Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Terms of Engagement ❯ Reversal of Fortune ( Chapter 5 )

Terms of Engagement

Chapter 5: Reversal of Fortune

Saitou and Okita

 

The cushions arrived, and as promised Tokio's and Okita's names were emblazoned on each tacky, horrendous creation in shining silver thread that showed up exquisitely on the greenish puce-like cloth with its stain like accents of brown and sickly burgundy. The sheer speed of their arrival signaled that Okita's darling had spared no expense in getting some poor serving women to sew them quickly for her newest fiancée.

 

Saitou was holding one by a corner, much in the same way one would pick up a cloth that had been just used to wipe up dog vomit. His gold eyes glittered in suppressed mirth. “How lucky you are.”

 

Okita groaned, and watched in horror as his fellow Shinsengumi ambled into the common room and stumbled to a halt, looking at the pile of nightmarish pillows with his name on them. Seirizawa pushed his way toward the front, and grimaced at the pillows as Saitou helpfully held one up so that everyone could get a good, clear look at the gift his adorable fiancée had had delivered this morning.

 

“A gift from the delicate Tokio.” Saitou turned a wolf-grin towards Oktia. “To keep us comfortable while we play our games.”

 

Seirizawa grimaced as a few of the men around him snickered. “Most generous. You must thank her for all of us for considering our well being.”

 

Okita nodded, doomed.

 

Sarizawa gave the pillows one last look of disgust, then departed, heading towards his office snarling softly to himself. Saitou watched him disappear then tossed the pillow back onto the stack. “To think, this happiness could have been mine.”

 

The men laughed and started settling around the room, ordering food, gossiping, and pulling out letters from loved ones to read and reread. A few slipped over to a corner and pulled out dice and markers to pass the time till the next patrol. Only a couple kept going through the room, heading up towards their barracks and some rest.

 

Saitou gave the pillows one last smirk then turned to go up to his own quarters. One of the perks of being promoted to captain was the luxury of having a room to himself, and he intended to make use of it to escape the idiocy that was sure to hold sway of the common room till the others went to bed. While it was generally quiet in the early evening after the mid-afternoon shift of patrols ended, it would get progressively more boisterous as more and more men came in and tried to shake off the bloody weariness of war.

 

“Saitou. Aren't you going to take one?” Okita called, holding up a pillow. “There's plenty.”

 

“Okita,” Saitou's voice was smooth as the finest water-washed silk as it tumbled down the stairs, “I could never deprive you of something that will bring you joy and comfort. Keep them and think of me while you relax on them…in the comfort of your own rooms.”

 

Tokio

Tokio bandaged the girl's hand. It had taken her a long time to carefully pull the dislocated fingers back into alignment, and the girl had long ago collapsed into the arms of an older maid, who had been lucky enough to come out of today's excitement with only a few cane stripes across her shoulders. A few others hadn't been so lucky. The streets of Kyoto would have a few more nameless bodies littering its streets tonight.

 

Her uncle had received a letter from Serizawa politely informing him that Okita's parents wanted to come to the ceremony, but couldn't make it till then end of spring due to the dangers of traveling during fall and winter in the middle of a war. A reasonable and impossible to deny request that had sent her uncle into a rage. Tokio knew that her uncle had planned for his scheme to be over and done with in a month, two at most. His debts were piling up too fast, and her income from her grandfather's estate was becoming insufficient to hold off his creditors. He needed access to the entirety of the estate, but until his plans were successful, her grandfather's will kept it from his hands.

 

And as had happened before, everyone in the household took the brunt of her uncle's displeasure. She had hoped that if her counter plans had come about, that she and the rest of the household would be half way to Aizu before her uncle realized that his plans had crumbled. Her contacts knew to inform her of any move by Serizawa or the Shinsengumi concerning her betrothal. But the warning had come too late, after Uncle's rage had broken over them.

 

I should never have depended on them for warning. I should have been expecting the backlash and prepared for it. She wouldn't make that mistake twice. Suddenly, her plan born of conceit looked like one born of wisdom. She should have taken a different tact and taken advantage of Saitou and the first betrothal. Now, Okita was too far distant, by spring her uncle would surely have conceived of another way to get the estate.

