Not much to say here. Here's the next part!
I made myself presentable and found my way down to the dining hall to
enjoy breakfast with everyone else... and was promptly tackled by
Yuki. It was really impressive, too, since she hit me hard enough to
make me slide a good ten feet backwards on the polished floor.
Everyone else laughed and a few even cheered Yuki on.
“... Miss me much, tiny love?” I asked once my diaphragm started
working again. My body may be reinforced, but a muscle spasm is a
muscle spasm. She was definitely getting stronger now that she was
bonded to Bizen. Thank Tsunami she didn't get all the super-strength
at once!
“Unh,” Yuki replied as she kissed my cheek. “You smell like
Yume,” she whispered in my ear. “That's okay, though. You two
smell good together.”
I blinked at that. Did she just imply that she wanted to try being
with both Yume and I together!?
“Yuki, restraint,” I warned her quietly.
Like a spring-loaded marionette, Yuki snapped upright to the side of
me, wearing a slightly nervous grin.
“It's so nice to see you doing so well this morning, Gar-kun!”
she chirped. It was laying it on a little thick, but I wasn't gonna
call her out on it.
“Same here, tiny love,” I said as I picked myself up. “Let's
get something to eat.”
Breakfast was a rousing affair. Pretty much everyone was present,
except for Yume and Seto. Minagi positively radiated and gave me
meaningful smiles, and I'm certain that I did in return. Funaho and
Misaki would catch us at it, and then smile at each other as well,
but otherwise said nothing about it. To put the play on words, mum
was the word on the matter.
Set against this backdrop, we all talked, traded jibes, and laughed
about it all.
More than once, I had to quietly explain a particularly odd
relationship to the Emperor, especially that of Ayeka and Ryoko.
Fortunately, he took it all with good cheer, and why wouldn't he? He
finally had someone that explained these complex interpersonal
dynamics in plain talk.
Finally, though, the table was cleared by the serving staff and an
air of business-like attitude settled over the table.
“Well, now that we're all fed,” said Funaho with a professional
smile in place, “we need to speak about what will be happening over
the next few days. Now, normally we give ourselves more time for
these sorts of affairs, but unfortunately you all have your lives
back on Earth that you need to return to.
“That said, Garrick, as you know your bonding ceremony is tomorrow,
however that is only a small part of tomorrow's activities. First of
all, as a matter of procedure, your tree will need to be relocated
into the Royal Nursery early tomorrow morning. Washu assures me that
she can facilitate proper access to your subspace residence so our
arborists can do their jobs, but I felt better in getting your
permission. Is this fine with you, son?”
“Perfectly fine, Mother,” I replied, smiling.
“Very well then. Additionally, Yuki will be reenacting her bonding
ceremony. While having Ayeka and I witness was good enough for
provisional acceptance, four members of the Royal Household are
needed for full acceptance into the Family. Recent events have
garnered enough interest that even with the short notice, having
enough attendees will not be a problem.
“Once the matter of bonding is settled, both of your trees will be
transplanted into Central Units and you and Yuki will have the rest
of the day to yourselves so you can make sure your trees are properly
synchronized to their respective units.
“That brings us to the second day of festivities. We will hold
your formal introduction to the rest of the Royal Houses. With the
bonding you will be formally adopted into House Masaki and you will
be henceforth known to Jurai as Garrick Masaki Jurai and Yuki Masaki
Jurai.” At this, Funaho's smile became knowing. “I understand
that there are members of House Amake that are still sore over
certain events in the past. They will undoubtedly attempt to slander
you or provoke you into a fight. Do try to keep a cool head, my
son.”
At this, the Emperor himself spoke up. “That would go for all of
you. As you are all considered close friends or family of Garrick,
all of you will be esteemed guests of the Court. Do not rise to
anyone's bait. Seto, Misaki, and Funaho will be making the rounds
and defusing situations that become untenable.”
Funaho nodded a brief bow to her husband, and then went on while
directing an intense look at me.
“Finally, my son, there is the question of your engagements. I
know that there are several women you intend to marry and it would be
best to settle their status before you leave. The day after your
introductions, I would like us to hold your engagement ceremonies.
However, for this to go over well with the rest of the Royal
Household, you must choose a woman of Royal Blood to be engaged to as
your First Wife.
“You need not make your decision now. In fact, I urge you to spend
as much time as possible with Tenyo and Achika... and maybe even
Minaho as well if you can manage her ire.” With that, Funaho cast
a critical look over at Minaho, who fumed at being put on the spot
once more by her grandmother. “I understand that you prefer Achika
at this time, but even so, take some time, son, to make sure this is
a sound decision.”
I nodded to Funaho humbly. “I shall do as you ask of me, mother.”
“Wonderful,” Funaho replied with a glowing smile. “As for all
of you, you have been perfect guests thus far. You are at liberty
until tomorrow morning, though we would appreciate it if you would
all join us for the evening meal at sunset. Now, if you will excuse
us, Misaki, my husband, and I all have business to attend to.”
The three in question stood, but before leaving they all lined up by
me as I stood as well. Funaho gave me a loving hug, and then
whispered in my ear.
