Utena, Revolutionary Girl Fan Fiction ❯ Love's Honor ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter Five

With the hollow sounds of hooves against the wooden bridge
over the narrow river, the small party crossed over from the
dirt streets of the village and into the island keep of the
clan chieftain. The fortress was just as Touga described
it, only older and more rustic appearing than Utena had
expected. Though the keep was built of stone and seemed to
be a solid square of granite masonry, the wall that
surrounded the shoreline of the island was a fence of giant
logs nailed and lashed together, their upward-pointing ends
sharpened into formidable points to discourage anyone from
clambering over the man-made barrier. Even the gatehouse
toward which they rode was wooden, manned by a number of
fierce-looking warriors from its heights.

"I really must convince Saionji or his father to rebuild the
gatehouse and palisade in stone," the scarlet-haired lord
murmured, glancing about. "As it stands, it's a
vulnerability in the strength of the fortress," he added,
explaining for his gentle companion's benefit.

Utena merely nodded, understanding his point. Wood was
softer than stone and could burn. Therefore, it was a
relatively cheap building material but protection potential
was exchanged for the lower price. That the gatehouse was
still a carpenter-built construct could be the biggest
concern; the first thing she would recommend herself was to
rebuild that in masonry to better fortify it.

However, it wasn't the state of the stronghold that had
caught her attention. No, that was reserved for the people
living within the village and those who were milling about
within the bailey of the keep. Sweeping her gaze back over
to the thatched-roofed cots near the banks of the
rapids-filled river, she frowned thoughtfully.

They had come out of their cottages and had stopped in the
streets, their eyes all focused on the group of others
riding in their midst. They looked thin, their clothes
somewhat ragged and well patched, their expressions mixtures
of what Utena could only believe were envy, resentment and
fear. To her eye trained in assessing the state of a
demesne, she recognized the signs of scarce good food and
lingering illness in those that she did see, taking note
that most of the people who were there, staring in utter
silence, were those in their young to middle years. Of the
youngest and oldest, there were no signs.

It was obvious they needed more than what they were
gathering for themselves. She felt uneasy being among them,
knowing that she was healthy and well fed while they were
not, that she had ample and warm clothing while they made
due with threadbare garb that had been mended numerous
times. The housing too was as careworn as the people, the
thatch and wood structures in need of obvious repair. In
riding through the gatehouse, she could see that the keep
itself -- the last line of defense for these folk -- was
equally in need of the attention of both a carpenter and
mason.

The stares from the warriors guarding the entrance into the
stronghold were every bit as desperate and hostile as those
of the more common folk out there in the surrounding
village. It was obvious in the way they stiffly bowed and
gave way before the dashing redheaded chieftain astride the
ebony stallion that they not only knew exactly who he was,
there was still some lingering bad blood for the son of the
lord that had essentially conquered them. When the six
riders emerged from the narrow passageway through the entry,
the crystalline note of a horn sounded in the stillness; it
was apparently a signal to announce the arrival of their
overlord.

The bailey was nearly as shabby as the rest, the buildings
housing the stables, mews, blacksmith and kennels showing an
equal amount of wear and tear. The grass that covered those
areas of the ground not a part of the well-worn dirt
pathways was scrubby and thin, not like the thicker and
lusher greenery that had been present in the bailey of
Kiryuu Keep. Turning her attention momentarily to look at
the proud and noble Lord Touga, Utena noticed that he only
urged his charger about four steps into the courtyard before
tugging on the reins and murmuring a halt to the great
beast. Drawing up next to him, the rose-haired maiden urged
her buff-colored palfrey to halt as well, then glanced
behind to make sure that her handmaidens and men at arms
stopped. Seeing that all was well so far, her aquamarine
gaze focused again on her companion.

Sensing her eyes on him, Touga shifted in his saddle
slightly and gave her a bit of a smile. "Here we shall wait
for someone to greet us and invite us in," he explained.

"I see," she responded, still uneasy about being comfortable
when so many around them had obviously not fared well at
all. A thoughtful expression on her face, she stared down
at the somewhat barren ground, noting the many stones of
various sizes that were embedded in the dirt. Words came to
her in the stillness, a soft feminine voice from the time
she had made the journey two years past to the place where
she found Love's Honor being guarded. ("Six tasks shall you
set to prove the worth of the one to bear this blade, one
for each virtue of Love . . .") Gasping slightly, Utena
raised her head, knowing suddenly one of the half-dozen
requests she would make. "Lord Touga?"

The scarlet-maned chieftain's ears perked up, catching an
unusual undertone to the boyish-attired maiden's voice.
Eyebrows rising in curiosity, he twisted in the saddle again
to once more stare straight at her. "Aye, Lady Utena?"

"I . . . wish to set one of the tasks you must perform," she
informed him.

('Tis an interesting place and time for such. I wonder what
she has in mind?) he thought, gaze steady upon her. "And
that task would be?"

"Give away an entire year's income to these destitute folk."

(An entire year?) Touga blinked, the request not exactly an
expected one. Even so, he was already turning the logistics
of fulfilling it over in his mind, doing his best to recall
just how much he had still within his coffers. Though most
trade and the collection of taxes in the highlands was based
in kind -- goods and services traded away to meet financial
obligations -- some money was used as well. The Saionji
certainly looked to need the help, and as their overlord, he
was the one ultimately responsible for their well-being.
(If I take half the coin I have and then plan to send to
them half the harvest throughout the year, that should
satisfy both obligations . . .)