 

The only thing left was Yaso. If Yaso married Saitou, in a slightly modified marriage ceremony, Saitou would hold, whether he knew it or not, her estate. Then, dear, sweet Yaso could disappear and Tokio could slip free, taking her household and what money she could and head north away from the fighting, her uncle, and the imaginary Yaso's husband, leaving her uncle penniless, powerless and at the mercy of his creditors, who doubtless would be less then merciful.

 

She nodded to herself as she stood up. It was a good plan. It had a few faults, to be honest many faults, but her choices were limited.

 

“Lady,” her personal maid appeared at her elbow. The woman's face was bruised and swollen from the beating her uncle had given her. “The men have returned from their…their errand.”

 

Tokio nodded. “Tell them to stay alert. If uncle returns, we need a warning.”

 

Her maid nodded carefully. “They say they weren't spotted.”

 

“Good.” She looked around the room at the other “lucky” ones.

 

A few futons were now scattered around the kitchen floor were maids and boys now huddled under the covers. Her uncle had chosen his targets well. The stable hands and gardener had been sent out on pointless tasks into Kyoto, and while the stronger were away, he'd visited the weaker. But then uncle always chose well, which is why she wouldn't have to deal with curious relatives asking about their missing kin. There were a plethora of orphans and homeless girls and boys on the streets begging. A job to work in a fine house doing household chores would seem a blessing to someone who faced the choice of starving or selling themselves to the often violent combatants that infested the streets.

 

They would have been better off as whores.

 

Well, it was over. Tomorrow her uncle would have returned and would pretend nothing untoward had occurred. In a few days, new faces would be in places old faces should have been, and no whisper would be heard about what had happened today.

 

Saitou

Saitou shook his head and glowered at Okita. “No.”

 

“It wasn't as if it was my idea!” Okita wiggled. He was sitting in front of Saitou, supposedly enjoying the fact that his best friend was back safely from his mission with a calming cup of tea. It hadn't escaped his notice that Saitou was being particularly…cautious about the tea. He could almost swear his friend flinched when he reached for the tea pot to serve them more tea once. “I came back from patrol and they told me congratulations.”

 

“Yes, congratulations. You'll make a lovely couple.” Saitou smirked unpleasantly and sipped from his cup. “And your home will be a place of beauty.”

 

“That's not funny. You've got to help me!” Okita wasn't above pleading, whining, and badgering his friend into helping him. After all any of the Shinsengumi knew that at the end of the day the living swordsman, no matter what measures he took, was the winner. The brave fool was usually lying dead on the ground.

 

“If you think I'm taking her back, you're mistaken.” Saitou rubbed his leg lightly with his fingertips.

 

Okita pitched his voice into a border line whine. He knew for a fact that Saitou would do practically anything to get him to shut up. All he had to do was to be strategically annoying. “Saitou, I didn't say that. I said you needed to help me. Can't you see I'm desperate.”

 

Saitou twitched slightly, irritated at the tone, but kept his face placid, if a bit mocking. “I can't remember an outpouring of sympathy when I was in this situation.”

 

“I was just trying to lift your spirits.” Okita let his voice edge a bit higher, closer to a whine. This was a tricky gambit. Sometimes, if he overplayed his hand, Saitou would get irritated enough to just walk away. However, if he did it just right, Saitou would cave. In a way, handling Saitou was often nearly as tricky as sword play.

 

Saitou sipped his tea, his eyes shifting away. “You were the one who was supposed to be gathering information on her. Use that.”

 

“All I learned was her uncle wants me to marry her.” Okita dropped his tone back slightly toward normal level. The two word order was enough to warn him Saitou was nearly ready to walk. If that happened, he have to do a running battle, hounding after Saitou till his best friend finally, out of sheer desperation to get some peace, agreed to help him. The end would be the same, but the hounding could take days, even weeks. And there was always the complication of Saitou threatening to kill him, tie him up, and have him delivered to the Isenshishi, or worse, send him back to his parents.

