother to take your vital signs.”

Vital signs? What were those? Whatever it was, it had been a signal for Okatsu to make her way to her brother, who began pulling more of those interesting items out of his bag. Mitsunari considered watching, but then it occurred to him that another fascinating opportunity had arisen, given him the chance to talk with an expert in the field of strategy… and women.

“Lord Shingen, for the sake of our current company, I propose that we agree to a truce.” Mitsunari brought an offering of hot tea over to the man, who was still resting uncomfortably against that tree.

Shingen started to speak, then succumbed to a coughing fit.  To Mitsunari’s horror it appeared that the man was coughing up blood. “As you have surmised, I’m not in the best condition to duel, in any case.” He took a long sip of the tea. “Although I admit to being curious of your abilities. My spies tell me that you’re surprisingly good.”

Mitsunari took that as an invitation to sit down. “It is less of a thinking and more of a knowing.” He could see battles playing out in his head as easily as the texts of books, but people were already… to use Okatsu’s words, weirded out by the fact that he could reread books in his head. To confess that he could see how future battles would play out might result in accusations of demonic possession. “However…” He paused wondered if he could, or even should ask Shingen for advice.

“However…?” Lord Shingen merely looked at him and waited patiently for him to continue.

“I wished to discuss a matter of strategy with you.” Before Lord Shingen could point out that truce or not, they were still enemies, Mitsunari rushed to add, “Not about war. I … I am given to understand that you are an expert in love.”

Lord Shingen looked at him, then at Okatsu, then back to him. “Ah. Yes. There does appear to be some attachment there.”

“To me? Or to her? We are friends. Our engagement was a ruse, but… I wish for it to be real. Or even… the sort of relationship leads to an engagement.” Wait. He was already getting things mixed up. He should tell the story from the beginning. Even someone as intelligent as Lord Shingen would not be able to follow otherwise.

He had gotten as far as explaining the Kitty Strategy, when Lord Shingen began laughing so hard that it turned into a coughing fit, and Mitsunari was momentarily worried that he had killed the man.

He started to wave Toshiie over, but Lord Shingen shook his head. “I’m not going to expire this instant. How did Okatsu react to your tactics?”

“Er, I believe she thought I needed sunshine and rest.” Or maybe she hadn’t noticed much at all. “It was not the best plan.”

Shingen patted him on the shoulder. “It wasn’t a horrible plan, because affection, play, and food are as necessary for humans as they are for cats. It’s simply that you needed to extrapolate what affection, play and food would be most appropriate for Okatsu. Plus, a bit of flirtation wouldn’t be amiss either.”

Mitsunari’s spirits, which had begun to improve, plummeted again. “I don’t know what to say. Er, could you perhaps, loan me a few phrases?”

After a short pause, Shingen offered, “Mmm, how about, ‘something’s wrong with my eyes, because I can’t take them off you’.”

“Should I wear my glasses when I say that? Because that would show that there is something wrong with my eyes.” He practiced saying the words in his head, but they sounded odd. Not-him. He tried the line out loud. “Something’s wrong with my eyes, because I can’t take them off you.”

Lord Shingen visibly winced. “Er, let me give you a different one. ‘Your eyes are like the ocean; I could swim in them all day.’”

“Okatsu’s eyes are brown. The ocean is blue. Or sometimes grey. Unless it’s night?” Mitsunari did think Okatu’s eyes were pretty, but more because they were warm. And sparkled.

“You need to be able to say it with conviction.” Shingen looked Mitsunari up and down for a moment. “One more… ‘I’m lost. Can you give me directions to your heart?’”

That… sounded like something he could say. He did often get lost, so he could say that with conviction. Before his courage deserted him, he went over to Okatsu, just in time to hear her brother say, “Ok doofus, you are disgustingly healthy.”

Immediately the words he had intended to say flew out of his head. “There is nothing disgusting about Okatsu.” Her brother should know better than that. Now… what had he been about to say? Lost. Directions to heart. But now that wouldn’t make any sense. He tried to repair the mission, but what came out of his mouth was: “Okatsu, you are as… you are like… you are not disgusting.”