“Congratulations, my son.” She then gave me a mischievous grin
as Misaki took her place and we gave each other back-popping hugs.
“Let me know when the shower is,” she whispered in my ear.
I blinked at that, but I didn't have time to ask because I was then
approached by the Emperor, who motioned me closer and closer until we
were well within each others personal space.
He then leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Later I wish to spend
some time with you so I may get to know you. Also, do not think that
I do not know how to read my wives, son. We will do what we can to
keep things quiet... but for now I recommend you spend some time with
Minagi.”
I blinked and gave Azusa a surprised look.
“Thank you, father,” I said quietly.
“Oh, don't thank me yet,” Azusa replied with a grin. “Come the
day your able to leave Earth aside, I will put you to work, son.”
With that, the Emperor and his wives took their leave and a small but
strong hand grabbed a hold of mine and began to drag me.
“C'mon,” said Washu's voice cheerfully. “We got a lot to talk
about!”
Minagi followed us and soon enough we were alone together in an
unoccupied suite. Washu pulled a yellow orb from her pocket and then
set it on a coffee table.
“Okay! We should be safe from eavesdroppers now. I take it Yume
told you the good news?”
I looked to Minagi and then swept her off her feet, spinning us
around in merry, dizzying circles as we both whooped joyfully.
“I'll take that as a 'yes',” said Washu dryly with a wry grin on
her face.
“How do you feel, mom?” I asked Minagi as I set her back on her
feet.
“Like I can take on every single pirate guild out there with one
hand tied behind my back!” Minagi cried out jubilantly. “Oh, I
know it's only been a few days but I already feel so wonderful! Like
the whole universe is full of so much hope and promise!”
I laughed happily at her sentiment. “Of course it is! And all
that promise is bundled up right here.” I placed my hand gently
above her pelvis, where her womb would be. Minagi looked down,
smiling as she used her own hands to frame mine over her stomach.
“I wonder when I'll begin to feel it?” she asked.
“It'll be a while,” chimed in Washu. “So, how much do you want
to know?”
I looked to Minagi in askance and she nodded her head.
I then turned to Washu. “Boy or girl?”
“Girl,” replied the super-genius with a smile.
“My first daughter,” I said softly to myself. The idea of having
a daughter has always had a special place in my heart. Not that I
didn't want boys. Boys learn readily enough by the example you set,
and they certainly did need the affection and warmth of their
fathers... but girls take a special effort. Girls need what the boys
get, only even more so. Their hearts are delicate. Even if they can
be made stronger and tempered, they needed a father's love to do it
properly.
“Hair and eyes?” I asked.
“You guys are gonna love this,” said Washu with a grin.
“Dark-blue hair and emerald-green eyes – a perfect mix between
you two!”
“She'll be beautiful!” Minagi whispered. “Oh, Garrick! Should
we decide on a name now?”
“We can go ahead and start making a list of possibilities,” I
said as I thought about it for a moment, dredging through my
relatively recent mastery of the Japanese language to find something
suitable. “What about Hikari to start off with?”
“Sunlight?” said Minagi to herself, mulling it over as she
undoubtedly accessed Hinase's database. “Glimmering, glittering,
sunbeams... It's perfect!” She looked down to her belly once
more, framing the small spot above her pelvis with gentle and loving
fingers. “She will be my treasured light... my Hikari-chan.”
I laughed. “I didn't expect you to run with the first thing I
thought of.”
Minagi smiled at me, then pulled me into a fierce hug. “Don't be
so surprised, Garrick. I'm not.”
“Well anyhow,” I said a bit sheepishly. “How did you know so
soon?”
Minagi smiled. “It's the medical software upgrade Mother provided
me with. It detected a shift in my hormones that indicated that I
had just become pregnant. I went to Mother right away and she
brought in Yume for a second opinion just to be sure.”
I turned to the magenta-haired genius. “Thanks for the help,
Washu-chan. Now the most immediate question is gonna be how we'll
handle this.”
“Oh? What do you mean?” asked Minagi.
“Well, me being unmarried and yet having gotten you pregnant will
undoubtedly raise a ruckus amongst the rest of the Royal Family...
Especially the Amake – they seem to have an ax to grind with the
Masaki.”
Minagi put her hands over her mouth in shock. “Oh dear, I never
thought of that!”
I gave Minagi a wry smile. “Well, not like we can take it back
now. Besides, I went along with it in the first place, so I carry as
much blame as you. Washu-chan, Yume said we may be able to slow the
growth of the fetus. What're you're thoughts?”
Washu hummed thoughtfully. “We could do that. Another option is
to remove the fetus temporarily and keep it in stasis until it's safe
for us to reveal Minagi's pregnancy. As you probably know, Airi did
this when she discovered she was pregnant with Minaho.”
I nodded at that. “We can hold off on the more invasive option
until we know what sort of time frame we're looking at. How do you
feel, Minagi?”
“I'm fine with that,” said Minagi, beaming. “As long as our
Hikari can come into the world at some point, then I'll be happy.”
I snorted. “You know, in addition to the most loving and epic
parents ever, we're also probably going to be the most efficient
parents ever as well.”