Seeing only what seemed to be dumbfounded silence, Utena did
her best to ignore the increasingly crestfallen feeling that
threatened to overcome her. Would this handsome
champion-to-be fail this, perhaps one of the simplest tasks
she could assign for the virtue of Generosity? "Well? What
say you?" she insisted, carefully schooling her visage into
a neutral expression.

Her unwittingly sharp tone brought Touga's attention back
from his musings. "Excuse my silence, my lady. I was best
planning out how to comply with your request. Aye, I accept
your challenge and please consider it done, dear lady. When
my men arrive with the meat I sent them to hunt, I shall
send one back to the keep with a message for my lady
sister."

"And how do you plan on fulfilling it?" Utena asked,
interested in his apparent solution.

"I have enough coin in my coffers to fetch half a year's
income and hand it over to the Saionji's chieftain. The
remainder of what you've requested will be spread throughout
the coming year; I shall give away half my harvests in both
grain and herds as I reap them."

"'Tis easy enough to say you shall -- " the pink-haired girl
replied.

"Trust me, Lady Utena. Watch and you shall see," Touga
said, interrupting her. Pointing toward the doorway in the
square stone tower of the keep, he added, "I do believe we
shall be greeted now by my foster-brother."

From their perspective, the doorway was set on the
right-hand side of the tower, a flight of stairs along the
outside of the sturdy granite structure making its way up
from the ground, around the corner and stopping at the
threshold of the single entry into the keep one story above
the earth below. More than likely, the storerooms of the
stronghold were there on that windowless first floor, and
the Great Hall would take up the majority of the space on
the second floor. Counting off the levels of shuttered
windows, Utena guessed that the tower was only three stories
high, just as Kiryuu Keep had been. From what she'd been
able to observe, the clans of the highlands tended to live
simply and prudently. She had yet to see a manor that was
as ostentatious as some of those of the great lowland
barons.

The figure that descended the stairs seemed, from the short
distance anyway, to be a fit young man in the prime of his
life about the same age as the Kiryuu chieftain. Dressed
somberly in somewhat plain garb of dark green and black --
shoes of leather dyed green, black hose covering his legs, a
black shirt underneath a green tunic, both of which were
modestly decorated with silver embroidery -- the young man's
tall form was crowned by a waist-length mane of curly, deep
green hair.

"Kyouichi Saionji," Touga explained, his words meant for the
maiden sitting atop her palfrey at his side.

Utena looked him over as he approached them, mentally
assessing the one Touga considered a brother. The Saionji
heir was a handsome man, though the ruggedness of his visage
would forever keep him from the elegant beauty Touga
possessed -- even if the harshness of the current times
weren't there on Saionji's face. At the moment, his
expression was a thunderous scowl, his violet eyes narrowed
in suspicion and irritation. Stopping a slight distance
away, he took up what appeared to the pink-maned maiden a
defensive stance, arms crossing over his green-clad chest.

"Well now, isn't this a surprise?" the verdant-maned noble
asked, his low voice holding a tone that matched his stance.
"My dear Lord Touga, to what should I ascribe the pleasure
of seeing your face this early in the spring?"

"Why to the fact that I've been overly long in paying my
respects to both my foster brother and his ailing father,"
Touga replied. "As well as the fact that winter is over
once more and the spring planting should begin soon. That
alone is worth celebrating, and to that effect, I have my
men bringing a gift to you both as a tribute to my foster
brother and as thanks for the Divine for seeing us through
the harsh weather."

Saionji stared at the other lord for a moment before
flicking his violet gaze to the men at arms, handmaidens and
seemingly slender lad accompanying the scarlet-haired
chieftain. "You must feel quite comfortable traversing my
lands with only strangers as an escort."

Touga softly laughed. "They are new acquaintances of mine.
Lord Kyouichi, may I present to you Lady Utena Tenjou, her
servants Wakaba and Shiori, and her men at arms Tatsuya and
Ryu? Ladies, gentlemen, the heir of Clan Saionji."

As the quintet of people lowered their heads in respectful
greeting at the introductions, Saionji merely scowled a bit
more. "Tenjou, hmm? Isn't that a lowland -- "

"Aye, but it matters not. The lady's come as my guest," the
Kiryuu prince replied, cutting off his friend's words.

"As you wish, my lord," he responded, a gentle breeze
passing through the sparsely vegetated bailey lightly
ruffling his curly green hair. "However, I refuse to
believe that you've come only in goodwill now that spring
has arrived. What are you really up to, Lord Touga?"

The chieftain nodded slightly, acknowledging his foster
brother's guess. "I do have a couple of matters to discuss
with you, now that I've made the trip here."

"I should have known," Saionji muttered. "Very well. I
extend to you the hospitality of my father's hearth. Do you
accept?"

"Gladly," Touga answered, gracefully swinging down from the
saddle to alight onto the ground. Now that he was here,
observing for himself the condition of Pinehaven, he found
himself even more worried than before. Saionji himself was
thinner than Touga remembered, the cheekbones more prominent
than before. Though it was commendable that the
green-haired noble was sharing in the suffering of his clan
-- not being selfish, not seeing to his own needs before
those of his followers -- it was bothersome see his friend
so reduced. Should trouble come to the clan, Saionji and
his men may not be up to the task simply because one cannot
be at his best if he is ill fed.

