Chapter 104: The Princess Diaries II
They all sat up straight. This was news to them. More importantly, this was bad news to them. From their expressions, I could see that they had expected demands, but not outright refusal due to our relationship and my friendship with Lady Hana. They exchanged glances.
"I am honored that you consider me worthy, Princess Akari. But unfortunately, it is not meant to be."
"May I ask Ren, who is the lucky girl?"
"Oh, sure, in fact, why don't you meet her!" I motioned to Hina. "Meet my fiancée, Kurosaawa Hina."
PLOP! Hina dropped the cookie she was eating into her cup.
"It appears your fiancée did not know about her own marriage." The Princess commented with an amused smile.
"No, she did not. I was planning to keep it for a while as our relationship is quite newly minted."
"So a marriage of love, is it?"
"Yes, But Not just that. Hina has served as a pivotal role in the clan over the years. She is not just a beautiful choice. But also a wise choice."
"Are you certain it is wise to burn an alliance?"
"What alliance?"
"The Daimyo will not appreciate this."
"I did not appreciate being sacrificed."
"You know the situation forced his hand. He never wished any harm to befall you and yours."
"Princess Akari. A wise man once said, that A Friend in need is a friend indeed."
"And we are no longer friends."
"He protected you before he was forced to withdraw."
"No, he protected his interests. Just as he is protecting them now. You and I both know that the Daimyo got the Lion's share of the meat. It is not my problem that he could not digest it. These talks, if these are indeed alliance talks, are to forge a new alliance. Not continue a previous one."
The princess went silent. As did Hana. I could see the slight signs of disappointment and Hurt, even though she tried her best to hide it. We had gotten quite close in the shared past.
"Lord Ren, if I may?" Kaito had reverted address. I nodded. So did the Princess.
"If this is a new alliance. Maybe a new set of terms can be negotiated. After all. Many things have changed."
"For example?"
"The alliance continues with mutual help and support. And a marriage contract is reinstated. But instead of being married into a branch house. You marry into the Royal House of Fire. I believe in the given circumstances. It can benefit us all."
Right on cue. If sentiments don't work. Let's go back to the basics. The interests. Once he set the proposal. He was silent again. After all, the princess couldn't propose her own marriage herself.
She made a show of consideration and then arrogance.
"You are strong, Lord Ren, and you have been named as a major clan. Physically, you are. Politically, not so much. The top of the pyramid is an intricate web of favors and friendships that are so convoluted that you can't tell anything from anything.
By the strength of your arms, you have gained the crystal of power. Won't it be better to have someone by your side who has been carving rough crystals into precious gems all their life? I agree with Lord Kaito's assessment. Both our houses can benefit from this."
Something seemed wrong. I couldn't pinpoint it, but I knew something was wrong.
"I apologize again, your highness. But trained jewelers are loyal to their jewels. And they prioritize and sort customers according to order sizes. I am no longer interested in being sorted. I like Hina. And I am marrying her."
The princess bit her lip. They had abandoned us. And that was a fact. "Fine, she can be the second."
Now I knew something was wrong. This seemed rushed. Not the 'we'll lose the opportunity' rushed, but the 'we're desperate' rushed. Something was wrong, and the capital was being pushed into a corner.
A Princess, compromising so fast and easily? Sure, they would allow it. But there should have been extensive negotiations. I was being blindsided.
"No, princess. I plan on making her the First wife. And that is final. If you insist on a marriage alliance. Perhaps a branch family member will be more appropriate and sufficiently symbolic."
I did not nod towards Hana. She was too close a relative to the Daimyo not to be made a main wife. In fact, on each of the other 3 wives the law allowed, her family should be given compensation for their pride. But I had a sinking feeling. That today, they might just agree.
"Besides. Such things take time. You have been staying in the village for a while now. Correct? Let's discuss this slowly and at length. I am not on a clock anymore."
I threw out a probe. I saw the debate on their faces.
"The Daimyo is not a patient man."
Yup, they are desperate.
"In that case the answer is no. Last I checked. By law, even the Daimyo can't force a marriage."
These people were professional diplomats. It weren't their expressions that were giving them away. It was their actions which were on a clock. They needed visible physical support. And they needed it fast.
The question was why?
Kaito stood up placating everyone. "I think our argument is getting too heated up. Let us take a beat and discuss this tomorrow with cooler head. Alright?"
"Fine."
Next I decided to take up all the meetings I had been putting off. The first person I decided to meet was the Inuzuka clan Head.
Inuzuka Tsume.
She was a very sharp and intelligent woman. I had asked Renga to arrange a meeting to which he had happily obliged. Its just that the meeting was a dinner at their compound. But before that dinner. A few old friends decided to finally show their faces. Yup, the Kurokami.
I remembered somebody saying that the Kurokami will come. But honestly, this was the one group of people I still had no idea how to deal with.
Destroying the clan had once seemed a good idea. But not anymore. The more reports I read, the more I understood their web. Before I only knew that they had entrenched themselves politically and financially. I just hadn't realised how much. These guys were parts of everyone through marriages. In absence of overwhelming strength, They had created so many contracts and arrangements that digging them out would destroy the whole of the Fuinjutsu society. And with the recent support, they had assimilated everything into themselves.
So I had two options. Complete overhaul and rebuilding from scratch. Or subjugation. Let's see what they have to say first.