Miya made it to Kuro without any trouble—she knew that was one of Andreas’s largest worries. The Kuro soldiers who came with her on the ship also brought her to the kingdom’s capital by her request.
Perhaps it shouldn’t have surprised her, but nothing had changed. From what she was told on the trip there, Kuro went mostly unscathed compared to Gin—the latter’s standing army was small compared to its sister kingdom, mostly due to the largest families living behind the mountains and having no desire to fight, so it was easier to win against them.
Miya was greeted by Yanami Sukaru, albeit the kitsune-advisor didn’t seem to expect her. Thanks to the trip, the change between modern and traditional languages wasn’t quite as jarring.
“If you had told me you were coming back,” the kitsune said after giving her a bow, “I could have sent someone else to come get you.”
Miya bowed to Yanami Sukaru as well. “I’ll be returning to the north once I pay my respects to Mother,” Miya replied.
“I take it you accepted my advice, then?” Yanami Sukaru asked. She almost looked happy for once, albeit the emotion was hidden among tiredness and some frustration. Shunji never seemed like an easy person to try to advise.
“I consider it a blessing now,” Miya confirmed. The kitsune-advisor’s faint smile was…strange, to say the least, but Miya couldn’t quite blame her; she’s been stuck with this family for four hundred years at this point.
Yanami Sukaru stepped aside and gestured further into the courtyard. “I would advise against speaking with the new king,” she said, “But Nari’s memorial is in the first room. Your brother should be in or around his room, I’d imagine.”
“Thank you, Lady Yanami,” Miya said kindly.
The kitsune only nodded, and Miya left without any Kuro soldiers following her. First, she located Nari’s memorial and prayed; after finishing that and standing nearby for a few moments in silence, she went up to the bedrooms to find her brother. No one bothered her, if they even noticed.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Her brother, Toru, was near the entrance to his room and frowning. He must’ve heard her approach, and he smiled once he saw her.
“Sister!” Toru laughed a bit, moving to hold her for a moment. He was of fighting age during the war, but in one of his first battles he was injured; most of that had healed by now, although he seemed to still have a slight limp. The only reason he still lived in the capital was due Nari favoring him—a glance into his room, with most personal things hidden away, was enough to make Miya believe Shunji revoked that privilege.
Toru hugged her for a moment before pulling back. “I thought I might have to go all the way to the north to see you,” he said, smiling. “Are you staying in Kuro, now that the fighting’s over?”
“I have to go back to the north,” Miya replied, shaking her head.
Toru’s enthusiasm fell for a moment. “I’ll be honest, that’s a bit disappointing.” He perked up again after a moment. “I have some business I need to do in Masaaki territory, but once I’m done I might be able to visit you for a while. Depending on how things go, I might just come by and stay there for a while.”
“So you have been asked to leave, then?” Miya asked, a bit worried.
“Yes and no,” Toru replied evenly. “Grandfather already needs me with the rest of them; Shunji decided that, while I’m away, I might as well clear my room out. Most of his siblings are getting the same treatment, though.”
“Likely trying to clear out the rooms and limit the people he has to feed,” Miya mused. She paused for a moment, sighed, then continued on a bit more cheerfully. “Regardless, I’m sure my husband won’t mind if you came to visit.”
Toru’s expression changed to something like amused confusion. “You’re married? Gods, Miya, it’s only winter! Did you wait at all after your birthday?”
Miya chuckled a bit at his reaction, but answered relatively nicely. “We’ve been dating on and off for most of the time I spent there. He took me out on my birthday and proposed right there.”
“So it’s settled,” Toru decided, smiling again with some teasing undertones. “I’ll visit you once everything with the Masaaki family is dealt with; it’s just paperwork and stories, I hear, so it shouldn’t take long. Then I can meet that husband of yours.”
Miya nodded, and the two fell into general chatter for a while. They spoke of Miya’s life—more about Andreas and his family—and Miya asked after Toru’s—how things were going at the capital, and if Shunji seemed to want any change in policies towards the north. According to Toru, he seemed mostly oblivious to it; that was good for the sake of peace, at least.
With nothing else to do, Miya ended up spending her planned two days in the capital with Toru, making up for lost time. Despite what she initially wanted, Toru even brought her back to a port town so she could make it back to Sólstaður with little trouble. They bid a temporary farewell, and she was off to go back home.