As Touga strode over to where the pink-attired lady sat upon
the back of her palfrey, Saionji faced towards the stables
and shouted. "Grooms! Attend at once to my guests'
mounts!" That loudly uttered command caused a flurry of
activity as a number of lanky boys -- all around the age
Utena would expect for squires -- appeared from seemingly
nowhere to descend upon the little party. Suddenly aware of
the scarlet-haired lord's nearby presence, Utena turned her
aquamarine gaze to him in time to see him silently offer to
help her down from her perch. Giving him a bit of a smile,
she placed her hand in his upraised one and leaned forward,
feeling his strength easily as he wrapped an arm around her
waist and swept her down as if she weighed nothing at all.
Behind her, the pair of men at arms dismounted and helped
down the two handmaidens, Tatsuya carefully lowering Wakaba
to the ground and Ryu giving Shiori a helping hand.

"Come along," Saionji said, gesturing to the half-dozen
other people to follow behind him. Turning, he began to
retrace his steps back to the stairway that led into the
stone keep.

"He seems a bit on the brusque side," the rose-haired maiden
commented to her tall companion.

"He believes in getting to the point," Touga responded, a
smile on his face. Lifting his head slightly, he called
out, "Saionji, a moment!"

Pausing in mid-stride, the other man turned his head to look
at his foster brother over his shoulder. "What is it, my
lord?"

"When my men come, be sure to have them escorted to the
kitchen. My gift to you needs to be taken there."

The verdant-maned noble stiffened slightly, but gave a nod
in response. "I'll tell the castellan once I step inside."
That said, Saionji once more continued on his way.

In silence, the small group of nobles and servants ascended
the stone stairs and entered the tower. Immediately behind
the ironbound oaken door was a vestibule that was devoid of
almost any furniture; all Utena could see was a couple of
rather uncomfortable-looking chairs off to one side. When
he had entered, Saionji must have barked some order -- she
had heard his low, harsh voice while she had been climbing
the steps -- for someone was swiftly disappearing from the
chamber as she stepped inside.

The heir of the estate led them on through the archway into
what appeared to be a waiting room much like the one Utena
had seen in Touga's home. More chairs were arranged into
sitting areas while locked chests and cupboards sat against
the stone walls. There were a few tapestries there, though
they showed signs of being old -- the edges were somewhat
frayed and the colors faded.

A number of people milled around, most seemingly too in awe
of being within the keep to take advantage of the somewhat
worn chairs sitting about. As the group made their way
across the room, the folk quickly scattered and bowed, not
straightening up until after they had walked past. Glancing
about, the rose-haired maiden realized just who all these
individuals were: the citizens of the demesne, come to bring
their disputes and grievances to their lord's court.
Flicking her aquamarine gaze back to their host, she noted
that he looked neither to the left nor right at those
awaiting to come before him, though he did nod slightly at
the greetings from the household garrison. Throwing open
the sturdy door leading to the Great Hall, Saionji strode
inside. "Shut the door once my guests have entered. The
docket can wait," the green-haired noble barked.

"Aye, m'lord," responded a raven-haired warrior standing to
one side of the door.

"Perhaps you should hear the cases before you speak with
me?" Touga suggested.

"I'd rather know precisely what you're up to, Lord Touga,"
Saionji sharply responded.

"Very well," the scarlet-maned nobleman replied. "It's just
as well that you were preparing to sit in court. We'll have
need of your clerk."

The verdant-maned highlander came to an abrupt halt,
whirling around to face his foster brother there in the
center of the rush-covered floor. The large chamber
certainly had been readied for the upcoming judicial
session; the heavy wooden trestle tables remained propped
against the sparsely decorated walls while the matching
benches were aligned in rows to either side of the middle of
the room. Saionji had been leading them down the center
aisle when he had come to a halt at the other nobleman's
words. "What the devil do you need my clerk for?"

"Why, I have a contract that needs to be drawn," Touga
answered, his voice a smooth purr. "I made a promise and I
wish to have it in writing."

"And just what is this promise?" Saionji insisted.

"I am to give away a full year's income to you and your
clan. As part of the pledge, I plan to send to you half of
everything I harvest. And to show proof of my sincerity, I
desire to have that part of the pledge written and signed by
us as a legal agreement."

"Do you think I can't take care of my own?" the heir of the
estate growled, violet eyes narrowing.

"Of course not," Touga quickly said, his voice in what was
meant to be a soothing tone. "I'm sure you are doing the
best you can. This has nothing to do with proving your
worth and everything to do with proving mine."

"So now we're just tools for your own advancement?" Saionji
said, his expression thunderous.

"Saionji, please . . ." the Kiryuu prince responded,
offering his friend a smile. "That's not it at all."

"So what *is* 'it' then?" the green-haired man snapped
back, still glaring at the other nobleman. How dare he come
striding in here looking so happy and fit when the Saionji
clan had barely survived?

"I'm genuinely concerned -- "

"You're only concerned about losing your hold on my lands
and my people," the other highlander snarled, being
deliberately rude and turning away, stalking once more
towards the high table. "You only want us even more in your
debt!"

As the pair of noblemen crossed over the Great Hall's floor,
Utena turned to her followers, her pretty face showing her
unease at the developing argument. Other than the noblemen,
the cavernous chamber was currently empty save for the clerk
mentioned by the keep's lord, a pious-looking man with
short-cropped, chocolate-brown hair wearing the simple brown
robes of a monk. It seemed slightly eerie scanning over a
room so large and so empty. However, the pink-haired girl
was put at ease knowing that it was only devoid of activity
solely because court had yet to start, though she was still
on edge from the tense undercurrent. "Find something with
which to amuse yourselves along the edges of the hall. I
have a feeling that the two gentlemen would like their
conversation to be between only themselves," she started to
explain, staring right at her four servants. Catching the
unhappy looks on Tatsuya and Ryu's faces, Utena quickly
added, "Fear not for me. I'm certain that I'm in fine
company, and I'll only be up at the high table with them.
You'll be able to watch over me the entire time." Hearing
her men's at arms murmurs of reluctant acknowledgement, the
rose-haired maiden hurried after the other two nobles.

