Beyond These Walls
Title: Beyond These Walls
Fandom: Ooku
Pairing: Madenokoji Arikoto/Tokugawa Iemitsu
Word Count: 1,141
Notes: For Cyphomandra in the Kaleidoscope fanwork challenge.
It had been a month since Madenokoji Arikoto was tricked and trapped inside the Inner Chambers of the Edo Castle. Outside the walls, civilization was befallen with a red pox plague that only affected men. He was on a sojourn beyond this region, but there was no going back now.
---
“I declare your new name to be O-Man,” Tokugawa Iemitsu directed at Arikoto. She faltered slightly in her stern demeanor when she noticed his soft features, the way his short hair fell into his eyes, and how stubborn he was for not answering her. She was the only heir to the late shogun, and she was to be obeyed.
“O-Man,” she called again.
After a moment, he spoke. “The name Arikoto…does it not please you?”
Outraged at such a response, she raised her arm and smacked her fan against his face. Who does he think he is?!, she thought.
“When I call you O-Man, you should respond ‘yes, my Lord!’”
She smacked him once more, and again. And again, until his young, handsome, face was tarnished. She took delight in the scars that were made by her alone; no other person was going to leave their mark on this man.
When Kasuga returned from ordering Arikoto to stay in confined quarters until his face was healed, she went to the Lord’s room and sat down to comb her liege’s short hair.
The young lady batted the older woman’s hands away, “I’ll do it myself.”
Kasuga smiled faintly, not showing it to Iemistu. “You were quite stern with that young man today. I did not know you had it in you. You were always a sensitive child.”
“Who else could I have learned this from but you?” she retorted. She turned towards her bed and muttered a quick ‘goodnight.’
---
It took awhile before Iemitsu took a liking to Arikoto. Like many man before him, she knew Kasuga presented him to be her mate, which gave her more reason to resist his charm. Charm, that is to say, that he did not really have. Rather, it was more his steady, quiet, noble demeanor that made him different from the rest.
Her first experience with a man was horrifying and she was waiting for someone to prove her wrong. She wondered if O-Man, Arikoto, was worthy enough to be that person.
One night, after the lights were extinguished in her room, she crept out towards his quarters. She slid his door open just a crack, but rather than seeing a sleeping form, she found him sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, and praying. Though it was dark, she admired the silent silhouette. If he was unwavering in his faith, could he ever devote his unwavering faith in her?
She shook her head of this silliness. She was the shogun; it didn’t matter if he was devoted or not, he would yield to her and bear her a child. She decided she would test his worthiness, by presenting him with her precious cat.
She went to find the royal feline, scooped her up in her arms and marched back to his quarters. She slid the door open loudly, waking the now sleeping figure in his sheets.
“Wha-?”
“Take it,” she said and left.
She hoped he would take good care of her, because she was her one and only friend. If he could not fulfill this task, she would have Kasuga find her another man.
---
On another particular night, Iemitsu came back from archery lessons rather late and told her chambermaids to go to sleep, as she could wash up by herself. She quite liked being alone at night, after being surrounded by maids and Kasuga all day.
As she was coming back from the bath, Arikoto happened to be heading back to his quarters from his own swords training. He bowed. “My liege.”
The light from the room illuminated his face and she noticed his wounds had almost healed completely. “O-Man, it seems Kasuga has seen to it that you did not grace my presence until your face had healed.”
Arikoto smiled despite her usual cold demeanor. “Yes, my Lord.”
At that moment, a white creature slinked out of Arikoto’s room and found its way to her Lord’s legs, rubbing happily against her.
“Ah, Murasaki,” Arikoto chuckled, bending down to pet it.
The Lord was pleased to see it doing well. “You named her when she was not yours to name.”
“May she not have two names, like you have given unto me?” He looked up at her, his eyes showing her that it was an innocent question.
She looked back at him without answering. “I shall take my leave now.”
“Good night, my Lord.” Arikoto bowed once more.
From that night onward, there were frequent meetings like these when no one else was watching. She became freer to be herself, rather than the stern Lord, and they grew to have a mutual bond. They were doomed to stay in those Inner Chambers for as long as they knew, and finding a man who neither feared nor obeyed her out of duty, was a rare thing.
---
Months later, Kasuga allowed them to share chambers and now they had been intimate for three months. Though there was no sign of Iemitsu being with child, they were hopeful. She hoped that they would have a child that was born out of love, and not out of duty.
“My Lord,” Arikoto whispered against her ear. “Let us enjoy the bright moonlight in the garden tonight.”
He took her by the hand and they sat down at the garden steps. He pointed towards the bushes against a wall and noticed tiny flickering lights floating about.
“What is that?”
“Fireflies. Have you never come out in the night time?”
She shook her head. “Not often.”
They sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other’s warmth in the chill of the night.
“Do you think this world will ever return to normal?” He asked suddenly.
“Not for us. Has it ever been normal?”
Although Arikoto had lived the life of a prior, a man of few earthly pleasures, he grew up in the world before the red pox calamity. He knew what it was like working in the fields, not fearing for his life, enjoying fresh air, roaming beyond walls. So, he told her of the days when it was normal, painting her vivid pictures, a hope they may one day see. But deep down, the Lord was right, things would not return to normal for them.
Before long, Iemitsu fell asleep and Arikoto carried her back to their warm chambers. Tonight, he hoped that she would dream of a different world, of a world where she could do whatever she wanted. Whether she was the next shogun or not, he loved her and wanted only the best for her.
