Flower of Bulann

Chapter 37

Vior had spent the last four months training his fledgeling household warriors, all young men from the town surrounding the castle.

He had gradually seen less and less of Ovinna, his wife's handmaiden coming down with regular bouts of sickness and ill health these past weeks.

Vior had felt lonely though, even surrounded by his friends and guards... they were no substitute for Kinna or Kuan.

He had found himself idly staring out over the town, wasting away his days and wishing the snow would thaw. Then, then his beloved wife would return to him and all would be well once again.

It wasn't until a few days later that word reached him... Kinna was on her way home to him.

Vior felt his spirits rise, even though she would still be some days away it felt as though his wife were here right now.

He trained with new vigour in the days following, his men stunned at the change in him.

Then on the first day of spring, the black and blue carriage appeared in the distance.

Vior exercised what was left of his will not to run to the gates of the fortress. Electing instead to send servants to ready the audience room.

For the first time in a while, Vior found himself wondering how Ovinna was doing. He hadn't seen hide nor hair of her since... he couldn't even remember when.

Vior knocked upon the door where Ovinna had been staying, but after several minutes of silence he spoke up.

"My wife will be here shortly," he said, hoping it was loud enough for her to hear.

There was a desperate scrambling sound, as if sheets had been tossed against the wall. Then there was the patter of feet as Ovinna came to the door, seemingly still in the elegant manner in which all the ladies of court walked.

"I will be ready to greet my lady, thank you," she told him from behind the closed door.

Vior found her behaviour odd, but didn't feel the need to overly think about why she was avoiding him.

Putting it from his mind, Vior met up with his blackguards and took his place upon the throne, his prominent position still strange even if he had accepted it.

Vior found his fingers drumming upon the arm of his chair, had he always been this impatient?

Finally, the doors opened and he stood on reflex. The maiden guard entered first, then Kinna, then Vior stopped noticing who else followed... his eyes were glued upon his wife.

Had she gotten prettier? He didn't want to say, for Kinna had always been the most beautiful woman in the land. And before he could finish that thought she was at the foot of the steps, looking up at him with a wide smile.

"I am home, my husband," Kinna said shyly, her face blushing a little when she spoke.

Vior finally remembered where he was, snapping back into his character of clan leader.

"It has been such a long time, my wife. You must be tired?" He suggested, gesturing for her to sit beside him.

"I am, my lord. But I feel my bed would be better?" She suggested, Vior feeling like she was hinting at more.

Regardless, Vior dismissed everyone gathered. He took Kinna by the hand and walked with her back to their room, Hinata following them at a respected distance as Kinna told him of her stay at the castle... and of her strange dream of her uncle being a shadowy ninja that vanished in the moonlight.

Vior was glad that she had made amends with her father... but he doubted the shadow was a dream. He had instructed the shadows to contact all his allies, to relay that they followed his orders and would stay in touch that way across the distance that separated them.

But now, now he wasn't so sure, it was ultimately plausible that the shadows had their own agenda, one in which he was merely a useful puppet. He had to be on guard from here on out.

When they reached their room Kinna wasted no time in tearing off his clothes before they had sex over and over again.

"Did you miss me as much as I missed you, my love?" He asked her as she lay in his arms breathing heavily.

"More so, especially once I had that dream," Kinna replied breathlessly.

Vior woke early, dressing himself before inviting in Hinata... though Ovinna still had not shown herself.

"Is Ovinna I'll again?" He asked the handmaiden.

"I do not know, my lord. She would not allow me to enter our room last night. I am worried for her," Hinata replied with a frown and Vior let her pass.

He called upon a servant to fetch breakfast before stepping back inside their bedroom. Kinna had seemingly just awoken, noticing Ovinna's absence immediately.

"Tell her to come here immediately, or I shall have her thrown out onto the streets!" Kinna demanded, her anger seemed palpable.

"Can you believe her nerve?" Kinna asked when Hinata had departed. "I forgave her not greeting me upon my return, but to not come this morning!"

"She has been ill for some time now," Vior offered as an excuse, Ovinna had always taken care of his wife diligently after all.

"Nonsense!" Kinna rebuked. "She has not been ill once since I have known her."

Vior had dressed her as she spoke, though Kinna's kimono was slightly off centre, her handmaidens would have to fix it along with the poorly tied sash.

Hinata returned shortly after, her distain for Vior's work obvious upon her face, she even clicked her tongue!

A short while after that, Ovinna knocked upon the door timidly and Kinna commanded her to enter, fully prepared to scold her.

However, as the handmaiden entered, all eyes were drawn to her belly... the fact that she was pregnant, and quite a way into such stunned them all.

Kinna could not speak, and Hinata covered her agape mouth with her hands.

Vior took the initiative and placed a hand upon Ovinna's shoulder gently, trying not to startle her. She flinched anyway and Vior felt a little offended.

"Ovinna?" He asked, the handmaiden trying to avoid his gaze as he spoke.

"Yes, my lord?" She replied timidly, trembling at his very presence.

"Who is the father? I will make him take responsibility," he assured her, but Ovinna just muttered to herself.

"Then I will get to the bottom of this," he told Kinna, who looked at him with a smile that was so blatantly false it scared him.

"Of course you will, my husband," Kinna replied, giving her ascent for him to leave.

Vior left to question the maidenguard, there was little chance that no one knew the father's identity.

There was nothing that angered him more than negligent fathers. Especially now that he knew his own past.