Though inwardly disappointed at his foster brother's cold
reception, Touga kept his features schooled in an expression
of pleasant camaraderie. He kept silent until he joined the
verdant-maned noble up on the dais, easily taking the three
small steps in graceful stride and then standing there,
awaiting his friend's invitation to take a seat. His
cobalt-blue gaze remaining focused on the other man as
Saionji paused behind the ornate chair of the lord of the
manor and rested a hand against the back of the carved wood
of the seat, Touga said, "Come now, my brother -- "

"Don't you 'my brother' *me*!" the green-haired clansman
snapped, angry violet gaze turning to stare at the
chieftain. "How dare you come here as if you were the king
of the world, showing off your plenty and contentedness just
after I've finished burying a full fifth of my clan? There
you are, fit and happy, while we continue to suffer and you
see us only as a charity case to further your ambitions? I
see no brother here, only a lord come to rub our noses in
the fact that we are a subjugated people."

Standing a slight distance away, Utena faintly gasped and
put a hand over her mouth, azure eyes wide, at the angry
words. So many folk dead just over the winter? She
couldn't help but feel sorry for them and their plight.

(A fifth?) Touga thought, stunned by the numbers. He had
heard that an illness had swept through them during the
coldest part of the season but had hoped that they were
rumors. They'd been too snowbound to send anyone there to
see. Bowing his head in a silent prayer to the souls of
those claimed by the harshness of winter, the scarlet-maned
chieftain remained standing there. "Saionji," he began,
tone soft, his face curtained by the loose locks of his
long, scarlet-red hair, "the years have forced a distance
between us -- through no fault of our own -- that wasn't
there before. For the sake of the fraternal love you once
bore me, please just give me this one chance. I swear to
you I have come here as a brother, not as a lord overseeing
an underling." Lifting his head, a faintly beseeching
expression on his handsome face, Touga stared expectantly at
his friend.

Violet eyes narrowed, glaring back. Pride and affection
warred within Saionji's heart, longtime envy and admiration
both making themselves known. He hated seeing the despair
to which his people had been reduced, yet he knew that what
the Kiryuu chieftain offered would ease his clan's
suffering. "I'll give you this chance and accept your help
only for the good of my folk," Saionji finally growled.
"There's been enough illness and death."

"May the lady and I take a seat?" Touga queried, gesturing
toward where the rose-haired maiden stood watching in the
background.

"Who am I to stop you?" the other man asked, his piercing
gaze flicking over to stare at the strangely attired girl.
Had the chieftain not introduced her, Saionji would have
thought he was looking at an overly pretty boy. "Who is she
anyway to be hovering about the conversation of 'dear
brothers'?" he added, his voice taking on a sneering tone.

"Merely an observer to test my worth," the redheaded
highlander responded.

"Your tastes have certainly changed to the more masculine if
one such as she is allowed to judge your worth -- "

"I beg your pardon!" Utena burst out, feeling somewhat
insulted by the verdant-maned noble's words. "That'll be
quite enough of that, Lord Kyouichi."

"Loud too," Saionji said, continuing on as if the
masculinely clothed woman hadn't spoken at all.

"Tread carefully, my friend, least we both discover she can
handle that sword she carries in an efficient manner," Touga
gently warned.

"I'm not afraid of some slip of a little boyish-looking
girl," the violet-eyed lord replied.

Utena's aquamarine eyes narrowed in annoyance; recalling
both the unwritten laws of hospitality and the very virtues
she searched for within her champion, she took a deep breath
and willed herself to calm down. It wasn't worth the
conflict, especially against a man too battered by the world
to even have a hope of being the noble soul she sought. Her
cheeks warm and red-hued with anger, she bit back her words
and dragged one of the heavy chairs away from the bolted
table.

"I assure you, Saionji, she's not what she appears to be."
Turning his gaze to Utena as the noblewoman perched herself
on the sturdy seat, Touga gave her a reassuring smile. "If
you'll kindly excuse me, my lady, I wish to turn my
attention to the matters about which I desired to speak with
Saionji."

The rose-maned maiden nodded, a silent gesture for him to
proceed. Sitting back in the chair, she watched as he
pulled out another and gracefully sat, Saionji lowering
himself down into the lord's siege at the same time.

"Does she *have* to be here?" the green-haired highlander
grumbled, still doing his best to appear to not acknowledge
her presence in any manner but his words.

"Aye, she does. Just think of her as a clerk of sorts, just
as you have your man over there."

"I suppose . . ." Irritation glimmered in Saionji's
purple-hued eyes as he leaned against the padded back of the
ornately carved chair. "So what exactly do you *want*,
Touga?"

"How's your father doing? I had heard that he wasn't faring
well at all."

The other lord looked away, off into the distance, his
expression unreadable beneath his dark green bangs. "The
Saionji have a new chieftain now."

Touga nodded gently, a look of sympathy in his cobalt-blue
eyes. "My condolences -- "

"Don't bother. I never really knew him, and what I knew of
him, he was an angry and broken man. So you're only wasting
your breath," Saionji responded, his tone cool.

"How long ago?"

"Three days ago. We buried him the day before yesterday and
I heard the oaths of fealty from my retainers yesterday."