 

Saitou's lips tugged into a rather unpleasant smile. “You're just too charming for your own good.” He sipped his tea. “What a shame. Really.”

 

“Aren't you even slightly insulted?” Okita tried shifting tactics. He wasn't getting anywhere with the “help me” tact.

 

“Not particularly.”

 

From the expression on his face, Okita guessed that if wolves' could purr, Saitou would be sprawled out on his back, cleaning his whiskers, and sounding like a well pleased tiger. Saitou's gold eyes were half lidded, his lips curved up in a self-satisfied, inward smile. Even the tip of his tongue flicked quickly into view as it swept up a tiny drop of tea from the corner of his lips.

 

“You don't find it insulting that her uncle basically declared you unfit for their family?” Okita made his tone soft, confidential, two friends discussing an intimate and maybe touchy detail tone of voice.

 

“All I have to do is picture the looks on my brother's and sister's faces if I had introduced her as my wife, and I seem to handle the insult surprisingly well.” Saitou purred back.

 

Smug wolf. Others of the Shinsengumi were labeled wolves, but Saitou was the only one that truly was wolf-like, with his gold eyes, lean face, and sometimes feral intensity. The other members of the Shinsengumi were good men, strong men, who were dedicated to the cause, but even Serizawa sometimes handled Saitou with the same care you'd give to a half tame, dangerous animal who could turn and bite. Foolish of them. A wolf is always loyal to its pack. They might nip and posture, but they remain loyal.

 

“I suppose I'll have to,” Okita paused sighing softly, trying another tactic, “Request time off from my duties to look into this myself.” He shook his head regretfully. “It should only take a few weeks.” He looked innocently over at his friend. “You won't mind filling in for me, would you?” He tapped his chin as if thinking. “I'd guess it will take…oh three, four weeks.”

 

Saitou's smug look disintegrated as three to four weeks of pulling double shifts; dealing with Okita's brainless, happy-go-lucky squad; and even less rest then usual loomed. The hellish thing about it was he knew Serizawa would do it. All Okita had to do was fake a few breathless coughs as he requested some time off and Serizawa would not just give him the four weeks, but an additional couple more to rest up. Damn you!

 

And victory is mine. Okita hid his smile as Saitou started snarling

 

Tokio

Toki smiled slightly at Serizawa as he gestured for them to step into common room of the inn that the Shinsengumi lodged in. She was now clustered into the second group of prospective brides awaiting her new/old betrothed. It had taken a bit of behind the scenes maneuvering, bribing, and trades in favors to ensure that she was once again paired with Saitou. She only wished it was for the relatively light hearted folly she had began this project with; however, with her uncle's actions, she needed to take a few drastic steps.

 

Her maid, a hired just for this evening, gave her a slightly encouraging look as she helped her out of her robes. Happily, this time there wasn't the myriad complications of a complex costume to negotiate, just a simple removal of a cloak to unveil her true form to an anxious wolf. She caught a sly peek at Saitou's face as she was helped out of her cloak, and the look of covert relief shimmering beneath the smoothly controlled surface was nearly enough to make her grin outright.

 

Poor Saitou. I wish I could say this was for your own good this time, but uncle has left me few choices...

 

“Shinoda Yaso, this is Saitou Hajime.” Serizawa nodded for them to pair up and get out of the way so that he could introduce the next lucky couple.

 

As before, Saitou bowed pleasantly and gestured for her to proceed him to a table. She wondered, just for the mischief of it, to demand extra strong tea when she got there. Maybe she could get him to believe that it was a new fashion trend. She settled down and looked around the assembled crowd. The first round of brides was, with the exception of Tokio herself, clustered together with their beloveds toward the back of the room talking to a couple of thread worn priests. She caught Midori's eyes glittering as she inspected Saitou's lithe form as he glided to sit by her side. Sumire smirked at her, looking at Saitou as if she was the wolf and he was the temptingly plump prey, the tip of her tongue flicking over her upper lip hungrily.