Fandom: Ooku
Pairing: Madenokoji Arikoto/Tokugawa Iemitsu
Word Count: 1,141
Notes: For Cyphomandra in the Kaleidoscope fanwork challenge.
It had been a month since Madenokoji Arikoto was tricked and trapped inside the Inner Chambers of the Edo Castle. Outside the walls, civilization was befallen with a red pox plague that only affected men. He was on a sojourn beyond this region, but there was no going back now.
---
“I declare your new name to be O-Man,” Tokugawa Iemitsu directed at Arikoto. She faltered slightly in her stern demeanor when she noticed his soft features, the way his short hair fell into his eyes, and how stubborn he was for not answering her. She was the only heir to the late shogun, and she was to be obeyed.
“O-Man,” she called again.
After a moment, he spoke. “The name Arikoto…does it not please you?”
Outraged at such a response, she raised her arm and smacked her fan against his face. Who does he think he is?!, she thought.
“When I call you O-Man, you should respond ‘yes, my Lord!’”
She smacked him once more, and again. And again, until his young, handsome, face was tarnished. She took delight in the scars that were made by her alone; no other person was going to leave their mark on this man.
When Kasuga returned from ordering Arikoto to stay in confined quarters until his face was healed, she went to the Lord’s room and sat down to comb her liege’s short hair.
The young lady batted the older woman’s hands away, “I’ll do it myself.”
Kasuga smiled faintly, not showing it to Iemistu. “You were quite stern with that young man today. I did not know you had it in you. You were always a sensitive child.”
“Who else could I have learned this from but you?” she retorted. She turned towards her bed and muttered a quick ‘goodnight.’
---
It took awhile before Iemitsu took a liking to Arikoto. Like many man before him, she knew Kasuga presented him to be her mate, which gave her more reason to resist his charm. Charm, that is to say, that he did not really have. Rather, it was more his steady, quiet, noble demeanor that made him different from the rest.
Her first experience with a man was horrifying and she was waiting for someone to prove her wrong. She wondered if O-Man, Arikoto, was worthy enough to be that person.
One night, after the lights were extinguished in her room, she crept out towards his quarters. She slid his door open just a crack, but rather than seeing a sleeping form, she found him sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, and praying. Though it was dark, she admired the silent silhouette. If he was unwavering in his faith, could he ever devote his unwavering faith in her?
She shook her head of this silliness. She was the shogun; it didn’t matter if he was devoted or not, he would yield to her and bear her a child. She decided she would test his worthiness, by presenting him with her precious cat.
She went to find the royal feline, scooped her up in her arms and marched back to his quarters. She slid the door open loudly, waking the now sleeping figure in his sheets.
“Wha-?”
“Take it,” she said and left.
She hoped he would take good care of her, because she was her one and only friend. If he could not fulfill this task, she would have Kasuga find her another man.
---
On another particular night, Iemitsu came back from archery lessons rather late and told her chambermaids to go to sleep, as she could wash up by herself. She quite liked being alone at night, after being surrounded by maids and Kasuga all day.
As she was coming back from the bath, Arikoto happened to be heading back to his quarters from his own swords training. He bowed. “My liege.”
The light from the room illuminated his face and she noticed his wounds had almost healed completely. “O-Man, it seems Kasuga has seen to it that you did not grace my presence until your face had healed.”
Arikoto smiled despite her usual cold demeanor. “Yes, my Lord.”
At that moment, a white creature slinked out of Arikoto’s room and found its way to her Lord’s legs, rubbing happily against her.
“Ah, Murasaki,” Arikoto chuckled, bending down to pet it.
The Lord was pleased to see it doing well. “You named her when she was not yours to name.”
“May she not have two names, like you have given unto me?” He looked up at her, his eyes showing her that it was an innocent question.
She looked back at him without answering. “I shall take my leave now.”
“Good night, my Lord.” Arikoto bowed once more.
From that night onward, there were frequent meetings like these when no one else was watching. She became freer to be herself, rather than the stern Lord, and they grew to have a mutual bond. They were doomed to stay in those Inner Chambers for as long as they knew, and finding a man who neither feared nor obeyed her out of duty, was a rare thing.
---
Months later, Kasuga allowed them to share chambers and now they had been intimate for three months. Though there was no sign of Iemitsu being with child, they were hopeful. She hoped that they would have a child that was born out of love, and not out of duty.
“My Lord,” Arikoto whispered against her ear. “Let us enjoy the bright moonlight in the garden tonight.”
He took her by the hand and they sat down at the garden steps. He pointed towards the bushes against a wall and noticed tiny flickering lights floating about.
“What is that?”
“Fireflies. Have you never come out in the night time?”
She shook her head. “Not often.”
They sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other’s warmth in the chill of the night.
“Do you think this world will ever return to normal?” He asked suddenly.
“Not for us. Has it ever been normal?”
Although Arikoto had lived the life of a prior, a man of few earthly pleasures, he grew up in the world before the red pox calamity. He knew what it was like working in the fields, not fearing for his life, enjoying fresh air, roaming beyond walls. So, he told her of the days when it was normal, painting her vivid pictures, a hope they may one day see. But deep down, the Lord was right, things would not return to normal for them.
Before long, Iemitsu fell asleep and Arikoto carried her back to their warm chambers. Tonight, he hoped that she would dream of a different world, of a world where she could do whatever she wanted. Whether she was the next shogun or not, he loved her and wanted only the best for her.