"Well, perhaps you'll be more inclined to listen to the
proposal I desire to make to you, Saionji, than I fear your
father may have been," Touga said, leaning back and draping
a leg over his knee. "It's come to my attention that the
time has come to arrange a suitable circumstance for my
sister Nanami."

The verdant-maned chieftain stiffened, then turned his head
to stare at his friend. "You're offering me marriage to
your sister?"

"Aye. I spoke to Nanami about it being time and she was
less than pleased with the prospect altogether," the
scarlet-haired noble responded.

"She *would* be. I recall how she'd trail after us like
some forlorn puppy, always wanting to be there for you,"
Saionji snorted in mild derision. "The girl absolutely
hated anything taking your attention away from her."

"Save *you*," Touga softly said. "In all those years, she
never once tried to get between us or pull one of her
childish pranks on you."

"She probably knew I'd throttle her if she tried."

"More likely . . . I think she may like you, Saionji, only
she's been too focused on trying to not grow up and always
be my sister that she doesn't see it. I did get a
concession out of her that she'd feel happier being wed to
someone she knew."

The newly-ascended chieftain growled, shaking his head
slightly. It just seemed too easy, too convenient. An
alliance with one of the most powerful clans in the
highlands, one that had conquered the Saionji after a bitter
feud, all because a spoiled child whom he had considered
like a sister would rather wed someone she knew if she had
to marry at all? (He must be getting something more from
offering this than merely that,) Saionji thought, scowling.
(But what? Maybe . . . Maybe he seeks to force us into a
permanent position of subordination through the ties of
blood? If that's the case, I won't stand for it. I will
see to it that my people are once again wielders of the
power we deserve.) "Nanami likes no one but you."

"Everyone that's attempted to get close to me, she's tried
to harm -- save you. You've never once had overspiced or
spoiled food in your meals, sleeping draughts in your
drinks, your room 'accidentally' left open to the cold with
no fire or brazier to heat it or being forgotten when it
came time to clean it . . . In all those years you and I
were as close as brothers, my sister tagging along, never
once did she use her position as chatelaine as a way to
strike out at you as she did all the others who tried to get
friendlier with me than she thought was proper," the
scarlet-haired lord responded.

Utena blinked, startled at the litany of annoying pranks
carried out by what sounded to be one very obsessed young
lady. Thinking back on yestereve's celebration, the
boyishly-clad maiden paled slightly as she realized why the
blond mistress of the keep kept giving her vicious stares.
Apparently whatever discussion it was after the siblings had
danced -- more than likely the talk of weddings and
alliances, given the current conversation -- it had kept
Lady Nanami in a foul mood. At the time, Utena had
dismissed the glares as a manifestation of the anger sparked
by the conversation with Lord Touga. Now she knew better;
the young blond had seen her as a rival for her brother's
affections.

"I won't tolerate being chained to a subordinate position,"
Saionji insisted, his tone harsh. "An alliance such as you
propose would only make us a lesser line of your clan.
Never again would we be your equals."

"That's not exactly true if you stop and think about it,"
Touga replied. "Your sons would be royalty of both the
Kiryuu and the Saionji, whereas my sons would only be Kiryuu
princes. Should my line ever be considered unfit by the
warriors of the clan, it could easily be one of your sons
that is chieftain over both, but my sons could never have a
claim to the Saionji coronet. And you will always be
entitled to aid from the Kiryuu, since you would be family."

"Ha. By your own oath of fealty as overlord, you are bound
to give us protection and sustenance," countered the
green-haired nobleman. "Duty alone would force you to aid
us."

"Not all are as honorable as you know me to be," pointed out
Touga, his cobalt-blue eyes focused on his friend. "And
there's nothing to say that a future Kiryuu prince would
find it too inconvenient to aid you when you need it. But
family . . . You know as well as I that blood is thicker
than water and family helps one another. And family is a
relationship of equality, not subordination."

Saionji scowled, mulling on the other chieftain's words. So
far, he could not see the fatal flaw that he knew just had
to be lurking there, the one thing that must be what Touga
was hoping to achieve. He knew his friend was every bit as
ambitious as he was honorable; surely there was something
Saionji was missing, something he couldn't quite see. After
a long, tense pause, he questioned, "So what *do* you get
out of this? You offer us all the aid we could need, equal
standing and blood ties to bind us to you, a clan that your
father *conquered*. So what's in it for *you*?"

"It's simple, actually. I get my sister wed to a man I know
and trust, whom I'm sure will watch over her properly, not
abuse her and be strong enough to deal with her willfulness
and tendency to use her control over a household to make
things miserable for those she dislikes. You know her
nearly as well as I; you're familiar with what it takes to
keep her happy."

"She's not happy unless she's with you," Saionji reiterated.

"She'll get over it," Touga replied. "And I'm sure you're
up to the task of helping her do so. So what say you?"

A scowl settled over the verdant-maned chieftain's visage.
(It's tempting, aye, but damnation! I still feel as if
there's something unsaid I'm missing, some string attached I
can't find. And I hate the thought of being personally
beholden to him, of losing to him.) The scowl grew darker
as he turned a cool violet gaze back to his childhood
friend. "I'll think about it. I already have negotiations
going on for a different alliance."

"Oh?" The word was a soft purr of curiosity, Touga raising
his eyebrows in surprise. "With whom?"

"*That*, dear Touga, is none of your business," Saionji shot
back.

"Very well," the scarlet-haired nobleman responded, raising
his hands in a peacemaking gesture. "However, please give my
offer some serious thought. I truly believe you couldn't
make a better alliance with anyone else in the highlands."