“Why's that?” asked Minagi.
Washu chuckled. “Because, Minagi, it usually takes other parents
several months at least to work through everything you two just did
two minutes.”
Minagi blushed at that. “Well... I really do like the sound of
'Hikari'... And I just want things to go smoothly.”
I smiled and gave Minagi a hug and a kiss. “I understand,
Minagi... just don't feel like you need to do everything I say just
to make things go smooth. I value your opinion.”
“I know,” Minagi sighed as she squeezed me back. “And I love
you for caring so much about me.”
Washu sighed. “As happy as I am to see you two like this, I should
probably let you be now. You know, so you two can show each other
exactly how much you love each other.” Washu's smile then became
impish. “I'll just pick this privacy device up later.”
Minagi and I spent the rest of the morning together in that suite,
cuddling, making out, making love, and talking about things to come
in general. One thing we decided on fairly quickly was that we would
set no undue expectations own our little girl – our only real
concern was that she was happy. Although, I did admit that I hoped
that Hikari would go out of her way to become an exceptional force of
awesome.
Minagi, in return, confided that with someone like me for a father,
Hikari would make being awesome look effortless.
As much as I hated to do so, though, I had to go and do things.
“Don't go yet,” said Minagi fretfully as she grabbed my hand.
“Please... stay just a little longer?”
I sighed and I pulled her into a hug. “I want to stay as well,
love. But I made some promises and I need to keep them. And I don't
want to break my word.”
Minagi looked downcast. “Is your word more important than staying
here with me?”
That caught me off guard. I never expected Minagi, of all people, to
come at me with something like that.
“Minagi, my word is very important. If I treat it so lightly with
people like the Emperor, then how do you think I would wind up
treating it with our children?”
Minagi gave me a surprised look. “But you'd never do that!”
“And I never will. So you must understand that I have no intention
to start with a very powerful man who is willing to call me his son.”
Minagi sighed. “I understand. I just wish you didn't have to go.”
I gave Minagi another hug. “I know. If it helps, I don't want to
go either.”
“I know,” sighed Minagi.
I thought for a moment about how I could make this easier on her.
“Does Yuki know yet?”
Minagi pulled away from me with a mildly surprised expression on her
face. “No, we never told her. Do you think that's safe?”
“The Emperor and the Queens know. And the only person I can see
her telling is Sasami... and then Sasami will tell her sister... and
Ayeka would know the importance of keeping this under wraps.”
Minagi nodded. “Okay then. I'll tell Yuki all about it.” She
then smiled. “She's going to love this, isn't she?”
I smiled back at Minagi. “She always said she wanted a big
family.”
She nodded once more in agreement. “As long as I'm around, Yuki
will never be lonely again.”
After I left, I was soon found by a messenger and brought to the
Emperor's Chambers off the Throne Room where he was having his midday
tea.
“Ah, Garrick,” said Emperor Asuza pleasantly. “Come in and
have a seat.”
I did as asked an a young girl in servant's clothes brought out a tea
cup and poured the tea for me, leaving it on the coffee table in
front of me.
“Thank you,” I said politely to the girl, who blushed.
Azusa smiled mildly. “You may leave us, Annette.” Without
protest, the servant girl bowed and left.
“You've caused quite a ruckus the other day,” said Asuza once he
was sure we were alone. “Many of the available young women going
after you, regardless of boundaries or decorum. I was surprised they
even went as far as breaking into the throne room during a private
court.”
“I hope that I didn't upset anyone too badly,” I said as I tried
the tea. I have no idea what it was, but it was vaguely sweet and
tart.
“Just some of their parents,” Azusa said with a smile. “Really,
they were more embarrassed by the actions of their daughters than
anything else. I hope that you don't mind, but I had their resumes
sent to my desk so I can review them myself before we went over them
together. No offense, my son, but you are new at this.”
I blinked at that, then nodded amiably. “Thank you, really. I'm
glad to have help from someone with experience in these matters.”
Azusa smiled as he pulled out a thick portfolio. “Honestly, you're
rather fortunate. These days there's no shortage of competent
staffers available. The higher nobility have taken on what they can
so these people don't have to resort to menial livings to get by, but
even so there are only so many they can comfortably afford.
“So, before we talk about who you bring into your retinue, let's
talk about how much you can actually afford.”
The first thing we dove into was my land holdings left by Yakage.
Surprise surprise, I had the planet Abason, home of the infamous
Doudos.
Abason is a rugged, rocky, geologically young world not unlike Earth
in the early Cretaceous period. Abason was two-thirds covered in
water, but really had far less volume in water than Earth. The
difference was that Abason's water was composed of a myriad of
oceanic and freshwater lakes. Not many of them were much larger than
Lake Superior or Lake Baikal. Even so, the steady volcanic activity
and profusion of water made sure that Abason, despite being on the
outer edge of its primary's 'Goldilocks Zone', is a verdant
rainforest planet.
Abason has always been a place for tourists. Few people actually
live there, and the main reason is the doudo. Initially, Abason had
a colonization period where people enchanted with the idea of a
isolated forest world flocked. They could hardly care less about the
doudo, they simply killed them where they showed up.
