A Rose that Blooms then Withers {A Ginji Love Story}

An Ocean of Loss

"A bride?!" Aoi's eyes grew wide as she knelt at the table with Odanna, Ginji, and Ranmaru. Ranmaru's face looked serious as Ginji looked troubled.

"We've found her, at least traces of her. She's still alive, Ginji." Ranmaru sipped his tea.

"Iara?! She's still alive?!" Ginji slammed his hands on the table. His body trembled as tears streamed down his face. His body, debilitated of energy, was paralyzed in moment of flashbacks. The auburn haired woman he fell in love with, his betrothed.

That summer he took a vacation to visit his brother, at Orio-ya. He met his betrothed which he was ambivalent about. It didn't take long for him and Iara to blissfully fall in love. She was another unique human with the ability to travel between worlds. She spent her life, not so recklessly, but with the same spirit as Shiro Tsubaki's.

The Imperial Palace had taken fancy to her beauty and human spirit. They adopted her, announcing her as Princess of the Ogre Gate, in which she originated. She preferred Orio-ya, where she spent her days frolicking.

She was the most eligible human brides in the Capital. The Imperial Palace accepted the offer from Orio-ya, wanting the delicate flower to be masked by a lower caste ayakashi. Thus, she was passed down to Ginji, in exchange for the ceremony, which had succeeded with Aoi.

"Those two adored each other. She had royal grace and manners as trained by the Imperial Palace, but the same giddiness of a young maid. To think, the most prized human girl at the time, handed to us." Ranmaru held a blue rose.

"What happened?" Odanna asked with a serious voice as Ranmaru's gaze tightened.

"The eldest princess, XiaoTiao. She was cast aside for her scheming nature. Her beauty was once unrivaled, but her heart was disgusting which so revealed itself to court. She was shamed. No one else knows this, or refuses to believe, XiaoTiao cursed and supposedly kidnapped Iara. She was heavily tortured, and when Ginji and I finally found her. She was dead. Or so we were led to believe. She's currently held captive by XiaoTiao in her tower in the Forbidden Forests." Ranmaru watched as the rose slightly wilted.

"Ranmaru! I need to find her! She's probably scared or worse! I can't let her down again!" Ginji returned to reality, struggling to keep his composure. Ranmaru gripped his shoulders, shaking him.

"Don't worry, I've already found where the tower is. I've spied. We will leave tomorrow morning when XiaoTiao is out for the day at court." Ranmaru nodded. Ginji relaxed a little.

"I'm coming too!" Aoi chimed in.

"No, Aoi. You've nearly killed yourself during the ceremony 3 months ago." Odanna shook his head.

"You aren't telling me what to do! I want to help Ginji since he helped me so many times. I know what it feels like to lose those you love." Aoi frowned, reaching out to Ginji, patting his shoulder.

"Well, typical ogre bride. I'm coming too." Odanna smiled. The group nodded.

...

The group walked in the overgrown woods. The dawning sun just rising.

"Wait...do you hear that?" Ginji looked up, tears falling his cheeks suddenly.

"Hear what?!" Ranmaru huffed.

"It's her song....my Iara lives..." Ginji smiled.