(And that is what bothers me,) the violet-eyed prince
silently thought.
________________

The tam-like hat of soft rose-pink cloth remained perched
jauntily on her head, her lush mane of wavy hair carefully
hidden beneath. As she sat there at Lord Touga's left
behind the high table, Utena's thoughts wandered somewhat
from the proceedings within Pinehaven's Great Hall.

The pair of chieftains had called over the robed clerk once
their talk of the proposed marriage was concluded. With the
scribe in attendance, Lords Touga and Kyouichi had haggled
on the details of the contract and then had set their wax
seals on the resulting document the moment they had agreed.
While the once-molten material was cooling into a hardened
blob imprinted with the impressions of both signet rings, a
page had come to inform the noblemen of the arrival of the
Kiryuu warriors. The scarlet-haired chieftain had then sent
the young, towheaded boy off with a message for one of his
men to attend him there ate the high table.

As Saionji had called for his warriors to usher in the folk
there to have their cases heard in the manorial court, the
Kiryuu prince had held a whispered conversation with the
strong-looking young clansman that had come at his lord's
summons. While the small crowd had made their way into the
large chamber and had seated themselves on the wooden
benches, the brunette warrior had walked swiftly away, more
than likely to carry out Touga's plan to fetch the coin that
was part of the proof of his generosity. Utena knew that
once she saw the precious metal in the green-haired
chieftain's hand, she would judge Touga as having passed the
first test of his virtue; the coin along with the legally
binding contract -- as well as his impromptu decision to
bring meat to his foster-brother's people -- would be more
than enough proof as far as the noblewoman was concerned
that the Kiryuu prince possessed the virtue of generosity in
sufficient quantity.

The disputes that had come before the newly-elevated lord
were all those typical of such courts. Quarrels over the
ownership of property and livestock, the use of community
resources, unpaid debts, assaults, thefts -- civil and
criminal arguments alike were settled here. As chieftain,
Saionji's decision would be the final word on all save those
that were felonious in nature. Those would be referred to
Lord Touga's own court in the near future; as overlord, he
was the one that held the right to judge cases involving
High Justice.

As the parade of people on the docket were called forth and
aired their grievances, Utena had glanced over at her
would-be champion a number of times. Looking as regal and
gorgeous as ever, he almost lounged in the ornately-carved
chair as he silently observed his foster-brother's court.
That he seemed so casual puzzled her at first -- she would
have thought him to be more actively involved with the
hearing of the disputes, since he could be called in to
appeal by someone with that right -- until she realized that
he was there not as the overlord of the demesne but rather
as the childhood friend of the lord sitting in judgement.
She couldn't help but be somewhat impressed by his ability
to act with such honor; having promised Saionji he was only
there as a foster-brother, he was holding himself true to
that pledge. A smile graced her beautiful face as she
looked at him once more with a faint expression of
admiration.

Admiration, however, was not what she felt toward those who
came before Saionji. Though most of the cases were rather
petty things -- the green-haired ruler making a swift
judgement, the clerk recording the proceedings and the
warriors acting as bailiffs escorting the parties out --
Utena found herself once again shaking her head at the
quarrels people got into over the littlest of things. To
Saionji's credit, he swiftly made it clear that bribery
wouldn't work on him, but the rose-haired maiden found his
sense of mercy somewhat lacking. The rulings she had heard
the new chieftain pronounce had revealed what seemed to her
to be a belief that the laws and customs of the domain were
carved in stone. If someone was guilty, then they were
handed the proscribed punishment, regardless of any possibly
mitigating circumstances. Such inflexibility truly bothered
her.

For perhaps the hundredth time, eyes the color of
cobalt-blue shifted to take in the lovely sight of the
somewhat disguised maiden. As the cases were heard -- a
myriad of all the disputes one could have with one's family
and neighbors, and though they were often petty little
things in the grand scheme of the world, Touga understood
them to be important to those who stood on the rush-covered
floor before them -- he'd noticed his companion's
increasingly troubled expression. Though curious as to the
cause, he kept his questions to himself; in his opinion, it
was one of two things: either Utena was bothered to hear of
this argument and that or she wasn't pleased with the way
the cases were being handled. Intertwining his fingers, he
raised his hands up to rest the knuckles of his middle
digits against his expressive lips, his face pensive as he
returned his gaze to the floor. The Saionji bailiffs had
just escorted out the latest two parties and a new case was
about to start.

"Akira, retainer of Clan Saionji, come forth!" the
green-haired lord shouted. Throughout the proceedings, the
young chieftain had been acting as his own herald, his deep
and gruff voice carrying well in the confines of the Great
Hall.

The person in question was a frightened-looking, grizzled
man of middle years, his humble face one of a man not having
lead an easy life. Silvery strands were sprinkled
throughout his thinning, light brown hair. The trews and
tunic he wore were threadbare and shabby. Of all the
defendants come there that afternoon, he was the only one in
shackles. During the general chaos of assembling everyone
for court, Utena had noticed this one come in from another
door, his form flanked by a brace of stern Saionji warriors.
At the call of the prisoner's name, the clansmen guarding
him stood, hauling him up to his feet at the same time.

The masculinely-attired girl frowned at the clanking of the
heavy iron links. That the seemingly beleaguered man was in
chains signaled that this case, unlike the others, involved
a felony. Glancing over at her silent companion seated to
her right, Utena was once again struck by Touga's apparently
disinterested air.

"The charge is the poaching of a head of the royal cattle.
What evidence is there that such a crime took place?"
Saionji called out.