But then, the Galaxy Alliance stepped in, labeling the doudo as an
endangered species. Caught between the vicious woodland giant and
the Galaxy Alliance, many of the colonists left. A few remained,
maintaining small homesteads or even some tourist resorts. A few
even facilitated poaching of the doudo for their luxurious pelts and
they persist as a thorn in the sides of the Juraians and the Galaxy
Alliance.
Regardless, there was some revenue generated by the taxes on Abason,
which all went to Yakage's account. Once all the upkeep was handled
and the tithe to the Empire paid, it still left me with a substantial
income. That, plus the stipend I would receive as being the
Emperor's son, left me with a good cash flow to draw from.
Next came the resumes. All of the girls were qualified as
bodyguards, having been trained under Misaki's school for bodyguards.
The few that were bonded to trees, all of them Third Generation,
were trained in the Imperial Navy. I would learn more about how that
worked later once I underwent my own Naval indoctrination, but it
sounded like they were part of some reservist unit.
There were a good number of girls trained in various other fields –
gardeners, culinary artists, nannies, musicians, armorers,
maintenance technicians, and even engineers and artisans. It really
was a mixed bag, and I had enough income to have them all as a part
of my household.
Azusa gave me a knowing smile. “It seems you will have to build
yourself a manor house when you get home, son.”
“Probably more like a housing complex. Though I may be able to get
away with using my C-Space... but then it will raise some eyebrows
for the townspeople to see that many strangers coming and going from
Tenchi's house.” I sighed. “It doesn't matter how you slice it,
it's still bologna.”
“Perhaps you can have them stay on your ship then,” suggested the
Emperor. “Once your tree is fitted to a central unit, you'll have
all the space you need for your retinue. That should give your the
leeway you need to arrange for their housing on Earth without
arousing too much suspicion.”
“I guess that will work,” I said. “Really, it'll cause a bit
of trouble for there to be so many people moving into the area at
once, but I guess it can't be helped. I'll still have to come up
with something to put the mundanes at ease... maybe I can just say
I'm starting my own business and the new people are my workers.”
“That would probably work,” Azusa replied with a nod of his head.
“The locals will probably appreciate the business you'll be
bringing them.”
“The only concern that leaves me is going to be how they'll deal
with the fact that I'm fathering children from different women.
Culturally speaking, in Japan it is fine to have a 'pillow woman' in
addition to your wife so long as her services are paid for. But
children are another matter altogether. If you're not married, then
the bond between father and child is not recognized. So the locals
might think it strange that I associate so closely with not just the
children of my First Wife, but all the others as well. And I don't
want people to bully my children.”
“I understand how you feel,” the Emperor said heavily. “I
myself worry a great deal over my daughters. Yosho, I at least know
he can care for himself. But Ayeka and Sasami... they can be
terribly naïve at times. Sometimes I worry that maybe I have not
done enough as a father.”
I smiled a bit. Sometimes it's easy to forget that this imposing
figure of a man is a father who is very much smitten with his
daughters.
I shrugged. “Honestly, I think you've done alright. I mean, sure,
you've been a little distant but that just comes with the territory.
You're certainly not as bad as my step-father. He was a smart man
alright, and every bit the self-made man at that... but when it came
to interpersonal relationships he had no idea what he was doing. I
just didn't notice until I was about sixteen and realized that
looking him in the face whenever he lectured me, just like he would
always demand of me, only pissed him off even more. I got thrown
into more than one wall just for that.”
Azusa gave me an astonished look. “How can you miss anything like
that?”
“I don't,” I replied flatly. “It made me stronger by breaking
my heart, but that doesn't mean I miss it one bit. The only things I
do miss are the love of my birth-mother and the humor of my siblings.
And those I'd already lost before coming here, regardless – it
just made it that much more complete.”
“And what of your children-to-come?”
“I'll never be my step-father, that's for certain. All I ever want
is to love my own and to be able to teach them how to avoid getting
hurt by making bad choices. I know they'll make a few. I certainly
did... but unlike me, they'll have someone understanding to turn to.
Of course, they'll still have to face the consequences, but I'm not
going to beat them up for it... emotionally or otherwise.
“Really though... there is one man I really want to be like with
regards to raising children. That would be my mother's maternal
grandfather. He was a sweet and loving person. So much that his
children knew the moment they crossed the line with him. All he
would need to do was give them this look of disappointment... and
they knew they'd let him down.
“I never really got the chance to know him, but he left a mark on
me. My first scar – here on my left ear. It was an accident, of
course. Before it happened, we had a long-standing family tradition
that he gave all the boys their first haircuts when they turned one
year old. The poor old man wept inconsolably when his scissors
slipped and cut my ear. He never cut anyone's hair after that and he
passed away about a year later.”
The Emperor rose and I felt his hand rest heavily and comfortingly on
my shoulder. “If this is how you feel about having children of
your own, then I believe I could not ask a better man to be my son.”
I looked up to Azusa and saw he was smiling down at me. “Thank
you... father.”