That… was not good.

“Mitsunari, it’s ok. This is just the way we talk to each other. I know Toshiie loves me. We like to tease each other sometimes.” She sent a teasing smile to her brother, then added, “Sort of how Ieyasu is – he sounds grumpy but deep down, you know he really likes you.”

What did she mean? Ieyasu never sounded grumpy. He simply was, Ieyasu. But… clearly this was not the time to continue flirting. Her brother would just get in the way. Mitsunari made a strategic retreat back to Shingen.

“That… did not go well.” He might as well resign himself to the idea that Okatsu was leaving and likely would not return.

“It has occurred to me that as you and Okatsu are already close, there is no need for you to use this type of flirtation. While complimenting your love is never a bad idea, there’s a time and a place for that.” Once again Shingen patted him on the shoulder. “All you really need is courage to tell her how you feel. Honest and to the point. What is the worst that can happen?”

“Okatsu will leave and never return.” Or return as Shingen’s wife, but Mitsunari didn’t want to state that part out loud.

Shingen turned to watch Okatsu, her brother, and Sasuke as they appeared to be in an intense conversation. Mitsunari imagined that the man was already planning his seduction of her. “Whereas, if you don’t say anything to her, what will happen?”

“Okatsu will leave and never return.” In which case... “It appears that I am in an untenable position either way.”

This time Shingen didn’t bother to pat his shoulder. Instead, the man lightly slapped the back of his head. “In your way, you’re nearly as bad as Yukimura. If you say nothing, your lady will certainly leave. If you say something, she might leave. Or, she may stay. You lose nothing by screwing up your courage and telling her.”

That did make mathematical sense. Of course, Mitsunari still had to find the time and opportunity to tell her… but perhaps. “If she does stay, that brings me to my next dilemma. I… er… am not experienced in the art of love. I did read, or at least look at, a book about the mechanics, however I have many questions.”

Shingen put his face in his hands. “I will need another pot of tea for this.”

Tea! That was something he could do. Mitsunari quickly retrieved some – it looked a bit weak, so he added more leaves at the last minute – surely that would mix well since the water was already hot. He brought it back to Shingen, then settled down. Then he brought out the bound empty book that Okatsu had given him. “Am I permitted to write down some notes?”

“By all means.” Shingen took a sip of the tea, blinked at the cup, and set it aside. Possibly it was still too warm. “First of all, what was this book of mechanics?”

Mitsunari began describing the pillow book. “I could reproduce the drawings, if you prefer?”

“Without having the book in front of you, you can do this?”

Mitsunari nodded.

“And does it follow that you could do this with anything you have read?”

Mitsunari nodded again.

“Are you at all certain that you are not interested in working for me?”

By the time Mitsunari was clear not only on the mechanics but also the subtleties of lovemaking, his hand had cramped from note taking, and everyone else, aside from himself and Shingen, was asleep. Figuring that it might not be a great idea to wake Okatsu up to tell her he loved her, he instead lay down beside her. First thing in the morning, they would have a proper discussion.

Until then, he was loth to waste this night by sleeping through it. Perhaps it was their final night, perhaps they would only be separated for a few months. He would spend this night watching her by firelight, while he mentally practiced his speech to her.

He… spent the rest of the night asleep, only to be awakened when her hand crept into his.

He lightly squeezed that small, strong hand. I love you.

She squeezed it back, and that at least gave him the courage to begin. “Will you come back? At least to visit, if nothing else? Will you be able to do so?” It wasn’t what he wanted to say, but if she said that she wanted to come back, that might be a clue that she didn’t want to leave. He inched closer to her – their faces were nearly touching.

She looked… conflicted? But then her next words sent the conversation in a completely different direction. “If I can – I don’t know. Either way… you’ll take care of my horse, won’t you?”

Her horse? That was what she was conflicted about? Still… if he took care of her horse, that at least would give her another reason to come back, right? “I’ll take her back to Azuchi with me.” He touched her cheek, that place where he had first touched weeks ago, that moment when he had first noticed that they fit together. “I will miss you.” Don’t go.