 

Okita was sitting with the group, looking guilty and relived. She'd made a few vague excuses about having a headache to get out of that meeting, which had been met with a brief, polite, charming, and almost excruciatingly relieved note encouraging her to take care of her health and stay inside at all costs. So Tokio had stayed home, Okita was pleased to be left to himself, and Yaso had come out to stake her claim to one skittish wolf.

 

Saitou settled on a cushion, and looked at her warily. `Tell me Yaso, what are you interested in?”

 

She wondered briefly if she should tell him the truth, that her favorite hobby lately was running a spy network, disguising herself as different people, and manipulating the people around her; then set it aside. Saitou would have to deal with the truth later. “I fear I'm a bit plain.” She gave a small apologetic smile, keeping her voice as low and pleasant as possible. “My joys are quite small and very homey: cooking, sewing, arranging flowers. Nothing to speak of.”

 

Saitou nodded, eyeing her as if he expected her to do something startling…say get up and start demanding tea sets from the other couples. She kept her expression quiet, serene, and slightly shy. He took another moment watching her.

 

“You have blue eyes.” He finally said, looking at her with a calm detachment.

 

“Yes,” She nodded, dropping her eyes demurely to the table top. “A trait from Aizu. My father's family has served the Lord of Aizu for generations.”

 

He was quiet a moment, then nodded. “It's a rare color.”

 

It was also the one part of her disguise that, as Tokio, she couldn't hide. Of course Saitou would recognize the flaw instantly. He was, after all, both intelligent and perceptive. However, she had worked out that convincingly vague answer with not too much detail, which would alert him to a lie, not too little explanation, and all based on fact. He could easily check with anyone in Aizu and find that families of long time retainers sported blue eyes, inherited from an overly frisky Lord of Aizu a few generations back.

 

A tea service and a small plate of food were placed before them. Saitou nearly snatched the tea pot from her grasp before even one of her fingertips could touch the smooth porcelain surface. Hiding a smirk of amusement, she looked up at him hesitantly as if afraid she'd done something horribly wrong.

 

“Please, allow me.” He gracefully poured them both tea. “I… wouldn't want you to…spill.” He gave her a small smile. “You must be cold, and handling a hot tea pot would be uncomfortable until you warm up.”

 

“Thank you.” She nodded, and accepted his explanation with a modest nod of appreciation. “You are very thoughtful.”

 

They sipped their tea quietly. The other couples were chatting nervously with each other at the other tables. Her maid was sitting a short distance away, pretending to watch over them, but more interested in the flirtations of one of the servants who whisked around the tables delivering food, keeping tea hot and plentiful, and supplying extra cushions for delicate feminine derrieres. Saitou seemed to luxuriate in the silence, and since pleasing him was, at least for a moment, her main goal, she let him enjoy his moment of tranquility.

 

Saitou finished his tea and set it down. “Why are you looking for a husband in the Shinsemgumi? As retainers of Aizu, your family could find you a better match.”

 

“True.” She nodded, keeping her eyes down in a subserviently ladylike manner. “However, most men of marriageable age are fighting in the war. Father is fighting in the war.” She made a tiny gesture of dismay. “He is worried that I will be left unprotected.”

 

“So he agreed to a betrothal?” Saitou poured more tea and set it down on the table, his strong slender fingers cradling the small delicate cup carefully.

 

“It seemed the best solution to the problem.” .She nodded, took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage, and quietly asked, “And you?”

 

He shrugged, “Orders mainly, but the idea has some appeal.”

 

She wondered if she suddenly asked him for his handkerchief and ran off to pee if the idea would still have appeal. She glanced around and was amused to find a picture where the list of names had been tacked on the wall last time. She looked up to find him watching her. “You must think me very dull.” She bowed her head as if embarrassed.

 

Saitou blinked, “No.” He looked around at the other couples, who were nervously chattering like mice. “I have enough excitement in my life. I have no wish to have too much of it at home.”

 

Too bad Saitou. That little dream is doomed.

 

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