LOVE'S HONOR

From: diannasilver@hotmail.com (Dianna Silver)

Chapter Five

With the hollow sounds of hooves against the wooden bridge over the
narrow river, the small party crossed over from the dirt streets of
the village and into the island keep of the clan chieftain.  The
fortress was just as Touga described it, only older and more rustic
appearing than Utena had expected.  Though the keep was built of
stone and seemed to be a solid square of granite masonry, the wall
that surrounded the shoreline of the island was a fence of giant logs
nailed and lashed together, their upward-pointing ends sharpened into
formidable points to discourage anyone from clambering over the man-
made barrier.  Even the gatehouse toward which they rode was wooden,
manned by a number of fierce-looking warriors from its heights.

"I really must convince Saionji or his father to rebuild the
gatehouse and palisade in stone," the scarlet-haired lord murmured,
glancing about.  "As it stands, it's a vulnerability in the strength
of the fortress," he added, explaining for his gentle companion's
benefit.

Utena merely nodded, understanding his point.  Wood was softer than
stone and could burn.  Therefore, it was a relatively cheap building
material but protection potential was exchanged for the lower price.
That the gatehouse was still a carpenter-built construct could be the
biggest concern; the first thing she would recommend herself was to
rebuild that in masonry to better fortify it.

However, it wasn't the state of the stronghold that had caught her
attention.  No, that was reserved for the people living within the
village and those who were milling about within the bailey of the
keep.  Sweeping her gaze back over to the thatched-roofed cots near
the banks of the rapids-filled river, she frowned thoughtfully.

They had come out of their cottages and had stopped in the streets,
their eyes all focused on the group of others riding in their midst.
They looked thin, their clothes somewhat ragged and well patched,
their expressions mixtures of what Utena could only believe were
envy, resentment and fear.  To her eye trained in assessing the state
of a demesne, she recognized the signs of scarce good food and
lingering illness in those that she did see, taking note that most of
the people who were there, staring in utter silence, were those in
their young to middle years.  Of the youngest and oldest, there were
no signs.

It was obvious they needed more than what they were gathering for
themselves.  She felt uneasy being among them, knowing that she was
healthy and well fed while they were not, that she had ample and warm
clothing while they made due with threadbare garb that had been
mended numerous times.  The housing too was as careworn as the
people, the thatch and wood structures in need of obvious repair.  In
riding through the gatehouse, she could see that the keep itself --
the last line of defense for these folk -- was equally in need of the
attention of both a carpenter and mason.

The stares from the warriors guarding the entrance into the
stronghold were every bit as desperate and hostile as those of the
more common folk out there in the surrounding village.  It was
obvious in the way they stiffly bowed and gave way before the dashing
redheaded chieftain astride the ebony stallion that they not only
knew exactly who he was, there was still some lingering bad blood for
the son of the lord that had essentially conquered them.  When the
six riders emerged from the narrow passageway through the entry, the
crystalline note of a horn sounded in the stillness; it was
apparently a signal to announce the arrival of their overlord.

The bailey was nearly as shabby as the rest, the buildings housing
the stables, mews, blacksmith and kennels showing an equal amount of
wear and tear.  The grass that covered those areas of the ground not
a part of the well-worn dirt pathways was scrubby and thin, not like
the thicker and lusher greenery that had been present in the bailey
of Kiryuu Keep.  Turning her attention momentarily to look at the
proud and noble Lord Touga, Utena noticed that he only urged his
charger about four steps into the courtyard before tugging on the
reins and murmuring a halt to the great beast.  Drawing up next to
him, the rose-haired maiden urged her buff-colored palfrey to halt as
well, then glanced behind to make sure that her handmaidens and men
at arms stopped.  Seeing that all was well so far, her aquamarine
gaze focused again on her companion.

Sensing her eyes on him, Touga shifted in his saddle slightly and
gave her a bit of a smile.  "Here we shall wait for someone to greet
us and invite us in," he explained.

"I see," she responded, still uneasy about being comfortable when so
many around them had obviously not fared well at all.  A thoughtful
expression on her face, she stared down at the somewhat barren
ground, noting the many stones of various sizes that were embedded in
the dirt.  Words came to her in the stillness, a soft feminine voice
from the time she had made the journey two years past to the place
where she found Love's Honor being guarded.  ("Six tasks shall you
set to prove the worth of the one to bear this blade, one for each
virtue of Love . . .")  Gasping slightly, Utena raised her head,
knowing suddenly one of the half-dozen requests she would
make.  "Lord Touga?"

The scarlet-maned chieftain's ears perked up, catching an unusual
undertone to the boyish-attired maiden's voice.  Eyebrows rising in
curiosity, he twisted in the saddle again to once more stare straight
at her.  "Aye, Lady Utena?"

"I . . . wish to set one of the tasks you must perform," she informed
him.

('Tis an interesting place and time for such.  I wonder what she has
in mind?) he thought, gaze steady upon her.  "And that task would be?"

"Give away an entire year's income to these destitute folk."

(An entire year?)  Touga blinked, the request not exactly an expected
one.  Even so, he was already turning the logistics of fulfilling it
over in his mind, doing his best to recall just how much he had still
within his coffers.  Though most trade and the collection of taxes in
the highlands was based in kind -- goods and services traded away to
meet financial obligations -- some money was used as well.  The
Saionji certainly looked to need the help, and as their overlord, he
was the one ultimately responsible for their well-being.  (If I take
half the coin I have and then plan to send to them half the harvest
throughout the year, that should satisfy both obligations . . .)

