Reward

I woke up earlier than normal the morning after having my dreams put down. I pulled a cushion to the patio and stared out over the garden as the morning fog was still on the ground and the sun was just beginning to rise to be visible.

Yesterday was full of disappointments. None of my wants or dreams supported or permitted. Although his reasoning is sound, I'm still recovering from the blows to my spirit. I was deep in thought when a gentle breeze rushed past my face and reminded me to take in air for myself. In the breath, with my eyes closed, I saw Hideyoshi in my imagination. There is absolutely no doubt that he would align with Nobunaga's opinions of my wants surrounding Kenshin. I wonder if I would recover faster if both of them were saying it and looking at me with concern and pain as they tell me "no."

Since we left Azuchi Nobunaga has received a letter from Hideyoshi in regards to Azuchi and always ending with some well wish for our time away that made my stomach twist a little. Nobunaga talks about him a lot. He admires Hideyoshi for his climb from humble country boy to a lord of his own lands. Without so many words he's made it clear he misses the way he worries about him and how he keeps him grounded.

I had requested tea before sitting outside and when it arrived it disturbed the sleeping devil. The staff apologized as they quickly set the tea down on the table. Before they left I said they should be prepared to bring our meal earlier than normal.

I returned to my cushion on the patio, setting a second one next to me and holding my tea in the other. My mind resumed its daydreams of Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, the devil king and his most loyal vassal, passionate Oda and comforting Toyotomi.

"How long have you been awake?" The voice of my husband pulled me from my wanton daydreaming. The sun and the devil have emerged and the fog on the ground begins to evaporate.

I looked over my shoulder to see him still stretching as if he was pushing his tiredness out of the futon. "Not long. It was beautiful to watch the garden before the sun ate all the fog." I returned my gaze to the garden and brought my tea to my lips.

"You look other worldly in this light." He stood and stretched once more before joining me on the porch. When he sat beside me he leaned into my ear, a movement I've grown accustomed to. He pressed his lips behind my ear. "Just checking to make sure I'm not still dreaming."

I smiled, the response he was hoping for I'm certain by the smile on his face now.

"Good morning." I turned to him and was quickly pulled into a kiss.

When we pulled away he was investigated my eyes. "I can tell by your kiss that your distracted. What have you been out here meditating on?"

I sat back on my futon and grab my cup off the floor for another sip. "I'm growing tired of this place. We should do something else today."

The suspicion left him and was instantly replaced with intrigue. "What do you have in mind?" He asked, beginning to lean towards me again.

"I'm sure that the horses are bored as well. We should go for a ride, get some wind in our lungs." My eyes had drifted to the sky as I spoke longingly.

His laugh was full. "If it would please my phoenix, I'll have them ready our horses and we will ride after our meal."

I turned to him and quickly climbed into his lap as he laughed. My arms circled his neck. "Thank you. They're setting up our meal now."

He turned back to see the servants setting out our food. He gestured for one of them to come to him and ordered them to get the horses ready. He turned to me, his carnelian eyes and soft lips curved with happiness. "I'm glad you suggested this." He brushed his nose to mine. "Let's eat."

I finished eating before him and took that time to start getting dressed and ready. As soon as I summoned servants to help he laughed. "Eager to get out there?"

I walked over to the patio again with crossed arms. "Desperate. I need to clear my mind."

He came to me and wrapped his warm arms around my waist. He lips touched the top of my shoulder. "Because of yesterday?"

I turned to see him. "Only partly."

His eyebrows knit together. "What is the other part?"

My heart ached, I'm not ready to risk another rejection from him right now. He could sense it in my hesitation. He kissed my forehead as he released me from his hold. Before either of us got another word out the staff arrived to clear the food trays and get us both dressed.

There was an odd tension between us as we walked towards the horses. After assisting me on to my horse his hand lingered at my ankle. He opened his mouth to say something but closed his mouth instead. As soon as his hand left my ankle I reached for his cheek. I spoke sweetly with a small smile on my lips. "Nobu— I promise I'm trying to move on from yesterday."

A smile finally reached his eyes. "Where would you like to ride?"

I released his cheek and sat up. "I asked the staff here about the area. There's a lake a just north from here with a bridge that leads to a gazebo. They said it's koi bring luck to lovers. I thought we might race?" I smiled down at him, full of competition.

He laughed as he walked to his horse and mounted. "You look too much like Masamune with that face. Especially for someone who will lose."

I urged my horse next to his and pout. "Don't you think I should get a heads start since my ego is still recovering from yesterday?"

His head fell back as another burst of laughter escaped him and I take that moment to spur my horse forward and begin the race. I heard a faint curse before the sound of his horses hooves joined in.

It didn't take me long to catch up to the scouts that went out in front of us. The whole way with him on my heels. I slowed to not pass the scouts which gave my competition the opportunity to burst out in front of me and past the guards, inciting a new level of rivalry as I passed the guards in pursuit of the winning position.

I watched Nobunaga enter the thick forest between us and the lake. When I entered the trees I felt an immediate sense of calm. The lack of heat from the suns rays, the cool damp air, it all brought a sense of peace, reminding me of the forest that surrounds my childhood home.

When I exited the forest Nobunaga was waiting at the top of a hill just another few minutes ahead, looking a bit anxious until he saw me. When I got to his side he reached out his hand. As soon as I took it he sighed. "I was just about to ride back in there for you." He teased, but there was a hint of serious concern.

