{A Nejiten gods and goddesses au
A Nejiten Bride of the water god au}
With her village plagued by drought and her family's lives on the line a seemingly impossible choice becomes a lot easier for Tenten to make.
Sacrificing herself, her dreams and h...
[Warning: Character death...well kinda? This is not the last chapter though I promise]
[Also I'm aware that some of the chapter titles make no sense. Read them together...it'll all make sense once the story is finished.]
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Tenten resisted the itch to tip out whatever Tenji had handed her as she was escorted inside by the acolytes.
They brought her to the same reception room where she had had breakfast that morning─the same hall where all of her training had taken place.
The priestess sat before her looking a little less despondent than before.
The woman explained to her how the night's proceedings would work and that she was to have her last 3 or so hours─before the acolytes would dress her up─to herself.
True to the woman's word Tenten was taken to her chambers and for once no acolytes buzzed about and even the guarded escort had remained outside.
It was now─or never.
Choosing life Tenten opened up the envelope─only the barest of instructions were left. Afterall the package had to be a compact as possible otherwise it would have been spotted.
Her father it seems had received the news and was waiting just outside the town for her─for them.
Escaping with one's entire family would be impossible─one family had already attempted such a thing and were caught. Caught and severely punished.
So it would just be her, their father and Tenji.
The tribute's family were closely watched during the ceremony but Tenji had never attended─not even once─and neither had Tenten; not even when her friend was sacrificed.
So it wouldn't be anything usual for him not to be present─this was also why her father hadn't returned from his business trip yet.
Tenten and Tenji would escape during the ceremony─a time when no one would ever think to be so.
They would meet their father on the outskirts of town and they would escape to the capital on a borrowed wagon.
Their mother and Megumi would stay behind─behind claiming to have no part in the escape and with their alibis they would be safe for a little while.
In a few years time once Tenten was long forgotten they would find a way to smuggle them out as well.
Leaving behind years worth of tradition was nothing in comparison to their daughter's life.
Along with the instructions was a satchet of a white, powdered substance that smelled strongly of lemongrass and lavender─the scent that that wafted from their mother that very morning.