Seeing only what seemed to be dumbfounded silence, Utena did her best
to ignore the increasingly crestfallen feeling that threatened to
overcome her.  Would this handsome champion-to-be fail this, perhaps
one of the simplest tasks she could assign for the virtue of
Generosity?  "Well?  What say you?" she insisted, carefully schooling
her visage into a neutral expression.

Her unwittingly sharp tone brought Touga's attention back from his
musings.  "Excuse my silence, my lady.  I was best planning out how
to comply with your request.  Aye, I accept your challenge and please
consider it done, dear lady.  When my men arrive with the meat I sent
them to hunt, I shall send one back to the keep with a message for my
lady sister."

"And how do you plan on fulfilling it?" Utena asked, interested in
his apparent solution.

"I have enough coin in my coffers to fetch half a year's income and
hand it over to the Saionji's chieftain.  The remainder of what
you've requested will be spread throughout the coming year; I shall
give away half my harvests in both grain and herds as I reap them."

"'Tis easy enough to say you shall -- " the pink-haired girl replied.

"Trust me, Lady Utena.  Watch and you shall see," Touga said,
interrupting her.  Pointing toward the doorway in the square stone
tower of the keep, he added, "I do believe we shall be greeted now by
my foster-brother."

From their perspective, the doorway was set on the right-hand side of
the tower, a flight of stairs along the outside of the sturdy granite
structure making its way up from the ground, around the corner and
stopping at the threshold of the single entry into the keep one story
above the earth below.  More than likely, the storerooms of the
stronghold were there on that windowless first floor, and the Great
Hall would take up the majority of the space on the second floor.
Counting off the levels of shuttered windows, Utena guessed that the
tower was only three stories high, just as Kiryuu Keep had been.
From what she'd been able to observe, the clans of the highlands
tended to live simply and prudently.  She had yet to see a manor that
was as ostentatious as some of those of the great lowland barons.

The figure that descended the stairs seemed, from the short distance
anyway, to be a fit young man in the prime of his life about the same
age as the Kiryuu chieftain.  Dressed somberly in somewhat plain garb
of dark green and black -- shoes of leather dyed green, black hose
covering his legs, a black shirt underneath a green tunic, both of
which were modestly decorated with silver embroidery -- the young
man's tall form was crowned by a waist-length mane of curly, deep
green hair.

"Kyouichi Saionji," Touga explained, his words meant for the maiden
sitting atop her palfrey at his side.

Utena looked him over as he approached them, mentally assessing the
one Touga considered a brother.  The Saionji heir was a handsome man,
though the ruggedness of his visage would forever keep him from the
elegant beauty Touga possessed -- even if the harshness of the
current times weren't there on Saionji's face.  At the moment, his
expression was a thunderous scowl, his violet eyes narrowed in
suspicion and irritation.  Stopping a slight distance away, he took
up what appeared to the pink-maned maiden a defensive stance, arms
crossing over his green-clad chest.

"Well now, isn't this a surprise?" the verdant-maned noble asked, his
low voice holding a tone that matched his stance.  "My dear Lord
Touga, to what should I ascribe the pleasure of seeing your face this
early in the spring?"

"Why to the fact that I've been overly long in paying my respects to
both my foster brother and his ailing father," Touga replied.  "As
well as the fact that winter is over once more and the spring
planting should begin soon.  That alone is worth celebrating, and to
that effect, I have my men bringing a gift to you both as a tribute
to my foster brother and as thanks for the Divine for seeing us
through the harsh weather."

Saionji stared at the other lord for a moment before flicking his
violet gaze to the men at arms, handmaidens and seemingly slender lad
accompanying the scarlet-haired chieftain.  "You must feel quite
comfortable traversing my lands with only strangers as an escort."

Touga softly laughed.  "They are new acquaintances of mine.  Lord
Kyouichi, may I present to you Lady Utena Tenjou, her servants Wakaba
and Shiori, and her men at arms Tatsuya and Ryu?  Ladies, gentlemen,
the heir of Clan Saionji."

As the quintet of people lowered their heads in respectful greeting
at the introductions, Saionji merely scowled a bit more.  "Tenjou,
hmm?  Isn't that a lowland -- "

"Aye, but it matters not.  The lady's come as my guest," the Kiryuu
prince replied, cutting off his friend's words.

"As you wish, my lord," he responded, a gentle breeze passing through
the sparsely vegetated bailey lightly ruffling his curly green
hair.  "However, I refuse to believe that you've come only in
goodwill now that spring has arrived.  What are you really up to,
Lord Touga?"

The chieftain nodded slightly, acknowledging his foster brother's
guess.  "I do have a couple of matters to discuss with you, now that
I've made the trip here."

"I should have known," Saionji muttered.  "Very well.  I extend to
you the hospitality of my father's hearth.  Do you accept?"

"Gladly," Touga answered, gracefully swinging down from the saddle to
alight onto the ground.  Now that he was here, observing for himself
the condition of Pinehaven, he found himself even more worried than
before.  Saionji himself was thinner than Touga remembered, the
cheekbones more prominent than before.  Though it was commendable
that the green-haired noble was sharing in the suffering of his clan -
- not being selfish, not seeing to his own needs before those of his
followers -- it was bothersome see his friend so reduced.  Should
trouble come to the clan, Saionji and his men may not be up to the
task simply because one cannot be at his best if he is ill fed.