The end is in sight...
I made myself presentable and found my way down to the dining hall to
enjoy breakfast with everyone else... and was promptly tackled by
Yuki. It was really impressive, too, since she hit me hard enough to
make me slide a good ten feet backwards on the polished floor.
Everyone else laughed and a few even cheered Yuki on.
“... Miss me much, tiny love?” I asked once my diaphragm started
working again. My body may be reinforced, but a muscle spasm is a
muscle spasm. She was definitely getting stronger now that she was
bonded to Bizen. Thank Tsunami she didn't get all the super-strength
at once!
“Unh,” Yuki replied as she kissed my cheek. “You smell like
Yume,” she whispered in my ear. “That's okay, though. You two
smell good together.”
I blinked at that. Did she just imply that she wanted to try being
with both Yume and I together!?
“Yuki, restraint,” I warned her quietly.
Like a spring-loaded marionette, Yuki snapped upright to the side of
me, wearing a slightly nervous grin.
“It's so nice to see you doing so well this morning, Gar-kun!”
she chirped. It was laying it on a little thick, but I wasn't gonna
call her out on it.
“Same here, tiny love,” I said as I picked myself up. “Let's
get something to eat.”
Breakfast was a rousing affair. Pretty much everyone was present,
except for Yume and Seto. Minagi positively radiated and gave me
meaningful smiles, and I'm certain that I did in return. Funaho and
Misaki would catch us at it, and then smile at each other as well,
but otherwise said nothing about it. To put the play on words, mum
was the word on the matter.
Set against this backdrop, we all talked, traded jibes, and laughed
about it all.
More than once, I had to quietly explain a particularly odd
relationship to the Emperor, especially that of Ayeka and Ryoko.
Fortunately, he took it all with good cheer, and why wouldn't he? He
finally had someone that explained these complex interpersonal
dynamics in plain talk.
Finally, though, the table was cleared by the serving staff and an
air of business-like attitude settled over the table.
“Well, now that we're all fed,” said Funaho with a professional
smile in place, “we need to speak about what will be happening over
the next few days. Now, normally we give ourselves more time for
these sorts of affairs, but unfortunately you all have your lives
back on Earth that you need to return to.
“That said, Garrick, as you know your bonding ceremony is tomorrow,
however that is only a small part of tomorrow's activities. First of
all, as a matter of procedure, your tree will need to be relocated
into the Royal Nursery early tomorrow morning. Washu assures me that
she can facilitate proper access to your subspace residence so our
arborists can do their jobs, but I felt better in getting your
permission. Is this fine with you, son?”
“Perfectly fine, Mother,” I replied, smiling.
“Very well then. Additionally, Yuki will be reenacting her bonding
ceremony. While having Ayeka and I witness was good enough for
provisional acceptance, four members of the Royal Household are
needed for full acceptance into the Family. Recent events have
garnered enough interest that even with the short notice, having
enough attendees will not be a problem.
“Once the matter of bonding is settled, both of your trees will be
transplanted into Central Units and you and Yuki will have the rest
of the day to yourselves so you can make sure your trees are properly
synchronized to their respective units.
“That brings us to the second day of festivities. We will hold
your formal introduction to the rest of the Royal Houses. With the
bonding you will be formally adopted into House Masaki and you will
be henceforth known to Jurai as Garrick Masaki Jurai and Yuki Masaki
Jurai.” At this, Funaho's smile became knowing. “I understand
that there are members of House Amake that are still sore over
certain events in the past. They will undoubtedly attempt to slander
you or provoke you into a fight. Do try to keep a cool head, my
son.”
At this, the Emperor himself spoke up. “That would go for all of
you. As you are all considered close friends or family of Garrick,
all of you will be esteemed guests of the Court. Do not rise to
anyone's bait. Seto, Misaki, and Funaho will be making the rounds
and defusing situations that become untenable.”
Funaho nodded a brief bow to her husband, and then went on while
directing an intense look at me.
“Finally, my son, there is the question of your engagements. I
know that there are several women you intend to marry and it would be
best to settle their status before you leave. The day after your
introductions, I would like us to hold your engagement ceremonies.
However, for this to go over well with the rest of the Royal
Household, you must choose a woman of Royal Blood to be engaged to as
your First Wife.
“You need not make your decision now. In fact, I urge you to spend
as much time as possible with Tenyo and Achika... and maybe even
Minaho as well if you can manage her ire.” With that, Funaho cast
a critical look over at Minaho, who fumed at being put on the spot
once more by her grandmother. “I understand that you prefer Achika
at this time, but even so, take some time, son, to make sure this is
a sound decision.”
I nodded to Funaho humbly. “I shall do as you ask of me, mother.”
“Wonderful,” Funaho replied with a glowing smile. “As for all
of you, you have been perfect guests thus far. You are at liberty
until tomorrow morning, though we would appreciate it if you would
all join us for the evening meal at sunset. Now, if you will excuse
us, Misaki, my husband, and I all have business to attend to.”
The three in question stood, but before leaving they all lined up by
me as I stood as well. Funaho gave me a loving hug, and then
whispered in my ear.
