Tohno Akiha scribbled her signature down on the last of the morning’s documents giving her approval for some new business venture for one of the family members. Normally she liked to be neat about such things but today was different, today she was busy. As if on cue, just as she placed the last piece of paper into the out tray, there came a knock on her bedroom door and her maid Hisui entered.
“Akiha-sama, Shiki-sama and nee-san are here,” she spoke in her usual stoic tone but Akiha could hear the restrained cheerfulness beneath it. Indeed ever since the events of ten years ago things had become all around better for the members of her household; sometimes it was difficult for the twenty-six year old woman to believe that things had turned out so well after coming so close disaster.
“Very well Hisui, inform them I’ll be there in a moment.”
“Yes, Akiha-sama,” the maid curtsied and withdrew, closing the door behind her.
After Hisui had left she rose from her seat and went over to stand in front of her full length mirror, it might only be family but that was no excuse to look untidy, besides which they were also her favourite relatives. She quickly smoothed out her skirt and blouse and put a hand through her hair before deciding she was satisfied, smiling at her reflection she moved towards the door. When she reached the staircase and began to make her way down she could already hear voices coming from the sitting room Nii-san’s, Kohaku’s, Hisui’s and another one smaller, more hesitant and female.
She reached the bottom and walked into the sitting room to find Hisui talking to Nii-san and Kohaku the latter of whom was holding a young, redheaded girl against her hip. The sight of the child reminded her that the Tohno family elders were starting to push her into settling down and producing an heir, in fact they already picked out what they felt were some suitable candidates. She shuddered, frankly she rather spend the rest of her life in a coma than let any of those “gentlemen” lay there hands on her, some of them were old enough to be her father and one had been so obese she was sure he’d die before the year was out. The fact was, not only were these supposed suitors dislikeable on a personal level but each of the family heads had some hidden agenda in mind when they put one forward, plans that were almost certainly for personal benefit rather for the family as a whole.
Sometimes she felt like walking into the meeting a declaring that she was a lesbian just to see how they would react, if she was lucky they’d have a collective apoplectic fit and die. Judging by the looks on some of their faces at the time, it had almost happened when she had managed to arrange Nii-san and Kohaku’s wedding. Even though all of them had known about Shiki’s status as the adopted son, they had still put up a huge fight over it, objecting to the mere idea of one on the members of the main house marrying one of the servants. Akiha had needed to call in a few favours that day; but, as she watched them now she knew it had been worth it.
She still occasionally felt a bitter ache that it wasn’t her standing next to Nii-san like that but it was weaker now and came less frequently. Besides, she couldn’t begrudge Kohaku finally having found happiness, not after…everything.
- - -
Around midday the redheaded child felt the need to ask her aunt a question.
“Aunty Akiha?” asked the young girl.
“Yes?” replied the older woman, as she took a quick sip of her tea –
“Are you and aunty Hisui married?”
- and promptly choked on it. The smaller girl quickly hoped out of her seat and began to pat her aunt on the back.
After recovering from her coughing fit with the help of her niece, the elder Akiha glanced at the child’s face and found her staring back with a look of innocent curiosity. Briefly she considered whether Kohaku had somehow set that question up. The woman’s intentions may no longer be murderous but she still possessed and intelligent mind and her taste for mischief had become genuine. Yes, it did not pay to underestimate her sister-in-law. She attempted to regain her proper poise before speaking:
“No. What made you ask that?”
“Because mummy said that married people lived together.” Akiha narrowed her eyes, so it was Kohaku’s doing! Only judging from what the girl had actually said it could have been entirely unintentional. She would give her former maid the benefit of the doubt, for now. By the apprehensive look on the child’s face she guessed she currently appeared to be quite cross so she made a conscious effort to relax her expression. Although the idea did tickle her somewhat, maybe she should throw that in when she told the elders she was a lesbian? Imagine, both surviving members of the head family ran off to marry the serving staff.
She was jolted from her amusing thoughts by a large clattering sound coming from the kitchen. She looked around and found her niece was suddenly nowhere in sight. Akiha sprang to her feet and hurried towards the kitchen.
The evening continued...
- - -
Okay so this fragment is from a potential, multi-chapter sequel to that Christmas Promise oneshot I wrote.
What do you think?
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Originally Posted by Lycodrake