As Touga strode over to where the pink-attired lady sat upon the back
of her palfrey, Saionji faced towards the stables and
shouted.  "Grooms!  Attend at once to my guests' mounts!"  That
loudly uttered command caused a flurry of activity as a number of
lanky boys -- all around the age Utena would expect for squires --
appeared from seemingly nowhere to descend upon the little party.
Suddenly aware of the scarlet-haired lord's nearby presence, Utena
turned her aquamarine gaze to him in time to see him silently offer
to help her down from her perch.  Giving him a bit of a smile, she
placed her hand in his upraised one and leaned forward, feeling his
strength easily as he wrapped an arm around her waist and swept her
down as if she weighed nothing at all.  Behind her, the pair of men
at arms dismounted and helped down the two handmaidens, Tatsuya
carefully lowering Wakaba to the ground and Ryu giving Shiori a
helping hand.

"Come along," Saionji said, gesturing to the half-dozen other people
to follow behind him.  Turning, he began to retrace his steps back to
the stairway that led into the stone keep.

"He seems a bit on the brusque side," the rose-haired maiden
commented to her tall companion.

"He believes in getting to the point," Touga responded, a smile on
his face.  Lifting his head slightly, he called out, "Saionji, a
moment!"

Pausing in mid-stride, the other man turned his head to look at his
foster brother over his shoulder. "What is it, my lord?"

"When my men come, be sure to have them escorted to the kitchen.  My
gift to you needs to be taken there."

The verdant-maned noble stiffened slightly, but gave a nod in
response.  "I'll tell the castellan once I step inside."  That said,
Saionji once more continued on his way.

In silence, the small group of nobles and servants ascended the stone
stairs and entered the tower.  Immediately behind the ironbound oaken
door was a vestibule that was devoid of almost any furniture; all
Utena could see was a couple of rather uncomfortable-looking chairs
off to one side.  When he had entered, Saionji must have barked some
order -- she had heard his low, harsh voice while she had been
climbing the steps -- for someone was swiftly disappearing from the
chamber as she stepped inside.

The heir of the estate led them on through the archway into what
appeared to be a waiting room much like the one Utena had seen in
Touga's home.  More chairs were arranged into sitting areas while
locked chests and cupboards sat against the stone walls.  There were
a few tapestries there, though they showed signs of being old -- the
edges were somewhat frayed and the colors faded.

A number of people milled around, most seemingly too in awe of being
within the keep to take advantage of the somewhat worn chairs sitting
about.  As the group made their way across the room, the folk quickly
scattered and bowed, not straightening up until after they had walked
past.  Glancing about, the rose-haired maiden realized just who all
these individuals were: the citizens of the demesne, come to bring
their disputes and grievances to their lord's court.  Flicking her
aquamarine gaze back to their host, she noted that he looked neither
to the left nor right at those awaiting to come before him, though he
did nod slightly at the greetings from the household garrison.
Throwing open the sturdy door leading to the Great Hall, Saionji
strode inside.  "Shut the door once my guests have entered.  The
docket can wait," the green-haired noble barked.

"Aye, m'lord," responded a raven-haired warrior standing to one side
of the door.

"Perhaps you should hear the cases before you speak with me?" Touga
suggested.

"I'd rather know precisely what you're up to, Lord Touga," Saionji
sharply responded.

"Very well," the scarlet-maned nobleman replied.  "It's just as well
that you were preparing to sit in court.  We'll have need of your
clerk."

The verdant-maned highlander came to an abrupt halt, whirling around
to face his foster brother there in the center of the rush-covered
floor.  The large chamber certainly had been readied for the upcoming
judicial session; the heavy wooden trestle tables remained propped
against the sparsely decorated walls while the matching benches were
aligned in rows to either side of the middle of the room.  Saionji
had been leading them down the center aisle when he had come to a
halt at the other nobleman's words.  "What the devil do you need my
clerk for?"

"Why, I have a contract that needs to be drawn," Touga answered, his
voice a smooth purr.  "I made a promise and I wish to have it in
writing."

"And just what is this promise?" Saionji insisted.

"I am to give away a full year's income to you and your clan.  As
part of the pledge, I plan to send to you half of everything I
harvest.  And to show proof of my sincerity, I desire to have that
part of the pledge written and signed by us as a legal agreement."

"Do you think I can't take care of my own?" the heir of the estate
growled, violet eyes narrowing.

"Of course not," Touga quickly said, his voice in what was meant to
be a soothing tone.  "I'm sure you are doing the best you can.  This
has nothing to do with proving your worth and everything to do with
proving mine."

"So now we're just tools for your own advancement?" Saionji said, his
expression thunderous.

"Saionji, please . . ." the Kiryuu prince responded, offering his
friend a smile.  "That's not it at all."

"So what *is* 'it' then?"  the green-haired man snapped back, still
glaring at the other nobleman.  How dare he come striding in here
looking so happy and fit when the Saionji clan had barely survived?

"I'm genuinely concerned -- "

"You're only concerned about losing your hold on my lands and my
people," the other highlander snarled, being deliberately rude and
turning away, stalking once more towards the high table.  "You only
want us even more in your debt!"

As the pair of noblemen crossed over the Great Hall's floor, Utena
turned to her followers, her pretty face showing her unease at the
developing argument.  Other than the noblemen, the cavernous chamber
was currently empty save for the clerk mentioned by the keep's lord,
a pious-looking man with short-cropped, chocolate-brown hair wearing
the simple brown robes of a monk.  It seemed slightly eerie scanning
over a room so large and so empty.  However, the pink-haired girl was
put at ease knowing that it was only devoid of activity solely
because court had yet to start, though she was still on edge from the
tense undercurrent.  "Find something with which to amuse yourselves
along the edges of the hall.  I have a feeling that the two gentlemen
would like their conversation to be between only themselves," she
started to explain, staring right at her four servants.  Catching the
unhappy looks on Tatsuya and Ryu's faces, Utena quickly added, "Fear
not for me.  I'm certain that I'm in fine company, and I'll only be
up at the high table with them.  You'll be able to watch over me the
entire time."  Hearing her men's at arms murmurs of reluctant
acknowledgement, the rose-haired maiden hurried after the other two
nobles.