“I’ll miss you too.” She smiled at him – a true smile, and not the polite mask she sometimes put on. “We’ll always have Genba.”

Say something. Tell her. Tell her. He opened his mouth. “I-”

BOOM!

Thunder drowned him out, and in moments rain was pouring from the sky, and Okatsu’s brother was yelling something, then Sasuke yelled something about the wormhole.

Mitsunari turned to look where Sasuke was pointing - a wall of fog was advancing down the side of the mountain. It looked ready to swallow them all up.

It was going to take her away from him… and he’d never gotten to tell her how he felt.

“Mitsunari.” Sasuke gently patted his shoulder. “You need to stand back, unless you want to spend an indefinite amount of time in the future.” He bowed to him. “I have enjoyed knowing you.”

“Katsuko! Hurry!” Toshiie began to drag Okatsu toward that fog.

She pulled her arm free. “I’ll be there in a sec.” Then she threw her arms around Mitsunari, and for one tiny moment, he thought that indicated she had changed her mind. “Goodbye. You were the best fake fiancée I’ve ever had.”

“It did not feel fake,” He pulled her in closer, trying to burn the shape of her into his body, trying still, one more time to tell her the one thing he’d been unable to say. I love you.

Then she stepped back, looked at him for one more moment before turning around to join Sasuke, Shingen, and her brother as the door to the future opened.

No… it… this can’t be how it ends.

He gathered his courage and reached out to her.

I slept better than expected after my nightmare and only woke up at the sound of a rattle of dishes. In the light of day, my fears always seemed ridiculous and in my residual embarrassment, I considered pretending to be asleep, but the noise got closer. Cautiously, I peeped through half closed eyes to see Mitsunari setting a tray of food on the floor between the cushions.

“Breakfast in bed?” I asked before I could censor the modern out of my speech.

“Oh? Do you want me to put the tray on your futon?” Mitsunari picked up tray again, and I stopped him to prevent breakfast on bed.

“Thank you, but no. It was just an expression.” I scooted to the edge of the futon and examined the tray… and… Wow… that was a lot of fish. “Thank you for bringing it into the room.”

Since today’s agenda had Mitsunari meeting with Hideyoshi and Nobunaga in the archives room, I’d expected to have to hunt down the kitchens for a tray. It was sweet of Mitsunari to feed me before he left.

Ah, hot… tea? Huh. Nothing was coming out of the pot. I peeked under the lid – it was packed tightly with the tea leaves. Right. Masamune had warned me about Mitsunari’s tea making skills (or, lack of said skills). “It just needs to steep a bit longer.” I’d get rid of it after he left.

Mitsunari hovered anxiously over me.  “Is it to your liking? If you want anything else, like a bowl of milk, I can get it.”

“It’s all good.” A bowl of milk? Though I was getting better at understanding the Mitsunari-isms, that one was a head scratcher. Mentally shrugging, I mixed some of the fish in with the rice and… Mitsunari was … watching me. No… he was studying me. “Will you be eating too?”

“It’s nice of you to ask, but I have already eaten.” He continued to stare at me, and I could almost hear his internal circuits whirring.

Fine then. But it was freaking me out to be the only one eating. “If you want to read, I don’t mind.” Stop looking at me. I took a tiny bite, hyperaware of what I might look like chewing. Finally, I could stand it no longer. “It’s getting late… you don’t want to keep Nobunaga and Hideyoshi waiting.”

Looking startled, he leaped to his feet. “You are correct. I will see you in the archives later.”

Once he was gone, I hurried to finish what I could of the food, then decided to use the early morning time to get in some archery practice, as, according to the maid I flagged down, there were targets set up in a clearing beyond the courtyard.

It wasn’t a great course for distance, as there were too many trees on the far end, but perfect for accuracy, and I was enjoying the peace and quiet and steady whump of my arrows, when Shohime joined me. As always, she looked like she had stepped out of a fashion magazine, had such a thing existed in this era. She was followed by one of Mozumi’s pages, who glared at me, either for daring to sully the presence of the Princess’s perfection, or because my existence was making her unhappy.

