A Song for the Devil

Reality

"Rina, why are you so opposed to the arrangement?" Sueko finally asks the question she's been holding in her mouth like a hot coal.

Two nights ago I came upon them, her and Masamune Date strolling through the trees, arm in arm and looking into each other's eyes the way... the way I do with Hideyoshi, the way I did with Nobunaga. I don't really understand what came over me, but I followed them. I watched and hid when they stopped and spoke in whispers.

"Sueko—" His voice sounds sure.

"Yes Masa?" I'm not sure I have heard her sound more like a woman in that moment.

Masamune cleared his throat before continuing. "We will be back to Azuchi in just a few days."

"Yes." Sueko sounds humored, probably because of the way he pointed out the obvious.

"I was wondering, where will you be staying when we return?"

There is a long pause that I am tempted to break and barge in, grab her, and state that she will stay at Azuchi, that she will live with me and we will raise our children together. Her soft voice sounded disappointed and it broke my heart to hear it that way. "Azuchi."

More silence. More unbearable silence between them settles before his voice shatters it, and my mind. "What if you came back to Aoba... with me?"

I could hardly breath as I continue to listen.

"Masamune... what are you saying? Be clear." She knows, she's so smart and a bit cunning, she wanted him to say it plainly, for her own ears and for his heart.

"I know you've probably already heard the rumors about my behavior and I would be lying if I said most of them were unfounded... that being said, I feel changed— by you Sueko, by the way you treat me, the way you listen. From the moment you fell into my arms I saw the ferocity in you that I never thought I would find in a wi— a — a wife..." I finally took a breath at that point. Quietly praying she would carefully decline what he was trying to ask.

Sueko, "What about—"

"I don't care." He interrupts what must have been her looking and touching her stomach. "I mean, I care, but not in a way that I could turn away from you. Quite the opposite actually. When we were riding back to Ieyasu that night... they way you held yourself and quietly prayed for your child's safety with that feral kind of devotion, that's what sparked it Sueko. That was the first time I could see myself loving someone... Sueko, marry me." She started laughing, but not at him, no, it was with him. The silence suddenly felt warm now, and when I peeked to see what was happening I thought I might faint. He has her back against a tree, a hand on her cheek, and their lips have met and melted into each other.

I ran, making enough noise to draw their attention, but escaping their sight.

I ran straight to my husband. When I entered the tent, gasping for air, Ieyasu and Hideyoshi's conversation was immediately cut off as they rushed to me.  "Why are you gasping for air? Is it the baby?" Ieyasu look irked as I shook my head, still trying to catch my breath, which is difficult when another human is inside of you and compressing pushing your internal organs around.

"Rina are you okay?" Hideyoshi's golden eyes were so full of confused concern. I shook my head again and he scooped me up and on to the futon.

Both of them were on me. Hideyoshi holding me, helping me breath at a more relaxed pace while Ieyasu watched and felt around my belly. "Everything seems fine..." Iyesau remarked just as I had caught my breath.

"Well everything is not what it seems." I retort with a glare before turning to my husband. "Sueko... Masamune... they... ugh! They want to be married." I huff after and so does Ieyasu before storming out of the tent.