Castles and Dreams (Youka)

At the mention of stories of the beast, the blonde gently nudged his chest with her head, a disgrace of a headbutt but enough of a gesture to admonish him without saying anything out loud. In all the time she had spent with Youka, she wasn't as saddened by how people saw him. It was far more heartbreaking to come to terms with how he saw himself. "I would," she began seriously. "If I had found one. Instead I found a big softy." The last part was to hopefully put a smile on his face. Akihana had never believed in monsters and to this day, her faith remained intact.

It was funny really, the more belief she poured into him, the more it multiplied within her. As if they were connected somehow and her faith in him rejuvenated her anew every time. The kunoichi couldn't explain it herself let alone discuss it with someone else.

Akihana did not miss the slight tensing of his frame as she reached to place the small mark on him. Just like her, he was not used to being so closely touched. And yet he allowed it which showed how far he'd come. For someone who had proposed marriage upon threat of mass murder, he was here holding her close to him and not even seeming to be in a hurry to let go. Perhaps she'd accomplished something after all.

When asked if she needed anything for her journey, the blonde paused. For a single second, she wanted to ask him to come with her. It was an errant, illogical and unfair request. Just as she had her place at Hoshi, he had his at Kumo. And she would certainly never take him away from where he was needed. She didn't have enough of a reason to. Being his wife was not enough of a reason. She did however, have a practical request.

"I was going to make a case for an alliance with Kumogakure by demonstrating the wealth of the village," she admitted, biting her lower lip slightly as she tried to convey the information as honestly and politely as she could. It was a common practice for any nation seeking an alliance, they had to bring something to the negotiation table. Money, land, ninja, and Hoshigakure in particular valued financial security. It didn't help that there would be two factions to pacify, the shinobi and the royalty. The crown could be won over by coin but the ninja.... She supposed she was lucky to know Den the way she did.

"I was hoping to collect around a hundred thousand ryo. I already have close to fifty from personal savings... And I have some jewels back home that I don't really need." That statement was also completely true, Akihana rarely wore any jewelry save the diamond engagement ring and the wedding band that currently rested on her finger. All of Princess Lissandra's jewels passed on to her could be sacrificed for the greater good. "I haven't had time to do any missions so I'm going to have to do this the old fashioned way - but I'm not sure if I'll have enough."

It was embarrassing to admit the failure on her part, and truth be told, she wouldn't have admitted it if he hadn't specifically asked. The medic had fully planned to quietly submit her life's savings and all the jewelry she owned - save for the one given to her by the Raikage - to Princess Tehniyat and the royal treasury, she could do that even now if Youka was in no position to help. But at least now he would know how she intended to negotiate the alliance.

The elder's council told me to withdraw ryo from the village discretionary fund but I didn't feel comfortable doing that, plus the paperwork would take months to get through. A little bit too late for what I had in mind, I'm afraid," she laughed softly.

Mortarion allowed a small laugh to leave his lips at her small joke towards him. She indeed hadn't found what everyone had so dreaded. Instead she found or made he should say something much more compliant and willing to see other views other than his own. It was a strange feeling for him to be so close to another person and she had made it feel almost effortless.

" You are the only one that gets to see this side of me, or should I say the only one that can bring it forth. So this space and time right now is just for you."

His words while soft still carried weight to them, while they were alone he was allowed to be much more than the one directioned leader he had made himself out to be. He didn't want that image to be shattered to his people when they had grown so used to his rough exterior and interior. Having others speak on how he might have turned over a new leaf and become more lenient would spit on the lives of those already given to that of new Kumogakure.

At the mention of an alliance with wherever she hailed from his ears perked to attention. This was a field he understood well, bribes and negotiations went hand in hand with one another. Everyone could be bought for the right price and it seemed even Akihana was privy to these underhanded tactics. Or he was reading the situation completely differently than how she was presenting it.