Unlike the page, Shohime was perfectly polite. “Is the training course to your liking?”

“Yes, the targets are well set up. Nice variety of sizes. Thank you.” A perfectly polite answer to a perfectly innocuous question. She was probably building up to something else.

“I think so too.” She set up and immediately hit every target with nearly as much accuracy as I had.

Ooh. It is so on.

I had been considering packing up and leaving her to it, but this was not a challenge I could back away from.  I went through a speed round and hit every target dead center. Ha! Take that Princess Perfect!

The page glared at me. Yeah. I ought to have let the princess win, but that’s a dangerous precedent. I wouldn’t want my muscles to get into the habit of missing shots.

Shohime stared at me for a long moment, then also performed a speed round. Her accuracy rivaled my own on the closer targets, but her distance shots weren’t as consistent. She side-eyed me as she waited for her page to bring back our arrows.

Hm. I could take a few steps backward and increase the distance, but I sensed that what Shohime really wanted was to talk to me… and that was confirmed when she turned to the page. “Maru, please leave us.”

He did, but not without a final glare in my direction.

Right. I waited patiently for her to state her case. Was she going to warn me away from her man? Break into a chorus of Jolene? Go mafia princess and make me an offer I couldn’t refuse? Would I wake up tomorrow with Moonlight’s head next to me on my futon?

She threw herself into my arms. “Lady Okatsu! You’ve got to help me!”

Ok. I hadn’t expected something this… wet. Where was Mai when I needed her? She might be better suited to dealing with an overemotional teenager. “Um, Shohime… shhhh… here… use my handkerchief.” I awkwardly patted her on her back. “What’s wrong?”

Her sobs grew louder.

What… what if something is really wrong? Just because she was still half a kid at seventeen didn’t mean there weren’t real world problems she was dealing with. “Are you in danger? Or… in trouble?” Was… she pregnant? Pregnancy would explain why her father was so desperate to have her engagement to the Tsuruga daimyo confirmed.

“Noooo.” She pulled back finally and looked at me with glistening eyes – Mai was right, Shohime is a pretty crier. “You’ll think I’m being a child, but you’re so smart and strong and brave.”

“You think so?” We’d just met. Sure, I like to think I’m smart and strong and brave but is it that evident to a stranger? Maybe it was.

“You must be. You’re old, Lady Okatsu, and you managed to avoid getting married until now, and now you’re engaged to someone as nice and beautiful as Mitsunari.” That last bit ended up as a wail.

Old?

Old?

I forced myself past that, because… “Shohime, is your fiancé abusive to you?”

Blink. Teardrop. Blink. Blink. There were tumbleweeds where her brain cells ought to be.

Sigh. “Is he mean to you?”

She sniffled. “He’s nice. He isn’t an ogre. Lady Yone thinks he’s terribly handsome and that I ought to be grateful that he has hair and teeth. But he’s older – like you. And he’s not Mitsunari.” The wail was back, as she said Mitsunari’s name at a decibel and pitch that likely broke glass somewhere in the castle.

I patted her on the back while she continued to sniffle. “I feel so guilty because he is so nice… he smiles at me all the time, but I don’t want him. I want Mitsunari.” Wail. Dogs were probably barking across the country. To be honest, I bet she could give Fume a run for her money.

Sniffle. Wail. Hiccup. Wail.

Well. Now she was just being dramatic.

It sounded like her fiancé was acceptable, albeit slightly out of her preferred age range… and possibly unexciting. But given who Mozumi could have chosen, she ought to count herself lucky. And… my job was to keep her away from Mitsunari, so I wasn’t going to help her with him. On the other hand, if I didn’t at least agree to find a solution, I was likely to be stuck patting her back all day. If she didn’t stop crying, I might even drown. “I’ll try to think of a way to help.”

She looked so immediately relieved and happy that I felt guilty, given that the odds of me being able to help her were pretty low. After all, what sort of future was there for her except for the one she had been raised and trained for? Accuracy in archery aside, I couldn’t see her crossing the country as a courier the way I did. True, I hadn’t been that much older than Shohime was now when I started working for Aki… but I’d had gymnastics and freerunning training already… and … well, Toshiie and I had pretty much raised ourselves. I had never been a pampered princess.