Though inwardly disappointed at his foster brother's cold reception,
Touga kept his features schooled in an expression of pleasant
camaraderie.  He kept silent until he joined the verdant-maned noble
up on the dais, easily taking the three small steps in graceful
stride and then standing there, awaiting his friend's invitation to
take a seat.  His cobalt-blue gaze remaining focused on the other man
as Saionji paused behind the ornate chair of the lord of the manor
and rested a hand against the back of the carved wood of the seat,
Touga said, "Come now, my brother -- "

"Don't you 'my brother' *me*!" the green-haired clansman snapped,
angry violet gaze turning to stare at the chieftain.  "How dare you
come here as if you were the king of the world, showing off your
plenty and contentedness just after I've finished burying a full
fifth of my clan?  There you are, fit and happy, while we continue to
suffer and you see us only as a charity case to further your
ambitions?  I see no brother here, only a lord come to rub our noses
in the fact that we are a subjugated people."

Standing a slight distance away, Utena faintly gasped and put a hand
over her mouth, azure eyes wide, at the angry words.  So many folk
dead just over the winter?  She couldn't help but feel sorry for them
and their plight.

(A fifth?) Touga thought, stunned by the numbers.  He had heard that
an illness had swept through them during the coldest part of the
season but had hoped that they were rumors.  They'd been too
snowbound to send anyone there to see.  Bowing his head in a silent
prayer to the souls of those claimed by the harshness of winter, the
scarlet-maned chieftain remained standing there.  "Saionji," he
began, tone soft, his face curtained by the loose locks of his long,
scarlet-red hair, "the years have forced a distance between us --
through no fault of our own -- that wasn't there before.  For the
sake of the fraternal love you once bore me, please just give me this
one chance.  I swear to you I have come here as a brother, not as a
lord overseeing an underling."  Lifting his head, a faintly
beseeching expression on his handsome face, Touga stared expectantly
at his friend.

Violet eyes narrowed, glaring back.  Pride and affection warred
within Saionji's heart, longtime envy and admiration both making
themselves known.  He hated seeing the despair to which his people
had been reduced, yet he knew that what the Kiryuu chieftain offered
would ease his clan's suffering.  "I'll give you this chance and
accept your help only for the good of my folk," Saionji finally
growled.  "There's been enough illness and death."

"May the lady and I take a seat?" Touga queried, gesturing toward
where the rose-haired maiden stood watching in the background.

"Who am I to stop you?" the other man asked, his piercing gaze
flicking over to stare at the strangely attired girl.  Had the
chieftain not introduced her, Saionji would have thought he was
looking at an overly pretty boy.  "Who is she anyway to be hovering
about the conversation of 'dear brothers'?" he added, his voice
taking on a sneering tone.

"Merely an observer to test my worth," the redheaded highlander
responded.

"Your tastes have certainly changed to the more masculine if one such
as she is allowed to judge your worth -- "

"I beg your pardon!" Utena burst out, feeling somewhat insulted by
the verdant-maned noble's words.  "That'll be quite enough of that,
Lord Kyouichi."

"Loud too," Saionji said, continuing on as if the masculinely clothed
woman hadn't spoken at all.

"Tread carefully, my friend, least we both discover she can handle
that sword she carries in an efficient manner," Touga gently warned.

"I'm not afraid of some slip of a little boyish-looking girl," the
violet-eyed lord replied.

Utena's aquamarine eyes narrowed in annoyance; recalling both the
unwritten laws of hospitality and the very virtues she searched for
within her champion, she took a deep breath and willed herself to
calm down.  It wasn't worth the conflict, especially against a man
too battered by the world to even have a hope of being the noble soul
she sought.  Her cheeks warm and red-hued with anger, she bit back
her words and dragged one of the heavy chairs away from the bolted
table.

"I assure you, Saionji, she's not what she appears to be."  Turning
his gaze to Utena as the noblewoman perched herself on the sturdy
seat, Touga gave her a reassuring smile.  "If you'll kindly excuse
me, my lady, I wish to turn my attention to the matters about which I
desired to speak with Saionji."

The rose-maned maiden nodded, a silent gesture for him to proceed.
Sitting back in the chair, she watched as he pulled out another and
gracefully sat, Saionji lowering himself down into the lord's siege
at the same time.

"Does she *have* to be here?" the green-haired highlander grumbled,
still doing his best to appear to not acknowledge her presence in any
manner but his words.

"Aye, she does.  Just think of her as a clerk of sorts, just as you
have your man over there."

"I suppose . . ."  Irritation glimmered in Saionji's purple-hued eyes
as he leaned against the padded back of the ornately carved
chair.  "So what exactly do you *want*, Touga?"

"How's your father doing?  I had heard that he wasn't faring well at
all."

The other lord looked away, off into the distance, his expression
unreadable beneath his dark green bangs.  "The Saionji have a new
chieftain now."

Touga nodded gently, a look of sympathy in his cobalt-blue eyes.  "My
condolences -- "

"Don't bother.  I never really knew him, and what I knew of him, he
was an angry and broken man.  So you're only wasting your breath,"
Saionji responded, his tone cool.

"How long ago?"

"Three days ago.  We buried him the day before yesterday and I heard
the oaths of fealty from my retainers yesterday."

"Well, perhaps you'll be more inclined to listen to the proposal I
desire to make to you, Saionji, than I fear your father may have
been," Touga said, leaning back and draping a leg over his
knee.  "It's come to my attention that the time has come to arrange a
suitable circumstance for my sister Nanami."