“Congratulations, my son.” She then gave me a mischievous grin
as Misaki took her place and we gave each other back-popping hugs.
“Let me know when the shower is,” she whispered in my ear.
I blinked at that, but I didn't have time to ask because I was then
approached by the Emperor, who motioned me closer and closer until we
were well within each others personal space.
He then leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Later I wish to spend
some time with you so I may get to know you. Also, do not think that
I do not know how to read my wives, son. We will do what we can to
keep things quiet... but for now I recommend you spend some time with
Minagi.”
I blinked and gave Azusa a surprised look.
“Thank you, father,” I said quietly.
“Oh, don't thank me yet,” Azusa replied with a grin. “Come the
day your able to leave Earth aside, I will put you to work, son.”
With that, the Emperor and his wives took their leave and a small but
strong hand grabbed a hold of mine and began to drag me.
“C'mon,” said Washu's voice cheerfully. “We got a lot to talk
about!”
Minagi followed us and soon enough we were alone together in an
unoccupied suite. Washu pulled a yellow orb from her pocket and then
set it on a coffee table.
“Okay! We should be safe from eavesdroppers now. I take it Yume
told you the good news?”
I looked to Minagi and then swept her off her feet, spinning us
around in merry, dizzying circles as we both whooped joyfully.
“I'll take that as a 'yes',” said Washu dryly with a wry grin on
her face.
“How do you feel, mom?” I asked Minagi as I set her back on her
feet.
“Like I can take on every single pirate guild out there with one
hand tied behind my back!” Minagi cried out jubilantly. “Oh, I
know it's only been a few days but I already feel so wonderful! Like
the whole universe is full of so much hope and promise!”
I laughed happily at her sentiment. “Of course it is! And all
that promise is bundled up right here.” I placed my hand gently
above her pelvis, where her womb would be. Minagi looked down,
smiling as she used her own hands to frame mine over her stomach.
“I wonder when I'll begin to feel it?” she asked.
“It'll be a while,” chimed in Washu. “So, how much do you want
to know?”
I looked to Minagi in askance and she nodded her head.
I then turned to Washu. “Boy or girl?”
“Girl,” replied the super-genius with a smile.
“My first daughter,” I said softly to myself. The idea of having
a daughter has always had a special place in my heart. Not that I
didn't want boys. Boys learn readily enough by the example you set,
and they certainly did need the affection and warmth of their
fathers... but girls take a special effort. Girls need what the boys
get, only even more so. Their hearts are delicate. Even if they can
be made stronger and tempered, they needed a father's love to do it
properly.
“Hair and eyes?” I asked.
“You guys are gonna love this,” said Washu with a grin.
“Dark-blue hair and emerald-green eyes – a perfect mix between
you two!”
“She'll be beautiful!” Minagi whispered. “Oh, Garrick! Should
we decide on a name now?”
“We can go ahead and start making a list of possibilities,” I
said as I thought about it for a moment, dredging through my
relatively recent mastery of the Japanese language to find something
suitable. “What about Hikari to start off with?”
“Sunlight?” said Minagi to herself, mulling it over as she
undoubtedly accessed Hinase's database. “Glimmering, glittering,
sunbeams... It's perfect!” She looked down to her belly once
more, framing the small spot above her pelvis with gentle and loving
fingers. “She will be my treasured light... my Hikari-chan.”
I laughed. “I didn't expect you to run with the first thing I
thought of.”
Minagi smiled at me, then pulled me into a fierce hug. “Don't be
so surprised, Garrick. I'm not.”
“Well anyhow,” I said a bit sheepishly. “How did you know so
soon?”
Minagi smiled. “It's the medical software upgrade Mother provided
me with. It detected a shift in my hormones that indicated that I
had just become pregnant. I went to Mother right away and she
brought in Yume for a second opinion just to be sure.”
I turned to the magenta-haired genius. “Thanks for the help,
Washu-chan. Now the most immediate question is gonna be how we'll
handle this.”
“Oh? What do you mean?” asked Minagi.
“Well, me being unmarried and yet having gotten you pregnant will
undoubtedly raise a ruckus amongst the rest of the Royal Family...
Especially the Amake – they seem to have an ax to grind with the
Masaki.”
Minagi put her hands over her mouth in shock. “Oh dear, I never
thought of that!”
I gave Minagi a wry smile. “Well, not like we can take it back
now. Besides, I went along with it in the first place, so I carry as
much blame as you. Washu-chan, Yume said we may be able to slow the
growth of the fetus. What're you're thoughts?”
Washu hummed thoughtfully. “We could do that. Another option is
to remove the fetus temporarily and keep it in stasis until it's safe
for us to reveal Minagi's pregnancy. As you probably know, Airi did
this when she discovered she was pregnant with Minaho.”
I nodded at that. “We can hold off on the more invasive option
until we know what sort of time frame we're looking at. How do you
feel, Minagi?”
“I'm fine with that,” said Minagi, beaming. “As long as our
Hikari can come into the world at some point, then I'll be happy.”
I snorted. “You know, in addition to the most loving and epic
parents ever, we're also probably going to be the most efficient
parents ever as well.”
