Have Tea

The drills of the Southern Army were done. Nobu saluted to Yoshiro. Yoshiro twitched and instead of returning the salute, he folded his arms and turned his back. Zhang was surprised by his cousin’s brother but instead of reprimanding him, he returned Nobu’s salute. Nobu, despite the stoic look prescribed when in formation, glared at him. He wasn’t the salute’s recipient. A moment later, he receives Zhang’s salute and puts down his hand. He commands his units to be at rest then walks towards Zhang. The other man nods as greeting.

Nobu raised his eyebrow, “Where’s Yoshiro? Is he still ashamed of his defeat in our last battle?”

Zhang scoffed but said nothing. He was used to Nobu’s mocking but he couldn’t deny it. Yoshiro, being three years younger than Nobu, had no match for him in battle. Yoshiro was just an inexperienced boy compared to Nobu. Usually, Zhang would remain silent to Nobu’s mocking. He wouldn’t lie just to save face. It wasn’t him but today, after what his cousin told him, he had found an opening for an insult.

He smirked, “I heard your brother committed treason, is that right?”

Nobu shifted and frowned but he quickly regained his composure. He chuckled, “Wherever do you get your news from, General?”

By that time, Yoshiro approached the two, his hands still folded. He glared at Nobu then quickly looked away. He tilted his head upwards as he spoke to Nobu, “Would you mind having tea with someone you almost killed?”

Nobu chuckled and raised his eyebrow, “Oh, guilt does not bother Southerners at all, Prince.”

Yoshiro glared harder at the man and grudgingly invited him, “Well, as a good host and as the representative of the groom, the Northern Kingdom, we invite you to tea.”

The man laughed, “The tone of your voice suggests that you may have poisoned the tea you are serving to us.”

“Don’t push your luck. You bet we did---“

“Your Royal Highness,” Zhang interjected and invited Nobu himself on behalf of Yoshiro, “If you please,” he added a little smile.

Nobu was satisfied. He never saw the stern man smile until it was the last option to. He chuckled, “Ah, so much trouble for us, I appreciate this, Northerners---“

“If you don’t mind, why don’t you invite your brother, Crown Prince Nobu?” Yoshiro chirped in. He asked it to thank Kazuki by serving him tea but after releasing his words, he wondered if his request was wrong.

Zhang accusingly glared at Yoshiro and Yoshiro pretended not to feel the glares but across him was Nobu’s scrutinizing him. He was being interrogated by both sides. He had no escape from prying eyes until Nobu called out to his brother as a leader. Kazuki responded as his subordinate but when he was released from his rank, he smiled as he approached the group crowding around the stairs of the bridge.

The first thing he said was, “brother.” Nobu smiled then realizing they were in front of their enemy, suppressed his urge to baby his younger brother. He nodded to the Northerners and they were led to the table in the enormous pagoda.

Kazuki’s eyes observed Yoshiro so much Yoshiro was aware of it but pretended not to notice. The man was his patient, anyways, and as a doctor, he worried or pretended to for his patients. The first Kazuki noticed is the flower ornament on Yoshiro’s hair. He was about to say something about it but a Eunuch---judging from how he dresses---enters with a tray holding a teapot and four cups. Nobu gulped. Kazuki had noticed this and observed his older brother. His older brother doesn’t gulp unless his throat is really dry or if he was anxious. Nobu intently stared at the Eunuch but perhaps, he felt Kazuki’s staring so he re-focused his attention on Yoshiro, instead. Kazuki thought it was strange. He observed as the Eunuch curtsy towards them and left.

Now, it was that pink ornament on Yoshiro’s hair that he considered strange. He saw an opening to comment about it but Zhang interrupted by dragging Kazuki’s cup and pouring tea on it. He glared at Zhang’s swiftness but he allowed the man to do so. After all, they were seen as the same rank at the table so it was not disrespectful or too respectful for him to do so.

Nobu elbowed his brother. Kazuki’s arm twitched but he kept a straight face then looks at his brother as if to say, “What?”

Nobu quickly glanced at Yoshiro then back to Kazuki. It all happened before the Northerners could notice.

“Flower?” was the message.

Zhang lifted the pot and pushed the filled cup across the table to Kazuki. Kazuki stealthy nodded, “Flower,” and he picked up the cup.

Zhang curtsied as Kazuki sipped. That part of his duty is over. Now for Yoshiro---well, Yoshiro was glaring so hard at Nobu he might as well bring out a sword and get it over with. Under the table, Zhang gently punched Yoshiro’s knees. Yoshiro’s glares were re-directed at Zhang. Zhang glared back. Yoshiro rolled his eyes and put on his friendly host persona.

He started it by laughing: “Ah, I wanted to pour tea for your brother but the General has done it first.”

Kazuki shuddered in his position. He thought, “What the fuck for?” and pretended to calmly enjoy his tea though it wasn’t his favorite brand.

With his usual sweet and bright smile, Yoshiro shrugged his shoulder, “I guess I have to serve my almost-murderer tea, then! How wonderful! What an honor!”

Zhang took a sharp breath.

Nobu just laughed it off.

Kazuki remained silent.

Yoshiro smiled as he rashly dragged Nobu’s cup, making a loud scraping sound on the table, and poured tea to the point the cup overflowed. He was still smiling, his eyes looking like a cat’s. He pushes the cup toward Nobu. The cup tumbled and spilled, its’ content almost wetting Nobu’s armor and clothes.

Nobu laughed but there was the sound of homicide in it. He straightened the fallen cup before it’d dampen him and grinned, “Thank the gods there are consequences for staining the temple with blood of human dirt!”