The Taisho fire

Union, shintō style

Hey ! I'm finding some time to take my head out of the water at last. I hope you enjoy this simple chapter.

Gwen and Tōga's wedding should have been a simple affair, especially since the reincarnated patriarch had opted to officially step down from the role of leader for the Taishō clan. Better to keep his existence quiet given he lacked the true power of his former self. Very few relatives attended the ceremony; amongst them, Gwen's family could not be present. Thus, it had been Towa, and one of Setsuna's granddaughter who had dressed her in the many layers of the bride's shiromuku.

Colourful silks adorned her frame over the heavy kimono; the bright uchikake weighed a ton. Despite its impracticality, Gwen had to admit she had never a garment so richly embroidered. Gold and silver thread intertwined in typical Japanese fashion, painting cranes, Sakura blossoms and all sorts of symbols meant for longevity and happiness. It was simply stunning, and cost a fortune.

Even though she considered this marriage like a promise, Gwen tried to take all those foreign traditions in stride. Albeit yōkai were hardly religious in the traditional way, they still revered the Kami for giving them life in the distant past. And even though the young woman had never been too zealous regarding God's teachings, she followed every purification ritual with both curiosity and reverence. When surrounded by supernatural beings, prudence dictated to show respect to the higher spirits that governed this world.

Of course, rather than walking up to a shrine – consecrated ground wasn't generous to yōkai – the appropriate officials had been conveyed to celebrate the union. So, they followed the instructions of a man she didn't understand in full, but seemed pretty welcoming of the yōkai that surrounded him. This was all too surreal for her head to wrap around it.

By her side, Tōga looked absolutely dashing. He did not adorn the modern montsuki garb. Instead, he was dressed in his former traditional ensemble; a dark red juban topped by his blue striped kosode. The nu-bakama white silk pants flared around his legs, giving him a fairytale vibe. His large frame seemed even more poised clothed thus.

Clad in the traditional attire, she lifted her arms – with difficulty – to trade three cups of sake with her intended in the san san kudo ceremony. The sake tasted strange upon her tongue but she swallowed it without complaint. And when golden eyes sparkled over the cup of the last sakazuke, Gwen couldn't help but see stars. One last swallow, and Tōga would be bound to her by the laws of marriage. Everything had gone so fast; she had trouble realising she'd taken off Britain nary a month ago.

Tōga's adam apple bobbed as he too one last sip of sake, and Gwen wondered if the sky itself would fall upon her head for daring to marry the former Beast King. But nothing happened, nothing more than the bound between their souls officialised with a few prayers, and the donation of a branch that would bring luck to the new couple.

People clapped and voices roses as they walked away from the makeshift altar installed in the piano room for the occasion. Papers were handed to them, and Gwen almost snorted when she spotted their new surname. Taishō. Born in 1975. So this was his new identity; no wonder Sesshōmaru had asked her why she called him Taishō. Without knowing, she had returned to Tōga the name of his clan.

A clan she was now part of. Grabbing the fountain pen from Tōga's extended hand, Gwen signed up her name with trembling fingers. Many of the writings upon the page remained obscure to her, and she suddenly felt way out of her depth.

A warm hand squeezed her shoulder, a Tōga dropped a kiss at her temple. She welcomed his warmth with a shudder.

There. They were married.

In a sudden surge of panic, Gwen stole a glance at Tōga, only to find his ageless eyes gazing down upon her with overflowing love. Reality suddenly caught up with her, and she found herself breathless under the heavy embroidered silks. Her hand shot up to grab his; the warmth of his rough skin was enough to ground her and she smiled.