He cut her off at the mention of what she had saved and using her own belongings to supplement the transactions and open the bidding grounds. If it was money they'd ask for it was a simple request and it was an amount he would blink at losing if it further cemented a hold on another ally in the coming war.

"I'll not let you spend any of your own money, I'll have the amount pulled and made ready for transport when you are ready to leave. It's a sizeable amount of ryo, are you sure you won't make yourself a target for thieves and missing nin on the borders?"

A hint of concern crossed his voice as he posed the question to her. He was sure she was a capable ninja but still everyone had to die sometime and with the right amount of attackers even the greatest of us fall.

Akihana didn't reply to his admission of being who he was with her, it didn't need one. Words were difficult sometimes, cumbersome, prone to being misunderstood. Was it any wonder they both preferred their silences speak louder. As she stood wrapped securely in his embrace, the kunoichi realized how much she was going to miss this particular brand of silent conversation.

When he rejected the idea of her contributing her own savings towards the negotiation, Akihana looked up slightly. She didn't have to ask, he offered to finance the deal himself, something that caught her pleasantly off guard. They had never really discussed money but just like they had never discussed a number of issues, it seemed he still had her best interests at heart despite never admitting to such things.

At his concern of robbers however, the medic shook her head, scattering fine gold strands in ehr wake as she hurried to reassure him. "I'll be with guards, both yours and mine,"" she reasoned. "I'm sure they wouldn't let any harm befall me and...," She paused a moment, it wasn't a big secret she supposed, one she could reveal without feeling guilty. Especially after the lengths to which he'd gone to assure her own peace of mind. "If it helps, i won't be taking the borders." She wouldn't elaborate on her travel route, merely hope that the man understood this was all she could divulge at this point.

"I'll be sure to see no harm comes to Kumo's valuables, that much I can promise you."

The young kage frowned slightly at her last words as his arm lightly pulled her back just a little so he could look her in the eyes. He spoke to her firmly yet still with softness in his voice so she would know he was not angry.

" You are Kumogakure's valuable. The ryo means nothing to me, I 'll always be able to make more money. I however won't be able to find someone else that serves the same capacity you do or means the same to me."

Mortarion pulled her back in gently before letting go. They had been embraced for what seemed like an eternity and he didn't want to come off over emotional on the context of her leaving. His eyes looked towards the window as his body still stayed facing hers. The sky had taken on a nice color that would have made for a perfect night had it not led to the next day of Akihana leaving him. Luckily he would busy himself with work and attempt to tune out how he felt about the kunoichi. There would be much to do and he had barely scratched the surface of his plans.

"Forgive me if I've over stayed my welcome. I meant to simply check on you and it turned much more...."

He trailed off letting his words grow lighter as his hands fidgeted with one another before coming back to their respective sides and clenching his robe. So many things he wanted to say to her, to be to the woman. Yet his role was none of them, that was not their relationship and it would be foolish of him to first speak on those things and have them not be reciprocated.

A warm crimson colored Akihana's pale face as the kage clarified what exactly it was he found valuable. It was odd really, after the conversation they'd had and the proximity in which they'd had it that this would offset the blush but Akihana didn't have any control over it more than she had control over the fact that she would have to leave tomorrow.

Importance had always been a general concept when it involved her own self to the young woman. She had several people in her life without whom she couldn't imagine living but when it came to doing the tally the other way around, she had never harbored such happy misconceptions. No one had ever told her she was valuable because it didn't need saying. As a shinobi, she supposed she was valuable for her work, as a mother, she was valued by her children, all alien concepts driven into her being by sheer necessity, not a privilege - one so willingly given at that.

Until now.

Perhaps he sensed her innate bashfulness taking over, perhaps he finally felt it was time to let go. Whatever the reason, the kunoichi lowered her gaze to the ground as he released her, unable to keep looking at him after his simple admission. The chilly night air rushed to claim her slender frame now devoid of a heat source, making Akihana realize how... warm Youka had been.