I laughed as we slowly rode towards the water. "You sound like Hideyoshi!"

He released my hand. "I do not. He would never have been so reckless with you." His eyes were fixed on the water.

Once the scouts caught up with us we left the horses with them and walked to the bridge. He walked a bit in front of me until I reached out for his hand. "Nobu—"

He turned and tried to fake a smile. I closed the gap between us, resting my head and other hand on his chest. "Thank you for not letting me win."

His deep breath of relief moved me. I looked up at him. His eyes on the water looking a bit more relaxed as one of his hands rested on my lower back.

"It was still reckless of me to leave you so far behind." He chastised himself as we walked toward the gazebo, hand in hand.

When we got to the gazebo I took his other hand in mine. "Leave the worrying to Hideyoshi and the guards he sent to scout for us. You lead by charging forth and I'll always have someone to follow."

He peered deeply into my eyes. "I wasn't expecting such— poetic words from you about leadership."

I tilted my head up to him. "I chose you for my husband when you gave me another option, did I not?"

He pulled his hands from mine to brush a few stray hairs from my face. "You accept my decisions then? Without question? Despite the inconsistency of my actions today?"

A gentle laugh left my lips causing him to look hurt. "I question everything you do Nobunaga. Always will, but I will make you this promise: I will only question you in the privacy of our bed. He pulled me into a kiss, warm and inviting like we had finally found common ground again.

When our lips parted I took a moment to breath and stare at the koi fish swimming towards the gazebo before broaching the next topic. I took his hand. "I have questions." My voice turned low.

He let out a soft laugh. "Here? This is far from our bed." He joked. "What about?" He asked and squeezed my hand. I brought his hand up to my lips.

I kissed the tip of his thumb "The list." I said before moving to the next finger and kissing it. He leaned forward to brush his nose against mine. "What about it?"

"I want to know—have you ever summoned more than one partner to join you in one night?" The last finger received its kiss just in time for him to lift me up and place me on the low wall of the gazebo, my legs gripping him on instinct.

A low grumble before he spoke vibrated the skin on my neck where his lips were resting. "You picked the right time to ask about these things didn't you? Making me say no to you so many times so that I may be more willing to open up from a sense of guilt?" He pulled his face away from my neck to reveal the playful smile of his expression.

I lifted an eyebrow in response. "If I did use such tactics it would only be by reflex from the interrogation techniques I've been reading."

He laughed, low and gentle. "Yes." His smile eased. "In the past I have had more than one body warm my bed in a single night. But I won't need any of that anymore now that my bed is kept heated by my Phoenix."

His thumb brushed my chin as his eyelids lowered and he leaned in for another kiss. I stopped him with a finger. "I know you've been with women, and I know you've been with men before me. I'm not threatened by that. You made it very clear our first night together that what you and I are is more than bed warming." He leaned a little away from me and my hands rested on his shoulders to keep from falling into the water behind me. I wasn't completely sure that he was listening to me. His eyes look dreamy and his smile is soft. He looks like he's day dreaming about my body the ways his eyes rest on my chest.

"Nobu." I said sternly and it was enough to snap him to my eyes. "Have you ever shared a woman with another man?"

Well that definitely got his attention. He straightened up a little more. "Once." His eyes went a little dark.

"Tell me about it?" I asked.

"Why?" His eyebrow lifted and the smile had left his lips.

I bit my lip feeling like he was retreating from my interrogation. "Was it not enjoyable?"

He breathed heavily. "It was, for me and the other man. The poor girl was a bit— overwhelmed. She asked to not be summoned again for those purposes."

I tugged my lips to one side, a bit disappointed in the report. "Who was the other man?"

He smirked now, looking a little humored at the memory. "Masamune Date— perhaps that's why it was too much for the girl..." he mused with his eyes suddenly turning up in thought.

I started to rub his shoulders as I spoke in a alluring tone. "Well, I can't say that I'm surprised Masamune was who you chose, what with his adventurous nature. I do think you're correct, that's not a pair I think I would be able to handle either." Way too much spirit about those two together. Masamune is a thrill seeker. I have a feeling that those two men probably lost focus on the pleasure of the poor girl and distracted by an invisible competition that would climb to places no woman wants to be involved with.

"Where is this going Rina?" His eyes peering into mine again as if looking for hidden meanings.

"You talk about him so much— and he's so devoted to you— and—"

His interruption was bitter and surprising. "And he removed himself from the list." He knew exactly who I'd been talking about, as if the moment I brought up the hint of the idea of another person in our bed he thought of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

"You sound disappointed." I leaned in to touch our noses. His eyes closed and his eyebrows knit. I watch as his beautiful long eyelashes flutter, revealing all the processing he was doing behind his closed eyes. His voice was low. It felt like he was worried that someone else might hear when he spoke, like perhaps his words would be carried over the water of the lake and reach the horses. "I was— I am."

My suspicions about these two men are being confirmed and it feels like some kind of consolation reward for yesterday's pain. "Have you spoken to him about it?"

His eyes opened and quickly adjusted to find mine again. "You don't seem very surprised by this... What do you know Rina?" He leaned forward, forgetting my position on the gazebo and I started to fall backwards. He wrapped his arm around my lower back and pulled me back into the gazebo.

Once I recovered from the anticipation shock I was met with a steady stare. "The two of you should talk."