"If you please, Your Lordship," began one of the
formidable-appearing warriors flanking the hapless-seeming
prisoner. Though the auburn-haired clansman showed the
effects of the harsh times on his countenance, he looked
otherwise fit and strong. "I am Kenji, forester in charge
of the holdings of the clan. While I was engaged upon my
rounds within the woods around the village of Northolt, I
came upon a most damning sight. This man -- " Kenji paused
for a moment, pointing at the trembling prisoner, then
continued, "was standing over the fallen form of a cow, a
great branch from one of the trees in his hand, the opposite
end from where he held it bloodied and speckled with gore.
Even as I watched, he brought his rude club down upon the
beast's head with a violent assault before flinging the wood
away. He then drew a dagger from his belt and knelt down by
the beast, beginning to skin it. I rushed from where I was
hiding and tackled him, knowing that Your Lordship's herd of
cattle was pastured in that season very near to that place.
A look upon the carcass confirmed by suspicions; the dead
animal bore the very markings of a cow that had gone missing
earlier that day."

While the forester told his story of the discovery of the
crime and the apprehension of the perpetrator, Utena leaned
over slightly toward her scarlet-haired companion. If
Saionji remained true to what she had observed so far, then
the miserable-looking man there before them would be judged
guilty and given whatever penalty law and custom demanded
for that particular crime. "So tell me, my lord . . . What
will his punishment be should he be found guilty?" she
softly asked the redheaded nobleman.

"The customary sentence is death," Touga responded, his
voice in a low tone that carried only to her. "Saionji
can't actually kill him -- he holds no rights to the High
Justice at the moment -- but he can send the man to me for
execution of the sentence."

"Defendant! What say you on this matter?" Saionji barked,
his violet gaze transfixing the man in question.

"Please, great lord, you must understand. Surely you have
some place in your heart for pity," the chained retainer
stammered, still trembling in fear.

"Just tell me your side of the tale," the verdant-maned
nobleman replied in a growl, reaching up to brush aside his
long, curly bangs from before his eyes.

"I am one of the cowherds that watches over both the royal
herd pastured there at the village of Northolt as well as
the herd of the villagers themselves," the grizzled peasant
continued in response to his lord's command. "In moving the
herds from one pasturage to another, something spooked the
herd and they stampeded, scattering into the woods. With a
number of the villagers keeping watch over the head of
cattle we brought back right away, we cowherds went into the
forest to gather up the stragglers. At the final count, we
were down only a handful. A number of us went into the
woods again and split up, and it was my misfortune to find
one of the cows in distress. I know not what happened to
it; I only know that when I found it, it was hobbling around
on three legs -- the fourth one was broken, the ends of the
bones shoved through the skin -- and bellowing in pain. The
sound was terrible, and I couldn't let the poor beast
continue suffering like that, so I found a sturdy piece of
wood I could use for a club and I bashed the creature's
brains out. The winter had been tough, my entire family
starving, and I thought it would be a waste to leave the
meat there on the bones . . . Great lord, surely you cannot
fault my intent! The beast was in agony; the meat could
have been put to good use . . ."

Hearing the shackled retainer's words, Utena turned her
aquamarine gaze to stare up at the man next to her. Finding
his countenance as seemingly disinterested as before, she
leaned toward him again. "Would you truly kill this man
just because Lord Kyouichi asks you to do so?" the
rose-haired maiden whispered in consternation.

"'Tis Saionji's place to judge guilt and pronounce the
punishment," Touga softly answered. "As overlord, it's my
place to support those under me in such matters. So long as
nothing untoward happened in the proceedings themselves, I
am bound to execute whatever sentence is handed down. One
can only appeal to me if they think Saionji did something
wrong in his holding court; I cannot adjudicate on the
evidence itself."

"Hrmph." The green-haired lord made only that single sound
of mild disgust at the quivering peasant's impassioned
pleas. As the man stood there in terror, his face pale,
Saionji leaned back against the ornate siege. "The law is
the law, Akira. You killed that cow knowing full well that
it was one of my herd."

"Please, great lord! The beast was sorely wounded! Nothing
would have been gained to keep it alive!" the cowherd
replied.

"Must the punishment be death?" Utena murmured to the
redheaded chieftain. "I truly think the circumstances do
not warrant such harshness."

"He could impose a lesser sentence," Touga answered.

"Well, there's no question that poaching was done and that
you are the one that committed it," Saionji stated, violet
eyes staring straight at the peasant. "The law is very
clear on the crime. Do you know what penalty is imposed
upon poachers?"

The cowherd paled more -- Utena found it surprising that the
hapless man could do so, he had been so white from fear
before -- and flung himself down to the ground, prostrating
himself and groveling on the rush-covered floor. "Great
lord, have mercy! What of my family? We barely made it
through winter, and they need my labor to survive!"

"The champion of Love should uphold mercy as well as he
demonstrates generosity," the masculinely-clad girl said,
her tone becoming adamant. (I cannot let this happen. I
will find a way for mercy to temper justice in this case!)
Once again staring up at him, she commanded, "For your
second task, I ask that you successfully plead leniency for
this poor soul."

Scarlet eyebrows raised in surprise at the maiden's
insistent order. Looking down at her, Touga could see the
determination glowing there in her large, aquamarine eyes --
eyes that he would much rather have gazing up at him in
affectionate adoration. It took not even a moment for the
Kiryuu prince to decide. Slipping off his golden signet
ring, the symbol of all he was as the overlord of the
Saionji, he gently took one of his companion's hands, placed
the heavy ornament into it and then gently made her fingers
curl around the warm metal. "Hold that for me, my lady. I
shall endeavor to do my best." Feeling the weight of the
signet no more, the scarlet-maned chieftain gracefully
stood. "Your Lordship," he called out, looking over at his
friend while he walked along the length of the high table.