"It's fine," she spoke as he trailed off after apologizing for staying as long as he had. "I'm glad you were able to make some time for... time to look in." It would feel strange to imply he made time for her, even if he did. The blonde wasn't sure how to admit it just yet so a change of phrasing would have to do. "I was quite unsettled earlier but now I feel... brave."

Golden eyes studying his posture, she noticed his hands clenched tightly to his robes. He was uncomfortable and that was enough of a reason for her to do what she did next. Reaching out, the medic took both his hands in hers, stroking the knuckles gently with her thumb in soft, circular motions. Without a word, she would continue the smooth, repetitive strokes until she felt his hands unclench and his fingers relax.

Dropping his hands once more, she said "I won't leave without saying goodbye tomorrow, you can get some sleep if you wish."

"Think nothing of it, I should be thanking you for how much you've done in the short amount of time we've spent together."

He responded to her thanking him for coming by her room as if he had done something drastic. Mortarion simply wanted to be in her presence once more, alone, before they would go through the public process of saying good bye to her formally. Tomorrow would be a day he'd have to put on his kage stern face and escort her through the village to the gates to say god bye. Still something he didn't want to do, he wanted to tell her to stay for him, for what they could be. There was no doubt in his mind however that it would be bad for the both of them if she stayed longer, and when it came down to it he would still need allies should this war come to fruition  as he planned it.

He turned his head away from her as her small hands took his in her own, he could feel one of his eyes beginning to gloss over and his vision was turning watery. He let his clenched fists relax at her touch her warm fingers running along his bony knuckles. The kage needed to leave the room and it needed to be fast, luckily she had given him his escape by mentioning sleep. Mortarion took it with haste not turning to look at her but instead turning for the door. He spoke as he left in quiet tones to hopefully mask not only the pain he was strangely feeling but also the clear emotion he couldn't control much longer.

"Ah yes, sleep...I do need to catch up on that and get used to getting the right amount of hours just as you've said. I'll retire to my room and we shall see each other before you leave...."

His room was in the opposite direction than where he was headed. Instead his steps hastened to his study where he closed the door and locked it behind him before collapsing in his chair. The chair faced the window out looking Kumogakure , the kage could swear it was raining outside, yet it was the tears swelling and eventually falling to his lap as he sat in silence overlooking the village. Tonight the beast would mourn the loss of his rose in silence.

(exit)

For an absurd moment, as he turned away from her ready to leave, she wanted to reach out once again. She wanted to ask him to stop, to stay, but why would he do that? Why did she want him to do that? No, there were too many questions and right now she didn't have the answer to any one of them. So instead she let him leave.

Ignoring the sinking feeling in her heart as he did so.

Once her room was hers again, the kunoichi made her way to the oblong slab of crystal, the only remains of Goddess Etro who had once watched over the world from her mountain shrine. The statue had been destroyed beyond recognition, Akihana had no idea if the shard she had rescued was part of Her arm, forehead or clawed foot. All she knew was that it belonged to the Goddess she believed in, and was therefore of great value to her.

"Keep him safe," she whispered to the shard, reaching to light a small oil lamp as was common during the prayer ritual. Some preferred incense, others still great displays of fiery justu, needing to prove their devotion by how grand their gestures were. The blonde had never been one for feats of grandeur. She was a simple being who lived by simple rules.

And today she asked the Goddess she believed in for a simple thing.

"Keep him safe, bind his life to mine for as long as the lamp burns and should it go out, let the fault and atonement be mine alone and not his. I pray for mercy, for understanding, and for the forgiveness of all his past and future sins."

Discretely brushing a stray tear from her cheek, the kunoichi retreated to the window seat once more, her golden eyes never leaving the glowing lamp. Little did she now that months from now, she would be doing the very same thing. Watching the lamp burn and praying for the young Kage's safety.

(Exit Akihana)

Marked Youka for Mind's Eye of the Kagura
Claimed 100k ryo for diplomatic mission

Belated approval, please deduct that 100K if it hasn't been done so already