The verdant-maned chieftain stiffened, then turned his head to stare
at his friend.  "You're offering me marriage to your sister?"

"Aye.  I spoke to Nanami about it being time and she was less than
pleased with the prospect altogether," the scarlet-haired noble
responded.

"She *would* be.  I recall how she'd trail after us like some forlorn
puppy, always wanting to be there for you," Saionji snorted in mild
derision.  "The girl absolutely hated anything taking your attention
away from her."

"Save *you*," Touga softly said.  "In all those years, she never once
tried to get between us or pull one of her childish pranks on you."

"She probably knew I'd throttle her if she tried."

"More likely . . . I think she may like you, Saionji, only she's been
too focused on trying to not grow up and always be my sister that she
doesn't see it.  I did get a concession out of her that she'd feel
happier being wed to someone she knew."

The newly-ascended chieftain growled, shaking his head slightly.  It
just seemed too easy, too convenient.  An alliance with one of the
most powerful clans in the highlands, one that had conquered the
Saionji after a bitter feud, all because a spoiled child whom he had
considered like a sister would rather wed someone she knew if she had
to marry at all?  (He must be getting something more from offering
this than merely that,) Saionji thought, scowling.  (But what?
Maybe . . . Maybe he seeks to force us into a permanent position of
subordination through the ties of blood?  If that's the case, I won't
stand for it.  I will see to it that my people are once again
wielders of the power we deserve.)  "Nanami likes no one but you."

"Everyone that's attempted to get close to me, she's tried to harm --
save you.  You've never once had overspiced or spoiled food in your
meals, sleeping draughts in your drinks, your room 'accidentally'
left open to the cold with no fire or brazier to heat it or being
forgotten when it came time to clean it . . . In all those years you
and I were as close as brothers, my sister tagging along, never once
did she use her position as chatelaine as a way to strike out at you
as she did all the others who tried to get friendlier with me than
she thought was proper," the scarlet-haired lord responded.

Utena blinked, startled at the litany of annoying pranks carried out
by what sounded to be one very obsessed young lady.  Thinking back on
yestereve's celebration, the boyishly-clad maiden paled slightly as
she realized why the blond mistress of the keep kept giving her
vicious stares.  Apparently whatever discussion it was after the
siblings had danced -- more than likely the talk of weddings and
alliances, given the current conversation -- it had kept Lady Nanami
in a foul mood.  At the time, Utena had dismissed the glares as a
manifestation of the anger sparked by the conversation with Lord
Touga.  Now she knew better; the young blond had seen her as a rival
for her brother's affections.

"I won't tolerate being chained to a subordinate position," Saionji
insisted, his tone harsh.  "An alliance such as you propose would
only make us a lesser line of your clan.  Never again would we be
your equals."

"That's not exactly true if you stop and think about it," Touga
replied.  "Your sons would be royalty of both the Kiryuu and the
Saionji, whereas my sons would only be Kiryuu princes.  Should my
line ever be considered unfit by the warriors of the clan, it could
easily be one of your sons that is chieftain over both, but my sons
could never have a claim to the Saionji coronet.  And you will always
be entitled to aid from the Kiryuu, since you would be family."

"Ha.  By your own oath of fealty as overlord, you are bound to give
us protection and sustenance," countered the green-haired
nobleman.  "Duty alone would force you to aid us."

"Not all are as honorable as you know me to be," pointed out Touga,
his cobalt-blue eyes focused on his friend.  "And there's nothing to
say that a future Kiryuu prince would find it too inconvenient to aid
you when you need it.  But family . . . You know as well as I that
blood is thicker than water and family helps one another.  And family
is a relationship of equality, not subordination."

Saionji scowled, mulling on the other chieftain's words.  So far, he
could not see the fatal flaw that he knew just had to be lurking
there, the one thing that must be what Touga was hoping to achieve.
He knew his friend was every bit as ambitious as he was honorable;
surely there was something Saionji was missing, something he couldn't
quite see.  After a long, tense pause, he questioned, "So what *do*
you get out of this?  You offer us all the aid we could need, equal
standing and blood ties to bind us to you, a clan that your father
*conquered*.  So what's in it for *you*?"

"It's simple, actually.  I get my sister wed to a man I know and
trust, whom I'm sure will watch over her properly, not abuse her and
be strong enough to deal with her willfulness and tendency to use her
control over a household to make things miserable for those she
dislikes.  You know her nearly as well as I; you're familiar with
what it takes to keep her happy."

"She's not happy unless she's with you," Saionji reiterated.

"She'll get over it," Touga replied.  "And I'm sure you're up to the
task of helping her do so. So what say you?"

A scowl settled over the verdant-maned chieftain's visage.  (It's
tempting, aye, but damnation!  I still feel as if there's something
unsaid I'm missing, some string attached I can't find.  And I hate
the thought of being personally beholden to him, of losing to him.)
The scowl grew darker as he turned a cool violet gaze back to his
childhood friend.  "I'll think about it.  I already have negotiations
going on for a different alliance."

"Oh?" The word was a soft purr of curiosity, Touga raising his
eyebrows in surprise.  "With whom?"

"*That*, dear Touga, is none of your business," Saionji shot back.

"Very well," the scarlet-haired nobleman responded, raising his hands
in a peacemaking gesture. "However, please give my offer some serious
thought.  I truly believe you couldn't make a better alliance with
anyone else in the highlands."

(And that is what bothers me,) the violet-eyed prince silently
thought.
________________

The tam-like hat of soft rose-pink cloth remained perched jauntily on
her head, her lush mane of wavy hair carefully hidden beneath.  As
she sat there at Lord Touga's left behind the high table, Utena's
thoughts wandered somewhat from the proceedings within Pinehaven's
Great Hall.

