Blossoms

Chapter six

One of our Shinsengumi men walked in, his face slightly crooked as a fake smile creeps the overtired, merciful expression he bore. "Yes, what is it?" I reply, slightly irritated that my families breakfast and I were interrupted. "Vice Commander," he began, "Chizurus got a visitor." The room went quiet then. Typically its Senhime who visits Chizuru and Lalia but all the men and guards knew her so there was no need for this formality and, as Chizurus' father has been dead for years it cannot be him so, who is it? "If you want to follow me," the Shinsengumi guard motioned to Chizuru as she dried her hands on Lalias' dishcloth, patting her on the head as she followed the guard. She fired a glare at me almost to say, "Don't follow me, watch Lalia." Chizuru descended down the steps to be led into the far right headquarters, I watching her every step as she walked in. "What's that all about?" Mumbled Heiskue, a mouth full of rice making it difficult to comprehend his inaudible words.
It must have been around an hour or so when Chizuru returned. Lalia fell asleep through the routine of her morning naps, laying on my lap. Chizuru didn't speak. She just walked in and took Lalia off me and left the room. The men and I were confused until Yamazaki piped up,"Apparently a man from the capital arrived saying that he needed to speak with his wife, chizuru." "Now is not the time for jokes, Yamazaki," pokes Harada as they all look at me. "It is true. The man said that he hadn't seen his wife or daughter in months and was looking for them as they were not at the family home he bought for them outside of the town."
"What did he look like?" My mind is racing, how could another man even think that he was married to my wife or even have the nerve to claim my children as his own. "Tall, blond with brownish eyes," his voice trailed off as I tried to piece together who it could be.
"Hijikata, you don't think it could be-" Okitas comment provided me with the missing piece as I sprung up and raced out of the room, anger filling every vein in my body as blood pumped furiously, heart beating like soldiers outcries on a battle field-loud and alarming.
"Kazama Chikage!" I bellow as I enter the room.
"Ah, it's been a while, Hijikata."