𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄 • k. ayato

01

☄. *. ⋆

There were many nasty rumors about the Kamiyama family, and it was said that although the head of the Kamiyama's was indeed a higher-up now, his blood was low-class. Moreover, for someone with a head's title, his public appearances were extremely limited. Gossip-mongers couldn't leave such a clan head alone. Some said that he had the blood of the devil; others said that he enjoyed killing every day and that he couldn't get rid of the smell of blood. 

In particular, the current head of the Kamiyama family had already fought several times on the battlefield where his appearance, a killer drenched with blood, was enough to horrify even his own side; it was a measure of how scary it would be to face him as an enemy.

So when the world of politics heard that such a head now had a daughter—not a son, they thought of it as the perfect opportunity to attack. However, their attempts were futile as the head was no amateur. He raised his daughter to be just like him, if not better. For some years he had groomed her to be the perfect clan head in hopes of her succeeding him one day, but not long after her birth, he had a baby boy. 

Shortly after, she became but a political marriage tool, and her beloved brother—the next heir. She had been stripped of the position she was promised since birth, of her right.

And thus, going against the Kamiyama's was once again the same as asking to be killed.

"I will not marry a man I haven't met before," said the daughter.

"Won't? Ho, do you think you have a say in the matter?" Asked the head of the Kamiyama family, "I suppose It is my fault I raised you to be so fierce, but as my daughter and as the sole lady of the Kamiyama clan you must marry the commissioner. Whether you like it or not."

"Father, I have been raised to be the head of this clan since the day I was born. My right to the title of heir still stands, and I will NOT allow you to take it away from me. Not you, not the commissioner, and most certainly not some pesky nobles trying to weaken us!"

The head's strong fist connected with the table in anger, dropping more than a few writing pens off of it, "YOU WILL NOT RAISE YOUR VOICE AGAINST ME," he yelled out in anger. 

But his daughter stood still, unflinching.

In some ways, he felt proud, in others, disappointed.

"This just goes to show how naive and weak you still are, daughter. They'll think they have weakened us, but I know the current commissioner very well. He is a sly man who works in the shadows. He is dangerous, yet he has the reputation of a good man. He is a tactician, he is a master at his work and you should be honored to wed him."

"I beg your pardon? Naive? Me? Do you have ANY idea of what I had to do in order to earn the RESPECT of this god-forsaken clan? Do you have any—"

She wanted to say so much more, she wanted to prove him wrong and take her stance, to be heard, and finally have him look at her as not a chess piece but as his daughter, but the head was stubborn, and most certainly not understanding of his children.

"GUARDS!" With his call, three guards waltzed into his office, "Escort my daughter to her chambers, she is feeling rather tired."

"My lord," they bowed their heads and soon surrounded the lady, who was stricken with anger. However, she knew that no matter what she said, her fate has already been decided, and so, no longer willing to face off against her father she bit her lip in fury and pushed through the guards.

"No need. At the very least I am capable of walking on my own."

The walk to her chambers was as quiet as the night she had lost all hope for her family. Her father had no regard for her well-being, not anymore.

The head cleared his throat as he saw her enraged expression as she walked away, "Make sure she is safe. And make sure that she does not escape. The wedding is due next week, until then, place as many guards as possible around her chambers."

The guards bowed once more and left his office, closing the door shut.

The marriage proceedings will go by quickly, and the hastily arranged wedding day will approach soon. And although he was quite sure she wouldn't dare to escape—as she was not one to run away from her duty, it would be in her best interests if she did not harbor any more hopes of freedom.

In a way, this was his final hand of fatherly generosity.

As she would soon be taken by another man—her husband-to-be.

☄. *. ⋆