“Thank you, Lady Okatsu. I am certain that if you say you agree to the plan that Hideyoshi and Nobunaga will be happy for me to marry Mitsunari, too.” She gave me the puppy eyes, but they had no effect on me because my brain had needle scratched on “too.”

I must have looked appalled because she added quickly, “Don’t worry. I would be happy to be the second wife and leave you in charge of household duties. In fact, it’s an ideal solution as I imagine you’re too old to bear Mitsunari’s children.” She hugged me again and ran off.

What… just… happened?

Old?

I shook my head to clear it of the image of me as a house crone, bustling around to make things easy for Mitsunari and Shohime, their three adorable babies and forty kittens.

Old?

My archery zen spoiled, I packed up my things and head back to the castle. As I passed through the main entry, I caught a movement on the staircase. Looking up, I saw Lady Yone watching me. She inclined her head, and I got an ice cream headache from the look on her face. Brrr. I bowed briefly in return and hurried to the archives.

I timed my entry well, as Nobunaga and Hideyoshi had just finished prioritizing which books they most wanted Mitsunari to read. I stood in the doorway watching, wondering if I was indeed closer to Hideyoshi and Nobunaga’s ages than I was to Mitsunari’s. Maybe? Or maybe he just looked younger and more innocent next to them.

Nobunaga noticed me first and held up a book. “Okatsu, Mitsunari tells me that you’re practicing your Portuguese. Instead of reading poetry, would you do me the favor of translating this book?”

He opened it up and handed it to me. It took me a moment of squinting at the text to conclude I would not be able to translate it. I flipped to the cover to confirm my suspicion. “This is in Italian, not Portuguese. The languages are similar, but not close enough that I’d even begin to be able to translate it beyond a word or two here or there.”

“Ah. A pity. I shall have to wait until it is available in Japanese. Or until I can acquire an Italian.” (I think he was joking. Maybe.) He put the book back on the shelf, and I was very glad it was not available to him. Nobunaga and Machiavelli would have been a dangerous combination.

He bowed and left us alone…

… with Hideyoshi.

Mitsunari settled happily down with what seemed like a thousand pieces of paper, while Hideyoshi loomed over me. “Where were you this morning?” He sounded just like a school administrator scolding a truant… I ought to know. I’d been a truant often enough.

“Keeping Shohime occupied on the archery field.” I settled down with the poem in my lap like an obedient little princess. “She is still… fixed on the idea of Mitsunari.”

The man in question didn’t even twitch at the sound of his name. He was already deep into his work.

“I don’t understand why.” Hideyoshi sounded like he was talking to himself.

Really? Way to diss your own vassal, Hideyoshi. “He’s smart, kind, young and attractive. Why wouldn’t she?” I shot another look at Mitsunari, who was smiling happily, beautifully over his book, oblivious to everything from the topic of conversation to the stultifying heat of the room. I picked up the poem and fanned myself with it.

Hideyoshi’s hands tightened on the scroll he was holding. He set it down. “I’m aware of that. However, Shohime’s fiancé is said to be all of that as well.” He reached over and plucked the poem out of my hands. “This is a book. Not your fan – which you appear to have left in your room.”

Oops. I had. Well. Too late for that now. I pushed the conversation away from Hideyoshi’s favorite ‘let’s criticize Katsuko’ topic. “You mentioned that she’s had a crush on Mitsunari since last summer. Maybe she’s not ready to give that up. Sometimes people can’t help wanting what they cannot have.”

“I know that.” Hideyoshi’s mood altered in a flash. He handed the book back to me, then straightened his spine and marched out of the room. Crap. I had forgotten his feelings for Mai.

Glancing at Mitsunari, I wondered how much, if any, of that he had heard. His mild gaze was already fastened on me. So… a change of subject was needed. I gestured to the stack of books in front of him. “They want you to read all of these books while we are here?”

“Yes. It’s wonderful.” Mitsunari smiled like Nobunaga had just given him a box of kittens. His enthusiasm for the task made me laugh. “Why are you laughing?”

