Lord Ohno's Home part 37

[krystalkatz.livejournal.com]

Nino was stiff as he and his family settled into the Oshiro’s room Satoru was beside him his body curled up as tightly as he possibly could his gaze very obviously averted from the coffin that was in front of the window. Tiny white flowers were draped over the wood thankfully masking the scent of the body that would over power the room. Nino’s hands snaked over and he held Satoru and Hotaru’s hands trying to give them the strength that they would need to get through this.

“Thank-you all for coming” Oshiro said his voice husky as if he had been recently crying and Nino felt a pang of sympathy for the older man who looked ten years older than he had when he was working in the garden. For the week since the Oshiro’s had made their request Nino had been trying to stop the villagers that, in their loyalty to their lord, had been saying a lot of hurtful things. They were things that he felt, like the boy didn’t deserve a proper funeral and should be treated like the criminal he was but didn’t want Oshiro and his wife to hear the remarks. He hadn’t thought that he had been getting anywhere so he was glad that such a large amount of the village had turned up though most had only hurried in when they had seen Aiba and Sakurai coming to attend. “We are very grateful that we were allowed to hold the service today...Our son did many terrible things...Things that I never thought that he would be capable of and things that have shamed me but he was still my son and as such I am thankful to our lords that have given us this day...”

Nino followed Ohno into a bow, not able to release his children’s hands as they were holding to his too tightly, and then sat up again his heart aching for Satoru who was pressing so close into his body that it felt like he was trying join with him. He stroked the sweaty hand with his thumb and then very nearly zoned out the rest of the funeral. It wasn’t very long, there were very few people that spoke but thankfully everybody went through the motions of a funeral for the Oshiro’s. Kyou was silent throughout, her face pale and drawn her lips a pale blue and Nino kept his focus on her and it was the only thing that kept him focused. Satoru was crying softly onto his arm and Nino wondered at the wisdom of allowing the boy to stay for the whole funeral. He had insisted that morning though and Nino knew that Ohno was right their son needed to do this even if it was hard for him.

The cremation was again simple though this time it was Hotaru that gave an almost audible cry and Nino squeezed her hand and trying to whisper soothingly to her while still trying to remain calm himself. He refused to look at the pyre and turned both his children into him so they didn’t have to see it either. It wasn’t how people reacted at a funeral but Nino didn’t care and nor it seemed did any of the others from the village. After the cremation came the wake. Ohno had sent food, simply cooked from the castle but not a single person was eating it not even the children. Satoru was subdued but so where all of his friends and Nino noted that most were sending looks at both Aiba and himself before whispering softly to themselves. At any other time Nino would have asked his son to explain what was going on but one look at the downturned sombre face killed any question before it rose on his lips. Instead Nino looked around the room and saw Kyou standing alone as her husband talked to Oshiro.

Unsure of his reception, though he had gotten close to the older woman in the past week, Nino slowly made his way over to her. She looked up at him blankly her eyes framed with the tears she seemed unable to shed. Seeing that she was close to fainting with the stress of it all Nino slipped an arm around her back and led her silently out if the house with Satoru still clinging to him like a limpet.

The arrived in the almost deserted streets and Nino guided her to the fountain and sat her down taking his handkerchief from his robes he handed it to her.

"Thank-you my lord..." She whispered brokenly her voice catching on each word as she reached out and took the scrap of silk "I apologise for my display..."

"There is no need to apologise...to me or to anybody else..." Nino said swiftly sitting down and pulling the softly crying boy onto his lap rocking him backwards and forwards. Kyou watched for a moment the tightly held tears finally falling out of her eyes and down her cheeks. The upper part of her body shook and without a second thought Nino wrapped his arm around her shoulders around pulled her as far as he could into his body. Holding her tightly he continued his movements until she gave a gasp and whispered,

"Most in the village do not share your view my lord...They had known my son since he was born but they have forgotten that...” Kyou broke off with a sob looking around at few people that had followed them out of the house. Nino squeezed both the woman’s arm and his son humming softly under his breath hoping that he sounded comfortable “He was a difficult child but I carried him within my body...I nursed him through those illnesses that took my other children...I understand that people will not forget so easily but I had hoped that...For one day at least I had hoped that people might forgive...”

“I fear that there was very few people that are ready to forgive your son madam” Nino told her as gently as he could, he felt guilt for saying such a horrible thing but it was the truth. He wasn’t stupid or deaf he had heard whispers throughout the wake, the people felt that a twice attempted murderer had no right to a funeral “Though I also had hoped that for one day they would set aside that...When I saw so many my heart was glad I believed that they had...”

“We both had too much faith in people, my lord, they say that I should have raised a better son...And I suppose that they are right...For my son to have turned out that way there must have been something that I have done...” Kyou sobbed again loudly twisting his handkerchief around in her hands until it barely resembled a handkerchief and looked more like scrap of cloth. Nino was at a loss to what to say, all of his training and life experiences had not prepared him for this. Satoru scrambled off of his lap and then bowed low his head pressing on the flagstones

“I am sorry, Oshiro-san...” He said his shoulders shaking and Kyou blinked her tears stopping as she looked down at him. Nino stood up and put his hand on his shoulder but Satoru shrugged him away and eventually Kyou dropped to her knees and picked him up so they were looking each other in the face.

“Young master we have already talked about this, it was not your fault...”

“It was not your fault either but you sound so guilty...Iwao was the one that tried to hurt, Mama-Nino, Nee-chan, Uncle Masaki and Uncle Sho...Not you...Why should you take the blame if I cannot?” Satoru countered softly and Nino soon joined them on the floor his knees pressing into the stones “If I am not allowed to feel guilty then you are not because that is not fair...”

Tears rolled down the boy’s cheeks and his lips trembled, his whole body was shaking and Nino wanted to pick him up and hold him tightly surprised that somebody so young had picked up on the guilt when he had only picked up on the anger. Kyou knelt in silence for a long time and Nino’s eyes went from one to the other while Satoru chewed his lip

“Young master there is much that you do not understand...” Kyou tried and with all the stubbornness of youth Satoru shook his head,

“Mama has told you...Papa has told you that they do not blame you...You are not allowed to blame yourself...” He snapped and then reached up slipping his arms around the woman’s neck and holding her tightly. Kyou was still for a moment and then her arms came up wrapping around his back holding him tightly “We...We can learn to forgive ourselves together, ne?”

“Yes...Thank-you...” Kyou whispered through a sob and Nino felt tears in his eyes proud of his son recognising that Satoru had also turned a corner.

TBC
A/N: I really hope this is okay...I tried really hard with open office ^_^