“Why's that?” asked Minagi.
Washu chuckled. “Because, Minagi, it usually takes other parents
several months at least to work through everything you two just did
two minutes.”
Minagi blushed at that. “Well... I really do like the sound of
'Hikari'... And I just want things to go smoothly.”
I smiled and gave Minagi a hug and a kiss. “I understand,
Minagi... just don't feel like you need to do everything I say just
to make things go smooth. I value your opinion.”
“I know,” Minagi sighed as she squeezed me back. “And I love
you for caring so much about me.”
Washu sighed. “As happy as I am to see you two like this, I should
probably let you be now. You know, so you two can show each other
exactly how much you love each other.” Washu's smile then became
impish. “I'll just pick this privacy device up later.”
Minagi and I spent the rest of the morning together in that suite,
cuddling, making out, making love, and talking about things to come
in general. One thing we decided on fairly quickly was that we would
set no undue expectations own our little girl – our only real
concern was that she was happy. Although, I did admit that I hoped
that Hikari would go out of her way to become an exceptional force of
awesome.
Minagi, in return, confided that with someone like me for a father,
Hikari would make being awesome look effortless.
As much as I hated to do so, though, I had to go and do things.
“Don't go yet,” said Minagi fretfully as she grabbed my hand.
“Please... stay just a little longer?”
I sighed and I pulled her into a hug. “I want to stay as well,
love. But I made some promises and I need to keep them. And I don't
want to break my word.”
Minagi looked downcast. “Is your word more important than staying
here with me?”
That caught me off guard. I never expected Minagi, of all people, to
come at me with something like that.
“Minagi, my word is very important. If I treat it so lightly with
people like the Emperor, then how do you think I would wind up
treating it with our children?”
Minagi gave me a surprised look. “But you'd never do that!”
“And I never will. So you must understand that I have no intention
to start with a very powerful man who is willing to call me his son.”
Minagi sighed. “I understand. I just wish you didn't have to go.”
I gave Minagi another hug. “I know. If it helps, I don't want to
go either.”
“I know,” sighed Minagi.
I thought for a moment about how I could make this easier on her.
“Does Yuki know yet?”
Minagi pulled away from me with a mildly surprised expression on her
face. “No, we never told her. Do you think that's safe?”
“The Emperor and the Queens know. And the only person I can see
her telling is Sasami... and then Sasami will tell her sister... and
Ayeka would know the importance of keeping this under wraps.”
Minagi nodded. “Okay then. I'll tell Yuki all about it.” She
then smiled. “She's going to love this, isn't she?”
I smiled back at Minagi. “She always said she wanted a big
family.”
She nodded once more in agreement. “As long as I'm around, Yuki
will never be lonely again.”
After I left, I was soon found by a messenger and brought to the
Emperor's Chambers off the Throne Room where he was having his midday
tea.
“Ah, Garrick,” said Emperor Asuza pleasantly. “Come in and
have a seat.”
I did as asked an a young girl in servant's clothes brought out a tea
cup and poured the tea for me, leaving it on the coffee table in
front of me.
“Thank you,” I said politely to the girl, who blushed.
Azusa smiled mildly. “You may leave us, Annette.” Without
protest, the servant girl bowed and left.
“You've caused quite a ruckus the other day,” said Asuza once he
was sure we were alone. “Many of the available young women going
after you, regardless of boundaries or decorum. I was surprised they
even went as far as breaking into the throne room during a private
court.”
“I hope that I didn't upset anyone too badly,” I said as I tried
the tea. I have no idea what it was, but it was vaguely sweet and
tart.
“Just some of their parents,” Azusa said with a smile. “Really,
they were more embarrassed by the actions of their daughters than
anything else. I hope that you don't mind, but I had their resumes
sent to my desk so I can review them myself before we went over them
together. No offense, my son, but you are new at this.”
I blinked at that, then nodded amiably. “Thank you, really. I'm
glad to have help from someone with experience in these matters.”
Azusa smiled as he pulled out a thick portfolio. “Honestly, you're
rather fortunate. These days there's no shortage of competent
staffers available. The higher nobility have taken on what they can
so these people don't have to resort to menial livings to get by, but
even so there are only so many they can comfortably afford.
“So, before we talk about who you bring into your retinue, let's
talk about how much you can actually afford.”
The first thing we dove into was my land holdings left by Yakage.
Surprise surprise, I had the planet Abason, home of the infamous
Doudos.
Abason is a rugged, rocky, geologically young world not unlike Earth
in the early Cretaceous period. Abason was two-thirds covered in
water, but really had far less volume in water than Earth. The
difference was that Abason's water was composed of a myriad of
oceanic and freshwater lakes. Not many of them were much larger than
Lake Superior or Lake Baikal. Even so, the steady volcanic activity
and profusion of water made sure that Abason, despite being on the
outer edge of its primary's 'Goldilocks Zone', is a verdant
rainforest planet.
Abason has always been a place for tourists. Few people actually
live there, and the main reason is the doudo. Initially, Abason had
a colonization period where people enchanted with the idea of a
isolated forest world flocked. They could hardly care less about the
doudo, they simply killed them where they showed up.