“No reason. You seemed so happy it made me want to smile too.”  I’d had a mental image of Mitsunari sitting in a box with kittens climbing all over him – my brain filed that as cute overload. But I would keep that to myself.

“Interesting.” He didn’t elaborate. Instead, he picked up a book and began his “homework.”

I made myself as comfortable as I could on a cushion a couple meters away and forced myself into that Portuguese poem. While I was glad Mitsunari had a task he enjoyed, this poem was not nearly that exciting. Face it, Katsuko, you’re not much of a reader.

Still, I managed to focus and once I got into the rhythm of the language, I found it less of a slog. It was no “Song of Ice and Fire” but there were Gods and battles and sea voyages (I think) so there was that.

All was quiet, and peaceful, until--

Crunch

A wadded up ball of paper landed in my lap. I looked at Mitsunari, but he was intent on making notes for Nobunaga. Had he meant to toss it away? Or was it a note?

I uncrumpled it – was blank. Flipped it over. Still blank. When I looked back at Mitsunari, his head was down, eyes focused on his task.

It was a mystery.

In case he wanted it back, I crumpled it up again and tossed it to him. My aim was perfect – it landed by his elbow. He didn’t acknowledge the paper, but the corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile.

Shaking my head, I returned to the poem.

Crunch

Twenty minutes or so later, the paper had returned to my lap.

Again, Mitsunari seemed oblivious to flying paper.

With a shrug, I tossed it back.

If it happened again, I would be ready for it. I pretended to be reading but kept my peripheral vision on Mitsunari. When the paper ball came at me a third time, I reached up and batted it out of the air. “Why are you throwing paper wads at me?”

“Do you not like it, Okatsu?” He frowned, and I felt guilty for asking.

“I neither dislike, nor like. I was simply wondering why.” Maybe he had overloaded that brain of his. “Do you need a break? It might be good for you to get outside for a little while.”

The afternoon was as lovely as the morning. Hopefully the fresh breeze would blow away whatever fog that infected Mitsunari’s brain and contributed to the paper-tossing incident.

It looked like Hikosane had escaped his minders too. He was running around the courtyard with a temari ball, kicking it up into the air with his feet and knees, and laughing with kid-glee. Mitsunari nudged my shoulder with his. “We should join him – that looks to be fun play.”

Strange suggestion coming from Mitsunari, but it did look like fun, so I didn’t offer much protest. After all, healthy body, healthy mind, right?

Hikosane had invented a game with the temari that was somewhat like hot potato – whoever had the temari was ‘in danger’ as long as they were holding it. The object was to throw the ball to another player as soon as possible before you were caught by the others. It didn’t completely make sense – but the game had been created by a ten-year-old, so some allowance was needed. “I ought to have refined the rules more,” he said in that miniature adult way of his. “But none of my sisters will play with me.”

“None? There are more of them?” More Shohimes? That was… a frightening process.

“Yes. Shohime’s mother is my father’s first wife. She lives in Kyoto as part of the Emperor’s court. My mother was my father’s second wife, but she died when I was born, and I do not remember her. My four younger sisters are Lady Yone’s, who is my father’s third wife. Now second, I suppose.” He tossed the ball up in the air and caught it again.

As I said, the rules of the game didn’t make complete sense and although I couldn’t run as well in Okatsu’s kimono as I could in Katsu’s clothing, the modifications that Mai had designed at least let me move about relatively freely.

It came as no surprise to me that Mitsunari’s ability to aim was somewhat south of negative forty-two. His tosses got nowhere near the person he threw to, but that just added to the silliness of it. It went on this way for a good half hour or so, until I had the temari and Mitsunari ran straight toward me. I tossed it to Hikosane, but Mitsunari, distracted by the sudden appearance of Hideyoshi in the yard, was unable to stop his forward motion.

… and that’s how Mitsunari and I ended up in the ornamental fish pond.

Though to hear Hideyoshi tell it… it was my fault for encouraging the game to begin with.

Awesome commissioned artwork by @fighting-and-drawing