The pair of chieftains had called over the robed clerk once their
talk of the proposed marriage was concluded.  With the scribe in
attendance, Lords Touga and Kyouichi had haggled on the details of
the contract and then had set their wax seals on the resulting
document the moment they had agreed.  While the once-molten material
was cooling into a hardened blob imprinted with the impressions of
both signet rings, a page had come to inform the noblemen of the
arrival of the Kiryuu warriors.  The scarlet-haired chieftain had
then sent the young, towheaded boy off with a message for one of his
men to attend him there ate the high table.

As Saionji had called for his warriors to usher in the folk there to
have their cases heard in the manorial court, the Kiryuu prince had
held a whispered conversation with the strong-looking young clansman
that had come at his lord's summons.  While the small crowd had made
their way into the large chamber and had seated themselves on the
wooden benches, the brunette warrior had walked swiftly away, more
than likely to carry out Touga's plan to fetch the coin that was part
of the proof of his generosity.  Utena knew that once she saw the
precious metal in the green-haired chieftain's hand, she would judge
Touga as having passed the first test of his virtue; the coin along
with the legally binding contract -- as well as his impromptu
decision to bring meat to his foster-brother's people -- would be
more than enough proof as far as the noblewoman was concerned that
the Kiryuu prince possessed the virtue of generosity in sufficient
quantity.

The disputes that had come before the newly-elevated lord were all
those typical of such courts.  Quarrels over the ownership of
property and livestock, the use of community resources, unpaid debts,
assaults, thefts -- civil and criminal arguments alike were settled
here.  As chieftain, Saionji's decision would be the final word on
all save those that were felonious in nature.  Those would be
referred to Lord Touga's own court in the near future; as overlord,
he was the one that held the right to judge cases involving High
Justice.

As the parade of people on the docket were called forth and aired
their grievances, Utena had glanced over at her would-be champion a
number of times.  Looking as regal and gorgeous as ever, he almost
lounged in the ornately-carved chair as he silently observed his
foster-brother's court.  That he seemed so casual puzzled her at
first -- she would have thought him to be more actively involved with
the hearing of the disputes, since he could be called in to appeal by
someone with that right -- until she realized that he was there not
as the overlord of the demesne but rather as the childhood friend of
the lord sitting in judgement.  She couldn't help but be somewhat
impressed by his ability to act with such honor; having promised
Saionji he was only there as a foster-brother, he was holding himself
true to that pledge.  A smile graced her beautiful face as she looked
at him once more with a faint expression of admiration.

Admiration, however, was not what she felt toward those who came
before Saionji.  Though most of the cases were rather petty things --
the green-haired ruler making a swift judgement, the clerk recording
the proceedings and the warriors acting as bailiffs escorting the
parties out -- Utena found herself once again shaking her head at the
quarrels people got into over the littlest of things.  To Saionji's
credit, he swiftly made it clear that bribery wouldn't work on him,
but the rose-haired maiden found his sense of mercy somewhat
lacking.  The rulings she had heard the new chieftain pronounce had
revealed what seemed to her to be a belief that the laws and customs
of the domain were carved in stone.  If someone was guilty, then they
were handed the proscribed punishment, regardless of any possibly
mitigating circumstances.  Such inflexibility truly bothered her.

For perhaps the hundredth time, eyes the color of cobalt-blue shifted
to take in the lovely sight of the somewhat disguised maiden.  As the
cases were heard -- a myriad of all the disputes one could have with
one's family and neighbors, and though they were often petty little
things in the grand scheme of the world, Touga understood them to be
important to those who stood on the rush-covered floor before them --
he'd noticed his companion's increasingly troubled expression.
Though curious as to the cause, he kept his questions to himself; in
his opinion, it was one of two things: either Utena was bothered to
hear of this argument and that or she wasn't pleased with the way the
cases were being handled.  Intertwining his fingers, he raised his
hands up to rest the knuckles of his middle digits against his
expressive lips, his face pensive as he returned his gaze to the
floor.  The Saionji bailiffs had just escorted out the latest two
parties and a new case was about to start.

"Akira, retainer of Clan Saionji, come forth!" the green-haired lord
shouted.  Throughout the proceedings, the young chieftain had been
acting as his own herald, his deep and gruff voice carrying well in
the confines of the Great Hall.

The person in question was a frightened-looking, grizzled man of
middle years, his humble face one of a man not having lead an easy
life.  Silvery strands were sprinkled throughout his thinning, light
brown hair.  The trews and tunic he wore were threadbare and shabby.
Of all the defendants come there that afternoon, he was the only one
in shackles.  During the general chaos of assembling everyone for
court, Utena had noticed this one come in from another door, his form
flanked by a brace of stern Saionji warriors.  At the call of the
prisoner's name, the clansmen guarding him stood, hauling him up to
his feet at the same time.

The masculinely-attired girl frowned at the clanking of the heavy
iron links.  That the seemingly beleaguered man was in chains
signaled that this case, unlike the others, involved a felony.
Glancing over at her silent companion seated to her right, Utena was
once again struck by Touga's apparently disinterested air.

"The charge is the poaching of a head of the royal cattle.  What
evidence is there that such a crime took place?" Saionji called out.