But then, the Galaxy Alliance stepped in, labeling the doudo as an
endangered species. Caught between the vicious woodland giant and
the Galaxy Alliance, many of the colonists left. A few remained,
maintaining small homesteads or even some tourist resorts. A few
even facilitated poaching of the doudo for their luxurious pelts and
they persist as a thorn in the sides of the Juraians and the Galaxy
Alliance.
Regardless, there was some revenue generated by the taxes on Abason,
which all went to Yakage's account. Once all the upkeep was handled
and the tithe to the Empire paid, it still left me with a substantial
income. That, plus the stipend I would receive as being the
Emperor's son, left me with a good cash flow to draw from.
Next came the resumes. All of the girls were qualified as
bodyguards, having been trained under Misaki's school for bodyguards.
The few that were bonded to trees, all of them Third Generation,
were trained in the Imperial Navy. I would learn more about how that
worked later once I underwent my own Naval indoctrination, but it
sounded like they were part of some reservist unit.
There were a good number of girls trained in various other fields –
gardeners, culinary artists, nannies, musicians, armorers,
maintenance technicians, and even engineers and artisans. It really
was a mixed bag, and I had enough income to have them all as a part
of my household.
Azusa gave me a knowing smile. “It seems you will have to build
yourself a manor house when you get home, son.”
“Probably more like a housing complex. Though I may be able to get
away with using my C-Space... but then it will raise some eyebrows
for the townspeople to see that many strangers coming and going from
Tenchi's house.” I sighed. “It doesn't matter how you slice it,
it's still bologna.”
“Perhaps you can have them stay on your ship then,” suggested the
Emperor. “Once your tree is fitted to a central unit, you'll have
all the space you need for your retinue. That should give your the
leeway you need to arrange for their housing on Earth without
arousing too much suspicion.”
“I guess that will work,” I said. “Really, it'll cause a bit
of trouble for there to be so many people moving into the area at
once, but I guess it can't be helped. I'll still have to come up
with something to put the mundanes at ease... maybe I can just say
I'm starting my own business and the new people are my workers.”
“That would probably work,” Azusa replied with a nod of his head.
“The locals will probably appreciate the business you'll be
bringing them.”
“The only concern that leaves me is going to be how they'll deal
with the fact that I'm fathering children from different women.
Culturally speaking, in Japan it is fine to have a 'pillow woman' in
addition to your wife so long as her services are paid for. But
children are another matter altogether. If you're not married, then
the bond between father and child is not recognized. So the locals
might think it strange that I associate so closely with not just the
children of my First Wife, but all the others as well. And I don't
want people to bully my children.”
“I understand how you feel,” the Emperor said heavily. “I
myself worry a great deal over my daughters. Yosho, I at least know
he can care for himself. But Ayeka and Sasami... they can be
terribly naïve at times. Sometimes I worry that maybe I have not
done enough as a father.”
I smiled a bit. Sometimes it's easy to forget that this imposing
figure of a man is a father who is very much smitten with his
daughters.
I shrugged. “Honestly, I think you've done alright. I mean, sure,
you've been a little distant but that just comes with the territory.
You're certainly not as bad as my step-father. He was a smart man
alright, and every bit the self-made man at that... but when it came
to interpersonal relationships he had no idea what he was doing. I
just didn't notice until I was about sixteen and realized that
looking him in the face whenever he lectured me, just like he would
always demand of me, only pissed him off even more. I got thrown
into more than one wall just for that.”
Azusa gave me an astonished look. “How can you miss anything like
that?”
“I don't,” I replied flatly. “It made me stronger by breaking
my heart, but that doesn't mean I miss it one bit. The only things I
do miss are the love of my birth-mother and the humor of my siblings.
And those I'd already lost before coming here, regardless – it
just made it that much more complete.”
“And what of your children-to-come?”
“I'll never be my step-father, that's for certain. All I ever want
is to love my own and to be able to teach them how to avoid getting
hurt by making bad choices. I know they'll make a few. I certainly
did... but unlike me, they'll have someone understanding to turn to.
Of course, they'll still have to face the consequences, but I'm not
going to beat them up for it... emotionally or otherwise.
“Really though... there is one man I really want to be like with
regards to raising children. That would be my mother's maternal
grandfather. He was a sweet and loving person. So much that his
children knew the moment they crossed the line with him. All he
would need to do was give them this look of disappointment... and
they knew they'd let him down.
“I never really got the chance to know him, but he left a mark on
me. My first scar – here on my left ear. It was an accident, of
course. Before it happened, we had a long-standing family tradition
that he gave all the boys their first haircuts when they turned one
year old. The poor old man wept inconsolably when his scissors
slipped and cut my ear. He never cut anyone's hair after that and he
passed away about a year later.”
The Emperor rose and I felt his hand rest heavily and comfortingly on
my shoulder. “If this is how you feel about having children of
your own, then I believe I could not ask a better man to be my son.”
I looked up to Azusa and saw he was smiling down at me. “Thank
you... father.”
The end is in sight...