"What the devil are you doing?" Saionji snarled, startled by
the other nobleman's actions.

"The lady asked me to plead the case of mercy to you," Touga
replied, stepping around the end and descending to the Great
Hall's floor. "However, I also promised you that I had come
only as your brother and friend. Therefore, it's as your
foster brother, someone who wishes to see you successful in
your rulership, that I stand before you now."

"So you now dance to the tune of a maiden?" the
verdant-maned highlander asked, his voice a sneer. "How
unusual to let such a one pull *your* strings."

If his friend's barb scored a hit, Touga made no outward
sign of an effect. Folding his arms over his chest, he
looked the other lord over for a long moment. "There is no
doubt, my lord, that by the law a crime has taken place.
That's not in dispute. However, throughout all your cases
today, you have punished according to the letter of the law.
Justice is served, but I fear you are making a mistake."

"The law is the law," Saionji reiterated. "And if a crime's
found to have happened, then justice is served by handing
down the appropriate punishment. You know as well as I that
swift enforcement keeps a demesne from dissolving into
chaos."

"But a good ruler will temper that justice with mercy. Aye,
you are fulfilling your obligations as you are, but you
could do better by taking into consideration mitigating
circumstances, my friend. The cow was severely injured.
You *know* that it could not be salvaged at that point.
Your cowherd did the animal a favor by ending its misery.
He had no way of knowing that your forester was in the
area."

"I let the man go unpunished and everyone will feel free to
slaughter my cattle," the other chieftain shot back, violet
eyes narrowing in irritation.

"I'm not saying to not punish the man," Touga smoothly
responded. "But show your people mercy; show them that you
care about their lives and what's happening to them." He
stepped closer toward the dais, halting there just on the
other side of the high table.

Her breath catching in her throat, the slender noblewoman
leaned forward ever so slightly, awaiting the Kiryuu
prince's next words. Others before him had faltered here,
falling into the trap of manipulating the pride of the lord
in question in order to win leniency for the subject she had
chosen. To choose to do so proved no virtue at all but
rather a flaw, a willingness to be unmerciful when it came
to the emotions of another.

"Your clansmen deserve mercy when it's appropriate, as well
as the justice that keeps order in your lands. The animal
foundered; it needed to be put down. No merciful man would
have let the cow continue to suffer." Turning his attention
to the forester, he asked, "What became of the beast once
Akira was taken into custody?"

"It was butchered at my direction, my lord," Kenji
responded, bowing slightly in a token of respect to his
ruler's overlord. "The meat was then shared amongst the
villagers, since it would be too much effort to bring it
back to Pinehaven."

"So one act of mercy became many equally merciful acts,
since everyone suffered through the winter. By
happenstance, one man's compassion more than likely made it
possible for all the villagers to make it into spring and be
well enough for the planting of the harvest," Touga
continued. "Like a stone tossed into still waters, the
ripples sent out eventually touch the farthest shore.
Leniency should be shown to this man, since not only did he
do the humane thing, he probably served you better, Saionji,
by helping maintain a village full of workers ready to
conduct the spring planting."

Silence hung there in the cavernous space of the hall. The
green-haired nobleman glared back at his friend. So wrapped
up was Saionji in asserting his authority, taking over from
a harsh and bitter predecessor, that he had become something
of a reflection of his sire. Though he hated having such a
truth shoved in his face by the one man he considered always
two steps ahead of him, he couldn't deny that his foster
brother was right. The cow was a loss no matter what, and
the meat was better used instead of left to rot on the
carcass's bones. Turning his attention to the still
groveling peasant, Saionji shouted, "Get up!"

The cowherd hastened to do so despite the heavy chains, the
brace of muscular warriors reaching down to yank the
cowering man back to his feet.

"Kenji? When you inspected the downed beast, did you see
the broken leg that the defendant mentioned?" the newly
elevated chieftain asked of his officer.

"Aye, Your Lordship," the auburn-haired clansman responded,
nodding in affirmation. "As he said, the bones were clear
through the skin."

"Well then," Saionji softly mused, once again fixing the
prisoner with his cold violet gaze. "As has been pointed
out, I find that you did not willingly slaughter a fit and
healthy animal. For that, your life shall be spared.
However, in lieu of the animal you killed, I fine you the
worth of that beast, which you shall pay by either giving to
the royal herds your best milking cow or by working it off
in pulling double duty in the royal fields until enough time
has passed equal to the worth of a cow." Turning his
attention to the men standing on either side of the peasant,
he nodded to them. "Release the man. The chains are no
longer needed."

Up in her seat behind the high table, Utena smiled at the
joyous expression on the cowherd's careworn face. His look
alone was worth it a thousand times over, though she would
do it again simply because it was the right thing. A life
was spared, deservedly so, and her possible champion had
argued eloquently for the cause of mercy. Gazing happily
upon the redheaded highlander's dashing and noble
countenance, the rose-clad maiden continued smiling in
admiration.

Feeling her gaze upon him yet again, Touga smiled to himself
as he glanced at her. He knew, without uttering a single
word, that he had passed the test she had given him, that he
had taken one more step closer to proving himself worthy of
not only being this champion she sought but of her as well.

Noting the oddly-clothed lady and the scarlet-haired lord
exchanging glances, Saionji could only scowl. (What is it
about *her*, of all people? Never before has he seemed so
intent on a single maiden before. Just what the hell's
going on, I wonder?)