"If you please, Your Lordship," began one of the formidable-appearing
warriors flanking the hapless-seeming prisoner.  Though the auburn-
haired clansman showed the effects of the harsh times on his
countenance, he looked otherwise fit and strong.  "I am Kenji,
forester in charge of the holdings of the clan.  While I was engaged
upon my rounds within the woods around the village of Northolt, I
came upon a most damning sight.  This man -- "  Kenji paused for a
moment, pointing at the trembling prisoner, then continued, "was
standing over the fallen form of a cow, a great branch from one of
the trees in his hand, the opposite end from where he held it
bloodied and speckled with gore.  Even as I watched, he brought his
rude club down upon the beast's head with a violent assault before
flinging the wood away.  He then drew a dagger from his belt and
knelt down by the beast, beginning to skin it.  I rushed from where I
was hiding and tackled him, knowing that Your Lordship's herd of
cattle was pastured in that season very near to that place.  A look
upon the carcass confirmed by suspicions; the dead animal bore the
very markings of a cow that had gone missing earlier that day."

While the forester told his story of the discovery of the crime and
the apprehension of the perpetrator, Utena leaned over slightly
toward her scarlet-haired companion.  If Saionji remained true to
what she had observed so far, then the miserable-looking man there
before them would be judged guilty and given whatever penalty law and
custom demanded for that particular crime.  "So tell me, my
lord . . . What will his punishment be should he be found guilty?"
she softly asked the redheaded nobleman.

"The customary sentence is death," Touga responded, his voice in a
low tone that carried only to her.  "Saionji can't actually kill him -
- he holds no rights to the High Justice at the moment -- but he can
send the man to me for execution of the sentence."

"Defendant!  What say you on this matter?" Saionji barked, his violet
gaze transfixing the man in question.

"Please, great lord, you must understand.  Surely you have some place
in your heart for pity," the chained retainer stammered, still
trembling in fear.

"Just tell me your side of the tale," the verdant-maned nobleman
replied in a growl, reaching up to brush aside his long, curly bangs
from before his eyes.

"I am one of the cowherds that watches over both the royal herd
pastured there at the village of Northolt as well as the herd of the
villagers themselves," the grizzled peasant continued in response to
his lord's command.  "In moving the herds from one pasturage to
another, something spooked the herd and they stampeded, scattering
into the woods.  With a number of the villagers keeping watch over
the head of cattle we brought back right away, we cowherds went into
the forest to gather up the stragglers.  At the final count, we were
down only a handful.  A number of us went into the woods again and
split up, and it was my misfortune to find one of the cows in
distress.  I know not what happened to it; I only know that when I
found it, it was hobbling around on three legs -- the fourth one was
broken, the ends of the bones shoved through the skin -- and
bellowing in pain.  The sound was terrible, and I couldn't let the
poor beast continue suffering like that, so I found a sturdy piece of
wood I could use for a club and I bashed the creature's brains out.
The winter had been tough, my entire family starving, and I thought
it would be a waste to leave the meat there on the bones . . . Great
lord, surely you cannot fault my intent!  The beast was in agony; the
meat could have been put to good use . . ."

Hearing the shackled retainer's words, Utena turned her aquamarine
gaze to stare up at the man next to her.  Finding his countenance as
seemingly disinterested as before, she leaned toward him
again.  "Would you truly kill this man just because Lord Kyouichi
asks you to do so?" the rose-haired maiden whispered in consternation.

"'Tis Saionji's place to judge guilt and pronounce the punishment,"
Touga softly answered.  "As overlord, it's my place to support those
under me in such matters.  So long as nothing untoward happened in
the proceedings themselves, I am bound to execute whatever sentence
is handed down.  One can only appeal to me if they think Saionji did
something wrong in his holding court; I cannot adjudicate on the
evidence itself."

"Hrmph."  The green-haired lord made only that single sound of mild
disgust at the quivering peasant's impassioned pleas.  As the man
stood there in terror, his face pale, Saionji leaned back against the
ornate siege.  "The law is the law, Akira.  You killed that cow
knowing full well that it was one of my herd."

"Please, great lord!  The beast was sorely wounded!  Nothing would
have been gained to keep it alive!" the cowherd replied.

"Must the punishment be death?" Utena murmured to the redheaded
chieftain.  "I truly think the circumstances do not warrant such
harshness."

"He could impose a lesser sentence," Touga answered.

"Well, there's no question that poaching was done and that you are
the one that committed it," Saionji stated, violet eyes staring
straight at the peasant.  "The law is very clear on the crime.  Do
you know what penalty is imposed upon poachers?"

The cowherd paled more -- Utena found it surprising that the hapless
man could do so, he had been so white from fear before -- and flung
himself down to the ground, prostrating himself and groveling on the
rush-covered floor.  "Great lord, have mercy!  What of my family?  We
barely made it through winter, and they need my labor to survive!"

"The champion of Love should uphold mercy as well as he demonstrates
generosity," the masculinely-clad girl said, her tone becoming
adamant.  (I cannot let this happen.  I will find a way for mercy to
temper justice in this case!)  Once again staring up at him, she
commanded, "For your second task, I ask that you successfully plead
leniency for this poor soul."

Scarlet eyebrows raised in surprise at the maiden's insistent order.
Looking down at her, Touga could see the determination glowing there
in her large, aquamarine eyes -- eyes that he would much rather have
gazing up at him in affectionate adoration.  It took not even a
moment for the Kiryuu prince to decide.  Slipping off his golden
signet ring, the symbol of all he was as the overlord of the Saionji,
he gently took one of his companion's hands, placed the heavy
ornament into it and then gently made her fingers curl around the
warm metal.  "Hold that for me, my lady.  I shall endeavor to do my
best."  Feeling the weight of the signet no more, the scarlet-maned
chieftain gracefully stood.  "Your Lordship," he called out, looking
over at his friend while he walked along the length of the high table.

"What the devil are you doing?" Saionji snarled, startled by the
other nobleman's actions.

"The lady asked me to plead the case of mercy to you," Touga replied,
stepping around the end and descending to the Great Hall's
floor.  "However, I also promised you that I had come only as your
brother and friend.  Therefore, it's as your foster brother, someone
who wishes to see you successful in your rulership, that I stand
before you now."

"So you now dance to the tune of a maiden?" the verdant-maned
highlander asked, his voice a sneer.  "How unusual to let such a one
pull *your* strings."

If his friend's barb scored a hit, Touga made no outward sign of an
effect.  Folding his arms over his chest, he looked the other lord
over for a long moment.  "There is no doubt, my lord, that by the law
a crime has taken place.  That's not in dispute.  However, throughout
all your cases today, you have punished according to the letter of
the law.  Justice is served, but I fear you are making a mistake."

"The law is the law," Saionji reiterated.  "And if a crime's found to
have happened, then justice is served by handing down the appropriate
punishment.  You know as well as I that swift enforcement keeps a
demesne from dissolving into chaos."

"But a good ruler will temper that justice with mercy.  Aye, you are
fulfilling your obligations as you are, but you could do better by
taking into consideration mitigating circumstances, my friend.  The
cow was severely injured.  You *know* that it could not be salvaged
at that point.  Your cowherd did the animal a favor by ending its
misery.  He had no way of knowing that your forester was in the area."

"I let the man go unpunished and everyone will feel free to slaughter
my cattle," the other chieftain shot back, violet eyes narrowing in
irritation.

"I'm not saying to not punish the man," Touga smoothly
responded.  "But show your people mercy; show them that you care
about their lives and what's happening to them."  He stepped closer
toward the dais, halting there just on the other side of the high
table.

Her breath catching in her throat, the slender noblewoman leaned
forward ever so slightly, awaiting the Kiryuu prince's next words.
Others before him had faltered here, falling into the trap of
manipulating the pride of the lord in question in order to win
leniency for the subject she had chosen.  To choose to do so proved
no virtue at all but rather a flaw, a willingness to be unmerciful
when it came to the emotions of another.

"Your clansmen deserve mercy when it's appropriate, as well as the
justice that keeps order in your lands.  The animal foundered; it
needed to be put down.  No merciful man would have let the cow
continue to suffer."  Turning his attention to the forester, he
asked, "What became of the beast once Akira was taken into custody?"

"It was butchered at my direction, my lord," Kenji responded, bowing
slightly in a token of respect to his ruler's overlord.  "The meat
was then shared amongst the villagers, since it would be too much
effort to bring it back to Pinehaven."

"So one act of mercy became many equally merciful acts, since
everyone suffered through the winter.  By happenstance, one man's
compassion more than likely made it possible for all the villagers to
make it into spring and be well enough for the planting of the
harvest," Touga continued.  "Like a stone tossed into still waters,
the ripples sent out eventually touch the farthest shore.  Leniency
should be shown to this man, since not only did he do the humane
thing, he probably served you better, Saionji, by helping maintain a
village full of workers ready to conduct the spring planting."

Silence hung there in the cavernous space of the hall.  The green-
haired nobleman glared back at his friend.  So wrapped up was Saionji
in asserting his authority, taking over from a harsh and bitter
predecessor, that he had become something of a reflection of his
sire.  Though he hated having such a truth shoved in his face by the
one man he considered always two steps ahead of him, he couldn't deny
that his foster brother was right.  The cow was a loss no matter
what, and the meat was better used instead of left to rot on the
carcass's bones.  Turning his attention to the still groveling
peasant, Saionji shouted, "Get up!"

The cowherd hastened to do so despite the heavy chains, the brace of
muscular warriors reaching down to yank the cowering man back to his
feet.

"Kenji?  When you inspected the downed beast, did you see the broken
leg that the defendant mentioned?" the newly elevated chieftain asked
of his officer.

"Aye, Your Lordship," the auburn-haired clansman responded, nodding
in affirmation.  "As he said, the bones were clear through the skin."

"Well then," Saionji softly mused, once again fixing the prisoner
with his cold violet gaze.  "As has been pointed out, I find that you
did not willingly slaughter a fit and healthy animal.  For that, your
life shall be spared.  However, in lieu of the animal you killed, I
fine you the worth of that beast, which you shall pay by either
giving to the royal herds your best milking cow or by working it off
in pulling double duty in the royal fields until enough time has
passed equal to the worth of a cow."  Turning his attention to the
men standing on either side of the peasant, he nodded to
them.  "Release the man.  The chains are no longer needed."

Up in her seat behind the high table, Utena smiled at the joyous
expression on the cowherd's careworn face.  His look alone was worth
it a thousand times over, though she would do it again simply because
it was the right thing.  A life was spared, deservedly so, and her
possible champion had argued eloquently for the cause of mercy.
Gazing happily upon the redheaded highlander's dashing and noble
countenance, the rose-clad maiden continued smiling in admiration.

Feeling her gaze upon him yet again, Touga smiled to himself as he
glanced at her.  He knew, without uttering a single word, that he had
passed the test she had given him, that he had taken one more step
closer to proving himself worthy of not only being this champion she
sought but of her as well.

Noting the oddly-clothed lady and the scarlet-haired lord exchanging
glances, Saionji could only scowl.  (What is it about *her*, of all
people?  Never before has he seemed so intent on a single maiden
before.  Just what the hell's going on, I wonder?)

Dianna Silver

http://www.diasilv.com/garden/garden.html
Her entries for the afu ULE

http://www.diasilv.com/assr/story.html
Fanfic based very loosely on Utena and the romances
of King Arthur